Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

OPEC Agrees to Pump More Oil as Russian Output Drops; President Biden on Gun Violence Epidemic: 'Enough'; U.K. Celebrates 70-Year Reign of Queen Elizabeth; Ukrainians Find Safety in Zaporizhzhia, But Can't Move On; U.S., China Wrestle for Influence in South Pacific. Aired 12-12:45a ET

Aired June 03, 2022 - 00:00   ET

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

JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, I'm John Vause, and wherever you are around the world, thanks for joining us for CNN NEWSROOM.

[00:00:55]

Ahead this hour, 100 days of war. Russia's lightning strike on Kyiv now a war of attrition, with fighting focused in the East of Ukraine for control of the city of Severodonetsk.

After 233 mass shootings this year in the United States, President Joe Biden addresses the nation, calling on Congress to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

And celebrations for 70 years of public service amid growing concerns over Queen Elizabeth's health and doubts over future generations of royals.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with John Vause.

VAUSE: Friday marks day 100 of the war in Ukraine, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reports his forces are holding off a major Russian offensive around Severodonetsk.

Much of the city is in Russian hands, and if it falls, Vladimir Putin and his military will control the entire Luhansk region. Despite heavy losses and slow progress, Russia has continued to gain territory in the East.

President Zelenskyy says the Donbas, which includes Severodonetsk, is simply devastated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): As of now, nearly 20 percent of our territory is under the control of occupiers. Almost 125,000 square kilometers. It is more than the territory of all Binnaluke (ph) countries together. Nearly 300,000 square kilometers are polluted with mines and unexploded ordinance.

(END VIDEO CLIP) VAUSE: According to a senior Ukrainian military official, there are no immediate plans to withdraw from Severodonetsk. And President Zelenskyy says more than 30,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the start of the invasion. CNN cannot independently verify that claim, but it does echo an earlier report from British intelligence.

Ukraine's military also reporting heavy fighting North of Sloviansk, with Russian shelling almost every minute. The orthodox church of Ukraine says three months were killed by Russian strikes on a town nearby.

OPEC has announced an increase in oil production in response to falling output from Russia because of Western sanctions. The cartel will boost supply by almost 650,000 barrels a day in July and August.

The announcement initially sent oil prices higher, but right now, you can see they're down a touch, with Brent Crude fairly flat and WTI Crude looking about a quarter of a point down.

Well, the U.S. is praising Saudi Arabia for OPEC's decision. Some analysts believe it could lead to improved relations between the two countries, with both leaders set to meet later this month.

We have more now on OPEC's decision from CNN's Clare Sebastian.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The decision by OPEC to compress the next three months of planned oil production increases into two months was a carefully-constructed compromise.

On the one hand, by not exempting Russia from producing its share of the planned increases, as had been reported, it's keeping Russia in the OPEC-plus fold.

And on the other hand, this does also give the U.S. some of what it wanted. The Biden ministration has, over the past few months, been engaged in intense diplomatic efforts to convince Saudi Arabia, OPEC's de facto leader, to pump more oil to help ease price increases for consumers.

That, of course, as the United States faces record high gas prices.

The White House praised Saudi Arabia in a statement Thursday, saying, "We recognize the role of Saudi Arabia as the chair of OPEC+ and its largest producer and achieving this consensus amongst the group members."

But on the other hand, experts say this may not actually ease oil prices much. One, because Russian production is already down by a million barrels a day, according to Reuters. That's because of Western sanctions.

And that's even without the E.U. embargo agreed this week. So 648,000 barrels a day doesn't really make up that shortfall. And clearly, with production falling, Russia clearly can't raise production to meet the new quotas. And therefore, OPEC+, as a whole, is likely to overshoot its planned increases.

Still, after months of staying the course, this was overall a significant turnaround and perhaps part of a reset in U.S.-Saudi relations.

[00:05:07]

Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Joining me now from Boston, Massachusetts, is global economistm Megan Greene, a senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School for Business and Government.

Thank you for being with us. There are growing warnings out there about this perfect storm on the horizon, with regards to energy, with the head of the International Energy Agency telling "Der Spiegel" magazine, "Now we have an oil crisis, a gas crisis and an electricity crisis at the same time. This energy crisis is much bigger than the oil crises of the 1970s and 1980s. And it will probably last longer."

So add to this slowing economies, high inflation, in some cases stagflation. What does the next six months look like from now?

MEGAN GREENE, SENIOR FELLOW, HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL FOR BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT: So I think the next six months, across the developed world, does involve pretty weak growth and really high inflation. Not just because of energy costs, but also because of, you know, China's zero-COVID policy.

Food costs are really high, as well, and will continue to rise, particularly as Russia is the world's biggest fertilizer exporters, so yields will be low. So we'll have high inflation for the next six months, for sure.

VAUSE: So obviously, a lot of this relates to the oil output. So this announcement from OPEC to increase production, will that make much of a difference?

GREENE: So it should help. The E.U. has just announced an oil embargo. But most important, it's announced that it will crack down on the shipping of Russian oil, and also insurance of Russian oil.

And what we saw with an Iranian oil embargo was that, when you went after insurers in particular, that really took those barrels of oil off the market.

And so I think we're seeing the same thing in this case with Russia. The E.U.'s embargo, because it includes shippers and insurers, will take those barrels off the market. And that means oil prices are going to go up everywhere. The only thing that can offset that is if we increase the supply from

somewhere. And so this announcement from OPEC should help on the margin in that sense. But it probably won't offset the impact of the E.U. oil embargo.

VAUSE: OK, so with the economic outlook in mind, the secretary-general of NATO met with the U.S. president at the White House. And he warned about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. It's a long way from over. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL: Wars are by nature unpredictable. And therefore, we just have to be prepared for the long haul, because what we see is that this war has now become a war of attrition.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: A war of attrition. It could go for months, some say maybe years. And considering the economic outlook, how much pressure will there now be on European unity because of this bad economic outlook?

GREENE: Yes. So if Europe is looking at stagflation, that's -- that's a nightmare scenario. As energy costs and food costs continue to rise, there's going to be a real income squeeze on regular people. There already is, to be clear, but the longer this lasts, the more they'll be feeling that.

And so there might be some growing opposition to all of the measures, all of the sanctions on Russia.

That being said, Europe has gotten a real shock. They've gotten the message that they absolutely cannot be reliant on Russia for energy. And also that Russia is an unpredictable player. And they -- that Europe needs to beef up its own defense.

So if the war ended tomorrow, that lesson has already been learned. And I think that Europe will probably continue to pursue the green transition over the medium to long term and will continue to beef up spending on security.

VAUSE: I've also heard from the U.S. president, warning that the economic problems we have right now will be with us for some time, and there's no easy fix. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's a lot going on right now. But the idea we're going to be able to, you know, a quick switch, bring down the cost of gasoline is not likely in the near term. Nor is it with regard to food.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: So Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, seems to be betting that the Russians can endure a lot more economic pain than the West, and the unity, which has held for the most part among European leaders, you know, will likely start to crumble over a short period of time, I guess.

So wouldn't that now make a case for hitting Moscow with the equivalent of shock and awe economic pain? You know, force the Kremlin into negotiations now, rather than later?

GREENE: In economic terms, I think we have done most of what we can possibly do. Due diligence will be incredibly strict, I think, in terms of ensuring that companies comply with these sanctions.

And as a result, we're seeing that countries that actually haven't signed up to these sanctions have companies that are upholding them anyhow, for fear of secondary sanctions, particularly from the U.S.

So I think the plan has been maximum economic pain. The thing is, is that sanctions won't kick in immediately, because contracts have already been signed. Some of them are longer term. They've already been paid for.

I don't think that the real brunt of the sanctions will kick in until the third quarter of this year. So it just takes a little while.

[00:10:05]

But I do think that we are going imposing a lot of economic pain on Russia, while we then go ahead and try to work through diplomatic and back channels to see what sort of resolution to this conflict we can find.

VAUSE: Megan, thank you so much. Megan Greene, appreciate you being with us.

GREENE: My pleasure.

VAUSE: The day after the 233rd mass shooting this year in the United States, President Joe Biden used a primetime national address to ask how much more carnage are Americans willing to accept.

He's calling on Congress to ban assault weapons and short of that, raise the purchase age from 18 to 21. Yes, in the U.S., 18-year-olds can't buy booze. They can't buy a hand gun, but they can buy a semiautomatic.

President Biden also wants stronger background checks, as well as so- called, red flag laws. And he pointed to a reason study by the CDC which found guns the leading cause of death among children, more than car accidents; more than cancer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: Over the last two decades, more school-age children have died from guns than on-duty police officers and active-duty military combined. Think about that. More kids than on-duty cops killed by guns. More kids than soldiers killed by guns, for God's sake! How much more carnage are we willing to accept? How many more innocent American lives must be taken before we say enough? Enough?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: While opinion polls show a clear majority of Americans favor stricter gun laws, it remains an open question if the emotional appeal by President Biden will convince Republican senators of the urgent need to act.

CNN's Kaitlan Collins reports now from the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. President Biden delivering this rare evening address at the White House, but it came after he was briefed on three separate shootings within just three weeks.

And the president clearly fed up with the violence that he's seeing taking place in the United States, after coming face to face with a lot of the victims' families. The president using the word "enough" several times throughout his speech, saying it was enough carnage that has happened, that there is time for change. And where he thought that change should happen is in Washington.

And you saw the president repeating a lot of the lines he's drawn before when it comes to guns, saying that there should be a ban on assault weapons, calling for universal background checks, new red flag laws. Also, gun safety storage laws. Talking about that aspect, as well, which is something that has been part of those negotiations on Capitol Hill.

But you also sense a part of realism in the president's remarks. Because when he talked about this ban on assault weapons that he wants to see reinstated, you also saw the president say, if that's not going to happen, they should at least raise the age at which you can purchase one of those assault weapons from 18 to 21.

The president even pushing back on criticism that you've heard from Senate Republicans as recently as this week, saying, Well, it's different because they can be 18 years old and in the military.

The president said he views that differently, because those, of course, are 18-year-olds who are trained by some of the best people in the military on how to use those weapons. And it's a different dynamic, he argued.

And of course, his audience here was not just talking about what American -- the American people have been through, seeing this violence, seeing this carnage, but also those negotiators on Capitol Hill.

As the president was using the words that victims' families in Texas, in Uvalde, Texas, had used to him, the words "Do something," he was saying he was giving that message to Congress.

Kaitlan Collins, CNN, the White House. (END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: New details are emerging about the mass shooting at a hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which left two doctors, a receptionist, and a patient dead.

Police named the gunman as Michael Louis and say he was armed with an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle, which he legally purchased from a gun store the same day, as well as a pistol he bought from a pawn shop on Sunday.

Louis had back surgery a few weeks ago, complained of ongoing pain, which he'd sought further treatment. But then on Wednesday, he entered a physician's building and shot dead his surgeon, Dr. Preston Phillips. Police explained the likely motive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF WENDELL FRANKLIN, TULSA POLICE DEPARTMENT: We have also found a letter on the suspect, which made it clear that he came in with the intent to kill Dr. Phillips and anyone who got in his way. He blamed Dr. Phillips for the ongoing pain following the surgery.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: These are the faces of the other victims who may have gotten in his way. From the left, William Love, a patient at the clinic. Along with Dr. Phillips, the gunman killed receptionist Amanda Glenn; as well as Dr. Stephanie Husen on the far right, who was a sports and internal medicine specialist.

The Tulsa shooting comes as more of the 21 victims of last week's elementary school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, are being laid to rest. More questions are being raised about the police response and who was actually receiving information about what was happening inside the school.

[00:15:10]

CNN's Ed Lavandera has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As families mourn, the investigation and search for answers deepens into the delayed police response to the mass shooting in Uvalde.

ROLAND GUTIERREZ (D), TEXAS STATE SENATOR: I want to know specifically who was receiving the 9-1-1 calls.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Texas state senator, Roland Gutierrez, is raising questions. He says he was told by the Commission on State Emergency Communications that 9-1-1 calls were directed to the city police, and it's unclear if that crucial information was relayed to the school district's police chief, who was the incident commander. GUTIERREZ: Uvalde P.D. was the one receiving the 9-1-1 calls for 45

minutes, while officers were sitting in a hallway for -- 19 officers were sitting in a hallway for 45 minutes. We don't know if it was being communicated to those people or not.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): The Uvalde Police Department and the Commission on Emergency Communications have not yet responded to CNN's request for comment.

Local officials continue to dodge questions, including district attorney Christina Mitchell Busbee, who wouldn't speak to CNN this morning, escorted to her car by security.

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: There's a lot of information that needs to come out.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): This, as new details emerge about a fourth- grade teacher at Robb Elementary, who was on the phone with her husband, an officer with the school district's police department, before she died.

"The New York Times" is reporting that Eva Mireles was in her classroom with the shooter, speaking to her husband, as he was forced to wait outside the building with his unit.

"She's in the classroom and he's outside. It's terrifying," Uvalde County Judge Bill Mitchell, who spoke with deputies, tells the paper. Mitchell told "The Times" he doesn't know exactly what was said or if her husband shared any details about the call to his supervisor in charge of the scene.

But as the communication and decision making by police is called into question, this conversation suggests at least one person had access to real-time information from an adult in the classroom.

It took responders 80 minutes to enter the classroom from the time they received the first call.

Uvalde's mayor, Don McLaughlin, says he rushed to the staging site the day of the shooting and was placed in a room with someone he referred to as a negotiator, who he says, tried to call the gunman, but did not get through.

DON MCLAUGHLIN, UVALDE MAYOR: I wasn't there at the initial, but at the moment, in that classroom, they were trying to get numbers and call. They tried these -- every number they could find.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): McLaughlin does not believe the negotiator was aware of any 9-1-1 phone calls from inside the classroom.

MCLAUGHLIN: While I was there, you know, I did not hear the 9-1-1 calls. I can assure you, had we been aware of it, or I would have been aware of it, I would have been screaming.

LAVANDERA: The Texas Department of Public Safety says it will no longer answer questions about the investigation, directing all questions to the prosecutors here in Uvalde. But as you've seen, they're not talking.

State Senator Roland Gutierrez says he's hoping to get an updated report from state investigators on Friday. But it's not clear that that's going to happen. And the senator says he's worried that there's a push to delay release of information in the hopes that attention on this story passes.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, Uvalde, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE Still ahead, Britain's Queen Elizabeth makes a very visible public appearance to mark the start of celebrations for her Platinum Jubilee. But the monarch will miss the main event on Friday's celebration. We'll tell you why when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:20:44]

VAUSE: A once-in-a-generation celebration is underway across the U.K. and the commonwealth, marking the 70-year-long reign of Queen Elizabeth, the first British monarch to be honored with a Platinum Jubilee.

The 96-year-old appeared in good spirits Thursday while watching the traditional Trooping of the Color. But the palace later announced that her majesty was suffering some discomfort and, because of mobility issues, would not be attending the national service of thanksgiving, set to begin a few hours from now.

We get more details from CNN's Max Foster.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A monumental moment in history, one we won't see again in our lifetimes. Queen Elizabeth II marks 70 years of service and just a couple of years away from being the longest reigning monarch in world history.

To the awe and joy of thousands of her supporters who came from all corners of the globe to witness this once-in-a-lifetime event.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just love the queen. She's served so selflessly for the last 70 years, dedicated her life to the country. I'm so grateful to her for that and so proud of her, you know. So, I just wanted to come over and say thank you, really. So this is me just saying thank you to her for her service.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's a once-in-a-generation type of event, and to be able to be here is just amazing. And I can tell you, the appetite back in the U.S. for not only this celebration, but the royal family, is through the roof.

FOSTER: A special trooping off the color military ceremony kicking off the four-day-long celebration. And even Seamus, the mascot dog of the Irish Guards.

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, are the first royals to arrive, with the queen's great-grandchildren. Closely followed by Princess Anne, Prince William, and Prince Charles. The heir to the throne stepping in for the queen at the parade ground, as he will each time she's unable to attend an event due to her mobility issues.

All part of the gradual transition to his monarchy that comes next.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson amongst the guests, nicknaming her Elizabeth the Great. Indeed, the queen of 15 nations, her jubilee was also commemorated across the commonwealth, with the lighting of beacons in New Zealand, Fiji, and India.

But the event was also marked by the absence from the symbolic balcony appearance of Prince Andrew, Prince Harry and Meghan, no longer working royals, and Prince Andrew having contracted COVID.

And despite concerns about her state of health, the queen beams during the flypast with her loyal subjects cheering her every move. Perhaps the same can't be said for her great-grandchildren. Their presence also a symbol of the passing of the baton.

One that was passed to her back in 1953, and now, she's preparing to hand the baton to her next in line.

Max Foster, CNN, Buckingham Palace.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: And with us now from Los Angeles is journalist and royal expert Sandro Monetti. He's also the deputy chairperson of the Royal Society of St. George of California.

OK. Let's get straight to it, Sandro. It was a big day of celebration. It seems it might have taken a toll on Queen Elizabeth. The palace issuing this statement: "The queen greatly enjoyed today's birthday parade and flypast but did experience some discomfort. Taking into account the journey and activity required to participate in tomorrow's National Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul's Cathedral, Her Majesty with great reluctance has concluded that she will not attend."

It was notable that the queen was seen using a cane for the first time at a major event. It also seems these celebrations are putting her age and her health under the spotlight. So how much is that pain over all these four days?

SANDRO MONETTI, JOURNALIST/ROYAL EXPERT: Well, it seems it was all too much for her, that day of excitement. And let's hope that Friday she can get a day of rest and be back for the events to come on Saturday and Sunday, as well.

I mean, the queen is 96. She's had recent health issues. But you know, we really hope she can make it here. But it's funny you mentioned her missing the -- the service there.

Prince Andrew also missing the service, having gone down with COVID. And the Archbishop of Canterbury has got COVID, as well, which means that the second senior bishop in the Church of England, the Archbishop of York, will deliver the sermon at Friday's event.

[00:25:21]

So lots of changes to the plan and the seating order, and again, I guess the focus now goes on Meghan and Harry. Where will they be seated in St. Paul's?

VAUSE: Well, it's expected they may take up a more visible role, I guess, in the days to come. But one thing is notable here -- and we'll get to Prince Andrew in a moment. But the queen has actually spoken about not being around forever, because to many of -- she's been a constant for so many people around the world. And that was noted by former U.S. President Barack Obama.

Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Your steadfast stewardship of one of our most important democracies has made the world safer and more prosperous through war and peace, times of adversity, and times of prosperity. Your life has been a gift, not just to the United Kingdom, but to the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Even those who -- critics of the monarchy, they do acknowledge that this sense of public duty has always been there. But there doesn't seem to be a lot of confidence in the next generation of royals and that sense of public duty.

MONETTI: Obama, one of 14 U.S. presidents to meet the queen. She has also held audiences with 14 prime ministers. What that gives is a lifetime of experience, statesmanship, and wisdom.

But yes, Prince Charles, his popularity ratings are considerably lower than the queen. He will be getting a much more visible role this weekend.

But you know, he looked pretty grumpy up there on the balcony. Certainly could have taken a lesson from Prince Louis. The royal family have been criticized a lot for not showing much emotion, so maybe Prince Charles, you know, could put a smile on over the next couple of days and boost his popularity rating.

VAUSE: Well, he was lucky to be included on the balcony, because it was only working members of the royal family who were invited to appear with Her Majesty. And that excluded Prince Andrew, who as it so happens, has COVID.

Does anyone really believe he has COVID and he's in quarantine? MONETTI: Well, on social media, a lot of people seem to think this is

-- this is very convenient but unfortunate at the same time.

The whole thing is not to overshadow the queen. That's certainly the message that Meghan and Harry seem to have gotten so far, loud and clear. And the Prince Andrew problem, if we want to call it, has certainly been taken care of because of -- because of that.

But -- and Prince Charles has a vision for a more streamlined monarchy. So what we saw on the balcony was his proposal that the royal family in the future will just be like a smaller group, rather than a larger one, you know, of the working royals.

So we are starting to see, in a small way, the transition to Charles. But it's going to be very difficult. I mean, you see the love all around the world for the queen. If this proves nothing else, it's that she's a tough act to follow.

VAUSE: Indeed. And people say no good ever came of COVID.

Sandro, thanks very much. We appreciate it.

MONETTI: God save the queen.

VAUSE: Absolutely. Thank you.

We'll take a short break, but when we come back, they escaped Russian shelling, only to be stuck living in their cars with nowhere else to go. Their story in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:31:00]

VAUSE: Thirty-one minutes past the hour. I'm John Vause, and you're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukrainian troops have held back Russian attempts in the South to advance on Zaporizhzhia. The city is not far from Russian-held territory. It's been a safe haven for many Ukrainians who have been fleeing the worst of the fighting.

For some who made that journey, they're now living in their cars and have nowhere else to go. CNN's Melissa Bell has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Alive and safe. But stuck in Zaporizhzhia.

Some of the families that fled the Russian bombings of Southern Ukraine. Others have just found themselves on the wrong side of a line that has hardened. Some of these families now living in their cars have been here for weeks. Arlena Babbatt (ph) came from the Black Sea town of Siedove (ph) the

bad medicine for her elderly parents. She's now living with others in the open air.

"Look," she says, "he's just had surgery. My husband's without a leg. This grandmother is recovering from a stroke."

"I can hardly sit," she says. "My legs are swollen. Can I just get back to Kherson, or is this some kind of cruel joke? Please, just let me die in Kherson, at home."

Some of the families bringing their anger to Zaporizhzhia's regional administrative building.

ALEXEI ISMAILOV (ph), FLED MARIUPOL: What's the problem? Why?

BELL (voice-over): Like Alexei Ismailov (ph), who fled Mariupol with his wife but has had no contact with the rest of his family for three months.

ISMAILOV (ph): They still stay in Mariupol. And during three months, I don't have any contact. What happened with my father, with my sister? I'd like to come back and help. I'd like bring them to Ukrainian (ph).

BELL (voice-over): Marino Notanova, who's in charge of social services for the greater Zaporizhzhia region, says humanitarian aid has been hard to bring because her teams to the South of the city are now without communications.

She tells us that it will also be necessary to tell those trying to return of the dangers they face.

"It's very dangerous there," she says. "So this will be discussed with them at this new filtration camp, to find out why they want to go and whether they understand the risks."

She says that beyond the water already being provided here, there will soon be a medical center, showers and a room for mothers and children.

For now, these families wait. Just hungry to get home.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Zaporizhzhia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: And if you would like to help the people of Ukraine, who are in need shelter, food and water, millions are displaced right now. Others are refugees. So please go to CNN.com/impact, and there you can find several ways to help.

Well, a geopolitical battle for influence still ahead as Beijing faces off with Washington and tries to bring the South Pacific under its sphere of influence. Some island nations are now caught in the middle.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:36:25]

VAUSE: In a game of geopolitical chess in the South Pacific, China just came up short in the latest round. This week, Beijing filled in this latest attempt to extend its influence in the region, outplayed by the United States and Australia.

For more now, CNN's senior international correspondent Ivan Watson joins us from Hong Kong. What are the details?

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: John, we're watching this very interesting scene play out right now. Foreign ministers from two rival countries, Australia and China, on these kind of parallel itineraries, traveling around Pacific island nations, both scrambling to try to secure influence in a part of the world that a lot of Western countries, analysts argue, were kind of neglecting and ignoring in recent years.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WATSON (voice-over): To many outsiders, island nations in the South Pacific are a tropical paradise, exotic and remote. And yet, the focus of intense diplomatic activity from China, part of a Chinese push for influence that's turning the Blue Pacific Continent into a zone of geopolitical competition between China and its Western rivals.

WATSON: China's foreign minister has been leading a delegation on a whirlwind, 10-day tour across the South Pacific, meeting face-to-face or virtually with officials from at least 11 different Pacific island nations. Most of these countries' entire populations are dwarfed by even a small Chinese city.

WANG YI, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): Don't be too anxious. Don't be too nervous, because the common developments of the prosperity of China and all other developing countries would only mean greater harmony, greater justice, and greater prosperity of the whole world.

WATSON (voice-over): The last time great powers competed in the South Pacific was World War II, when the U.S. and its allies fought a grinding island-hopping military campaign against Japan.

Since the war, many Pacific islands still have close ties to the U.S. and its Western allies. But in March, that status quo shaken, with the leak of a secret security agreement between China and the Solomon Islands, signed the following month. It allows the Solomon's government to call for help from Chinese police and armed forces.

In May, the release of another proposed document, the Chinese Pacific Island Countries Common Development Vision, a sweeping vision slammed by the president of the Federated States of Micronesia.

In this letter, he accuses China of offering "attractive economic assistance," as part of a bid to take control of security, communications infrastructure and fisheries in the islands.

Just days after being sworn into her new job, Australia's foreign minister rushed to shore up Western support for the region.

PENNY WONG, AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: And Australia will be a partner. It doesn't come with strings attached, nor imposing unsustainable financial burdens. We're a partner that won't erode Pacific priorities or Pacific institutions.

WATSON (voice-over): During his visit, China's foreign minister refused to take questions from independent journalists.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No questions will be asked at this press conference.

WATSON (voice-over): Prompting a boycott from reporters in the Solomon Islands, like Dorothy Wickham.

DOROTHY WICKHAM SOLOMON ISLANDS JOURNALIST: We want our government to remember that we were a democratic society. I mean, they are in Parliament, voted indemocratically by other people. And if they want to go around signing agreements with foreign powers, then at least our people should be informed.

[00:40:08]

WATSON (voice-over): Meanwhile, the prime minister of Fiji has a warning.

FRANK BAINIMARAMA, FIJIAN PRIME MINISTER: Geopolitical point scoring means less than little than little anyone whose community is slipping beneath the rising seas, whose job has been lost to a pandemic.

On Monday, Chinese diplomats backtracked, offering a softened vision of Chinese influence in the Pacific. Expect more visits from high- level delegations in the

Chinese diplomats backtracked, offering the Chinese diplomats backtracked, offering the softened vision of Chinese influence in the Pacific. Expect more visits from high-level delegations in the months ahead, as foreign governments scramble to secure influence in the South Pacific.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WATSON: So, you have this newly-appointed Australian foreign minister in power less than two weeks in her job, and she's on her second trip now to Pacific island nations, Samoa and Tonga.

And perhaps the biggest thing that Canberra is bringing to the table, with his newly-elected Australian government, is a promise to -- a pledge to act on climate change, which the previous Conservative government in Australia was not participating in, not cooperating with, which I think many Pacific island leaders argue is an existential threat to their island nations.

As for the U.S., it's been accused of kind of neglecting this era -- area. For example, the U.S. has had its embassy in Solomon Islands downgraded to a consulate since 1993. This year, Washington announcing that it will try to upgrade, reopen an embassy-level diplomatic mission there.

Meanwhile, China touting its 100 aid projects in this largely impoverished region, with scholarships and infrastructure projects. And that's the kind of competition we're seeing in these small island nations -- John.

VAUSE: It's good to be wanted, I guess. Ivan, thank you. Ivan Watson reporting for us there from Hong Kong.

Well, thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause. Please stay with us. WORLD SPORT starts after the break. But we leave you this hour with more from the queen's Platinum Jubilee. Buckingham Palace pulled out all the stops on Thursday, to mark Her Majesty's seven- decade-long reign.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[00:45:20]

(WORLD SPORT)