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NATO Chief and U.S. Defense Secretary Discuss War in Ukraine; Russian Journalist's Protest Disrupts Newscast; Ukrainian Troops Wounded Defending Mykolaiv from Attacks; Ukrainian Citizens Unite to Defend City of Vinnytsia; Pfizer Seeks Approval for Second Booster for Older Adults. Aired 4:30-5a ET
Aired March 16, 2022 - 04:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:30:00]
LLOYD AUSTIN, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Secretary general, it's great to be back in Brussels and let me thank you up front for your continued steady leadership. Especially -- I mean, it's -- we value that leadership, especially at a time like this. And I think based upon that leadership we've been able to make some very quick decisions that were very well thought out and act upon those decisions very quickly.
So, I think our presence here sends a signal to the world that we remain united in our support of Ukraine and we condemn Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion into Ukraine. And so, Ukraine is a legitimate -- has a legitimate and sovereign government and certainly, we support their ability to defend themselves. And we'll continue to support them going forward.
We've been clear throughout that we believe that our commitment to NATO, our Article 5 commitment is ironclad and you can expect that, as the president has said, a number of times that we will abide by that commitment. And so, Jens, it's great to be back here again. I look forward to a good day of discussions. And again, thank you for your leadership and thanks to all of my colleagues for what they've continued to do to remain united in their support of Ukraine and, again, I look forward to a great day.
JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: Thank you.
MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: That was the NATO Secretary General and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaking there ahead of their meeting with NATO ministers in Brussels. Again, reiterating the point that they have a duty not to allow this Ukraine war to escalate beyond its borders and that support for Ukraine going forward is very much there. We'll bring you updates, of course, about the meetings as they continue through the day.
Still ahead though, the Russian journalist who staged a dramatic anti- war protest during the state TV broadcast is now out of police custody but we'll discuss whether that's truly the end of her legal troubles.
[04:35:00]
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FOSTER: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster. If you're just joining us, an update on breaking news out of Ukraine at this hour.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address U.S. lawmakers in the coming hours. He's expected to ask them for more help, including additional weapons for Ukraine and a no-fly zone. Something the U.S. and NATO have ruled out so far.
CNN has also learned U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to announce even more security aid after Mr. Zelenskyy's speech.
Meanwhile, we're learning Russian strikes have hit a residential building not far from Kyiv's city center. Ukrainian officials say at least two people were injured. No word yet on whether anyone was killed.
On Tuesday Russian attacks hit four residential places around Kyiv within the space of an hour. The mayor says several people killed. The city is under a strict curfew until Thursday morning.
We're also getting a new look at the damage left behind in some other cities. This is drone footage from a town in northeastern Ukraine where shelling and bombs have ripped open massive craters on the ground and reduced homes to rubble.
The Russian journalist who was arrested after this dramatic anti-war protest during a night TV broadcast is speaking out about what she endured in police custody.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARINA OVSYANNIKOVA, RUSSIAN JOURNALIST (through translator): Those were indeed very difficult days of my life. I literally spent two days with no sleep. The questioning lasted over 14 hours. I wasn't allowed to contact my relatives or friends. I wasn't provided with any legal assistance. So, I am in quite a difficult position.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Well, so far, she's been spared prison time. Instead, she was fined 300,000 rubles, a little under $300. But that's fine wasn't for her breaking onto the TV set, it was for a message she recorded before on-air protests.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OVSYANNIKOVA (through translator): Dear Russian people, think and smart and it is only in our power to stop all this madness. Go to the rallies and do not be afraid. They cannot arrest us all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: For more I'm joined by Nina. So, she's been penalized for that video but not the act. Does that mean there could be another penalty coming down the line? NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Max. So, that
is something we don't yet know at this point. We do know that of course, she appears in court there after having disappeared for about a day and a half and she was charged with organizing an unauthorized event. She pleaded guilty to that charge and was fined a pretty lenient fine of $280, the equivalent thereof in rubles.
But if you take a look at how impactful her protest was. Well, I mean, I just brought a stack of today's U.K. newspapers she was on the front of the "Daily Telegraph," as our viewers can see here. Also, the "financial times," the "Guardian" has her on the front page saying, "Fined But Freed." And so, the question is whether or not the fact that she busted onto the live TV set of the channel where she worked as an editor might actually mean that she could face another more draconian fine.
Because of course, Russia in just the last two weeks has passed all sorts of new legislation tightening the reins of free speech. Again, meaning that if you refer to what the Kremlin calls a special military operation taking place in Ukraine, Max, as a war, you could end up with a jail sentence between 3 and 15 years.
We believe she's a mother and so it might be that that might impact any future sentencing, we just don't know at this point. But has the Kremlin said, they called her act hooliganism. President Zelenskyy of Ukraine has been said, called it heroic. And it's also attracted the attention of France's Emmanuel Macron, who has said that him he will discuss her case with Vladimir Putin the next time he speaks to him. And that France might be able to offer her asylum or some kind of diplomatic protection at the embassy in Moscow. So, we just don't know more about her plight.
FOSTER: We don't know how widely it's been seen that video, in Russia either, do we? Because that presumably is what the Kremlin might be concerned about, that that would, you know, incite other people to do similar things.
DOS SANTOS: Well, so obviously it only aired for, as you can see there, a snippet of about 5 seconds.
[04:40:00]
You could hear her shouting as well in the background, "no to war. Don't listen to what they're telling you. They're telling you lies."
But social media has been restricted in Russia, too. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram is extremely popular as well. So, we know that obviously she had that video pre-recorded that was then disseminated by human rights organizations. That was the one that obviously faced there, incurred the charge of $280. And she pled guilty to that unauthorized protest and then charges as a result of that video. But we don't know really know how widely inside Russia people were able to access that. Many people can get around some of these rules where virtual private networks, VPNs, but again, the leaders of freedom of speech are being tightened in Russia.
FOSTER: Nina, thank you very much indeed.
Now the CEO of Goldman Sachs says the bank will lead the way in supporting the U.S. and international efforts to punish Russia for the war in Ukraine. David Solomon issued a strong statement in support of U.S. policies and sanctions as he looked to clarify comments used in a "Time Magazine " article. In the headline asking if Wall Street was doing enough to ostracize Russia. Solomon was quoted as saying, that's not our job. He says that was taken out of context.
Now surging oil and gas prices coupled with inflation are raising alarm bells in the U.S. Prices kept rising in February. There's another key inflation gauge, a soared and double digits. The U.S. Producer Price Index rose 10 percent for the 12-month period ended in February. That's going to the Labor of Bureau Statistics.
But for the first time in more than two weeks, oil closed below $100 a barrel on Tuesday despite recent -- the recent decline, oil prices remained sharply higher though on the year. The jump in oil prices has helped prevent gasoline prices from moving higher in the U.S. They stopped climbing for now although a gallon of gasoline still costs about $4.31 on average.
Now, still to come, volunteers from a small Ukrainian town say they're ready to face Russian forces if needed. We'll show you how the community has banded together to protect what they hold dear.
[04:45:00]
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FOSTER: Ukrainian troops wounded battling Russian forces in the southern city of Mykolaiv are speaking about their experiences. The soldiers are being treated at a hospital where there after pushing back the Russian advance on the city which has been under attack for days now. Once stable, they'll be moved further west and away from the Russian attacks. The wounded Ukrainian troops described harrowing moments in the battle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DIMA, UKRAINIAN SOLDIER (through translator): We started to attack the enemy and came under enemy fire. Our tank or the turret to be exact, stopped working. The others left without giving is warning. And then the Russian tanks came. We barely managed to get away.
ARTYOM, UKRAINIAN SOLDIER (through translator): We did not manage to leave because we were hit by a shell into my vehicle. My guys jumped out. They managed to get away but I couldn't because half of my leg was torn away. Then I got out, rolled over to my guys. We crawled to a road where our military picked us up, loaded us into a pickup truck and brought me to the hospital.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says Russia's president underestimates a lot about Ukraine, including the unity of the Ukrainian people. Now faced with losing everything they have everyday citizens are coming together to stand against the Russian invasion. As CNN's Ivan Watson reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Dawn breaks over the city of Vinnytsia with an air raid siren. The ground war has yet to reach this city in central Ukraine but locals aren't taking any chances. This is the entrance to a village on the outskirts of the city, a checkpoint protected by volunteers, an ex-cop, a fireman, and an electrician.
WATSON: Look at how this village is protecting itself. Homemade tank traps, which the locals call hedgehogs. They've sewn netting and put- up sandbags. And around the wall here of this checkpoint, they've got boxes of Molotov cocktails ready. This is all locally made. These are improvised defenses. And this is just one Ukrainian village.
Just down the road I meet Nina Chutalyuk (ph) who seems like a sweet 71-year-old grandmother.
But by the way, Nina says that if she saw Vladimir Putin, she would strangle him with her own hands right now.
"I'm ready," she says. "If by God the Russians come here, I'll shoot them all and my hands won't even shake. I will throw grenades at them."
There is seething anger here at Moscow's invasion. And at the same time, examples of tremendous generosity. Stack inside of a garage, humanitarian assistance trucked in from Europe, personal donations of clothes and food for the struggling people of Ukraine. Aid that will then be shipped off to frontline cities.
VLADYSLAV KYRVESHKO, DISTRICT HEAD, VINNYTSIA CITY TERRITORIAL COMMUNITY: I want to say thank you for the rest of the world. I want to say that we need help. We need, and we will need help.
WATSON: Is Vinnytsia ready if the Russian military --
KYRVESHKO: Yes.
WATSON: -- comes to the city?
KYRVESHKO: Yes. And other cities give us the time. We have two weeks to make a good defense. Today we will be ready. But we don't want this.
WATSON (voice-over): The war effort extends to Vasily Dmitrievic (ph) and his farm, where workers labor listening to news of the war.
Vasily (ph) donates free food to self-defense forces.
WATSON: Vasily Dmitrievic (ph) says he's doing his part to help with the war effort. He says he is planting more crops and he's going to try to grow more food to feed Ukrainians who may be in need in the weeks and months ahead.
Watson (voice-over): One of Vladimir Putin's stated objectives for his war on Ukraine was to demilitarize the country. Instead, he has mobilized farmers, grandmothers and electricians to form a grassroots resistance against the Russian invasion.
Ivan Watson, CNN, outside Vinnytsia, Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Much more ahead. Do stay with CNN.
[04:50:00]
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FOSTER: Moments of kindness for two young Ukrainian refugees. They received a big ovation and warm welcome from their new school mate Italy. The children's grandmother lives there and she was able to safely relocate her grandkids and her daughter to Naples after Russia's invasion began.
Veteran former U.S. astronaut said he is backing off with his Twitter feud with the head of the Russian space agency following a warning from NASA. Scott Kelly says he will stop criticizing the Director General Ross Cosmos. Last week NASA officials e-mailed all former U.S. astronauts warning that such attacks are damaging to the mission of the International Space Station. Invasion of Ukraine pushed Kelly and several other former astronauts to speak out against Russia. They were also responding to the head of the Russian space agency's repeated threats to pull out of the ISS.
And our global COVID headlines. The husband of the U.S. Vice President second gentleman Doug Emhoff has tested positive for COVID. His symptoms are mild, according to one of his tweets. Which also said he has been vaccinated and received a booster as well. The positive test result meant his wife, Kamala Harris, will not attend the White House event on equal pay on Tuesday night even though earlier she had tested negative.
[04:55:00]
Pfizer and BioNtech are requesting Emergency Use Authorization for an additional booster dose of their COVID-19 vaccine for older adults. The company say their submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is based on data from Israel that shows an additional dose lowers rates of infections and severe illness. These studies have not been peer reviewed yet but Pfizer and BioNTech say this additional booster did not result in any new safety concerns.
New Zealand ended its two-year long self-imposed isolation much earlier than first announced. Australians will be the first allowed into the country. The reopening was originally planned for July. Now it's bumped up to April 13th with no requirements for Australians to quarantine on arrival. New Zealand's government is hoping to kickstart tourism once again. A more than $11 billion industry before the pandemic.
And for many people in the U.S. setting clocks forward an hour is not just a rite of spring, it is the bane of their existence. Senators apparently feel that way too much because they unanimously passed a measure making daylight savings time permanent across the United States. But first it has to pass the House and be signed by President Biden to become law. The proposed change would take effect in 2023 and then clocks would never again have to be adjusted.
Thanks for joining me. I'm Max foster in London. Our breaking coverage of the war in Ukraine continues in "EARLY START" with Christine Romans and Laura Jarrett. You are watching CNN.
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