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China Launches Large-Scale Military Drills Around Taiwan; Putin Claims He's Ready To Negotiate with Everyone Regarding Ukraine; Power Grids Across Ukraine Under Emergency Outage; El Paso Under State Of Emergency Amid Influx Of Migrants; West Point Begins Process Of Removing Confederate Monuments. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired December 26, 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]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: Well, Kyiv and other major areas of Ukraine are experiencing an emergency power outage due to Russian attacks. The government-owned electricity company says the devastating damage has led to limited usage of the main power grid.

Also, three Russian soldiers were killed in the response to the shooting down of a Ukrainian drone over a key military base. And now Ukraine is warning its troops of a retaliatory missile strike.

Tensions are also escalating between China and Taiwan.

[15:35:00]

Taiwan's defense ministry says 47 Chinese aircrafts have crossed the median on the Taiwan Strait into its airspace on Sunday. But China says this was just a part of a military drill.

And the South Korean defense minister says its military fired at five North Korean drones which officials say entered their air space earlier today. South Korea can't confirm whether any were shot down.

Here with me now, CNN global affairs analyst Kim Dozier. She is an international affairs fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. I want to start big picture. I mean, just given everything that is going on, the global landscape that we just laid out there, what's going on here?

KIM DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, you know, all of these are hard national security problems that multiple U.S. administrations have had to deal with, but given the war in Ukraine, you can see them through a new light. This idea that Russia and China are trying to say to the U.S. and its European allies, you're not going to set out the world order. There is a new world order. We get a say in this, and you can't ignore us.

So, in that light, you can see China sending the jets into Taiwan, staking a claim that even though President Biden just signed a huge defense deal that includes new, more sophisticated military aid to Taiwan. But China is not giving up on eventually subsuming that country the way it did Hong Kong. Also, you have Russia saying -- sorry. North Korea saying, we're going

to keep spying on the South, even though the U.S. has not been open to peace talks with us, and the U.S. and South Korea have had recent military drills together.

BROWN: So, you have these provocative acts from North Korea, Russia, China. As you say, it is their way, perhaps of sending a signal that they are the new power axis. Meantime, you have President Putin saying on state TV that he is ready to negotiate. What is your read on that?

DOZIER: Well, when you look at the disposition of Russian troops, what we're hearing is that they're running through their artillery, their missiles faster than they can make them. They're having trouble resupplying on the ground, and they are not making much progress. The Ukrainian army continues to keep them on the back foot on a number of different battlefronts.

That said, countries like Germany, there have been factions within Germany that have started really warming up to the idea of peace talks and showing their war fatigue. Putin knows this. So, by offering peace talks where he has no intention of meeting President Zelenskyy's ten- point plan.

The Ukrainian president has laid out a plan that includes the Russian withdrawal from everything including Crimea, Putin doesn't intend to withdraw from Crimea. But by saying he's open to peace talks, that creates a divide that over time he can start working on and trying to widen between the U.S., Ukraine, and some of the European nations that are tired of this war.

BROWN: Yes, look, Ukrainians -- if you look at the Ukrainians though, they are just showing this tremendous will even though it's been nearly a year. Despite these major power outages and frigid temperatures, we saw the resilience of them over the holiday weekend.

A huge crowd attending a tree lighting in Kyiv, albeit powered by generators. But what do you make of Russia's attacks on these power grids and the Ukrainian people still standing strong?

DOZIER: Well, it's one of the things that makes peace talks at this point not possible from the standpoint of the Ukrainian public. They feel in -- when you read their comments on Twitter or social media, you can see that the resolve of the public is to continue with this war and resist any talks that would see them giving up some territory to Russia.

There's a real visceral hatred of Russia that is building with each passing attack, especially on the civilian infrastructure. It's hardening their resolve, not weakening it.

BROWN: Important point to end on. We'll leave it there. Kim Dozier, thank you so much.

Well, major changes on the campus of West Point as the academy begins the process of removing all of to its confederate monuments. Details on that up next. [15:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: Well, thousands of migrants have arrived at the border in anticipation of a Supreme Court decision and the fate of Title 42. That's the Trump-era border restriction set in place at the onset of the pandemic that allows authorities to turn away migrants at the border.

Meantime, in Washington, D.C. three busloads of migrants were dropped off at Vice President Kamala Harris' home on Christmas Eve.

And in Texas, El Paso is under a state of emergency due to the influx of asylum seekers. Over the weekend some are forced to sleep outside in the freezing temperatures. More than 400 migrants were housed at the El Paso Convention Center on Christmas weekend. CNN's Camila Bernal is in El Paso. What are you seeing there in El Paso -- Camila?

[15:45:00]

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We're seeing a lot of families, a lot of children, mothers who are going through a very difficult time as many of them like you said are having to sleep out on the streets. Right now, of course, the sun is out.

A lot of them waiting because they don't necessarily want to stay here in El Paso. What they want is to go somewhere where they have maybe a family or a friend that could help them start their life in this country. So, in the meantime, a lot of them just hanging out here.

They're on this bus because that is the only place where they can warm up, but not just warm up, it is the only place where they can go rest for maybe a few minutes or a few hours. So, they're taking turns going in and out of the bus because especially it's the only place they can go right now.

Well, there is a huge backlog of asylum applications. These people say they want to do things the right way, but they are frustrated with the process here in this country -- Pam.

BROWN: All right, Camila Bernal. Thank you so much.

Well, the U.S. military academy at West Point will begin removing Confederate monuments and symbols from its New York State campus. These are changes approved by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin as part of a larger set of recommendations. CNN's Oren Liebermann is following the developments for us. So, Oren, what exactly will they be doing?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Pamela, there's a list of 13 different items, whether it's streets, buildings, houses, signs or quotes that have ties to the Confederacy, that in some way memorialize or commemorate the Confederacy. In particular, Robert E. Lee, the commanding general of the Confederate army.

And because of the work of the naming commission, West Point, officially known as the United States Military Academy, will change or remove those in some way. This has been a very long process to get here. The naming commission was created back in late 2020 and began its work shortly after that.

But it first looked at different names for military bases. Then it looked at the academies and that's what brought us here to a list of these 13 things that have to be changed or have recommendations to change at West Point.

In the letter, the superintendent of West Point said they would begin work on these and there's a committee set up to find first how to do this and then find replacement names -- if that's what happens here.

But in terms of what will be changed, there's a portrait of General Robert E. Lee that will be removed, a quote from him, again, building names as well as street names. All of that will be part of this process to remove anything that commemorates or memorializes the Confederacy at West Point.

In through the work of the naming commission, it's not just West Point. We're seeing the military change the names of bases. For example, Fort Bragg will become Fort Liberty. Fort Benning will become a Fort Moore. So, if there's this list the military is working through to make sure that it doesn't commemorate the Confederacy in some way because of the bipartisan support of the naming commission. And this will take time, but we're getting there, and we're seeing that process play out -- Pamela.

BROWN: All right, Oren Liebermann, thanks so much.

Well, severe winter weather is not only keeping travelers stuck in transit, but many gifts as well. When you should actually expect your packages to arrive, up next.

[15:50:00]

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BROWN: Delivery companies including the U.S. Postal Service, U.P.S., FedEx and Amazon are all warning of weather fuel disruptions for last minute shoppers thanks to the severe winter weather over the holiday weekend. CNN's Matt Egan joins us now. Matt, how long could the delays last?

MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Well, Pamela, you know, even Santa Claus is getting delayed by this crazy weather. It's caused just total chaos. We are talking about grounded planes and shuttered package facilities and delivery trucks that just can't get back on the roads. Even as of today U.P.S. was warning that there will be no package pickup or delivery at almost 900 zip codes across four states, Michigan, New York, Indiana and Ohio. FedEx warns of delays through today. The U.S. Postal Service had to close dozens of post offices and even Amazon was forced to shut down some facilities.

Now, as far as how long this lasts, it really depends on when everyone is able to dig out, when the infrastructure comes back online, the power, the highways. It's going to take some time, of course, and you know, in the meantime this is really causing some headaches for a lot of people, especially for those of us who waited until the very last moment to do their Christmas shopping and their holiday shopping because all of that stuff is delayed. Pamela, in some cases this has turned those last minute Christmas gifts into early New Year's gifts.

BROWN: I may have been guilty of that for sure. All right, Matt Egan, thanks so much.

Well, a Buffalo family spent Christmas at a firehouse after they were rescued from their car in the middle of a severe winter storm. But despite all the chaos, Santa Claus still paid a visit. That story just ahead.

And musical icon Dionne Warwick brings her exclusive story to CNN in the new film "DON'T MAKE ME OVER." It's premiering New Year's Day at 9:00 p.m. and here is a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dionne Warwick, one of the great female singers of all-time.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Dionne was the first African American woman to win a Grammy in the pop category.

DIONNE WARWICK, SINGER: The music I was singing there's nothing like anything that any of them were singing. The legacy in my family, music. Pure and simple. Music.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "DIONNE WARWICK: DON'T MAKE ME OVER." Premieres New Year's Day at 9:00 on CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[15:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: All ten people who were feared to be buried and missing after an avalanche in Austria have been found alive. The avalanche fell Sunday afternoon in the open ski area villages of Lech/Zurs. Four of the ten skiers have been injured and just one seriously. A final sweep of the area will be completed by the end of the day.

Well, one Buffalo family's escape from the deep freeze will warm your heart, no doubt. The family of six including four children, ages 9 months to 4 and 8 years old became stranded as they tried to find a hotel. The parents said their home was getting dangerously cold for the kids after losing power. Buffalo airport firefighters rescued them all from an impassable road and then invited them to spend Christmas at the firehouse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEMETRICE TISDALE, SPENT CHRISTMAS AT BUFFALO FIREHOUSE: Santa came. It was very awesome. Those guys were amazing at the firehouse.

[16:01:00]

They treated us with nothing but love and welcomed us with open arms. We felt like family there. They even cooked for the kids and everything, pancakes. It was just a beautiful experience, like this is something we'll never forget. And we actually felt like we formed a real bond with the guys and they made it a beautiful Christmas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts now.