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President Zelenskyy Interviewed by Independent Russian Journalists; White House Doing Damage Control on Biden's Comment About Putin; Ukraine and Russia Talk Set in Turkey; Ukrainian Refugees Getting Help from Volunteers. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired March 28, 2022 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HALA GORANI, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to our viewers around the world and in the United States this hour. I'm Hala Gorani reporting live from Lviv in Ukraine. Let's bring us up to date with our breaking news. We are following developments in Russia's war on Ukraine. Just hours ago, CNN teams on the ground in Kyiv, the capital, heard a loud explosion, followed by sirens, as an adviser to President Zelenskyy says Russia is stepping up its missile strikes across the country.

Now, he named several cities that were targeted on Sunday night including three to the west of the capital. And you can see on the map there what we're talking about. The advisor tweeted that more and more missiles are pounding Ukraine every day with Russia's "carpet bombing" hitting the hard-hit city of Mariupol. Now, these new attacks coming as President Zelenskyy gave an interview to a group of independent Russian journalists.

Now, Russia's media watchdog has warned news outlets in the country against broadcasting that interview. On Tuesday, Russia and Ukraine are set for another round of talks in Turkey. And ahead of that, President Zelenskyy says his country is now ready to accept neutral, non-nuclear status. And, he shared his hopes for the latest negotiations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITEDS STATES OF AMERICA (through translation): Our priorities in the negotiations are known. Ukraine sovereignty and territorial integrity are beyond doubt. Effective security guarantees for our state are mandatory. Our goal is obvious. Peace and the restoration of normal life in our native state as soon as possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: Well, meantime, in the U.S., President Joe Biden is trying to clarify an off the cuff unscripted remark that he made about Russia's president while he was visiting Poland.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: For god sake, this man cannot remain in power.

UNKNOWN: Mr. President, were you calling for regime change?

BIDEN: No.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: Well, there you have it. No, simple answer. Ukraine's counterattacks on Russian forces have been successful in parts of the country, but it comes at a tremendous cost as Ukraine buries fallen soldiers. And all the while, President Zelenskyy is keeping pressure on western allies for more help on the ground. ITV's Geraint Vincent reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GERAINT VICENT, ITV NEWS (voice-over): In the borderlands, the battle for Ukraine rages on. In a part of the country where the Russian invasion began, a Ukrainian counterattack. In the diplomatic standoff on either side of this war, meanwhile, American officials have been trying to clarify their position after their president described Vladimir Putin as a butcher who cannot remain in power.

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: I think the president, the White House made the point last night that quite simply President Putin cannot be empowered to wage war or engage in aggression against Ukraine or anyone else. As you know, and as you've heard us say repeatedly, we do not have a strategy of regime change in Russia or anywhere else for that matter.

VINCENT (voice-over): The Russian defense ministry released footage of what it describes as its air strikes on Ukrainian ammunition stores. But, it is Russia's bombing of cities and how to stop it that Ukraine's president is most concerned with.

Mr. Zelenskyy criticized his allies in the west who are still pondering whether to supply his armed forces with fighter jets. If only, he said, they had 1 percent of the courage shown by Ukrainian soldiers. Two of those soldiers were brought home to Lviv to be laid to rest today.

(On camera): The Ukrainian defense of this country has been valiant and it continues to be extremely effective. But it comes at a painful cost. Among the mourners, defiance.

UNKNOWN: We have not 20 or 60,000 army. Today, 40 million Ukrainian people, huge Ukrainian army. Only victory. I believe in our victory.

VINCENT (voice-over): But in the immediate future of this war, a stalemate seems most likely and the soldier sacrifice won't stop. Geraint Vincent, ITV News, western Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE) [02:05:00]

GORANI: Well, a new round of talks between Russia and Ukraine will be held this Tuesday in Istanbul, according to Turkish officials. No, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said peace is the obvious goal. But in an interview with independent Russian journalists Sunday, he put conditions on participating in those talks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENSKYY (through translation): We won't sit down at the table at all if all we talk about is some demilitarization or some denazification. For me, these are absolutely incomprehensible things.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: Well, journalist Atika Shubert is in Valencia, Spain with Russian reaction to this interview. But let's start with senior international correspondent, Arwa Damon, in Istanbul with more on what Turkish officials' sort of saying we should expect from this next round of talks. Arwa?

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Hala. Remember, this is also the second round of talks that is set to be taking place in Turkey. And Turkey has been playing a fairly significant role when it comes to attempting to mediate between both sides given that the country does have both a military, and economic relationship with Ukraine and Russia.

That being said, even though Turkish officials have been cautiously optimistic about the potential outcome of these next rounds of talks, even they are not going to go so far as to venture to try to make any sort of concrete prediction. What we have been hearing is that when it comes to some points, both sides do appear to be reaching more of a compromise.

You just highlighted some of the points that the Ukrainian side refuses to even discuss, terminology that they will not even be a part of such as denazification, demilitarization. But what is Ukraine willing to consider at this juncture? It is willing to consider a non- nuclear status. It is willing to consider a neutral status, and it is willing to talk about certain security guarantees.

And there is perhaps a sense of cautious optimism to say the least that this is the perspective coming into these talks because, at the end of the day, if we all remember, this was by and large Russia's justification for even beginning to wage this war. This horrific offensive on Ukraine.

As for the uptick of attacks, listening to the reporting on that, Hala, and you'll remember this very well, this is very much Russia's status quo, a page from its playbook, leading into any sort of negotiation to attempt to bomb even more, to try to force the opposing side to any form of submission that is possible ahead of any sort of negotiation. The sad reality when it comes to these types of talks is that they are

very much dictated by battlefield dynamics. And if we look at the battlefield, Russia most certainly has not achieved that quick, swift victory that many analysts do believe was Russia's thinking in terms of what would actually unfold within the Ukrainian arena. That has not been the case.

Russian forces have come across significantly more resistance than they were anticipating. And so right now, before potentially sitting down to discuss all of these various issues, we can expect to see an uptick in these types of strikes. Ultimately, the goal, yes, is peace, but at this stage, what the population must certainly would like to add as a bare minimum see take place, is more humanitarian corridors, more ways to keep the population safe, and more ways to provide humanitarian assistance.

GORANI: All right, Arwa Damon, thanks very much. Atika Shubert, interesting that Zelenskyy gave an interview to independent Russian journalists. And it appears as though inside of Russia there has been great effort made to block the access of ordinary Russians to this interview. What did he say, and any reaction at all from inside the country?

ATIKA SHUBERT, JOURNALIST: Well, there's been no reaction, certainly, from Moscow, from the Kremlin. But, I do think it is interesting. This is several times now that President Zelenskyy has tried to reach directly to the Russian people, to speak to them. And he does this quite often, in fluent Russian. Of course, he's a Russian speaker.

And to choose this independent media was clearly one avenue by which to do this. But I think that he made very clear, that this terminology of the militarization, denazification was just -- these were terms that Ukraine simply will not respond to.

I think in terms of the Kremlin and in terms of how Moscow sees its negotiating position, it's always been very clear that any kind of negotiated settlement is going to require Ukraine a guarantee that it will not join NATO, first of all.

[02:10:06]

But, also, and I think this is where it's going to become particularly difficult, a recognition that Crimea is a part of Russia. Remember, this is the peninsula that, of course, Russia forcibly annexed in 2014. But, also, a recognition of the disputed Donbas region of eastern Ukraine as independent.

And these are all territories that Ukraine still sees as its sovereign territory. But, Russia is insisting that these will effectively be either a part of Russia or completely independent of Ukraine. It's rather ominous that we've now recently heard from one of the Russian- backed separatist rebels there saying that there could be a referendum held here to join Russia.

Now, that's not been something the Kremlin has put forward yet, but the fact that we're hearing that on the ground in the Donbas region seems to set in motion this idea that possibly we're looking at an attempt to see this eastern parts of Ukraine become a part of Russia.

And that would be very concerning for Ukraine, but I wouldn't be surprised if we start to see something like that creep into negotiations, Hala.

GORANI: All right. Thanks very much. Atika Shubert and Arwa Damon, thanks to you both.

Now, U.S. officials are trying to walk back President Joe Biden's fiery remarks about Vladimir Putin when he said the Russian president "cannot remain in power." CNN's Arlette Saenz has the details from the White House.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORESPONDENT: With President Biden back in Washington, the White House continue to try to clarify his comments that Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot remain in power.

Those comments, which the president made in a speech in Poland on Saturday caught many of his aides by surprise as they were not part of his prepared speech and seems to suggest he wanted to see regime change in Russia, which would mark a significant change in U.S. foreign policy.

But, President Biden was asked directly by reporters here in Washington on Sunday whether he meant that he wanted regime change in Russia, and he said, no. Secretary of State Antony Blinken further elaborated on what the White House's view on the matter is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: I think the president, the White House made the point last night that quite simply President Putin cannot be empowered to wage war or engage in aggression against Ukraine or anyone else. As you know, and as you've heard us say repeatedly, we do not have a strategy of regime change in Russia or anywhere else for that matter. In this case, as in any case, it's up to the people of the country in question. It's up to the Russian people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: Now that moment really marks the third time that the White House had to clarify something that the president said regarding Russia and Ukraine during his trip abroad. The White House very aware of the tense situation and how every word matters at this moment.

And while the president was abroad, he really was trying to shore up support and signal western unity against Russian President Vladimir Putin amid his invasion of Ukraine.

But the White House is also fully aware that the work is not complete simply because the foreign trip is over. And they will continue to look for ways to hold Russia and punish Russian President Vladimir Putin for his invasion as well as further offer support to the Ukrainian people as they continue to defend themselves. Arlette Saenz, CNN, the White House. GORANI: Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S. have no problem at all with President Biden's remarks about Vladimir Putin. You can listen to Oksana Markarova, She spoke earlier with our Dana Bash. Here is part of their conversation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: So you're saying that there should be regime change?

OKSANA MARKAROVA, UKRAINIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: Well, you know, it's clear to us that Russia is a terrorist state, led by a war criminal. And we are working day and night and fighting fiercely to defend our land and to defend our democracy and everyone should be brought to justice. So I think it will be difficult to run a state from The Hague.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: Well, Ukraine is promising to hold an immediate investigation after a video surfaced, you may have seen it online, showing what appears to be Ukrainian soldiers shooting Russian prisoners in the legs. This was said to have taken during an operation in the Kharkiv region.

The head of Ukraine's armed forces did not refer directly to this incident, but said the staged videos could be distributed to discredit Ukrainian soldiers. He also said Ukraine's forces strictly adhere to international humanitarian law.

Still to come, on the program, many volunteers are stepping up to host refugees from Ukraine.

[02:14:59]

We'll hear from one woman in Germany who received a call to do so in the middle of the night and stepped up.

And later this hour, decorum suffers a blow at the Oscars. Why Will Smith and Chris Rock had a physical altercation in front of a worldwide audience. Chris Rock was more the recipient of the altercation in this case. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: So, these were choirs in Spain leading a global live streamed sing-along in support of peace in Ukraine. Many gathered in Madrid on Sunday wearing blue and yellow ribbons with some holding signs urging peace. Listen a bit.

(VIDEO PLAYING)

The organization Choirs for Peace created the event. They were joined by choirs from Portugal and eight other countries. Singers also observed a minute of silence before the event to honor the victims of the war. [02:20:00]

Even as the Russian bombardment continues to devastate Ukrainians, officials are worried about whether the relief effort is losing steam. Ukrainian authorities say aid shipments are beginning to wane and more support is desperately needed right now.

According to the United Nations, more than 3.8 million people have fled Ukraine to nearby countries. And another 6.5 million are displaced inside the country.

Many volunteers are opening their homes to refugees fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. Here is how one woman in Germany came to host a family from Ukraine. Her tweet explains it. "My phone rang and woke me up around half past midnight. You volunteered to host refugees, here is a mother with two kids and a cat. Can you host? Okay, when? Now, she goes on to say. Fifteen minutes later, they arrived with a volunteer."

Soyoung Park who is hosting that Ukrainian family joins me now. She's a professor at the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience in Berlin. Soyoung Park, thanks so much for joining us. So you had 15 minutes to prepare for a family with a cat to join you in your Berlin home. What was that like?

SOYOUNG PARK, TOOK IN UKRAINIAN FAMILY: Oh, it was surprising, but I did sign up to volunteer and host refugees at our place. So I was kind of prepared.

GORANI: What was it like when you met -- sorry, just describe the moment when you met this family? Obviously, you didn't know each other before.

PARK: No, absolutely not. But, immediately, we kind of put ourselves in the moment to help them because they were quite distressed, obviously.

GORANI: Can you describe how that unfolded?

PARK: Yes, absolutely. I went downstairs, we live upstairs in a flat in the city. So I walk down to welcome them and saw them. They were quite distress. They couldn't speak anything else but Ukrainian and Russian so we had to chat via smartphone.

And I was just inviting them to come in and showing them the flat so that they kind of feel secure. They know that we are a real family and we don't want to harm them or anything. And then I was sorting out with the other volunteer, showing my (inaudible), and yes. And then the next day, we try to do anything we can do for them.

GORANI: And how old are the kids?

PARK: Her kids were 15 and three. And I, myself, have three kids. One, five, and six. Yes, and it was wonderful how they interacted without being able to speak to each other. I have to say that Berlin is not far away from the Ukraine border. So

you can actually drive down there and it's roughly 10 hours of flight, the shortest way. And many people here volunteered. I'm not the single case. I'm one of many.

And there are collection of places where supplies are being collected to be driven down. People volunteer themselves to drive down to the border to deliver them. When we go on a playground, we would hear a lot of Ukrainian people speaking because many people are hosting them, now.

Schools and kindergartens are getting prepared. They're making a welcome class to welcome those people to get settled down and things like that. It's amazing effort to what both the community, the city, and private people are doing.

GORANI: And how are you getting over the language barrier to communicate with this family?

PARK: Yes. Well, we have been using Google translate and I'm sure there are many other different possibilities how to communicate and that was never a problem. I also had the impression that people were quite good in point after now helping quite a few refugees and distributing them to my relatives and friends who also wanted to host. This was never a problem.

GORANI: And are you in this for the long haul? I mean, if -- are you just keeping your home open in an open-ended way?

PARK: So, a couple of days after they arrived we realized that Berlin -- in Berlin there are roughly more than 10,000 people per day coming in. I do not know if this is still, the case, but back then it was the case when we started to host them.

[02:24:54]

So, the Ukrainian people do not need any visa to enter Germany and it is estimated, I guess before weekend roughly 250,000 Ukrainian people here, but as I said, they can just drive in. So there might be a lot higher, bigger numbers. For example, Poland is taking quite a lot of refugees and it is not -- I don't think anybody can be prepared for this.

And what we try to do is try to find a place where they can register themselves fairly quick and get all the administrative help that they need. I kind of started to create a little network, which was completely unintended, with my friends and relatives and so on, and try to get them settled down in south Germany where they have been living in their own flat now with the help of the city.

GORANI: Soyoung Park, thanks very much joining us from Berlin. She opened her home to Ukrainian refugees. So many people are stepping up to help. We really appreciate you joining us this morning.

PARK: Thank you so much. GORANI: And just ahead, residents -- absolutely, good luck to you. Residents of one port city devastated by Russian shelling, described the horrors of the attack and how they survived. That's coming up.

Plus, Russian forces have targeted dozens of health care facilities in the past month of fighting. We'll discuss the impact this could have across the country.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: -- are live in Lviv, Ukraine.

[02:30:00]

More details on our top story this hour. Ukraine's president says this country is ready to accept a neutral non-nuclear status as part of a deal with Russia. It comes as both sides are expected to meet this week for another round of negotiations hosted by Turkey. On the ground though, Ukrainian officials say Russia is launching more missile strikes across Ukraine.

An advisor to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted that several cities were targeted Sunday night including three to the west of the capital. You see them highlighted there on the map. Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops have gained some ground launching counter offensive to take back territory from Russian forces. But the country's military intelligence chief is suggesting that Russia is now changing its focus to the south and east, potentially attempting to carve Ukraine in to after failing to take the capital.

Now the Ukrainian president is addressing the humanitarian conditions in Mariupol specifically. Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Russia siege of the port city, a human catastrophe. It is devastated civilian areas and made it difficult to get badly needed supplies to those who need them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMY ZELENSKY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The reality is this. The city is blocked by the Russian military. All entrances and exits from the city of Mariupol are blocked. The port is mined. A humanitarian catastrophe inside the city is unequivocal because it is impossible to go there with food, medicine and water. The Russian military is shelling humanitarian convoys, drivers are being killed. What happens to these cargoes? I can't tell you. Many of them were taken back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: Well, many have taken shelter during the Russian bombardment are returning to find their homes completely destroyed. Those who've survived are giving horrifying details of the bombing attacks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): You know, we got lucky. We advise people what to do. Those inexperienced ran to the basement. I was running in my apartment, my windows they were broken with bullets and shell fragments. I ran there and back depending on where they were shooting. It was a big mess. But we survived, you see survived. Thank God alive. Also, for my daughter, your dad is alive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: Gosh, this is so heartbreaking. Kharkiv is one of the Ukrainian cities hit by those Russian strikes over the past 24 hours. And this comes after Ukrainian troops recaptured several villages east of the city in a series of counter attacks. Ukraine's foreign minister says one of Russia's attacks targeted a holocaust memorial in Kharkiv. Shelling has left much of the surrounding region in ruins.

Earlier I spoke with Emma Graham-Harrison. She's a senior international affairs correspondent for The Guardian in the U.K. And she just recently left her Kharkiv after reporting extensively from there and elsewhere in Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMMA GRAHAM-HARRISON, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT, THE GUARDIAN: The Ukrainian troops are fighting incredibly hard on the outskirts of Kharkiv and having some military success there. But the problem is that Russia is pursuing in Kharkiv as it did in Mariupol or is doing in many other places. A policy of essentially punitive attacks on civilians.

So, while the fighting between the militaries is going on on the outskirts of the town, Russia is showering the center of Kharkiv civilian district with all kinds of munitions. With missiles, rockets, shells, and the extensiveness of the bombing there is truly shocking. I mean, they're sort of -- we were told there's 60 to 90 types of ammunition hitting the city every day. They announced this offensive essentially against the civilian population with a missile hit on city hall.

This huge imposing building that was totally hollowed out. Firemen are now trying to sort of clear out the wreckage, they've already pulled out 30 bodies. They're expecting to find more casualties. And essentially, because of the intensity of this bombardment, which really is one of the most intense in all of Ukraine apart from outside, of course, Mariupol it's a city that's moved underground.

So, you go to Kharkiv, the streets are almost empty. People have moved into the metro, they stay in their apartment blocks, they come out to get food, maybe to get a tiny bit of air and then they go back in. So, it's this sort of eerily empty scene of, you know, vast boulevards that are empty. It's a very beautiful city. It's the second biggest in Ukraine. It has a sort of incredible history and a lot of residents said to me that in fact, their history they're so close to the Russian border, it's a Russian speaking city or has been traditionally that that's perhaps part of the reason why they are being so punitively attacked.

They feel that Putin, that, you know, Russian authorities expected that Russian soldiers will be welcome in this city. They got into the center of city on the first day of the war, and were pushed back to the outskirts where they've been held ever since. And so many people in Kharkiv from the governor down to people I was speaking to, you know, in their homes were saying they felt that they were being punished essentially for this resistance.

[02:35:07]

GRAHAM-HARRISON: So, this refusal to welcome Russian forces.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: Under the situation in Kharkiv, my thanks to Emma Graham- Harrison with The Guardian, I'll have more from Lviv at the top of the hour. For now -- for now, though, I'll turn it over to Rosemary Church at the CNN Center. Rosemary.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Thank you so much Hala. Appreciate it. Well, the International Rescue Committee warns Ukrainians are at risk of a "catastrophic health crisis" because of Russian attacks on healthcare infrastructure. The organization has counted at least 64 attacks on healthcare facilities, transports and personnel during the first four weeks of the war.

Judith Twigg is a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University who tracks public health in Ukraine and Russia. She joins me now from Richmond, Virginia. Thank you so much for being with us.

JUDITH TWIGG, PROFESSOR, VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY: Thank you.

CHURCH: So, we have seen hospitals across Ukraine targeted by Russia, some completely destroyed, a maternity hospital in Mariupol. A particularly distressing example. Hit with deadly force. The World Health Organization has verified 64 attacks on healthcare facilities, personnel and patients since Russia invaded more than a month ago, resulting in 15 deaths and 37 injuries.

What impact is all this having on efforts to deliver much needed healthcare to the people of Ukraine caught up in this war?

TWIGG: Thank you for this question. Of course, the entire Russia invasion of Ukraine is a tragedy, but it's particularly a tragedy that the attacks on healthcare facilities, which increasingly look as though they are deliberate Russian attacks on healthcare, on health workers and health personnel. Those attacks are happening in the places where healthcare is needed the most where people are suffering from combat wounds, trauma injury.

In addition to the ongoing medical care that people were already seeking in those facilities. Russia is a signatory to the Geneva Convention in 1954 that outlawed this kind of attack on health facilities. And so, what we're seeing here is a basic violation of human rights.

CHURCH: Yes. It is just so horrifying to watch, isn't it? And of course, in the midst of all of this, we've also seen remarkable acts of courage on the part of the Ukrainian people standing up to the might of Russia's military and in many instances, actually defeating them. And of course, brave doctors and nurses staying behind to look after those most in need, that courage truly extraordinary.

But what worries you most about this war and of course, the pounding of civilian targets like hospitals?

TWIGG: Well, of course, we're all accustomed to seeing the incredible acts of courage and heroism and bravery from the Ukrainian people. I'll note that the majority of Ukrainian healthcare workers are women. And we're hearing many stories of women, doctors and other medical personnel who are getting their own parents and grandparents and children to safety in the western part of Ukraine or in the bordering countries to the west.

And then coming back into Ukraine to make sure that they can continue to offer services to their patients or to other people who are in need of medical services. Obviously, the first thing that we worry about in the immediate sense are the acute health needs of the people who have been affected directly by the violence. So, people in cities that are directly under assault under siege places like Kharkiv, in the east, like Mariupol in the South.

In a lot of senses, we don't even know what's going on in some of those areas, because they've been cut off. People don't have access to food, to water, to sanitation to basic medications. So, we worry about the treatment of chronic health conditions for those people who don't have access to their medicines, to regular medical care. The longer those people have to go without, for example, clean drinking water or clean food, we worry about the emergence of communicable diseases.

Like cholera, for example. There was an outbreak of cholera in Mariupol, back in 2011. And so, we worry about outbreaks of infectious diseases in those places.

CHURCH: Yes, it is a nightmare scenario, isn't it? And what will this mean for longer term healthcare needs in Ukraine as well as much needed medical supplies? And of course, health facilities because as they're being bombed, that's one less facility across the country.

TWIGG: So, one particular tragedy of the timing of Russia's attack is that it comes on the heels of six or seven years' worth of tremendous investment and progress and reform that Ukraine has been experiencing with its healthcare system. So, many of the health care facilities that are under assault, that are being attacked, that are being destroyed have actually been newly renovated or newly built just in the last six or seven years.

[02:40:05]

TWIGG: Obviously, once Ukraine is victorious and is an independent sovereign Democratic nation, looking to the international community for help with reinvestment and rebuilding of their healthcare sector, there's going to be tremendous need for everyone to come together. Following the playbook of the very smart, very experienced reformers in the Ukrainian Ministry of Health and their other health care institutions.

The international community is going to need to come together to help them rebuild these damaged facilities.

CHURCH: Professor Judith Twigg, thank you so much for joining us.

TWIGG: Thank you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: And still to come. An altercation out the Oscars. We will show you how Will Smith lashed out at Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife. We're back in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: The biggest night in Hollywood. The Academy Awards show had a non-scripted fight that stunned audience members. It started when Chris Rock made a joke onstage about Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head. Now she has alopecia, a autoimmune disorder which causes hair loss. Will Smith, Jada's husband then took the stage and punched Rock. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS ROCK, AMERICAN COMEDIAN: Uh-oh. Richard. Oh, wow. Wow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Now, although it appeared to be a joke at first, Smith returned to his seat and yelled at Rock using foul language. Viewers at home didn't hear the entire exchange as censors had muted it. And for more I'm joined now by Sandro Monetti. He is in Los Angeles. He is the editor-in-chief of Hollywood International Filmmaker Magazine. Great to have you with us.

SANDRO MONETTI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CONTRIBUTOR: Never seen anything like that.

(CROSSTALK)

CHURCH: So, I want to start with that because -- I mean, all those superb movies, all that hard work and what will everyone be talking about? Will Smith striking Chris Rock in the face. What are people saying about this?

[02:45:08]

MONETTI: They are so stunned because it was so out of character from ultimate nice guy Will Smith. We can think of a dozen actors who if they'd done something similar, we wouldn't be surprised. But in the highest high of his glorious career, he takes the low ground. I just thought it was absolutely disgusting. I really, you know, admire him for standing up for his wife, but as far better way to do it would have been to walk out of the Oscars in protest. Violence is never the answer.

CHURCH: Yes. I mean, it was a -- it was a very awkward exchange, wasn't it? Not long after that, of course, Will Smith, he took to the stage again to accept the Best Actor Award for his performance in King Richard. He apologized to the Academy and everyone else for the punch except to Chris Rock. Could Smith face some sort of punishment professionally do you think that is?

MONETTI: Well, he has apparently committed assault. There are millions of witnesses. Early reports say Chris Rock is declining to press charges. But yes, it'll be interesting to see where it goes from here, if there's a criminal investigation. And what are the implications for Will Smith's career going forward. The only winners here, ironically, are probably the Oscars. Because nobody was paying any attention to this event.

The ratings had gone off the cliff. The Academy was facing an existential crisis. They were trying desperate measures to try and get some attention for social media. And then, as always happens in award shows, the unscripted moments are the ones you remember. And this was the most memorable and extraordinary and ugly moments in the whole 94- year history of the Oscars.

CHURCH: Yes. Well, they certainly got their viral moment, didn't they? I mean, the punch scene around the world overshadowed the Best Picture award that went to CODA, a movie about a girl who is the only member of her dear family able to hear up against Belfast, Power of the Dog and other incredible films. Was this the one that stood out to you, CODA?

MONETTI: You know, it was a heartwarming heartfelt story. And it was an underdog story as well. It came up on the rails because Power of the Dog was the longtime favorite, it's the only one of the 10 Best Picture nominees which is being made into a Broadway musical and that shows how much it tugs at the heartstrings. It doesn't have the gravitas, the dramatic impact of the other nine. But it is a feel-good movie.

And on a night when people are feeling pretty confused and pretty bad, at least we have CODA to warm the cockles of our hearts.

CHURCH: Yes, absolutely. And of course, the best director went to Jane Campion for Power of the Dog. Another big win for this female director. What was it that put her work above others do you think?

MONETTI: She's so unique among directors because her films really unfold at their own pace. And there is so much pressure in the way entertainment is consumed these days to get to the action quickly, to get to the dramatic subplots, but hers -- her films always unfold like a novel. They're unhurried. You're watching something so different. And therefore, you're watching something so special.

CHURCH: Yes, well put. And what a great night. I mean, just a showcase of all this incredible work. And of course, we start talking about the punch. Sandro Monetti, thank you so much for talking with us. I do appreciate --

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MONETTI: Knockout ratings.

CHURCH: Absolutely. Well, America's top diplomat is shuttling through stops in the Middle East. Still ahead this hour, we will get a live report on what Antony Blinken hopes to take away from his talks with Israeli and Arab leaders. We're back with that in just a moment.

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was in the city of Hadera on Sunday, following a shooting that left two people dead. Mr. Bennett met with security officials who say the attackers were ISIS operatives. Authorities say the two shooters opened fire killing to Israelis and injuring others. The wounded were evacuated for medical treatment to a medical center in Hadera.

Well, the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel for a series of diplomatic meetings with Foreign Ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Bahrain and Egypt. As well as Israel's Prime Minister. Naftali Bennett is one of the world leaders who has been in frequent contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin since his invasion of Ukraine.

Well, for more on all of this, we want to bring in journalists Elliott Gotkine. He joins us live from Jerusalem. Good to see you, Elliot. So, what is the significance of this diplomatic meeting coming up this time and what's the range of issues to be discussed and of course, the expectations?

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, it's incredibly significant in the sense that it's never happened before, they were calling this an historic meeting. And it really just underlines the Israel's changing place, if you like in the Middle East since the signing of the Abraham accords. A meeting like this has never happened before. It has been overshadowed to a degree I suppose by those attacks that you just talked about in northern Israel.

And indeed, attacks that were universally condemned by all the foreign ministers meeting there in southern Israel. So, there's a few issues that are going to be on their agenda. And I should say that the main meeting is actually due to start in the next few minutes. It's a 90- minute-long meeting, it's due to kick off at 10:00 a.m. local time. So, in just a few minutes time. So, there'll be discussing -- well, first of all, there's a -- this will show the U.S. has strong clear commitment to the Middle East.

We understand from someone who's in those meetings as well, that of course, Iran is very much on the agenda and they will be discussing ways that they can deter the Islamic Republic and its proxies, irrespective of whether the U.S. seems likely rejoins the Iran Nuclear Agreement.

[02:55:11] GOTKINE: Of course, we heard yesterday from Israel's Foreign Minister Yair Lapid publicly telling U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken about Israel's concerns and the region's concerns about the reported plans for the U.S. to D-list Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization. The U.S. saying that no matter what happens, it will continue to sanction the Revolutionary Guards.

And they'll also be discussing economic opportunities, how to get more countries to join the Abraham accords. We've already seen Israel's long-standing agreement with Egypt warming as well. The Egyptian Prime Minister there too. So, economic opportunities, share challenges. We should hear from all of them in about 90 minutes time.

CHURCH: All right. Elliot Gotkine joining us live from Jerusalem. Many thanks.

China's financial hub is going into lockdown for mass COVID-19 testing. The Shanghai government says half the city begins four days of lockdown on Monday, and the other half will follow on Friday. All of Shanghai's roughly 25 million residents must get tested to maintain a green health code status, which allows them into grocery stores and public areas. China reported more than 6200 new cases Sunday, and more than half of them were in Shanghai.

The city has now seen more than 16,000 infections since the latest outbreak began on March 1st.

And I want to thank you for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. We'll have more of our breaking news coverage in just a moment. Do stay with us.

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