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Russian Forces Leave Marks of Atrocities; Ukraine Demands More Weapons from Allies; Children Impacted by Putin's War in Ukraine; U.S. Sanctions Includes Putin's Daughters. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired April 07, 2022 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm John Vause live in Lviv, Ukraine.

The Ukrainian foreign minister in Brussels this hour pleading with NATO to increase the supply of weapons to counter a move by Russia, now focusing on the Donbas region in the east. Vladimir Putin's goal appears to be to take most of the east of the country, Ukraine's industrial heartland. Also, a region where Moscow-backed separatists have been fighting for independence for years.

Residential districts in Luhansk now reporting heavy shelling. And a local official in Donetsk claims a humanitarian aid center was targeted by Russian forces, killing two people, wounding five others. Many are now choosing to flee the area. Busloads of residents leaving the Kharkiv region. But Russia says it attacked a fuel depot and a railway station used to supply the Ukrainian military with weapons.

A Ukrainian official accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilians. The mayor of the besieged city of Mariupol has compared -- has compared his city to the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz. He says thousands of civilians remain trapped there without basic necessities.

And Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S. Claims Russian forces are trying to hide evidence of their atrocities.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OKSANA MARKAROVA, UKRAINIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES: We also see that they're trying to erase the city from the earth. So, they are bombing indiscreetly, specifically targeting all the area, not only in Mariupol, but specifically in Mariupol. But also, in Kharkiv and other places. Essentially, trying to, you know, kill, exterminate all the Ukrainians, but also eliminate, hide the evidence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: The latest U.S. assessment shows Russian forces have completely withdrawn from areas near the capital Kyiv as well as Chernihiv. And Ukraine's president says Moscow is shifting course now that atrocities like those in the town of Bucha have been exposed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): It seems the Russian leadership really got scared of the world's wrath 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 had the information that the Russian military has changed its tactics and is trying to hide killed people from the streets and basements in occupied territory.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: A new drone video released by the Ukrainian government shows where Russian forces were apparently digging trenches. This is a highly radioactive area. It's a forest around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Russian troops took over the site of the world's worst nuclear accident in late February at the beginning of the invasion, but last week they withdrew from the area.

Well, Russia's ambassador to the U.S. is now claiming these sanctions are a direct blow to ordinary Russians. His remarks follow the announcements of new actions to punish Russia for the brutality in the ground -- on the ground in Ukraine, freezing all U.S. assets of the major Russian banks and sanctions as well on the Russian president's two adult daughters.

U.S. President Joe Biden had this to say about why the sanctions were needed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: There is nothing less happening than major war crimes. Responsible nations have to come together to hold these perpetrators accountable. And together with our allies and our partners, we're going to keep raising the economic costs and ratchet up the pain for Putin and further increase Russia's economic isolation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: And a message from the British foreign secretary to NATO the age of engagement with Russia is over. That comment coming ahead of today's meeting of NATO foreign ministers set to kick off later this hour.

Earlier we saw the arrival of the Ukrainian foreign minister who said the best way to help Ukraine fight Russia is weapons, weapons, and more weapons.

CNN international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson joins us now live from Brussels city. The Ukrainian foreign minister could not be more blunt when it came to what he needs, what his country needs right now to try and fight off Vladimir Putin and his military. NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, and the

Ukrainians haven't been getting the type of weapons and the type of support that they want. They wanted air cover. They haven't been able to get that. They do want a way to keep Russia's fighter jets and helicopters from targeting their forces on the ground.

They are getting some support there with sophisticated surface-to-air missile systems. But they do need greater military support. And this is something that's recognized at NATO, that the first phase of the fighting is over where Russia sort of stretched itself out. And on supply lines that were too thin, put itself in vulnerable positions.

That the Javelin anti-tank weapons systems that the United States and other nations supplied to Ukraine were effective in stopping that advance. And now we see it push back.

[03:05:00]

That the NATO's assessment, Russia regrouping and the type of battles that it might fight in the eastern south of Ukraine may look and feel different, will be harder for the Ukrainians.

So, an effort to address how to fight this phase of the war. It could involve tanks. It could involve armored fighting vehicles. We know that the Australians, for example, have committed armored vehicles to the Ukrainian forces. These will be vital. But as we're going to hear here from the Ukrainian foreign minister, weapons, weapons, weapons. That simple.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DMYTRO KULEBA, UKRAINIAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: My agenda is very simple. It has only three items on it. It's weapons, weapons, and weapons. In the recent month -- 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, these 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 destructed. And there will be no more butchers. This is my message to the allies, it's very simple.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: So more than the weapons, what NATO wants to do is position the Ukrainian forces to be able to successfully hold off the Russians. And that's going to involve making sure that the supply lines are working, making sure that the Ukrainians have got enough fuel.

We know that the Russians are targeting their fuel dumps. Making sure the Ukrainians have enough helmets, enough flak jackets, enough medical supplies to sustain those forces. The sorts of things that the NATO nations militaries are used to using to operate in the battlefield. They want to make sure the Ukrainians have all of that. So, this is multilayered but addressing what's expected to be a longer war and harder than the first phase.

VAUSE: Nic, thank you. Nic Robertson live for us there in Brussels.

Well, as NATO planned how to help the people of Ukraine and other nations which may be vulnerable to pressure from Moscow, in the northern part of this country, we're now finding out just how brutal Russia's military has been on the civilian population.

Here is CNN's Christiane Amanpour.

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CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to Sasha's restaurant, it says, only Sasha no more. Nor any of the apartments in this block above. A dining table and chairs, a jacket blowing in the wind still intact. The only visible reminders of the families who lived here.

The crows caw above the city of Borodyanka, perhaps they sense the death here. It is clear that the heavy destruction is mostly along the main street. It appears the Russian armored columns simply opened up with heavy machine guns and artillery as they rumbled through town.

Brick by brick, today the digging starts, trying to find civilians or their bodies buried beneath the rubble when even their basement shelters were turned into graveyards.

On this corner, they're looking for at least four missing from this block alone, says Victoria Ruban (Ph), who's with the rescue team. "We have never seen anything like this, it is very difficult for us," she says, "and not only for us, but for the residents of Borodyanka." It is a great tragedy because of an ill-disciplined force with a license to kill.

So, this is Vladimir Putin's idea of liberating a fraternal brotherly nation. So, either he's doing all this because he loves Ukrainians, or, as many believe, because he's motivated by a rising hatred, an anger at their westward loving democracy, at their resistance, and at their refusal to come under Russian control.

And as an afterthought, a bullet to the head of Ukraine's cultural hero, the great poet Taras Shevchenko. Not even statues are immune. Amid all this destruction, the summary executions, the Ukrainian flag flies proudly in the central square.

For good measure, these Ukrainian soldiers are pulling out a captured Russian tank that was dug in. They say they'll use this and anything else the invaders have left behind to fight them in the villages, in the towns, in the fields, and all the way back to the Russian border.

Christiane Amanpour, CNN, Borodyanka.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Joining me now here in Lviv is Manuel Fontaine. He is the director of the emergency programme for UNICEF. Thank you, thank you for coming in.

MANUEL FONTAINE, DIRECTOR OF THE EMERGENCY PROGRAMMES, UNICEF: Thank you.

[03:09:53]

VAUSE: Well, the number of children impacted by this war, it really is staggering. The numbers which are coming out, 60 percent of all children in this country have been either internally displaced or are refugees right now. How do you deal with that? And what do they need? What's the impact, both short-term and long-term?

FONTAINE: Imagine almost two-third of the child population of Ukraine on the move. So obviously what they need is immediate protection, feel safe. But what they need also is just to continue with their lives, being educated and finding a safe place where to be and be accommodated at the moment. This is what they need.

VAUSE: In the short-term, there obviously has to be consequences for that, and also long -- over the long period of time. The longer this goes on, the worse things are, right?

FONTAINE: Absolutely, the long-term consequences will be in term of their psycho social well-being because obviously children have been marked by this violence, displaced. They're out of, you know, they're uprooted from their families in many cases, but also in their education. When children are not going to school anymore, we're trying to do what we can, but there will be long-term consequences.

VAUSE: There are multiple reports that children in some parts have been used as human shields, that they've been kidnapped by the Russian soldiers so that their parents wouldn't give away the location of where the Russians were to the Ukrainian military. What do you know about that? Is there an investigation underway into this?

FONTAINE: We're not able to confirm that at the moment. We would have to investigate. The problem is access is very complicated, very difficult at the moment to be able to look into this. But of course, this is part of what we need to look into.

VAUSE: If we look at the number of kids who are being killed, you've documented at least 100 Ukrainian children killed as well. That seems incredibly low, the number, right?

FONTAINE: These are the verified numbers. Unfortunately, as you said, they're probably much higher than that. Myself have been to hospitals and children are very badly injured. So, I assume the number is much more than that.

VAUSE: Are children being targeted along with their moms and their dads and civilians in these areas?

FONTAINE: I don't know if children are being targeted. But civilian infrastructure, civilians buildings have been bombed. So people, children, civilian's families have been receiving, you know, the brunt of the violence. So obviously, as such, civilians have. VAUSE: And this is a -- this is a highly trained modern military which is doing this right now, right? This isn't just a random act of one unit going rogue. This appears to be being repeated time and time and time again. Is that what you're seeing on the ground in terms of where these kids are being killed or hurt and injured?

FONTAINE: It seems to have been very widespread. I mean, we're seeing the number of hospitals, health facilities that have been damaged or destroyed in some cases. We're seeing the apartment buildings have been. So, it seems to be widespread, and yes, it has affected the civilian population in a way that is unacceptable.

VAUSE: When you see a situation like, I think it was in Mariupol, there is a theater, and they spell out in Russian on the sidewalk on both sides in great big letters, the Russian word for children on both sides. And yet, that is still the target of an air strike. What can you do about that? And what does that say about the mindset here of this Russian military force?

FONTAINE: I mean, clearly, you know, international human rights, humanitarian law just says that civilian infrastructure needs to be protected in all -- in all situations. And that by default, every place has to be assumed to be a civilian place. So, obviously, those places should not be targeted ever under any circumstances in any conflict.

VAUSE: If someone is watching, if somebody wants to help, what can they do? What is the most immediate need that these kids have that you need to get to them?

FONTAINE: Well, what we need, I mean, first of all, what we need is the end to war.

(CROSSTALK)

VAUSE: Peace would be good.

FONTAINE: The end to violence.

VAUSE: Yes.

FONTAINE: But of course, in the meantime, what we need is to make sure we provide them with a safe environment. For those who have left the country, making sure that in the countries where they're going, they are registered, that we know where they are, and that the authorities are in contact with them.

We're just worried sometimes a risk of trafficking or sometimes well- intentioned people that actually make it more complicated for them to be reunited with their families later on. And then they need to be educated. So, we need to keep that link with the education. We're trying to do that with distance learning. But back in school as soon as possible is going to be really important, for their education, but also for their psychological well-being.

VAUSE: Manuel, thanks so much for being with us, and I wish you all the very best. And I guess for everybody out there working at UNICEF, stay safe.

FONTAINE: Thank you very much. I appreciate it.

VAUSE: Well, a new round of sanctions against Russia hits Vladimir Putin's family circle. Next, why the U.S. is imposing sanctions on the Russian president's two adult daughters.

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VAUSE: Customs officials in Finland say they confiscated three shipments of Russian art worth $46 million under E.U. sanctions. Shipping crates full of paintings and sculptures were seized while returning to Russia last weekend after being exhibited abroad.

Finland says they qualify as luxury goods under E.U. sanctions and the seizure is part of normal operations. But a Russian politician told state media it was theft. Finnish customs added the artwork will be stored safely.

U.S. President Joe Biden is accusing Russia of what he calls major war crimes after the brutality seen in Bucha, Ukraine, and announced new sanctions designed to further squeeze Russia's economy. He said the sanctions will fully block two of Russia's top banks, make it off- limits for America's -- Americans to invest in Russia. Sanctions also include two daughters of Vladimir Putin, who may be hiding some of his assets.

For more now, CNN's Nina dos Santos joins us now live from London. I guess when they talk about squeezing the economy, the question is, is the squeeze worth the juice?

NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's a very good question, John. And you know, the United States unveiled these sanctions amid big fanfares saying that this was the biggest step up thus far in various rounds of sanctions. The E.U. has introduced at least five rounds of sanctions that's been followed by many different countries around the world.

But I've been speaking to experts here is in London, which of course for the last 20 years has been a big hub for Russian money, and they're skeptical as to whether or not this will actually apply the pressure of Vladimir Putin's own purse strings.

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DOS SANTOS: Another week, another sanctioned asset seized. On Monday Spain took possession of this super yacht, the Tango, owned by tycoon Viktor Vekselberg. The seizure follows others in France, Italy and the U.K. But now in the invasion's second month, experts acknowledge that pressure on Moscow's once omnipotent oligarchs is having a limited effect. TOM KEATINGE, FOUNDING DIRECTOR, CENTRE FOR FINANCIAL CRIME AND

SECURITY STUDIES, RUSI: I for one would certainly like to see a much more vocal community of oligarchs using what little leverage they have with Putin to at least make him understand the misery he is inflicting on Ukraine.

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

KEATINGE: I think it's pretty unlikely. We've seen what happens when people cross Vladimir Putin. These individuals who are being sanctioned won't want to go the same way.

DOS SANTOS: Last month, Russia's president, a man accused of poisoning his adversaries, which he denies said traitors will be spat out like flies. 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-ISRAELI BUSINESSMAN: It just create enormous pressure for us personally, but we do not have any impact for political decisions.

KEATINGE: Their line has been they have no influence so 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 Dvorkovich 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 haven't stopped his prized Chelsea football club and a fleet of boats from being hit either as he now tries to sell the team. He's denied links to Putin, saying none of his activities merited sanctions.

Public opinion is certainly souring against Kremlin-connected cash, especially in prime parts of central London. This mansion behind me was broken into by squatters who made their way up to the balcony and unfurled a sign in protest to the war in Ukraine. The reason they said they targeted this particular edifice was 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: I think when it comes to sanctions on oligarchs, they are frankly symbolic. They are Titanic. They of course keep the issue in the public eye.

DOS SANTOS: So, in essence, this is a P.R. exercise?

KEATINGE: It's definitely a P.R. 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.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DOS SANTOS: And John, the decision to introduce sanctions against Putin's two eldest daughters, Katerina Tikhonova and Mariya Vorontsova is obviously a step up in making this just a little bit more personal for the Russian president. But you have to remember he also allegedly has many of the children and has a partner supposedly in Switzerland that has been big pressure on the Swiss government as well to do something about allowing that family to stay in Switzerland whilst this war in Ukraine continues. John?

VAUSE: And Nina, we look at the bigger picture with sanctions. For example, the ruble has come back to preinvasion value against the U.S. dollar. So, it's bounced back. And it really does raise the questions of how effective these sanctions are in changing behavior, if you like, by Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin.

DOS SANTOS: Yes, and that is why repeatedly you're hearing the president of -- President Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine continue with this message that he believes that western powers really need to press the economic nuclear button, if you like, which is to stop buying energy from Russia.

Of course, Russia is the big commodities market. This means that when it sells gas and oil, it does so in dollars. So, on the one hand, you can't just lock Russia out of the dollar banking system and its big oligarchs out of the banking system as well in dollars, whilst you're still buying energy, the main asset that this country sells in dollars as well.

So far, obviously, that still remains a premature argument, at least here in Europe, where of course Germany is the biggest economic player in the E.U. and it's so heavily reliant upon Russia for its oil and gas.

But you are starting to see that increasing ratcheting up of the sanctions pressure, first of all to try and squeeze out the oligarch class, go after members of Vladimir Putin's own family and also government members as well, and then potentially energy continues to be the biggie. John?

[03:24:56]

VAUSE: And Russia made more money from energy this year, gas and oil than last year according to Bloomberg. Nina, thank you. Nina dos Santos in London for us. We appreciate that.

Well, Russian troops are on the move taking their carnage to eastern Ukraine. Just ahead, my conversation with the youngest member of Ukraine's parliament about what's happening inside his country and what's happening to him.

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[03:30:00]

VAUSE: Twenty-nine minutes past the hour. Welcome back, everybody. I'm John Vause, live in Lviv, Ukraine.

Now Military analysts in the United States say Russian forces which withdrew from northern Ukraine are so diminished, it's unlikely they'll be redeployed as this conflict shifts to the east. Ukrainian authorities report heavy fighting in the sprawling region known as the Donbas.

And a report by the Institute for the Study of War points to the city of Sloviansk near Donetsk as the most likely battle. The report says if Sloviansk falls, Russian forces would be in a position to encircle Ukrainian troops.

And the port city of Mariupol remains besieged by the Russians. Thousands of civilians have been without basic necessities for weeks. They're now relying on emergency aid for survival. The mayor comparing the situation to the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz.

And the Pentagon believe -- it believes Ukraine can win this war, and notes the fierce resistance has prevented Moscow from winning any of its military objectives over the past six weeks.

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. How have you made that transition from being a politician to a front-line soldier?

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

And as far as my skills are concerned, the question is soldiers' skills may now getting better, but they are by no means level some of my comrades in arms from my unit who have lived for the worst in the eight years of fighting in the east. I still try and help with bringing supplies and bringing technical support and things that they need. So, my uses are multifaceted.

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 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 only the beginning. I mean, when you think of the cities like Mariupol, where there is no understanding of what's left, but there is understanding what's damaged and an entire city that is essentially now grinded to nothing. And a city of 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 all have a difficult process that, just a 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 own future. We need our integrity, our sovereignty, and our independence to be secured.

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

YURASH: They changed the whole idea. Because the begin -- in the beginning, the motivation basically was with the principle on the fact that we want to show to Putin and to the world that our nation does exist and does have a vision of 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 all those we 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 the 10 years that we knew each other, the 10 years we lived through everything together, from the teenagerhood to now, yes, she was killed by the Russian shelling. And it's just one of the examples of how senselessly the Russians were trying to destroy anybody who was here in Kyiv, trying to cover the madness of that invasion.

[03:35:00]

Again, she was telling the story to the world together with some of the best American TV and she was -- she paid 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 to that and 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 mounting counter offenses. The reality is that in Kyiv, people in the media especially describe us as a grouping or Russians moving away, the reality there was smashed in Kyiv. Basically, my unit was smashing their units that was essentially trying to cut Kyiv off from supply lines to the west and failed badly.

The reality is that Russians basically suffer defeats, first defeats of the war here around Kyiv and were unable to even pretend that they've had 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 the destruction is. But again, this war will continue until Mr. Putin decides to move his forces out of Ukraine. Because we owe 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 dictate what we should be what we are. We will (Inaudible).

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

YURASH: Thank you very much.

VAUSE: Well, I'm John Vause in Lviv. We'll continue to bring you the breaking news out of Ukraine. We're also following a situation in Brussels where a NATO meeting of foreign ministers is set to get underway at any minute. In the meantime, let's get Lynda Kinkade in Atlanta.

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Out thanks to you, John, and the team there in Lviv. The last four hours, great coverage. We will catch up with you again very soon.

Still to come on CNN, we'll talk to some refugees who are staying at an abandoned school in Poland as they try to escape the war.

[03:40:00]

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KINKADE: Pope Francis getting a big round of applause for a symbolic step, to condemn what he called atrocities in the martyred Ukrainian city of Bucha. He unveiled and kissed a Ukrainian flag that he said came from the city the site of a mass killing.

The pope spoke during his general audience at the Vatican Wednesday. He also invited a group of Ukrainian children who are now refugees to join him on stage.

Well, the United Nations says more than 10 million people have been displaced both in and outside Ukraine, including more than four million who have fled the country. Of those, Poland has taken in the maximum number of refugees, more than two million people since the war began.

CNN's Salma Abdelaziz joins me from a school in Poland, near Ukraine's border which now houses Ukrainian refugees. Good to have you with us, Salma. So, the war is in its second month. For children who have arrived in Poland, some are getting to go to school?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: Lynda, actually, this is a university dormitory. It had been abandoned for 10 years, a building that essentially wasn't functioning when a group of friends asked the local government if they could find a place to house the many, many refugees they were seeing come across the border.

And in just a matter of days, this group of friends have turned this dormitory, which I'm going to walk you through right here into basically a temporary shelter for dozens of families. There is about 160, just over 160 people here. And that is my favorite room, Lynda. This is the play room for the kids.

So, you can just take a look This is a big relief for these children who are fleeing violence, trying to find a moment of calm, trying to find a moment of peace, and here they get that. They get that refuge. And one of this group of friends is organizer Kamil (Ph).

UNKNOWN: Hello.

ABDELAZIZ: Hello. Just start by telling me how many families you're taking care here and what their needs have been so far.

UNKNOWN: Yes. So, all together, we've got more than 500 people right now. This place, it's probably around 200 because we need to renovate it. And so, we try to deliver not only shelter, not only food, hot meals, but also private health care, find the jobs, legal job for ladies who are staying with us.

ABDELAZIZ: And tell me some of the stories, the situations that people are coming across with. They fled from a very difficult place?

UNKNOWN: Absolutely.

ABDELAZIZ: Tell me some of the things that you're seeing these survivors tell you.

UNKNOWN: Yes. So, they are plenty of stories, and they are so different, and there is a lot of tragedy around.

[03:45:00]

So, the story which we had a few days ago because the pictures which were seen everywhere in the world. So, the lady received in the middle of the night the photos of her tortured husband who was killed and she wanted to commit suicide. She is -- she is pregnant. So, we needed to act very quickly. So, they are like --

(CROSSTALK)

ABDELAZIZ: So, you have to offer psychological support.

UNKNOWN: Absolutely.

ABDELAZIZ: You have to offer doctors, you have to offer food, and you have to offer a place for the kids to play.

UNKNOWN: Yes. And we need to remember 45 days ago we were a group of friends. I was -- I'm working in a big corporation. My friend Patrick who is the founder, he is building -- he is a property developer. And we just needed to build a foundation which works on Poland -- polandwelcomes.org. And it is what we are doing right now. So, we need to learn quickly.

ABDELAZIZ: And this is just you did this of your own. You're not part of the government. You're not part of anything. It just came from your own heart. Why?

UNKNOWN: Because they are people there, our guests, they are our friends from Ukraine. They're mothers with children on their hands. So, we are not able to say no to them. And the institutional help is always delayed. And there is no institutional help for now. So, this is why we needed to react. And we just -- we saw that when it was snowing and we just decided OK, we just need to take them to our homes.

ABDELAZIZ: Thank you so much.

UNKNOWN: Thank you.

ABDELAZIZ: Thank you. So, Lynda, this is just one person, a group of friends, again, who came together and said we can't keep watching this anymore. We can't just stand here and do nothing. And this is what they've been able to build. And yes, they're able to support a few hundred families, but you have 2.5 million refugees who need help just like this one.

KINKADE: Yes, exactly. Amazing effort by those people. Salma Abdelaziz in Poland, thank you.

Well, if you would like to help people of Ukraine who may be in need of shelter, food, or water, please go to cnn.com/impact. You'll find several ways to assist those in need.

We want to go live now to Brussels where NATO's secretary general is speaking. Let's listen in.

JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: We are joined today by our partners from Ukraine, Georgia, Finland, Sweden, and the European Union. And by our Asia-Pacific partners Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea and New Zealand. So very much welcome to all of you.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has profound implications for European security, but has also shaken the entire international order. Our partners' presence here today is a sign of our unity, to support Ukraine, to condemn Russia's aggression, and to defend the rules-based international order.

A special welcome to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, welcome to you. The Ukrainian people have inspired us all with their courage and determination. It is important to hear from you, Dmytro, and discuss the way forward.

This concludes the public part of this meeting. I thank the media for joining us. And then the meeting will continue in just a moment. Thank you so much.

KINKADE: Those remarks there from NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, speaking, saying that there are profound implications for Ukraine and international order. They are going to have that NATO meeting. We will follow that as it proceeds.

Well, still to come, a Turkish court decides to move the trial into the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi to Saudi Arabia. We're going to go to Istanbul with the latest.

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KINKADE: We've got breaking news just in to CNN. A Turkish court will transfer the trial over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi to Saudi Arabia.

We want to go live to Istanbul where CNN's Jomana Karadsheh is following the developments outside the courthouse right now. So, Jomana, the Human Rights Watch says transferring Khashoggi trial to Turkey -- from Turkey to Saudi Arabia would end any possibility of justice for him. Why is this happening?

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, Lynda, this is a trial that has been taking place here for the past two years, a trial in absentia of 26 Saudi individual suspects involved in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, the brutal and horrific murder at the Saudi consulate here. The judges after a very brief session approved the request that came in last week from the prosecution that got the request from Saudi Arabia to halt the case here, to stop the trial and move it to Saudi Arabia.

And they have agreed to do so right now, essentially ending any sort of real judicial process that has been taking place to try to hold anyone accountable. One human rights watch observer who was in the court who I spoke to just a few minutes ago saying that this was essentially rubber stamping a political decision that was already made by the government here.

You know, Hatice Cengiz, the Turkish fiancee she was in court. She absolutely in shock. She is absolutely disappointed, she says. Shock at the change in position from the Turkish government that for years, Lynda, was adamant that they are going to pursue justice, that they are not going to allow this case to become a political bargaining chip.

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And after two, three years, really, they have completely changed course right now, handing over this case, essentially Saudi Arabia where it is going to be buried. Because remember, Saudi Arabia had its own trial back in 2020, one that was described as a total sham by human rights activists where a number of people were sentenced and essentially the case was over, and we don't even know who was accused and who was convicted.

Hatice Cengiz says she is going to appeal this decision, and she says they gave up, referring to the government. I will not. She says she is going to continue to pursue the case of justice hoping to pursue it in the United States, Lynda? KINKADE: All right. We will continue to follow this story. Good to

have you there covering it for us, Jomana Karadsheh in Istanbul, thank you.

I'm Lynda Kinkade. Thanks for spending part of your day with me. Our coverage continues in just a minute with Max Foster in London.

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