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Humanitarian Corridors Expected To Open This Hour; Ukraine: 5,000 People Left Sumy, Ukraine On Tuesday; Mykolaiv Residents Asked To Blocked Russian Advance; Zelenskyy Again Urges No-Fly Zone Over Ukraine; Russia Proposes Limited Ceasefire For Humanitarian Corridors; Putin Shows No Signs Of Halting Offensive; Zelenskyy Echoes Churchill In Address To U.K. Parliament; U.S. Announces Ban On Russian Energy Imports; Ukraine's First Lady Calls Russia's Invasion "Mass Murder"; Ukrainian Describe Emotional Journey To Poland; Maldova Gym Turns Into Makeshift Shelter For Refugees; U.S. Bans Russian Oil Imports; Eu Outlines Plans To Phase Out Reliance On Russian Energy; Zelenskyy: West Will Form New "Marshall Plan" For Ukraine; Western Leaders Lay Out Plans To Curb Russian Oil Imports; IMF Warns Of Economic Fallout From Russia's Invasion; Pro-War Symbol Emerges. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired March 09, 2022 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[02:00:27]
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Welcome, everyone. I'm Michael Holmes. Coming to you from Lviv in Ukraine where we are following breaking news as Russia's latest plan for a limited ceasefire and the opening of humanitarian corridors is set to take effect this hour.
Now, the proposal covers five cities including Kyiv, Sumy, Mariupol, and Kharkiv. It is not clear whether Ukraine's government will go along. They didn't like the fact that most of those routes lead to Russia or Belarus.
Now, the country's armed forces issuing a statement earlier saying quote, "It is difficult to trust the occupier."
Sumy's Regional Governor says evacuations will continue in that city for a second day as many as 5,000 people did manage to leave on Tuesday. That's according to the Ukrainian president's office.
Ukraine accusing Russia of bombing the city from the air just a few hours before that. Authorities say 21 people were killed, two of them children.
And the southern city of Mykolaiv is injuring aerial attacks as well. CNN capturing video of explosions of lighting up the night sky there. City leaders asking residents to bring tires to every intersection to stop the Russian advance.
The port city of Mariupol, another flash point, residents there have been without water or electricity for days now. Ukraine claims Russian forces striking aid convoy trying to bring in vital supplies. Senior U.S. official says the city is now isolated virtually surrounded.
Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, once again urging a no-fly zone and more sanctions on Russia.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): The war must end. We need to sit down at the negotiating table. Honest, sustenance, and the interests of the people, not obsolete murderous ambitions
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Oren Liebermann with more now on the developments on the ground.
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: In Northeast Ukraine, not far from the Russian border, city of Sumy was supposed to be safe, if only for a few hours. Ukraine and Russia agreed on a single evacuation quarter open for half of Tuesday, but the agreement has not protected the city.
The announcement came after Ukrainian official say a Russian airstrike killed 21 civilians including two children overnight. Russian strikes have destroyed homes in the city flattening neighborhoods, western leaders have already accused Russia of targeting pre-approved safe routes in Ukraine.
The city of Mariupol in the South has been isolated by Russian forces according to a Senior U.S. Defense Official cutting off hundreds of thousands from water and electricity for days. But that official says the Russian forces have not entered the city.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AVRIL HAINES, U.S. DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: We assess Putin feels aggrieved, the West does not give him proper deference and perceives this as a war he cannot afford to lose.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIEBERMANN: U.S. Intelligence estimates with low confidence that Russia has lost between 2,000 and 4,000 troops in combat. But they still retain an overwhelming majority of their combat power.
The U.S. Defense Official says with new advances east of Kyiv, Russian forces still have not been able to encircle Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital with their assault stalled from the North, the official says.
Ukraine says the Russian invasion has killed more than 400 civilians to date, including 38 Children, calling it genocide, and accusing Russia of war crimes, which Russia denies.
Russia's invasion has now created more than 2 million refugees according to the United Nations, while millions flee, others stayed to fight. Irpin on the outskirts of Kyiv, a Ukrainian police officer says
goodbye to his son. For how long? No one knows.
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressing the British Parliament.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENSKYY: We will not give up, and we will not lose. We will fight until the end at sea, in the air. We will continue fighting for our land whatever the cost.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Male: He showed once again his mixture of composure defiance. Zelenskyy urged to Western nations to ban Russian energy imports, a move President Joe Biden announced today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Russian oil will no longer be acceptable to U.S. ports, and the American people will deal another powerful blow to Putin's war machine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIEBERMAN: The European Union says it will cut Russian gas imports by two-thirds this year and phase out Russian oil completely before the end of the decade. A daunting goals as Europe relies much more heavily on energy imports from Russia.
Meanwhile, in Moscow, the Russian stock market remains closed for the eighth consecutive business day with the ruble in free fall. Oren Liebermann, CNN at the Pentagon.
HOLMES: Well, Ukraine's First Lady is accusing Russia of carrying out the mass murder of civilians, and she is extremely worried about the suffering of refugees. Olena Zelenska posted an open letter on her Facebook page on Tuesday that reads, quote, "Look into the eyes of these tired women and children who carry with them the pain and the heartache of leaving loved ones, and life as they knew it behind."
[02:05:35]
HOLMES: And the UN now says more than 2 million people have escaped Ukraine in the nearly two weeks since the invasion began. That's an amazing number in a short period of time. The majority heading to Poland, but hundreds of thousands have fled to neighboring countries as well.
Zelenska thank Ukraine's neighbors for generously opening their borders to provide shelter for women and children, and for keeping them safe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I was hearing explosions all the time. I was scared because I knew that the rocket can hit my house, or the home of my relatives. That's what scared me.
The soldiers from Russia don't want to stop. They don't know where to stop. They're dropping bombs all the time.
HOLMES: Now, that boy is one of the more than 1.2 million refugees who have made it out of Ukraine and into Poland. CNN, Scott McLean shows us the situation along that country's shared border.
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: For more than a million Ukrainians, the road to safety IN Poland is filled with checkpoints, bumper to bumper traffic, and seemingly endless anticipation.
Valentina Dekhtiarenko and her family had been waiting to cross the border for more than 24 hours. They're still nowhere near the front of the line.
VALENTINE DEKHTIARENKO, UKRAINIAN CITIZEN (through translator): I don't know what's waiting for me and my family. We're going into the unknown, and it scares us.
MCLEAN: Everyone in their cars is willing to wait, closer to the border. Even Hubble, buses drop people off by the dozens to cross on foot joining lines that stretch for blocks and for hours.
Max (ph) Amelin is taping and zip tying leftover insulation from his heating business to his daughter's feet to make sure she's warm while she waits for hours in the frigid cold.
You just wanted to make sure that your family got here safe?
MAX AMELIN, UKRAINIAN CITIZEN: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
NATALIA AMELIN, UKRAINIAN CITIZEN (through translator): Yes, he saves us and that's all.
MCLEAN: When they get to the front of the line, Max will have to stay behind as a man of fighting age. His in-laws aren't leaving either.
AMELIN: It's very difficult. It's so hard. My heart is ripped into pieces. My parents stayed back in Kyiv Region. I don't know even what is going on with them now. It's so scary.
MCLEAN: Ilona Gutnichenko with her young daughter and Godson, Entho (ph) fled the heavy shelling of Irpin, just outside Kyiv.
ILONA GUTNICHENKO, UKRAINIAN CITIZEN: It was terrible. And we left only two days ago, sat on the last train. We didn't believe that in 21st century it can be the real war.
MCLEAN: Valentyna also fled Kyiv, she's never been forced from her home, but she's no stranger to tragedy.
VALENTYNA, UKRAINIAN CITIZEN (through translator): My husband died at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Do you understand? And that's what they are doing now. They are destroying the whole world. It is outrageous. People around the world shall not be silent. MCLEAN: This elderly couple fled Kharkiv, but only after spending eight days sheltering in a metro station. On the eighth day, an explosion shook their underground hideout.
VLADIMIR CHUMAKOV, UKRAINIAN CITIZEN: The women were hysterical. I understood this is not going to pass. This horror cannot be endured. I cannot express it, the fear, the crying children. When I saw a pregnant woman entering the metro, I understood this cannot be forgiven.
MCLEAN: From here, many have no idea where they'll go when they get to Poland, or when they might be able to come back. Scott McLean, CNN near the Polish border in Ukraine.
HOLMES: Now, Moldova is another country taking in a large number of people fleeing this war. CNN's Ivan Watson reports now from a recreation center in Moldova's capital that has been turned into a makeshift shelter to help people escape the violence.
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Look how people here in Moldova are improvising to deal with the refugee crisis from neighboring Ukraine turning a squash court into a place for refugees and for children, some of whom here have been on a bus for more than 70 hours traveling across the border to relative safety.
This is a small country, just 2.5 million people, and it has already dealt with more than 230,000 people streaming across the borders from the war zone in Ukraine. They come to makeshift places like this, and I can tell you refugees are still in shock. But some of them are also very angry and defiant.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are Ukrainians. It's our land. My son was born in independence Ukraine. I was-- it's our land. Independent. Nobody can enter our land.
And if you-- if someone is entering, we have to answer because it's our motherland.
[02:10:40]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have no other choice. We're very peaceful people. We're not Nazi. We're just on our land with hands up, please, we want to live, want to be happy. Stop shooting, please.
WATSON: This is not a government run shelter. This is coming with the help of private donations groups like the Jewish Community of Moldova taking care of 1000 of people at centers like this, and others that have cropped up in just the last week and a half.
Almost everybody we've spoken to in Moldova has in some way reached out to help their neighbors from Ukraine, if not providing assistance, then even opening their doors and housing families as they come through.
Most of the people here are going to move on to other countries. And they are just the beginning of a much larger flow of civilians fleeing Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Ivan Watson, CNN, Kishinev.
HOLMES: Now, if you would like to help people in Ukraine who might be in need of shelter, food, water, warm clothes, and so on. Go to cnn.com/impact, you're going to find several ways there that you can help if you so wish.
We're going to take a quick break on the program when we come back. Oil and gas prices spiking as the U.S. slaps a ban on Russian oil imports. We'll have the latest in a live report.
Also, the fighting still raging, but it's already clear. Ukraine will be facing a costly recovery.
Now, a new plan could be taking shape to help fund those efforts. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:16:12]
HOLMES: Welcome back. The price of gas in the U.S. has hit an all-time high according to AAA. The price for a gallon of regular gasoline stands at $4.17. And U.S. President Joe Biden warning that that price will continue to climb after he announced the U.S. is banning imports of Russian oil, natural gas, and coal in the latest movement to punish Moscow for its assault on Ukraine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: So, the United States is targeting the main artery of Russia's economy. We're banning all imports of Russian oil, and gas, and energy. That means Russian oil will no longer be acceptable to U.S. ports and the American people will deal another powerful blow to Putin's war machine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now, while U.S. reliance on Russian oil and gas is relatively low, the demand is high across Europe. But the EU has announced plans to move away from dependence on Russian energy by the end of the decade and aims to slash Russian gas imports by two-thirds this year.
CNN's Anna Stewart joins me now from London with more on the latest developments. And Anna, so how is Russia reacting to the west moves on its oil and gas?
ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: Well, quite strongly, overnight, we've had a presidential decree from President Putin. And it says a ban will be placed on certain exports and import, some restrictions on others. No real detail though, on what that would be or when it would happen.
But of course, Russia being a major producer of energy, but also metals and wheat, all eyes of commodities, I think in terms of trading today.
This would be a problem for Europe, if gas were targeted. And this was a threat that we actually had about 24 hours ago from the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, who said in retaliation for what happened with Nord Stream 2, Germany halting the certification process.
They could stop piping gas through Nord Stream 1, which is the biggest pipeline in terms of capacity delivering gas from Russia to Europe.
As you can see from the reliance that Europe has, when it comes to Russian gas, that would be a big problem is 40 percent of their gas at the moment that energy mix. And while they're trying to slash that by two-thirds by the end of the year is going to take time.
Even without this big announcement though, from Western allies that they're going to try and sideline Russian oil and gas, and they're going to do it in certainly different timelines that is going to be really damaging for Russia.
You know, oil and gas accounts for a third-- over a third of their overall revenue each year. This is going to hurt, and already Michael, we're seeing that shippers, traders, bankers are making a big shift away from Russian oil. They don't want to get anywhere near.
In fact, 70 percent of Russian seaborne oil is currently struggling to find a buyer according to J.P. Morgan. And I was looking at the prices today, Russian oil is trading at a $25 a barrel discount to Brent which tells you a lot.
HOLMES: Yes. And meanwhile, more corporations are pulling out of Russia. What's the latest on that?
STEWART: Yes. In the last 24 hours, we've had Starbucks shutting their restaurants and cafes in the country. Unilever, Danone, Pepsi, they're suspending operations a little bit, they can still sell essential items to Russians.
But McDonald's I think is the biggest one. They've decided to close up shop in Russia at least temporarily. And this comes after nearly a week of hashtag, "Boycott McDonald's" trending on Twitter all over the world.
Unlike many parts of the world, McDonald's actually owes the vast majority of its locations in Russia. It is shutting 847 of them. It employs 62,000 people in Russia. It will continue to pay their salaries.
But just think about that, 62,000 people who will not be going to work, the impact for them and their families, the impact for all the burger loving Russians out there. You know, they're going notice this and hopefully they will question what their government is doing in Ukraine even if they can't see the pictures due to censorship.
And it's really iconic, I think, when we look at McDonald's just because it opened in Moscow in 1990, as the Soviet, you know, Union was waning, it was a real icon of American capitalism arriving in the country, and Russians queued in the cold for hours to get a Big Mac and fries.
So it's really symbolic, I think, to see this brand closing up shop, at least for now.
HOLMES: Yes, absolutely. Anna, thanks so much. Anna Stewart, there in London for us.
Now, each day, the conflict in Ukraine brings new scenes of devastation homes, schools, even historic sites coming under fire from Russian strikes. And eventually when the fighting stops, as it surely must, at some point, that means Ukraine will be facing a massive rebuilding project.
On Tuesday, President Zelenskyy said the West plans to help with those efforts, similar to how the U.S. helped Europe rebuild after World War II.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENSKYY (through translator): There will be a new Marshall Plan for Ukraine. The West will form this support package. The British Prime Minister said this today, a man of his word, a sincere friend of Ukraine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[02:21:15]
HOLMES: And for more, I'm joined by Oleg Ustenko. He's an Economic Adviser to Ukraine's President, Zelenskyy. Thanks for being with us.
I mean, revenue from oil and gas related taxes and tariffs accounted for 45 percent of Russia's Federal budget in January. And you wrote an article in the Los Angeles Times, and you said quote, "Such payments fund, evil war machine focused on killing Ukrainian civilians."
The U.S. has now stopped Russia's oil and gas exports to the U.S. What more do you want to see done?
OLEG USTENKO, ECONOMIC ADVISER TO UKRAINE'S PRESIDENT: Look, for now, this is how we see the picture from Kyiv. For now, for us, it's very clear we have two fronts now.
One front is on the ground where our army, our people, you know, are trying to find-- fight against Russian aggresses around Russia. On another side, we have a second front. And the second front is very clear, an economic front.
And this economic front is joined already by many countries. And it's very clear that it's lead by the United States. And this decision, which was taken yesterday by United States is really extremely symbolic for everybody.
What I understand that it's definitely not enough. But what we would like to see, we would like to see that other allies, not only of Ukraine, but also of United States and for the whole civilized world, will join this initiative, will join these efforts, and everybody will be doing the same which was already done by the United States. Look, in my view, it's very clear. And there are many already, you
know, estimates coming from the European experts who are saying that, yes, if we got off from Europe from Russian gas, and from Russian oil, we will not supply this bloody money to Russian Federation because they're using in order to kill my people.
Look, a couple of hours ago several kids were killed in Sumy. Several hours ago, you know, they destroyed the extra hospitals, and extra houses in my country. So we would like everybody to do the same, which was already done by the United States.
And in my view, and according to these experts, which we all (INAUDIBLE) it-- they're loss is going to be really tiny, very small for Europe. We are talking about something like in decline, not more than one percent, most probably-- most likely, some sort of 0.5 percent decline in GDP.
But this is for stability. This is, you know, for international security. So, we do believe that it should be done and it should be done immediately.
HOLMES: Yes. What damage? We know the damage that's being done to this country and to its people. But what damage is being done right now to the Ukrainian economy?
USTENKO: Look, 50 percent of our economy doesn't operate now. 50 percent. So far, it's very, very preliminary estimates. But according to our very, very preliminary estimates, somewhere around a $100 billion of our assets are already destroyed.
Please keep in mind that we are talking about the country, which was able to reach last year a historical maximum of its GDP, and our historical maximum was around $200 billion, GDP. A 100 billion of assets is already at lost.
And this number is increasing dramatically. So we have destroyed infrastructure, we have destroyed schools, we have destroyed houses, we have destroyed bridges.
But the most several event, you know, we have killed people, our people are--
HOLMES: Of course.
USTENKO: -- killing all the time by these Russian aggresses.
HOLMES: Yes. Of course, it's the people that are the focus that the damage being done. And the other thing too, the Ukraine exports a large amount of wheat to the world. And that's going to be a big problem as well, in terms of flow on effects outside of Ukraine.
Even if the Russian invasion ends, talk to us more about what help Ukraine will need once it's over to rebuild. The costs are going to be in the 10s of billions one imagines.
USTENKO: I would say hundreds of billions, you know, the cost of rebuild and everything. Look, if investments already lost a 100 million, so you have to be prepared to write that kind of money.
In terms of Agri-sector, look, for us, this period of time is a time when we are doing our land field works.
[02:26:15]
USTENKO: And these field works usually starts in the first decade of March and should be completely ended in the third decade of April.
So this is a very short period of time right now, other companies are working in the fields. We already, you know, in the time when these work has to be started. If it's not started, then it's going to be, you know, significant damage not only for Ukraine, but also for the world because Ukraine is a big exporter of other products.
The international market, we are number five.
HOLMES: Yes.
USTENKO: And we're also fifth on the international market. We are producing-- we are supplying 50 percent on sunflower oil to international market.
So we have to expect that it's going to be a hike in international prices for our-- for other commodities, which will definitely negative affect everybody in terms if you're asking about--
HOLMES: I--
USTENKO: Yes, please.
HOLMES: No, no, no. I was just going to say yes, a hike in prices for everyone, and shortages also in food. I know that aid agencies are worried about the wheat shortages. They rely on Ukraine to distribute to poor nations.
I wish we had more time, we don't. Oleg Ustenko, really appreciate you joining us. We'll chat some more another time.
USTENKO: Thank you very much. And thank you very much for standing with Ukraine.
HOLMES: All right. We will take a short break here on the program. When we come back, as war rages here in Ukraine, one letter has become a symbol for those who support Russia's invasion. We'll have the details after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:30:00]
HOLMES: Welcome back, everyone. I'm Michael Holmes with the latest development from here in Ukraine. And Russia's plan for a limited ceasefire to allow for humanitarian aid and evacuations, it's supposed to be in effect this hour. Now, it would provide corridors for people to leave. Five cities, among them Sumy in the Northeast. The regional governor announced that the corridor will stay in operation today. Government officials say 5,000 people were able to leave Sumy on Tuesday. Now, that evacuation came hours after officials say an overnight Russian airstrike killed 21 people, including two children there.
Well, there's been no escape for people trapped in the besieged Port City of Mariupol in the South. Ukraine's Foreign Minister said, Russian troops are holding 300,000 civilians hostage there, as he put it. And in the Northeast, sustained strikes on Kharkiv continue despite the shelling. Air raids and strikes on residential districts. The city has not fallen to the Russians.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OLEH SYNYEHUBOV, GOVERNOR OF KHARKIV REGION, UKRAINE (through translator): We've been holding the line success for over 10 days now. And as you know, we're all fighting against one of the most powerful armies in the world. Our troops have been fighting, fiercely and courageously within the Kharkiv Region and the City of Kharkiv itself. And, now I would like to say that Kharkiv is under our control. We will fight until the end.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now, for the first time in more than a century, the New York Times has pulled all its correspondents from Russia. The paper made that announcement on Tuesday citing Russia's new law, cracking down on journalists, even referring to the invasion of Ukraine as a war. Neil MacFarquhar, a former Moscow Bureau Chief for the Time shared the paper was able to weather the rule of Joseph Stalin and the cold war. Adding, "It's a sad day for the history of the New York Times."
Now, there is one letter that has emerged as a symbol of Russia's war against Ukraine. That is the letter Z or Zed, which doesn't even exist in the Russian alphabet. But it's being seen on Russian tanks and military vehicles. CNN's Phil Black reports on how it is now being used to show support for Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[02:35:00]
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): It's impossible not to notice. Many of the Russian vehicles invading Ukraine carry a distinctive mark. Trucks, tanks, fighting, engineering, and logistic vehicles. They are advancing through Ukraine with the letter Z, painted conspicuously in white. The people being invaded have noticed. Here in the Eastern Ukrainian town of Kopernak, an angry crowd swarms after and attacks a single vehicle. It's only obvious connection to the war, the letter Z.
ARIC TOLER, DIR. RESEARCH AND TRAINING, BELLINGCAT: It's almost certainly some kind of tactical grouping. There's a million different theory about what the Z means, but I think it's just a marking because it's easy -- easy thing to mark. It's like a square or triangle. BLACK (voiceover): In a war where the want-to-be conquerors are not flying their national flag, that single character has taken on special significance. At a recent Gymnastics World Cup event, 20-year-old Russian competitor, Ivan Kuliak, accepted his bronze medal wearing a Z prominently on his chest. He was standing next to a Ukrainian athlete. The sport's governing body described it as shocking behavior.
But, how do you describe this. Terminally ill children and their carers formed a giant Z outside the hospice in the Russian City of Kazan.
BRIAN KLAAS, ASSOCIATE PROF., UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON: It's disgusting that the state is co-opting young children to be propaganda mechanisms for their war. It's dangerous when small little symbols become proxies for being a loyal citizen in an authoritarian regime during the time of war. Because those who don't wear, those who don't show the Z, could be targeted by the State.
BLACK (voiceover): And in this highly produced propaganda video, Russian men wearing that letter declare their support for the invasion. Chanting, for Russia, for the President, for Russia, for Putin. An aerial shot shows a giant Z made from the orange and black St. George's Ribbon. A traditional symbol of Russian military glory usually associated with victory over Nazi Germany. By accident or design, the characters of it doesn't feature in Russia's alphabet has become an iconic symbol of Putin's invasion and the propaganda campaign to win support among his people. Phil Black, CNN, London.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well, much more from Ukraine coming up. But first, let's go to Atlanta and my friend Rosemary Church. Rosie.
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL NEWS ANCHOR: Thank you, Michael. And we'll be back with you very soon.
Well, straight ahead, the arrest of two-time U.S. Olympic basketball gold medalist, Britney Griner, has left supporters anxious about her well-being and fearful that she might be used as a political pawn by Moscow. Coming up, we will have the latest updates on her case. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:40:00]
Welcome back everyone. There is growing concern for Britney Griner, the U.S. Olympic basketball gold medalist, has been detained in Russia since last month on drug charges. Russian State Media say, this picture shows the WNBA star at a Russian police station. But very little else is not about her case, including how long she has been detained and her current whereabouts. Russian authorities say they found cannabis oil in her luggage at a Moscow airport. She faces up to 10 years in prison. U.S. officials say it will be very difficult to secure her release as there are no diplomatic channels right now due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. And that is raising fears, Moscow might try to use Griner as a political pawn.
Sports journalist, Tamryn Spruill, created a change.org campaign to try and secure Griner's release. She joins me now from Boston. Thank you so much for being with us.
TAMRYN SPRUILL, SPORTS JOURNALIST: Hi, Rosemary. Thank you for having me.
CHURCH: So, WNBA star, Britney Griner, arrested and detained on drug charges in Russia, potentially faces 10 years in prison. And there's, of course, concern she'll be used as a pawn in the midst of this war in Ukraine. You have gathered nearly 40,000 signatures on your petition calling for her immediate release. How do you think that can be achieved, though, at a time when U.S. diplomatic relations with Russia are at an all-time low?
SPRUILL: I don't know that the petition itself can secure Griner's release. But I wanted, with so much going on, with the invasion of Ukraine, I didn't want her storyline to fall through the cracks. I want people to remember that she's there. And not to just carry on as normal with the 2022 WNBA season approaching in May. So, if it keeps it in the media and keeps it on the minds of U.S. officials, in the minds of decisions make -- decisionmakers in the WNBA and beyond, then hopefully, we can just keep are present on the agenda so that she doesn't just get lost. And the -- just, you know, global story that's just catastrophic on so many levels.
CHURCH: Absolutely, and you have written about what you say is silence on the part of the WNBA, and with only one statement coming from Griner's team. What more are you hoping they will do or say?
SPRUILL: I do understand if their hands are tied in terms of what they can say legally or perhaps who knows if the U.S. government has given them orders on what they can and cannot do.
[02:45:00]
What we don't want to do is make anything worse. And before I even created the petition, I reached out to the WNBA, and said, you know, as a citizen, you know, just a human wanting to look out for another human, what -- if I take an action, will it interfere with anything that you guys have going on behind the scene? And although I could not get a clear answer to give me any indication whatsoever of what that might be, I also was not told, you know, no, don't do it.
So, I felt compelled to just do whatever I could to keep her name out there and fans want answers. If you look at social media, they're, you know, they're seeing Tweets from teens and they're just like, wow, what's happening? Are we just going to carry on with the season and pretend like Britney Griner was never part of the league? And I'm sure that's not, at all, would anybody in the league is thinking or what they're dealing with but perception also matters. And there's optics and silence, lack of transparency of which the league, unfortunately, has been accused of in the past.
It just doesn't seem like a really good look right now. But I do appreciate, of course, how delicate of a situation this is for everyone involved.
CHURCH: Yes, it most certainly as. And, of course, we don't know where Griner is being held or under what conditions. And that is a concern in itself. But how much do you worry that Griner's sexual orientation may have played a role in her being targeted at the airport? And what might this mean for her if she is being held in some unknown facility in Russia?
SPRUILL: That is the biggest concern. I've had people ask, well, bring up the fact that there are other prisoners being held from the U.S. And, of course, the concern for them has been long-standing. Some of them have been there for years. But with Griner being a black woman, a gay woman, and outspoken advocate for LGBTQ Human Rights, that makes her even more of a target. And it's -- it's just impossible not to have extra concern for her given those circumstances.
CHURCH: And we thank you for shining a spotlight on all of these issues. Tamryn Spruill, thank you so much for joining us.
SPRUILL: Thank you. Thank you for having me.
CHURCH: Well, despite a full-on Russian invasion, the people of Ukraine still have hope they can win this war. After the break, a look back at the last two weeks of the war in Ukraine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I left my heart there in Ukraine.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): She said I'm afraid.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're hoping that the international community will help us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:50:00]
HOLMES: Welcome back, everyone. I'm Michael Holmes in Lviv, Ukraine. Well as days turn into weeks for those holed up in bomb shelters, some Ukrainians still finding ways to do the things they love.
A haunting, moving, performance there by a Ukrainian violinist who's in a shelter. This is in Kharkiv. She posted the video on Instagram saying, it's a song her late grandmother used to sing at family gatherings. She says, her grandmother survived the occupation of Kharkiv in the 1940s. The violinist has no plans to leave the city.
Now, tomorrow will mark two weeks since the start of the Russian invasion into Ukraine. Hundreds of Ukrainian lives have been taken. More than two million people have fled this country. And Russian assaults have laid ruin to many cities. The heartbreak here, palpable. But the resolve of the Ukrainian people, unwavering. Here's a look at the war, so far, set to the music of Glen Dennifer (ph). (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My family was divided by war in two parts and I left my heart there in Ukraine.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): She said, I'm afraid.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're hoping that the international community will help us.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just want to live in peace and in freedom.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, this is goodbye? Temporarily?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Difficult times but we're optimistic. We are fighting strong and we will win.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I told her, if something that will explode or whatever, she needs to hold her sister, and don't run to me, they need to stay there and be there for her.
[02:55:00]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are living in real hell. I could never imagine that something like that could happen in the 21st century.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're a county, we're strong people, strong nation.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I brought here a child and I want to go back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ukraine is today the most brave -- the bravest nation in the world. And I'm proud of that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: It is horrible to watch what is happening to this country. But the spirit of the Ukrainian people, I can tell you personally, is strong. And I'm broken. That's all the time we have this hour. I'm Michael Holmes. I will be back with much more from Lviv in just a moment.
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[03:00:00]
er he announced that the U.S. is banning imports of Russian oil, natural gas, and coal in the latest movement to punish Moscow for its assault on Ukraine. >
