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CNN International: Michael says we must Provide Ukraine with Three Main Levels of Support; EC President: These Coming Weeks are so Important; EU`s Von Der Leyen Thanks Zelenskyy for "Strong Message"; Von Der Leyen will Impose Sanctions on Number of Political, Military Leaders; Zelenskyy Holds Joint News Conference with European Leaders. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired February 09, 2023 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00]

CHARLES MICHEL, EUROPEAN COUNCIL PRESIDENT: These will be of no doubt of decisive importance because these coming weeks are so important. We must remain open-eyed, lucid, we must continue to provide maximum level of support, and I can see three main areas where we need to do that.

In the military field we have spoken about this on many occasions over recent weeks with your meeting with President von der Leyen. And during the European Council, you were able to make your points in very clear and straightforward terms to the European leaders.

And of course, you will have had and will have some informal contacts as well. Talking about your military needs, what you need to help you defend and protect the integrity of Ukraine, artillery, munitions defense systems. And this, you have told us exactly what you need and what you need now, that`s the first point.

Secondly, you come here with a message concerning the peace formula. And I will just say that in this respect, the European Union wants to be at your side, and to bring to the international community, a clear determination to respect international law, the UN Charter and the sovereignty of Ukraine.

We will spare no efforts day after day, to carry on this diplomatic and political battle at all in all international Fora. We want to see how it is possible to organize a summit for peace, we must not we`re fully aware that we cannot allow ourselves to back down to be intimidated, we must be inspired by the courage of the Ukrainian people.

And a third point I wanted to mention, I spoke that, I spoke about this a few days ago in Kyiv. You have chosen you have followed the choice of the Ukrainian people if free and sovereign choice, which was already expressed on the Maidan, to turn towards freedom and democracy and the European destiny you has asked for candidacy status in the European Union.

And I think we can be very proud of the fact that the European leaders decided so quickly to grant candidate status to Ukraine for EU membership since then, despite the ongoing war, you have, bravely and with great determination implemented reforms. We are very impressed with all the progress that has been made in just a few months.

We know that after the summer, there will be a report from the European Commission. My responsibility will be to ensure that the council lives up to its responsibilities by the end of this year on the basis of the commission report, we can decide on the follow up to this integration process for Ukraine in the European Union.

These are the three main messages, military support, political diplomatic support and support for Ukraine`s European destiny. And just by way of conclusion, I would just say that the European Union will maintain its determination to put pressure on the Kremlin, sanctions are still on the table. The tense sanctions package is being discussed; we want to take a consistent and firm approach.

We want to ensure that those guilty of crimes can be held to account for those crimes, including for the crime of aggression. And that is why we have the initiatives to collect evidence and proof so that we can enable international justice to remove the impunity.

In this respect, we want to ensure that we can also take the appropriate measures with regard to the frozen asset is only fair that is frozen Russian assets be used to rebuild Ukraine and to provide fair compensation to Ukraine. President Zelenskyy in addressing your European counterparts, you refer to the founding fathers of the European Union.

These key personalities in the wake of the Second World War who dreamt up this European project this new promise, promising future for Europeans who had been traumatized by the two tragic World Wars, which had devastated the European continent. All of us here through our families or parents or great or grandparents who lived through the horrors of the Second World War.

They saw the European project peace and prosperity as the key to a better future. These are the key to our European projects. And our generation, your generation now have come together around this common goal is common destiny. We need to take the right decisions to ensure that peace and prosperity can remain the key values of the European project.

[08:05:00]

MICHEL: And that these can hold sway across all of Europe in the coming decades. We are absolutely determined. And I would just say in conclusion, speaking here in Brussels, I would like to repeat what I said a few weeks ago, in addressing the Ukrainian parliament and the Ukrainian people. The European Union is Ukraine. Ukraine is the European Union.

The European Union is our common home. And we will mobilize all our efforts to keep this promise, Slava Ukrainian. Long live Europe.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Zelenskyy you have the floor. VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Dear Mr. President of the European Council, dear, dear ladies and gentlemen, dear journalists. Today is 361st day. And we have heard national anthem and the support of Ukraine, today, Ukraine is fighting. Ukraine can protect its independence and the European freedom. Dear Shells, dear president, thank you very much for inviting me.

Thank you very much for allowing me to take part in the meetings. And I feel it`s only fair that Ukraine takes part in the meetings of the European leaders, Ukrainian language is part of the European discussion. Ukrainian language is part of the European Parliament.

And that is a part indeed, of the European practice, when Ukraine will be a part of the European Union. Dear Ursula, dear President, I would like to thank you for the joint efforts of the Ukrainian government and the European Commission in Kyiv.

In our state, while we discussed not just our issues of difference, but our future, our movement and our integration, real life, fair defense and protection of our everyday life, and our values. I`m absolutely sure that not just Ukrainian, whether European values as well have just participated in the meeting of the European council.

Yes, it was a closed meeting. But I want you to understand and to get the feeling of what we discussed. And this sense was defined by one of the leaders of the European Union, who said that the long-term peace in Europe will only happen when Ukraine will gain the victory and will become the members, member of the European Union.

This is the unity we`ve managed to build, the unity, which means that the European Union will be with us until the victory of Ukraine and Ukraine will become the part of the European Union. Our discussions in Brussels have been very concrete very precise. We were talking about security; we were talking about this saving lives and stability.

We were talking about the return of justice. And these values are not just Ukrainian values. They`re European values as well. We have discussed this and Ukraine used to export the electricity to the European Union, or we were making your social life, your welfare dependent on that.

But Russia has occupied and switched from the network, our nuclear power station, that is the violation of EU interests, values, yes, but also the interests. And we can talk about every single element of the Russian aggression in the same way. Yes, they are trying to destroy our economy and our cities. But they`re doing in such a way that it should affect all the Europeans.

We are very grateful to you for our air defense systems. But also, I would like to stress this is in the interest of all of us, not just Ukrainians, but all the Europeans, that Russia should not make near missiles, that Russia should not attack our cities. So, we have to move to another step, I introduced the sanctions against the drone or the UAV and the missile industry of Russia and also the part of the IT sector, which gives provisions on support to the Russian terror.

[08:10:00]

ZELENSKYY: Then awake and reduce the destruction, and we can remove and the source of our defense of our dangerous attacks. I have been very inspired by your statements that Europe will be with us until our victory. I`ve heard it from a number of the European leaders. And I`m very grateful to them for this.

I`ve heard about the readiness to give us the necessary weapons and support including the aircrafts. And I will have a number of bilateral now, and we are going to raise the issue of the fighter jets and other aircraft. So, we are working and continue to work in Brussels.

I want to thank all of you for I want to thank the European citizens, the citizens of the European Union, for all your support for the way you support our people for giving us the rescuing the refuge, and the shelter for the Ukrainian citizens who were trying to protect their children from the bombs. Millions of our citizens are now supported in Europe.

And I hope that your citizens could see that the European values are real. Thank you very much for this. Thank you for everything, friends! That`s the only way I can address you, friends. Thank you and glory to Ukraine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Mr. President. Madam President, you have the floor.

URSULA VON DER LEYEN, EU COMMISSION PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, Mr. President, the Volodymyr, thank you. Thank you for coming to the heart of the European Union. Thank you for the strong message we heard from you. Your fight is a fight for independence for democracy for free Europe. And I did not only hear your strong and powerful message in the European Parliament, but also here in the European Council.

And I heard your urgency. We all heard the urgency of your call to support Ukraine now. You spoke in a very moving manner about and praising the European way of life. And to add it that Ukrainians want to come home to this European way of life. And indeed today, you see we are one family.

We have one vision and family members help each other. You can count on us. We will continue to provide our full support now to sustain your people through this atrocious war and for the future. Ukrainians are giving their lives for free and independent Ukraine.

They are fighting for the respect of our common values. And we know that we can never match the sacrifices Ukrainians are making every single day. But we can stand up for you. One figure that puts it into perspective is 67 billion. 67 billion of support we have mobilized in the last 12 months from budget support to fast recovery from energy supply to military capabilities from humanitarian aid to refugee support. And we must do more.

This I think is also the urgency. We took away today as a message from you. And we must do more. We are supporting Ukraine to win this war. And we are making sure that Ukraine wins the peace that will come, it must be a just peace. We fully back your peace formula.

The Volodymyr, the European Union is working with its partners to support Ukraine across the 10 points of your peace formula from economic security or nuclear safety, food security energy among others. And we will work hard to ensure the broadest possible global support for it.

A just peace also means accountability. This brings me to my second point; Russia must pay for the destruction caused and for the blood spilt. In the next stage we will propose the 10th package of sanctions.

[08:15:00]

LEYEN: First, we will impose sanctions on a number of political and military leaders. But also, the Volodymyr we listened very carefully to your messages when we visited you last week in Kyiv. We will target - propagandists because there lies a poisoning the public space in Russia and abroad.

You were insisting on that we hear you, we will follow up and we are going after them. Secondly, the package will include additional exports ban worth more than 10 billion euros. This will further starve Russia`s military machine and continue to shake the foundation of its economy. And the international community is also working hard to ensure that justice is served.

Three steps are important. The first one is that we collect and store evidence of the crimes being committed. We have already started. The second step is to have prosecutors work together. For that we are setting up the center in The Hague. And the next step is to set up a tribunal.

Here the discussions are ongoing about the exact structure. But I assure you Volodymyr, we have the political will to hold the perpetrator accountable, including for the crime of aggression. And there is the political will so we must find a way finally, on our common future. Ukraine`s youth is fighting for their sovereign country, too many of paying the ultimate price.

But their dreams lives on, dreams of a new Ukraine, not only free, democratic and European, but also fair and green and prosperous we are already laying the groundwork. We have built the reconstruction platform which has gone live now. Our partners start seconding experts to the Secretariat, which we are hosting in Brussels and in Kyiv.

The response to our call is amazing. Our cities are joining to 36 European cities from Vilnius to Venice will work with 10 cities in Ukraine like Kharkiv and Kyiv. This is the living proof of the enormous support you have all over the European Union. And as you said, every single person counts.

You said it very powerfully in the European Parliament. It`s as the politicians yes, but every single person in the European Union counts to contribute to support Ukraine. Ukraine has advancing on its European path in an impressive manner. Accession is a merit-based process.

And your track record shows that you`re able to deliver fast and have high quality even as you fight an aggressor, even as you are at war. I hear Ukrainian people so often speak about their hopes. They want their children to grow up in the European Union. And this hope gives them the strength to cope with this horrible war.

The Volodymyr between now and this bright future that may be a hard road to tread but rest assured that we will be with you along every step of the way. Let`s turn Ukrainians dreams into reality into the European way of life. And since the beginning of my mandate, I have concluded every single speech with the words long live Europe. Since one year, for good purpose, we add to the term long live Europe always Slava Ukraine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Madam President. We`ll take -

MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: Ursula von der Leyen, one of the leaders there, European leaders there meeting with President Zelenskyy, always had - Sean Michelle there. So obviously Ukraine wanting to become a member of the European Union is not a member of the European Union. But you heard Sean Michel describing Ukraine is the EU and the EU is Ukraine.

[08:20:00]

FOSTER: And also, von der Leyen, saying they`re all part of one family so, showing the support. But obviously, the main thrust of this visit from Zelenskyy is to get those fighter jets. He`s spoken to the British leader about that he now is going to go on, he says to speak to the European leaders, because they need to all give consent effectively for these fighter jets. But it`s a huge ask. CNN`s Nic Robertson joins me live from Brussels. Do you think he`s making progress there?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: I think yes. And through and across a number of areas that outreach earlier on when he was speaking to the Parliament about talking about connecting with the people of Europe, thanking the people of Europe, saying that Ukrainians share European values, the Russians don`t share European values. Ukraine wants to come home to Europe.

And that was reflected there from what we heard from Sean Michel, the European Council President and also Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission President both speaking, flanking the Ukrainian president, side by side in the press conference there. And a couple of things really jumped out at me.

There`s this huge strong affirmation of support both political, both military, both diplomatic. But this real sense of urgency, the number of leaders that have spoken today that there is this real sense that things need to happen now and fast that the coming just weeks and months are absolutely critical have been big points today.

A point from Ursula von der Leyen, about justice, the importance that that justice can be seen to be done supporting Ukraine`s 10 point peace plan but saying that those responsible will be held accountable, that part of that is working to find and recover and store the evidence. And that is happening. Part of that is working with Ukrainian prosecutors as well.

But part of it is to build a platform to allow this to happen. And that`s happening in the Hague; she said that the platform for these prosecutions is happening. So that`s a very big affirmation for something that Ukraine wants, which is accountability, but not just accountability for those responsible for the atrocities, but also accountability, through sanctions.

And we heard that from Shen Michel, the Council President talking about the moves that are underway to find ways to take the money that`s been confiscated from the Russian state, from Russian oligarchs, and to use that money to help pay for the repairs and reconstruction that are necessary in Ukraine and again, Ursula von der Leyen saying that that process was underway.

And I thought there was one other point there that Shen Michel also made that was quite sort of significant in all of this. And that was what that was in reference to the Ukraine`s request to become a member of the European Union. And I just quote Shen Michel here saying he was impressed by the progress towards becoming a European Union member.

Remember, there are standards that Ukraine has to achieve to do that. He said, despite the fact Ukraine is at war, very impressed with the progress being made. And I think all these statements, the things I`ve just mentioned here are exactly what the Ukrainian president wants to hear. This is support that is good for him is good for the people of Ukraine. It`s emotional.

It`s support towards peace. But obviously, as you say the big things are the fight now. And that`s that urgency, and that is the sense that the tool for fighting now, absolutely urgent, fighter jets and longer- range rocket systems.

FOSTER: Nic, thank you. Clare is with me, as well so those broad ideas about becoming closer to the European Union were being discussed there, but is now going on to a series of bilateral with European leaders, and that`s where you can adjust this fighter jet issue.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I think that`s where he`s potentially hoping to see some real concrete action. He said in his, in his address right now. He said, I heard from some European leaders today, their readiness to provide us with the necessary weapons, including the aircraft. We haven`t had any promises on that yet.

But certainly, the sense is that it there is momentum in that direction. We know of course, that the UK has promised training of pilots and other countries have not ruled out providing jets. So that is a concrete thing that he`s talking about. We also heard from his chief of staff who`s traveling with him who said that the issue of long range weapons and fighters is resolved.

Well, he didn`t read any details of that, but it`d be interesting to find out what he`s actually referring to. And another concrete step that appears to be in the work is more sanctions Ursula von der Leyen saying that the 10th package of sanctions will be proposed in the coming days that will include a number of political and military leaders that will be designated as well.

[08:25:00]

SEBASTIAN: As you said, Putin`s propagandists, which is something that apparently Zelenskyy had asked them to include.

FOSTER: I think the figureheads that go into the media.

SEBASTIAN: Potentially and then--

FOSTER: Or the media organization it could not--

SEBASTIAN: It could be potentially both. They`ve already targeted some media organizations, as well as some of those sorts of more high profile figures. But apparently, there`s more to be done and targeting the military industrial complex as well, the direct sort of war machine in Russia.

FOSTER: OK, Clare, thank you very much indeed. You`re watching CNN Newsroom; we`ll be right back with the latest on the earthquake.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Anger, misery and despair across Turkey and Syria. The staggering death toll from Monday`s deadly earthquake soars past 17,000 people. New pictures here from Hatay in southern Turkey as you can see hardly any structure still left standing.

Hundreds of thousands more are homeless as the freezing cold sets in. In Turkey frustration with the government`s handling of the quake continues to grow. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is visiting cities devastated by the earthquake during a stop in Hatay. He admitted the shortcomings but defended first responders.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, TURKISH PRESIDENT: As of now a total of 21,200 personnel of the military, gendarmerie and police are on duty in Hatay. . Despite this some dishonest people campaigning in Hatay are making false statements saying there`s no one in Hatay. We will not let dishonest people speak ill of our soldiers jumped arms and police.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Well, CNN`s Jomana Karadsheh is in Southern Turkey and moments ago she spoke to a resident about what they`re facing.

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are in the City of Iskenderun that is part of Hatay province one of the hardest hit provinces by this earthquake. And as we were driving into the city you can see extensive damage all over the city center.

[08:30:00] And right here, we`re told this was an 11-storey building, and it was a newly built structure. There were only a few people who were inside at the time. And we have Sarvar (ph) here who is with us. He`s been out here waiting for news about your friends?

SARVAR (ph): Yeah, my relative. He is my partner in work. We have been waiting here for four days now, and it`s really hard to get him. Today, I think we are going to get news about him. Good news about him.

KARADSHEH: And you`ve been out here for the past three days.

SARVAR (ph): Yeah, four days, yeah.

KARADSHEH: And I mean have you seen any survivors coming out?

SARVAR (ph): First day, three people got out, alive. The second day, three people got out, dead. The third day, two people, and now there`s only one person left. So we are waiting to hear news about him. As you see, this is a two-year-old building. And as one of the survivors said, as the earthquake began, the building just got destroyed. It didn`t even wait for any seconds. As it started, it just vanished.

KARADSHEH: And how are you feeling? I mean not knowing what`s happened to your friend?

SARVAR (ph): I am confused. I don`t know how to feel. Senseless, yeah.

KARADSHEH: This must be really, really hard for not knowing.

SARVAR (ph): Yeah, it is hard, it is hard. Not for me, it`s hard for the city. There`s many people without a home, without electricity, without water. It`s really hard for the people.

KARADSHEH: And do you have hope that they`re going to be okay?

SARVAR (ph): First day, I was really hopeful because this building looked just fine. But this is the fourth day; I`m getting out of hope.

FOSTER: Just one of tens of thousands of stories that are coming from Jomana. For the first time since the massive earthquake struck Turkey and Syria on Monday, a UN Aid convoy has crossed the border, the Syrian border.

And so mostly (inaudible) Northwestern Syria. Right now, many families have been forced to live out of their cars until help arrives. Officials and aid groups say it`s been extremely difficult to reach this region. Six trucks are delivering shelter items to the millions of people there, who are in desperate need.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We are four families staying in this vehicle now. Thank god we came out fine. But the buildings we live in are inhabitable right now. Not only us, but all the entire neighborhood we live in is like that.

FOSTER: Joining me now is Hossam Elsharkawi, Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa region with the International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies. He was in Damascus on Wednesday and just got back from Beirut as well. What did you discover about the situation in Syria, in particular?

HOSSAM ELSHARKAWI, INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS & RED CRESCENT SOCIETIES: The situation is desperate. It is a race against time to get to people buried under the rubble, to treat the injured who have survived, to provide for tens of thousands of families that are homeless as you have pointed out with very little clean drinking water and food and shelter and blankets and heaters.

Women are delivering many children, many elderly, many sick people. We are dealing, before the earthquake, with cholera outbreaks, and we`re dealing with a lot of also aid distribution before. This region has been suffering the consequences of the 12-year war in Syria. This just made it a hundred times worse. It is desperate.

What I saw in Damascus from the airport to the warehouses, to the trucking going 24/7, to the affected areas is a bee`s hive of work round the clock. Aid is beginning to come in, certainly not enough. It was not enough before the earthquake, and is certainly not enough now.

We are doing our best to scale up the efforts with the Red Crescent of Syria, with the Red Cross` present in Syria before the earthquake. We`re mobilizing more teams to come in, field hospitals, medical clinics, and so on.

It is truly heartbreaking what I saw. And I also observed also the good in humanity.

[08:34:00]

There are many, many local efforts; small groups, women`s groups, and charities, and mosques, and churches mobilizing from their own communities and trying to send as much aid as possible. People are not just sitting idly by and waiting for assistance. That`s what we see usually, also after these massive disasters.

FOSTER: I mean you just want to get on with the job. So you want to get help in there and support the people that are in desperate need. But you got all these politics to deal with as well, particularly about the crossings from Turkey into Syria. Are you aware of any progress about more crossings opening up so you can get in that much needed aid?

ELSHARKAWI: We`re certainly advocating for that. We are looking for politicians to put aside their differences as has happened in many other disasters and focus on the humanitarian mission, the imperative to saving lives.

I think perhaps this is an opportunity to focus on what really matters. People are desperate. Regardless of the politics, regardless of the history of that region, and so on, we`ve got to get on, as you said, with the job.

People cannot wait for diplomats to find solutions. We need decisions now. There are glimmers of hope. There are some green lights. We are getting good signals from many nations that have perhaps sanctioned Syria for many years that are actually wanting to assist and are offering to assist.

This is a good sign. And we would like to see more of that and hopefully a longer term lasting solution moving forward. We pray for that, that our mission now is to really to save lives and take care of the injured.

FOSTER: Okay, Dr. Hossam Elsharkawi in Beirut. Thank you very much indeed for joining us with your insight, particularly on Syria.

U.S. officials tell CNN the initial report on a suspected Chinese spy ballooning drifting towards U.S. airspace wasn`t originally marked as urgent information, now drawing ire from Republican lawmakers, already unhappy with how long it took for the U.S. president`s order to shoot it down. All this prompting NATO to acknowledge there`s been an increase in Chinese surveillance activities, globally.

Meanwhile, China is accusing the U.S. of carrying out information and public opinion warfare and is challenging the U.S. assessment that the spy balloon shot down off the U.S. was part of a Chinese fleet spanning five continents.

CNN White House reporter, Natasha Bertrand, joins us live from Washington D.C. I mean this idea of a network of balloons and a spy system, if you like, around the globe is really frightening to many people tuning in today.

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah, it`s certainly more extensive than I think was previously known. And what we are learning, as well, is that the day before this particular balloon that was shot down on Saturday entered American airspace, the defense intelligence agency here, which is the intelligence arm of the Pentagon, did a flag that a foreign object was headed towards U.S. airspace and likely was going to enter over Alaska.

Now this report was disseminated across government channels through classified channels, and essentially anyone who had access to it was able to read it. But it was not briefed up to the highest levels of the U.S. government, including the president, for example, because at the time it was not deemed as particularly urgent.

This object was not deemed to be a threat. It was not deemed to be a military or physical threat to anyone on the ground because, of course, the U.S. had already understood and known that these balloons were part of this program and they had seen them before, and they had not post any physical risk

So the decision was made to kind of just wait and see what this balloon would do, and potentially gather intelligence on it. And the commander of NORAD, which is responsible for monitoring, you know, the U.S. airspace, essentially, told reporters earlier this week that because they did not view this balloon as a physical threat, or something that posed a national security risk to the United States at the time, there was really no immediate action that he could take against it.

So this kind of shifts the timeline back a bit, about when U.S. military and intelligence officials knew that this balloon was headed towards U.S. airspace. But it doesn`t change the fundamental premise here that the administration just did not see this as a big deal essentially until it turned very sharply south from Canada and entered over Montana where there are sensitive military sites that they believe the balloon was trying to monitor, Max.

FOSTER: Okay, Natasha Bertrand, thank you for that report.

Now hope amidst destruction. We go to the epicenter of this week`s earthquake in Turkey where rescue workers race against time to find any signs of life.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:42:00]

FOSTER: On top of the monumental rescue and recovery operation in Turkey and Syria, workers in the thousands who have been displaced have another obstacle and that`s the weather. Temperatures in the disaster zone are staying below zero at night, then warming to about five degrees during the day. That`s not expected to change for the next several days. And that`s devastating news for the thousands of people in Syria and Turkey who are cold and hungry.

The World Health Organization is warning of a secondary disaster if humanitarian aid isn`t sped up. With each passing day rescue workers are pulling fewer survivors and more victims in the debris. The death toll so far has soared passed 17,000.

CNN`s Nick Paton Walsh reports from near the epicenter.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It is hard to imagine how this rubble gave anyone hope. Yet for 50 or so hours after the quake, it almost did, and when it stopped, when the chances of surviving ebbed, the bodies so near the epicenter here kept coming.

The paralysis of grief when these two parents see their 8-year-old daughter`s red hair, blood stained; another 4 year-old-girl with no parents here to bury her. Another father, simply walking behind.

There has been constant intense activity desperately trying to save lives, but we are sadly now into the window where so many of the ambulances that arrive will likely be taking away people who perished.

Up high, hope is strongest, digging furiously by hand here. On the other side of the rubble, medics rushed forward, growing fury at how nothing here came sooner.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Why did you not look for the ones at the top first? Oh, father. WALSH: Stretchers here too late, return empty. Another body pulled out of a Syrian refugee in his 40s as the excavations gained pace, an audience of agony watches, waits.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Heaven`s garden is where they have gone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): My little lamb, her bed has flown, the columns fell on it. She is only seven. How could she move it?

[08:45:00]

WALSH: Hospital volunteer told us over 300 bodies here are unclaimed and the numbers rising fast along with tempers. It is chaos and whether any government could have moved faster, was the question dogging Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, when he flew into town briefly.

This stadium, suddenly home to possibly thousands for who knows how long? Many refugees from Syria, now perhaps losing their homes for the third time.

That`s nearly as many years as some have been alive. They have nothing but the state`s generosity to rely on, which for now means 12 people in this tent.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I don`t know how long they`ll let us stay here. We have no house to go to.

Until there is a safe space, we are just waiting for our government.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Whatever they give, we will accept.

WALSH: For now, the question is what they could have done to not arrive for so many entombed here, too late.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Kahramanmaras, Turkey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Let`s bring in CNN`s Salma Abdelaziz. She joins us from Istanbul. And you`ve been at mid (ph) center, haven`t you? Aid is coming and, but it`s not particularly well-coordinated from what I hear.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Look, there is absolutely an enormous need on the ground, Max. Perhaps as you heard there from our Nick Paton Walsh. No country could`ve reacted fast enough. But there is absolutely a sense of anger and grief that`s setting in on the ground now that you`re entering the fourth day of this crisis and that hope, as you saw in that piece there, the hope that people are still alive under the rubble is fading.

There`s a couple of reasons for this anger, for this frustration that you`re seeing from, not just this area, not just the affected area, but really across Turkey against the government of President Erdogan.

And the first of course, is the response. How quick was it? Was it quick enough? Remember, this is a country that sits on a major fault line, and Turkey has suffered major earthquakes in the past. There was an expectation that authorities were prepared, but we saw in these areas, these are heartbreaking tales of people hearing their loved ones under the rubble but unable to pull them out. Being on the streets with no shelter, no food, no water in these freezing cold temperatures.

But, again, the scope and scale of this is so great. But the one that might be dogging President`s Erdogan the most is the question about building codes, rather; the stability of structures.

In 1999,Turkey had a major earthquake. After that earthquake, rules were put into place to bring up building codes. They were supposed to meet certain guidelines so that they could be earthquake resistant. But if you look at that area, Max, some of those buildings that have collapsed, they`re modern buildings. They should not have collapsed according to the residents in those areas.

So they are asking questions, and questions are being raised also by the opposition party and across the country. How did this happen? Just one more point here, also after that `99 earthquake, it was ordered that everyone pay a tax into this earthquake fund to prepare for the possibility. So yet again, that`s adding to the frustration. Why weren`t we prepared? Why didn`t help come soon enough?

And perhaps an indication of that frustration, and the government`s response to it is what we saw happening on social media yesterday, which is that while President Erdogan was visiting on the ground, there seems to be, according to reports, some limited access to sites like Twitter. People were complaining that they couldn`t get online. Reports that the authorities were essentially blocking people, maybe trying to limit that frustration from being shared on social media.

So, yes, right now very much is about rescue, recovery. It is about the operations on the ground. It is about the immediate need which is enormous. But the questions that are being raised here, the concerns and the anger from the families, that`s not going to go away, Max.

FOSTER: Okay, Salma, thank you.

You`re watching CNN Newsroom. We`ll be back in just a moment.

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[08:50:00]

FOSTER: On Wednesday night, North Korea showed off a collection of advanced long range ballistic missed in a large military parade according to state-run media. It marked the 75th anniversary of the founding of the North Korean Army.

State media reported that a dozen or so intercontinental ballistic missiles on display show the country`s greatest nuclear attack capability. For the first time, one of Kim Jong Un`s children attended the military parade.

The young girl, believed to be in the North Korean leader`s second child. It is the latest sign that Kim is possibly grooming her as his eventual successor. Here`s Will Ripley with what we know.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: At this lavish banquet for the North Korean Army`s 75th anniversary, supreme leader Kim Jong-Un, with his wife and a girl around nine years old, a girl some say could be the chosen one, the one being groomed as the next North Korean leader.

YANG MOO-JIN PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH KOREAN STUDIES (through translator): By showing some quality time with his daughter, it looked like he wanted to showcase his family as a good and stable one, he says, and to show himself as the leader for normal people.

RIPLEY: Her life is anything but normal. Her name is Kim Ju Ae. At elementary school age, she already outranks a roomful of senior military officers.

North Korean state media describing her as Kim`s respected daughter, getting a standing ovation.

DENNIS RODMAN: Call my friend. He`s my friend.

RIPLEY: We first learned her name from Dennis Rodman, the one-time buddy of the basketball-loving Kim claimed he even got to hold the pint sized princess in 2013 when she was a baby. A few months ago, Kim`s daughter made her big state media reveal for an ICBM test at Pyongyang`s airport, inspecting her father`s prized arsenal, an arsenal she could someday command.

A source with deep knowledge of the North Korean leadership threw cold water on the notion this was a successor reveal. Telling CNN it`s too early to make any assumptions or speak about any possible successor. For sure, it`s a clear signal Chairman Kim is sending to the world, a firm commitment to protecting his family and future generations with a nuclear program.

If chosen, she`d be the first female and fourth generation of Kim family leadership, like her father, grandfather, and great grandfather. The family formula? Fear, control, and a carefully crafted PR campaign. Propaganda, praising the future leaders` power and prowess.

The successor can be a boy or girl, youngest or oldest, does not matter. The only mission, carry on the Kim family`s fortune and power.

RIPLEY: For a while, Kim`s younger sister, Kim Yo Jong, was viewed as Kim`s possible eventual successor. She`s known for her fiery speeches. She once famously directed the country`s armed forces to blow up a joint liaison office near the border.

[08:54:00] RIPLEY: Now, the eyes of the world are on Kim`s daughter. Experts analyzing every picture, every article for clues about the possible next North Korean leader, all of it likely before her 10th birthday.

Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Media giant Disney cutting 7,000 jobs around the world; about 3% of its workforce. Disney CEO, Bob Iger, says the decision was not made lightly. At the same time, he`s also taking steps to reward the shareholders.

The company had suspended dividend payments during the pandemic but he says those payments should return by the end of the calendar year. The job cuts of Disney are part of a multibillion dollar cost cutting initiative, and Rahel Solomon is picking up the coverage on that in just a few minutes from New York.

Thank you for joining me here though on CNN Newsroom. I`m Max Foster in London. Do stay with CNN.

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