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CNN International: Reznikov Submits Resignation to Ukrainian Parliament; Africa Climate Summit Convenes in Nairobi; Chinese President Xi Jinping Expected to Skip G20 Summit; China Considers Screen Time Limits for Children & Teens. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired September 04, 2023 - 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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BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to CNN "Newsroom", I'm Bianca Nobilo in London filling in for Max. Just ahead, change at the top. Ukraine's President replaces his Defense Minister right in the middle of a crucial counter offensive.

Trying to avoid a food crisis, Turkish President Erdogan is meeting with President Putin in Russia, hoping to revive a Grain Deal with Kyiv. And bogged down at the Burning Man Festival, the Nevada desert turns into a mud bath and thousands of revelers are stuck.

Three months into Ukraine's grueling counter offensive, a major military shakeup is underway and it is happening at a critical time. Earlier Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov turned in his resignation to Parliament, paving the way for Rustem Umerov to take his place. It comes one day after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Reznikov's dismissal.

Meanwhile, NATO country Romania is condemning Russian drone attacks just across its border on Sunday in Ukraine's Odessa region that targeted civilian infrastructure. CNN's Melissa Bell joins me now in Ukraine South Central Dnipro region. Melissa, what impact is this change of Defense Minister likely to have?

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this incoming Minister of force takes over, Bianca, at a critical time. I think it should be made clear, though, that Oleksiy Reznikov had asked to step down, even if his resignation and his replacement do draw a line on what had been 18 months of very strong showing at the helm of what was a difficult task.

But also a ministry, the Defense Ministry here in Ukraine that was plagued by allegations of corruption. There were procurement contracts that were investigated. Minister, Deputy Ministers have been sacked senior officials from within the ministry have paid the price and President Zelenskyy has been very keen to draw a line under that.

The first few months of the war that did see some of these allegations emerge. And I think it should be specified. Also, Bianca, that we'll be talking about were largely allegations that concerned Ukrainian taxpayers money and Ukrainian weaponry in the very start the chaotic first few days of the wars, they sought to ramp up their military effort.

What President Zelenskyy is trying to show at the moment, not just through this replacement, but also through a number of corruption cases, trials, sackings is that he's very keen to draw a line under those 18 months. And that is, of course, because it is about the war effort and convincing NATO allies.

That they need to keep and in good faith and kill it delivering their weapons and their help to Ukraine. But it is about the longer term aims of Ukraine to join NATO. And perhaps even more than that, the long standing aim back from 2014 and started all this, or their aim to join the European Union.

So this change does signal from the point of view President Zelenskyy a fresh page, the man who's taking over consider a very safe pair of hands. But he is coming in at a very critical time, Bianca, because it isn't just that it's about keeping all those many different parts of the alliance together and committed to this long term war effort here in Ukraine.

And we're talking about money. We're talking about the arsenals of the countries involved with their own political changes and agendas, but it is about ramping up Ukraine's war capability, the long term weapons that will allow them to achieve their strategic aim of bringing this war to Russia, something they've been doing more and more clearly, Bianca.

NOBILO: Melissa Bell for us in Ukraine's Dnipro region. Thank you very much for joining us. Vladimir Putin says he's open to negotiations on the Black Sea Grain Deal after withdrawing from the U.N. brokered initiative back in July. The Russian President is hosting his Turkish counterpart for talks in Sochi.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan is trying to convince the Russian leader to re- enter the deal, which would allow Ukraine to export grain and ease a global food crisis. Nic Robertson joins me now to discuss that. Nic, could you expand a bit on the real politic of the situation? Why could it be in Putin's interest to re-enter this deal?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: He wants to get something this is why he pulled out of the deal, he wants to get it appears possible better access to international financial markets a Russian position is that they're not able to sell enough of their grain and enough of their fertilizer as part of the way the Black Sea Grain Deal was working.

Now, of course, everyone remembers this was Russia's war of choice. And the reason they're having trouble selling these products around the world is that they went to war with Ukraine. They started a war there. The U.N. grain deal that existed was two parallel deals.

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One with Ukraine and Turkey involved and the other with Russia and Turkey involved the administer setup by the U.N. But when Russia pulled out that collapse, Ukraine's part of the deal too, what Putin seems to be saying and his Foreign Minister was speaking to this, just at the end of last week when he was meeting with the Turkish Foreign Minister is all we're getting from the international communities is promises, we need guarantees.

Now, it wasn't specific about what those guarantees were. But the onus from the Russian perspective is on the west that the West is blocking what they want, and it's not being said outright, but it does appear to be better access to some financial markets.

NOBILO: Nic Robertson, thank you so much. The general who staged a coup in Gabon last week has formally taken the title of Interim President of that country. General Brice Oligui Nguema was sworn in by Gabon's Constitutional Court judges just a short time ago.

And according to the AFP, Nguema pledged to stage free and transparent elections, but did not specify, when. World Leaders, scientists and environmental activists are convening in Nairobi, Kenya to address the urgent consequences of climate change. The three day Africa climate summit hopes to bring rich nations together with developing ones to find climate solutions that work for everyone.

Organizers are hoping to showcase Africa as a place for climate investment. Let's bring in CNN is Larry Madowo, in Nairobi with more. Larry, obviously there's been many overtures to these kinds of plans for a long time now. Is there momentum and hope that this summit will actually deliver some real meaningful progress?

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's what the Kenyan presidency and the African Union are hoping they are co organizing this Africa Climate Summit, which is a key stepping stone into COP 28 later this year in Dubai. And the Kenyan President William Ruto has been very unequivocal about his ambitions for the summit for bringing all these experts on the climate crisis to get a Nairobies as well as the leaders who are most affected of the country's most affected.

He pointed out, for instance, that Africa's carbon footprint is minimal. But the human toll of climate change is felt especially hard here, one example. And he's a Former Agriculture Minister in Kenya so he understands this. Since 1961, Africa has lost about a third of its agricultural productivity due to climate change.

And that's why it's important for African leaders via chipsets to talk about loss and damage and finding financial mechanisms to make sure that people are protected here. So the momentum is a little slow. And that's why this conference acknowledges that there has been a division between the global north and the global south about how to address these issues.

How to attend to the very real challenges facing the climate and they hope that they can find a way forward to build that momentum you talk about. So, one of the ways that looking at is taxes, taxes on fossil fuels, taxing industries that are especially harmful, such as aviation and maritime.

But these are issues that tend to be very political at these conversations, whether it's a COP 28, any of the global gatherings or the U.N. General Assembly, because the countries in the Global South like Kenya, like small island nations feel that they are the worst affected.

But often the ones that are least represented in these global conversations. And so they hope that by having this here in Nairobi, they can begin to find a way forward to COP 28, and especially making sure that financial flows are locked or unlocked from the rest of the world into places like Kenya that are most affected, Bianca.

NOBILO: And Larry, can you give us an overview of the countries that are most affected that are the poorest when it comes to climate change challenges?

MADOWO: I think you will see across the board that the carbon foot print of these countries, the poorest countries that don't have as much of an industrial footprint are the ones that bear the brunt of the climate crisis. Countries that have been sometimes even at risk of disappearing completely small island nations that you often go to on holiday.

That you like to go to because they are you know, fantastic in terms of their beach France, but those that are at risk of disappearing. The people who are affected by the climate crisis of the some of the poorest people who don't have the same incomes comparable to the rest of the world, and their voices don't get represented at these conversations and those are the ones that are being centered in this discussion here, Bianca.

NOBILO: Larry Madowo, for us in Nairobi. Thank you so much. Typhoon Haikui is now headed toward China after leaving more than 40 people injured in Taiwan. No deaths have been reported. But you can see from these pictures the huge damage that's been left behind.

As high quake approached the island on Sunday, some 7000 were evacuated from their homes. The storm knocked out power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses. Power has so far been restored to more than half of those.

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Around 200 flights have been delayed or canceled. Offices were closed and school was suspended in several counties and cities. When the world's top 20 economies meet later this week in New Delhi, they'll likely be doing so without Chinese President Xi Jinping.

It would be the first time President Xi has skipped the gathering with Chinese President Li Qiang taking his place. U.S. President Joe Biden says he's quite disappointed and expects to see President Xi in the future. Kristie Lu stout, reports.

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Will Chinese Leader Xi Jinping, attend the G 20 Summit in India later this week? Well, according to China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Premier Li Qiang will be at the gathering in New Delhi and this is the clearest sign yet that Xi is not attending the summit amid speculation that he would be a no show. Today Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said this "At the invitation of the government of the Republic of India, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang will attend the 18th G20 Summit to be held in New Delhi, India on September 9 and 10." There was no mention of Xi in this statement.

Now Xi has attended all other in person G 20 meetings since becoming President in 2013. In 2021, during the COVID 19 pandemic, he joined via video link. At this year's G 20, Xi would be missing out on key conversations on climate in Ukraine. And his expected no show New Delhi comes is China and India clash over a border dispute.

It also comes as China battles a number of economic challenges with one of the country's largest homebuilders warning of default. On Sunday, the U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters that he was disappointed that Xi was not attending the summit, but suggested that he will be meeting with him in the future.

And Biden did not elaborate U.S. tensions and tensions with China have flared over Taiwan trade and territorial disputes in the South China Sea and in a bid to stabilize the relationship. A number of senior Biden officials have visited China in recent months, including the U.S. Commerce Secretary.

President Biden previously told CNN that he would be meeting with Xi Jinping in the fall, and they may still have an opportunity to speak on the sidelines of the APEC summit in San Francisco in November. Biden and Xi last spoke on the sidelines of the G 20 in Bali last November.

And that has been the only in person encounter between the two leaders since Biden took office in 2021. Kristie Lu Stout CNN, Hong Kong.

NOBILO: Rain and mud have tens of thousands of people start in place at the Burning Man festival in the U.S. state of Nevada. This is what it looked like late on Sunday, as many people tried to leave the counterculture event. Torrential downpours in the desert created ankle deep mud too thick to drive in and forced officials to close roads to and from the festival.

This was the scene inside as people prepared for the festival signature moment the burning of a huge totem. It was supposed to happen Sunday night but has been postponed until Monday because of the weather. CNN's Camila Bernal is live in Black Rock City, Nevada.

Camila, have you had the opportunity to speak to any of these would be revelers and what's their experience been?

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Bianca. Yes, I've talked to many, many people. And they've all told me that it's been really hard because it is muddy, it is messy. And they're spending hours trying to get to where I am. We are right at the main entrance and exit to the festival.

So this is where the playa that dirty, just Sandy cakey area is and it turns into the road here. So the cars that you'll see coming here behind me, they essentially are trying to get out these are people that were driving in the middle of the night in pitch black conditions to get out of here.

So they are allowed to get out no one can get in. So technically, there is a shelter in place. But they're not allowed to tell anyone that they can't come out. That's what's happening here. But the Bureau of Land Management, they have their operation going here. And I wanted to show you what their vehicles actually look like because they drove through that mess.

And this is what the vehicles look like the RVs, the cars that we've seen are coming out looking a little like this, it takes them hours to get out of the festival just because of how wet and muddy conditions are. People who are walking have told me it's taken them three hours.

They've had to put bags over their shoes and duct tape those plastic bags just to be able to walk out of the festival and then get a ride here in order to get to the closest city or get to an airport. A lot of people though, saying that this has been a positive experience that it's been really hard, but they are making the best out of this or saying that they're having a great time have enjoyed the festival.

This is a community that comes together. It's a festival for self- expression and it's a festival that organizers say is essentially the intersection of a very rough time but a very creative time.

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And so you're seeing that essentially, as you talk to so many people that are coming out and are saying yes, it is very difficult. A lot of them really did not expect to have to walk out. They were not expecting the rain. It's usually very hot here. And so these conditions have been very difficult.

And officials did warn people look, you have to conserve water, food, fuel because a lot of people bring only what they need for the days that they're going to be here. So if you have to extend your time here, then those supplies run out and so that is really the concern, but officials say they're going to check the weather and see if things get better today for what they call the exodus which is the exit out of this festival, Bianca.

NOBILO: Camila Bernal, thank you so much. It sounds like festival goers are trying to maintain an optimistic attitude. A glass half full of mud. Still to come for you, how conditions at the Burning Man Festival got so bad, so quickly and when things might get moving again?

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NOBILO: Back now into the chaos of the Burning Man festival in Nevada more than 70,000 festival goers in the remote Black Rock Desert are being told to stay put and to conserve food and water. Usually and escape this utopia, this year's Burning Man Festival took a dramatic turn when the dry wasteland was hit by two to three months' worth of rain in just 24 hours overnight on Friday. Trapped attendees are sharing videos of themselves in their vehicles caked in this thick, sticky mud roads in and out of the area have been closed since Saturday. And we should learn in the coming hours whether they'll be reopened today. I want to bring in my friend, CNN Meteorologist Derek Van Dam.

Derek, great to see you, obviously we're talking about a lot of extreme weather events at the moment. You know, are they being babies? Or is this really, really tough?

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Never did I think I was going to be talking about Burning Man Festival on international TV. But I mean, here we are. Look, it was a tough situation made worse by the topsoil that they have within that part of Nevada over the western U.S.

And we're going to try and visualize that for you so you have an idea of what they're dealing with, right? So you see this visualization tool, kind of a 3D diagram what you're looking at is the comparison of the topsoil of kind of an earthy topsoil. We call that loam something like you and I would be planting our vegetable garden it, right?

But what they're dealing with in the Black Rock Desert where Burning Man is held is clay. That's the desert. So when we get this incessant rainfall, it's easy for water to be absorbed within the loam or the earthy topsoil that you and I have at home. But in the desert, that's a completely different surface.

We call that an impermeable surface. And so what that does is it mixes with the clay and it creates that very muddy cement like, well mixture that ultimately trapped the thousands of people that currently are dealing with that situation right now. And I really believe these aerials speak for themselves.

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I mean look at what people are contending with, they just cannot move their vehicles very difficult to walk, they're putting plastic bags on their feet to try and protect their shoes make it a little bit easier to get around, but simply just impossible for these people. And you know there is some good news out of this.

And that is that the rain has come to an end. But when it was at its height of its worst, we're talking Friday into Saturday, it rains two to three times there will actually say two to three months' worth of rain in a 24 hour period. So that's a significant amount of rain. I also want to point this out as well.

We're looking at the northwestern sections of Nevada for the Western U.S. for people who are watching internationally. See that shading of white there, that area is actually called a playa this is a kind of a flat dried up area within the western parts of the U.S. these happen to dried up riverbed perhaps.

And this is a very hard surface. So it just sets the stage for when it rains very heavy that water is going to eventually pull up as it did and that created that mixture that was very cement light. But the good news is that the rain is coming to an end. This is current radar and there is no rainfall over the Western U.S.

So once we start to see the first bits of sunshine on a dry rather warm day. We anticipate that summit like next year to harden up and allow for people to exit the festival safely, Bianca.

NOBILO: Derek Van Dam always good to see you. And thank you so much for bringing that to live and explaining it so well for us.

DAM: Half glass full of water like -- .

NOBILO: We loved Derek. Still to come, China considers drastic action to curb kids screen time. But not everyone is on board when we return.

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NOBILO: China is considering placing limits on screen time for kids and teenagers in a bid to curb internet addiction and cultivate "good morality". All devices will be required to have a built in minor mode which would restrict screen time based on age. CNN Correspondent Ivan Watson has more now on the proposed rules and the reaction to them.

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IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's an all too familiar seeing a child begs his mom for one more, minute on her phone, a daily battle over devices. China's answer minor mode, a proposed law to order tech giants to limit children's screen time and shut off apps. For one tired parent the proposed rules would be a relief.

CRYSTAL GUO, MOTHER (ph): This would be wonderful. If it were true, there would be less anger between us mother and son. He just can't keep his phone out of his hands.

WATSON (voice-over): Under the new mode children under 18, will get a maximum of two hours on smartphones per day and will be locked out overnight. But Beijing's top down approach has its critics.

ANDREW COLLIER, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF ORIENT CAPITAL RESEARCH: The broader worry I have is that China under the current leadership is imposing a very strict cultural moralism on their citizens, which is not going to be necessarily helpful for their personal growth or for the future of the Chinese economy.

WATSON (voice-over): As part of China's broader digital crackdown, minors are already banned from gaming on weekdays. Social media apps have time limits and some parents ship their children off to boot camps to kick internet addiction. Mengtai Zhang, who was sent to one of these camps at 16, says Beijing's latest rules won't work.

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MENGTAI ZHANG, ATTENDED INTERNET ADDICTION CAMP: Without those structural changes, limiting children's time on video games won't change anything for the addiction. If they find a way to create a more meaningful space for children to spend their time together and have their parents relax from the work, the situation would be much better.

WATSON (voice-over): Children are also finding ways around Beijing's rules. This 10 year old explains. Some kids use their parents ID to log in. They never put their phones down. They'll look at it until the battery runs out. The new guidelines order internet providers to highlight socialist and patriotic content and promote family values. This mom hopes the rules will also mean more outdoor play.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It takes away from your time to play exercise and read. It takes away from your time to do more interesting things.

WATSON (voice-over): But her son says parents need to lead by example.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not easy to control myself but adults can either.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don't speak about us adults speak about yourself.

WATSON (voice-over): A battle over screen time. That's far from over. Ivan Watson CNN, Hong Kong.

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NOBILO: Four crew members who undocked from the International Space Station on Sunday are back on dry land. They splashed down off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida shortly after midnight. You can see one of them being held out of the capsule here. Two NASA astronauts, an astronaut from the UAE and a Russian cosmonaut had been aboard the space station since March.

And they're then placed on stretchers because their bodies haven't yet adjusted to gravity after months of weightlessness. Thanks so much for joining me here on CNN "Newsroom" I'm Bianca Nobilo in London. Max will be back with you tomorrow and "World Sport" with Amanda Davies is up next. See you soon.

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