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Zelenskyy: Ready for Russian Attacks in Donbas Region; Russia Keeps Up Attacks Despite Pledge to Scale Back; Interview with Vadym Prystaiko, Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.K., Peace Talks with Russians Resume and Ukraine Expects ; Zelenskyy Delivers Video Address to Australian Lawmakers. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired March 31, 2022 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a very warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and right around the world. I'm Isa Soares in London, and we are following the breaking news coverage of the war in Ukraine, and just ahead right here on the show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR: This happened at almost the same time that the Russians were announcing their de-escalation around Kyiv.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With there was recently a huge explosion just off Kyiv and not off Kyiv.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They actually have increased the intensity of strikes.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We will not give anything away and we will fight for every meter of our land.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The city of car Kyiv is a Ukrainian city and it will remain Ukrainian.

JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: Mr. Putin has not been fully informed by his ministry of defense.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

SOARES: Good morning. Thank you for your company. It's Thursday, March 31st, and 9:00 a.m. here in London, 11:00 a.m. in Ukraine. Where President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country is ready for new attacks from Russia in the Donbas region. Moscow has said -- if you remember -- it plans to focus on the east. It's likely hoping to connect Donbas. Held -- if you remember -- by Russian-backed separatists with Ukraine's southern coast, including of course, the besieged port city of Mariupol. Meanwhile, Russia does not appear to be keeping its promise to scale

military back operations in other key areas. A CNN crew on the ground in Kyiv reports repeated attacks in the suburbs around the capital. In this video is from Irpin, where the mayor says half of the city is destroyed and the shelling is constant.

Further north, Ukrainian forces claim they have recaptured a town on the outskirts of Chernihiv, that is another area where Russia promised to reduce its military assault just two days ago. But President Zelenskyy credits Ukrainian fighters, not the Russian pullback. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): This is not a retreat. This is the result of the work of our defenders who pushed them back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Authorities in Chernihiv say Russian attacks have not let up. The city has no electricity, water or communication. Russian tanks stationed in some villages have left residents isolated without food or medicine.

Ukraine has agreed to a new civilian evacuation corridor out of Mariupol in the last hour or so, even though of course it accuses Russia of shelling previous escape routes. The city is among the hardest hit as the Russian invasion now enters its fifth week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIRBY: Devastating what we're seeing there, and the place is just being decimated from a structural perspective, by the onslaught of Russian air strikes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Meanwhile, a U.S. official tells CNN the Biden administration believes Vladimir Putin is being misinformed about Russia's military performance in Ukraine. The source saying Putin senior advisers are too afraid to tell him the truth. And the message being conveyed by the U.K. as well as intelligence.

Let's get the latest. CNN's Nic Robertson standing by for us in Brussels. Jim Bittermann is in Paris. But we begin this hour with Phil Black in Lviv. And, Phil, it is very clear, as we just outlined, that Russia isn't withdrawing from key cities as pledged. And now we're hearing from President Zelenskyy their breaking for new Russia offensive. What more can you tell us?

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Isa, the broad pattern suggests the war is entering a transitional phase. And that is because Russia to some us then is reorganizing and consolidating. U.S. any Ukrainian officials say they are seeing some Russian units pulling back from areas around the capital of Kyiv and the northern city Chernihiv. And the belief is that some at least are traveling north across the border into Belarus where it is thought they will be replenished and then likely join the fight in the east. Where Ukraine says Russian attacks are already intensifying.

But this does not mean that Russia has suddenly or is about to completely stop assault the outskirts of the capital or the other areas they're pulling back from. What we're hearing from the ground is, those attacks, notably with artillery, still continue. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[04:05:00]

BLACK (voice-over): On the same day Russia said it would limit attacks on Chernihiv, it's forces rained munitions down across shopping and residential areas. Russia's purported good will gesture didn't prevent another difficult, painful night for the city.

Chernihiv's Mayor Vladyslav Atroshenko says Russia increased the intensity of its strikes. He says 25 people were wounded in a colossal attack.

Chernihiv is cut off, surrounded. Ukrainian defenders are holding off Russian soldiers, while Russia's shells and rockets are pressed down from above.

This Ukrainian soldier says he's embarrassed he believed stories of Russia's power. Their only advantage, he says, they fight well against civilians.

Artyom (ph) is scared, alone, young. He's 18. He was struck down by a Russian shell while walking in the center of Chernihiv. He's being moved to another facility in a car that wasn't designed for passengers like him.

Volunteer ambulance drivers are now a vital service as Russia's bombardment tears apart the city and the people who live here one blast at a time.

This is another area Russia said it was going to back off from. The outskirts of Kyiv. These images were captured in Irpin neighborhoods by a Ukrainian non-government group on the same day Russia said it wanted to reduce risk for people in the capital. It's a gruesome, eerie scene. The quiet streets are filled with debris and death. People still laying where they were struck down.

Ukraine is in control here now, but Irpin's mayor, Oleksandr Markushyn, is pleading with people not to return because Russian weapons are still striking frequently. Russia's will to destroy is captured vividly from space. New satellite images of the city of Mariupol give a powerfully wide perspective on the devastation inflicted during four-plus weeks of siege and bombardment.

The Russian work here is ruthlessly thorough. Whole blocks, entire neighborhoods are now destroyed. Russia is determined to conquer Mariupol even if there's nothing left to rule over.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACK (on camera): Now, the Russian version is that it was only ever attacking the capital of Kyiv as a diversion, and it's now pulling back as a goodwill gesture to give negotiations a better chance of succeeding. Neither U.S. or Ukrainian officials buy that. They say this is Russia accepting the realities on the ground. They couldn't take the capital or encircle the capital. They're overstretched on too many fronts and they've had to reassess what is realistically possible and set new more achievable strategic goals. By Russia's own admission that is now outright military victory in the eastern Donbas region -- Isa.

Phil Black for us there in Lviv. Thanks very much Phil. I'm going to turn out to CNN's Jim Bittermann in Paris, Nic Robertson in Brussels. And Jim, this is very much -- as what Phil was just outlining there -- a case of, you know, do not -- see what they do not what they say in the case of Russia. How is Russia spinning this at home? Because the U.K. and U.S. both believing that Putin is being misinformed?

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think you can tell some of the on what Phil was just saying. Basically, saying that their goal all along has been to take Donbas back. And that's been a much-reduced goal from what we were hearing just a few days ago.

And another thing that we heard a few days ago, is that a Russian military, basically, a general saying that in fact they had substantially reduced the fire power of the Ukrainian troops. Well, we know that patently is false. And of course, the truth being the first casualty in war is something that they've said all along, and this is another case of that. I think we have to say that the Russian people are probably not hearing a lot. They're seeing maybe some of the body bags coming back. They may be seeing some of the destruction and there may be some social media that's getting across to people describing a bit of what's going on in Ukraine.

But for the most part, it's kind of the autocrat's dilemma, in the sense you can control the media and whatnot, you can control the information flow to the public to some degree. But you also can't control the kind of information you're getting in. We hear from the American officials that basically Mr. Putin has isolated to some extent. And not hearing exactly how bad it is on the battlefield -- Isa.

SOARES: Stay with us, Jim. Let me bring in Nic Robertson. And Nic, talks are expected I believe to restart between both sides tomorrow. How is Ukraine getting to this meeting, Nic, having seen Russia pretty much break its word? I imagine they expected but still.

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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Look, the history of Russia's negotiations with Ukraine dates back to trying to stop the war that Russia initiated back in 2014. As a second round of those talks, the Minsk 2 talks. Russia was actually sitting at the table with Ukraine, with Germany, with France, negotiating a way to end that conflict. And at the same time, at the same time, Russia was sitting at the table saying that it was there as an honest broke to end the conflict, so that it was backing the Russian supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Back then, it was actual with its own troops, Russia with its own troops, still trying to take a town on the ground, Dzhankoi (ph), on the ground. It would seem to them at the time of being a key strategic objective in that conflict. So even while they were sitting at the table talking peace, they were absolutely doing the opposite on the ground and trying to make land grabs.

So, Ukraine goes into these talks under no illusion that they are talking with a partner who has zero trust. And this is why the Ukrainians are saying that they need these international security guarantees. That they need to be able to see membership down the road with the EU. That they're willing to put their neutrality on the table as long as they get those things.

But in their talks earlier this week, they gave Russia a list of proposals. That was one of the broad framework proposals and another one was the issue of Crimea. That Russia says it's beyond discussion, that it's theirs, even though they snatched it illegally, annexed it in 2014. The Ukrainians said, look, we can discuss that over the coming 15-year period in a bilateral way. So, they put a number of things on the table for the Russians on Tuesday at the talks in Istanbul.

The question now, will the Russians respond in what are not expected to be face-to-face meetings, but a continuation of this sort of virtual talks that the Ukrainians and the Russians have been having. I think the expectation on the Ukrainian side is Russia is not going anywhere, unless it's absolutely forced either by Ukraine's persistent military tactics on the ground, to stall Russian advances, or international pressure. And the support to deny the airspace through Russia and the international support, support that continues to put heavy sanctions and economic burden on Russia.

SOARES: Important contact there from our Nic Robertson and Jim Bittermann, thank you to you both.

Joining me now in London, Vadym Prystaiko The Ukrainian ambassador to the U.K. Ambassador, thank you for coming on the show.

VADYM PRYSTAIKO, UKRAINIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.K..: Sure.

SOARES: Let's pick up where Nic just left off which is really the next round of talks. We heard President Zelenskyy basically, saying, you know, Ukrainians are not naive. Clearly, what we've seen on the ground, the images that we're seeing, their promises are being broken. Russia's promises are broken. What next?

PRYSTAIKO: I'm not surprised. I was actually, I was the initiator of the 2014 first negotiations at the same time when they were attacking us, talking to us, in Berlin and then in Minsk. So, we have no reason to believe that this picture is changing now.

What we have to do, because we have no other choice, we are fighting on the ground at the same time our people are coming to talk with them and offer something. We know they're very good, and they're not getting, they're helping us in the negotiations in no way. But that's the part of their tactics. We have our own tactics.

We also want to get a group for supplies that's why we're going around the globe and trying to talk to our partners. And our partners are going around and then collecting everything we need and collecting support for us.

SOARES: Let's focus -- you know you're saying they're regrouping. They're clearly from what we seen today from president Zelenskyy in his address that Donbas, warning of a special attack in Donbas. How -- of course Mariupol part of that area. And we've seen the city of Mariupol completely besieged, parts of it charred even. How long do you think Mariupol can hold at this stage.

PRYSTAIKO: We have pretty tough people over there, to people civilians and people military people they are fighting. And they've embattled hardness for all these eight years of war. We have to remind people this is not just a recent war. This war has gone for eight years almost.

So, these people are very determined to fight there. And they're putting up a real fight. The problem they have is mostly that the buildings are besieged. Civilians have nothing to eat, sometimes with the drinking water is a big problem, medicine. And you know, kids and mothers being bombed. So, what we're trying to do, we are trying get them out of the city. But Russians know that their forces are locked in this tiny, tiny city. And they want to go up north to the capital, but these people are courageous defending, not just there, defending the whole of Ukraine.

SOARES: And what we heard President Zelenskyy -- I think it was about two days ago or so -- he said about 100,000 people are trapped in Mariupol. Yet in the last hour , hour and a half or so, we've heard Russia basically say they will allow a humanitarian corridor for today.

[04:15:00]

I mean, we've been here before and nothing has transpired. So, if you're trapped inside, how can you even take -- at that you can get out safely?

PRYSTAIKO: Russians understand that's what's actually keeping us doing that what we're doing. Because hands are tied by civilians, by children, because we will be fighting much more furiously if we have this chance, you know, to let civilians out. The Russians understand that.

They also understand that we have to fill this need with no particular sources in a particular city. So, they expect our position will be weakened by this pressure which hopefully, we will be able to withstand. Hopefully, we'll be able to evacuate people. We're also trying to get by force through the city to allow these people to create the corridor. If you can't negotiate, we will create this.

SOARES: How worried are you about the Donbas region already? I mean, what is your assessment of what transpired -- if we're going with what President Zelenskyy is saying -- in the next few days?

PRYSTAIKO: To some extent, it's actually a good sign that the Russians are changing their narrative, changing their tactics. In most of the cases means they can't get what they want. It's not because they have goodwill, but because they can't get the capital there. Say no, we're not going to the capital, were actually doing something else.

SOARES: So, you believe they also have their eyes on the capital?

PRYSTAIKO: I don't believe anything the Russians are saying. But that's obviously, they have to have it. This is historic in everything is Kyiv. They can't get -- but this is a well-protected city. We're very protective against defending it against Nazis in the same lines, in same bunkers, where it's just very difficult to believe that we're using it against Russians now.

SOARES: So, when it comes to the negotiations and the question of neutrality, what would Ukraine be willing to accept here, or to give up here?

PRYSTAIKO: It's very painful. It's not because we're allowed the full letters of NATO, because we understand there is nothing better than this organization to allow us to withstand the next pressure, of the coming from them. And they been over a century It's been over centuries not just for chance or early years. No, they keep coming to us all these years but know if we're not a part of something stronger than ourselves like NATO, for example. We won't be able to withstand the next attack, or the next adventure. And basically, they also have their own facts, they're not a neutral state. Although they're nuclear and strong and everything. But they want to keep their company and offering us to stay between these blocks in neutral and on our own.

SOARES: It's very emotional for you. I remember you and I spoke, I think, at the beginning of the conflict. And I remember you telling me that your mother was calling, trying to find out is, you know, is this going to happen? How serious will it get? What's your assessment, you know, 36 days into the conflict now?

PRYSTAIKO: The particular family operation is over, we managed to get my mother and boy and two kids yesterday.

SOARES: Oh, I'm glad.

PRYSTAIKO: So, my wife had to a small republic (INAUDIBLE) and they're here now safely. So, I've the shouldered nights and I'm happy very much. So, this part -- it's not easy to do. The bureaucracy is still, still very, very strong here. So many Ukrainians are trying to get here and security checks and everything is not. Some people couldn't even have grabbed their passports. So, all of it had to somehow, you know, resolved. SOARES: Let me ask you about the refugees. I think we've got a map showing how many we've seen last 24 hours, 4 million people have left Ukraine. Half of those are children. Give me a sense of neighboring countries where they've gone. We don't have the numbers for Europe. But we did ask the government this morning here in the U.K., and they told us that 25,000, almost 26,000 have applied, visas have been issued. But the U.K. set out a scheme at the beginning of the month to welcome refugees. But there's a huge criticism, that while visas are being issued people are not arriving. Do we know how many people are actually in the country?

PRYSTAIKO: We understand how many people are trying to get, but in very rough numbers. There's no particular number. That's what we discussed with you, that these people can get into European with no visas -- it's much easier to get the visa regime between the European Union and the U.K. and Brexit is not helping, that's for sure.

So, we don't have exact number. What we know that most of the Ukrainians are accumulated along the Ukrainian border. Most of them just waiting for a second to get back. So, they don't want do go all the way at far as Great Britain.

SOARES: But realistically, Ambassador, how much is the bureaucratic red tape in the country stopping people from coming in, or slowing down the process of them arriving in this country?

PRYSTAIKO: I was told about 130,000 people applying. If numbers you mention correct, 26,000, mean that this is a long process. But you know, there is a process which allows a couple of layers. Those who are already here. Already allowed to extend their visas. Next are the families of U.K. citizens with Ukraine passport.

SOARES: Even your wife, right? Even your wife couldn't get a visa for quite a while.

PRYSTAIKO: That was a previous story. That's because we could not manage to get visa for your regime, even when U.K. was a part of the European Union. We could come to any country of the European Union except Great Britain. But that's separate.

[04:20:00]

SOARES: No, it just points as well, you know, prior to this the bureaucracy, the red tape that was already in place.

PRYSTAIKO: Each and every country have the right to defend themselves even against Ukrainians, I guess.

SOARES: Very diplomatic, that's why you're an ambassador. Thank you very much, Ambassador. Great to have you on the show.

And still to come right here on the show, Ukraine's president makes an appeal for more assistance in a virtual address to the Australian Parliament. More of his remarks and a live report from Sydney. That is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOARES: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy call for new sanctions against Russia during a virtual address to Australian lawmakers just a short time ago. Mr. Zelenskyy received a standing ovation from Parliament before he delivered his remarks -- as you can see there. He then thanked Australia for its support and said more assistance is urgently needed. Warning the fate of global security is being decided now. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

Zelenskyy (through translator): The distance between our countries as you said is big, it's thousands of kilometers. We're separated by ocean, seas and territories of dozens of other countries and time zones.

[04:25:00]

But there is no such thing as distance for the brutality and chaos that Russia brought to the eastern Ukraine into the Black Sea and Azov Sea.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Let's get more on this. CNN's Angus Watson who joins us now live from Sydney. And, Angus, give us a sense of what President Zelenskyy said and how his message was received there?

ANGUS WATSON, CNN PRODUCER: Isa, President Zelenskyy had an extremely important message just by speaking to lawmakers here in Australia. What he's saying to the rest of the world, not just to Australia and to Moscow as well is that we have friends in all parts of the world and those friends are willing to come to our assistance.

Now Australia has come to the assistance of Ukraine already as Ukraine's fought this bitter war of defense against Russia. Australia has sent over $100 million worth of aid both in terms of lethal military aid and humanitarian assistance. Today Australia offered another 25 million Australian dollars' worth to Ukraine, that includes unmanned aerial vehicles and rations for troops.

Zelenskyy came back and asked for very specifically from Australia its bush master armored personnel carriers. These Australian designed war vehicles that Australian army has used to great success in the Afghan and Iraq wars. The Australian government says that is going over these requests from Ukraine and will do its best.

Now course, Australia has been amenable to these requests so far. And that's partly because of the closeness that all talked about today. Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the leader opposition here Anthony Albanese and President Zelenskyy, they all talked about the closeness between the two countries.

Part of that is because of MH-17, you'll remember back in July 2914 when that aircraft was downed over eastern Ukraine there by Russian- backed officials. 27 Australians dying there, really forging this relationship now between Australia and Ukraine. Australia saying it's willing to come to Ukraine's aid in the coming weeks and months -- Isa.

SOARES: Angus Watson for us in Sydney. Thanks very much, Angus, good to see you.

And still to come right here on the show, I'll speak with a photojournalist whose work captured the reality of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The devastation he saw, after the break.

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