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Ukraine's President on Explaining War to His Children; China Denies Providing Military Assistance to Russia; Biden Travels to Europe to Meet with Allies; U.S. Officials Confirm Russia's Use of Hypersonic Missiles; Many African Leaders Hesitant to Criticize Russia; Fauci: U.S. Likely to See an Uptick in New Cases. Aired 4:30- 5a ET

Aired March 21, 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]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everyone. More details on our breaking news this hour. Russian attacks have gutted a shopping center in Ukraine's capital. This is the scene in Kyiv as troops and emergency crews respond to a scene of utter destruction. This area had shops and residential units. Today it's nearly unrecognizable ruin. Officials in Kyiv say at least one person was killed during Sunday's attacks.

To the south, leaders have refused Russia's demands to surrender the besieged city of Mariupol. Bombardments on the city have made it hard to get civilians out or get aid in. Ukraine says more than 7,000 people were able to escape on Sunday, but more remain trapped and civilian shelters are coming under attack, including an art school and a theater.

Well, the violence and devastation in Ukraine is staggering for anyone watching it unfold. But for Ukrainians trapped amid the fighting, especially children, it may be even harder to comprehend. On Sunday, CNN's Fareed Zakaria spoke with Ukraine's president, asking him how he's explaining the situation to his own children.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): My children know for sure what is happening and I don't know whether it's good or bad. I have not explained anything to my children. The first two days we did not talk about it at all, and my family and they did not ask questions.

They were thinking about it themselves of what is happening. They simply believe that the good shall prevail.

It may seem banal, but this is it, and in order to prevail the good people have to sacrifice themselves. Fortunately, we do not have to explain anything to our children, fortunately they have access to any kinds of videos and news, and I see to it that their access to these videos is open, that they have access to it. I think that my -- that my children should not be prohibited from seeing any kinds of videos of what Russia has made. My son -- my son has to be aware of it because while my son is alive that means that some Ukrainian army member is giving up his own life for this.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Well meantime, China's ambassador to the U.S. is rejecting rumors Beijing may be providing military assistance to Russia. But at the same time, it's conducting business as usual with Moscow. The Chinese ambassador told CBS's "Face the Nation" the countries are still cooperating on multiple fronts despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

And CNN Steven Jiang joins me now from Beijing with more on this. Good to see you, Steven. So, China is denying it's providing military aid to Russia but he's still continuing business relations with Moscow. What is all China saying about this particularly as it fails to condemn the violence.

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: That's right, Rosemary. The ambassador's remarks are obviously consistent with China's long- standing position. That is, they're firmly opposed to all forms of sanctions saying they're not conducive to resolving this conflict and they insist they are going to maintain, quote unquote, normal economic and trade cooperation with Russia.

But in the past few days we have started noticing some subtle changes in the official's rhetoric about this war even though they still refuse to call this a Russian invasion. They are starting to mention Ukraine's security concern as part of their consideration in formulating their position and policy with the ambassador and then foreign ministry here. Also highlighting China's humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, even though it's small in scale.

But for example, moments ago the China's foreign ministry just announced another batch of assistance to Ukraine worth and $1.5 million. But on the other hand, of course, officials here including President Xi Jinping still pointing to NATO's eastward expansion as root cause of this conflict.

[04:35:00]

That's of course not just parroting a Kremlin talking point but also a reflection of Beijing's concern about the U.S. building alliances to encircle China and with officials here increasingly talking about a threat posed by a so-called Indo-Pacific version of NATO. So, that's the kind of concerns of course that's been bonding Xi Jinping and Putin in the past few years. That's why a lot of analysts say what China really wants to see out of this war is a weakened U.S. and its alliances as well as a new international order more favorable to authoritarian governments.

That's why at this stage Putin losing power would be a nightmare for them. That's why also at this stage few people see China pull back from their very close ties with Russia despite repeated warnings from the U.S. -- Rosemary. CHURCH: Steven Jiang live from Beijing. Many thanks.

And as we reported earlier this hour, NATO allies are meeting in Brussels this week to address the Russian invasion. U.S. President Joe Biden will be there where he will also meet with G7 and EU leaders followed by a visit to Poland to address the growing humanitarian crisis unfolding due to this war. CNN's Arlette Saenz has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Biden is set to embark on a high stakes diplomatic endeavor this week as the U.S. and its allies continue to craft ways to punish Russia for its attack against Ukraine as well as offer additional assistance to Ukraine as they defend themselves against this invasion.

Here in Washington on Monday, President Biden will meet with business leaders as he outlines the U.S. response to Russia's invasion. And then on Wednesday, he will travel to Europe where he will hit the ground running on Thursday with a day full of meetings beginning with an emergency summit with NATO, specifically focusing on Russia's attack against Ukraine. They will be discussing, deterrence and defense measures and give Biden an opportunity to reaffirm the U.S. commitment to defending NATO allies.

President Biden will also attend a summit of the European Council and meet separately with G7 leaders. Now much of this will amount to a Western show of unity against Russia. But the U.S. and its allies have continued and talked about ways that they can further punish Russia as well as offer security assistance to Ukraine amid this invasion.

Now, additionally on Sunday, the U.S. confirmed the deaths of four U.S. Marines who were killed in an osprey crash during a NATO training exercise in Norway. The Marine Corps released the names of those for Marines. Those in include Capt. Matthew Tomkiewicz, of Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Capt. Ross Reynolds of Leominster, Massachusetts. Gunnery Sgt. James Speedy of Cambridge, Ohio. And Cpl. Jacob Moore of Catlettsburg, Kentucky.

Now the deceased Marines have been removed from the crash site and are in the process of being returned to the United States where they will be reunited with their families in a dignified transfer. Now, this exercise was a long-standing, long-planned NATO training exercise. And NATO said that it did not have specific ties to Russia's attack against Ukraine.

Arlette Saenz, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: A new kind of missile has been deployed in Ukraine. U.S. sources says it flies low, fast and it could be a game changer in evading air defenses. We will explain in a live report after this break.

[04:40:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: We are getting new images now of the aftermath of a Russian attack on the Ukrainian capital. This is what a residential building in Kyiv looks like now. Officials say shell fragments hit parts of this ten-story building. Private cars were also hit, causing fires to break out. Residents were evacuated from the building, but there is no word on whether there were any casualties.

The U.S. confirms Russia has used a new kind of weapon against Ukraine. The hypersonic missile. Now, these missiles travel at very high speeds, but the threat goes beyond the speed. They can be highly maneuverable and they fly low, flat and pose a major challenge to missile defenses. CNN's Nada Bashir joins me now live from London with more on this. Good morning to you, Nada. So, what more are you learning about the capability of these hypersonic missiles and of course how Russia is using them in Ukraine right now.

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Well, for some time now Putin repeatedly highlighted Russia's investment in these hypersonic missiles. And we've heard over the last few days from the Russian defense ministry now saying they have been used for the first time in combat by Russia in Ukraine.

Now, they claim to have targeted a weapons depot in western Ukraine and what they claim to have been a fuel depot used by the Ukrainian armed forces in the southern Mykolaiv region. Now as you mentioned there, there is some concern around these missiles because they do travel more than five times faster than the speed of sound at a low trajectory which makes them harder to detect. And of course, they are easily maneuverable so they can evade missile defense systems which is of course a key concern.

But we have heard from multiple U.S. sources that, in fact, Putin may, in fact, be using these weapons in order to send a message to the West about Russia's military capabilities. And we did recently hear from the U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin who said that this may not necessarily be a game changer. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LLOYD AUSTIN, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: You kind of question why he would do this? Is he running low on precision-guided munitions? Does he have lack of complete confidence in his ability -- the ability of his troops to reestablish momentum?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASHIR: Now in terms of regaining that momentum, we have in the last few hours heard from British intelligence that while the Russian troops are still attempting to encircle Kyiv, they're military operation had stalled somewhat. They're not making the progress that perhaps they had hoped to have made. And this is because they face significant logistical challenges and as we heard waning troop morale.

We heard over the weekend from Ukrainian President Zelenskyy saying that Russian forces have suffered unprecedented losses and that does echo the remarks we heard from both NATO and other Western officials that troop losses within the Russian armed forces do stand in the thousands, at least. The estimates pegged between 3,000 and up to 10,000. So, there are significant challenges being faced by the Russian armed forces and Putin likely using these weapons according to sources to send a clear message -- Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes, and Nada, just on that hypersonic missile, I mean, what evidence do they have that this is being used right now? How extensive is that use? Do they know?

[04:45:00]

BASHIR: Well, we have the Russian defense ministry now telling us that they have used these weapons for the first time in combat. And we haven't heard directly from the U.S. Defense Secretary confirming that Russia has used these weapons. However, we have heard from U.S. sources that they are actually able to track when these missiles are launched in realtime. And according to a source, these were tracked by American officials. So, we do have that, but at this stage, the U.S. Defense Secretary hasn't said that Russian forces have launched these weapons, have used them.

But of course, as I mentioned there, the Russian defense ministry still claim they targeted that weapons depot in western Ukraine and what they claim to be a fuels depot used by the Ukraine armed forces in the southern Mykolaiv region -- Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right, we're continue to watch this part of the story. Nada Bashir joining us live from London. Many thanks.

Well, African students were among those forced to flee when Russia invaded Ukraine. But many African leaders have been hesitant to forcefully condemn the Kremlin for its war. CNN's Stephanie Busari explains why.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEPHANIE BUSARI, CNN SUPERVISING EDITOR, AFRICA (voice-over): In the three weeks since Russia invaded Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin's actions have been strongly condemned by several African nations.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ghana remains deeply concerned about the escalation of military bombardments in several cities of Ukraine.

BUSARI (voice-over): But many African states while still denouncing the violence unleashed on Ukrainian civilians have been much more muted in their response to Russia. When U.N. General Assembly voted on a resolution, urging Russian cease fire and withdraw, 17 African countries abstained, including Senegal, who's president is the current chair of the African Union.

REMI ADEKOYA, ASSOCIATE LECTURER, UNIVERSITY OF YORK: There is a strong strand of thought in African diplomacy that says Africans should maintain the principle of noninterference. And so, they shouldn't get caught up in proxy wars between the East and West as some states did get caught up in proxy wars during the Cold War for instance.

BUSARI (voice-over): Nelson Mandela once put it like this, it is a mistake to quote that their enemies should be our enemies. South Africa also abstained from the U.N. vote and the President Cyril Ramaphosa has since blamed NATO for considering Ukraine's membership into the military alliance which Russia is against.

CYRIL RAMAPHOSA, SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT: The war could have been avoided if NATO had heeded the warnings from amongst its own leaders and officials over the years. We are insisting, we are insisting, that there should be dialogue.

BUSARI (voice-over): South Africa has historical ties with the former USSR which support its fight against apartheid. Former President Jacob Zuma seen here with Putin in 2013 even recently said he believed the Russian president was a man of peace who would take steps to make peace a reality.

ADEKOYA: There are many people in many parts of the world who would like to see other regions gain in strength and would like to see the end of Western domination of the world order putting it simply. And now of course, no right-thinking person in Africa or anywhere in the world looks at what is going on in Ukraine now and thinks that is a good thing.

BUSARI (voice-over): In recent years Russia has established itself as one Africa's most valuable trading partners. Becoming one of Africa's major suppliers of military hardware with key alliances in Nigeria, Libya, Ethiopia and Mali. Given the strategic and economic concerns African leaders will likely continue to tread carefully in response to the war in Ukraine.

Stephanie Busari, CNN, Lagos.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Some breaking news coming into CNN. A Boeing 737 jet liner carrying 133 people has crashed in the mountains in southern China's Guangxi region earlier today with fires visible on site. That is according to Chinese state media, CCTV. It adds that rescue teams are on their way to the scene of that crash, but the casualties are unknown. According to social media posts, a China Eastern Airlines flight MU 5735 from Kunming to Guangzhou went missing earlier in the day. And we will, of course, bring you details on this as they become available.

Still to come, China is seeing a surge in COVID cases in recent days. We will have the latest on what they're doing to contain the spread after this short break. Stay with us.

[04:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, COVID-19 outbreaks in Asia have some countries closing businesses as others make plans to reopen them. China reported more than 4,000 new infections on Sunday, the same weekend Beijing reported its first two COVID deaths in over a year. Shanghai Disneyland has closed its gates starting Monday amid the news. Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced the easing of some COVID restrictions in the days to come, despite thousands of new daily cases. Travel bans on flights from nine different countries will expire on April 1st with businesses and schools set to reopen later next month.

And in the United States, health experts are preparing for a possible uptick in COVID infections, largely driven by highly transmissible subvariant of Omicron. CNN's Polo Sandoval has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On Sunday, two top Biden administration health officials emphasized COVID is not going away. In fact, they fear that we may see an increase in some cases here in the United States. They are looking overseas to get an idea of what may potentially happen here.

[04:55:00]

For example, some increase in COVID cases in China as well as in Europe as well. And that's really what's fueling concerns for health officials here in the United States, especially when it comes to that highly transmissible BA.2 variant.

On Sunday, we also heard from Dr. Anthony Fauci saying, the nation's top infectious disease expert that he certainly also would not be surprised if we begin to see increase in some cases here at home. But still it's certainly not a time to panic as the nation's Surgeon General also added we do have additional tools this time for any potential waves we might see in the U.S.

DR. VIVEK MURTHY, U.S. SURGEON GENERAL: There may be rises and falls in cases in the months ahead. But here's the key, our goal is to keep people out of the hospital. It's to save their lives. We have more tools to do that than ever before. So, our focus should be on preparation, not on panic.

SANDOVAL: Dr. Vivek Murthy there expanding saying that some of those tools include vaccinations and boosters and of course, treatments as well to help us make it through some of these waves. Murthy also urged Congress to ensure that COVID-19 funding is available for vaccinations, boosters and those treatments. As you may recall, Congress still remains at a stalemate on what the White House says is urgently needed to fund COVID response.

Some Republican lawmakers have said that they are reluctant to spend money on the front when there's still money available from the relief bill of last year. So, it certainly what you're hearing from health officials here in the United States that the fight against COVID is certainly not over. And there is still that lingering fight to secure funding for that battle against COVID.

Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York. (END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And thanks so much for joining me here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rosemary Church in Atlanta. Our coverage continues on "EARLY START" with John Berman, Christine Romans and Laura Jarrett. You're watching CNN.

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