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CNN International: "The White Lotus" Star Theo James joins CNN "This Morning"; Brittney Griner Traded for Arms Dealer Viktor Bout; "Who started it" Putin Defends Infrastructure Attacks; What's the Reaction been to Netflix's new Docu Series; Man shares protest videos China does not Want Public to see. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired December 09, 2022 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00]

MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: Hello, and welcome to CNN "Newsroom". I'm Max Foster in London just ahead. U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner is back on U.S. soil just a day after being released from Russian jail and a high profile prisoner swap.

Then Ukraine is a human rights emergency that's according to the U.N. As they discuss Russia's constant strikes on civilian infrastructure. Plus, reaction continues to pour in after Netflix releases the first episodes of their "Harry & Megan" Docu series, but there's still no word from Buckingham Palace.

After 10 month of jail in Russia, WNBA star Brittney Griner is back on U.S. soil. A little more than two hours ago Griner walked down the steps of the plane. That she was on and stepped on to the ground at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas.

A U.S. official tells CNN she was in good spirits and incredibly gracious. She walked directly into a hangar. Griner had just begun serving a 9-year prison sentence in a Russian Penal colony on a drug smuggling conviction.

She was freed Thursday in a high profile prisoner swap with convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout. We are following these developments on multiple fronts for you; CNN's Fred Pleitgen joins us from Berlin. Our Rosa Flores is in San Antonio, Texas. So Rosa, what's the atmosphere like?

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Max, good morning. I can tell you that I was here when that plane landed. There was no big fanfare. There was no public spectacle to welcome Brittney Griner here to the United States. Instead, what we saw really was just a plane land here at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas.

There were a few officials who boarded the plane for a few minutes. And then a few minutes later, we saw the WNBA star walk off the plane and enter a hangar and that was it. We couldn't see anything else or cameras couldn't see anything else.

And U.S. officials have been pretty tight lipped about what's going to happen next with Brittney Griner, other than saying that, of course, she's going to be evaluated. She's going to get a medical evaluation. But as you know, we know that this has happened before Trevor Reed actually landed here at Kelly Field in San Antonio and his family telling CNN some of the process in essence.

What they explained is that Trevor Reed was taken to a medical facility where the Department of Defense is able to provide resources. And in fact, the Department of Defense has a Gold Star program for reintegration after individuals have been in an isolated incident in this case being detained by a foreign government and that the best program that they have is here in San Antonio, Texas. So that's what we're expecting for Brittney Griner to be offered.

And of course, this would probably be a conversation between her and also her family and they would determine what to do next. Trevor Reed's father telling CNN that he would recommend for Brittney Griner to go through the same process that Trevor Reed went through and what he explained was the Trevor Reed was in the hospital for a few days. He was medically evaluated then he was transferred to officer's quarters.

He received some counseling then he was reunited with his family. So again, we don't know exactly what will happen with Brittney Griner but we understand that U.S. official say that she of course will be offered those same services, Max.

FOSTER: This is quite a diplomatic breakthrough. Isn't it when you consider what's happening in Ukraine? Alright, Fred, can you hear me?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I would certainly say that, it's very much a diplomatic breakthrough, especially if you consider what's generally the way that U.S.-Russian relations have been going over the past years really since the Trump administration and also in the time after that. One of the interesting things, Max, that we heard this morning was that the spokesman for the Kremlin Dmitry Peskov.

He was asked about whether or not this could actually lead to a change in relations between Russia and the United States whether it could open roads for aid or inroads for diplomacy. And he quite frankly said that he does not believe that is the case.

[08:05:00]

PLEITGEN: He said that yes, in this case, the mechanism that was put in place worked. And of course this was sawed through and the exchange happened but he also said that it's much too early to draw any sort of conclusions, as far as the wider relations between Russia and the United States are concerned. Nevertheless, for the Russians, getting Viktor Bout back is certainly a very important thing for Vladimir Putin.

And one of the things that you're hearing in Russia is people saying we never leave one of our own behind. In fact, Viktor Bout had an interview already, where he said exactly that. He was also asked whether or not he saw this coming, whether or not he knew that this exchange would happen and here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VIKTOR BOUT, RUSSIAN ARMS DEALER: In the middle of the night, they simply woke me up and said, get your things together and that was it. There was no preliminary information.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: That's Viktor Bout said. They're speaking after a being on the ground. There was also an interview with his wife as well. She was saying that he's obviously very exhausted, very tired, he might have to go to a medical facility as well. They are saying that obviously, over the past couple of days, there was a lot of stress for Viktor Bout.

Also, I think, in general, if you look at right now, Russian state media, the Russian government; they certainly think that for them for the Russian side, this was a very good deal. Obviously Viktor Bout is a convicted arms dealer in the United States. Someone also convicted for allegedly conspiring to kill Americans.

So certainly they think that they got someone who was extremely important for them. And right now, if you look at Moscow, they really believe that this was a good swap for the Russians to take place, Max.

FOSTER: OK, Fred Pleitgen and Rosa Flores, thank you both very much indeed. Vladimir Putin has done something he rarely ever does talk publicly about Russia's Military strategy. Meanwhile, he spoke at an award ceremony for Russian soldiers and admitted that his forces are targeting Ukraine's power facilities. But he claims Ukraine started it and tick down a list of events that he blames on Kyiv.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA: Right now there has been a lot of uproar about our attacks on the energy infrastructure of our neighboring country. Yes, we're doing it, but who started it? Who hid the Crimean Bridge? Who blew up the power lines from the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Kyiv has never claimed responsibility for the Kerch bridge blast. Meanwhile, Ukraine's Infrastructure Minister tells CNN about half of the critical objects needed to generate electricity had been damaged or destroyed. The U.N. says the lack of power is contributing to a human rights emergency, because Will Ripley, it's midwinter?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you know, the official start of winters later this month, but it already feels like the Arctic tundra, especially when it's in the dead of night. I mean, the temperatures have just dropped consistently, pretty much every day since I've arrived, it's freezing. And right now, here in Kyiv and across Ukraine, there are millions of people who are without power. I was just texting with, you know, a friend who said they've lost power for the last five hours and can't cook dinner until the power comes back on. And that's just the minor inconvenience when you're talking about homes that are without power for the better part of several days. It's hard to keep those homes warm and when you have children in the mix and you have elderly people.

It is a recipe for a human rights catastrophe. And yet, there we see Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, at a reception clutching a champagne flute flippantly talking about the fact that the Ukrainians started. He mentioned the bombing of the Crimean Bridge two months ago.

Of course, two days later, Russia responded with its first round of brutal airstrikes targeting the civilian infrastructure. Infrastructure that relies on Soviet era replacement parts that is not easy to come by. The United States can send generators, but they can't send the parts that Ukraine needs to repair its power grid, those parts need to come from other Soviet nations.

And so the Ukrainians have been basically reaching out to any country that might have some spares available to help them rebuild and the Russians know this. And that's precisely why they continue to do it because they are hoping to inflict as much misery on the Ukrainian people as possible. Analysts say in an attempt to demoralize them, which would potentially be one of many.

You're talking about thousands of war crimes that the Russians are accused of. And yet Vladimir Putin says that it is in his words genocide, that the Ukrainians are doing things. That he claims the international community is ignoring, such as cutting off water supply to occupied areas and so it truly is, in many ways textbook Putin, Max.

It's an example of, you know, the fact that he has an echo chamber of yes men that surround him and have enabled his warped justification for this unprovoked invasion this unprovoked war that's now going on more than nine months.

FOSTER: OK, Will Ripley in Kyiv, thank you.

[08:10:00]

FOSTER: The suffering in Ukraine which is Pope Francis to tears. Watch what happens when he talks about the war during a public prayer in Rome. This happened Thursday during the prayer to mark the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The Pope had to stop for about 30 seconds before he could continue.

Now in a couple of hours, the World Cup quarterfinals will kick off. First top ranked Brazil take on the runners up of the last tournament which was Croatia. Brazil's Neymar IMC equal Pele's record for the most goals scored for his country and incredible 77.

Later Argentina played, the Netherlands Lionel Messi may have hopes of grasping an elusive World Cup Trophy, but the Dutch side has gone 19 games without a defeat. Amanda Davies is in Doha with more on what's promising to be a thrilling day for football everyone desperate for these matches to return Amanda.

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yes, two days is felt like a lifetime, Max. And I can tell you, the atmosphere really starting to build here at the soup behind us a quiet start to Friday morning as is traditional here. But certainly the Argentinian fans with the name of Messi emblazoned on their backs are now starting to fill the streets and for all the best efforts of the Dutch.

Particularly Virgil van Dijk really playing down the focus on Lionel Messi talking about the fact that this is a Netherlands against an Argentinian team, not to just one player it is impossible to build up to this encounter without a focus on the seven time Ballon d'Or winner.

We went to Argentina training last night the international media were there in their significant numbers. Messi, kept people waiting, who by no means was the first out onto the training field. And you could really sense that oh, there he is when he eventually walked out and had his moment to join the rest of his scores and of course, so much focus because of where we are in terms of his career.

The fact that everybody knows, strongly suspects that every game with its ends in defeat could mean the end of Lionel Messi's career in an Argentina shirt. But in terms of this game, he's not the only one in that boat. If the Dutch were to lose then perhaps it's a final farewell for Louis Van Gaal the much storied manager on the touchline as well.

71 years of age back with this Dutch outfit for the third time in his career, having won the Champions League La Liga, the Bundesliga. He has said this is the one he really wants to win for his country. They of course, were beaten by Argentina the last time these two sides met at the World Cup that was back in 2014. They went out on penalties in the semi-final Van Gaal, not being shy and saying his side has a score to settle.

FOSTER: Amanda, thank you, we can have much more of Amanda's news on World Cup action in the "World Sport" show, of course coming up after this one. Now still to come "Harry & Meghan" have given us a glimpse into their lives and complex relationships with the royal family but we've learned anything new, we'll take a look.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:15:00]

FOSTER: Welcome back. Well, we have had the first three episodes of this much anticipated series from "Harry & Meghan" on Netflix. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex what we didn't get was any bombshells but there are another three to drop next week and it could happen there because that's the part we expect them to talk about, why they left their royal roles and all the tension surrounding that.

A lot of the attention has actually been on little moments that you can pick out from the series including this one where Meghan describes what it was like meeting the Queen and having to curtsy for the first time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MEGHAN: It was just like pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty. Was that OK?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: British social media saying are picking up on Harry's face. They're saying it was a bit of an awkward moment that but make up your own minds. It pretty much depends if you're a Sussex fan or not. This didn't stop any of the newspapers putting it on their front pages.

Of course stop this royal circus as the mirror the times talks about this spat between the palace and Netflix about whether or not the palace, the family were given a right of reply over the series and the Daily Express saying so hurtful. Royals deeply upset by Harry slurs. But as I say, they haven't really commented on it. CNN of course featured in this in case you didn't notice. Let's have a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MEGHAN: There is no class and some person who goes sit like this cross your legs like this. Use this fork, don't do this curtsy, then wear this kind of hat, doesn't happen.

ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: Some people on Twitter suggesting looks a little bit like the happy poo emoji.

MEGHAN: So I needed to learn a lot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: You're right, that was Anna Stuart's voice. What did you make of that when you saw Anna?

STEWART: I mean my heart stops a little bit of all the moments to have I'm not sure that's the one I wanted to appear on there. I did hear your voice too, talking about something, I think a bit less silly. It was an interesting one of my extensive coverage of "Harry & Meghan" and it has been extensive I've covered you know almost every official engagement.

They had raised all sorts of stories about their foundations that charitable causes. I wasn't really expecting that one to be used but also perhaps a surprise it was cut but maybe a little frustrated because it suggests that little bit they've used for me that the media where I've no trashing Meghan's outfit at the time. This is the full answer I gave when I was asked on a boxing day about Meghan's hat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEWART: We think it was by Philip Treacy, but we're not quite sure that is what all the bloggers thought but it was a crusher hat so I don't think it's something we can go out and get it at a snip. Unfortunately, it did receive some unkind attention with some people on Twitter suggesting looked a little bit like the happy poo emoji.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEWART: I actually said that hat was very beautiful. I also said that the Twitter reaction. It was Twitter certainly not the media was unkind but of course that didn't really make it in. Listen throughout these episodes, what was quite interesting I found was that the media used both to reinforce their message when it suited but also to actually show how the media were working against them and other parts.

Sometimes it felt that maybe that narrative was a little bit forced. In terms of the media we already knew that they are highly critical of the media they really lumped in everyone together there, Max. To me it was the tabloids; it was the self-professed royal experts.

It was the paparazzi but it was also the royal rooter. It was broadcast journalist and we're all worried so it doesn't just include tabloids, it's also the BBC and sky and I'm not sure how you felt but I felt that was quite frustrating at times. And this idea that the media was out of control in some senses but in other cases Prince Harry says, for instance, the Royal Russa is an extension of the royal families PR arm.

FOSTER: Yes, and I think for the family, there was lots to get sort of frustrated about but not enough to give an official statement on and in fact, they've just carried on as normal just in the last hour or so. Prince Charles has been in Wales, Prince Charles got to stop doing that King Charles has been in Wales, and guess who he met?

[08:20:00]

STEWART: Some celebrities--

FOSTER: Anna talk us through this. This is a big moment, isn't it?

STEWART: We are looking at King Charles with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. They are the new owners of Wrexham football club. Wrexham and Wales has just become a new city. So this was an engagement already in the diary. And as expected King Charles and his wife the Queen Consort did this trip as planned. No comment on yesterday.

That's sort of what we expected but then I was wondering looking at some of the trailers, expecting maybe some bombshells more pointed remarks about certain members of the royal family. I did wonder whether they would break with their no comment roll. Not this time, but three more episodes to come next week. So of course that could come.

FOSTER: Yes, exactly, a lot of people are expecting that we'll be covering it. Of course Anna, bit of a less of a buildup this time probably. Now still ahead defying censorship. Meet the one-man hub for collecting videos like these protests in China and sharing them with the world to see.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) FOSTER: China's dealing with a shortage of some popular medicines after the country ease COVID restrictions this week. That's according to a market Watchdog and it comes amid growing fears of a surge in infections. Widespread protests gripped China in recent weeks at the pub as the public pushback against zero COVID policies.

Videos shared online in defiance of Beijing censorship machine had given us a glimpse into the harsh reality on the ground. Now the man responsible for sharing many of those images says he's received death threats. He spoke exclusively with Selina Wang.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Video after video of historic anti-zero COVID protests in China. Broadcast on the world's television screens everywhere inside China, where authorities censored all evidence of the protests. So how did these images managed to get beyond China's controlled internet?

Newsrooms around the world, including CNN have been relying on information from this Twitter account. And there's only one man behind it? Li, a Chinese painter in Italy, whose identity we're hiding for security reasons.

MR. LI, OWNER OF TWITTER ACCOUNT @ WHYYOUTOUZHELE: This account may become a symbol of the Chinese people are still pursuing freedom of speech. When you post something within China will quickly disappear. This account can document all these historical events that cannot be saved inside the country.

WANG (voice over): His account quickly turned into one of the world's key sources for protest information. Li says he received thousands of submissions per day as the demonstrations unfolded. Apps like Twitter, YouTube and Instagram are banned in China. But people used virtual private networks or VPNs, which are prohibited in China to access Twitter and send their videos to leave.

WANG (on camera): What's the motivation behind all the work you do?

LI: It fell up people inside of China - see what's happening?

WANG (voice over): That's exactly what authorities want to prevent. Here's what happens if you search for information about any of the protests on Chinese social media.

[08:25:00]

WANG (voice over): You get a notice that says, Sorry, no relevant results are found. Meanwhile on Li's Twitter account he was rapidly uploading videos of demonstrations across China from Urumqi, Nanjing, Chengdu, Shangdu, to Shanghai. Will protesters chanted for Xi Jinping to step down, calling for freedom and did end to zero COVID.

And researchers say the Chinese government is even trying to bury information about the protests from social media users abroad. Search on Twitter in Chinese characters for cities that had protests and you get this a flood of spam and porn advertisements. The spam campaign researchers say appears to be the work of Chinese authorities. Twitter did not respond to a request for comment.

WANG (on camera): Are you worried about your own safety?

LI: Of course I'm very worried. I get a lot of anonymous harassment saying I know who you where you live and I will kill you.

WANG (voice over): His parents frequently call him in fear, he says, and the Chinese authorities have been harassing them too. Making midnight visits to their home in China.

WANG (on camera): What price do you think you have to pay for the work that you do?

LI: This account is more important than my life. I will not shut it down. I've arranged for someone else to take over. If something bad happens to me. I'm mentally prepared even if authorities wouldn't let me see my parents again.

WANG (voice over): Authorities in China tried to keep the country in a parallel universe. But Li has playing a pivotal role in breaking that bubble. Li spends hours a day on the account. Only taking breaks to feed his cat and barely slept during the peak of protests.

As he sorted and verified the endless stream of video submissions each one urgent and historic. He's doing the work that he hopes one day Chinese journalists and Chinese citizens from within China will be able to do without fear. Selena Wang, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Thank you for joining me here on CNN "Newsroom". I'm Max Foster in London "World Sport" with Alex Thomas is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)