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Defiant Ukrainians Shouting Down Russian Troops; Ukrainians Try To Cross Bombed Bridge To Escape Russians; Zelensky Asks U.S. Lawmakers For No-Fly Zone, Ban Russian Oil; Interview With Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL); Israeli Prime Minister Holds Call With Zelensky Following Putin Meeting; Nate Mook, CEO, World Central Kitchen, Discusses Getting Food & Supplies To Those Escaping Conflict. Aired 4- 5p ET

Aired March 05, 2022 - 16:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[16:00:34]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington.

And a senior U.S. official warning that Russia plans to bombard Ukrainian cities into submission. Also today a frightening scene emerging from an eastern Ukrainian town. Video shows Russian soldiers opening fire on civilians who are protesting their presence. Just a word of caution, what you're about to see is very disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking in foreign language)

(CROWD CHANTING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(GUNSHOTS)

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED)

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: You can see one man who was struck right there in the video. But as the Ukrainian people have continually proven, and this video is more evidence of that, their resolve is unwavering. These are protesters in that same town shouting down Russian troops. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Graphic) You are not welcome here. You only bring war with you. Go away from here.

(CROWD CHANTING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Graphic) The war and death follow you. Put on your stuff and leave. Ukraine is above all. (CROWD CHANTING IN "UKRAINE")

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Just remarkable courage there. And on the front line in Kyiv, new images show members of a Ukrainian Territorial Defense Unit guarding a barricade. The Ukrainian Armed Forces also shared this video showing a Russian helicopter, you see right there, allegedly being shot down in northern Kyiv. CNN is unable to verify when exactly this happened. And today Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is asking U.S. senators for more air power and a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

As for Russia's Vladimir Putin, he warns that any group, any country trying to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine will be considered, get this, a participant in this conflict and that the sanctions imposed on Russia are the equivalent, he says, to a declaration of war. But Putin is the only person who asked for this war and waging this war. And look at what it got him. One little boy in Mariupol did not live to see his second birthday.

A photographer captured a gut-wrenching scene at the hospital. We do warn you, these images are very upsetting. 18-month-old Kirill was wounded by the shelling. And you can see him right there wrapped in that blanket. His mother Marina and her boyfriend Fedor rushed him to the hospital. He's wrapped in a blood-stained blanket as you can see. And medical workers as we were just trying to show tried to frantically save him but Marina was forced to say good-bye to her son.

Let's begin with CNN's Scott McLean who is in Lviv.

Scott, it's just heartbreaking to see the toll being taken on the civilian population there in Ukraine. What more are you learning about these protesters who were shot at by Russian forces in that small town in eastern Ukraine? Really a show of courage there, of defiance on the part of those Ukrainians standing up to the Russians.

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you're absolutely right, Jim. So this was in the northeastern town of Novopskov. And so there was a protest, a small group, maybe a few dozen that you can see in the video, and they were protesting the new visitors that they have in their town, in the form of Russian troops who had set up camp in the center of town in an open-air market. And they were making their voices heard, these protesters.

And so at first, the Russian troops appeared to, according to a video, fire warning shots because no one in the video seems to flinch at all. Recognizing that there is no apparent danger. Then a second video, and I should mention all these videos have been authenticated and geolocated by CNN. A second video, a man seems to walk up to the troops. The crowd is chanting. And then you see him drop to the ground.

Later a photograph appearing to show that same man shows him with a bloodied leg. And then later on a third video, shows the Russians firing again in the direction of the crowd. It's not clear whether they're firing into the crowd or whether they're firing above the crowd. According to the head of the local government. They were firing into the crowd because they claimed that three people were wounded and ended up in hospitals. CNN, though, cannot confirm those casualty numbers -- Jim.

ACOSTA: Scott, just remarkable courage. I mean, just watching that video, the thing that I'm struck by is how the people there are willing to just stand in the streets unarmed, in defiance of these Russians, shouting at them to go home.

[16:05:13]

And -- yes, they absolutely have to run when the Russians start firing indiscriminately, but at the same time, this just has to send the message to those Russian soldiers, those 19-year-old Russian soldiers on the ground there, look what they're up against. A people who just refuses to give up.

MCLEAN: You know what's most remarkable, Jim, is that a week and a half ago Ukrainians didn't have to do any of this. They had relatively normal lives. They were going about their business and then all of the sudden all of this was uprooted, and people are taking to the streets to protest. They're suiting up in uniform. They are volunteering. They're doing whatever they can, and many of them, of course, as we're seeing in Lviv here showing up at the train station are also fleeing the country especially women and children.

And it is just some heartbreaking scenes to see people lined up to leave their country, not knowing at all when they'll be back, and, Jim, if I could just point out really quickly one family that I met today at the train station or actually in a parking lot near the train station. This was a family of a mother, a 16-year-old son and then three younger daughters in the back, and they had left their father behind to fight, to defend the country.

And this 16-year-old boy told me he feels a lot more like a man, having to fill his father's shoes, to help his mother to take care of his family and this story is far, far from unique -- Jim.

ACOSTA: Scott McLean, and some incredible video that you just showed us there. Folks leaving all over this country, trying to flee the Russians who have just been unrelenting in their attacks on civilian populations.

Scott McLean, thank you very much for that. We appreciate it.

As Russian forces push toward Ukraine's capital of Kyiv civilians are desperately trying to escape. CNN's Clarissa Ward is on the ground just outside of Kyiv where a bridge was just destroyed and she and her team have this remarkable report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): We are here on the northern-western outskirts of Kyiv at the entrance to a place called Irpin. And basically what you're seeing here is people who have been under heavy bombardment now for seven straight days, finally managing to flee from this area of Irpin. And if we pan over here, my cameraman Scott, he can show you the bridge here that connects Irpin to central Kyiv has been destroyed.

That was destroyed by Ukrainian forces to prevent Russian forces from moving on into central Kyiv, but what you're seeing now is that people have to navigate and cross on foot this destroyed bridge in order to get out safely.

Now since we've been here we have heard nonstop heavy artillery coming from that direction, also that direction. You can imagine how petrified these people are. These people have been under bombardment for seven straight days and are only just leaving their homes, and they're leaving them reluctantly and they're leaving them with the knowledge that they might not be able to go back to them. And you can see many of these people are elderly. Most of them --

(SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

You see them, people are so exhausted. They can barely walk. They're having to climb this sort of twisted metal. Many of them as you can see are elderly. They're visibly distressed. It's just an awful, awful scene, and these people are the lucky ones.

(SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

I'm just going to help her carry this bag a second. Excuse me, while we try to --

(SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

So people are obviously incredibly affected by this situation. They're frightened. They're exhausted. They're on edge. They've got their pets. They've grabbed whatever they can. A lot of these people have no idea where they're going to go once they cross this bridge.

[16:10:03]

They know that they're in relative safety once they do it. But they don't have any idea where they're going to go. They don't have any idea where they're going to sleep tonight.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: And let's bring in the former director of National Intelligence, James Clapper.

Mr. Clapper, thanks so much for being with us. The U.S. intelligence community right now is trying to get a, you know, some kind of clear sense of what Putin's mindset is right now. But I suppose the only clear sense you can get is to look at what's been happening on the ground in Ukraine. Just indiscriminate bombing, shelling of civilian populations. What looked like the atrocities that are carried out by war criminals.

Do you think that Putin can be -- I guess -- gotten to, when it comes to these oligarchs that are being punished around the world and so on? I mean, can anybody get to him right now and convince him to turn this off? To stop this?

JAMES CLAPPER, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, you're right, Jim, that this is one of the big enigmas for U.S. intelligence is the mindset of Vladimir Putin. It's always been a mystery to us.

ACOSTA: Yes.

CLAPPER: And all we really have to go on, at least for me, is his behavior and statements, his demeanor and what he is causing to happen. I think that really gives a real insight into his character and for me, he's a 21st century Hitler.

ACOSTA: And, and you say that I suppose because we just know who he is. We --

CLAPPER: Exactly. We are seeing his true colors.

ACOSTA: This is who he is.

CLAPPER: He's a brutal, cold, no respect for humanity. And you can see that play out through, you know, these graphic images and videos that we're getting from Ukraine. It's dreadful.

ACOSTA: And now we're getting word that Putin may send in or apparently is going to send in 1,000 mercenaries into Ukraine. What does that tell us? I mean, these are not your 19-year-old Russian soldiers who in some cases might not be able to shoot straight or even understand why they're there.

CLAPPER: These are older, seasoned, hard-bitten people, and I think that the message here is a certain amount of desperation on Putin's part to have to do this at this point. I think that apparently they thought, the Russians thought, they'd just waltz into Ukraine and the Ukrainians would just roll over and capitulate which obviously hasn't been the case.

So when he starts bringing in mercenaries, and one of the things I worry about is, you know, local use of chemical weapons against the civilian populace. And of course, Putin's good buddy Assad did that in Syria, which the Russians acquiesced in. So this is concerning.

ACOSTA: And what options does the international community have left at this point? If the U.S., if NATO are saying at this point that a no- fly zone is not going to happen, and the sanctions have been essentially maxed out at this point. Perhaps there's more that can be done. Banning Russian oil and so on.

CLAPPER: Well, there is the remaining thing that could be sanctioned which is Russian energy.

ACOSTA: Yes.

CLAPPER: Which, of course, will have blowback effect on us and the rest of the world. So there is that.

ACOSTA: And Putin is saying that would be a declaration of war. CLAPPER: Well, yes, that's --

ACOSTA: That it already is a declaration of war.

CLAPPER: To me, we're -- we, the U.S., NATO, about 20 members of NATO are already complicit because of the weapons we've provided, notably Javelins and Stingers which have resulted in the death of lots of Russian soldiers, and the destruction of lots of Russian equipment. I love the clip of the helicopter going down.

ACOSTA: Right.

CLAPPER: So -- and we've been sanctioning him in one way or another.

(CROSSTALK)

ACOSTA: Yes. (INAUDIBLE).

CLAPPER: Yes. That's great. One way or another since at least 2014. So this is -- you have to pay attention to what he says, obviously. And he told his community, I know, certainly -- but it's almost like after the fact declaring what is, has long existed, and particularly with a provision of security systems, weapons, to the Ukrainians.

ACOSTA: And how great do you think the pressure has to be on Putin internationally? I mean, could it be escalated?

CLAPPER: I don't know. You know, we see --

ACOSTA: China not --

CLAPPER: Obviously if China --

ACOSTA: Staying on the sidelines. India.

CLAPPER: Were to weigh in and not help the Russians get around sanctions or provide an alternative source of funding in the face of the sanctions.

[16:15:01]

If China were to do that, that would have impact. I don't know what else, what other arrows we have in our quiver short of doing something like a no-fly zone, although at this point, a no-artillery zone would be more effective than a no-fly zone.

ACOSTA: Right. And I guess, what other kinds of weaponry could be send in? I know that Colonel Alexander Vindman has talked about, why don't we send in drones? Are there other types of weapons that can be funneled in somehow to help the Ukrainians even things out a bit more?

CLAPPER: I don't -- actually I don't know the state of play there. Whether covertly or otherwise that that sort of thing isn't being provided either directly or indirectly. We have a lot of reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft flying in the area. And obviously, they're looking into Ukraine. So I'm sure we're doing everything we can. I certainly would be if I were still at the DNI to make that the Ukrainians get all the information they could possibly get, particularly if it helps them kill Russians.

ACOSTA: And if this drags on week after week and we see the humanitarian toll escalate significantly to a point where this is just a nightmare, a total nightmare beyond where we are right now, I know that the White House has said no boots on the ground. We're not going to war with Russia and so on. And I asked this of a guest earlier, Ruben Gallego talked about this earlier today on the program.

At some point does the United States need to say, OK, maybe some options do need to be on the table that we've taken off the table. Maybe just for starters from a rhetorical standpoint, to put Putin on notice that you can't shoot rockets at nuclear power plants and just indiscriminately wipe people out?

CLAPPER: Well, I think the powerful images that are portrayed of the wanton brutality are going to have impact. That is going to cause, already is, I'm sure, pressure on U.S. and on NATO to do something beyond what we're doing right now. Not to minimize it, it's quite substantial. But this is kind of Balkans on steroids where we tolerated the slaughter of Muslims for some time before we eventually got involved.

Now this is a different situation, no question about it, but I really wonder what the impact is going to be of this continued and I predict increasing brutality of the Russians against the Ukrainian citizens. And the Russians just kind of considered them combatants. That's the way they think of innocent citizens, as combatants.

ACOSTA: Yes. It's appalling. All right. Well, James Clapper, thanks very much for your time. As always appreciate it. Good talk to you, sir. Thank you.

CLAPPER: Thanks, Jim.

ACOSTA: Coming up, U.S. officials are warning that Putin will try to bomb Ukraine into submission. They're doing it right now. Warning that the assault could lead to a significant increase in civilian deaths in the coming days. Former CIA director Leon Panetta joins me to talk about this, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:22:14]

ACOSTA: Disturbing and heartbreaking photos into CNN this afternoon. An 18-month-old boy being carried into a hospital in Ukraine. If you haven't seen this, you really have to watch. This boy had been badly hurt by shelling as the Russian military pounded the port city of Mariupol. The medical workers did everything they could but the small died.

You can see the heartbreak felt by the boy's mother, her boyfriend, the medical workers, doctors, everyone there who tried to save him in these images. Simply wrenching visuals that highlight the horrific reality of Russia's war on Ukraine and its people young and old. No one is spared.

And I want to bring in Leon Panetta now to talk about the situation in Ukraine. He served as Defense secretary and head of the CIA under President Barack Obama.

Mr. Secretary, this is awful stuff. This is painful, terrible, awful stuff. Is there a point where these images become so horrific that it compels the type of action that President Zelenskyy has been begging for?

LEON PANETTA, FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY UNDER PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, there's no question that this is horrible, heart-wrenching events that we're seeing and in the chaos and carnage of war. And this is a war. This is a war. And Putin is not going to stop. He's going to continue.

I think it's very important that the United States and our allies not only continue to stick together and be unified, but move forward with any additional sanctions if that involves, you know, cutting the United States off from Russian oil supply, so be it.

I think using whatever sanctions are left, and in addition to that, continuing to provide military aid to the Ukrainians. In every way possible. We're providing a lot. We're providing Stingers, Javelins, ammo. That is absolutely critical to their ability to put up the fight. And at the same time, obviously, reinforce our positions in NATO. We just have to make clear that we have drawn a line on Putin and we're going to stick to it.

ACOSTA: And, you know, speaking of a red line that nobody thought would ever get crossed. Let's talk about the threat to the nuclear power facilities there in Ukraine. Workers at the Chernobyl power plant, the infamous power plant there described as confined and exhausted to the point it poses a danger to the world. A separate nuclear plant came under attack this week. What about protecting those facilities internationally? Perhaps a no-fly zone if it's described in that fashion as a no-go for the U.S. and NATO.

[16:25:03]

But does something outside of that kind of language need to be considered or discussed that says to Vladimir Putin, you can't shell nuclear power facilities? This is the 21st century, for Pete's sake, and we have to have some standards internationally. You can't just have Putin going nuts, bombing power plants. I mean, it seems to me that has to be talked about.

PANETTA: Jim, I think, I think it's pretty clear that we have to protect all of our possible options here. This is -- this is a situation in which something horrific can happen. Such as one of those nuclear power plants getting blown up and radiation spread across Europe, for goodness sakes. So you know, I think it is important that the United States and, again, working with our allies just be aware that there are options we may have to exercise here in order to make sure that something horrific does not happen that we'll all regret.

So do we have the capabilities? You bet. The United States has those capabilities. I think our allies have capabilities. I just don't think we should start taking things off the table. I think we need to protect all of our options in this situation.

ACOSTA: And do you think that President Biden, the White House, NATO partners, need to be thinking in that direction of, perhaps saying, Vladimir Putin, we may be putting some options back on the table if you target these facilities? Is that essentially what you're saying, Mr. Secretary?

PANETTA: Well, I'm one of those who believes that, you know, it's not smart to tell a tyrant that there are things that you're not going to do. So I would just -- I would just say to him, look, we have options here, and it's very important that we try to bring this horrendous war to some kind of conclusion. I mean, the problem right now is that Putin is, is fighting a war that he can't win. I mean, he can't conquer the Ukrainian people.

He wants to conquer Ukraine and he can't do that. We can see that. People are not going to be controlled by Russia. And so he's embarked -- he's embarked on an invasion that he simply is not going to be able to win. And so to a large extent we've got to continue to box Putin in. We've got to continue to box Russian in so that they ultimately make a decision that it is better to save their own necks at this point than try to conquer a country that will not be conquered.

ACOSTA: All right. Leon Panetta, thanks so much. A lot to think about and chew on on this Saturday night. Appreciate it as always, thank you.

PANETTA: Thanks, Jim.

ACOSTA: Coming up, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy spoke with dozens of U.S. lawmakers this morning desperately pleading for more assistance and calling on the U.S. to help shut down the skies over Ukraine. I'll talk with one of the congressmen who was on that call, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:32:57]

ACOSTA: These are live images from Dulles International Airport in Virginia outside of Washington. That's a Russian government plane arrived there a little after 2:00 p.m. Eastern this afternoon.

It'll take Russian U.N. mission personnel expelled for abuse of privileges of residence and they'll be going back to Russia.

The U.S. government approved a special-exception flight chartered by the Russian government in accordance with federal regulations.

"We need more help." That was the message Ukrainian President Zelensky gave to U.S. lawmakers on an hour-long call this morning.

At the top of Zelensky's list, a no-fly zone, something he requested again, despite the U.S. and NATO repeatedly ruling that out.

He also asked for more air capabilities and tougher sanctions on Russia.

We're joined now by someone on that call, co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, Democratic Congressman Mike Quigley.

Congressman, thanks for being with us. We appreciate it.

What can you tell us about the Zoom call? And which request do you see as actionable on our end of things?

Obviously, the no-fly zone sounds like something that the White House, NATO, not going along with. But are there options short of that? That could be considered?

REP. MIKE QUIGLEY (D-IL): Yes. Let me begin by the impressions when you got on a call like that. Unprecedented, historic, powerful.

We're going back Monday into session in Congress with an agenda that includes a $10 billion aid package to Ukraine, half humanitarian, the other half military in nature.

I can't think of a more powerful inspirational message to take back with us towards that end.

I took notes. But I barely do that, and I'm not a stenographer. I did the best I can because there's something special about this.

You try to think of something comparable, it's Churchill during the blitz. But clearly President Zelensky is at even greater risk. And he's so calm and thoughtful.

[16:35:02]

And to your point, I don't think he was just making the case for Ukraine and its people, a sovereign democratic country being invaded by a tyrant.

I think he was, without saying it, reminding us why we formed NATO in the first place.

All of our discussions are preferenced by what you're hearing, you're not a NATO country, but they are going through and they represent exactly the spirit of why we formed NATO.

So there's still options on the table. And I think he gave us a good how-to process to resolve that.

ACOSTA: And I know it can be tricky getting into specifics, but are there any specific options that emerged during that conversation that could be doable?

QUIGLEY: Well, he's talking about what, I guess, military people have known since the Second World War. Air superiority is critical. As you said, he's asking for help in the air.

If we're not going to do a no-fly zone then we're talking about planes. It was discussed earlier in the week and didn't come to fruition, but it should.

So if it's not planes, it's got to be drones. I think continued support of other basic military needs are going to be important as well.

ACOSTA: And Zelensky also wants a ban on Russian oil imports. Do you think that's going to happen?

QUIGLEY: I think the first thing you'll see Congress push for is clearly the United States cuts ties there and commits an embargo as well.

There are about, what, about 8 percent of our imported oil. Not all that significant. Pretty dramatic, though, for our European allies. That's going to take a lot of diplomacy and effort.

In the final analysis, how we do succeed on that front? It's going to help from OPEC. It's going to take help from others pressuring him from afar.

And I think that's going to have to involve, if we'll be successful, a country like China.

ACOSTA: Lawmakers who are on this call were asked not to share details of the Zoom call while it was in progress for security reasons.

But as you know, some Republican Senators, like Marco Rubio, Steve Daines, apparently posted screen grabs during this call, which Congressman Dean Phillips called appalling, reckless ignorance by two Senators.

Did you observe that during the call as well? What can you tell us about this? What's your sense as to what happened there?

QUIGLEY: You know, I got to sort of sense it might have been taking place when the Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, who initiated the call, came on and reminded lawmakers not to do that. So I assumed at that point that was taking place.

You know, at this point in time --

(CROSSTALK)

ACOSTA: Oh, like the ambassador noticed that there were tweets happening and said, at that point, please, don't tweet during the call?

QUIGLEY: Well, you know, I think the U.S. ambassador made it clear. You know, please don't talk about or communicate what's happening while this call for security reasons. And they left it at that.

Look, at this point in time, you just hope no damage was done. And we have a mission to do. The landscape is changing behind us, and we move on besides -- despite unfortunate behavior.

ACOSTA: All right. Congressman Mike Quigley, thanks very much for your time. We appreciate it.

QUIGLEY: Thank you. Anytime.

[16:38:45]

ACOSTA: All right. Coming up, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett traveled to Moscow today, unannounced, and met with Vladimir Putin. We got live to Jerusalem, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:43:29]

ACOSTA: As Russia continues its war on Ukraine, CNN is learning that Israel Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met with Russia's President Putin in Moscow earlier today.

Let's go straight to CNN's Hadas Gold in Jerusalem.

Hadas, a very interesting meeting. What more can you tell us?

HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jim, this was a totally unannounced trip that the prime minister took to Moscow. He flew out Saturday morning and met with Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin for three hours.

We know this diplomatic push took place with the blessing of the U.S. administration. That's according to the prime minister's office. They also said it was coordinated with France and Germany.

The Ukrainian ambassador to Israel, I spoke to him a couple hours ago. He told me the Ukrainians were giving a heads up and they were supportive of the meeting.

And Bennett's office also said he spoke with President Volodymyr Zelensky after the meeting as well.

Bennett then immediately took off to Berlin. We understand he landed within the last hour. And he is soon expected to meet with German chancellor, Olaf Schulz.

In terms what Bennett spoke with Putin about, we know he spoke about the situation in Ukraine, any step towards a cease-fire.

Israeli officials say Bennett spoke about the situation of specifically Israelis and Jews affected by the situation because there's a big Jewish population in Ukraine.

Although Bennett's flight to Moscow was a surprise, it is coming after a series of phone calls he has had with Zelensky and Putin over the past couple weeks.

Zelensky was asking Israelis to act as mediators for some time. He's even asked Israelis to host negotiations in Jerusalem because of Israel's unique relationship with both countries.

[16:45:02]

So far, it doesn't seem as though Putin is necessarily receptive, having meetings in Jerusalem. But it is being seen as a major step that Bennett physically went to Moscow to meet with Putin.

While Israel condemned Russia's invasion and is providing Ukraine with humanitarian aid, Bennett himself has avoided direct criticism of Russia or Putin.

Israel has sought to maintain good relations with Russia in recent years because of Russia's military presence in Syria.

Israel needs Russia's tacit approval to conduct air strikes against Iranian targets in Syria, which is regarded as absolutely critical to its security.

But, Jim, the pressure has been growing on in Israel to do more to help Ukraine. But so far, Israel is maintaining its position, arguing it should be used to help find a solution -- Jim?

ACOSTA: All right. Hadas Gold, thanks for following that development. We appreciate it.

Coming up, Ukrainian families. More than a million people leaving their country for a safer place. Most of them with only what they can carry.

Next, I'll talk with the CEO of a group working to get food and supplies to the people who desperately need it.

(COMMERCIAL)

[16:50:34]

ACOSTA: It's hard enough to imagine fleeing your home or saying goodbye to people you love. But imagine not knowing where your next meal is coming from.

That's the reality for so many people right now as Russia continues its relentless assault on Ukraine.

Joining me from Lviv, is World Central Kitchen CEO Nate Moot.

Nate, hey, thanks so much for being with us. We appreciate it.

I'm sure you're working long hour, and you and your team must be so tired. Thanks for what you do.

Your teams on the ground in Ukraine trying to erase some of this uncertainty for the families we've been talking about.

How many meals have you served so far? And what are you coming across when you talk to the people, when you deal with these people just in very desperate situations?

NATE MOOK, CEO, WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN: Yes. We have teams at World Central kitchen here in Ukraine and across Ukraine, actually, with our partner restaurants, both in the east of Ukraine and here in Lviv in western Ukraine.

In addition to our teams long with Poland border and down in Moldova, Romania and Hungary as well.

And right now, we're serving close to 70,000 meals a day. I expect these numbers to continue to go up. Every day we're seeing more and more refugees, more Ukrainians being displaced because of the attacks.

And those are the Ukrainians we are serving both here in Ukraine and in neighboring countries.

The stories are heartbreaking. Here in Lviv, this has become sort of a bit of a safe zone, if you will, in Ukraine. It is fairly calm here at the moment. Things can change, and air raid sirens are regular.

Many Ukrainians are fleeing the east arriving near in Lviv. They're either trying to get across the border into Poland or other countries or looking to stay here until the conflict ends.

The stories really are heartbreaking. Families that just abandoned their lives. So many children we're meeting.

The train station here in Lviv is overwhelmed. Every day, more and more families are coming to the train station. So we have meals going out at the train station, at local shelters.

The arena here in Lviv has turned into a reception center where families arrive and then they try to identify accommodation for them.

Most is volunteer driven. It's really unbelievable. So we have meals served there.

Just every day continues to expand the need. And the stories that we're hearing from families are -- it's just really difficult journeys, as they flee the fighting.

ACOSTA: And, Nate, some of your workers are going down into bomb shelters to deliver food? What's that been like?

MOOK: Absolutely. We have incredible heroic chefs working with us across Ukraine in cities like Kharkiv and Kherson and Kyiv that really are under constant bombardment.

And in order to get meals to those families that need it, they're going down into the bomb shelters, going to hospitals. They're going to orphanages.

Just tonight, we heard from our partner in Kherson that went to -- traveled to the occupied territory to deliver groceries to an orphanage in an area that is now under Russian control.

I mean, just incredible stories. And really, you know, this is what the situation is here on the ground right now.

ACOSTA: And you must be struck by the bravery and courage of the Ukrainian people.

That's something that, you know, we've talking about this video from eastern Ukraine earlier today where the Ukrainians are in the street standing up to Russians.

The courage that's been on display is remarkable.

MOOK: Absolutely. Ukrainian have really stepped up to serve.

We wouldn't be able to do the work we're doing without partnerships on the ground here in Lviv and across the country and, of course, in Poland and beyond.

I was just at the train station earlier. There are trains coming in, delivering families from across the country. And there's this incredible group of volunteers outside.

It is well below freezing right now. We brought about 600 liters of hot soup working with volunteers. They set up a big cauldron outside. Serving meals to families.

You know, it's just -- it's amazing the amount of folks here just here to serve.

[16:55:00]

I met a young man and with his family from Kharkiv. His daughter went on to Poland to safety. He is staying here to serve and support fellow Ukrainians.

It's unbelievable and inspiring. Despite this really tragic time right now and what they're facing, the Ukrainian people are banding together to support each other.

ACOSTA: Well, Nate Mook, you are the reason why a wise man once said, look for the helpers. You're doing the helping there in Ukraine on the ground. Kudos to you and your team.

Thanks so much for being with us. Appreciate it.

That's the news for this evening. Reporting from Washington, I'm Jim Acosta. I'll see you back here tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. Eastern.

Up next, it's a special edition of "THE SITUATION ROOM," co-anchored by Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper.

Have a good night.

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