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White House Prepping Another $800 Million Weapons Package For Ukraine; Russian Billionaire Blasts Putin's "Insane War" On Ukraine; Netflix Loses $45 Billion On Shocking Subscriber Loss; Lakers Legend Jery West Demands Apology From HBO; Police Officers & Civilians To Be Honored For Their Work Leading To The Arrest of Alleged Brooklyn Subway Shooter. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired April 20, 2022 - 14:30   ET

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

[14:30:00]

M.J. LEE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: What we know is that the preparations are under way right now for an additional weapons package that could amount to, as you said, around $800 million. The details are not finalized. But that approval could come in the coming days.

This is seen as U.S. officials as being so critical, particularly at this moment in the war where we're seeing very heavy fighting, particularly in the eastern region of Ukraine.

There are widespread concerns, of course, right now that Ukrainian forces could run out of equipment, including ammunition. What we've heard repeatedly from various Ukrainian officials is that they can't get enough help and that the help cannot come fast enough.

Now, I should also note that the previously approved package, also of $800 million, some of that equipment has actually started arriving in the region.

Yesterday, for example, we are told that these Howitzer rounds began arriving into the country and they will soon be transferred to Ukraine.

We also know that some of the training of Ukrainian forces to use some of this new equipment, that has also begun outside of the country.

So it just goes to show that the urgency is really ramping up because the previous approved package, as that equipment is starting to arrive, there are already discussions by U.S. officials for an additional weapons package to be approved -- guys?

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: M.J. Lee, for us at the White House, thank you.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: And so, as you know, we're to figure out what is happening in Mariupol right now. This is new video into our newsroom and it shows residents of Mariupol gathering outside today. This is to evacuate the city on a convoy of buses that we also see lined up. There was a humanitarian corridor agreed upon for Mariupol today, but

it is not clear if they are getting on these buses and if all these people gathered on the streets will be able to safely evacuate.

BLACKWELL: The latest estimate from President Zelenskyy, 120,000 people still in this besieged city. Of course, we know that there are about 1,000 people at that Azovstal Steel Plant that has been bombarded.

We heard from a commander there that the city is under constant bombardment. These people trying to get to safety. But we know these humanitarian corridors are not reliable.

CAMEROTA: Absolutely. And we see elderly people, children, people with their pets. These are obviously civilians here waiting.

And we'll just stay as hyper focused on this as we can to see if they are actually able to get out safely.

In the meantime, Russia's own oligarchs are blasting the war in Ukraine. In an Instagram post, a billionaire, named Oleg Tinkov, he described Putin's war as, quote, "insane," and called on the West to give Putin a clear exit to save face and stop this massacre.

BLACKWELL: He also added this: "Innocent people and soldiers are dying. Generals, waking up with a hangover, have realized that they have (EXPLETIVE DELETED) army. And how could the army be good when everything else in the country is mired in nepotism, groveling and senility."

CNN international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson, is joining us with more.

Nic, tell us more about Mr. Tinkov and what else he had to say.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, a banker, oligarch, within the orbit of President Putin and Russia, also sponsored or has sponsored a cycling team in the past.

So this is a guy with a relatively high profile in Russia, not one of the quieter oligarchs just used to making his money and spending it by position. This is a guy who has been very much in the public eye and public domain.

So for him to come out and criticize President Putin is a big thing. But for any oligarch at this time to criticize Putin is a big thing.

And it is not just sort of criticizing Putin's tactics over the use of the army here. He is essentially criticizing Putin over a number of years, saying that it is his responsibility that the army is so bad because of the nepotism, because of the groveling, as he described it, in the country.

And he also goes on to throw criticism at civil servants inside the Kremlin.

This is what he said here:

"The Kremlin's civil servants are in shock that not only they but also their children won't go to the Mediterranean this summer. Businessmen are trying to save when is left of their property."

"Of course, there are idiots who write the letter "Z" -- the letter that the Russian army has been putting on their vehicles -- "that write the letter "Z," but they are about 10 percent idiots in all countries."

He said 90 percent of Russians are against this war, which is a staggering figure. It's certainly one that the Kremlin wouldn't agree with.

It's not clear which Kremlin civil servants he's talking about. But we know Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, his daughter has posted on Instagram of her travels around Europe.

And the same for the foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov. His stepdaughter also posts travels from around Europe.

So this a very, very direct and blunt message. Certainly, one Putin is not going to want to hear.

[14:35:05]

CAMEROTA: It is also so public. This is on Instagram, as you say. This is social media. This is for all to read.

And he is not alone. We have a couple other examples. Right back at the beginning of the war, there were two other Russian oligarchs who came out and said that the blood shed has to end, peace is important, negotiations need to start as soon as possible.

And then more recently, on March 4, the Russian oil firm called for the soonest termination of this armed conflict.

And then April 8th, the Russian metals firm said we believe that this crime this Bucha should be thoroughly investigated and we want those responsible to be punished appropriately.

And so, Nic, the significance, are these just one-offs or is there a ground swell of important voices speaking out against this?

ROBERTSON: This one, Tinkov, is exceptionally critical. And you can see how he is aiming the criticism at Putin. Also asking the West to find a face-saving way out for Putin.

Which also tells you huge amount. So this is about Putin, his ego, his plan, his idea, and he won't back down. Therefore, there needs to be a face-saving way for him to get out of it.

I think some of the other criticisms we've heard can be interpreted as perhaps, particularly about Bucha, can perhaps be read in Russia at least as slightly ambiguous.

The other oligarchs we've heard from do not really seem to be within the reach of Putin.

But remember, Oligarchs in the past that have criticized Putin have ended up behind bars, have ended up in jail, eventually getting out, living in exile. Some of them even poisoned and killed in exile.

And so criticizing Putin at this moment so publicly is a risky business.

Is there a ground swell? There doesn't appear to be. Could it lead to this? That will depend on how Putin deals with Tinkov. If he slaps him down publicly, others might be afraid to follow in his footsteps.

But if he isn't, does that open the way for others to criticize Putin?

And we don't know what is happening behind the scenes. And that is perhaps the critical part of the picture that we can't see. Who else is Tinkov talking to? Was he talking to other oligarchs before he went public himself? Is there frustration growing? We just don't know.

BLACKWELL: Nic, let me ask you about what we talked about behind the break, Wimbledon has barred Russian and Belarusian players from this year's tournament. What are you hearing as a reaction from the Kremlin?

ROBERTSON: Yes, the Kremlin is taking it as you would imagine. They are not happy. Unacceptable is how Dmitry Peskov has said it, that the athletes are being targeted in this way and the hostile acts against the country.

What the English Tennis Association is saying, these Russian and Belarusian tennis players can play at Wimbledon but just not under the Russian or Belarusian flag.

So there's a way for the athletes to compete, to stay competitive. But it is designed very much to send a clear message to the Kremlin. And it is very clear that message is getting through.

Again, does it change Putin's calculus? Likely not. And the Kremlin will try to spin this to their advantage as well. Blame the West, say that the West is picking unfairly on Russians.

But these tennis players, according to the English Lawn Tennis Association, can play.

CAMEROTA: Nic Robertson, thank you very much for all that context.

BLACKWELL: Netflix shares taking a hit today. Cost the company $45 billion in value. What the company's subscriber loss could signal for its competitors.

CAMEROTA: But first, be sure to watch the premiere of the CNN film "NAVALNY." It's this Sunday night at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. If follows the story of Alexei Navalny, the fierce critic of Vladimir Putin, who was poisoned, and is now imprisoned in Russia.

Here is a preview. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(TELEPHONE RINGING

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello?

ALEXEI NAVALNY, RUSSIAN OPPOSITION LEADER IMPRISONED IN RUSSIA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Remarkably, Vladimir Putin face as legitimate opponent, Alexei Navalny.

NAVALNY: I don't want Putin to be president.

(SHOUTING)

NAVALNY: If I want to be a leader of a country, I have to organize people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Kremlin hates Navalny so much that they refuse to say his name.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Heard Navalny cry out in agony.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on, poisoned? Seriously?

NAVALNY: We are creating a coalition to fight this regime.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you are killed, what message do you leave behind to the Russian people?

NAVALNY: It is very simple. Never give up.

[14:40:02]

ANNOUNCER: "NAVALNY," Sunday on 9:00 CNN and streaming on CNN Plus.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: So Netflix's slogan is, "Watch anywhere, cancel anytime." Apparently, users are taking that to heart.

The streaming giant posted its biggest loss of subscribers in decades. It sent the stock tumbling, erasing $45 billion worth of the company's value.

[14:45:03]

BLACKWELL: CNN chief media correspondent, Brian Stelter, is joining us now.

I did not know that was Netflix's slogan.

CAMEROTA: Me either.

BLACKWELL: I just learned that. CAMEROTA: I did not know that.

BLACKWELL: What is going on here?

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA CORRESPONDENT & CNN HOST, "RELIABLE SOURCES": Netflix is more like not-flix.

(CROSSTALK)

STELTER: Pretty bad. Most folks still like the content, but they have reached this peak and maybe the audience for streaming is not as big as Wall Street had banked on. That is really I think the story this week on the reevaluation.

BLACKWELL: What did you think it was?

STELTER: Well, the term TAM, totally adjustable market. This is what Wall Street investors talk about. What is the TAM, the total addressable market?

Is it 200 million, 300 million, 400 million customers? Could it be a billion someday?

Netflix share shoulders had bought into the air that this company could reach a billion subscribers someday. But now they seem to have hit a peak.

And so I think that there's a reevaluation going off that TAM. How big could streaming get? And that's caused this incredible reaction in the stock.

BLACKWELL: Yes, let's not forget that the prices have increased recently. And for a lot of people that is a little too much.

STELTER: That is a great point. Steve in Columbus, Ohio, just emailed me watching CNN today, saying the price hike is the problem. Inflation is in the news and yet the price hike was a turnoff to customers.

I think that is true. And there's so much more competition. There's HBO Max, Disney, so many other platforms that did not exist to the same degree five years ago. So there's big competition.

And programing challenges. Can you name 10 great shows on Netflix right now? Maybe, but maybe not. They can turn it around with new hit shows. That is always the easy and really hard thing do.

CAMEROTA: What is the price up to right now?

STELTER: I think I'm paying like 16 bucks a month for the family packages. And my brothers are still stealing my passwords. And Netflix is going to cut back on that password sharing because they want everybody to actually pay.

That's going to be the next leg of the Netflix story.

CAMEROTA: I think Netflix police just heard that. (CROSSTALK)

(LAUGHTER)

CAMEROTA: So let's talk about the L.A. Lakers player and executive, Jerry West, is demanding a retraction and apology from HBO. Why?

STELTER: Because of a new series, "Winning Time," about the Lakers dynasty. He said that it is fiction pretending to be fact. And they have come up with a deliberately false characterization of West.

I don't think legally there's anything that he can do besides make a lot of noise. But that is what happens with these interesting dramas that portray real-life events from decades ago.

But at the core, they are fiction. These are not documentaries. They are dramatic portrayals of events in the past.

So Jerry West is not the only one disappointed by the way that he has been treated. HBO Max is streaming. And so a great example of premium content.

At the end of the day, still wins the day. There's still going to be a great abundance of these shows available. But whether they can reach as many people as maybe investors dreamed, we don't know.

BLACKWELL: It is a great series, though. I understand why he is a little upset. But it is great.

Brian Stelter, thank you.

CAMEROTA: Thanks, Brian.

Any minute, New York City officials will honor those who were integral in that arrest of that alleged subway shooter. Next, CNN's interview with one of the tipsters.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:53:03]

BLACKWELL: Any moment now, police officers and civilians will be honored for their work that led to the arrest of the alleged Brooklyn subway shooter, Frank James.

James is accused of shooting 10 people on a New York City subway last week. At least five people are splitting the $50,000 reward.

CAMEROTA: CNN's Shimon Prokupecz is here.

Shimon, what's going to happen with that teenager that was on the class trip? Is he going to get some of the money?

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME & JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: He is, Alisyn. That's why I wanted to interview him.

Remember, we spoke to him, and the big question was, was he going to get some of the money, some of the reward money.

Today we know the answer to that. As you asked and we got a chance to speak to him, here's his reaction to hearing that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACK GRIFFIN, TOOK PHOTOS LEADING TO ARREST OF SUBWAY SHOOTING SUSPECT: Today I'm going to get a medal from the commissioner, I think, for taking photos of Frank James while I was on a field trip.

PROKUPECZ: How do you feel?

GRIFFIN: Super happy he's off the streets. And still surreal to me. I can't believe that those photos actually led to the police getting him off the streets.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PROKUPECZ: Alisyn and Victor, the NYPD did say those photos were instrumental and gave them an area where to start their search.

He along with four others will share the $50,000 reward.

As for Jack, he says he's likely and hopes to be able to donate this money. He said it was not about money for him.

But he also says the point of this is, when you're out on the streets, if you see something, say something. That's the whole point of this.

Of course, he and his mom are very proud to be here today, to take part in this, some good news from this tragedy. The NYPD says the officers who apprehended him will also here along with the detectives.

For the NYPD, this is a day they can say, you know what, we did a good job. And the fact that civilians were able to help them and be so instrumental in this process, they want to highlight that.

[14:55:10]

CAMEROTA: Yes. As we've said, I'm sure this is not the lesson that his high school teacher was thinking would come out of that field trip. But it's a huge lesson for everybody.

And I smell a college application essay in the making here about that.

BLACKWELL: Oh, yes. Big time.

CAMEROTA: Shimon, thank you very much.

BLACKWELL: As the constant bombardment of Mariupol continues, time is running out. Now Ukraine's deputy prime minister says that humanitarian corridor set up to evacuate the civilians from this city, the one we've talked about all day, he says it's not working out as planned.

We'll speak to a member of Mariupol's city council ahead. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)