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Today, Zelenskyy Makes Historic Address to British Parliament; Ukrainian Women Volunteering as Loved Ones Head Into Combat; Biden Expected to Ban Russian Energy Imports Today. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired March 08, 2022 - 10:30   ET

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

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ERICA HILL, CNN NEWSROOM: Just about 90 minutes from now, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address the British House of Commons. He'll do it via video link. It's the first time a foreign leader's speech will be broadcast directly to the house chamber, and it comes as Zelenskyy is calling out President Biden, saying he's capable of doing more to stop the war in Ukraine.

CNN European Editor Nina Dos Santos joining us now with more. So, Nina, what more do we expect to hear from President Zelenskyy in this address this afternoon?

NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN EUROPE EDITOR: Hi there, Erica. Well, this is really a significant moment, because, obviously, the hallowed halls of the House of Commons, very much a sort of traditional environment where technology doesn't always cut through. But this time, what they've decided to do is put big screens. It's going to be the first time that the president of a foreign nation will be beamed in direct to the House of Commons to speak to British lawmakers.

[10:35:05]

We're also expecting members of the upper house of parliament, the House of Lords, to watch from the side galleries too. It is going to be extremely full and already in preparation of all of this. We've seen the Foreign Affairs Select Committee have various meetings on Ukraine to prepare the ground for some of the arguments that he's likely to be making.

What will Zelenskyy say? Well, we're expecting him to yet again call for things like a no-fly zone over Ukraine, something that NATO officials and defense secretaries, including the one of the United Kingdom, have staunchly rebuffed saying they have to be very careful here in the balancing act that they're trying to strike, not to drag the Ukraine situation into a fully blown third world war that could bring all of the members of the NATO alliance.

Zelenskyy could also call for more weaponry. The United Kingdom has been at the forefront alongside with the United States, giving weaponry to Ukraine even before the invasion began. And also the U.K. was very much sympathetic to the intelligence that was saying that this invasion was going to take place.

So, you can bet that Zelenskyy will be making these types of arguments. He may also ask for help to try and defend the skies in other ways, say, for instance, planes or anti-aircraft weaponry as well.

The U.K.'s defense secretary said earlier today, Erica, that the U.K. cannot provide the same types of planes that Ukrainian pilots are used to providing but Poland might be able to do that and the U.K. could support Poland if it were to decide to want to do that. It's a big moment for Zelenskyy and also British lawmakers, Erica?

HILL: Yes, it certainly is, and the world will be watching. Nina Dos Santos, I appreciate it. Thank you.

New this morning, Russia's main state-run news channel is now showing this video of WNBA Star Brittney Griner. You see she's holding a sign there, it has her name on it. The photo was taken at a Russian police station after Griner was arrested and detained in Russia on drug charges sometime last month, a reminder that the details here are slim.

It is, no doubt, a painful image for her family to see. There are fears that Kremlin will use her for political purposes, as the war intensifies in Ukraine. That's what her high school basketball coach told our Rosa Flores. And Rosa joins us now with more on the story.

Where do things stand this morning, Rosa?

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Erica, good morning. You know, the latest is that we are, for the first time, seeing the booking photo of Brittney Griner. Take a look at this photo.

Now, this appeared on Russian state T.V. and the segment aired on March 5th. The actual photo is not dated, so we don't know a lot of details. What this report on state T.V. did say was that this photo was taken at a police station.

We also know from Russian officials that Griner was arrested, detained due to allegations that she was carrying cannabis oil at an airport. Now, that state T.V. report also interviewed a Russian official and here's what that official had to say. Take a listen.

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IRINA BEGISHEVA, RUSSIAN FEDERAL CUSTOMS SERVICE: An expert determined that the liquid is a narcotic drug, cannabis oil. A criminal case has been opened against an American citizen for smuggling a significant amount of drugs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: According to Russian officials, if convicted, Griner could be sentenced up to ten years in prison. And, Erica, of course, the U.S. State Department saying that they are working to try to bring Griner back to the United States. Erica?

HILL: There's this focus on Brittney Griner, it's also renewing a focus on other Americans who are being held in Russia. Paul Whelan, he's been there for some three years. Trevor Reed as well, detained for more than two years. And as I understand it, we know Trevor Reed's family has been pushing for a meeting with President Biden. They were hoping to speak with him today. It doesn't sound like that's happening, Rosa.

FLORES: You know, it's not. The family issuing a heartbreaking statement saying that they've been trying to get in contact with the White House to set up a meeting with President Biden, and that that hasn't happened. So, imagine their disappointment when President Biden will be visiting, in essence, their backyard in Fort Worth. And according to a statement from the family, they say that the White House declined their request to meet with President Biden.

Now, in this statement from the family, they also explained that Trevor Reed was a presidential guard marine for the Obama administration, meaning Reed was willing to take a bullet for then- Vice President Joe Biden. So, imagine what this family is going through right now.

And so, Erica, what they're doing, instead of meeting with Joe Biden, is they're going to be demonstrate near the venue where Biden will be speaking. Now, we've asked the White House to comment on this and have not heard back. Erica?

HILL: Rosa, I appreciate the reporting, as always.

[10:40:01]

Thank you.

Still ahead here, mothers, wives, daughters, we'll take a look at how women in Ukraine are joining the fight for their country.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are doing what we can. We keep on praying. People ask how you are not crying, but crying doesn't help.

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HILL: On this International Women's Day, a show of force from women in Ukraine risking their lives to help displaced families and soldiers on the frontlines.

[10:45:03] CNN's Anderson Cooper spoke with some of the volunteers fighting for their country and those they love.

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ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR (voice over): In a volunteer center in Lviv, moms whose husbands and children have taken up arms gather supplies for those fighting further east.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We understand we need to hold strong, like a fist, like this, and we have very strong faith. We believe that we will win and this will hold us together.

COOPER: Alina (ph) works for a group called Angel On Your Shoulder. She's recruited more than a hundred women to pack boxes around the clock.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nonstop, nonstop.

COOPER: Everything is donated, medicine, toiletries, all kinds of prepackaged food.

They're looking for things which easy to prepare or to give water to -- for troops at the front or families.

Nothing stays here for long. The work is hard. The war is harder.

Angela's husband left for the front yesterday.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My husband yesterday.

COOPER: He's a doctor, a veteran of the Soviet war in Afghanistan.

Does it help to work here to stay busy?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are doing what we can. We keep on praying. People ask how you are not crying, but crying doesn't help. Each person does what they can.

COOPER: Angela is in the reserves as well, but for now, she's taking care of her family and volunteering.

Thank you for your strength. You give me and everybody strength.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you very much.

COOPER: In another building, more mothers, more volunteers making camouflage netting to hide tanks and artillery.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let me teach you. Do you see? Just like this.

COOPER: Alina's (ph) son already in the fight. What made you want to come here?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We need to protect our country. It is difficult to speak. My son is in the army since 2015. I didn't want to let him go and he said, who will go if not me? How will I be able to say to people that I hid in a shelter? So, he left and it was extremely difficult for me.

COOPER: Many in this room have had to flee their homes in Kharkiv and Kyiv. They wonder when the bombs will fall here.

If you could talk to mothers in Russia, what will you tell them?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would tell them to take their sons back. We are also sorry for them. They are also humans. Human life was created by God. How can it be taken away just like that? They will be judged and face punishment for this. You cannot do this. Let them take their kids.

COOPER: This war has many fronts, and for mothers, there are many ways to fight.

Anderson Cooper, CNN, Lviv, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: A nation rising up to defend itself here in Ukraine.

Any moment now, back in the U.S., President Biden is expected to announce a ban on all Russian oil, natural gas and coal imports to the U.S. We're going to bring you those comments, that announcement, live. Stay with us.

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[10:50:00]

HILL: Moments from now, President Biden expected to announce the U.S. will ban energy imports from Russia.

SCIUTTO: This is a big step that's been under consideration but there had been opposition.

CNN's Manu Raju is live on Capitol Hill. Manu, what are lawmakers saying on this? We have seen bipartisan support for this step.

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. And a lot of them have been calling on the White House to take this action, even as the White House even said as early as yesterday that they were still undecided about this issue.

So, there is some praise coming from the Capitol, including from some Republicans, even that they wanted to add quicker. But there's also concern about what comes next, not only for the increase in gas prices that we could see nationwide but also how to offset the loss of those Russian energy imports. There's talk among the administration potentially increasing imports from places like Venezuela, from Iran, from Saudi Arabia. But in talking to key Senate Democrats, they are concerned about that approach.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. JON TESTER (D-MT): We shouldn't be advancing in other countries that don't share our values. So, I think that the opportunity here is to do it domestically, create jobs here, you know, deal with it domestically and also see if we can help Europe too.

RAJU: Should the administration ease restrictions on production?

SEN. JOE MANCHIN (D-WV): Go back to the policies that we had before. And that's -- we have to be releasing in the Gulf, okay, (INAUDIBLE) lands has been off target. All this has to go back into production. That's all we're asking for. And if we're asking the rest of the world to step up, let's show that we're going to step up. And any oil that's needed to our allies around the world, we produce it cleaner than anybody.

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RAJU: So, they're asking for domestic energy production.

[10:55:00]

And at the same time, expect still some legislative action, including to impose this prohibition on Russian energy imports, to move forward on a legislative basis. There will be legislation later this week or potentially into next week that would also suspend normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus. Guys?

HILL: Manu Raju, I appreciate it, as always. Thank you.

Again, we are standing by at this moment waiting for the president to walk up to the podium as we wait for that announcement, Jim, there in Washington.

Thanks to all of you for joining us this morning. I'm Erica Hill in New York.

SCIUTTO: And I'm Jim Sciutto in Lviv, Ukraine, where we continue to cover all the developments in this growing war in Europe.

At This Hour with Kate Bolduan starts right after a short break.

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