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Biden Explains Putin Comment, but Makes "No Apologies;" Russian Missiles Target Fuel Depots Across Ukraine; Mayor Calls for "Complete Evacuation" of Mariupol; Russian Shelling Intensifies in Suburbs Around Kyiv; New Round of Ukraine-Russia Talks Set for Coming Hours; Family Mourns Ukrainian Soldier Killed in Combat; Real-Life Drama at the Oscars. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired March 29, 2022 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:00:13]
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.
HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers around the world and in the United States this hour. I'm Hala Gorani reporting live from Lviv, Ukraine.
We began with U.S. President Joe Biden's comments on the Russian President that have stunned the world. Mr. Biden is now trying to explain what he meant and why he said that Vladimir Putin, "cannot remain in power." He took questions on Monday about his off the cuff remark during a major speech in Poland. U.S. officials have been trying to walk back that comment from a few days ago, however, Mr. Biden clarified the meaning of his words, but said that he makes "no apologies." Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, (D) U.S. PRESIDENT: I'm not walking any back. The fact of the matter is I was expressing the more outrage I felt toward the way Putin is dealing in the actions of this man, which is just brutality. Half the children in Ukraine, I just come from being with those families.
And so -- but I want to make it clear: I wasn't then, nor am I now, articulating a policy change. I was expressing the moral outrage that I feel. Nobody believes we're going to take town -- I was going to -- I was talking about taking down Putin.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: It is just past eight in the morning and Ukraine and right now on the battlefield, the shelling is only getting more intense in the suburbs around Kyiv, the capital. Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister says Russian forces are trying to establish a corridor around the Capitol to block supply routes. Authorities and the nearby city of Irpin claim they've recaptured territory from Russian troops. And Ukrainian forces are still fighting to hold on to the southern city of Mariupol, despite heavy Russian bombardment.
The mayor is calling for a complete evacuation of all remaining civilians. An estimated 160,000 people are trapped there without heat, water or electricity. Ukraine's President says Russian forces control all of the evacuation routes in and out of Mariupol.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translation): Mariupol remains blocked. Russian troops did not allow any humanitarian corridor to be organized today. They did not allow silence. This is a ruthless war against our nation, against our people, against our children. As of today, 143 children are known to have died.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, in western Ukraine, crews are battling a huge fire from a Russian missile strike on a fuel depot. Attacks like this have become more frequent in the past few days, including one here in Lviv over the weekend.
A senior U.S. defense official says Russia has launched more than 1300 missiles in Ukraine since its invasion began late last month. But Russian ground forces are largely stalled in several parts of the country. Even as Russian shelling intensifies around Kyiv suburbs, we've been able to get a firsthand look at some of the devastation caused by those relentless attacks. CNN's Fred Pleitgen traveled to one village to the north of the capital.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyiv remains under full on attack by Vladimir Putin's army. Ukrainian officials saying Russian forces are trying to storm the capital but failing, unleashing artillery barrages on civilian areas in the process. We drove to the village Novi Petrivtsi, north of Kyiv, only a few miles from the front line. Even the streets here are pockmarked with shrapnel and massive impact craters, whole buildings laid to waste.
(On camera): I mean, just look at the utter destruction caused by this massive explosion. There's some really thick brick walls and even they were annihilated by the force of whatever landed here. The people here tell us they only felt one really large explosion, and it wounded several people and kill the small child.
(Voice-over): That child was two year old, Stepan, killed while in his bed when the House came under fire. These videos given to us by local authorities show the chaos and the aftermath as the wounded appear in shock, residents and rescuers tried to save those who are inside. Stepan pronounced dead on the scene.
Stepan was Oleg Shpak's second youngest child. We found Oleg sifting through the rubble of his house days later. Inside he shows me the damage caused by the explosion. He was at work when his home was hit, his wife, the other children and his mother in law had already been brought to the hospital when he arrived at the house. Stepan couldn't be saved and because of staff shortages at the morgue, Oleg had to prepare his son's body for burial himself.
[01:05:06]
OLEG SHPAK, SON KILLED BY RUSSIAN SHELLING (through translation): I had to wash him, to dress him, his head from his right ear to his left ear, one large hematoma, his arms, his legs, a total hematoma not compatible with life. And besides that lots of other wounds were discovered after death.
PLEITGEN: Many other houses have also been hit here. The police tell me the Russians shell the town every day. We bumped into 84 year old Halyna in the town center. She was a child when the Nazis invaded this area and says now things are worse.
HALYNA, NOVI PETRIVTSI RESIDENT (through translation): Worse than fascists when the Germans were here and entered our homes, they would shoot at the ceiling but they would not touch us. They move the scene to the woods, but they did not shoot us like the Russian soldiers are shooting now, killing children.
PLEITGEN: The Kremlin claims its forces don't target civilian areas. But the U.S., NATO and the Ukrainian say the Russians are frustrated by their lack of progress and are firing longer range weapons because they can't make headway on the ground.
VLADYSLAV ODINTSOV, KYIV REGIONAL POLICE (through translation): They understand that sooner or later our troops will push them out of our territory. Now, the Russians are doing dirty tricks. They shoot more at civilian areas than the positions of the Ukrainian army.
PLEITGEN: Ukraine's army says it's pressing its own counter offensive trying to dislodge Russian troops from the outskirts of Kyiv. The Kremlin's forces, meanwhile, so far unable to take the Ukrainian capital, or instead laying waste to its suburbs. Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Novi Petrivtsi, Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: I spoke last hour with CNN Military Analyst retired U.S. Army General Mark Hertling, I asked him what is behind Russia's strategy of using precision weapons to attack targets like fuel depots and aircraft repair facilities.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. GENERAL MARK HERTLING, (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: They're looking specifically to try and take away the logistics flow from the Ukrainian army. On the other hand, civilian the firing of missiles, rockets, artillery, area, firewall, weapons, imprecise dropping of dumb bombs from airplanes, when they can get into the area beyond the ability of the Ukrainian Air Defense to attack those planes, they don't care, Hala, it's just a matter of terrorism, destruction, catastrophic effects, they want to strike this kind of terror. And as we've seen already, several the nares of Ukrainian towns have reported civilian deaths in the hundreds and in some cases, like in Mariupol, 5000 or so including about 200 children.
So this is intentional on the part of the Russians. It is to cause that refugee flow, more confusion, more terror, while the Ukrainian army is forced to decide, should we continue to fight the Russians? Or should we help our civilian populations. So they're put on the horns of a dilemma in terms of what the military and the territorial forces can do to not only fight the enemy but also contribute to the safety of their citizens.
GORANI: And big picture, where does this war stand for the Russians because they've certainly not taken any big cities. Mariupol seems to have all but fallen to their forces, but that's after having flattened the place really into submission and into a pile of rubble. So what about the overall picture for Russia now?
HERTLING: Well, what I've said repeatedly, Hala, is they had four objectives coming in here. They wanted to seize the capital in order to displace the Ukrainian government, Mr. Zelenskyy. They wanted to subjugate the nation of Ukraine by defeating its army either encircling it or destroying it. Number three, they wanted to further divide NATO. And number four, their four strategic objectives, was to try and further divide the United States while at the same time increasing their economic capabilities in Europe through oil. They have failed in all of those five strategic objectives because they have not been able to execute the tactical and operational plan in the different areas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Mark Hertling there. Officials from Ukraine and Russia will meet for face to face talks in Turkey in the next few hours. And the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, says peace and the restoration of normal life are the obvious goals for this latest rounds of talks. CNN's Arwa Damon has those details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The bigger hope, although it may be unrealistic is that this round of talks would at least lead to some sort of a ceasefire if not longer lasting peace talks. And to that effect. We did hear from Ukrainian President Zelenskyy that they are willing to talk about Ukraine becoming a non- nuclear neutral state provided there are of course certain security guarantees.
[01:10:06]
But what does that actually mean for Ukraine to be a neutral state, that would mean that Ukraine would not be able to be a third party to any sort of conflict, which effectively would mean that Ukraine would not be looking towards joining NATO in the foreseeable future. And Zelenskyy himself did say this is one of Russia's main demands, in fact, was one of the justifications for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russia, as we now know, saying that NATO was encroaching on its borders, and also talking about the demilitarization, the need to denazify Ukraine. Those last two terms are things however, that are red lines for the Ukrainians. They do not want to hear any more talk using that sort of terminology.
The Ukrainian President did also say that should this end up really centering around Ukraine becoming a neutral state that he would want to put that to a referendum to the Ukrainian people. And then there is what many are actually hoping at the very least is a result from these talks. And that is the opening of more humanitarian corridors. And it's not just about opening more humanitarian corridors, it's about opening ones whose security can actually be guaranteed. Arwa Damon, CNN, Istanbul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: And the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last week that Ukraine and Russia appear to be making progress in some areas, including Ukraine backing off of NATO membership, which we heard from Arwa there, collective security and the use of Russian language in Ukraine. The chief adviser to President Erdogan is involved in the talks, and spoke with Becky Anderson about the sticking points.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
?BRAHIM KALIN, TURKISH PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON: Sometimes positions seem to be converging on some kind of an understanding, sometimes they seem to be diverging a little bit. So there are still important differences over this four issues. But in our assessment, the most difficult one, of course, is the territorial integrity of Ukraine, which must be protected, of course. The Ukrainian side cannot compromise on that. And that concern is Donbass and Crimea. Crimea was annexed back in 2014. The situation hasn't changed, but no one has recognized the annexation of Crimea since then.
Now the Russian side wants both Ukraine and others international community to recognize that. I don't -- that's kind of fly that's a very maximalist demand from the Russian side. It's not realistic. Same goes true for Donbass. So that other four issues, there could be a few more here and there, you know, maybe they will find a way to reach some kind of an agreement. But the leadership level meeting will require a serious discussion of Donbass and Crimea, because they go straight to the heart of the matter, which is Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: It's interesting, because Ukrainian foreign ministers actually denied that there is agreement even on the four sticking points that have been -- that have been discussed at the president, there does seem to be a bit of a disconnect between what the President was saying and what the Ukrainians are saying.
KALIN: Our president was simply describing the situation. And it was actually a message to Moscow also, look if you can agree, our negotiating teams can agree on this, you know, three, four or five, whatever points that they're discussing, you know, then let's have this leadership level meeting because we believe it's only through that meeting that this war will come to an end. President Zelenskyy is ready to meet President Putin. President Putin who has said no, so far, and our president has said, OK, I'm ready to facilitate bringing the two of you together, in Turkey or somewhere else, it doesn't matter. You know, we are not trying to promote Turkey as a venue for this. What we are concerned about is to bring it into this war a day earlier than it is necessary.
ANDERSON: But the future of Crimea and Donbass is still outstanding. And at this point, do you believe that President Putin really wants to make peace?
KALIN: If he wants to make peace, he has enough in his plate, in fact, to call this off and call humanitarian ceasefire right now so that the negotiations can continue, you know, at the technical level, political level and at the strategic level. We have not recognized the annexation of Crimea is like the rest of the world. In fact, even China has not recognized as, you know, the annexation of Crimea. So the Russia -- that's why I said Russian demand on that is very maximalist unrealistic, they should really come up with some other ideas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: That was the adviser to Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish President, and as I just mentioned there, Turkey hosting the next round of talks between Ukraine and Russia due to start in a few hours.
The E.U. is trying to manage the influx of refugees from Ukraine, and avoid some of the pitfalls of years past. Will explain what plans are being made.
Also, imagine trying to adopt a child from a country that has become a warzone. We'll hear from a Ukrainian child and the American looking to adopt there, coming up.
[01:15:08]
And later, women taking up arms in case Russia's war comes knocking at their door. We'll look at the rigorous training they're going through in Estonia. Stay with us.
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GORANI: Well, the number of people escaping Ukraine appears to be shrinking. The European Union's Home Affairs Commissioner says 200,000 people were once arriving in the E.U. every day, but now that number is closer to 40,000 a day. She says that out of the nearly 4 million people who have fled 800,000 have already applied for temporary E.U. protection.
Meanwhile, there are concerns that Europe could see a repeat of the disagreements surrounding the 2015 migrant crisis that caused a lot of bickering between member states. However, E.U. interior ministers have apparently agreed on a block wide plan for registering refugees as well as coordinating transportation, and their plan this time does not involve quotas. [01:20:19]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YLVA JOHANSSON, E.U. COMMISSIONER FOR HOME AFFAIRS: We are not working on any quotas or any distribution of migrants are towards us, specific quotas. This is voluntarily where member states step in and say we can do more and they are doing that right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, Ylva Johansson went on to say that children make up half of all refugees from Ukraine that's nearly 2 million kids. Many more children are still trapped in this country, including orphans waiting for adoption overseas. Don Lemon went to an orphanage to find out how the children and their prospective parents are coping.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: It was after midnight when the children from battle scarred Donetsk arrived in Lviv.
STEPAN MASHCHAK, ORPHANAGE DIRECTOR, VELIKY LYUBAN INTERNAT (through translation): They were very tired and seemed to be lost. Some of their friends were separated. They were scared arriving in a new city. A train full of children fleeing the war. It took two days they were stopped by shelling alerts at several stations.
LEMON: Now they are relatively safe in this orphanage outside of Lviv. But their journey to find permanent homes has been halted by the war.
LEMON: Is the process slower now because of the war?
MASHCHAK (through translation): Definitely yes. Because all their files and court decisions are still in Donetsk. And all the documents have to be prepared by regional authorities and it's impossible now.
LEMON: One of those children in limbo is Maure who American Colleen Holt Thompson is trying to adopt.
COLLEEN HOLT THOMPSON, ADOPTIVE MOTHER FROM KENTUCKY: We had the paperwork to have court and Donetsk region to adopt and a day and a half after we had everything to submit Putin invaded and all the kids in orphanage had to evacuate Donetsk.
LEMON (on camera): What is this been like for you? Five weeks, right?
THOMPSON: I've been here five weeks, yes.
LEMON (voice-over): She and other prospective adoptive parents are pushing the Biden administration to allow about 300 Ukrainian children whose adoptions are pending to come to the U.S. temporarily for their safety, while the war is raging.
Right now 73 U.S. lawmakers have signed on to a letter asking the State Department and President Biden to make it happen. Until then, Thompson remains in Lviv bringing supplies to the orphanage visiting, Maure when she can and worrying about her when she can't.
THOMPSON: I messaging her and yesterday she spent almost six hours in the bomb shelter and we had missile strikes near both of us and so it's scary enough to have that happen. But when you can't physically be there to know your child is okay and to help protect them. And all the other parents who are some in Poland a lot back in the U.S. They're getting the same phone calls I'm getting, so it's scary.
LEMON: Maury (ph), meanwhile, waits for the chance at a new start.
(On camera): Are you ready for a new life in America?
MAURE, ADOPTEE: Yes.
LEMON: Tell me why?
MAURE: (Speaking in foreign language).
LEMON: With her new mom.
MAURE: I love my mom and, beautiful.
LEMON: Don Lemon, CNN, Lviv, Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Well, if you'd like to help people in Ukraine who may be in need of shelter, food or water, go to cnn.com/impact you'll find several ways you can help there.
Still to come this hour, NATO strengthens its defenses, including in the Baltics, as Russia's war on Ukraine pushes on. Ahead, I'll speak with Estonia's Foreign Minister about the latest developments. Plus, as the war in their homeland continues, the family of a fallen Ukrainian soldier says goodbye, a final goodbye. We'll have that report from Odessa.
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[01:28:38]
GORANI: Well, the war here in Ukraine has been going on for more than a month with no end inside. Unfortunately, according to numbers announced by President Zelenskyy from March 12 at least 1300 Ukrainian troops have lost their lives, defending their homeland from this Russian invasion. And sadly, like wars before, this conflict is creating work for priests and grave diggers, Ben Wedeman went to one soldier's funeral in Odessa.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lord have mercy, goes the hymn's refrain. Another family's drink of war's bitter dredges. Forty-seven-year-old Yuri Solomka died on the 18th of March from wounds sustained in the front line city of Mykolaiv. His mother Lyudmila struggles through the ceremony. Every day there's another funeral during this time of death, destruction, and displacement. These are indeed the times that try a people's soul.
[01:29:52]
Yuri was a volunteer, not a regular soldier. He was given full military honors. Beyond the customs of respect for men who died in battle for a nation at war lies the trauma of the woman who brought him into this world.
There can be nothing more painful for a mother than to attend the funeral of her child, a son killed in a war not of his choosing.
"He decided on his own to join the army," says Ludmilla (ph), "he hadn't told me. He was a good father and a good son."
Says his sister Yelena, "he was always a man of his word."
Yuri lies with other freshly dug graves.
After a month of this conflict, no one really knows how many soldiers and civilians have been killed. The only thing of which anyone can be certain is that only a dead have seen the end of war.
Before this funeral ends, preparations begin for the next. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
Ben Wedeman, CNN -- Odessa.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Well, three Baltic countries once part of the Soviet Union are now watching this unfolding crisis in Ukraine with great concern. Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania all border Russia and Ukraine's president has warned that he believes Vladimir Putin will eventually push his aggression into those Baltic states.
But unlike Ukraine, those three countries are part of NATO. They joined the alliance in 2004. Now NATO has increased its forces on its eastern flank in response to Russia's invasion.
Joining me now live from Estonia is the country's foreign minister, Eva Maria Liimets. Thank you very much for joining us.
I want first your reaction to what the U.S. President Joe Biden said during his address in Poland that this man cannot stay in power. He tried to walk back those remarks in Washington yesterday.
But what was your initial reaction when you heard that U.S. president pronounce those words in Warsaw?
EVA-MARIA LIIMETS, ESTONIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: Thank you very much first for having me. It is very important issue for us. Seeing every day how people are killed in Ukraine by aggressor Russia and we very much welcome the high-level visit of the U.S. president to Poland and he really brought international attention of this issue.
And of course, we see that Russia has not ended the war, therefore this aggression and all these activities must be taken accountable. Therefore, of course, it was very good to see very strong speech from the United States president.
GORANI: And when you heard him call, when you heard him pronounce those words, were you surprised?
LIIMETS: I was not exactly surprised. I think that it is the feeling that many people have at the moment. And of course, it is very important because all the war criminals are taking accountable to the international court. And then of course, it is up to the court to decide what exactly then (INAUDIBLE) one or another person.
But from our perspective, of course, we would like to see our neighbor not being the aggressor towards its neighbors.
GORANI: So you believe Vladimir Putin has acted as a war criminal in this conflict?
LIIMETS: I would say that it is up to the court to decide, but from my perspective it is very important that at the moment all the war crimes are documented and the criminals are taken to the court so that the court can decide how those people are taken accountable.
I really believe that all Ukrainians, Ukrainian family members of these Ukrainians, they need justice in this unfortunate conflict.
GORANI: Do you believe that Russia after Ukraine, and the way that Volodymyr Zelenskyy has laid out, could have its sights on your country and the other two Baltic nations? Do you have real concerns that they might move on your territory?
LIIMETS: In Estonia, we don't see direct military threat to our territory. And I think it's the same for all NATO nations at the moment.
[01:34:55]
LIIMETS: But as the security situation has changed in Europe and of course we must strengthen our defense and deterrent posture. And we really appreciate recent shipment of all NATO allies of its (INAUDIBLE) and those who very much welcome the shipment with which NATO allies have increased their presence here in Estonia as well.
GORANI: What do you think is the strategically best way to try to get Vladimir Putin to back down now from this a horrendous, senseless war? What is the strategic approach that you would support?
LIIMETS: Since the beginning of this unjustified and unprovoked war by Russia we have (INAUDIBLE) that threat. We must continue to support Ukraine, of course, politically and economically.
Also, we must continue to have political and economic pressure towards Russia, so that they put the field across the high cost of this aggression. So that they would end this war as soon as possible.
And at the moment, we must continue with political and economic isolation of Russia, until this ends the war, also people who started this war, have been taken accountable in front of the court.
GORANI: So, you're saying political and economic pressure but you didn't say anything about more military assistance. For instance, would you support a no-fly zone over Ukraine?
LIIMETS: Estonia is among the countries who have provided Ukraine with military assistance, even before this unfortunate war started. And at the moment, more than 20 NATO countries are the same.
It's been very fortunate to support for Ukraine so that they have been able to defend their country, and pushback Russian troops in their soil.
At the moment, of course, it would be good that the United Nations would accept a resolution for a no-fly zone. But unfortunately we see that as Russia is a member of the United Nations Security Council, the council is not able to make this kind of important political achievement at the moment.
But it was very good to see that more than 140 countries agreed that Russia is aggressor in this conflict. And I truly hope the international community can help to end this war.
GORANI: Eva-Maria Liimets, the Estonian foreign minister joining us from Tallinn. Thank you very much.
I'll have more from Ukraine at the top of the hour, but first let's bring in Lynda Kinkade in Atlanta.
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Our thanks to you Hala. You and the team are doing such a fantastic job in Ukraine. Please stay safe.
Well Estonian women are preparing themselves in, case the conflict with Russia reaches the Baltic. Not taking any chances, hundreds of women are now learning about weapons, first aid and survival tactics with training provided by the government. It's to ensure that they are ready for any possible threat.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: In rural northern Estonia, these women are learning how to prepare for the worst.
KRISTEL ERIKS, MEMBER, WOMEN'S VOLUNTARY DEFENSE ORGANIZATION: If I'm needed, if I need to actually fight I will fight.
KINKADE: Aged 20 to 60, these are the new recruits of the Women's Voluntary Defense Organization, part of Estonia's state run paramilitary defense.
Since the start of the Russian invasion into Ukraine, membership has soared. HELEN ALLAS, DEPUTY CHAIR, WOMEN'S VOLUNTARY DEFENSE ORGANIZATION:
Already 500 out of 2000 have sent in their applications to join the organization.
KINKADE: Estonian is among the Baltic states once controlled by Russia. But since 2004, they have been members of NATO and the European Union.
Estonia's prime minister says their country feels no direct military threat from the current Russian Ukraine conflict, but these women are not convinced.
MERLE VIMB, MEMBER, WOMEN'S VOLUNTARY DEFENSE ORGANIZATION: I think most of us in Baltic are living right now in frightening a situation, because it's just not normal what's going on. And we have to prepare I think. I just can't sit and wait to see if something happens.
KINKADE: After a freezing night spent in self built tents these new recruits learn about rifles and bullets, how to apply camouflage, navigating the woods, and communicate with a walkie talkie. Readying to defend themselves and their country against violence they hope never comes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Still ahead, details on the tech start-up that describes itself as an Uber for trucks. How the company's hoping to improve global supply chain issues by making trucking more efficient.
[01:39:56]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back.
The holy month of Ramadan begins this weekend, but the usual bars at the markets in Southeast Asia is a bit quieter this year with food prices and energy prices on the rise.
Many shoppers in Indonesia's capital are hesitant to buy essentials like beef, chili and oil because of the soaring prices. It is typical for food prices to go up before Ramadan, but this year they are even higher due to a shortage of products like palm oil which is used for cooking.
In Bangladesh, crowds were seen chasing a truck full of food and other necessities trying to get whatever they could. The government there is reportedly offering goods at reduced rates for low income families to help those struggling to buy what they need for Ramadan.
[01:44:50]
KINKADE: Geopolitical instability, driver shortages, higher freight delivery costs -- they are all issues that have hit the trucking industry over the past few months. Now, one tech start-up is hoping to help companies better navigate some of those problems. Egypt-based Trella describes itself as the Uber for trucks, connecting shippers and truckers directly.
CNN's Eleni Giokos sat down with the company's CFO at the DP World Pavilion in Dubai.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HATEM SABRY, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, TRELLA: It is actually an industry that is very much antiquated and very paper heavy, very documentation heavy. There is a need for digital solution to provide touch-less experience or an experience with no manual intervention whatsoever versus again the traditional offering of having to speak with someone on the phone, and chasing where the driver is and where the truck is.
So it is all about the experience as well and this creates efficiencies as well because time savings, and cost savings as well.
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What was the experience during the pandemic and how did you deal with everything changing and being upended?
SABRY: It was stressful at first. Everyone was trying to figure out, wondering what to do, how this is going to impact the margins of the business, the sales, the volumes. And one thing that we realized is that trucking never stops. And especially during the first, you know, waves of lockdown and all that, there was pressure on essential goods being transported like food and pharma and all that and even during the lockdowns you are seeing some concessions on these goods.
And Trella trucks were moving. Of course, it was a tough time from our revenue perspective and from cash collection perspective and all that which is normal. But I think in hindsight, there is a lot of learning. And on a digital adoption front as well, we found a significant spike in how our (INAUDIBLE) and our shippers interact with the application much better now.
Because COVID actually, one positive thing that came out of it basically, it made everything digital. More businesses --
GIOKOS: Accelerated all of that.
SABRY: Absolutely. Reduced (INAUDIBLE) has accelerated and that was the --
GIOKOS: To what extent are you concerned as a logistics company in Africa about the crisis in eastern Europe, where you've got oil prices spiking? We don't know where the oil price is going.
You know, grain from both Ukraine and Russia, very important imports specifically for Egypt and even for many parts of Africa. Is this worrying you in terms of what it is going to mean for your business?
SABRY: It is a global worry. I think the main thing out of this is inflation. You touched upon it with commodity prices, not only oil, but again such commodities and food staples and all that.
Inflation has been an issue in 2021 and it will continue to be an issue in 2022. And this also impacted into the shipping -- the cost of shipping globally, shipping containers nowadays cost a lot more.
So it is definitely a concern. But I think a collective dialogue between all the parties, us as a technology platform, talking with our shippers and also educating our carriers about what this means to them. I think this needs to happen more often.
And ultimately, there need to be some collaboration among all the players in -- and inflation I would say is a big concern across the region and globally as well.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: The CFO of Trella there sitting down with our Eleni Giokos at DP World Pavilion in Dubai.
Still to come we will look at the fallout from the slap seen around the world at the Oscars.
Plus more on a past incident where Chris Rock joked about Will Smith.
[01:48:23]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back.
Hollywood's biggest night, the Academy Awards show, drew a live audience than last year. According to (INAUDIBLE) numbers, the show drew an average of 15.3 million viewers for ABC on Sunday. That is a 56 percent increase from last year's show which brought in just under 10 million viewers. It was an all-time low.
It is not yet clear if there was a surge in viewers after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock. But what is clear is that Will Smith is showing remorse for the incident.
In a post on Instagram, he called his behavior unacceptable and inexcusable. He also wrote that "I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line, and I was wrong. I'm embarrassed, and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness."
But this apology is not the end of the saga for Smith. The Motion Picture Academy says it is launching a formal review into his conduct.
CNN's Stephanie Elam reports.
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STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A slap to the jaw that had jaws dropping all around the world, and the Academy condemning Will Smith today, announcing a formal review to explore further action and consequences. This after Will Smith confronted Chris Rock onstage for a joke about Smith's wife.
CHRIS ROCK, ACTOR: Jada, I love you, "GI Jane 2", can't wait to see it.
ELAM: At first, Smith appeared to laugh. Watch Jada Pinkett Smith's face. Their mood changes as the joke sinks in.
ROCK: Oh, wow. Wow. Will Smith just smacked (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
WILL SMITH, ACTOR: Keep my wife's name out (EXPLETIVE DELETED) your mouth.
ROCK: Wow, dude.
SMITH: Yes.
ROCK: It was a GI Jane joke.
ELAM: The Dolby Theater crowd stunned. Denzel Washington and others stepped into counsel Smith as Sean Combs called for calm.
SEAN COMBS, RAPPER: Ok, Will and Chris, we are going to solve that like family at the gold party.
ELAM: Rock's words, a reference to the head shaving character from 1997's "GI Jane". Over the years though, Pinkett Smith has spoken publicly about her struggles with alopecia.
JADA PINKETT SMITH, ACTRESS: Look at this line right here.
ELAM: An autoimmune disease that causes hair loss. It is unclear if Rock knew this when he made the comment on stage.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will Smith.
[01:54:56]
ELAM: When Smith won Best Actor later in the night, the world waited to hear what he would say.
SMITH: I want to apologize to the Academy. I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees.
Art imitates life. I looked like the crazy father, just like they said.
ELAM: Obviously missing from his apologies, Chris Rock. The actors date back to at least the mid 90s --
ROCK: Which one of your handsome men's Big Willie?
ELAM: -- when Rock appeared on the "Fresh Prince of Bel Air". But it was in 2016 when Rock hosted to the Oscars, that he took aim at the Smiths for boycotting the show during the Oscar So White campaign. Joking that Pinkett Smith wasn't invited anyway and poking fun at the size of Smith paycheck for "Wild, Wild West". It's unclear if any of that fed into the Oscars fiasco.
Smith later joining the party circuit with Oscar in hand, dancing to one of his own songs.
Stephanie Elam, CNN -- Hollywood.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, I'm Lynda Kinkade. That does it for me for today, I will see you back here tomorrow.
Stay with us though, our breaking news coverage continues with Hala Gorani live in Lviv.
You're watching CNN.
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