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Zelenskyy Appeals to U.S. Lawmakers for more Military Aid; Zelenskyy to Congress: "Your Money is not Charity"; Trump-Era Border Policy in Limbo as Thousands wait for Answers; Why is the Battle for Bakhmut so Important; Winter Storm to Cripple Travel on Busy Travel Days. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired December 22, 2022 - 08:00   ET

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

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MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: Hello welcome to CNN "Newsroom". I'm Max Foster in London. Just ahead the Kremlin reacts to Volodymyr Zelenskyy's historic trip to Washington, warning the U.S. that supplying Ukraine with patriot missiles will only prolong people's suffering. Then Benjamin Netanyahu forms what will likely be the most far right wing government in Israeli history.

We'll have a look at his controversial cabinet. Plus, a major winter storm in the U.S. is bringing record breaking temperatures and causing complete travel chaos ahead of the holidays. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy capped off an hour's long trip to the U.S. on Wednesday with an impassioned speech that will go down in history.

Ukraine Military attire he addressed the joint meeting of the U.S. Congress. Mr. Zelenskyy thanked Americans for the tens of billions of dollars in aid. They funneled to Ukraine to help the country, defend the self against Russia's brutal war. He called it more than simple arms to a perceived nation.

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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE: Your money is not charity. It's an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Mr. Zelenskyy also use a bit of a trademark humor, drawing from his comedic background to make a very serious appeal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENSKYY: Your support is crucial not just to stand in such fight, but to get to the turning point to win on the battlefield. We have artillery. Yes, thank you. We have it. Is it enough? Honestly, not really.

(END VIDEO CLIP) FOSTER: While the Kremlin is responding to Mr. Zelenskyy's trip and his meeting with President Joe Biden saying that neither leader is showing willingness to listen to Russia's concerns a lot to get through here.

Let's go to CNN White House Correspondent Jeremy Diamond first, before we speak to Clare, here in London. Jeremy, what really stood out for you on this? I mean, it felt historic, didn't it? What came out of it?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was certainly momentous and a historic visit by the Ukrainian President. And there's no question that President Zelenskyy coming to Washington being able to make that appeal directly to Americans watching at home, as he did address them directly multiple times during his speech and also while he was here at the White House. And also the ability to stand face to face, eye to eye with the U.S. President Joe Biden, who is somebody who we know, believes very much in the importance of that personal diplomacy.

And clearly all of that was very effective for the Ukrainian Presidents. I spoke with a senior White House official this morning, who told me that they believe that President Zelenskyy made a very compelling case before Congress yesterday, when he addressed the American people directly and lawmakers seeking to make sure that the U.S. spigot of aid to Ukraine stays on and continues to flow.

And certainly that was the Zelenskyy's mission yesterday because his speech and his visit to Washington comes at this dual inflection point and inflection point in Ukraine, of course, where we have seen Russia's continued attacks, cripple the country's energy infrastructure.

And really there's a test now ahead for this very difficult winter, but there's also an inflection point here in the United States. Republicans are set to take control of the House. Some of those Republicans have called into question, the future of U.S. aid to Ukraine.

Certainly the potential incoming speaker Kevin McCarthy has said that there will be no blank checks to Ukraine going forward. And so it was important for the Ukrainian President to make that case directly to the American people to try and make sure that Americans understand why this fight needs to continue, why this aid needs to continue.

And as you mentioned there, what we heard from Zelenskyy was expressing gratitude to Americans for this continued aid, but also making clear that he's going to need much more heading into a decisive 2023.

FOSTER: Clare, we were waiting for the Russian response that feels mild when you look at the wording of it. But how do you interpret what came out of the Kremlin today?

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CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Max, Russia defiant, but also painting this sort of alternate reality of the conflict where it is somehow the victim and the only party searching for appease the Kremlin complaining through its spokesman Dmitry Peskov speaking to journalists today.

That the U.S. and the West are not listening to Russia's concerns that they are ignoring what he called Ukraine's barbaric shelling in the Donbas. And that the U.S., he says is now a de facto fighting against Russia through the provision of weapons.

He was asked specifically about the supplying of those Patriot missiles, those advanced long range anti-missile defense systems. He said that, and "We see that, in fact, the United States and other countries are following the path of constantly expanding the range and raising the technical level of the weapons that they supply to Ukraine. This does not contribute, he said to a speedy settlement of the situation on the contrary. This leads to the fact that, unfortunately, the suffering of the Ukrainian people will continue longer than it could have."

So shifting the blame onto the U.S. and the West for the suffering that Russia is inflicting on Ukraine and Max, just one more point if Zelenskyy's trip was partly about optics, Russia is engaging in its own optics at the moment Putin speech on Wednesday in front of a massive hall full of men in military uniform, talking about expanding the capabilities of the Army, and that was followed up today by a video released by the Ministry of Defence of the Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, inspecting Russian troops that in the zone of the special military operation, they did not confirm the exact location.

FOSTER: OK, Clare, Jeremy, thank you both very much. Indeed. Well, in his speech, President Zelenskyy mentioned the Ukrainian town of back mutt no less than eight times in just a few minutes. We'll go live to Kyiv to explain exactly why that was?

Now Israeli politics are about to take a hard right turn. The new government Benjamin Netanyahu has announced could be the most right wing in the country's history. Some of the people he's chosen for ministerial posts have been considered fringe nationalists, and one has been convicted of tax offenses.

Netanyahu barely beat the deadline to inform the President of his coalition, the new leadership likely will be sworn in by January. The second, CNN's Hadas Gold is in Jerusalem, tell us more about why the designated Prime Minister's Cabinet picks are so controversial, Hadas?

HADAS GOLD, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, Max, when you look at the makeup of this new coalition. First of all, the heads of all of the parties that are part of Benjamin Netanyahu's coalitions are all from the right. They are all the leaders of all these coalition parties are all men and all of them except for Netanyahu are religious, orthodox and when you look at the makeup of who they are?

This will likely be the most right wing government in Israeli history and some of these figures are people who opposition or people outside of politics might have seen as fringe. People who would likely never be in positions of power, but they had major gains on that November 1st election and now these people will be in positions of power.

Most notably, the one that most people probably by now recognizes Itamar Ben-Gvir. He is Head of the Jewish power party, and he has been announced as becoming the incoming national security minister, and this will put him actually in charge of Israeli Police.

Now, this is somebody who himself was once convicted of anti-Arab racism and of supporting a Jewish terrorist group. You also have some people like Betzalel Smotrich, she's another settler lawyer turned politician. He will be Finance Minister, but his party will also have a hand in the civil administration of the occupied West Bank.

And you also have somebody who you mentioned are your dairy. Who they are trying to put him in as a Minister? But he has been previously convicted of tax offenses. More domestically, there are some concerns about other potential ministers.

One is a man of IMOs, who has called himself essentially a proud homophobe is going to get a position in the education ministry with a pretty large budget. That has caused people like the Tel Aviv Mayor to come out against any sort of programs that he may put out.

Now, there are still some hurdles, before Benjamin Netanyahu will officially become Prime Minister and I should also note that Benjamin Netanyahu, when he's repeatedly asked about these Ministers. He has said in interviews, the buck will stop with him. He will be the Prime Minister. It will be his policy, not necessarily these ministers policy and that he is the one in charge.

But there's quite a bit of concern amongst Benjamin Netanyahu, his critics that he is creating something that he will not ultimately be able to control and even before they will be able to be sworn in the next week and a half or so they have to pass some hurdles. Namely, they actually have to pass some bills in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset that will allow some of these ministers to take power.

For example, Aryeh Deri, the one who has been convicted of tax offenses, will need a new bill that will essentially allow him to supersede previous rules about people who have been convicted of criminal offences in order to be able to serve as Minister but once all those things are passed, and we do expect Benjamin Netanyahu to once again become Prime Minister, the longest serving Prime Minister in Israeli history that is expected to take place on or before January second, Max.

FOSTER: OK, Hadas, thank you. Migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border are braving the cold and uncertainty to line up for hours hoping for a chance to get asylum in the United States.

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FOSTER: While cities across the border are struggling to deal with the influx in El Paso the Texas National Guard put up barbed wire fencing to deter migrants. A pastor is also setting up cots in a convention center preparing for a major surge of migrants, when a Trump era policy is ultimately lifted. CNN's Ed Lavandera is in the U.S. border town of El Paso, and he joins us live from the city, there's quite a sense of trepidation isn't there on both sides of the border?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, a great deal of frustration as well as once again, these border cities and communities find themselves at the epicenter of an immigration crisis here in the United States.

As over the last week and a half, we have seen thousands of migrants in the surge ahead of the possible end of this public health policy known as title 42. That, as you mentioned, has been instrumental in the view of the Trump Administration in keeping out and being able to expel near about 2.5 million migrants over the last two years.

That's to be able to keep these migrants from requesting asylum in the U.S. So, very controversial measure, it has been tied up in the courts for quite some time. And now here in the city of El Paso, officials are bracing for the possible end of that policy. Right now it sits at the U.S. Supreme Court and depending on what the court rules will determine whether or not this policy is lifted.

If it is lifted, what many border communities and in the Biden Administration anticipate is thousands of migrants crossing into the U.S. to request asylum. And so that is something that is troubling and worrisome for many of these border communities, because they say there is a shortage of humanitarian efforts to be able to handle that kind of surge of people.

So here in El Paso, as you mentioned, a convention center with hundreds of cots has been opened up in anticipation of the arrival of these migrants as well as two unused school buildings here in the area that can be used.

Shelters have already been overwhelmed and overcapacity. So there's Max, a real concern about whether or not they will be able to handle this influx of migrants. And if they are initially, many city leaders here in El Paso are saying that the efforts to sustain that for a long period of time will be very, very difficult maximum.

FOSTER: So what sort of Appeals can local politicians, for example go through to prevent this influx or at least make it more manageable?

LAVANDERA: Right, you know, at this point, given the political makeup of the United States Congress. You know, everyone here believes that the only way the only solution for all of this is some sort of comprehensive immigration reform that. Right now that what they are doing is simply a Band-Aid to be able to handle the humanitarian crisis that could very well unfold here.

You know, there was the surge of migrants in the last week here in El Paso was so intensive, about 2500 people per day, that there were migrants. Hundreds of migrants at one point sleeping on the streets, waiting to board buses out to other destinations in the U.S. and to be clear, so it's not confusing for people. The people who were here on the streets sleeping, they had been processed, taken into custody by border patrol agents here in the U.S.

They had mud the migrants had turned themselves in. So they had the paperwork to legally be here. But still, it is a massive influx of people that need medical supplies, food supplies and shelter, especially here in these winter months.

FOSTER: Lavandera in El Paso, Texas, thank you very much indeed. The World Health Organization is raising concern about an unprecedented wave of COVID 19 cases in China. And the news conference on Wednesday, the head of the agency said more information is needed to understand how severe it is and asked China to share more data on the severity of cases and hospital admissions?

WHO Health officials say they don't know the full extent of the impact COVID is having on China since the country eased its strict zero COVID policy. Two Former Executives link to the now bankrupt crypto exchange. FTX have pleaded guilty to criminal charges including fraud.

They are said to be cooperating with federal prosecutors. Meanwhile, the former FTX CEO Sam Backman-Fried was extradited from the Bahamas to the U.S. He's expected to appear in the New York court later today. Last week, Backman-Fried was arrested and charged with eight counts in what authorities are calling one of the largest financial frauds in U.S. history.

So, scam Ukraine's President Zelenskyy mentioned the frontline Ukrainian City of Bakhmut repeatedly in his speech to U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday night. He's said it's a town soaked in blood.

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FOSTER: Ahead, why the battle for backwards is so important?

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FOSTER: Welcome back, why is the battle for Bakhmut so important in Russia's war in Ukraine? Well, President Zelenskyy referenced the town on the frontlines of the battleground throughout his address to the U.S. Congress on Wednesday. We'll hear some of that in a moment, but let's take you to the town itself. These are obviously drone images.

Just from a few days ago, you can see the sort of destruction, Russia is incurring on the area and it's happening right now. Let's show you were back my tears, you can see why it's so strategically important. They're close to those Russian controlled areas and this is President Zelenskyy speaking to the U.S. Congress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENSKYY: If so, just like the Battle of Saratoga, the fight for Bakhmut will change the trajectory of our war for independence, and for freedom.

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FOSTER: CNN's International Correspondent Will Ripley following all of this from Kyiv for us. So why is it so central to the battle currently? WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bakhmut is a key, when I was speaking with Ukraine's Defence Minister. What he said is he believes it's a purely political reason that Russia is trying to take Bakhmut, because when they were forced to retreat from Kherson, which was the only regional capital that Russia has taken so far, in this war. Even though they've installed these, you know puppet governments in these occupied areas.

They haven't had a city or of consequence that they control and have been able to hold on to. So they've been trying to go after Bakhmut trying for political reasons to show their domestic audience and Vladimir Putin that Russia can gain ground in Ukraine. And even though Russia is not particularly losing ground at the moment, they're holding on to the lines that have been established from months now.

And trenched, literally, because both sides have dug in so many deep trenches that are the kind that were relegated, we thought to history from wars a century ago. And yet now or even less than a century ago, you know, the way that Ukrainian officials were describing the Russian trench network, almost like something that you would have seen in Vietnam. But it's the type of war that the world had moved on from until we now find ourselves entrenched in this conflict here.

And so the Russians have been pummeling Bakhmut since May. They haven't been able to take it the Ukrainians are holding their ground. But the fact that Volodymyr Zelenskyy was there, he was handing out heroic metals to soldiers there and in the background, you heard the booms from artillery explosions.

That's how close he was to the lines. It was extraordinary that then 24 hours later. He's in the White House talking about Bakhmut with President Biden.

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RIPLEY: And really in a way to make that Bakhmut situation relatable for Americans he mentioned the battles of Saratoga from 1777. This was a turning point for the Americans in the Revolutionary War against the British, and because he studied law before becoming a comedian.

He has studied history he knows, you know, he's quite an intellectual in addition to everything else that he's accomplished. He knew that would be a way to kind of bring the situation here Ukraine home for certainly for American lawmakers. Many of whom are students of American history and who are very familiar with the battles of Saratoga, and the comparisons that he's drawn between this modern day battle and this battle from so many hundreds of years ago, Max.

FOSTER: Is he saying he can't keep that much with the current level of armory he's got? Is that why he was saying we need more? If it doesn't get more, he can't, you know, handle this --.

RIPLEY: Ukrainians would never say they can't do anything. And I've noticed that learn that pretty quickly being on the ground here. These are the people who despite who say regardless of what? You know, they're given what they have that they will they will achieve their end game.

The question is at what cost? I think the concern by President Zelenskyy and others including the Defence Minister is a this air onslaught this you know, the lack of an air defense was becoming a big problem because the crippling of the power grid is going to become even more dangerous, even though. Even now it's a horrific situation for people here in Kyiv, who only have hours for less than one hour a day in some cases. And you're talking about senior citizens, people with children.

It's not everywhere in this city. It's not everywhere in Ukraine that the conditions are that dire, but some people have been without power for days and days on end. And this is becoming a regular occurrence as the power capacity continues to be weakened. So the air defense now the Ukrainians will be getting enhancements in terms of the Patriot certainly to protect, you know, key population areas like the capital city.

But in terms of going on the offensive taking territory back which is what their plan is in the spring. They haven't had the equipment to do that and that's what they're asking for when they say they need new weapons because they want to get Russia back to pre-2014 lines, which includes the Donetsk, Luhansk and of course occupied Crimea, Max.

FOSTER: OK, Will Ripley in Kyiv, thank you very much indeed. Still ahead an arctic blast a major winter storm blanketing much of the U.S. making driving treacherous and threatening travel during the busy holiday season. We'll have an update for you some extraordinary images next.

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FOSTER: The U.S. national weather service calls it a once in a generation winter storm is barreling across the U.S. bringing record low temperatures and biting winds. The storm could become a bomb cyclone on Thursday evening reaching the pressure equivalent of a category three hurricane.

The storm will cripple travel on some of the busiest travel days of the entire year. More than 1000 flights have already been cancelled across the country so far. CNN's Pete Muntean has more.

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PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The biggest pre-Christmas travel day is meeting a major snowstorm threatening holiday travel plans nationwide. Blizzard conditions are forecast here at Chicago O'Hare where the airport was expecting Thursday to be its busiest.

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MUNTEAN (voice over): Perry has rescheduled his Christmas trip to California to leave early.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We thought it'd be best to escape and that and get out just a little bit before to avoiding the weather.

MUNTEAN (voice over): Have forecasted 2.9 million passengers flying through Chicago are being met by 350 pieces of snow removal equipment and 400,000 gallons of de-icing fluid for taxiways and runways.

MUNTEAN (on camera): Here at United Airlines operation center in suburban Chicago. They're meeting nearly every hour about the weather, but they know delays and cancellations are inevitable. It seems like a lot of collaboration.

JOE HEINS, UNITED AIRLINES: A lot of collaboration.

MUNTEAN (voice over): VP of Operations Joe Hein says United is preparing for the most passengers it seems since the start of the Pandemic. Customer solutions teams are now scrambling to save trips by rerouting passengers through other connecting airports.

HEINS: I wouldn't use a term meltdown but it will be very, very challenging, but I can tell you we have the best team working on it. So if customers are out there and they see themselves delayed, no one understands that we look at each and every customer.

MUNTEAN (voice over): Nationwide AAA says one in three Americans will travel this holiday 102 million will be driving on top of the 7 million who are flying, but the weather could throw it all off.

SCOTT KEYES, SCOTT'S CHEAP FLIGHTS: I think there's going to be some pretty a pretty severe number of delays and cancellations.

MUNTEAN (voice over): Last Christmas rush airlines cancelled 5000 flights amid a Corona virus surge and staffing shortages. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has been coming down on Airlines for the disruptions they can control but they cannot control the weather.

PETE BUTTIGIEG, TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We have major weather events hitting hubs that affect major airlines so unfortunately a lot of travellers are in for some disruption.

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FOSTER: That was the CNN Aviation Correspondent Pete Muntean reporting. Thank you for joining me here on CNN "Newsroom". I'm Max foster in London. "World Sport" with Andy Scholes is up next.

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