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U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson to Face Vote of Confidence Monday; South Korea and U.S. Launch 8 Missiles in Response to North Korea; Three Dead and Eleven Wounded After Shooting in Philadelphia; Congressional Lawmakers Negotiate Bipartisan Gun Reform; Putin Sends Threat About Long-Range Missile Deliveries; Weighing the Potential for a Ceasefire in Ukraine. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired June 06, 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]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and around the world. I'm Max Foster in London. We're following breaking news this hour. And it is about the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He's going to face a vote of confidence here in the U.K. Parliament later today. It's just been announced. It comes amid a backlash of parties held at Downing Street during COVID lockdowns. But also, a huge amount of tensions in his own party about the way he's handling the cost of living crisis. Downing Street says Mr. Johnson welcomes the opportunity to make his case. Here's the British MP and chairman of the 1922 committee Graham Brady who's in charge of collating the letters that pushed for this vote.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRAHAM BRADY, 1922 COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: I notified the Prime Minister yesterday that the threshold had been reached, and we agreed the timetable for a confidence vote to take place. And he shared my view, which is also in line with the rules that we have in place, that that vote should happen as soon as could reasonably take place, and that would be today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Quentin Peel, associate fellow at the European Program at Chatham House. He joins me now. Thank you so much for joining us, Quentin. Though not a complete surprise, and as we understand it this announcement was delayed so as not to interrupt with the Jubilee Celebrations. Just explain what happens now. There will be a vote. What needs to happen in the vote for Boris to go if that's what the MPs want?

QUENTIN PEEL, ASSOCIATE FELLOW, EUROPEAN PROGRAM FOR CHATHAM HOUSE: Well, the truth is it's not absolutely cut and dried that he has to lose the vote to go. If it's a clear rejection by enough members of the Conservative Party, he would be very seriously weakened. Having said which, I suspect that the luck of Boris Johnson is still out there that this vote is actually a bit early for the rebels to really get rid of him now. Because he's got two potentially very damaging local bi-elections looming in a couple of weeks' time. And if he loses those very badly, it might have been toast for him. Actually, he's going to get this vote over and done with today and he might just get away with it, but he'll be damaged. That's the danger.

FOSTER: So, for him to either win or lose, it's 180 MPs. Isn't it? That's the magic number. So, he needs the support of 180 MPs. He's got well over 100 on the government payroll. So presumably they are more likely to support him. And if you look at that, he's unlikely to lose the vote currently?

PEEL: Yes, I agree. He's unlikely to see 180 vote against him. But say 150 voted against him. He would be very badly damaged in these circumstances. So, I think that it's not going to be an easy process to get over, and I think this won't resolve everything tonight. The fate of Boris Johnson is still hanging in the balance. And it's an extraordinary situation where the country has just come through this four days of great celebration of the Queen of England, the trusted figure. But at the same time there is a Prime Minister who is really dangling and is booed going into St. Paul's Cathedral. He looks really in trouble.

FOSTER: I was at the concert on Saturday night as well, and when he arrived, he was booed heavily there as well. It says so much, doesn't it, about the divisiveness around him. Some cheers as well, has to be said. But to clarify what happens if he loses the vote tonight. So, if more than 180 MPs vote against Boris Johnson tonight, that doesn't mean that he has to resign? Or you know, what happens from there?

PEEL: Well, I think the Conservative Party has to straight away set up the process of electing a new leader. I think he would have to go, really, immediately. I don't think that he would hang around if he lost that vote. But Boris Johnson has surprised us all in the past. He's a man who never quits willingly, so I suppose he could hang on.

[04:05:00]

But I think that really it would be inevitable the Conservative Party would immediately go into the process of electing a new leader, and that's not an immediate process. We don't even have clear candidates who are standing there. But because the very strange situation we're in is that there are no clear alternative teams up and running. Nobody really wants this to happen, but at the same time, nobody on the back benches of the Conservative Party wants to drag this process out with a losing figure as Prime Minister. That's the danger they face.

FOSTER: OK, Quentin, it's going to be a very interesting day. Thank you very much for joining us. That vote will be between 6:00 and 8:00 local time, probably 1:00 to 3:00 Eastern in the afternoon. Then the announcement of the result will be shortly after that.

Now to South Korea's show of defiance against the North. South Korea, and the U.S. launched eight surface to surface missiles earlier Monday as a direct response to Pyongyang's launch of eight short range ballistic missiles on Sunday. The U.S. also conducted joint ballistic missile defense exercises with Japanese forces. Both actions sending a clear message to North Korea the region is ready to act if threatened.

CNN's Ivan Watson joins me live from Hong Kong. How are you reading all of the optics of these exercises -- Ivan.

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Max, there are no known direct communications right now between the newly elected South Korean government and the North Korean government, nor between the Biden administration and Pyongyang. And so, in the absence of a dialogue we see this very different unusual method of communication, tit-for-tat missile launches.

North Korea fires eight short range ballistic missiles on the morning of Sunday from four different locations across Korea. And less than 24 hours later the U.S. and South Korea, two close military allies, announced that they have fired their own eight missiles. And you're seeing the footage that they released. These were fired off before dawn on Monday.

It's not the first time that the U.S. and South Korea have response -- responded to North Korea's missile launches that have increased in frequency over the course of the last year with their own missile launches. What is different is hearing about a bilateral ballistic missile defense exercise that the U.S. and Japan conducted on Sunday hours after the North Korean launch.

If you want to kind of, see where things are headed right now, look at this list of North Korea's missile launches this year alone. This is the 17th launch. So, you can see the military activity there, all of which is presumably banned according to the United Nations Security Council resolutions levied against North Korea.

Then take a broader look, Max, and look at North Korea's ballistic missile activity over the course of the past several years. We haven't hit the peak of 2019, and that's when Donald Trump was the U.S. president and was engaging in historic face to face diplomacy with the North Korean dictator. But definitely you're on an upswing for North Korean activity. But Kim Jong-un is facing new adversaries. The Biden administration and a newly elected conservative South Korean president who is vowing to stand strong against what he describes as North Korean provocations -- Max.

FOSTER: In Hong Kong, thank you.

CNN has confirmed that since Friday, at least nine mass shootings in the U.S. have killed 12 people and wounded at least 59 others. The nonprofit Gun Violence Archives says so far this year, the U.S. has seen at least 246 mass shootings. Defined as an incident where, at least four people are shot excluding the shooter.

In South Carolina this weekend, a shooting at a graduation party killed one person and wounded at least seven others. Meanwhile, parts of Philadelphia are under curfew right now in the wake of Saturday's deadly violence. CNN's Polo Sandoval has that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, by Sunday, there was certainly a sense of normalcy that was restored in Philadelphia's South Street neighborhood. But over the weekend, a series of nonrelated shootings, one of the most notable left three people dead and 11 people injured. Investigators say it all started late Saturday night as just a scuffle that quickly turned into a shootout. Philadelphia police nearby saying that they managed to engage with one of the suspects and even wound him causing him to drop his firearm and then flee. So, investigators are now hoping to track him down.

But when everything was said and done, three people were killed, two men and a woman and 11 people injured or wounded. Their ages ranging from 17-years-old to 69. The broader issue of gun violence we heard from the police commissioner addressing that. She has seen a steep increase in the number of shootings that we've seen, not just here in Philadelphia but throughout the country.

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The police commissioner calling that not just horrendous, but also unacceptable.

DANIELLE OUTLAW, PHILADELPHIA POLICE COMMISSIONER: These incidents have an exponential effect on our community. And it not only impacts the individual that's been directly victimized, but it victimizes their loved ones, their families and their neighbors. Neighborhoods all over the world. It's unacceptable. It's beyond unacceptable. And we're still using every resource available to get to the bottom of what occurred, not just out there last night, but behind this gun violence in this city period.

SANDOVAL: Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw saying that they will continue to maintain a police presence throughout the community. But they are certainly, still calling on hopefully more resources to help them, expecting that this increase is likely to continue. But ultimately when you hear from officials here on the ground, they are hoping for a legislative solution when it comes to the issue of gun violence.

Polo Sandoval, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Chattanooga, Tennessee, is coping after its second mass shooting in as many weekends. Police say gunfire killed two people and wounded at least 14, while a third person was killed and three others were injured by cars attempting to flee the scene. Authorities believe multiple shooters using several types of firearms were involved. Police haven't detained any suspects this time, but the mayor says they'll be relentless in their pursuit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIM KELLY, CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE MAYOR: And while we're still gathering the facts in this case, we know that many of the recent acts of violence in our community have revolved around a very small group of people, often the same people over and over again. Here's my message to those individuals. We will relentlessly pursue you with all the resources we have at our disposal from forensics to federal support, we will not stop until you are in police custody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: The Chief of Uvalde, Texas, says many police officers and emergency dispatchers are taking days off work. City officials said no one is being punished. The officers are simply getting days off and much needed rest and many others remain working. This as officials in Uvalde continue to avoid questions about the mass shooting at Robb Elementary. CNN's Nick Valencia reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Nearly two weeks since the shooting and officials here have yet to offer a full explanation for the inaction of police that day at Robb Elementary. Reached by phone over the week, the local district attorney here hung up on CNN, though she has been tasked with answering the media's questions, she said she's not commenting at this time.

It was earlier that Texas Department of Public Safety stopped taking the media's questions while the community here is broken and fractured by what happened here. They have yet to get the answers they are looking for. I did speak by phone to a former city council man here Rogelio Munoz who says, while there were mistakes made that day by the local police, he does believe the Texas Department of Public Safety has some blame to share in this. This is part of what he said to me in his phone call.

Ask yourself, DPS responded fairly quickly, too. You have a local police force with four or five people. Don't you think that there's a hierarchy of command that happens when more experienced people show up? Arredondo made mistakes that day, but he is not the only one.

On Monday DHS Secretary Mayorkas will visit Uvalde. And it is on Wednesday where victims from Uvalde as well as the shooting in Buffalo will visit Washington, D.C. where they are expected to testify in front of a House Committee to underline the human cost of the epidemic of gun violence the country is going through.

Nick Valencia, CNN, Uvalde, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Well, according to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been at least 246 mass shootings in just the last six months of the year. That's almost just as much as all of 2014 which had 272. The U.S. is currently averaging more than one mass shooting a day. But those aren't just shootings, but mass shootings, incidents where at least four people have been shot, not including the shooter.

Live pictures here of Capitol Hill. The U.S. House of Representatives will hold a hearing on gun violence on Wednesday. Some of the speakers will include survivors and family members of victims of recent mass shootings. It comes as a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers are cautiously expressing optimism about finding common ground on gun reform.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): I've never been part of negotiations as serious as these. There are more Republicans at the table talking about changing our gun laws and investing in mental health than at any time since Sandy Hook. Now, I've also been part of many failed negotiations in the past so I'm sober minded about our chances.

We are talking about a meaningful change in our gun laws, a major investment in mental health, perhaps money for school security that would make a difference. On the table is red flag laws, changes to our background check system to improve the existing system, a handful of other items that will make a difference.

[04:15:00]

Can we get there by the end of next week, as Senator Schumer has requested? I don't know. But as late as last night, we were engaged in conversations about trying to put a package together. Because I think Republicans realize how scared parents and kids are across this country. I think they realize that this time cannot be nothing. That it's frankly a test of democracy. It's a test of the federal government as to whether we can deliver at a moment of just fierce anxiety amongst the American public. So, we're closer than we've ever before. Let's see if we land it.

SEN. PAT TOOMEY (R-PA): I think Republicans have been very consistently supporters of Second Amendment rights. Republican voters expect Republicans to defend the Second Amendment. I think there is a place to land that's consistent with the Second Amendment as I've been advocating for expanding background checks, by the way. I think encouraging states to have some kind of red flag laws could make sense as long as there is adequate due process. I think there are school safety provisions, there are mental health issues we could address. So, there are things we could do that are constructive that are consistent with Republican values.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Senator Chris Murphy you just heard from there would not directly say whether raising the legal age to buy an assault-style gun is on the table. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer tells CNN he wants to see a deal this week on new gun policies.

The U.S. isn't the only nation dealing with mass shooting crises. Just ahead, gunman attacked a Catholic Church in Nigeria killing dozens. Details just ahead.

Plus, as Russians renew their offensive in the east, Vladimir Putin issues an ominous new threat about arming Ukraine.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:20:00]

FOSTER: Recapping our breaking news this hour. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will face a vote of confidence in the U.K. Parliament later today. It's actually in the committee room away from the main chambers and it comes amid a backlash for parties held at Downing Street during the COVID lockdowns, also concern about how he's handling the cost of living crisis. Downing Street says Mr. Johnson welcomes the opportunity to make his case. Here's British MP and chairman of the 1992 Graham Brady speaking about the vote earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRAHAM BRADY, 1922 COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: The threshold of 15 percent of the parliamentary party seeking a vote of confidence in the Prime Minister has been passed. Therefore, a vote of confidence will take place within the rules of the 1922 Committee, that vote will take place this evening in the House of Commons between 6:00 and 8:00, and we will announce the result shortly thereafter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Meanwhile, Ukraine says President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has visited the war-torn east of the country as the battle for the Donbas grinds on. On Sunday Mr. Zelenskyy reportedly visited frontline troops near the critical city of Severodonetsk where fierce fighting has raged for weeks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I am proud of everyone I met, shook hands with, communicated with, and supported. Something was brought for the military, but will not detail it, and I brought something from them to you. It is important. We brought confidence and strength.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: That visit comes as Ukraine says Russian forces are renewing their offensive in the east. On Sunday military officials reported Russian troops had suffered losses in the Donetsk region amid a push toward the key city of Sloviansk.

And we're also hearing more about civilians fleeing the fighting. CNN teams on the ground reported seeing a long line of cars leaving Ukrainian controlled areas of the Donetsk region this morning.

And this was the scene in the neighboring Luhansk region Sunday. Local officials say Russian shelling completely destroyed a humanitarian aid center not far from Severodonetsk.

Meanwhile Russian President Vladimir Putin is blaming the West for a looming global food and energy crisis. But experts have said it's Russia's war on Ukraine that's actually, fueling the crisis. In the same interview the Russian president also lashed out at the U.S. and its allies over plans to supply Ukraine with long range missiles threatening to strike new targets if Western leaders follow through on those promises.

For more I'm joined by CNN's Clare Sebastian. These missile system will be very useful to the Ukrainians. The Americans last week saying that they're going to be supplying them and the U.K. now coming in saying they're going to do the same.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and clearly this is something that is rattling President Putin as the battle rages in the Donbas as clearly Russia is struggling in some areas to hold onto the gains that it's made. Take a listen, Max, to what he said about this in the interview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (voice-over): In general, all this fuss around additional weapon deliveries, in my opinion, has only one goal, to drag out the arm conflict for as long as possible. If they are supplied, we will draw appropriate conclusions from this and use our own weapons of which we have enough in order to strike at those facilities we are not targeting yet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: It was interesting, because in one breath sort of dismissing it, saying all this fuss around these weapons. And in the same breath basically saying, you know, we're going to strike targets we haven't struck yet. Now these comments were actually made on Friday. That interview was aired on state TV on Sunday. And if you look at what's happened over the weekend, the strikes on Kyiv, a city that had not been hit by Russia in a number of weeks, you know, clearly something according to the latest U.K. defense ministry assessment, attempts to thwart that flow of Western weapons.

They hit, according to Russia, a facility that was housing tanks that have been supplied by Eastern Europe. You know, Ukraine has also said that one military target was hit. So, you see that perhaps this isn't just a threat. This is also that perhaps also acting on this threat already in their actions on the ground. But again, perhaps also the purpose for the unpredictable in that comment.

FOSTER: A very risky business though, isn't it, targeting Kyiv. Because if there were civilian casualties in any of these attacks, the Russians would come under a huge amount of pressure. And they wouldn't be able to use this line that they are attacking strategic targets.

[04:25:02]

SEBASTIAN: Yes, although, I mean you know, you have to look at the track record during this war. We continue to see, of course, in the east there civilian infrastructure is being targeted, that report from our team on the ground today that that long line of civilian cars fleeing west out of Ukrainian controlled areas in the Donbas speaks about, you know, the humanitarian catastrophe that is still unfolding in Ukraine.

And I think you have to look as well at his comments on the food crisis, the rhetoric there continues to hamper progress on the issue. It continues to be something that neither side appears to be able to resolve. And again, we got a report over the weekend that a grain storage silo was hit in the city of Mykolaiv, that has been geolocated by CNN. So, multiple humanitarian issues unfolding on the ground.

FOSTER: OK, Clare, thank you.

Joining me now from Geneva, Olga Oliker, the associate director of the International Security Policy Defense Center of the Rand Corporation. Thank you so much for joining us.

OLGA OLIKER, POLITICAL ANALYST: I'm actually the Secretary for Europe and Central Asia at the International Crisis Group. That job title is a few years out of date. Sorry.

FOSTER: Well, thank you for the update. It's good to be accurate on titles when we bring you on. We know you're an expert though. That's the crucial thing for our viewers. This -- these long range missile systems that are being sent to Ukraine will be seen as very provocative by the Russians, won't it? Do you think that that's a sensible route for Western powers to go down?

OLIKER: Well, so, the Russians have said as I think your reporter just noted, that it's not that big a deal. It's not that huge a difference. I think what's interesting about the weapons supplies is what we're seeing now would have been unthinkable at the start of the war and for good reason. Because at that point it would have been a tremendous escalation. But I think kind of the slow drip-drip of increasing weapon supplies has made it much more difficult for Moscow to treat any one system as all that escalatory. And I think in that sense it's actually been a fairly clever strategy, intentional or otherwise.

FOSTER: What do you make of the targets towards Kyiv which everyone felt was safe now?

OLIKER: Well, I think Russia is going to continue to attack targets within Ukraine for as long as this war continues. And that's going to mean what they see as military infrastructure, infrastructure that might be relevant to supply lines, and potentially also just some harassing attacks. So, you know, the Russians will always claim that what they're striking are valid targets, but, of course, what we have seen is also strikes that seem to hit food supplies and grain exports. So, you know, you might argue that's not intentional or you might argue it's very intentional. It's difficult to know from here. But I think we will expect to see more of that, and I think the Ukrainians have known that.

FOSTER: Is there any common ground for agreeing a cease-fire?

OLIKER: At is this stage, no. At this stage both parties think that they will eventually have the military advantage, even if they do not now, and they will force the other side to capitulate and under conditions like that it's difficult to imagine what sorts of incentives could bring the other side to the table other than a capitulation by their adversary. FOSTER: Perhaps the Russians didn't take the east as quickly as they

hoped. They're very focused on that region obviously. If they are successful and we look at the recent targeting of Kyiv, is there still, you know, in your mind, a potential for them moving beyond the east and actually heading back towards Kyiv?

OLIKER: So, I think the Russian long-term goal continues to be what they started the war with, which is Russian control one way or another over Ukraine. That doesn't mean Russia plans to annex Ukraine. It means that Russia wants an obedient Ukraine. And it has realized that its initial approach to getting that which was a multi-access approach, military approach failed. So, what they're looking to do is to gain as much territory now and to hold onto the territory they have.

If they're doing tremendously well, they might be indeed spurred to go further, but they have had tremendous difficulties with supplies and with personnel. So, they might also want to take a breather and rebuild to the extent they are able. But, you know, it's far from over in the east, and even in the south which is where Russia is consolidating control. So, you know, there is still a long way to go before that is the most plausible scenario.

FOSTER: OK, Olga Oliker, from the International Crisis Group, thank you for joining us.

Still to come, the House committee investigating the January 6 Capitol insurrection is about to make its case public with primetime hearings. We'll have the details just ahead.

And with the U.S. midterms coming up, some Americans aren't happy with President Biden's handling of economic issues. We'll find out where his latest poll numbers are.

Plus, millions in the U.S. are facing severe weather this coming week. CNN meteorologist ...

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