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Pentagon: Russia Has Fully Withdrawn From Kyiv, Chernihiv; CNN Exclusive Interview With Polish President Andrzej Duda; Hundreds Of Ukrainian Refugees Are In Mexico Waiting To Enter The U.S. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired April 07, 2022 - 01:00   ET

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

[01:00:00]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Day 43 of Russia's war on Ukraine. Hello, I'm John Vause live in Lviv, Ukraine. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world.

And on this day cities and towns in the Donbas region and across eastern Ukraine are bracing what they expect will be a renewed Russian onslaught.

Putin's goal now appears to be taken hold a large part of Ukraine, mostly controlled by Russian backed separatists. Already residential districts of the Luhansk region report heavy shelling.

And a local official internet claims to humanitarian aid distribution center came under attack by Russian firepower, killing two people and wounding five others. And busloads of civilians making that heart wrenching decision to evacuate from around Kharkiv where Russian hazard -- to a Russian forces have attacked a fuel depot as well as a railway station which they claimed was supplying Ukraine's military with weapons.

And Ukrainian official says Russian forces are deliberately aiming at civilian targets.

Counter-offensive by Ukrainian fighters have pushed Russian troops from areas in the north. Ukraine's president says Moscow is now shifting course now that atrocities like those in the town of Bucha have been exposed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): It seems the Russian leadership really got scared of the world dress that what we saw in Bucha may repeat because of what we may see in other cities, from where we will inevitably kick out the occupiers. We have the information that the Russian military has changed his tactics and is trying to hide killed people from the streets and basements in occupied territory.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: New drone video released by the Ukrainian government appears showed the location of trenches in the highly radioactive forest around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Apparently the work of Russian soldiers who took control of the site of the world's worst nuclear accident in late February but has since left with the defunct power plant now back under Ukrainian control.

The Pentagon says the fighting in Ukraine will likely intensify in coming weeks. Ukraine's military still has a chance of mounting a successful counter-offensive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: Of course, they can win this and if you look at what they've been able to do thus far, Mr. Putin has achieved exactly zero of his strategic objectives inside Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: The latest U.S. essentialist believes Russian forces have completely withdrawn from areas in the north around the capital Kyiv and Chernihiv. And in their wake, those Russian troops are leaving behind miles and miles of destruction, as well as evidence of possible war crimes. A warning our report from CNN's Fred Pleitgen contains some graphic details, graphic video.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just be careful. Just move and move from the north.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): It's like a scene from the gates of hell. The deadly strewn across this Highway west of Kyiv, some still next to the wreckage of their vehicles, as the dogs roam around looking to scavenge.

This is what Russian forces left behind when they retreated from here.

OLEKSANDR RADZIKHOVSKIY, UKRAINE TERRITORIAL DEFENSE FORCE: They organized ambush over there, where we're going right now.

PLEITGEN: Oleksandr Radzikhovskiy tells me these were civilians gone down from this position where the Russians had placed a tank.

RADZIKHOVSKIY: And you can see it's actually building shooting zone, you see. And this cars, look, they sort of in line. There's no cars here because they will not let them come. They just showed as soon as they approach.

PLEITGEN: The Russian government denies targeting civilians they call such allegations quote, fake and propaganda. But Oleksandr is part of a drone unit and they filmed one incident.

It was March 7th when the Russians were still in full control of this area, and a group of cars was driving down the highway. They turned around after apparently taking fire from the tank position. This car stops and the driver gets out. Then this.

RADZIKHOVSKIY: He raised his head above his head. And in this moment you should by on this place.

PLEITGEN: Two people were killed that day Maksim Iovenko and his wife Ksenia who was also sitting in the vehicle, the family has confirmed the identities to CNN.

After the incident, the drone filmed Russian troops getting to further people out of the car and taking them away. It was the couple's six year old son and a family friend traveling with them the relatives confirmed both were later released by the Russians, the soldiers then search Maksim's body and drag him away.

This incident both traumatizing and motivating for Oleksandr's drone unit.

RADZIKHOVSKIY: In normal life before the war we were civilians, who liked to fly drones around casually and just like make a nice video, YouTube videos, but when the war began we become actually a vital part of the resistance.

PLEITGEN: Oleksandr sent us hours of video showing his team's scoping out Russian vehicles even finding them when they're hidden and almost impossible to spot and then helping the Ukrainians hit them.

RADZIKHOVSKIY: We are eyes. We call eyes because with eyes you can see and you can report. And as soon as you see, you can conduct strikes artillery airstrikes.

[01:05:05]

PLEITGEN (on camera): How long does it take to get your information to the right places to then be able to act on the intelligence that you provide?

RADZIKHOVSKIY: In good time, it's about a matter of minutes.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): And sometimes a little mosquito can take out a whole herd of elephants. This is drone footage of Oleksandr's unit searching for a massive column of Russian tanks and armored vehicles. And this is that column after the drones founded. Oleksandr tells me units like his played a major role fending off Russian troops, despite the Ukrainians being vastly outgunned.

RADZIKHOVSKIY: We are agile as a total offense. We can -- we don't want to just like it's so much ready to go. But the army they have to stay, they order to stay, they stay, they die, but they stay in the holding ground.

PLEITGEN: Nobody knows how many Russians died here. But the Group says it was many, taken out with the help of a band of amateur drone pilots looking to defend their homeland. Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Mila (ph), Ukraine.

(END VIDEO TAPE) VAUSE: Joining me now from Kyiv, Sviatoslav Yurash. At 26 years old, he is the youngest member of the Ukrainian parliament. And he is now on the front lines of this conflict with Russia.

Sviatoslav, thank you so much for joining us. With everything that you've now seen, you've seen the atrocities firsthand in Bucha. How difficult has this been for you? You're just 26 years old. Have you made that transition from being a politician to a frontline soldier?

SVIATOSLAV YURASH, UKRAINIAN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT: Well, the reality is Kyiv from day one was a frontline city. Kyiv essentially was in a situation which everyone had to become or learn skill they can be -- they can be abused in defense of the town. So the point was that everybody was a soldier in Kyiv.

And as far as my skills I concerned, the question is, soldier, the skills of mine are getting better, but they are by no means level. Some of my comrades and arms from my unit who lived for the worst and the 80 years of fighting in the east, I still try and help with bringing supplies and bringing technical support and urgent things that they need. So my uses from multi learn.

VAUSE: This war has taken a very horrendous twist in the sense that we're now seeing what the Russian soldiers are doing in those towns and cities that they've occupied for a period of time. You've now seen that firsthand, how does -- how do you process that first off? And secondly, how do you negotiate a peace deal after knowing what's happened there?

YURASH: Well, first, I think this is going to be the beginning. I mean, when you think of the city's like Mariupol, where there's no understanding of what's left, but there's standing what's damaged in that entire city that essentially now grinded to nothing. And city of a half a million, which is there no more, you see that basically, there will be many more butchers that will be uncovered as we liberate many more parts of Ukraine.

As far as the peace negotiations, I mean, it's very clear that we will have a difficult process that but it's not just difficult process. It's the fact that we are unwilling and unable to accept anything that will disrespect all those who have been lost in this battle, in this war. We need Russians to get out and we need to choose our future. We need our integrity, our sovereignty and our independence we secured.

VAUSE: How in the last six or seven weeks changed you and those around you?

YURASH: They changed the whole idea. Because the beginning -- in the beginning, the motivation basically was with the principle of the fact that we want to show to Putin and to the world that our nation does exist and does have a vision or its own future that it will defend no matter the cost, no matter what it takes. But now it's far more than that. It's about justice that we seek that we demand for, again, all those who have lost in this fight.

VAUSE: You too, have suffered a personal loss as well. I believe your girlfriend who was a journalist was killed.

YURASH: She was far more than a girlfriend in 10 years that we knew each other, 10 years that we lived through everything together from the teenage hood to now. And yes, she was killed by the Russian shelling and it's just one of the examples of how senseless the Russians were trying to destroy anybody who was here in Kyiv trying to cover the madness of their invasion.

[01:10:00]

Again, she was telling the story to the world together with some of the best American TV and she was -- she's paid the highest price for that. But she will live on in all the projects, all the works that she has done for Ukraine, for the world and we will make justice come for her death.

VAUSE: My condolences, apologies for understating the relationship. Where do you see this now going with this now with Putin, concentrating his firepower in the east, do the Ukrainians have a chance of mounting a counter offensive? Can you bring this to an end from a military point of view?

YURASH: We are now monitoring counter offensive. The reality is that in Kyiv people in the media especially describe this as a grouping, or Russians moving away, the reality that was smashed here in Kyiv. Basically, my unit was smashing the units that were essentially trying to cut cable from supply lines to the west. And it failed badly. The reality is that Russians basically software defeats.

First, defeats of the war here at Kyiv and we're unable to even pretend that they've have a chance of securing the capital. So the Russians basically tried to pull out everything they could, but they lost very much. And your journalists can travel now around Kyiv and see just how bad the defeat is and how bad destruction is.

But again, this war will continue until Mr. Putin decides to move his forces out on Ukraine, because we always wanted one thing to be left alone to choose our own future, choose our own destiny. Mr. Putin doesn't want that. Mr. Putin will dictate what we should be what we are. We will block (ph) him the opportunity.

VAUSE: Sviatoslav Yurash at 26 years old, you see much, much older than your years. But we appreciate you being with us, sir. Thank you.

YURASH: Thank you very much.

VAUSE: Hundreds of Ukrainian families escaped a warzone and now living in tents, while the U.S.-Mexico border their journey and their hopes of entering the United States in a moment.

Also, Polish President sits down for an exclusive interview with CNN and we asked him should NATO do more on the military front after the horrific killings in Bucha.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:16:42]

VAUSE: Polish president says it's hard to deny that Russian troops are committing genocide in Ukraine. President Andrzej Duda spoke exclusively with CNN after horrific videos, show the apparent massacre of civilians in the town of Bucha, CNN Dana bash, asked Mr. Duda when would be the time for NATO to act militarily?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANA BASH, CNN HOST: Is there a moment where you might not draw the line on a NATO country getting attacked? And you look and say, it is our moral obligation to help militarily more than we have been?

ANDRZEJ DUDA, POLISH PRESIDENT (through translator): I talked to Volodymyr Zelenskyy quite frequently, I think most frequently from all the leaders. He is my direct neighbor. He's my colleague. And we had a conversation the day before yesterday we had a long telephone call.

Volodymyr calls me quite frequently, even in the middle of the night if something happens in Ukraine, and that was the case when Zaporizhia nuclear power plant was under attack. And I have this deep sense that we have to do everything to help Ukraine. Yes. This is the feeling that I have stemming Natali (ph) for from the necessity to provide security to Poland.

We want to bring in stage to exist as independent, sovereign and free. But I also have a deep sense. I'm committed as a human being as a colleague, and I'm doing everything I can in this respect to my right, I'm saying Prime Minister, Boris Johnson in London, we're going to talk about this.

As I said, a couple of days ago, I talked with U.S. President Joe Biden, and before that, with Madam Vice President Kamala Harris, who also paid a visit here in Warsaw. So actually, we are consulting on a political level all the time.

Next week, we will have President of Germany in Poland, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and we're also going to raise these topics. So, this mobilizing for support to Ukraine with the NATO, from all the sides and also from outside NATO by all their states of goodwill, understand what it means to defend your freedom is very important to me. And I try to mobilize everyone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: We should know that of the 4 million people who fled Ukraine since these hostilities began, more than 2 million have crossed over the border, and are staying in Poland. And once they cross that border, many arrived with no idea of what comes next. Here's CNN's Salma Abdelaziz.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER (on camera): We're at the Przemysl train station right up near the border with Ukraine. But this is no longer just a transport hub. It's become essentially a humanitarian corridor, a place where people wait, a place where people find help, a place where people try to figure out what's next.

There's about 2.5 million refugees here in Poland, but they're not static. They're essentially a nomadic population constantly moving and trying to find a place to stay.

I'm just going to walk you around the train station to get a sense of what these refugees are going through. You're going to see this long line behind me here. Many of these are families who've already been in Poland for a few weeks. Now they're trying to figure out where they're going to spend the night. Next, they might be moving on to another place. They might be moving on to other parts of Europe. Essentially, they're trying to figure out a plan.

[01:20:02]

And you're also going to see, of course, everywhere around here, these volunteers in hi vis jackets, and one of the most common questions they get is where am I going to spend the night.

In the initial wave of refugees, they were coming in anticipation of the Russian invasion. Now many of the refugees that are coming are coming from some of the hardest hit areas, areas that were occupied by Russian forces, so they need even more support even more help from these volunteers.

Again, I'm just going to give you a sense of just how much it's touching go for these volunteers. There's signs here everywhere that you can see, and essentially their advertising room for food for just four to five days. That doesn't sound like much, but it's more certainty than many of these families are getting.

Again, more than 2.5 million refugees already here. Those numbers are expected to grow. And each and every one of them looking for a tiny bit of stability, while they figure out what their future holds. Salma Abdelaziz, CNN on the Poland Ukraine border.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

VAUSE: And far from Poland, far from Eastern Europe, far from Europe itself. A few Ukrainians have actually made it all the way to the Mexico-U.S. border. CNN's Randi Kaye has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This woman and two and a half-year-old son are living in a tent in Tijuana, Mexico, along with her husband, they escaped the war in Ukraine and are hoping to enter the United States.

(on camera): This is your son?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

KAYE: One child?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One. KAYE (voice-over): She shows me on the map where she says she once lived in western Ukraine before the Russian bombs started to fall.

(on camera): How long did it take you to get to Mexico? Your travel.

(voice-over): She tells me she traveled through four countries to get here. Mexico was allowing Ukrainians in with a simple travel visa. They just ran she says taking only a small suitcase and a blanket for her son. She worries about him with the cold temperatures at night.

They are just one of hundreds of Ukrainian families camped out here at the U.S. border with Mexico. The tents are set up at the San Ysidro border crossing just south of San Diego.

At the time of our visit, about 2,400 people were waiting to enter the U.S. which has promised to allow 100,000 Ukrainians in on humanitarian grounds. They can stay for one year.

(on camera): How quickly are these refugees able to get into the US?

INNA LEVIEN, VOLUNTEER: Oh my gosh, not quickly enough. We can get across maybe 300 people a day on a good day. Some days are 200 and some days are 150. So it's -- it all depends.

KAYE (voice-over): Inna Levien from Orange County, California and helping coordinate the volunteer effort here. Every family here has a number and when it gets called it's their turn to cross.

(on camera): Do you have a number?

(voice-over): This woman and her three children have number 1,594 They are sleeping here she says until it's their turn toys.

(on camera): Toys. Can I see?

(voice-over): Another woman Irina Daskal (ph) tells me she's been sleeping in this tent with her five children.

(on camera): Do you know when you might be called to go to the US?

IRINA DASKAL (ph), UKRAINIAN REFUGEE: I think so.

KAYE (voice-over): There is food and games for the children.

We found this boy playing with blue and gold play dough the same colors as the Ukrainian flag.

Eugene Saluk and his family escaped Mariupol for Mexico.

EUGENE SALUK, UKRAINIAN TRYING TO REACH U.S.: Our house is destroyed. We lose everything. You know, we don't know anything about our friends. And moreover, we don't know nothing about the parents have my wife.

KAYE: If he and his family make it to the U.S., they will stay with family in California until it's safe to return to Ukraine. SALUK: I have a cousin. Yes.

KAYE: Where?

SALUK: In Sacramento.

KAYE: As the day wore on, Oksana Dovgan refused to give up hope she and her mother would make it to the US.

(on camera): What is it like waiting here for your number to be called?

OKSANA DOVGAN, HELPING UKRAINIAN MOTHER CROSS INTO U.S.: I don't know. I mean, we came hoping that it's going to be fast, maybe another hour, but they're saying two, three hours at least till the number will be called. And then from there, I have no idea how long it will take us you know to cross the border.

KAYE (voice-over): Oksana lives in Colorado, and flew to Warsaw hoping to bring her mom to the U.S. Before coming here, her 66 year old mother had been sheltering in a basement in Ukraine for 10 days.

(on camera): So will she come live with you in Colorado?

DOVGAN: Yes, I have a good place to accommodate her. My kids can wait to see her grandma and spend time with her and we want to -- we want her, you know, happy and safe and relaxed in the family circle.

KAYE: There is some good news the woman you saw at the end of our story Oksana and her mother did make it across the border, they caught the last flight San Diego to Denver so her mother was able to sleep in a warm bed and wake up to her granddaughters in Colorado which is very good news.

[01:25:07]

But as you know, she's one of the lucky ones. There are hundreds of thousands of people who have been seeking asylum here in the United States from countries and areas of the world that they say are dangerous like Haiti, Mexico, Central America.

But back in March 2020, the Trump administration put something in place called Title 42. And the Biden administration has upheld it, it is supposed to expire next month, but that has kept many of these migrants out of the United States. Because this isn't so much a immigration policy, as it is a health policy.

The administration have said that it was all done to prevent the spread of COVID. So of course, a lot of frustration and a lot of anger on behalf of these people from these other countries who say it's dangerous for them, and they want to enter the United States as they watch these Ukrainians get cleared to enter the United States. Randi Kaye, CNN at the U.S. border with Mexico.

(END VIDEO TAPE) VAUSE: Let's head live to Brussels. Now there's a NATO foreign ministers meeting about to begin, the Secretary General of NATO is speaking. Let's listen.

JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: -- weapons and many different types of support to Ukraine. NATO also has the responsibility to of course, protect and defend all allies. So we have since the invasion of Ukraine stepped up major pistons in eastern part of the Alliance. And we are making sure that there is no room for misunderstanding miscalculation in Moscow about our readiness to protect and defend all allies.

You being here provides us with the very good opportunity to sit down with you to listen to your assessment, your analysis, and together discuss the way forward how we can further support Ukraine. So there Dmytro please, welcome it's good to have you here.

DMYTRO KULEBA, UKRAINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: Good morning. Thank you, Jens, for welcoming me. I came to Brussels to participate in the NATO ministerial and to hold bilateral meetings with allies. My agenda is very simple, it has only three items on it. Its weapons, weapons, and weapons. We are confident that the best way to help Ukraine now is to provide it with all necessary to contain Putin and to defeat Russian army in Ukraine, in the territory of Ukraine, so that the war does not spill over further.

In the recent months, in the recent weeks, Ukrainian army, and the entire Ukrainian nation has demonstrated that we know how to fight. We know how to win. But without sustainable and sufficient supplies of all weapons requested by Ukraine, this wins will be accompanied with enormous sacrifices.

The more weapons we get, and the sooner they arrive in Ukraine, the more human lives will be saved. The more cities and villages will not be distracted, and there will be no more butchers. This is my message to the Allies. It's very simple.

And I call on all allies, to put aside their hesitations, their reluctance to provide Ukraine with everything it needs. Because as weird as it may sound, but today, weapons serve the purpose of peace. Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Secretary General, are you ready or allies is ready to send more offensive weapons to Ukraine. And one question to the Minister. Do you think that Germany is doing enough?

STOLTENBERG: Allies are sending many different types of weapons and I think also we need to realize that allies have supported the Ukraine for many years and these weapons so the support we have provided is proving its importance on the battleground every day.

We can see all the Russian armor that has been destroyed. We have seen the Russian planes being shut down. And of course, this is first and foremost because of the bravery, the commitment and the courage of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. But the equipment that has been supplied is of course also of vital importance. I have urged allies to provide further support of many different types of systems. Both the light weapons but also heavier weapons. It is as Foreign Minister Kuleba states, Ukraine needs weapons to defend its own country. And this is actually defensive self-defense. Also, of course with advanced weapon systems, so I expect this to be one important issue at the meeting today.

KULEBA: When it comes to Ukraine, there should be no such difference as between defensive weapons and defensive weapons, because everywhere been used in the territory of Ukraine by the Ukrainian army against a foreign aggressor is defensive by definition.

[01:29:51]

So this distinction between defensive and offensive does not make any sense when it comes to the situation in my country. And those countries who are saying we will provide Ukraine with defensive weapons but we are not in a position to provide them with offensive weapons, they are hypocritical. This is simply unfair, unjustified approach.

Germany, as you perfectly know, has made a revolutionary step in changing its position from not agreeing to supply any weapons at all, to allowing certain supplies and providing Ukraine in particular with antitank weapons.

However, it is clear that Germany can do more, given its reserves and capacity. And we are working with the German government on providing us with additional weapons.

The issue that concerns me the most is the length of procedures and decision-making in Berlin because while Berlin has time, Kyiv doesn't.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Minister, what do you think of the most recent sanctions proposals?

KULEBA: Well, I hope they will be applied in full. This is definitely a step forward. A week ago, the sanctions proposals were much weaker, to say the least. We were very unhappy about it. We were working with partners in the G-7 and in the European Union to ensure that sanction pressure is stepped up. We succeeded. But I cannot say that we succeeded 100 percent.

We will continue to insist on food, oil and gas embargoes for Russia. On de-Swifting all Russian banks. On making sure that all ports are closed for Russian vessels and Russian (INAUDIBLE) with the minimal number of exemptions from it based on humanitarian grounds.

And frankly speaking, I hope we will never face the situation again when to step up the sanctions pressure, we need atrocities like Bucha to be revealed and to impress and shock other partners to the extent that they sit down and say ok, fine, we will introduce new sanctions.

I don't believe that Ukrainians have to pay with their lives, health and sufferings for the political will of partners to impose sanctions. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- from Norwegian Broadcasting. Minister, what kind

of weapons exactly do you need? Is it more planes? Long ranging missiles? What exactly are you asking for?

KULEBA: Planes, sure. Vessel missiles. Personal armored vehicles, heavy air defense systems.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Foreign minister, if I could ask you, I'm Nick (INAUDIBLE) from the BBC, you say weapons, weapons, weapons are your priorities today.

For you on a person note, how difficult will it be when some of the NATO allies tell you that they can't give you some weapons because they don't want to plunge the west into a wider war with Russia.

And just a word on the support Britain is giving your country.

And Secretary General, can you just remind us what has changed in the last few days in light of the horrors we've seen? And do you think partners in NATO, their minds will be changed today from what you hear from the minister?

KULEBA: Yes. There are two ways of approaching the issue of weapons supplies. The first one is when you do not want to supply anything, you come up with the argument, we don't have to do it because it would pull us or NATO as a whole into the war.

The second approach is completely different. It's a line of thinking, it's completely different. We will provide Ukraine with all necessary weapon so that we -- neither we nor NATO as a whole will have to fight in this war, because Ukrainians will do it for us.

I think the deal that Ukraine is offering his fair. You give us weapons, we sacrifice our lives, and the war is contained in Ukraine. This is it.

The United Kingdom has been at the forefront of providing Ukraine with all necessary assistance and we deeply appreciate that help.

JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: I think fundamentally what we have seen over the last days is the brutality of this war. And that has just highlighted the importance of the support to Ukraine.

[01:34:50]

STOLTENBERG: And therefore, I think it is important that we have Minister Kuleba here today to meet all NATO allies and to discuss how we can further support Ukraine.

NATO allies are providing many different types of weapons. Also heavier systems, advanced systems and also systems that can shoot down planes and, of course, attack Russian armor.

And it is exactly as Minister Kuleba said. That you know, Ukraine is fighting a defensive war. So this distinction between offensive and defensive weapons does not actually have any real meaning in a defensive war as Ukraine is fighting.

And what we also have seen is, of course, we need both the support with weapons. But also to step up sanctions and therefore also welcome the fact that NATO allies are now in the process of stepping up further sanctions on Russia.

NATO provide support to Ukraine but NATO is not sending troops to be on the ground. We also have a responsibility to prevent this conflict from escalating beyond Ukraine and become even more deadly, even more dangerous and destructive.

So, we are providing support but at the same time working hard to prevent escalation of the conflict.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

KULEBA: Thank you.

STOLTENBERG: Thank you.

VAUSE: Secretary General of NATO Jens -- we have been listening there to the secretary general of NATO Jens Stoltenberg as well as the Ukrainian foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, before this he meeting of NATO foreign ministers gets underway.

And to put it bluntly, when the Ukrainian foreign minister was asked, what does he need from this meeting -- weapons, weapons, weapons. He went on to say that basically they need all sorts of weapons, both defensive and offensive weapons and made the point that those countries drawing a distinction between those two types of weapons are essentially being hypocritical.

He said this is a war that can be contained in Ukraine providing that they get the kind of material they need, and the kind of weapons which they are asking for which is planes, armored vehicles, heavy armor defense -- that kind of stuff as well.

We know that some tanks have arrived from the Czech Republic and there are military aid shipments on their way. But clearly the Ukrainians need a lot more if they are to contain this fight against Vladimir Putin and have any chance of actually mounting a successful counter offensive.

That meeting set to get under way there in Brussels with the NATO foreign ministers. We will continue to keep an eye on that.

In the meantime, we'll take a short break. You are watching CNN.

[01:37:33]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, live from CNN's World Headquarters in Atlanta. I'm Lynda Kinkade.

The U.S. has announced it's imposing new sanctions on Russia as it looks to turn up the pressure on the country Russia and Vladimir Putin for his unprovoked war on Ukraine.

The move coming after new images revealed atrocities on the ground including in the city of Bucha.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Bodies left in streets as Russian troops withdrew. Some shot in the back of the head with their hands tied behind their backs.

Civilians executed in cold blood, bodies dumped into mass graves. A sense of brutality and inhumanity left for all the world to see, unapologetically.

There is nothing less happening than major war crimes. Responsible nations have to come together to hold these perpetrators accountable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Among the new actions: full blocking sanctions on Russia's Sberbank and Alfa Bank which will freeze assets held by the banks in the U.S. and prohibit transactions with U.S. financial institutions. And there will be new sanctions on Russian elites, including the Russian president's two adult daughters.

Europe's latest proposed sanctions, as Phil mentioned earlier, include a ban on certain Russian imports including coal. Oil and glass are not on the list.

In addition transactions with four key Russian banks would also be outlawed and Russian vessels banned from docking in E.U. ports.

The ban on exports of certain groups and components such as computer chip will be designed to hit Russian industry and technology.

The U.K. has already announced news that it's sanctions against Russia, include a full asset freeze on Sberbank and the Credit Bank of Moscow and a ban on new British investment in Russia. Britain says it will also end its dependency on Russian coal and oil by the end of the year.

Well, despite efforts from the international community, sanctions on Russia haven't turned the tide of the war in Ukraine. Key figures loyal to Vladimir Putin haven't changed their stance on the war and economic hardships only seem to be impacting ordinary people.

CNN's Nina Dos Santos looks at how Russian oligarchs are reacting to the sanctions.

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NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Another week, another sanctioned asset seized. On Monday, Spain took possession of this super yacht, the Tango, owned by a tycoon Viktor Vekselberg. The seizure follows others in France, Italy and the U.K. But now, in the invasion's second month, experts acknowledged the pressure on Moscow's once omnipotent oligarchs is having a limited effect.

TOM KEATINGE, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR FINANCIAL CRIME AND SECURITY STUDIES, RUSI: I for one would certainly like to see a much more vocal community of oligarchs, and using what little leverage they have with Putin to at least make him understand the misery he's inflicting on Ukraine.

DOS SANTOS: Do you think you'll see that?

KEATINGE: I think it's pretty unlikely. We've seen what happens if people cross Vladimir Putin. And these individuals giving sanctions we'll monitor in the same way.

DOS SANTOS: Last month, Russia's president, a man accused of poisoning his adversaries which he denies, says traitors will be spat out like flies.

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DOS SANTOS: The U.S., the U.K. and the E.U. have together sanctioned over 1,000 Russian elites and defense firms, making it illegal for westerners to provide them with cash or services.

Yet, only a handful have so far spoken out against the invasion.

Bank boss Mikhail Fridman and the aluminum magnate Oleg Deripaska, both under sanction, have broken ranks with the Kremlin and called for the bloodshed to end. Fridman, born in Ukraine, says he has limited sway these days.

MIKHAIL FRIDMAN, RUSSIAN OLIGARCH: It just creates enormous pressure for us. But we do not have any impact for political decisions.

KEATINGE: Their line has been that they have no influence. That they're innocent in all of this. I don't think many people believe that.

DOS SANTOS: Former government officials like Anatoly Chubais and Arkady Drokovich (ph) have let it be known that they are against the events in Ukraine. Neither agreed to speak to CNN on camera.

Roman Abramovich's attempts to mediate in peace talks have not stopped his prized Chelsea Football Club and a fleet of boats from being hit either he now tries to sell the team. He has denied links to Putin, saying none of his activities merited sanctions.

Public opinion is certainly souring against Kremlin connected cash, especially here in prime parts of central London. This mansion behind me was broken into by squatters, who made their way up on to the balcony and unfold a sign in protest to the war in Ukraine.

The reason they said they targeted this particular edifice is because they believed it to be owned by a Russian oligarch. That oligarch Oleg Deripaska, recently said quote, "All sides would lose out, with tragic consequences for the entire world."

KEATINGE: Even when it comes to sanctions on oligarchs they are frankly symbolic, they're totemic, they of course keep the issue in the public eye.

DOS SANTOS: So in essence, this is a PR exercise?

KEATINGE: Exactly a PR exercise.

DOS SANTOS: Authorities appear to be aware of this. On Wednesday, the U.S. said it will now target the assets of Putin's two adult daughters.

Nina Dos Santos, CNN -- London.

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KINKADE: After the break we will take you to the American southwest, where a lake, once a haven for boaters with its beautiful views But now a drought has robbed the lake of its deep waters.

Stay with us. You are watching CNN.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The lake used to go -- used to go half a mile around the corner. And now it starts way back here. I cannot believe this.

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KINKADE: Many effects of climate change can be seen when they happen such as stronger hurricanes, mudslides and higher temperatures. But some of the effects are slower.

Our chief climate correspondent, Bill Weir, takes us to the drought- ravaged southwestern U.S., and the slow-motion disasters happening there.

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BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: Just a couple of years ago, this part of Lake Powell was pretty enough to put in a brochure. But today there is no water, only sand.

You can't paddle around Lone Rock anymore.

If you haven't been out west in a while, haven't seen the state of the Colorado River and its reservoirs, you would be shocked.

This is what Powell looked like just last spring when you could still float around Lone Rock. But the satellite shows it losing island status as lake level fell over 40 feet.

And the lake used to go -- used to go half a mile around the corner. And now it starts way back here. I cannot believe this.

While hurricanes, floods and wildfires can upend your life in a moment, droughts are slow motion disasters. And this one is now in its 23rd year. With the region's population booming and another winter without enough snow, there are no signs of relief.

But when you are house boating on what's left of Lake Powell, it is still gorgeous. It's still so easy to forget that just since the mid 80s, the water level has dropped 177 feet. That is like ten of these yachts stacked on top of each other.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a temporary dock to get us access to the marina.

WEIR: So, the tourism industry has no choice but to adapt, making ramps longer as the lake gets lower. This was connected straight up there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At one point we would've been high enough that that would have been a straight angle.

WEIR: Yes. This is not a decade or two. This is a year or two. So it's dropped.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, this is within 2 to 3 years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If it continues to go down another 10, 15 feet, we might have to shut down.

WEIR: For Max Lapekas (ph) the changing canyons means more people eager to explore them in his rental kayaks, paddleboards. But not enough safe places to put them in.

And he knows the big picture. 40 million people and their animals and crops in seven states and Mexico depend on Colorado River water not to recreate, but to live.

MAX LAPEKAS, LAKE POWELL PADDLEBOARDS AND KAYAKS: Man made climate change, I do believe is a thing, to a certain extent. But I do believe the earth goes through cycles and this could just be a cycle. But I don't see any good evidence of it getting any better any time soon.

WEIR: In a first of its kind Gallup poll, one in three Americans say they've been personally affected by severe weather the past two years. And for those who have, regardless of party, they are much more likely to say that climate crisis demands action.

But only 3 percent say they have experienced drought. This may be because for most, tap water keeps flowing. And here, house boaters keep coming.

What do you say to someone who sees this as proof -- alarming proof -- of sort of a man made climate crisis? KENNETH RUNNELS, CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR, ANTELOPE POINT MARINA: Some of

it is man-made. There's no doubt about it as we got more users using the water out of the Colorado River. You have more -- you've got more of everything than you had 50 years ago. It is that simple.

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WEIR: Would you label your business a victim of drought?

LAPEKAS: We have had to change the way, obviously, the way we do a lot of things. At this point, I would not say we are a victim. I would say we are an adapter.

WEIR: And from now on it seems anyone who wants to live in the American southwest will have to be an adapter.

Not victims -- adapters. That's the rallying cry there in Page (ph), Arizona. But you can only adapt so far in a drought that is the worst in 1,200 years.

They are getting creative when it comes to conservation. Las Vegas is paying people to tear up their lawns. In California asking people to ration voluntarily with limited success. Until people turn on the tap and see nothing come out, it will seem that this drought is not as bad as it is. But water planners are really, really worried these days. And it is easy to see why.

Bill Weir, CNN -- Page, Arizona.

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KINKADE: I'm Lynda Kinkade. I will be back with more news next hour.

Our breaking news coverage continues with John Vause live in Lviv, next.

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