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Mass Grave Discovered In Ukrainian Town Of Bucha As Russian Troops Withdraw; CNN Team Documents Horror; U.S. To Help Document Russian Atrocities Against Civilians; Married Ukrainian Singers Help Rally Their Country; Senate Judiciary Committee To Vote Tomorrow On KBJ Nomination; Ukrainian Refugees Flock To Mexico Seeking Asylum In U.S.; U.S. Agrees To Accept Up To 100,000 Ukrainian Refugees; Pope Francis Calls War On Ukraine "Sacrilegious". Aired 10-11p ET

Aired April 03, 2022 - 22:00   ET

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

[22:00:07]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Alex, what do you think you're going to tell your son about all of this in the future when, you know, when he can, I guess, possibly understand what was going on during this terrible, awful time?

ALEX DAYRABEKOV, FATHER OF INFANT, STAYING IN UKRAINE: I will tell him that he started his life in the time -- in the historic time when the entire country got together against this evil, against this devil, because this is not even a war, it's a massacre. It's a genocide.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: Alex's son was born just two weeks before the war started.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: I'm Pamela Brown in Washington. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM on this Sunday evening. It is 5:00 a.m. in the capital of Ukraine and a new national nightmare is emerging and one of its suburbs. As Russian troops pull back from the region, the barbaric and grotesque campaign against civilians comes to light.

The images you are about to see are from Boucher. They are graphic, shocking and tough to see. But they are also vitally important in capturing the cold-blooded brutality of the Russian occupation. A CNN team came upon this mass grave, at least a dozen bodies can be seen, and they are not alone. Residents say that about 150 people are buried there.

The satellite images show mass graves being dug on the grounds of a church. The burials are cold and efficient. And even that is more than many victims received. Again, a warning of these graphic images. These are the bodies of about 20 civilians left scattered across just one street there. They were apparently shot execution style. Some had their hands bound behind their backs, their bodies discarded in a final, cruel indignity. Russia is dismissing this evidence of a massacre as staged. Ukraine's President calls a genocide.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translation): Some things that they have done. When we find people with hands tied behind their back and decapitated, such things I don't understand, I don't comprehend. The kids who were killed and tortured. So it wasn't enough just to kill for those criminals. Maybe they wanted to take gold or washing machines, and they were killing it, but they were also torturing them. As they did this, indeed, this is genocide.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Our Fred Pleitgen was part of the CNN team that captured images of the mass grave, and he is now back in Kyiv with the latest.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Pamela. Well, as the Russians continue to withdraw from areas here around Kyiv and towards the border with Belarus and the Ukrainians move into these territories, I think two things are becoming increasingly clear. On the one hand, a lot more Russian military hardware was taken out than anybody would have thought. And on the other hand, a lot more civilians also came to harm as well.

We witnessed some of that firsthand. Here's what we saw.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN (voice-over): As Russian forces retreat from the area north of Kyiv in their wake, scenes of utter destruction. Whole blocks of houses flattened, Ukrainian authorities saying they believe dead bodies are still lying underneath. But here, the dead also lay in the open. Ukrainian National Police showed us this mass grave in Bucha, saying they believed up to 150 civilians might be buried here, but no one knows the exact number. People killed while the Russian army occupied this town.

[22:05:08]

This is what it looks like when the hope is crushed. Vladimir (ph) has been searching for his younger brother Dmitry (ph). Now he's convinced Dmitry (ph) lies here, even though he can't be 100 percent sure. The neighbor accompanying him with strong words for the Russians.

Why do you hate us so much, she asks. Since the 1930s, you've been abusing Ukraine. You just want to destroy us. You want us gone. But we will be, everything will be OK. I believe it.

Video from Bucha shows bodies in the streets after Russian forces left the area. Some images even show bodies with hands tied behind their backs. The Russian Defense Ministry denies killing civilians and claims images of dead civilians are, quote, fake. But we met a family just returning to their house in Borodyanka, which they say was occupied by Russian soldiers.

They show us the body of a dead man and civilian clothes they had found in the backyard. His hands and feet tied with severe bruises and a shell casing still laying nearby.

Russia's military appears to have suffered heavy losses before being driven out of the area around Kyiv. This column of armored vehicles in Bucha completely destroyed.

(on-camera): The way the Ukrainians tell us is that the Russians were trying to go towards Kyiv and they were then intercepted by Ukrainian drones, artillery and also the Javelin anti-tank weapons. It's not clear how many Russians were killed here, but they say many were and others fled the scene.

(voice-over): A national police officer says the Russian troops were simply too arrogant.

They thought they could drive on the streets and just go through, he says, that they would be greeted as though it's alright. Maybe they think it is normal to drive around looting, to destroy buildings and to mock people, but our people didn't allow it. And now it appears all the Russians have withdrawn from here. Ukraine says it is now in full control of the entire region around Kyiv. But it is only now that the full extent of the civilian suffering is truly coming to light.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN: And you know, Pamela, what we saw there in Bucha was, obviously, awful. But unfortunately, it's not something that is necessarily unique just to that one, a small town around the capital of Kyiv. In fact, just today, we were in various other places, various other small towns and satellite towns around the Ukrainian capital. And every single one of them, we saw the same scene. We saw utter destruction, destroyed buildings where the local authority said they're still dead people underneath, you know, dead bodies in the street, dead bodies in backyards.

And as the time progresses, as the Ukrainians make more and more inroads and access a lot more of these areas, unfortunately, they're probably going to find more of the same, Pamela.

BROWN: Awful. Fred, thanks.

The U.S. State Department will help document any Russian atrocities committed against civilian. CNN's Arlette Saenz is at the White House. So Arlette, what are you hearing about this from the Biden administration?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pamela, the Biden administration today was expressing a shock over those devastating scenes coming out of Bucha. Secretary of State Antony Blinken describing it as a punch to the gut.

Now, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called this genocide, both Blinken and the NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg refrained from using such a term. But both leaders said that Russia must be held accountable for its actions, and especially for what they see as a pattern of brutality that Russia has been waging in Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE: You can't help but see these images as a punch to the gut. There needs to be accountability for it. But I think the most important thing is we can't become numb to this. We can't normalize this.

JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: It is a brutality against civilians we haven't seen in Europe for decades, and it's horrific, and it's absolutely unacceptable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: Now, Blinken said that the State Department would be collecting information and documenting each of these incidents to assist with any investigation into possible war crimes. The United States last month did say officially that they believe Russia has committed war crimes in Ukraine. But there's still that formal investigation that is underway with the International Criminal Courts.

Now some of the next steps to watch are whether the Biden administration decides to implement additional sanctions on Russia for this aggression that has been seen in Ukraine. The administration officials have long said that additional sanctions remain on the table. And earlier today, Secretary of State Antony Blinken was saying that the U.S. is constantly speaking with allies about ways to tighten and amp up the sanctions.

[22:10:02]

Additionally, the U.S. is expected to send more military aid directly into Ukraine. Sources told CNN over the weekend that the U.S. is expected to help facilitate the transfer of Soviet made tanks from Allied countries into Ukraine. These would be tanks that the Ukrainians know how to operate. And one source saying that that would occur in a matter of days, not weeks.

So right now, the administration is still looking for additional ways that they can help the Ukrainians defend themselves against Russia, especially as these brutal scenes continue to play out on Ukraine -- in Ukraine on the ground there. Pamela?

BROWN: Yes, brutal indeed. Arlette Saenz, thank you.

Well, Russia invaded Ukraine with overwhelming military might and a catastrophic underestimation of the Ukrainian will to fight for its homeland. I want to bring back a couple who embody that fight, Tara Topolia and Alyosha are both popular Ukrainian singers and a married couple. Taras is in Kyiv fighting with the Ukrainian military. His wife Alyosha is now safe in New York.

Thank you both for coming on. Really appreciate it. I just thought it would be so interesting to hear your perspective as a married couple going through this. Taras, let's start with you. Since we talked two weeks ago, the Russians have pulled back from the capital, wondering what your experience has been there. What are you seeing?

TARAS TOPOLIA, MEMBER OF UKRAINIAN BAND ANTYTILA: Hello, everybody. So I was a couple of days in Irpin. And it's, of course, horrible pictures. And, you know, all that was saying before me, this is true. So a lot have killed by Russians people. And this is exactly like a massacre.

But the main is that now we clearly understand that Russians are evil. It's exactly evil, what they're doing. And as a result, what we see. So -- but Ukrainian army, it continues to counter attacking and liberating our cities. And we keep moving to our victory.

And it's very important to say that we need more power, more guns, more military help, for doing this much more faster because as you see, every next day, it is more killed civilian, peaceful people every next day, allows Russians to kill our nation, more and more. So --

BROWN: Yes.

TOPOLIA: So it's very important for us to more sanctions, to more guns, and everything that can help us to defend our country and get the victory against the Russians.

BROWN: Alyosha, I want to bring you and this must be so difficult for you seeing your country under siege, knowing your husband is part of that last line of defense. How are you holding up? And I believe if I'm not mistaken you two have a child, right?

ALYOSHA, UKRAINIAN SINGER: Yes, we have three -- two boys and one girl. And, of course, I leave Kyiv with the child in 24 February, but my heart and, you know, heart of all Ukrainians who not in Ukraine, but in all over the world. And today and yesterday we have a concert, it's about this in Chicago, in New York today. And thousands people who came today to take the tickets and this money go to Ukraine.

And we are praying for Ukraine. And, you know, today -- what happened today, yesterday in Bucha, I think it's too much evil pictures. What is evil? Who is evil on planets -- on the planet and this world. All humanity can stop this. Just stop this.

[22:15:00]

Close Google, close Microsoft, embargo and another, another. What we can do, we must do because it's not normal. It's not -- you know, I can't believe that I'm not in -- I'm not sleeping one month and how I can't believe I'm not sleeping. I won't go home. What can I say? I just want -- please world, wake up.

BROWN: Yes. And, you know, you brought up Bucha and just the horrific images we were seeing coming out of there. Bucha is not far from where you are right now, Taras?

TOPOLIA: Yes.

BROWN: What is your reaction to what we are seeing coming out of there?

TOPOLIA: No, what we feel now it's totally hate. And we asked Him, why? Why? You know, and also understanding that it -- all that happens, it can be like prevented. It can -- it could be prevented.

BROWN: Yes.

TOPOLIA: But, you know, this hate and also the help of United States and prayers, follow the world give us power to fight every day, every second, to resist the Russians, and to protect the future, not only Ukrainian people, but the future all of the freedom world is now is fighting democracy against totalitarian regime.

BROWN: Yes. And --

TOPOLIA: And --

BROWN: Go ahead, sorry.

TOPOLIA: -- thank you for showing this.

ALYOSHA: Yes.

TOPOLIA: Thank you for helping us like spread this information. Because it's very important to give people truth what is happening now. And, you know, this small city, Bucha. But when Ukrainian army will like recaptured and other big cities. Unfortunately, we will see the same because everywhere where is the Russian army, everywhere will be the same.

BROWN: Yes.

TOPOLIA: Understand it, and please believe in it, that it's happening now. It's not a provocation, like it says Russians. It's truth. Those died people, those killed people with tied hands, by the shooting in their heads. Peaceful people.

You know, I'm a soldier and, you know, if I -- even I will die in the battle, it's normal, because like soldiers fighting these soldiers. But when soldiers kills civilian peaceful people, it's not normal. When they doing this, like totally, it's not normal.

BROWN: Nor so -- none of this is normal. None of this is normal.

TOPOLIA: Yes.

BROWN: And it is just so important to hear from you both, your perspectives. Taras, you been in the military now fighting, protecting your homeland, seen all of this firsthand. And you Alyosha been so far away from your homeland and your husband worried probably around the clock about his safety and how he is doing.

And I wonder how you've been able to kind of basically become a single mom with these three kids and keep in touch with your husband and work through this because I just imagine it's incredibly difficult for you. ALYOSHA: Thank you so much. And, you know, it's not political history. We understand this not location is during -- location in Ukraine. This story about humanity, about our kind hearts. We have it. We have souls. And this is more important in the world.

And the situation in Ukraine is showing that humanity another big group, another. And we must stop this.

[22:20:04]

I hope, I pray and I know we are powerful -- we have a powerful energy from here, from this place and I hope our energy and your help and help from other countries who pray for us, we will win.

BROWN: Yes,

ALYOSHA: Humanity will win. Humanity, hearts and souls.

BROWN: All right.

TOPOLIA: Sweetie, let I speak if it possible. So it is very big assistance to Ukrainian soldiers that their wives took responsibility for their childrens. And when our wives are in safety place with our children, we can fight bravely. So thank you, sweetie for doing this. And I want to say thank you for a lot of Ukrainian wives which now are taking response and tries to do all the best for their kids while Ukrainian soldiers are fighting. It's also is very -- it was also very important support for us.

BROWN: Wow. My heart is melting hearing that. Alyosha, I know -- go ahead, I want you to be able to respond before we go. Go ahead.

ALYOSHA: Thank you.

BROWN: OK, thank you all so much for that. Wow, what a powerful segment this has been. We're going to keep in touch with you both. We'd love to have you back on the show.

Alyosha, Taras, thanks so very much.

TOPOLO: Thank you. Goodbye.

ALYOSHA: Yes, thank you so much.

BROWN: Still to come tonight, it is 6,000 miles from Ukraine to the U.S. border with Mexico. But more people are making that journey hoping to start a new life in the United States.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[22:25:51]

BROWN: History will be made on Capitol Hill in a few hours. The Senate Judiciary Committee set to consider and possibly vote on the appointment of the first black woman nominated to the United States Supreme Court. Here's CNN Suzanne Malveaux at the U.S. Capitol tonight.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Pam. It will be history in the making as we will see the process, the formalities of Congress unfold this week as Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will become the first African-American female judge on the highest court of the land. It will fall on partisan lines and we will see this play out as lawmakers have a final opportunity to defend their positions Monday.

Take a look at this calendar here. The Senate Judiciary Committee members will meet once again. They'll make floor speeches. It will be unlimited in time so we don't know how long that will take place. We expect that the boat out of that committee will be tied, will be deadlocked 11:04, for 11 against.

How do they resolve that after their hours of floor speeches? Well, it will go to the Senate and that is where they will have a motion essentially to discharge her from the committee, get that nomination to the next process here. That will be four hours of debate that's allowed.

And then you'll see Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is expected to file a procedural motion to essentially block the Republican filibuster against Jackson. And by midweek, we will hear, once again, we will hear Democrats defending her in Republicans like the argument Senator Roy Blunt made earlier that they are vehemently against her nomination.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ROY BLUNT (R-MO): I think she's certainly going to be confirmed. I think it'll be a high point for the country to see her go on the court and take her unique perspective to the court. But I don't think she's the kind of judge that will really do the kind of work that I think needs to be done by the court. And I won't be supporting her but I'll be joining others and understanding the importance of this moment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: By midweek, things will heat up again as Wednesday we will hear more floor speeches and Thursday, that critical vote to break the filibuster in the Senate. It just requires a simple majority, 51 votes and they've got all 50 of the Democrats in those who caucus with them plus, one senator, Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine. And so it's expected that that, in fact, will happen.

And then 30 more hours, Pam, of more debate to allow lawmakers essentially to really just get their positions out there, get it on the record, influence their constituents. It will be along, again, partisan lines. But Friday, we expect the confirmation of the Judge to happen and to pass through that Senate process, certainly making history. Pam?

BROWN: Suzanne Malveaux, thank you so much.

Well, the number of Ukrainians at the U.S.-Mexican border seeking asylum grows by the day. Hundreds are in Tijuana with more expected.

Up next, I'll ask The Washington Post's Mexico Bureau Chief what he's seen and what's ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[22:32:43]

BROWN: Just moments ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy making a historic appearance at tonight's Grammy Award ceremony. In a pre-taped speech, the Ukrainian President spoke directly to the Grammy audience about the power of music.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Our musicians wear body armor instead of tuxedos. They sing to the wounded in hospitals, even to those who can't hear them. But the music will break through anyway.

We defend our freedom to live, to love, to sound on our land. We are fighting Russia, which brings horrible silence with its bombs. The dead silence. Fill the silence with your music. Fill it today to tell our story.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Zelenskyy speech introduced John Legend's performance a free as part of a special Grammys tribute to Ukraine. And the Ukrainian refugee crisis has reached the U.S.-Mexican border. The number of people fleeing the war and seeking asylum in the United States is increasing. CNN's Priscilla Alvarez has more details.

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN REPORTER: Hundreds of Ukrainians fleeing the war in Ukraine are going to the city of Tijuana, which is right along the California-Mexico border. And there, they're trying to seek asylum an entry into the United States. Volunteers tell CNN that over the last few days, the number of Ukrainians arriving has quadrupled. And they are being put on lists and provided a number for when they can go to the port of entry to come into the United States.

Now that wait can be more than 24 hours and some Ukrainians are having to stay at local hotels until their numbers are called. Now this is happening against the backdrop of the United States committing to accept up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees. The administration has not released all the details on how that would happen, but they have said that it would include a full range of legal pathways, that can be admission through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, through visas or through parole with a focus on reunifying families. Ukrainian to me -- reunifying with family here in the United States.

But in the interim, the pathways to arrive to the United States are limited and some Ukrainians are opting to go to the U.S.-Mexico border in hopes of getting faster entry into the United States. Pam?

BROWN: All right, Priscilla, thank you.

Let's talk more about this, Kevin Sieff joins us now. He is the Washington Post Bureau Chief for Mexico and Central America.

[22:35:03]

Hi Kevin, welcome to the show. So you just heard there from Priscilla laying out the number of Ukrainians trying to get into the U.S. through Mexico. Why are so many refugees trying to enter the country this way?

KEVIN SIEFF, MEXICO & CENTRAL AMERICA BUREAU CHIEF, THE WASHINGTON POST: Yes, I mean, Ukrainians heard that the Biden administration was willing to accept up to 100,000 refugees, but they soon learned that it was really difficult to get to the U.S. There is no refugee resettlement program for Ukrainians, there's really no visa pipeline.

And so the easiest way to get to the U.S. right now is not an easy way at all, it requires flying to Mexico, and then eventually to Tijuana on the border. And then basically walking to the U.S.-Mexico border, to the U.S. border and presenting at the border, putting your name on the list and waiting.

And in some cases that wait two or three days. There are now almost 2,000 Ukrainians who put their names on that list. And they -- most of them, many of them have relatives waiting for them right on the other side of the border, you know, 100 meters away. But the only way to get into the U.S. right now is through Mexico.

BROWN: So how does it work with that list? I mean, so they give a name on the list -- they get their name on the list, and then what?

SIEFF: So you put your name in the list and there's a small encampment, that's formed about 50 meters from the border. So people are sleeping and camping tents under tarps. There's a sort of small community run effort to feed people, to give them blankets, to take care of kids. And they wait.

In every few minutes, U.S.-Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, says that they're, you know, they're going to have room for another five families or 10 families. And so, slowly, those numbers are called from that list and people across the border.

It is a slow, methodical process. And it is not one that these refugees ever expected to be it. They thought --

BROWN: Right.

SIEFF: -- and they heard the Biden administration announced these -- the refugee program, they thought that they would be able to fly directly into the U.S. but that's not the case.

BROWN: It is not. And it's quite the circuitous route that they took, right, from Ukraine. And then through Mexico and in Tijuana, waiting at this encampment, waiting they have their name called on the list. Tell us a little bit more about why they have been doing that, how they know about this. What is behind this?

SIEFF: Yes, it's really fascinating, right? Because these are people who within the last, you know, some a month ago, and some seven days ago, cross from Ukraine, usually into Poland, at that point, not really sure where they were going next. But many of them have relatives in the U.S., you know, there more than 1 million Ukrainian- Americans living in the United States.

And so once these people crossed the border into Poland, they were very quickly in touch with their relatives in the U.S. And the relatives, of course, said come, come to the U.S. But how, right? They were all trying to figure out how. And within the last like week, within the last few days even, this sort of grassroots effort, mostly on social media, messaging apps, like telegram is formed, with long sort of lists of instructions in Ukrainian language, explaining how you get to the U.S., right?

So that requires flights in Mexico -- usually Mexico City or Cancun, and then another flight to Tijuana. And then there's a van that picks them up at the Tijuana airport, and takes them to this little patch of grass along a multilane highway on -- right along the highway that goes to the United States for Mexico. And that's where the list is, it's just under a tarp. They put their names on it, and they wait.

BROWN: So, can you tell us anything else about the U.S., you know, accepting 100,000 Ukrainian refugees and what system is going to be in place so that those who can be qualified to come in from Ukraine, who are fleeing, you know, refugees wouldn't have to go through this process?

SIEFF: That's what all these refugees are waiting to hear. So the U.S. government has articulated this plan, or at least a willingness to accept 100,000 Ukrainian refugees, but it has not articulated a more specific pathway for those people to arrive in the U.S., which is why we have this really circuitous route through Mexico that people are taking. That it may look sort of like a refugee resettlement pipeline, where people can go to U.S. embassies and consulates across Western Europe and apply there.

It may be a sort of a different kind of visa program where people apply for, you know, a sort of a temporary humanitarian parole but they do it from Western Europe. But for now, again, that those possibilities don't exist. And so what people are getting when they cross the border in the U.S. is one year of humanitarian parole. It's not a, you know, a permanent status in the United States. It's one year.

[22:40:08]

There's a sort of -- there's a lack of clarity of what that even means that they can work in the U.S. for the next year. It certainly unclear what will happen beyond that 12 months. Will they be able to stay?

And just to be clear, a lot of people don't want to stay beyond 12 months. I talked to one woman yesterday who told me that she wants to stay for two weeks maximum. She's sure the war will be over in two weeks. And then she's going back to Kharkiv. I mean, it's obviously a very optimistic plan --

BROWN: Yes.

SIEFF: -- but there are other people who have different approaches. They say, you know, this is the beginning of my life in the United States, I'm going to migrate to the U.S. permanently. Every story is different. Everyone has a different plan. The only thing they have in common is that they're taking this kind of bizarre route to get to the U.S.

BROWN: Well, Kevin Sieff, thank you for bringing your reporting to us. Much appreciate it.

SIEFF: Of course.

BROWN: The people of Ukraine are going through hell as Russia wages it's brutal war. But the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church supports it and Putin. I'll ask an expert about religions role in the conflict up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: Pope Francis today called Russia's war sack religious and said Ukraine is being martyred. He called on the world to pray for peace and offer help to the people who are suffering.

[22:45:02]

It is quite a contrast to the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church. He is an ally of Putin. He says the war is a culture clash between Russia and Western liberal values. But a former Jesuit superior says Putin is destroying the Russian Orthodox Church and Ukraine.

Professor Scott Kenworthy is an expert on Eastern Orthodox Christianity at Miami University in Ohio. Hi, Dr. Kenworthy, thank you for coming on. You also belong to the Orthodox Church in America. And I'm wondering, what do you make of the claim that Putin is destroying it?

SCOTT KENWORTHY, COMPARATIVE RELIGION PROFESSOR: Well, I think it's a -- it's -- there's a lot to it. And the fact that Patriarch Kirill is -- has allied himself so closely with President Putin, and to the point of supporting the war is discrediting the Russian Orthodox Church in the eyes of the world, and also damaging the Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

BROWN: Right. The religion is very similar, obviously, Russia, Ukraine. I'm wondering, you know, some experts say the Russian Orthodox religion is crucial to Putin's vision of recreating a Russian Empire. Help us better understand what that connection might be.

KENWORTHY: So this is -- it's an alliance, you could say, that was made between President Putin and Patriarch Kirill, especially about 10 years ago. So these ideas haven't always been central to Putin. But 10 years ago, when Putin faced the most serious opposition in the run up to his third term, he embraced the ideas that Patriarch Kirill had developed of the Russian world, which includes Belarus and Ukraine, as being a distinct civilization, as you touched on that represents these patriotic and so-called traditional Christian values, in contrast with the West, which has become morally decadent, and so on.

And it's through the forces of globalization, the West is a threat to these Russian values. And so Putin was able to cast the opposition as representing these alien western values that were threatening to Russia and Russian Orthodoxy, and so on, at that moment to undercut the opposition. So I'd say that he has embraced Russian Orthodoxy as a part of his vision of what it means to be a good patriotic Russian, but it was clearly instrumental for political purposes.

And Patriarch Kirill, on his part, embrace this alliance, because presumably, he thought that this would increase the church's influence and position in Russian society.

BROWN: I'm wondering, clearly, he is closely aligned with Putin. Why hasn't the Orthodox Church in America more forcefully condemn Putin himself and called him out by name?

KENWORTHY: Well, finally, just a few days ago, the Orthodox Church in America did issue, I think, a fairly decent statement, condemning Russia's actions in Ukraine and the invasion. So it did -- it took a while, it took longer than it should have. But they have finally come out. And I would say that lots of Orthodox Christians, including Russian Orthodox Christians, outside of Russia, for example, the Russian -- the head of the Russian Orthodox Church is in the Baltic states, like Lithuania and so on have also condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

BROWN: Right. Now -- and they did, they did come out. And finally, as you said, condemn Russia but didn't call out Putin by name is just interesting. Just wanted to see what your thoughts were.

KENWORTHY: Yes.

BROWN: But -- yes. Professor Scott Kenworthy, thank you so much. We appreciate hearing your perspective on this really important issue. We'll be right back.

KENWORTHY: Sure, thanks.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[22:52:42]

BROWN: As the pandemic subsides, many American families are feeling in dire need for a vacation. But just as coronavirus restrictions are lifting, travel prices are rising. CNN's Natasha Chin has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were just going to come and blow it out.

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For families who haven't traveled much in the last two to three years --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's given me time to save up and to get organized and budget it. CHEN (voice-over): They're determined to take a trip in spite of the sticker shock.

(on-camera): From here in California where tourists are paying some of the highest gas prices in the nation, to higher air fares due to unprecedented demand, to higher hotel rates like here in Miami Beach, where the average price is more than $500 a night.

(voice-over): On the travel website Kayak, recent searches show the average price of domestic flights to Panama City, Florida, for example, is $494. In March of 2019, that would have averaged just over $300. The Kabara (ph) family flew from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Los Angeles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Once we got out here, we realized that things are very expensive right now.

CHEN (voice-over): They decided against a rental car. The average rental car in the U.S., according to Kayak, average is $76 a day more than $20 higher than two years ago. But even without a rental car --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're actually spending more money in Uber than we are in flying out here.

CHEN (voice-over): That's likely because regular gas is on average more than $4 a gallon this month, the highest of any month in history, up from 251 in March of 2019. That's affecting the owner of Starline tours, who says the company typically spends $100 a day on fuel for these buses. And now they're spending $220 every day.

KAMI FARHADI, CHAIRMAN, STARLINE TOURS: We still maintained our prices at the moment, but we're going to have to look at going to full summer pricing right now rather than waiting until the summer.

CHEN (voice-over): Kayak shows hotel rates averaging about $300 per night up nearly $70 since March of 2019. Even theme parks will cost you more from paid Express lines to price your food.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is adding up it's expensive so just eat because these boys don't -- they play around, they don't play around. They're hungry all the time.

ELAINE EDWARDS, TRAVEL AGENT: People are accepting it and they're going. Now maybe they're making adjustments along the way.

[22:55:03]

CHEN (voice-over): While the cheapest single day, Disney tickets stayed the same price since 2019, there are now fewer days priced at value season. Meanwhile, a discount tracking website now savers shows the most expensive types of tickets at Disneyland and Disney World during the busiest season jumped 11 or 12 percent from two years ago. Wherever they go, however much it costs, some families say they just need to get out of the house now and they'll scale back later.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think we will probably make a smaller summer vacation because we made a big spring break vacation.

Natasha Chen, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: And before we go, this just in from the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship, the number one seed South Carolina Gamecocks beat the number two seed Connecticut Huskies 64 to 49. Before tonight, UConn was undefeated in championship games 11 and zero.

And tomorrow night, North Carolina, my alma mater, will play Kansas in the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. Can't wait to root them on in New Orleans.

Thank you so much for joining me this evening. I'm Pamela Brown. See you again next weekend. CNN NEWSROOM continues after a quick break.

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