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Biden Seeks to Bolster Ties with Allies During Japan Trip; U.S. President Unveiling Economic Plan to Counter China; Polish Leader Meets Zelenskyy, Addresses Parliament in Kyiv; Russians Introduce Travel Restrictions in Mariupol; Wife Waits for Word on Husband Who Fought at Azovstal Plant; Second Flight of Formula Expected in Days; South Korean President on Relations with U.S. and China; Trevor Reed Talks About His Time in Captivity. Aired 4-4:30a ET
Aired May 23, 2022 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:00:00]
ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a very warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and right around the world. I'm Isa Soares in London and just ahead, right here on CNN NEWSROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan if it comes to that?
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Yes, we stand firmly with Japan and other nations, not to let that happen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you been able to fully grasp that you're free?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Know that government is really sincere the evil, at all levels, from the top to the bottom.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: More formula in store starting as early as this week.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And now we know that we can go to bed and sleep well, knowing that our babies can be fed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: Live from London, this is CNN NEWSROOM, with Isa Soares.
SOARES: Welcome to the show everyone, it is Monday May 23rd. And we begin this hour in Japan where U.S. President Joe Biden is working to bolster ties with allies, while keeping a wary eye on China's growing economic as well as military footprint. Mr. Biden also vowed a strong response, should China invade Taiwan. But the White House was quick to qualify that the U.S. policy on the issue has not changed. Now those comments coming shortly after he wrapped up a meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
And just moments ago, Mr. Biden unveiled a new economic plan to counter China's growing influence in Asia. While the plan is aimed at strengthening trade partnership, it also includes efforts to make supply chains more resilient, promote clean energy and combat corruption. Mr. Biden says 13 partners including U.S., Japan, and South Korea have signed on so far.
Well, CNN's covering this story from every angle. Our Kevin Liptak, and Blake Essig are standing by in Tokyo with the latest developments. And Kevin, good morning to you. Let me start off with that economic plan. We heard just before the break, Prime Minister Modi of India, talking about his vision for this plan. What's standing out to you so far?
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, this is really President Biden's attempt to build a collective block, an economic sphere to counter China into the region. And the U.S. had been without such a plan since President Trump withdrew from the TPP. Now President Biden says he has got 12 other nations, 12 nations plus the United States, to join this Indo-Pacific economic framework. That will sort of lay out some rules of the road in terms of economics, trade that sort of thing, as they go into the next century.
And President Biden only spoke for under ten minutes or so there. So, he didn't really offer a lot of details about what might be included in this plan. But he did lay out sort of the thematic reasons for it. He said that it would deliver for all the nations on earth. He said they are writing the rules for the 21st century economy. He said that the future of this next century will be in the Indo-Pacific.
Now there are skeptics about this plan single. Who say that it lacks a lot of details. That it doesn't necessarily say why nations should join up and only they would have to be governed by some of these commitments in areas like clean energy, anti-corruption, resilient supply chains. So, the president clearly trying to strike this off. But it was evident when he was speaking that a lot of the work remains to be done and hammering out what's some of these commitments actually are -- Isa.
SOARES: As you were talking Kevin, we are looking at live images of President Biden sitting alongside Prime Minister Fumio Kishida talking about this plan. But of course, they had a press conference about an hour -- almost an hour and a half ago or so. A lot of ground was covered, Kevin, then. And central to their discussion, at least for me, was China's kind of growing military footprint and what relates to Taiwan. And whether the U.S. would be willing to use force to defend Taiwan. I mean, that for me was the standout. What did you make of what President Joe Biden said?
LIPTAK: Yes, it certainly was the standout and it was only one word. When the reporter asked him if the U.S. was willing to respond if China invaded Taiwan. He said yes. And then reporter followed up, and he said that the U.S. had made commitments in that area. But that is certainly far stronger than any U.S. president has been on Taiwan in recent memory. And it sort of goes against this policy of what the U.S. calls strategic ambiguity. While they provide Taiwan defensive weapons, while they encourage China not to invade Taiwan.
[04:05:00]
They don't necessarily spell out what they would do if that happened. And now the president expanded a little bit more about U.S. policy towards Taiwan in his answer, listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We agree with the one China policy, we signed on to it, and all the attendant agreements made from there. But the idea that that it can be taken by force. Just taken by force, is just not appropriate. It will dislocate the entire region and be other action similar to what happened in Ukraine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIPTAK: Now the White House was very quick to clarify the president's statement. They say that the U.S. policy has not changed towards Taiwan.
SOARES: Yes, definitely no ambiguity on that. Do stay with us, Kevin, let me go to Blake. And Blake, we are looking at live images right now from Tokyo of really the Indo-Pacific and economic framework, these 13 countries involved as part of his economic plan. Of course, part really of boosting the tariffs to counter China's economic as well as military power. Kevin talked a bit about, you know, what the plan involves. But there is some reticence or some criticism of the plan why is that?
BLAKE ESSIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Isa, there's just a lot of uncertainty of actually what the plan consists of. And at this point, you know, this is an opportunity, this is a framework. And experts that we've talking to an opportunity for the United States to once again involve itself economically in this part of the world, as Kevin mentioned, after President Trump withdrew the United States from the TPP.
So, it's yet to be determined, yet to be seen whether or not this economic framework will stand the test of time. We've heard from China's foreign minister, yesterday, who said that he thinks that this economic framework is doomed from the beginning.
But to take a step back, you know, for Japan, and the United States, there really is no more important friend or ally. And that strength of the partnership was on display today when Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called the alliance the linchpin of Japan's diplomatic security.
Security one of the big talking points today. During that bilateral meeting. You know, the security front along with agreeing to continue monitoring Chinese and Russia joint military drills in the region. The two leaders discussed the importance of peace and stability on the Taiwan Strait. Saying each country remains committed to making sure China doesn't change the status quo by force and issue -- it's an issue that both countries, neither leaders shied away from today. President Biden made it clear that the U.S. is fully committed to Japan's defense, while Prime Minister Kishida said this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FUMIO KISHIDA, JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Japan is committed to fundamentally reinforcing Japan's defensive capability and to substantially increase Japan's defense budget to achieve this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ESSIG: Well, domestically here in Japan, there's been a push, Isa, to increase defense spending from one to two percent of the country's GDP and improve its defensive capabilities within the framework of the country's pacifist constitution and a developing counterattack capability.
SOARES: Blake Essig for us there and Kevin Liptak, both of you in Tokyo. Thank you very much indeed.
Now U.S. President Joe Biden and Japan's Prime Minister reaffirmed their support for Ukraine sovereignty and condemned Russia's actions as the war on Ukraine rages on. A senior Ukraine military official says at least one person was killed in a Russian missile attack in the Zhytomyr Region to the west of Kyiv. To the south, meanwhile, a regional official says Russian forces shelled three settlements in the Kryvyi Rih district, no casualties were reported.
If we take you to the east in the city of Lozova, in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine says a Russian missile destroyed the House of Culture. Seven people were injured, including an 11 year old child. And we're getting images of the damaged caused in Lozova. This is one of 11 educational institutions that have been hit by Russian missile strikes. The city's mayor says more than 1,000 departments have also been suffering damage.
Well, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced a historic joint customs control with Poland, saying no one will break the unity between the two countries. This coming after Poland's leader traveled to Kyiv.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES (voice-over): Neighbors and allies, Polish President Andrzej Duda is greeted with a standing ovation in the Ukraine Parliament where he embraced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. And delivered a strong message to the assembly -- Never give up.
[04:10:00]
ANDRZEJ DUDA, POLISH PRESIDENT (through translator): After Bucha, after Borodianka, after Mariupol, there could be no business as usual with Russia.
SOARES (voice-over): The first foreign leader to address the assembly in person since the war began. Duda said Ukraine has a right to decide its own future and shouldn't cede even a centimeter of its territory to Russia. In eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian troops are fiercely fighting to do just
that, as they try to repel a Russian assault on the city of Severodonetsk. The area has become a major battlefield a regional Ukrainian official says the Russians are shelling it nonstop day and night. And have blown up a bridge that was used to evacuate civilians and deliver humanitarian aid.
The intense battle is a sign of how strategic the city is. Many experts say Severodonetsk is a key target for Russia. Which sees it as a gateway for more gains in the Donbas region. And new travel restrictions are in effect in the southern city of Mariupol, now under complete Russian control with a surrender of the Azovstal steel works last week.
Officials say passes are required to get into the city, as well as out, that those could take weeks to process. And those Ukrainians left in the city, could face deportation by the Russians.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES (on camera): Joining us now with more from Ukraine is CNN's Suzanne Malveaux, standing by live in the western city of Lviv. And a very good morning to you, Suzanne. Let me pick up on Mariupol, because I understand you have been speaking to the wife of the Azovstal soldier who surrendered last week. What did she tell you? I mean, has she heard from him so far?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Isa, I had a chance to talk to Nataliya Zarytska and she essentially, her husband surrendered four days ago to the Russians, and she has not heard from him since. She is trying to comfort herself, remind herself that in her words she says he is a man of action. That he is strong. She does take some comfort in President Zelenskyy's threat to the Russians. That if they destroy the people of Azovstal that there will never be negotiations or talks with the Russians. She is pushing for those talks, for her husband's release. As she endures this very painful wait.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX (voice-over): As Russia pummeled the Mariupol steel plant with overwhelming firepower. Natalia Zarytska could only watch and pray for her husband, Bohdan, inside. But Bohdan, a Ukrainian soldier was able to update Nataliya almost daily, she says, chronicling the worsening conditions.
NATALIA ZARYTSKA, WIFE OF AZOVSTAL FIGHTER: He described the situation like real hell. Because people had no limbs, nor hands and medicine.
MALVEAUX (voice-over): Weeks in, photos revealed Bohdan was jaundice and had dropped weight.
ZARYTSKA: He lost weight, approximately 20 kilos. But he has a very strong spirit.
MALVEAUX (voice-over): He'd seen many of his friends killed and feared he was next. Following his commander's order, Thursday, Bohdan surrendered. Telling Nataliya he would lose all ability to communicate. Now with his fellow soldiers in Russian custody, Natalia can only assume he's at a nearby detention center. Her greatest fear now is that he is being tortured or worse.
ZARYTSKA: We write each message as the last one.
MALVEAUX: What is the last message that he type to you?
ZARYTSKA: I love you. He was worried about his mom. He asked me to let her know that he is alive and to wait for him.
MALVEAUX (voice-over): Nataliya believes Bohdan will give everything to stay alive. Motivated by their shared desire to someday create a family.
ZARYTSKA: And this idea helps me to be strong.
MALVEAUX (voice-over): But the pain of not knowing is excruciating. The weight heavy, as Russia's attacks carry on.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX (on camera): Now Natalia is part of a small group of wives as well as mothers who have been working with Turkish government officials, including the Turkish president to try to bring light to this and to push for those negotiations, potentially some sort of prisoner swap. But there is no progress yet on that front as she continues to wait -- Isa.
SOARES: Yes, a terrifying wait indeed. Our Suzanne Malveaux in Lviv for us this hour. Thanks very much, Suzanne.
[04:15:00]
Now while away the U.S. president is still working to address the nationwide baby formula shortage in the United States. President Biden authorized the first two manufacturing orders under the Defense Production Act. This would allow formula makers, Abbott, to more quickly receive supplies as well as ingredients.
Meanwhile the White House says a second flight of baby formula will be delivered in the coming days. The first flight landed, as you can see there, on Sunday from Germany. CNN Polo Sandoval was there with its arrival in Indianapolis.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This was the first flight of President Biden's effort to try to provide some kind of relief to parents in the United States that have been desperate to stock up on that baby formula. As we are months into this shortage here, we are looking at 35 tons of prescription baby formula that was manufactured in Zurich, driven into Germany over the weekend. And then flown here to the United States where they hope that it will address the needs of some of the most vulnerable babies. Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack was on the tarmac on Sunday as this load was being unloaded. He was basically describing what will be next for this particular load. As he hopes it will be the first of many.
TOM VILSACK, U.S. AGRICULTURAL SECRETARY: Now this shipment is going to essentially get off this cargo plane. Then the Federal Express folks are going to take it from there. They're going to deliver it to a distribution center that the Nestle Gerber folks have here in Indiana. And then it's going to go on trucks and it's going to be delivered in hospitals and home health care clinics all across the country, providing support and health.
SANDOVAL: And important to point out, that this is hypoallergenic product for babies that are intolerant to protein and cow's milk. So, it is meant to address a very specific need. There are still a majority of parents in the United States that are hoping to be able to load up and to see that positive impact in their grocery store shelves. Because this latest load will not be going to those locations.
I did have an opportunity to speak to officials with FedEx who is a big partner in these deliveries. They say that they are already scheduling a flight from Europe, here to the United States. Possibly later this week, and they hope that will at least help, but begin to address some of the broader needs, as manufacturing continues to ramp up in the United States of this essential item.
Polo Sandoval, CNN, Indianapolis.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And of course, we'll stay on top of that story for you.
Meanwhile, the U.S. President is also easing concerns about a growing outbreak of monkeypox. Joe Biden says that he does not believe the outbreak in the United States and other countries is as risky as the COVID-19 pandemic. Pointing to the already available vaccines as well as treatments. The World Health Organization says that there is more than 90 confirmed cases right around the world. The White House COVID- 19 response coordinator tells ABC News, unlike the coronavirus, monkeypox is not a mystery. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ASHISH JHA, WHITE HOUSE COVID-19 RESPONSE COORDINATOR: This is a virus we understand. We have vaccines against it. We have treatments against it. And it's spread very differently than sars-cov-2. It's not as contagious as COVID. So, I'm confident that we are going to be able to keep our arms around it. But we're going to track it very closely and use the tools that we have to make sure that we continue to, you know, prevent further spread and take care of the people who get infected.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: While the illness is mostly found in West as well as Central Africa, but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it's concerned by the rising number of cases being reported outside those regions -- as you can see there on your screen. Now authorities are searching for a gunman who shot and killed a 48-
year-old man on a New York subway. Police say that the suspect and victim had no interaction before the shooting on Sunday morning and witnesses say the gunman fired without provocation. Nobody else was hurt. Police are looking at surveillance video and asking the public to help identify in finding the killer.
Coming up right here on CNN NEWSROOM, an exclusive interview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TREVOR REED, FORMER RUSSIAN DETAINEE: They have absolutely no value of human life and that apathy permeates every level of the Russian government.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Former detainee Trevor Reed gives CNN a harrowing account of his time in a Russian prison.
Plus, fresh off of his meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden, just days ago South Korea's new president speaks exclusively to CNN. That interview and more when we return, we are watching CNN NEWSROOM.
[04:20:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Welcome back. South Korea's new president has been in office just two weeks and he's already met with U.S. President Joe Biden while he tours Asia. President Yoon Suk-yeol spoke exclusively with CNN's Paula Hancocks. His first interview since his inauguration.
And Paula Hancocks joins us now from Seoul. And Paula, it does look like he's been trying to kind of leave his mark on the topic of North Korea and in particular Kim Jong-un. What did he say on this?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Isa, it was interesting because he was dismissing really the policy of his predecessor, President Moon Jae-in. Maybe not surprising, as he is in the opposition. But he effectively said that the time of appeasing North Korea over. Saying that some have called it subservient diplomacy. And he said that he believed what had happened over the last five years has been proven to have failed.
Now he is dealing with a potentially imminent ICBM, intercontinental ballistic missile launch from North Korea or potentially a seventh underground nuclear test. And I asked him what his response would be if there was such a nuclear test. To which he said, the response would be stronger and firmer than it has been before. But I also asked him how he changes Kim Jong-un's calculus. This is a North Korean leader with a five-year weapons and military plan. Who appears to have no interest in talking.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) YOON SUK-YEOL, SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT (voice-over): I think the ball is in chairman Kim's court. It is his choice to start a dialogue with us. I do not want North Korea to collapse. My hope is for North Korea to prosper alongside South Korea. I do not believe that enhancing its nuclear capability is helpful in conducive to maintaining international peace and shared prosperity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[04:25:00]
HANCOCKS: President Yoon also showed great interest in joining the new Indo-Pacific economic framework. The Asia economic framework that President Biden has been unveiling. Saying 13 nations are part of that. He also said that he is interested in joining some of accord working groups. Now both of these are considered to be counters to China. China is South Korea's biggest trading partner. So, I asked the president how worried he was that there could be some sort of economic backlash or retaliation against South Korea.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YOON SUK-YEOL: Even if we strengthen our alliance with the United States in security and technology. It does not mean that we think our economic cooperation with China is unimportant. So, I do not believe that it is reasonable for China to be overly sensitive about this matter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANCOCKS: President Yoon also said that as one of the world's leading nations, he believes that China should abide by the rules based international order. But of course, says that order is in flux around the world. President Yoon really has in recent days and in this interview as well, Isa, shown that he is standing firmly, at least for the next five years during his term, next to the United States -- Isa.
SOARES: Paula Hancocks there in Seoul with that exclusive interview. Thanks very much Paula.
Now he's free and back home after being in prison in Russia. In an exclusive interview with CNN. American Trevor Reed describes the Russian government as evil. Here's more as with the U.S. Marine veteran told Jake Tapper after being held in a Russian a psychiatric facility.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Were you afraid for your life?
TREVOR REED, FREED FROM DETENTION IN RUSSIA: I mean, I did not sleep there for a couple of days so I was too worried about, you know, who was in the cell with me to actually sleep.
TAPPER: You thought they might kill you? REED: Yeah. I thought that was a possibility. Actually, I went to knock on the door to give a letter once, and the whole -- all of the prisoners in the cell yelled at me, don't knock on the door. And they said, if you knock on the door, they'll say that you're violent and they'll come in and hold you down and hit you with this sedative and turn you into a zombie.
So that was -- that was a scary situation there. I thought that they were going to try to like, you know, basically chemically disable me from like fighting their court process.
TAPPER: It sounds like had a horror movie.
REED: Yeah. And that's what it was like. Not only because of like the physical, you know -- like conditions in the cell, the prisoners there. That part is scary in itself, but the scarier part is you being under this threat of them just chemically disabling you.
My whole goal there was to fight and resist that whole time, but if someone uses, you know, chemicals to disable you, how can you fight? And that was the scariest part to me was being helpless.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: We will have much more of Trevor Reed's interview with our Jake Tapper on "EARLY START" in the next hour. Did not miss that.
And just ahead, a Baltic country has cut off all Russian energy imports, a milestone towards energy independence from Moscow. What are the consequences though? We'll have a live discussion. And Sweden's bid to join NATO was driven by its own concerns over Russia's war in Ukraine. This has a lot to offer the alliance. We have a live report from Guttenberg after this short break.
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[04:30:00]
