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Putin: West Created Global "Crisis" in Quest to "Dominate" the World; Putin Repeats Baseless Claims About Ukraine Building "Dirty Bomb"; University of Florida Faculty Hold Emergency Meeting for No Confidence Vote Over Sen. Ben Sasse as President. Aired 3:30-4p ET
Aired October 27, 2022 - 15:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:30:00]
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST: Russian President Vladimir Putin is once again -- no surprise -- blaming the West, pointing fingers for creating a global crisis while trying to dominate the world.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Russia is not challenging the Western allies. Russia is just Defending its right to exist and freely develop.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: Putin went on to say that so-called Western elites had no right to force other countries to follow their path. Joining us now is retired U.S. Army Brigadier General Steve Anderson and CNN global affairs analyst Kim Dozier. Welcome to you both. Kim, let me start with you. Putin also said that he never intentionally said anything about the use of nuclear weapons, only that Russia responded with hints to threats from the West. From what we heard from Putin, is a nuclear tactical attack or any type of dirty bomb any more or less likely based on what you heard from Vladimir Putin today?
KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, look, his speech had multiple different audiences. One of them was the international community showing that he is sticking to his plan, moving ahead with this military campaign. Somebody's in the house but also again sort of flirting with the use of nuclear weapons. Kind of saying, oh, I didn't really say that. But look, every time he uses this tactic of bringing it up, what it does is change the channel. Most recently away from Russia's poor performance on the battlefield.
Some of the other audiences he's aiming at are those within Russia who might be on his side. The majority of people as I understand within Russia from polls -- which are not always authoritative, but still, it seems like the majority of people are with him and he has to explain to them this war of conquest. And then finally he's also aiming at Europe. There are places like Germany where some parts of the population are looking ahead to the cold winter and talking about peace deals and negotiations because they don't want the pain that Putin knows he's about to put them through in terms of energy costs and lack of heating.
GOLODRYGA: Yes, and those temperatures already starting to go down in Europe and in Ukraine. General, let me ask you about his tactics going forward. Because a lot of experts would suggest that now would not be the time for him to deploy a nuclear weapon if he's just mobilized some 200,000 troops and sending them out on the front just to nuke them doesn't really make sense. But on the topic of a dirty bomb, do you view that as potentially a pretext to then setting up this new front in Kherson or in the southeast to bring in some of these mobilized troops that have been trained over the past few weeks?
BRIG. GEN. STEVE ANDERSON, U.S. ARMY (RET): Well, thank you, Bianna and Victor. I do not believe that he is serious about using them. I think that -- I agree with Kim in the assessment that a lot of this is just speaking to an audience back in Russia. The hardliners that he has surrounded himself with, trying to appease them and to act tough to the rest of the world and to the U.S. and NATO and the Ukrainians, you know. He's losing the maneuver war and he's trying to change the subject. Change the channel and we've got to step up.
I mean, I would remind our viewers that 15 years ago the United States was spending $300 million a day on the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thus far, we've given the Ukrainians the equivalent to about seven weeks of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Of course, this is a far more existential threat to us all.
So, we need to step up. We need to take his threats seriously, but we need to make sure that the Ukrainians have the air defenses they need and they don't have them right now. We need to step up with air defense systems from the United States and NATO that will help them beat the threat they're getting right now. Essentially these Iranian drones and any hints of any expanded, you know, war in regards to the use of cruise missiles to deliver dirty bombs or nuclear weapons.
BLACKWELL: Yes, General, you said here and I wanted to lean on your suggestion that American contractors go in to help them learn to use the hardware, the systems that would give them the partial air cover to prevent these attacks on energy facilities and infrastructure. Short of what you are recommending, is there any way to avoid what officials in Kyiv now are saying that could potentially be this complete blackout as we get into the colder months?
ANDERSON: Well, I think that if we get the right systems in there, Victor, we could shoot down these Iranian drones that are wreaking havoc right now. I mean, they've launched them in swarms and the intent -- Ukrainians are successful in knocking about 85 percent to 90 percent of them, but enough of them are getting through and they're targeting the critical infrastructure. And as Kim pointed out, winter's coming up and they're trying to make life painful.
So, I definitely think that we can improve our air defenses. Specifically, I would like to see the C-Ram system, the counter rocket artillery and mortar system that was used so incredibly successfully in Iraq and Afghanistan. I have personal experience with them. These are available, they are mobile systems. We could get them in there. We could probably train, you know, short of getting U.S. contractors on the ground in Ukraine, but I'm sure we could train them in Poland to how to use these systems and drive these systems into Kyiv to knock out these low-flying threats that are really attacking their infrastructure and making life miserable for the Ukrainians right now.
GOLODRYGA: Yes, the Raytheon CEO just this week said the two of these air defense systems had been delivered and set up in Ukraine.
[15:40:00]
More sophisticated systems, clearly Ukraine has been asking for much more support for months now. Brigadier General Steve Anderson and Kim Dozier, thank you.
Well, happening now the University of Florida's faculty senate is holding an emergency meeting for a no-confidence vote after a sitting U.S. Senator was named the school's only finalist for president. We're live in Gainesville up next.
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[15:45:00]
GOLODRYGA: Happening right now, a University of Florida emergency meeting is under way on campus over who should be the school's next president. A large number of faculty, staff and students alike are outraged that sitting U.S. Senator Ben Sasse, a Republican from Nebraska is presumably the only candidate being considered.
BLACKWELL: CNN's Leyla Santiago is there for us. So, what are you hearing from the students, the faculty there on campus?
LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, right now, there's an emergency meeting where a lot of faculty members are asking questions of those who were given an opportunity to interview, Senator Ben Sasse. Asking questions about the process and his stance. And a lot of this comes after Senator's stance -- the last time he was on campus was doing a Q&A session in which he was interrupted by protesters that didn't really want to hear a lot of what he said and didn't agree with his stance.
As I spoke to students here on campus today, a lot of them took issue with his stance on LBGTQ issues and said that it wasn't really align with the community's inclusion efforts. So, this is a Senator, take note, that said he was disappointed with the Supreme Court's decision to declare same-sex marriage legal all over the country. And this is also a Senator we should point, that has also not toed the party line. I mean, he has been critical of President Donald Trump. He has experience in academia. Was once president of Midland University. So, take a listen to what we've heard from both sides today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALLAN FRASHERI, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA STUDENT: Our president is supposed to exemplify our core value. The core values that drive and, you know, guide our university, including the core value of inclusion. And how can we have president who has, you know, this history of being opposed to LBGTQ rights, to women's rights, you know, exemplify that value for us. How can queer students, how can women feel included in our university when we have such a person as our president?
AMANDA PHALIN, CHAIR, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA FACULTY SENATE: I didn't hear a politician. My experience was that of a person who is not focused on politics, who has a passion for higher education, who wants to move in that direction. A person who is open to dialogue, who really listens, who is willing to learn.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANTIAGO: So, both sides there, hearing a bit from those who agree with who could be the next president of the University of Florida and those who say, this does not bode well with this community, and its inclusion efforts. Now right now as we speak inside, the faculty senate is talking about this election. There will be a vote for no confidence after this, and then November 1st will be the vote of the board of trustees here at the University of Florida for the next president of the University of Florida -- Victor, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: All right, we'll be following this. Leyla Santiago, thank you.
BLACKWELL: The respiratory virus RSV is surging across the country, but public health experts say this outbreak did not come out of nowhere, but it was hard to predict. We'll explain why, next.
[15:50:00]
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BLACKWELL: Health experts say that more complete realtime surveillance data is needed to better track trends and infectious diseases like the flu and RSV.
GOLODRYGA: Now they say the information could help public health officials respond quickly and more effectively to surges. CNN health reporter Jacqueline Howard is here to explain. So, what else are they saying, Jacqueline?
JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: Bianna, scientists I've talked to said that we can get that realtime data by monitoring wastewater as in our sewage systems. So, how this works if you are infected with a virus or bacterium, even if you're asymptomatic you can still shed viral or genetic -- viral or bacterial genetic material in your waste. And so, by monitoring wastewater looking for that material scientists can see when and where infections may occur.
And here's an example of that. On this graph -- this was given to us by researchers at Stanford and Emory universities through an initiative called WastewaterSCAN -- this is a graph of what they've detected in wastewater when it comes to RSV. Those spaghetti lines represent data from across 20 different states and they found RSV genetic material in wastewater go up, so they saw increases in this back in August. So, you see towards the end of this chart that sharp rise in RSV material being detected. And researchers say that this was a predictor of the surge in RSV we're seeing now.
And I spoke to one of those scientists, Marlene Wolfe, she said that all year they have been tracking the triple threat of respiratory viruses, RSV, flu and COVID-19 and among those three here's what they've seen so far. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARLENE WOLFE, WASTEWATERSCAN COPRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: So, what we've seen recently of those three which we're monitoring all three in wastewater right now, we've seen the sharpest increases in RSV. But we know that RSV can be really dangerous for young babies in particular. So, knowing that it's circulating in your community is really important.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWARD: And Victor and Bianna, knowing that it's circulating is really important for pediatric hospitals. They can prepare for a possible surge in patients. They can prepare more staffing or even prepare more beds -- Victor and Bianna.
BLACKWELL: Jacqueline Howard, thank you.
GOLODRYGA: Well, the father of the 8-year-old Colorado boy climbing Yosemite's El Capitan Summit, says that he and his son are about halfway to the top.
[15:55:00]
BLACKWELL: Sam Baker -- and this kid's middle name is adventure by the way. He's trying to become the youngest person to accomplish this. He and his dad hit the mountain on Tuesday. They expect the journey to take about four days. Now the plan is to camp out one night on the top of El Capitan, and then hike down on the fifth day. Sam's dad said the climb is already life-changing for both of them. Of course, it is a bonding experience.
GOLODRYGA: You know what, to each of their own. I can bond on the ground on earth too, with my kids. But wow, that's an incredible, incredible adventure for that boy and his dad.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
GOLODRYGA: Well, "THE LEAD" starts right after this short break.
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