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U.S. Approves $200 Million Of Weapons For Ukraine's Defense; Woman Who Escaped Bombed Maternity Ward Gives Birth To Baby Girl; Humanitarian Situation Bleak As Civilian Evacuations Stall; Two Employees Stabbed Inside Museum Of Modern Art; The Fear Of Escalating Tensions Brings Back Talks Of Nuclear Weapons; Surging Gas Prices Ripple Through U.S. Economy. Aired 10-11p ET

Aired March 12, 2022 - 22:00   ET

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

[22:00:56]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: I'm Pamela Brown in Washington. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

And tonight, Russian forces are expanding their brutal offensive in Ukraine with airstrikes reported in cities across the country. The war is moving closer to Kyiv with the nearby village of Byshiv utterly devasted by Russian air forces. British intelligence estimates Russian troops are just 15 miles aways from the Ukrainian capital.

Days of relentless barrages have devastated the port city of Mariupol leaving its 400,000 civilians unable to flee and preventing repeated attempts to bring desperately needed aid into the city. Ukrainian authorities are hopeful that will soon change as they set up 13 new evacuation corridors across the country including one from Mariupol.

Ukraine's president says many of the small towns in his country simply do not exist anymore. And he is pleading with Western allies to do more to help, warning that Vladimir Putin will not stop with Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINE (through translator): I keep reiterating to our allies and friends abroad they have to keep doing more for our country, for Ukrainians and Ukraine, because it is not only for Ukraine but it is for all of Europe. The evil witch purposefully targets peaceful cities and ambulance vans and explodes hospitals, will not stop with just one country if they have the strength to keep going.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: So far the U.S. and other allies have rejected President Zelenskyy's repeated pleas for a no-fly zone over Ukraine but President Biden has authorized more help to be sent there.

Arlette Saenz reports from the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With the war in Ukraine in its third week, U.S. President Joe Biden ramping up the pressure on Russia.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Putin is an aggressor. He is the aggressor. And Putin must pay the price.

SAENZ: Today the president directing the State Department to draw down $200 million in the defense services for Ukraine. And an administration official saying this will include anti-armor, anti- aircraft systems and small arms. As Russia warns the U.S. that convoys of foreign weapons would be considered legitimate targets, Biden sending a warning of his own to Russia.

BIDEN: I'm not going to speak about the intelligence, but Russia would pay a severe price if they use chemicals.

SAENZ: But the president remains adamant American troops will not fight in Ukraine on the ground or in the skies.

BIDEN: We will not fight a third world war in Ukraine.

SAENZ: The leaders of France and Germany today speaking with Russia's Vladimir Putin, urging an immediate cease-fire. But Russia's bombardment of Ukraine is not letting up. Russian forces are closing in on Kyiv, with the British intelligence assessment finding the bulk of Russian ground forces located about 15 miles from the capital.

Thirty miles west of Kyiv the village of Makariv sustaining wide damage, a gaping hole in this apartment building from apparent Russian airstrikes. Several hundred feet away the roof of a kindergarten caved in, smoke seen billowing from the building. Russia also intensifying its attack. Heavy shelling around the southern city of Mykolaiv. Here a man seen staring at the sky as explosions are seen nearby.

Up north the head of Chernihiv Region Administration showing the destruction in his city. But the resolve of Ukrainian leaders including the country's former president remains strong.

PETRO POROSHENKO, FORMER UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: We are not giving up. We are not forgive the Putin these type of things, and I am absolutely confident that we will fight in every single house, every single street and every single quarter.

SAENZ: Ukraine's current president still pushing NATO to impose a no- fly zone over his country while warning his entire nation has become the front line of the war.

[22:05:06]

ZELENSKYY (through translator): This war, a difficult war, has truly united our nation. If you're asking me how's the situation on the front line, there's a front line everywhere.

SAENZ (on-camera): The U.S. also looking to keep that economic pressure on Russia in the wake of its attack against Ukraine. President Biden announcing the U.S., E.U. and G7 countries would call for revoking Russia's most favored nation status, essentially allowing for the U.S. and its allies to impose tariffs on a host of Russian goods.

Now here in the U.S. that will require an act of Congress and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says her chamber will take up a vote on that next week.

Arlette Saenz, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: Thanks to Arlette.

Well, we have seen so many images of pain and suffering in Ukraine, haven't we? It's all been so horrifying. But there are some stories that really stand out including this one. A pregnant woman in labor being evacuated from a maternity hospital in Mariupol after it was bombed by the Russians.

Our Hala Gorani has been following this story. She joins me now from Lviv, Ukraine.

Hala, there has been so little good news coming out of Ukraine. But you have a bit of good news to share with us.

HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly relief for Mariana, a woman who was just hours away from delivering thankfully a healthy baby girl. One of the most joyous events of anyone's live during her country's darkest hour. But in the end she was able to welcome a healthy baby girl. Take a look at her story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GORANI (voice-over): This is Mariana Vishegirskaya, heavily pregnant and escaping from the wreckage of recently bombed Mariupol maternity hospital. And this is Mariana Vishegirskaya a day later, in a new hospital and the proud mother of a daughter Veronika.

The attack on the Mariupol maternity hospital drew widespread condemnation. The images of pregnant women being rescued from the attack made front pages around the world. The searing image was taken following a Russian airstrike on the hospital Wednesday that injured 17 people, including women, children and doctors according to Mariupol city officials. Three people died, the city council said Thursday. Among them, a child.

The Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed without proof that the hospital was housing a Ukrainian battalion. And this wouldn't be the first medical facility to be hit. The World Health Organization has identified 24 separate Russian attacks on Ukrainian hospitals.

Despite the toughest possible start in life, Veronika was born in another Ukrainian hospital when Mariana was evacuated. The family is not disclosing their location for safety reasons. Her aunt, Tatiana Liubchenko told CNN Veronika was born healthy and around three kilograms. There was no electricity in the hospital and the temperature was minus five degrees outside. She says she hopes, quote, "sufficient conditions will be provided for the baby to stay healthy."

A child born into a world of danger. But her very existence in this time of war, an act of defiance.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GORANI: Well, Pamela, just a few weeks ago, the same family was probably enjoying everyday life without the threat of Russian airstrikes and shelling. And this little girl, Veronika, is facing a very uncertain future in Ukraine. Mariupol in particular is -- has suffered extensive damage. New satellite imagery is showing that this city has really, really suffered from Russian bombardments and shelling. And Doctors Without Borders, the humanitarian organization, has told CNN that the city itself is in a disaster phase.

Back to you.

BROWN: My goodness, it's just not fair. Not fair at all when you think about that precious newborn just brought into the world, having to face this.

Hala Gorani, thank you.

Well, we want to talk now to someone who has been pushing for Ukraine's freedom for nearly a decade. Yulia Marushevska is a Ukrainian activist. She became internationally known in a viral video entitled "I Am A Ukrainian" filmed in early 2014 when Ukrainians were fighting a revolution against a government they felt was corruptly linked to Russia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YULIA MARUSHEVSKA, UKRAINIAN ACTIVIST: I am the Ukrainian, the native of Kyiv. And now I'm on Maidan, on the central part of my city.

[22:10:03]

I want you to know why thousands of people all over my country are on the streets. There is only one reason. We want to be free.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Yuliya joins me now from Zakarpattia, Ukraine.

So, first off, Yulia, how are things where you are? Tell us a little bit about what this has been like for you since the invasion started.

MARUSHEVSKA: As for every Ukrainian, it was an insane two weeks. They are endless. It's like one day we moved out of Kyiv after the second day of shelling, of strikes. After I spent night in a bomb shelter with my family I just understood that we have to move to the west because like the -- one of the rockets hit the house just a block away from my street. And I moved all my family immediately to the west. But we started volunteering and building a network to support

Ukrainian frontline with bulletproof vests, with ammunition, and all other possible humanitarian aid and trying to advocate for the toughest sanctions on Russia.

BROWN: So is that a big reason why you decided to stay in Ukraine? Because as you know so many others have fled the country but you are still in Ukraine.

MARUSHEVSKA: Yes, I want to stay in Ukraine. I hope to the last moment I'm hoping it will end soon. I want to be back to my Kyiv. It's very hard for me to be so far away from my home. Every day I'm thinking about coming back and I want to be as close as possible. But still keeping my family safe. So the west of Ukraine is kind of a possible option. But I understand that nowhere in Ukraine and unfortunately nowhere in the Eastern Europe is safe now.

BROWN: You were a key figure in the Maidan Revolution back in 2013 which helped lead to the ousting of President Viktor Yanakovich. Would you have believed that then that less than a decade later that your entire country would be fighting off an invasion by Russia's Vladimir Putin? That it's the entire country now that he is trying to seize control of?

MARUSHEVSKA: Yes, it was pretty clear after Maidan when Putin occupied Crimea and then took a part of eastern Ukraine. And actually there were no global reaction to these actions. Ukrainians were fighting on the eastern Ukraine for many years. But unfortunately, all the mens and womens, all the peace agreements, they were just persuading Ukrainians not to act, not to defend territories. And Putin just got the possibility. He saw that he can do whatever he wants and that no one can stop him.

BROWN: What is different about Ukrainians and Ukraine as a whole as they face Russia versus the revolution of Maidan?

MARUSHEVSKA: It is different. Because in 2015 when Putin attacked and occupied Crimea, we were just after the revolution. We were a country that were just shaping. We were disorganized and we were just after huge shock of revolution. And we were in the process of election, choosing new president, and today we are united nation. We have a -- like a working state in place. We can defend ourselves.

You know, I'm using all my contacts from 2014, 2015 to build these aid supply chains. I'm in touch with volunteers with all over the world and most of them I know from the Maidan times. So Maidan became a foundation for our efficiency today.

BROWN: Wow, well, Yulia, you are an inspiration. Thank you for all that you are doing to help your fellow Ukrainians and for giving us some perspective about what's going on there on the ground.

Yulia Marushevska, thank you so much.

MARUSHEVSKA: Thank you for having me. Goodbye. BROWN: And if you want to help humanitarian efforts in Ukraine go to

CNN.com/impact. CNN viewers like you have helped raise more than $4.6 million. That is according to Public Good, the online donation platform partnering with us. The help is desperately needed, greatly appreciated. It's just been incredible to see the outpouring from CNN viewers with -- in the form of donations and reaching out in e-mails, offering refugees their homes. Really just incredible and inspiring.

[22:15:11]

Well, New York police are looking for a man they say stabbed two employees multiple times this afternoon at the city's famous Museum of Modern Art.

Videos on social media show people leaving the museum as police sirens blare outside. And we are learning more about the suspect and his possible motive.

CNN's Polo Sandoval has the update from New York.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Pamela, good evening, the NYPD says that they know exactly who the suspect is, identifying him so far only as a 60-year-old white male believed to be a regular at New York's Museum of Modern Art. And it was at about 4:00 this afternoon shortly after that when investigators say that he tried to gain access to the museum.

Investigators saying that he -- his MoMA membership had actually been revoked due to two previous and separate incidents involving what has only been described as disorderly conduct. And when he tried to regain access today he was denied. And that's when investigators say this man jumped over the reception desk and proceeded to attack the two MoMA employees that were there.

Now we do know, according to investigators, that both employees are going to be OK. They are in stable condition and now investigators trying to track down this individual. But certainly some scary moments on this Saturday afternoon, especially with the wintry weather you can imagine the MoMA was quite busy. In fact this iconic museum hosting millions of visitors from around the world every year.

Today, though, many of them forced to evacuate as investigators tried to find out exactly what happened -- Pamela.

BROWN: All right. Thanks, Polo.

And up next, while Putin brags about his nuclear arsenal we discuss what Russia is really capable of.

Also ahead, a baby shower one day, bombed the next. A frantic flight to safety for one Ukrainian woman now living in the U.S. She'll share her story.

And dozens of violinists combined in chorus to help the humanitarian effort in Ukraine. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[22:21:08]

BROWN: Fears of a nuclear weapons attack haven't been as high as they are now since the height of the Cold War. And since then the world has largely de-armed. There are fewer nukes today than there were a few decades ago.

Take a look at where we stand currently. According to the Federation of American Scientists there are nine nuclear armed states in the world. Countries holding about 13,000 nuclear weapons in total. Russia and the United States hold more than 90 percent of them. But not all weapons are ready to use. Some are currently being retired and the de- escalation continues.

Let's break down Russia's arsenal by the numbers. They currently have just shy of 4500 available weapons, most are in storage, 1500 are deployed on missiles and in military bases. Russia is capable of launching a massive nuclear attack but historically they have shown little inclination to do so. However, Putin hasn't taken his weapons off the table and has left some Ukrainian officials scared.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIRA RUDIK, UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER: Since the war started we have seen many things that were unimaginable. We have seen people suffering from the bombarding. We have seen people suffering from the -- from starvation, from dehydration from all the things. So they just add up as another threat. I'm more concerned about the nuclear threat honestly because what we see is happening in Chernobyl station where it was disconnected from the grid is more scary to me. I remember Chernobyl. I know what influence radiation has in people's lives.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Hans Kristensen joins me now. He is the director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists.

Hi, Hans. I mean, it is so distressing that we are even talking about this. The possible use of nuclear weapons by Russia. Realistically can you imagine a scenario in which that happens? I mean the word catastrophic doesn't seem strong enough.

HANS KRISTENSEN, DIRECTOR, NUCLEAR INFORMATION PROJECT, FEDERATION OF AMERICAN SCIENTISTS: No, I know it's crazy we have to talk about these things. And you think the devastation in Ukraine right now is terrifying. I mean it's a cake walk compared to what could be unleashed with nuclear forces. So, I mean, there's no comparison at all. So it's utterly important that we make sure it doesn't escalate.

BROWN: So what could it look like? I mean, I think people want to know what does that mean exactly.

KRISTENSEN: Well, first of all, I mean, the question is, is it likely or not? I mean, and fortunately it is not likely that it's going to happen imminently. And the reason is just that the intensity of the conflict is not high enough yet for that to happen. But it could escalate. And especially if you come into a direct NATO and Russia confrontation.

And if that happens you would most likely and it came to nuclear use you would see selection most likely of a few detonations first. But from there it could escalate very rapidly all the way to strategic warfare. And of course that means global destruction.

BROWN: Wow. No one wants to hear that. We know that there are fewer warheads in the world today compared to the Cold War. But how does strength compare?

KRISTENSEN: Well, it compares -- I mean, well, there's been enormous reductions like -- from 70,000 nuclear weapons back in the '80s to about 30,000 -- 13,000 left now. But a big chunk of those, a couple of thousands of those are ready for use on very short notice. Both in the Russia and the United States, France and Britain as well. So this is one of the problems here that if you get into a situation that is very tense where people begin to rattle the nuclear sword, if things go wrong, some incident, some misunderstanding, things can escalate intensely fast.

[22:25:12]

BROWN: Well, and I just want to, again, reiterate to the viewers watching that you said earlier that this is not something that is likely. But you are emphasizing that this is why it's important for there not to be escalation so that this scenario does not play out. But, you know, in light of this, look, Ukraine gave up its weapons 30 years ago in exchange for security guarantees from Russia and the U.S.

I mean, given what we are seeing now in Ukraine, why would any country want to denuclearize? I mean is this going to hurt those efforts now?

KRISTENSEN: No, I hope on the contrary it's going to, you know, beef up the efforts to try to reduce nuclear dangers because the reason we're in this -- in this pickle here is because -- and we are having this conversation is because there is still a lot of them around. And the efforts to rid the world of them didn't go as planned after the end of the Cold War.

So I think this is a wakeup call to the international community to triple their efforts to try to reduce nuclear dangers.

BROWN: Well, the new START treaty has put limits on nuclear weapons but it expires in 2026. Are you worried that increasing tensions between Russia and the West could cause the Kremlin to not extend the treaty any further?

KRISTENSEN: Yes, that's a very good question. It's a real risk. You know, there is not a lot of time left and it's complicated to make new agreements. There is also political considerations, could we trust for example in Washington that Congress would approve a new treaty under these circumstances? There are all these things that can play in. But if the new START treaty falls away that means there is no control, no limits on nuclear weapons of any kind for the first time since the 1970s.

BROWN: So then what worries you the most about a potential future with no caps on nuclear forces?

KRISTENSEN: Well, when we see these kind of -- you know, this saber- rattling, the deep tension between East and West, what I fear the most is that we are beginning to sort of reignite the dynamics that created the Cold War. And that we will see steps upon steps upon step of countermeasures to beat the other side so to speak and ramp up the military capabilities and the posturing. And out of that dynamic we could end up in a cold war again.

BROWN: Let's hope it doesn't come to that. That's for sure.

Hans Kristensen, thank you for coming on and sharing your expertise with us.

KRISTENSEN: Thanks for having me. Thank you.

BROWN: Well, we have been getting so many great viewer questions about the situation in Ukraine. Send me yours via Twitter or Instagram. I'll try to pose them to the experts joining me tomorrow.

One woman who escaped the violence in Ukraine is nine months pregnant and fled to save her baby. She talks to CNN, up next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What were you feel through all of this? You're nine months pregnant trying to escape bombing.

OLESYA OSTAFIEVA, UKRAINIAN REFUGEE AND MOTHER-TO BE: A lot of stress. So I forgot about all pain.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[22:31:56]

BROWN: There are now more than 2.6 million refugees who have fled Ukraine. It is a startling number. And the U.N. estimates another two million people are displaced inside the country. Poland has taken in 1.5 million refugees from its neighbor. And it's led to scenes like these. Long lines of people being processed at refugee centers. They're mostly women and children because Ukraine won't let men between 18 and 60 leave.

There has been limited success evacuating civilians from some of the hardest hit area. Near Kyiv on Friday thousands escaped despite incoming fire. And the governor of Kharkiv said evacuations in one town were disrupted by Russian occupiers who shelled the area. To the south in Mariupol Ukraine's Defense minister says Russians bombed the city during official negotiations.

Local authorities say shelling and airstrikes have killed nearly 1600 people. And those who have gotten out are seeing an outpouring of support. Refugees in Poland are receiving things like strollers, baby carriers, jackets, toys and diapers for their children. Vice President Kamala Harris told them the U.S. is committed to helping.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You've been through so much. And the people at this table represent at this point over a million people who must be seen, their stories must be known, so that we as a community of people around the world can support you.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Millions of Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes. But one woman's story stands out because she is nine months pregnant and she talked to our Brynn Gingras about her flight and fight to save her unborn child.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OSTAFIEVA: We bought it here yesterday for my girl.

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mom-to-be Olesya Ostafieva is in New York City after fleeing the violence in her hometown Kyiv. She came here, looking for safety, her due date just two weeks away.

OSTAFIEVA: That's cute.

GINGRAS: Olesya tries to not be stressed but it's not easy, as she shows us pictures of the home she left behind.

OSTAFIEVA: Last picture from peace, life in Kyiv.

GINGRAS (on-camera): This is the baby's room.

OSTAFIEVA: Yes.

GINGRAS (voice-over): It's all pink, ready for the arrival of her little girl, the balloons from her baby shower held the night before the invasion.

OSTAFIEVA: It was 5:00 am in the morning and I wake up with bomb.

GINGRAS (on-camera): The sound of a bomb woke you up?

OSTAFIEVA: Yes, yes. It was shock for me. We don't -- didn't know what we can to do, what we must do.

GINGRAS (voice-over): She and her sister initially decided to stay, believing they'd be safe in Kyiv, even as they spent four nights in a bomb shelter with dozens of strangers. And she says the hospital where she planned to give birth, bombed.

[22:35:03]

OSTAFIEVA: I understand that I need a safe place for baby born.

GINGRAS (on-camera): What were you feeling through all of this? You're nine months pregnant trying to escape bombing.

OSTAFIEVA: A lot of stress. So I forgot all about all pain. I know that I need to came to border.

GINGRAS (voice-over): It took four days for the sisters to reach Poland and, with some convincing from her friend, Anna Arima, Olesya eventually came to the U.S. to give birth, bringing with her just a few newborn outfits she bought from a market in Western Ukraine.

OSTAFIEVA: So I saved these things for memory and for understanding that never again. We want peace. We want to be safe.

GINGRAS: Olesya says that she realizes how lucky she is to be here, as so many others are left behind.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am OK. My name is (INAUDIBLE) --

GINGRAS: We called her friend, who is a doctor at a maternity ward in Kyiv. He told us babies are being born daily underground in a bomb shelter. Anna and Olesya are working to help other women escape.

ANNA ARIMA, OLESYA'S FRIEND: They are in a bus now.

GINGRAS: Alongside a network, they say, of more than 70 people across the world who have ties to Ukraine.

(On-camera): Do you think people like Olesya will be able to actually go home? Do you think that actually will happen?

ARIMA: It's no other way. It's for sure it will be a victory. The only question is how expensive in terms of lives and destroyed cities and destroyed objects it's going to be.

GINGRAS (voice-over): Olesya now waits for her little baby to arrive.

OSTAFIEVA: Smiling.

GINGRAS (on-camera): She really is smiling.

OSTAFIEVA: Yes. Yes. Yes.

GINGRAS (voice-over): Despite her country at war.

OSTAFIEVA: Her room waiting for her in Kyiv.

GINGRAS: She remains hopeful that she'll return to Ukraine soon and introduce her parents to their first grandchild, Kyra, a name that fittingly means strong woman.

Brynn Gingras, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: We wish them the best.

Well, and gas prices rocket up nearly everything else rides along with them. So how much higher could they go? I'll ask an expert next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[22:41:04]

BROWN: Whether you are behind the wheel or not, gas prices are hurting our wallets. We have seen prices surged nearly 49 cents in the past week or so. And right now, AAA says the average price for a gallon of regular is $4.33 a gallon. For an average car that works out to about 65 bucks every time you fill up. And earlier tonight I talked to Bob McNally, the president of Rapid and Energy Group, and I asked him why can't the U.S. just drill for more oil.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB MCNALLY, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, RAPIDAN ENERGY GROUP: We're learning the hard way this very difficult winter that being a big producer and able to drill more in the future which we can if we get things right, it doesn't really affect the price of crude oil. And the price of crude oil is what drives the gasoline price in your local station and my local station. Because the price of crude oil depends on demand and supply all over the world.

So when President Putin decides to attack Ukraine, and suddenly we have to look at the prospect of sanctioning the Russian exports of oil to the world and Russia is the biggest oil exporter to the world, that's a problem that's bigger than the U.S. production capability can solve unfortunately in the short-term. So as long as we have this risk that Russia's oil may be sanctioned, we've got a problem that's bigger than even the valiant U.S. oil producers can solve.

BROWN: So then in your opinion, how high could gas prices go? I mean, are we talking six bucks a gallon, $7? What do you expect?

MCNALLY: Well, we expect gasoline prices will continue rising until one of two things happens. Either there is going to be some sort of resolution to this war in Ukraine, President Putin's attack on Ukraine, and the risk to that oil supply being cut off from Russia goes away. And if that happens, prices will drop immediately. But if that doesn't happen, I'm afraid pump prices could easily rise towards $5 a gallon or even more until we get to the point where folks have to just stop driving as much or even economic activity around the world weakens.

That's just the hard reality of the global oil market. When you have this kind of a supply shock, it either goes away or it drives prices higher until demand falls.

BROWN: All right. I want to get to this viewer question that we have for you. This viewer is asking, if Russia only accounts for roughly 3 percent of our oil imports then why is the price of gas affected so much? We still have roughly 97 percent of our imports available.

And I know you sort of touched on this. But if you would expand on what you were saying about that, Bob.

MCNALLY: You bet. And it's important to understand. Whether or not we import oil or export oil, and the United States is pretty much self- sufficient, we're actually a net exporter, that doesn't matter for the price of gasoline. It doesn't matter. Why? Because oil is traded globally and is fungible. It's priced globally as well. So everybody pays the same price. Russia, Saudi Arabia, the United States, everybody, whether you're a small producer or a big producer. Because it is a traded global commodity that's priced in world markets.

So it's a good thing to produce more like we do. It gets our trade deficit down, it improves our national security, but it doesn't mean we can sort of wall ourselves off or insulate ourselves from the global price of crude oil. Everybody faces the same thing. So in a 100 million barrel a day global crude oil market, when you suddenly have a risk to $8 million barrels a day, which is how much Russia exports, everybody in the world is going to see a higher price as we are now, because that amount of oil cannot be replaced from anywhere else. And it will affect the price in this global market.

[22:45:03]

BROWN: OK. Bob McNally, thank you for breaking it down for us.

MCNALLY: You bet. Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: Vladimir Putin's Ukraine invasion has some people comparing to leaders from Russia's past. The czars. Is he on a mission to restore the Russian empire? And how is he using religion in all of this? Russia expert Jill Dougherty joins me next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: Vladimir Putin has given a litany of outrageous reasons for invading Ukraine. But this week the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church added a new one. Gay pride parades. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow telling a congregation last weekend that the invasion amounts to a fundamental rejection of the values offered by the West, citing pride parades as an example.

While his comments are clearly absurd, some analysts agree that religion is a factor influencing Putin's decisions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNA MAKANJU, FORMER DIRECTOR FOR RUSSIA, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: The czars believe that they were essentially ordained by God in order to rule Russia.

[22:50:01]

And I actually think that Putin believes he is like the czars, you know, potentially called by God in order to control and, you know, restore the glory of the Russian empire. (END OF VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Joining me now to discuss is CNN's former Moscow bureau chief, Jill Dougherty.

Hi, Jill. Great to see you. So what do you make of this argument that Putin may see himself as having a God-given right to restore the Russian empire?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: You know, it's complicated, but I do think there is something to that. Now whether he believes that God chose him or whether he is, you know, the person of the moment to lead Russia back to glory and to put it on the world stage and to make up for all those bad old days when after the end of the Soviet Union when Russia was, as they say, on its knees and the West was taking advantage, I think he does definitely feel that his role in history to do that.

And then as you were pointing out, religion is a very big factor in that kind of let's call it ideology of Vladimir Putin, this kind of national idea. And so it really goes back to the czars because the czars had that same definition. What does it mean to be Russian? Well, first it was Orthodox Religion, Russian Orthodox. Then it was autocracy, which is the leadership of the czar, and then finally it was nationality.

And that could be, you know, Russian and the Russian language. And all of these are part of how Vladimir Putin tries to unite the Russian people today, and it plays into the war in Ukraine very much.

BROWN: And we know so far the Russian Orthodox Church has yet to criticize the invasion. There have been some cases, it is even supporting it. If you would, just expand on the role that this religion plays in Russian politics.

DOUGHERTY: You know, the Russian Orthodox Church during the Soviet days was repressed in terrible ways. Churches were blown up. Priests and nuns were killed. It was really a horrible situation. After the end of the Soviet Union, the church came back and became part of -- you know, of society, more people came back to religion. But also there is a very tight connection between the Russian Orthodox Church and the government.

And so Putin uses that, again, the Russian Orthodox Church, which he helps very much. They rebuild churches, money goes to the church, et cetera, and he uses religion and that faith as a way of unifying Russians for all sorts of political purposes. And you know, when you talk about the war in Ukraine, there's a gigantic irony here which is -- not to get too historical -- but Vladimir, St. Vladimir back in Kievan Rus 988 A.D., when he was -- he was a pagan, and when he accepted Christianity he did it in Kyiv. Kyiv, Ukraine.

So Kyiv at that point was the center of Kievan Rus which was, you know, the early form of modern Russia. So when Vladimir Putin starts talking about history, he wrote over the summer this enormous treatise about how Ukrainians and Russians are the same. That's what he's talking about. And it seems like ancient history but it's very, very current.

BROWN: How else has he been able to use religion to achieve his goals?

DOUGHERTY: I would say in the traditional values issue, the thing that you actually began with. The gay pride parades in Europe. That sounds ridiculous, and it is ridiculous cause for war, but it's not ridiculous when you get into the way President Putin tries to bring the Russian people together. He is focused very much on what they call traditional values similar to the United States. You know, gay rights, abortion, marriage, et cetera.

Those are all issues that are very big in Russia, as well. And so when the Russian Orthodox Church talks about gay pride parade, they actually -- people in Russia sometimes described Europe as gay-ropa, not Europa but gay-ropa. And it's the center they would argue of debauched, horrible, you know, immoral living, and the United States is, too.

BROWN: Wow. Fascinating to learn more about this. Jill Dougherty, thank you.

[22:55:02]

Russian forces are getting closer to Ukraine's capital. We'll have the latest on the invasion live from Ukraine just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: Amid the violent sounds of Russian shelling in Ukraine, violinist Illia Bondarenko could be heard playing beautiful music in a Kyiv bomb shelter. His videos have inspired people around the world, some even joined him virtually in this Ukrainian folk song.

(VIDEO CLIP OF ILLIA BONDARENKO PERFORMING, JOINED VIRTUALLY BY OTHER VIOLINISTS)

BROWN: Wow. That is so beautiful. Chills. Amazing.

I'm Pamela Brown in Washington. CNN NEWSROOM with Hala Gorani is coming right up, and I'll see you here tomorrow night.