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Russian Military Forces Continue Invasion Of Ukraine; Interview With Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko; U.S. Secretary Of Defense Lloyd Austin Says Russian Plan In Ukraine Being Thwarted By Ukrainian Resistance; Ukraine Claims Successful Attack Against Elite Russian Unit; Widow Of Former Russian Spy Poisoned On British Soil Is Interviewed On History Of Vladimir Putin's Aggressive Actions Before Invasion Of Ukraine; U.S. President Joe Biden Warns Chinese President Xi Jinping Against Providing Aid To Russia; Millions Of Ukrainian Refugees Fleeing Into Poland. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired March 19, 2022 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[14:01:05]
JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has taken to the streets of Kyiv with a direct appeal to Russia. He's calling for peace negotiations now or else he says Russia's losses will reverberate for generations. The U.S. and NATO say thousands of Russian troops have been killed in Ukraine, but officials fear the losses will trigger even more savage attacks from Vladimir Putin.
Right now, rescue operations are under way in Mykolaiv, a port city on the Black Sea where reporters at the site say dozens of Ukrainian troops have died in a Russian strike on a military barracks there. And in Mariupol, new drone video shows the apocalyptic scale of destruction there. The attacks so frequent a Ukrainian army major says people are risking their lives each time they step outside of the bunkers there.
Their lives are in danger inside as food and water more are more scarce. Russia also continues to shell areas around the capital of Kyiv, although for now it's still holding strong with Ukraine's military saying Russia's two main routes into the city are cut off. Vladimir Putin is also cut off from reality.
At a rally in Moscow yesterday, he justified the invasion, acting as if everything was going according to plan. Of course, it's not. Those cheers came from a captive audience. Many state workers forced to attend. Putin's dog and pony show not really worth watching, but this is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
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(END VIDEO CLIP) ACOSTA: A Ukrainian soldier captivates his unit with a performance of their country's national anthem, a single violin saying more here than words ever could.
I want to start with CNN's Salma Abdelaziz sees who is in Lviv, Ukraine. Salma, tell us what's going on where you are.
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: Absolutely, Jim. So I am on the campus of Lviv University. This is a gym. Our cameraman Dan is going to pan around to show you, during peace time, this is a gym where, of course, the university would hold sporting events, wrestling matches. But obviously that now is being used to hold displaced families.
Each one of these rows you see is about 12 separate beds, so not very much privacy here. And we have seen many families, young children, all living under these accommodations. I'm just going to crouch down here just to show you how they're sleeping. This is just a basic wood pallet here, Jim. And we have a very thin piece of foam. And all this bedding that you see comes from volunteers, just donated from the kindness of strangers, people who want to help out.
And these families living under these conditions, some of them for weeks now. Many of them come from some of the most affected areas like Kherson, like Kharkiv, areas that are now essentially occupied by Russian forces. And I have been asking them, what's the plan here? Is your idea to move further west and cross the Polish border. And some are saying no, we're going to stick it out. However unrealistic that might sound to you and I, we are going to stick it out. We're going to wait however long it takes. We want to go home.
And again, while everything here is really dependent on a volunteer effort, the food, the medicine, the basic supplies that families are receiving are coming from people of Lviv themselves. The city has been transformed, of course, by the war effort, it has become a humanitarian hub. But looking at these conditions, especially thinking of these young children living in this space, you have to wonder how much longer can they sustain this.
ACOSTA: All right, Salma Abdelaziz, thank you very much.
[14:05:01]
JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF DOMESTIC CORRESPONDENT: Joining me from capital city of Kyiv is the former president of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko. Mr. President, thank you very much for being with us. We appreciate it.
PETRO POROSHENKO, FORMER PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE: I also appreciate you keeping Ukraine and Kyiv in the center of events. Thanks a lot, Jim.
ACOSTA: Of course. And as you know, Mr. President, Russia has been trying to encircle Kyiv for weeks now, but it's our understanding as of yesterday their two main routes for attacking the city are now blocked. How confident are you that the capital will not fall to them? And what is your assessment where things stand right now? POROSHENKO: Russia don't want to encircle Kyiv. Putin is a crazy
maniac, wants to rise up the Russian flag within 36 hours. And even some NATO general, four-star general, give us only 72 hours for protection against Russian aggression.
But today is the 24th day, and during the last two weeks, Russian troops around Kyiv do not move one single meter, because we have Ukrainian forces which demonstrated maybe they surprise not only Putin but they surprise the world. And I am proud that in the year 2014 with the assistance of our American partners and NATO, we create this Armed Forces with assistance of Ukrainian people.
And the point is that we surprise Putin. And Putin now, again, is a crazy maniac. He doesn't know what to do further. And here in Kyiv it is real, real hard work. We have army in the center of Kyiv, and within less than 10 kilometers, we have Russian tanks. But we stop them, and we don't allow them to move.
Point number two is that throughout Ukraine, the Ukrainian they pay the highest price, with the lives of civilians, with the tons of blood of Ukrainians for the Putin fascist aggression. Fighting for the European soil, we here are fighting for the European security, freedom and democracy, and for the global security. And for you also, for the United States, because my request is please help us to save the world, help us to save Europe, help us to save you.
ACOSTA: You mentioned Vladimir Putin, and you're right, he is acting crazy. He gave this deranged speech in Moscow on Friday celebrating the 2014 annexation of Crimea, and sources have told us here at CNN that the crowd, many in the crowd had been pressured to attend. And here is some of what they heard regarding fighting happening in Ukraine. This is what Putin told the crowd. Let's listen.
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VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): To free the people from suffering and this genocide is our main initiating reason and goal for Russia starting a special operation in Donbas and Ukraine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: President Poroshenko, I have to ask, what is your reaction to Vladimir Putin's absurd claim he is trying to stop genocide?
POROSHENKO: First of all, my impression from Putin words, this just a confirmation about he is absolutely inadequate. He is a mad maniac.
Point number two, I think, and this is my proposal, that everybody who participate in this form of pressure on the Russian people should be under sanction. All the artists, all the propagandists who was involved, under the sanction immediately.
And point number three, everybody should understand that today it was published the opinion poll, and in this opinion poll 86 -- can you imagine -- 86 percent are supporting the invasion of the Russian armed forces to the territory of the countries of European Union and NATO, 86 percent. And only 13 percent is against. Unbelievable. And with this situation --
ACOSTA: Why is that?
POROSHENKO: Because the powerful propaganda machine. They have no Internet. They have no VPN. They have absolutely the position against the west. And everybody should understand, this is the war against the west, not against Ukraine.
[14:10:00]
ACOSTA: Yes, let me ask you about that, because, President Poroshenko, the White House is not advocating for regime change in Russia, at least that's the stated position of the administration. Obviously, they would be happy to see him go, but they say that's a decision for the Russian people. At this point, though, from your standpoint, could Ukraine ever accept a situation where Russia is on its border with Putin in power?
POROSHENKO: Even during the war, during my presidency I keep strongly democracy and freedom. With this situation, we Ukrainians just simply want peace. And there is no any other nation in the world who wants peace more than we do. We don't have interest in what's going in Russia. We are interested in our own security, in Europe's security, and in the global security.
And that would be the tragedy of the Russian people who step by step but with a very high-speed transform to North Korea, because Russia has a clever possibility during the last 30 years to live with a very rich life. And with this situation, this is their free choice. But please, don't allow to change the border of the World War II by force. Unacceptable.
ACOSTA: And President Poroshenko, I have to ask your thoughts on how your current president, President Zelenskyy, is handling what is happening in your country right now. I know before the war you were both rivals, you were fierce rivals internally in Ukraine. What do you make of his handling of the situation in Ukraine? Have things changed for you? Have things changed between the two of you as leaders in Ukraine?
POROSHENKO: The world would never be the same, like before the 24th of February. And before the 24th of February, I was the leader of the opposition with a significant amount of people's trust. But after we united, not around the president, not around our position, not around some chairs, we united around Ukraine, the Ukrainian people. And every Ukrainian citizen now is a soldier.
And with this situation definitely we should demonstrate this is vital for us, the bulletproof unity. Maybe I know that President Biden plans to go visit Europe next week, and I think that he is analyzing the possibility there is a poll. Very good friend of mine, very good friend of Ukraine, Joe Biden, the leader of the global world, who demonstrates now the leadership, why don't he come visit here next week as a symbol of our solidarity. That would be extremely wide step for demonstration, the whole world is together with us against Russia.
ACOSTA: We will pass on that invitation to the White House, Mr. President. President Poroshenko, the former president of Ukraine, thank you very much for your time. Thank you for speaking with us. We appreciate it.
POROSHENKO: Thanks a lot.
ACOSTA: And some breaking news out of Norway where a U.S. aircraft has crashed during a NATO training exercise. The Norwegian prime minister says four U.S. servicemembers were killed. U.S. officials confirmed four marines are involved but have not commented yet on casualties. However, the U.S. ambassador to NATO tweeted condolences for what she says were four marines that lost their lives. We're told bad weather was a factor in the crash. And we'll bring more updates on this story as we get them.
Coming up, the growing assessment that Russia is losing momentum and transitioning into a long, grinding, and deadly to civilians war of attrition. Our military analyst, a retired general, top retired general, weighs in next.
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[14:18:30]
ACOSTA: U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin telling CNN things are not going according to Vladimir Putin's plan in Ukraine.
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LLOYD AUSTIN, DEFENSE SECRETARY: I think they have not progressed as quickly as they would have liked to. I think they envisioned that they would move rapidly and very quickly seize the capital city. They have not been able to do that. They've struggled with logistics. So we have seen a number of missteps along the way.
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ACOSTA: Secretary Austin with CNN's Don Lemon. Ukraine now claims to have killed more than 14,000 Russian troops since the invasion, including a successful attack on an elite Russian unit. CNN's Fred Pleitgen has the latest.
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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Another blow to Vladimir Putin's military, Ukrainian forces claiming they ambushed this convoy of Russian airborne troops. While CNN cannot independently verify the information, Russian state TV, for the first time, acknowledged that a senior airborne commander and several soldiers have been killed. While still outgunned, the Ukrainians feel they might slowly be turning the tide.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to deliver devastating blows, at groups of enemy troops, who are trying to consolidate and hold the capture defensive lines, a Ukrainian army spokesman says. The Ukrainians say they are launching counter attacks against Russian troops, this video allegedly showing an anti-tank guided missile taking out a Russian armored vehicle.
[14:20:04]
They also claim they've already killed more than 14,000 Russian troops and shot down more than 110 combat choppers. CNN can't confirm those numbers, but the Russians haven't updated their casualty figures in more than two weeks, instead claiming what they call their, quote, "military special operation," is going as planned. Russia's defense ministry released this video of helicopter gunships allegedly attacking a Ukrainian airfield.
Still, Vladimir Putin, clearly feels the need to rally his nation, making a rare appearance at a massive rally at Moscow's main stadium, where a strange technical glitch cut off his speech but not before he praised Russian troops.
PUTIN (through translator): The best proof is the way our boys are fighting in this operation, shoulder to shoulder, supporting each other and, if need be, protecting each other like brothers, shielding one another with their bodies on the battlefield. We haven't had this unity for a long time.
PLEITGEN: But the Russians appear to be so angry at U.S. and allied weapons shipments to Ukraine they've vowed to target any deliveries entering Ukrainian territory. And they're hitting strategic targets as well, firing several cruise missiles at an airplane repair plant near Lviv while a Russian cruise missile, dropped on a residential building in the capital, Kyiv, after being shot down by Ukrainian air defenses. Former world heavyweight boxing champ and brother of Kyiv's mayor, Wladimir Klitschko, pleading for more help.
WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO, UKRAINIAN FORMER PROFESSIONAL BOXER: This is genocide of the Ukrainian population. You have to act now. Stop passively observing and stop doing business with Russia. Do it now.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): The Biden administration has said more aid and weapons are on the way, as Ukrainian forces continue to put up a fierce fight, preventing Russia's troops from further significant gains.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Lviv, Ukraine.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
ACOSTA: With me now is retired Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, a former assistant secretary of state for political military affairs. General, thanks for being with us. Eye-opening report there from our Fred Pleitgen. General, Ukrainians' foreign ministry says more than 14,000 Russian personnel have been killed. Obviously difficult to confirm that.
We know the offensive to capture Kyiv, though, has largely been stalled. Do you think we're at a tipping point where odds are starting to move in Ukraine's favor? After nearly four weeks, despite what Vladimir Putin said at the deranged rally, things are not going according to plan.
BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, U.S. ARMY (RET): No, Jim. Just because things aren't going to plan doesn't mean that Russia is losing and Ukraine is winning. I am sort of reminded about the Rocky fight, the first "Rocky." Nobody expected Rocky to win. He did quite well in the fight.
But it really comes down to the determination of the two leaders, Zelenskyy and Putin. Does Putin want to continue the fight or is he ready at this point to make a deal? I don't think so. He thinks he's winning. It may not be going as quickly as he wants, but it's clear that he thinks he is winning, and timelines be damned, he is going to win this fight.
ACOSTA: And this was disturbing. U.S. officials confirming Russia used hypersonic missiles against Ukraine, the first known use of such weapons in combat. We have seen some of our Pentagon reporters have reported on this weaponry. They are quite potent. How significant is this? And I guess the question I have is, why does Russia even need to use those kinds of weapons other than to just flex their muscles?
KIMMITT: Jim, I think you've got it exactly right. They're flexing their muscles. They're not running out of regular missiles that are being knocked down by air defense. I think that message is being sent as much to NATO as to Ukraine. This is the first use of hypersonic weapons inside a conflict. Russians know we don't have them fully online. China does.
So I think the message is not that they want to precisely attack specific targets, but they're sending a clear message to NATO in general and the United States in particular that they're willing to ramp it up, and they've got weapons that we can't stop at this point.
ACOSTA: And I want to ask about the $800 million in additional military aid that the U.S. is providing Ukraine, that includes these so-called switchblade drones that detonate on impact with a target. These might help Ukraine tilt things in their favor in certain situations. This is the kind of weaponry they have been asking for. It's not everything they have been asking for. How much of a difference will it make?
[14:25:05]
KIMMITT: Candidly, I think it's going to make very little difference. The switchblade is basically a hand grenade, a weapon about that big with wings on it. What will make a difference is AT-4 weapons that they're bringing in, significant numbers. They're like javelins but for short range and for city fighting. They're only good for about 300 meters, but they will stop a tank inside of a city. And I think that's where this fight is going.
ACOSTA: And Russia struck in the western part of the country, in Lviv, just 43 miles from NATO territory. I'm sure that got your attention. What did you make of that? KIMMITT: Two things. Number one, it's clear that Putin is trying to
send a message to NATO that he is willing to go deep into Ukraine territory. I worry about a miscalculation or a misjudgment on both sides. I'm glad that we set up that technical channel. But second, he also said that he is going to go against supply lines.
And it's clear that supply lines providing NATO equipment into Ukraine goes through the west, especially their airfields. So they're reaching out and trying to cut off the supply lines of the Ukrainians the way that we are trying to, or the Ukrainians are trying to cut off Russian supply lines going into Russia and Belarus.
ACOSTA: All right, General Mark Kimmitt, we'll have you back just as soon as we can. But thanks very much for those insights. We appreciate it.
KIMMITT: Sure.
ACOSTA: And coming up, the widow of a murdered Russian spy speaks out about Putin's invasion and the urgent warning her husband gave about Putin before he was poisoned.
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[14:31:11]
ACOSTA: The widow of a former Russian spy who was poisoned on British soil said the west should have been more alarmed by Vladimir Putin years before he invaded Ukraine. It was back in 2006 that her husband Alexander Litvinenko, a vocal Putin critic, died after drinking tea laced with radioactive polonium. The European Court of Human Rights ruled Russia was responsible, with Litvinenko publicly naming Putin as his killer, saying this about him before his death.
He said this, "You have shown yourself to be as barbaric as your most hostile critics have claimed. You have shown yourself to have no respect for life, liberty, or any civilized value. You have shown yourself to be unworthy of your office, to be unworthy of the trust of civilized men and women.
You may succeed in silencing one man, but the howl of protests from around the world will reverberate, Mr. Putin, in your ears for the rest of your life. May God forgive you for what you have done not only to me but to beloved Russia and its people.
And joining me is Marina Litvinenko. She has lived in exile in London for more than two decades. Marina, it's just heartbreaking to think of what happened to your late husband all over again. I remember the story at the time, and it was just heartbreaking. Those words from your husband must take on incredible meaning for you right now in light of everything that is happening in Ukraine. Putin is showing the same brutality, the same disregard for human life that he did with your husband.
MARINA LITVINENKO, WIDOW OF FORMER RUSSIAN SPY ALEXANDER LITVINENKO: Yes, you are absolutely right. And it's not only what happened to in 2006. We actually saw what happened in 2008 in Georgia, what happened in 2014 already in Ukraine, and then in 2018 in London again when it was another attempt to poison Sergei Skripal and Yulia Skripal. And it's every time was a very strong message. This is a very brutal dictator who can do anything. And now we have what happened in Ukraine. It's absolutely devastating.
ACOSTA: And I want to get your reaction to something Putin said on Russian state media this week about people he describes as traitors in his country. Let me have you listen to this.
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VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): But any people, the Russian people especially, are able to distinguish true patriots from bastards and traitors and will spit them out like a gnat that accidently flew into their mouth. I am certain that this necessary and natural self-cleaning of our society will only strengthen our country, our solidarity, togetherness, and our readiness to answer any calls to action.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: He is talking about a self-cleaning of Russian society, it is just absolutely horrendous. And apparently, he ordered teachers and other public workers to attend a rally to prop up support for the war. What's your reaction to all of that? He really has a tight grip around the Russian people in that society.
LITVINENKO: I am still very much disappointed since 2006 when we tried to pay attention for what is happening to Russia. It was every time he was saying be calm. It's nothing serious. And what you have now with all this media, and all this propaganda style, it did not happen just today. All this more than 20 years, this propaganda style machine building very, very strong. And now we see a population of people in Russia, I would say, completely brainwashed or just be scared to say anything different, step by step.
[14:35:00]
Many independent media were closed. And all war will come. Many newspapers closed, journalists killed, and it was every time rise this alarm, Russia going one direction, the dictatorship and this country would be very dangerous. And finally, it happened. And I am very upset now we need to make something explode in their effort to stop this war and to rebuild the country of Ukraine. It is a high price, and we should pay attention before.
ACOSTA: And you were in Ukraine right before the war began. Do you believe that Putin has miscalculated to the point where this could be his undoing? And what do you think he got wrong about the Ukrainian people and their fighting spirit?
LITVINENKO: First of all, I am absolutely stand up for the Ukrainian people. This is people dying for their freedom, for what they really believed. And what was this miscalculation. It was people decide the same will happen that happened in Crimea without any single shot, and without any people fighting. It was absolutely different. And now we can see Ukraine as all state fighting for their future.
And another thing that think may be a joke, but corruption in Russia, so bad. And it was many times saying many different Russian opposition, and Alexei Navalny who was poisoned, too. And now he's in trial, and maybe for very long a sentence, almost 15 years in prison. But this corruption destroyed not only economy, it destroyed Russian army. And everything you can see now in Ukraine, and sometimes it looks like a bad joke for what happened Russian army.
Only what might be on the side of Russia, it is massive. It's a lot of people, it's a lot of weapons. But you can compare the Ukrainian. The Ukrainian people are fighting for their country, for their, and for their future of their children. But what Russian soldiers do in this country I still they don't understand. And Russian people who supported Putin yesterday in this rally, they need to understand that they do not have a future because they're killing their own children.
ACOSTA: Do you think you'll ever see the day when Putin is held responsible for what he has done?
LITVINENKO: We all live in a democratic world. And now it's questioned to all of us to value what we are all the time discussing about human rights, about freedom of speech, about of all independence. I would agree these monsters, you can name Vladimir Putin, he'll be not responsible for what he did. I think we should start to calculate everything what he did to Russia, what he did to international community, what he did to individual. Yes, he has to be responsible.
ACOSTA: We're going to find out together. He has avoided accountability and responsibility up until this point. And the world, I think you're right, and the Russian people have missed too many warning signs about Vladimir Putin's behavior. Marina Litvinenko, thank you very much for joining us. We appreciate it.
LITVINENKO: Thank you.
ACOSTA: All the best to you.
And coming up, walking a diplomatic tightrope. President Biden lays out consequences for China if they send military and financial aid to Russia.
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[14:43:19]
ACOSTA: President Biden warning Chinese President Xi Jinping there will be severe consequences if China gives military or financial support to Russia. But will Xi stand down from helping Putin, the man he claims is his best friend? CNN's David Culver reports.
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DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping meeting virtually Friday morning to discuss Russia's war in Ukraine. According to Chinese state media, CC-TV, Xi told Biden, China and the U.S. have a responsibility to work for peace, saying, quote, "The world is neither peaceful nor tranquil. The Ukraine crisis is something we don't want to see." These two governments have grown used to combatting one another and have traded barbs as Russia's Vladimir Putin has rained misery on the people of Ukraine.
ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: China is already on the wrong side of history when it comes to Ukraine and the aggression being committed by Russia, the fact that it has not stood strongly against it.
XI JINPING, CHINESE PRESIDENT (through translator): The remarks by the U.S. are slandering and smearing against China. Such remarks are not helpful for solving the problem.
CULVER: The world's two single biggest single economies may have power to stop the suffering, but Biden needs Xi to set the parameters for Putin. Tricky since Xi once called Putin his best friend. The two leaders have met more than 30 times, and their countries have grown closer while becoming increasingly isolated from the west. Here the pair are seen happily sampling a traditional Chinese pancake. A few months later, they remade the dish, with vodka and caviar. And just a month ago China praised its no-limits partnership with Russia at the Olympics U.S. officials boycotted.
The U.S. worries that any economic or military support China sends to Russia has the potential to change the balance on the battlefield and could take the sting out of western sanctions currently crippling Russia's economy.
[14:45:07]
The White House said Friday's discussion included the two leaders agreeing to maintain open lines of communication. China may see this as an opportunity to burnish its credentials as a major global player capable of stepping in and solving the geopolitical crisis.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So neither leaning towards Russia nor leaning towards Ukraine, and instead trying to present itself as a neutral third party.
CULVER: As China's economy takes hits from a new wave of COVID-19, the worst since Wuhan, 2020, economic blowback from the war in Ukraine is the last thing Beijing can afford. American officials have warned that China will pay a price if it does circumvent sanctions to do business with Russia or helps Putin militarily.
JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: China has to make a decision for themselves about where they want to stand and how they want the history books to look at them and view their actions. And that is a decision for President Xi and the Chinese to make.
CULVER: President Biden right now hoping to get Xi to take on the role of peacemaker.
Interesting to compare the readouts from both sides. The U.S. side stressing this was mostly about Ukraine with Biden warning Xi of the consequences should China help Russia. But state media here in China playing up that Xi pressed Biden on Taiwan, which China considers as part of its sovereignty. Xi warning Biden that if the Taiwan issue is not handled property, it won't be good for U.S.-China relations.
David Culver, CNN, Shanghai.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
ACOSTA: Coming up, 2 million Ukrainian refugees have now poured into Poland since the war began, and resources there are wearing thin. We're live on the border next.
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[14:51:13]
ACOSTA: A remarkable image out of Lviv, Ukraine. These are empty strollers, 109 empty strollers, to be exact, lined up in memory of the 109 children the Ukrainians say have been killed in the Russian invasion. The city's mayor posted the photo on social media, saying the empty strollers, quote, "symbolize the lives of little angels." They are now defending Ukraine's sky instead of the decisive actions of the world. He concluded with a call to action, urging people around the world to share this image with the hashtag "closethesky."
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has created Europe's worst migrant crisis since World War II. More than 3.3 million people have now fled their homes. That is according to the United Nations. Most of those refugees have fled to Poland. CNN's Melissa Bell joins us now from a train station near the Poland-Ukraine Border. Melissa, it has just been extraordinary what has been happening in Poland, all of those refugees flooding into the country there. What are you seeing?
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It has, Jim, just because not just the size, the number, the sheer number, scale of refugees that have been coming across the border to stations like Przemysl here at the Ukrainian border. It is also the speed with which that's been happening. In the space of three weeks you are talking about more than 2 million people who crossed that border into Poland, seeing this country's population grow by five percent.
Of course, what did that mean? It meant the regional governments, the European Union didn't have a chance to get organized. And so it was ordinary people who came and did what they could. Down this corridor, Jim, what you can see is where older people are being kept and made to wait until accommodation can be found, because it is women and children that get priority. There are several rooms where they can sleep for the night or two until better accommodation is found.
Some people, those that are luckiest, arrive and are met by people that they know. Most people have to be housed by strangers. And it is often again civil society that is doing its bit, and to an extraordinary level. The UNHCR really praising the efforts of ordinary people here to come and show solidarity and do what they can. So there is the speed with which this happened, and there is the fact that this is now dragging on. What the mayor of this town told us a couple of days ago is that really, they can only hold out for another week or two. They're going to need a lot more help.
What the European Union is warning of is if this continues at this rate, the E.U. could see some 15 million Ukrainian refugees over the course of the next few weeks. That is a staggering figure. And just to show you over here, people come through the doors. They arrive from the trains that come from Lviv. There have been four today each carrying about 1,000 to 1,500 people here. They are directed to places where they can stay in the short-term before they find places where they stay longer term.
We have been speaking to one woman traveling with her mother, her two cats. Her luggage, what they can carry, of course. The grandmother had been left behind. They had taken two days to leave the town of Sumy which has been so hard hit by the violence. And of course, as you listen to these stories, and as they speak, the emotion that comes with the idea of having to have left their homes in such a rush, what they've left behind, those they've left behind, the uncertainty of what is behind them, and uncertainty of what is ahead, it is so emotional, so traumatic to listen to.
And what this woman was telling us, like so many have told us these last few days, Jim, is that far from wanting to go further to the European Union to find more comfort, they really just want to be able to stay by this border. Their hope is that they're just going to be able to get home as soon as possible, Jim.
ACOSTA: Melissa, do all of these refugees have somewhere to go? Are there people just sleeping on the street? What is happening?
[14:55:01]
BELL: What happens is, the one I was telling about a moment ago spent a couple of days in one of the many schools that have been opened up. So we have seen schools, warehouses, gymnasiums, supermarkets opened up and where bedding has been put down. These are temporary. They spend a couple days there, then longer term according is found, often in the houses of ordinary people. Again, an extraordinary movement of solidarity from people all over Poland that we've seen these last few weeks. And that continues, Jim.
ACOSTA: And what an expression of kindness from the people of Poland, too, that has just been on display. They have been remarkable through all of this as well. Melissa Bell, thank you very much. We appreciate it.
And for more information about how you can help humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, go to CNN.com/Impact and impact your world.
And we'll be right back.
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