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Alexei Navalny Filed Lawsuit Over Access to Religious Material in Prison; Zelenskyy on Trip to Baltics, Pleads for More Military Aid; NATO Pledges More Military Aid for Ukraine; Ecuador Vows to Catch Escaped Gang Leader Known as Fito; Anti-Semitic Incidents on the Rise in the U.S. and Canada Since October 7; Wage Dispute Prompts Deadly Protests, Looting and Arson in Papua New Guinea. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired January 11, 2024 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[02:00:31]
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and to everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church.
Just ahead, a legal battle set to unfold at the U.N.'s High Court, as Israel prepares to defend itself against accusations of genocide in Gaza.
Insults fly in Iowa with Donald Trump's top two rivals, taking the debate stage. But the current Republican front runner was once again a new show.
And with USAID in limbo, Ukraine's president looks to rally support from his Baltic allies.
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ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN NEWSROOM WITH ROSEMARY CHURCH.
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CHURCH: Thanks for joining us.
Well, America's top diplomat will be marking the last leg of his whirlwind trip to the Middle East with talks in Egypt. The 10th and final stop for U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will come at the end of a weeklong tour aimed at calming tensions in the region.
On Wednesday, Blinken added an unexpected stop in Bahrain, following a meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah in the West Bank.
Blinken spoke with Abbas about the ongoing efforts to minimize harm to civilians in Gaza, and boost the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
Abbas who called for an immediate end to the hostilities also stressed the importance of accelerating aid.
But some aid deliveries are hitting roadblocks. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says Israel has denied several coordinated movement requests, which has critically inhibited the humanitarian response in Gaza, or just says those denials left five hospitals in northern Gaza without access to life saving supplies.
The World Health Organization also says delivering aid in Gaza continues to face major challenges.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: The situation is indescribable. Almost 90 percent of the population of Gaza, 1.9 million people have been displaced, and many have been forced to move multiple times.
People are standing in line for hours for a small amount of water, which may not be clean, or bread, which alone is not sufficiently nutritious.
The barrier to delivering humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza is not the capabilities of the U.N., W.H.O. or are our partners. The barrier is access.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: CNN has contacted the Israel defense forces and COGAT, the government entity responsible for implementing policy in the Palestinian territories for comment.
The humanitarian crisis growing more dire as the fighting shows no signs of stopping. On Wednesday, two Israeli strikes were reported in central Gaza, where the death toll continues to rise. CNN's Jeremy Diamond has details from Tel Aviv.
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JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): They emerge from the dust screaming.
Another Israeli airstrike, this time, hitting a market less than 200 feet from the largest hospital in central Gaza.
Here, even the injured must dig themselves out of the rubble. Piece by piece, bloodied, and covered in dust, they emerge from their brush with death. Doctors say, at least, 70 people were injured. Some carried to the hospital amid tense for the thousands of displaced Palestinians, who have sought shelter here.
At least six were killed, including two men working at this falafel stand.
DR. MOHAMMED RAYYAN, AL-AQSA MARTYRS HOSPITAL (through translator): The street was full of people, and many of the injured had arrived to the hospital. There were many, many injured, and martyrs on the floor.
DIAMOND (voice over): Hours later, first responders turned casualties of war.
Four members of an ambulance crew dead after the Palestine Red Crescent Society says the Israeli military targeted their ambulance. Two patients were also killed.
[02:05:03]
The Israeli military did not respond to CNN's request for comments. 121 ambulances have been struck during the war, according to the Palestinian minister of health. Inside the hospital, Fouad al-Maani (PH), a paramedic, can do nothing to save Fati (PH), the son who followed in his footsteps. He can only say goodbye.
After three months of horror, these first responders are inconsolable, unable to put into words the unending nightmare they cannot escape.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: In the coming hours, South Africa will present its genocide case against Israel to the International Court of Justice. It accuses Israel of trying to destroy Palestinians in Gaza. Israel's President strongly denies the allegations, calling the case atrocious and preposterous.
Israel will present its case on Friday. Melissa Bell tells us what could happen in court.
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MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Three months after Israel launched its military campaign targeting Hamas in Gaza. South Africa is taking on Israel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, accusing it of genocide and urging the U.N. body to order Israel to stop the war.
RONALD LAMOLA, SOUTH AFRICAN JUSTICE MINISTER: South Africa cannot stand idly and watch when genocide is being committed by the State of Israel in full glue of the -- of the international community clear acts that aim to annihilate the population of Palestine.
BELL (voice over): Allegations that will be refuted by Israel when it takes the stand on Friday.
ISAAC HERZOG, PRESIDENT OF ISRAEL: We will be there in the International Court of Justice and we will present proudly our case, of using self-defense under our most inherent right under international humanitarian law, where we are doing our utmost under extremely complicated circumstances.
BELL (voice over): In its 84-page application to the Court, South Africa accuses Israel of breaching the 1948 Genocide Convention by engaging in acts with the intent to destroy in whole or in part, the Palestinian people, including through killings, the causing of serious bodily and mental harm and other measures.
The petition claims that Israel's actions are rooted in what it calls a 75-year-old system of apartheid. It also draws on the rhetoric of Israeli politicians since the war began.
YOAV GALLANT, MINISTER OF DEFENCE, ISRAEL (text): We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly.
MAJ. GEN. GIORA EILAND (RET), ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES: Create such a huge pressure on Gaza, that Gaza will become an area where people cannot leave.
HERZOG: It's not true. This rhetoric about civilians not were -- not aware, not involved, it's absolutely not true. And we will fight and they we'll break their backbone.
BELL (voice over): U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who met with Israeli and Palestinian leaders this week, dismissed South Africa's case as a distraction.
ANTONY BLINKEN, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE: We believe the submission against Israel to the International Court of Justice distracts the world from all of these important efforts. And moreover, the charge of genocide is meritless.
BELL (voice over): The public hearings begin on Thursday, and whilst a ruling on genocide could take years, a possible injunction on the Gaza war that Pretoria has asked the ICJ for could come much sooner.
Melissa Bell, CNN, The Hague.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about Israel's plans regarding the future of Gaza and the Palestinians who live there.
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BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER, ISRAEL (through translator): I will make a few points absolutely clear. Israel has no intention of permanently occupying Gaza or displacing its civilian population. Israel is fighting Hamas terrorists, not the Palestinian population. And we are doing so in full compliance with international law.
Our goal is to rid Gaza of Hamas terrorists and free our hostages. Once this is achieved, Gaza can be demilitarized and deradicalized, thereby creating a possibility for a better future for Israel and Palestinians alike.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: After weeks of pressure from the U.S. to scale down its operations and shift to a more targeted campaign. Israel says it will begin to withdraw some of its troops from Gaza.
Hamas no longer controls large parts of Gaza. That is, according to Benny Gantz, say member of Israel's war cabinet. Still, the Israel Defense Forces believe Hamas fighters are hiding and operating in tunnels deep underground.
CNN reported from Gaza under the IDF escort at all times through some of those tunnels in the south of the enclave.
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As a condition for journalists to join the embed with the IDF, media outlets must submit the footage filmed in Gaza to the Israeli military for security review. CNN did not submit its final report to the IDF and retained an editorial control.
CNN's Nic Robertson has more.
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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Khan Younis, a gunner's view, driving in, scouring the landscape for threats. A problem for these IDF troops, the enemy is mostly hiding in tunnels, they say.
DAN GOLDFUS, IDF DIVISION COMMANDER: The biggest issue is the fact that we are actually maneuvering above ground, underground --
ROBERTSON (voice over): Goldfus, who commands Israel's biggest military division ever is adapting.
GOLDFUS: So, you use all the senses that you have. You use your vision sensor, you use your feel sensor, your smell sensor.
ROBERTSON (voice over): He has invited CNN to go deep into the tunnels. We are told this is the heart of Khan Younis, and the hostages are likely underground nearby. And that some were held here.
ROBERTSON: This tunnel we are going in here, is one where some of the hostages were held. That first round of hostage releases, some of them came out from down here.
So, how deep does this tunnel go?
ROBERTSON (voice over): Our first time to get up close to what shaping this war.
GOLDFUS: We are moving underground, we are maneuvering underground, we will going to reach every -- each and every militant, or each and very terrorist underground here.
ROBERTSON: No modern army has had to fight above ground and underground like this before, how is that to do it?
GOLDFUS: It's difficult. And it is just going to be a very, very hard long fight. ROBERTSON (voice over): To see just how hard, he takes us deeper.
ROBERTSON: So, we came down a metal ladder, we've come down one flight of stairs, we're going down and a second flight of stairs here, a double flight looks like.
And down here, command and control, where is running all the way down. It's a deep, deep system.
How deep are we underground you think right now?
GOLDFUS: At the moment, we are more or less between 10 to 15 meters underground.
ROBERTSON: 10 to 15 meters.
GOLDFUS: Yes.
ROBERTSON: And now we are going down another level, down more steps. We are about to go down again another level.
But it's so low, my head keeps banging off the roof. What are we looking at here?
GOLDFUS: This is a small room. OK?
ROBERTSON: With some kind of air ventilation system?
GOLDFUS: Yes, it's an air ventilation system that's goes up and (INAUDIBLE).
ROBERTSON: And metal frame around the door.
GOLDFUS: These metal frames, this can be as much as this is a small room, this is how the different cages that they put the kidnapped --
ROBERTSON: So, they were held in cages.
GOLDFUS: In cages, yes.
ROBERTSON (voice over): Hidden, and utterly cut off.
ROBETRTSON: And down here, you really can't hear anything what is going on in the outside world.
ROBERTSON: Now, we must be 20 or 30 meters down?
GOLDFUS: We're almost 20.
ROBERTSON: Almost 20.
GOLDFUS: Yes.
ROBERTSON: So, they have tunnels three times as deep as this?
ROBERTSON (voice over): What's clear here, the money, planning, and preparation invested for a long siege.
ROBERTSON: We're 20 meters underground here, 20 meters. And there is a fully flush toilet. And is even painted and has a place for a light bulb and light switches. Tiled.
ROBERTSON (voice over): The labyrinth keeps going.
ROBERTSON: OK. Now, it is so low. We're getting down an hour knees to get through.
GOLDFUS: All right. Yes.
ROBERTSON (voice over): Goldfus pauses, lays out his path to victory.
GOLDFUS: Underground is Hamas, and we have to reach this Hamas core, to finish them off.
ROBERTSON: But those Palestinian people aboveground are also dying still.
GOLDFUS: I understand that. I understand. And that is what we are trying to do as fast as we can. Yesterday, there were mortars and rockets fired from north of Gaza --
(CROSSTALK)
ROBERTSON: So, the civilians counter back.
GOLDFUS: -- into state of Israel -- into the civilian part of Israel.
ROBERTSON: So, as long as those rockets are coming out of northern Gaza, the people of the south, who have moved to the south can't come back to the north.
GOLDFUS: As long as we haven't carried out a mission all the way, we haven't finished this mission, I don't think we leave here.
ROBERTSON: We had back half an hour underground. We've seen only a
fraction of this war-changing labyrinth. Goldfus' challenge: find all the others.
Nic Robertson, CNN, Khan Younis, Gaza.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. OK.
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CHURCH: The U.N. Security Council has passed a resolution, condemning the Red Sea attacks by Yemen's Houthi fighters.
[02:15:05]
The vote was 11 in favor and zero against. But with four abstentions that included Russia and China. The U.S. ambassador applauded the results and blamed Iran for backing and funding the Houthis. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD, UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO UNITED NATIONS: The facts are indisputable. The Houthis are targeting a range of vessels, few of which are owned or operated by Israelis. And so, what is at issue here is not any particular conflict, but rather the simple principle of upholding freedom of navigation and a waterway, vital to the free flow of global commerce.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: The Houthis claimed their attacks target commercial vessels with a connection to Israel and are meant to show solidarity with the Palestinians.
A senior Houthi leader issued this response to the U.N. resolution.
The decision that was adopted regarding the security of navigation in the Red Sea is a political game, and the United States is the one violating international law.
Meanwhile, a British warship is now helping the U.S. repel the Houthi attacks. According to the U.K. defense minister, the HMS Diamond, a guided missile destroyer, has shot down multiple attack drones from Yemen, with no injuries or damage to the ship or the crew.
A time for a short break. When we come back, the insults fly in Iowa, as U.S. presidential hopefuls, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis take the debate stage.
Plus, Russia's leading opposition activist is set to appear before the country's highest court. And he's offering a glimpse into his life inside a penal colony in Siberia.
Back with that and more in just a moment.
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CHURCH: Now, to the race for the White House and the CNN Republican debate in Des Moines, Iowa. Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis were the only two candidates who took part, both trailing Donald Trump in the Hawkeye State.
They blasted the former president for not showing up to defend his record, but save their sharpest attacks for each other. Haley and DeSantis repeatedly accused each other of lying on issues ranging from China's influence in the U.S., to military funding for Ukraine, to gender changing surgeries for minors.
Just a few hours before the debate, a surprise announcement from former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who is suspending his presidential campaign.
Christie says moral character is the most important issue for a candidate. CNN's Jake Tapper asked Hayley and DeSantis if they think Donald Trump has the character to be president. Take a listen. NIKKI HALEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Oh, I think the next president needs to have moral clarity.
[02:20:02]
I think you need to have moral clarity to understand that it's taxpayer money, not your own money. I think you need to have moral clarity to understand that when you're dealing with dictators in the world, that we always have to fight for democracies and human rights, and protecting Americans, and preventing war.
And so, when you look at Donald Trump, I have said, I think he was the right president at the right time. I agree with a lot of his policies, but his way is not my way.
GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDATE: I appreciated what President Trump did. But let's just be honest, he said he was going to build a wall and have Mexico pay for it.
He did not deliver that. He said he was going to drain the swamp. He did not deliver that. He said he's going to hold Hillary accountable. And he let her -- let her off the hook.
He said he was going to eliminate the debt, and he added $7.8 trillion to the debt. So, we need to deliver and get this stuff done.
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CHURCH: Chris Christie focused his campaign on New Hampshire that struggled to get out of the single digits in the polls. It didn't say if he would endorse anyone else, but made it clear which candidate he would not support.
CHRIS CHRISTIE, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I know. And I can see it from some of the faces here, that I'm disappointing some people by doing this.
People who believe in our message and believe in what we've been doing. I also know though, it's the right thing for me to do. Because I want to promise you this, I am going to make sure that in no way to I enable Donald Trump to ever be president of the United States again. And that's more important than my own personal ambition.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Instead of taking part in the debate, Donald Trump held a town hall just minutes away in Des Moines, facing a friendly crowd at an event televised by Fox News. And he used the time to rehash some of his usual false narratives on immigration, abortion and Hunter Biden.
Trump also defended his record on one of the most important issues for many voters, the economy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRET BAIER, ANCHOR, FOX NEWS CHANNEL: So, when Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis hit you again and again on this $8 trillion figure, and call you a big government Republican --
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Yes.
BAIER: What do you say to them?
TRUMP: I say very simply, we were starting to pay down debt, we were going to pay down a lot of debt.
When COVID came along, if I didn't inject this country with money, you would have had a depression, the likes of which you've never seen, you had to inject money.
We gave businesses that were going bankrupt, temporarily bankrupt, but they needed money. We helped businesses.
If I didn't do that, you would have had a depression in this country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Natasha Lindstaedt is a professor of government at the University of Essex. She joins me now live from Colchester in England. Appreciate you being with us.
NATASHA LINDSTAEDT, PROFESSOR OF GOVERNMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX: Nice to see you.
CHURCH: So, let's start with the Republican presidential debate, Wednesday night between rivals Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis. The first time the two have debated one on one. And the last debate before the critical Iowa caucuses, they accused each other of lying multiple times and went on the attack. Who won that debate, do you think?
LINDSTAEDT: Really, I think the big winner was Trump. And I know we'll get to that more later. But both candidates, both Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, they don't seem to be aware that they are competing against Donald Trump. And, at least in the case of Iowa, both of them are some 30 points behind in the polls.
I mean, Nikki Haley was pretty reticent to actually really even go after him. She was more willing to give up her time than take on Trump directly. And the same with DeSantis. I mean, you did hear some sound bites there of them, criticizing him a little bit for not showing up. But they really got to distinguish themselves from Donald Trump here and why that they will be a better candidate than Donald Trump.
And instead, they've mostly just went after each other. Now, I think it would be more of less a draw between the two. I mean, they took different hits at one another.
DeSantis referred to Nikki Haley as basically engaging in a U.N. way of thinking that she wouldn't be tough on immigration, and that she would essentially basically be like Biden, and too moderate.
And Nikki Haley essentially said that he is a liar. She constantly refer to this web site, DeSantislies.com, and he said -- and she said that he would be bad for business. But because both of them failed to really take Trump head on and explain why he is just morally unfit to be president and sidestepped these types of questions, which Chris Christie had been doing. I don't see what the point is that he seemed to be completely unaware that that, you know, he has a huge lead. They have to take it down. It's not a contest for second place.
CHURCH: Right. And, of course, this debate came just hours after Chris Christie bailed out of the presidential race, making a powerful speech, which was quickly overshadowed by his hot mic moment when he was caught talking about Haley, saying, "She is going to get smoked."
[02:25:09]
Christie hasn't endorsed Haley at this juncture. But how likely is it that most of his supporters will get behind Haley anyway, despite Christie's harsh words about her, and will that make any difference? I mean, maybe it will in New Hampshire, right?
LINDSTAEDT: It could make a difference in New Hampshire, because that's where the polls are really tightening, where Trump has some 39 percent, and Haley has 32 percent, and Christi, previously, had 12 percent. So, it's possible that those voters who are most likely to be moderate voters, that's what you would think that those that are supporting Chris Christie are anti-Trump or at least more moderate. And they might want to lend their support to Nikki Haley.
And New Hampshire is a very different state to Iowa. Iowa is much more conservative in many ways, and, of course, Trump is going to win that without any doubt.
But in New Hampshire, things could get shaken up. And it could change the momentum. And I still think this is highly unlikely, but it could change things. It doesn't help that Chris Christie was caught on the hot mic, saying that basically, Nikki Haley has no chance. It would have been better if he could endorse her and get behind her, because that would then ensure that his supporters would definitely vote for her.
So, this hot mic moment, sort of upset the momentum a little bit that Nikki Haley was getting from Chris Christie dropping out.
CHURCH: Yes, he seemed to have lost that moment. And so, meantime, of course, the man looming large but still absent from the GOP debate stage, former President Donald Trump, will be back in court today for closing arguments in his civil fraud trial in New York.
What are you expecting to come out of that? And, of course, his immunity case?
LINDSTAEDT: And it's hard to predict what's going to come out of all the different various cases that he has going on.
I mean, so far, he hasn't been doing well, in any of his legal battles. I mean, he's lost some of his civil case, he continues to lose battles that he has with, you know, the various criminal cases that are going on. It's hard to predict. But I think the most important thing to notice, this doesn't seem to really matter with voters. Ron DeSantis brought this up as this could be a huge problem. He didn't say essentially, that Trump did anything wrong, but this could be a problem in the election, or in his, you know, term as president, because it will be just such a huge distraction.
But we see that Trump seems to be able to galvanize more support every time he has all these different legal battles. And this basically means that he doesn't have to talk about the issues so much. I think he did a little bit of a better job in the town hall in letting people know that he wasn't going to be a dictator, and that he wasn't going to be focused on retribution.
But as he seems to be able to deal with these court battles, we have a lot of legal questions, unchartered territory for U.S. politics, and we don't really know what's going to happen.
It will he be convicted, will he not? And what will that mean for the race? But he seems to be using the momentum from these court cases to gain more money and more funding than, you know, we would predict.
CHURCH: Yes. Well, certainly saying that. Natasha Lindstaedt, many thanks for joining us. Appreciate it.
LINDSTAEDT: Thanks for having me.
CHURCH: And now, to a bright spot in the global stock market. A short time, ago, Tokyo's Nikkei index closed above 35,000 for the first time since February of 1990. The index rose nearly two percent of Thursday trading.
One senior economic strategist says the rally is fueled by hopes that Japan's economy will finally level off after years of deflation. Rising U.S. tech shares also helped the Nikkei hit the milestone, according to analysts.
Well, as Russia ramps up error attacks on Ukraine and U.S. military aid dwindles amid a funding fight in Congress, my next guest says this could mark a major turning point in the war. What he says may lie ahead after a short break.
Plus, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is appearing before the country's Supreme Court at this hour. The latest in a live report.
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CHURCH: Monday, the Iowa caucuses in these high stakes race who will come out on top and CNN break found the results with the best political team in the business the 2024 Iowa caucuses coverage starts Monday on CNN.
[02:32:00]
Looking at live pictures right now, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny appearing before the country's Supreme Court this hour. He is making his appearance by video link from prison, just as he did when he argued before a separate court on Wednesday. Now, that was the first time Navalny faced a judge since he was transferred to a remote penal colony in Siberia where he described brutal conditions for inmates.
And CNN's Clare Sebastian is monitoring the developments in Navalny's case. She joins us now live from London. So Clare, what is happening right now and what is expected to come out of Navalny's court appearance this hour?
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There is not going to be a legal breakthrough, Rosemary. This is not what this is about. Alexei Navalny launches multiple legal cases not only related to his own detention and the conditions of that, as we saw on Wednesday. But in this case, he has actually launched a case against the Russian Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court in Russia is hearing that case.
He has essentially brought this case to protest some of the regulations affecting all prisoners in Russian jails, specifically the limitations on how many pieces of religious literature they are allowed. So you see him talking to lawyers, judges in the Supreme Court, trying to clarify points in that law, explaining his case. Now, this isn't because he really thinks anything is going to change.
Navalny brings these cases to have a platform, so that he can be seen on this video link now from his very remote penal colony in Siberia. And so, he can continue to protest and to expose the ills of the Russian justice system, and in general the abuses under Vladimir Putin. This is why we see these things happening. But of course, the reasons why he's been transferred to Siberia, they haven't been articulated by the Russian Prison Service or by the Kremlin, who generally does not comment on Navalny.
But his supporters, his aides believe that this is not coincidental. That all of this has happened, the pressure is stepping up on Navalny, the arrest of his lawyers in October, his transfer to Siberia, none of that is coincidental. All of this is related they say to President Putin's re-election bid. Obviously, it's a foregone conclusion that he will be re-elected to a fifth term in March. But Russia needs to put on a show of unity and that is why you see the pressure stepping up on Alexei Navalny, of course, the main opposition figure in Russia
CHURCH: All right. Thanks to Clare Sebastian joining us live from London.
Ukraine's president is hoping to stir his allies into action, warning that interruptions to financial and military support only emboldens Russia. Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in the Baltics. He just arrived in Estonia, after visiting Lithuania on Wednesday. While in Vilnius, Mr. Zelenskyy acknowledged the frontlines are frozen. But he says Ukraine's continued self-defense is critical. Mr. Zelenskyy reminding his allies that Russia is continuing attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure.
[02:35:00]
CHURCH: And he says Ukraine is sorely lacking modern air defense systems to repel attacks like the ones Russia launched over Christmas and New Year's, and to create a safer world altogether.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): There won't be a day after the Ukraine, there will be a day after the war, after Putin. It will be a day of our guaranteed security and our invaluable freedom. A day of newfound strength for our entire Europe, which defending against Russia's hybrid attacks is learning true unity, a unity that makes our continent a global defender of freedom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: As Moscow intensifies its strikes on Ukrainian cities and civilians, NATO allies are promising to boost Ukraine's air defenses with more missiles, ammunition, and up to 1,000 additional Patriot systems. NATO says member states have outlined plans to provide Ukraine with "billions of euros of further capabilities this year." And in an exclusive interview, NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg told CNN he is "confident that the U.S. will continue to help just like NATO members."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: Allies are stepping up because it's extremely important to help Ukraine defend themselves. This is an ongoing effort. The thing I welcome is that allies have outlined plans for doing more throughout 2024. And we see the value, we see the urgency.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: But in the U.S., aid for Ukraine is caught up in a funding fight with Republicans in Congress saying, they won't provide Ukraine with more aid without strict new border and immigration policies in the U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says arms and ammunition for the Ukraine is "running out" much to Putin's delight. And if the U.S. does not provide more military aid, the war could dramatically shift in Russia's favor.
Michael Bociurkiw, Global Affairs Analyst and Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, joins me now from London. Thank you so much for being with us.
MICHAEL BOCIURKIW, GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST AND SENIOR FELLOW AT THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL: Good to be with you, thank you.
CHURCH: So, NATO allies recognize the urgency of stepping up support for Ukraine. But the war-torn nation's most critical western ally, the United States is an impasse with funding for the Ukraine, stalled in Congress at a time when the country is desperate for additional aid to help fight off intensified attacks from Russia. You wrote in a CNN.com opinion piece that this marks a turning point in the war. What do you mean by that exactly?
BOCIURKIW: Sure. Well, it does represent a big turning point because up until now, a lot of it is due to just the charisma and the arguments of Mr. Zelenskyy, is that the west has basically had an open checkbook for Ukraine because we all thought that a lot of people realized that if Mr. Putin is not stopped in Ukraine, he will go further whether that's the Baltic States, whether that's Poland, or other NATO countries.
But I think U.S. legislators, especially have succumbed to domestic internal politics. They're trying to play a game of political horse trading with the White House to get what they want in this bill. But Rosemary, I cannot emphasize this enough, that time is not on their side. It's not on the Ukraine's side because as you've referenced, those missile strikes from Russia, those drone strikes are really intensifying and damaging all parts of the Ukraine.
I mean, right now, the estimate of the reconstruction bill is north of $400 billion. It's getting worse every day. So it's really important that's the $61 billion or so in U.S. funding be released, and also the $52 billion or so from Europe, here in Europe.
CHURCH: Yeah. I mean, as we mentioned, NATO allies are stepping up support for Ukraine out there. How critical is that given it will include up to 1,000 additional Patriot air defense systems, which is exactly what Ukraine needs?
BOCIURKIW: Yeah. It's very, very crucial to helping Ukraine repel these attacks, which by the way are not only striking Kyiv but also key cities like my temporary base of Odessa and Lviv in the western Ukraine. So -- but, what also Ukraine needs is more artillery, more rockets to fire because we're hearing reports from the frontline of Russian troops having to ration their ammunition when they're firing at the Russian forces. That is a very bad development.
The other thing that is happening, Rosemary, is that I think the U.S. and European leaders are trying to find a kind of work around to this stalled funding. And one of those ways are, of course, that $300 billion or so in frozen Russian assets.
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BOCIURKIW: There's about $4 billion to $5 billion of that in the U.S. and the White House seems to be moving ahead to try to unfreeze that. But here in Europe, there is a bulk, about $190 billion stuck in Belgium alone in an organization called Euroclear. So, the Belgium government is looking at perhaps giving Ukraine about $2.4 billion in taxes from that frozen account. That could go to the Ukraine and help it with reconstruction and other matters.
CHURCH: And Michael, what are your contacts in the Ukraine telling you about the situation right now in the country? Where do they see this war going from here, if no additional funding from the U.S. is forthcoming?
BOCIURKIW: Yeah. You know, Rosemary, (inaudible) about a year ago, Ukraine, as often as I do, I really noticed in the past few weeks a change in sentiment. After almost two years of this war, it is expected that people are going to be wary, they are going to tired. But I'm also feeling that there is a push, for example, for Mr. Zelenskyy to be more forthright in terms of what are the number of casualties and what is the progress on the frontline. Because there is a feeling I think that he has been sugarcoat in quite a bit.
The other thing, of course, is a lot of viewers will have heard that there is talk of mobilization in Ukraine. That is being discussed this week, up to 500,000 men could be mobilized. And talking to people on the streets and to my friends and contacts, they do worry about that because they do see in front of their eyes, for example, as I mentioned in that CNN op-ed, about cemeteries, military cemeteries growing in size.
The casualties on the Ukrainian side after two years have been quite heavy as well. So, there is worry but let there be no mistake, as everybody I speak to in Ukraine realizes that again, if Mr. Putin is not stopped in Ukraine, he will occupy the entire territory of Ukraine and go even further, perhaps to the Baltics, perhaps into NATO countries.
CHURCH: Yeah. I'm talking about the Baltics because Ukraine's President Zelenskyy has made a surprise visit to the Baltics. What will likely come out of that trip do you think?
BOCIURKIW: Yeah. I think this is a real signal that he feels support in the west has been softening and that he has no better friends than in the Baltic States because they are after all, very close to Russia. They know the history, they feel it, and they really do feel that they could be next. But, of course, support -- their resources rather are quite limited compared to what Europe and the United States could provide.
And just quickly, Rosemary, I think the other thing that's happening -- I am moderating a panel on this tonight here in London -- is that there's also a sense that the clock is ticking very, very loudly. Not only with the possibility of a Trump character going back into the White House but many friendly nations to Ukraine flipping (ph) in many, many elections this year. And that could change the entire political landscape for Ukraine. So, really -- urgency is really required here to get that support unlocked for Ukraine.
CHURCH: Michael Bociurkiw, thank you so much for talking to us. We appreciate it.
BOCIURKIW: My pleasure.
CHURCH: Turning to Ecuador now. Prison officials say at least 139 guards and staff are being held hostage by gangs inside five prisons right now, as drug gangs wage a war against the government. Ecuador's president says the country is fighting more than 20,000 "terrorists" after a wave of violence, kidnappings, and prison riots stunned the nation. President Daniel Noboa said on Wednesday, he sympathizes with the families of those kidnapped and vowed not to give in to the terrorist groups.
Military and police operations are underway nationwide to root out the gangs behind this week's widespread attacks. The military says it has arrested nearly 330 people belonging to so-called terrorist organizations since Tuesday. Security forces killed five alleged criminals and recaptured dozens of escaped inmates.
Ecuador's government is vowing to catch the notorious gang leader whose escape set off this crisis, Jose Adolfo Macias, also known as Fito, was discovered missing on Sunday. Though officials concede he could've escaped before then. Ecuador's president says prison officials who were on duty at the time will be prosecuted. CNN's Patrick Altman has more on Ecuador's most wanted fugitive.
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PATRICK ALTMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He should've been Ecuador's most closely guarded prisoner. So, how was it that the notorious gang leader Adolfo Macias alias Fito was able to escape from prison? Ecuador's government can't say how or even when Fito, who is serving a 34-year sentence for drug trafficking, murder and organized crime, escaped from this prison, Guayaquil.
His disappearance was discovered Sunday, just as he was about to be transferred to a maximum security facility. Officials vow to catch him.
ROBERTO IZURIETA CANOVA, ECUADORIAN GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON: The whole forces of the state are after him, and I am convinced that we will catch him because he does not have the protection that he has from the old system.
ALTMAN (voice-over): It is the second time the burly and bearded leader of the notorious Los Choneros gang has slipped away from officials. In 2013, Fito escaped from another prison in Guayaquil and was on the run for three months before police recaptured him. For years, many of Ecuador's prisons have been under the control of drug gangs as the South American nation increasingly became a key conduit for cocaine trafficking. More than 400 inmates have been killed in drug gang violence in prison since 2021, as the groups battle for valuable turf and smuggling routes.
Los Choneros have been linked to Mexico's brutal and powerful Sinaloa cartel once led by Joaquin El Chapo Guzman. In 2023, presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio ran for office on a platform of confronting the gangs, that he said were corrupting Ecuador's political system. Villavicencio said he was threatened by the gangs for speaking out.
FERNANDO VILLAVICENCIO, 2023 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE OF ECUADOR (through translator): I was told that if I keep mentioning Fito's name and the Choneros, they will destroy me.
ALTMAN (voice-over): Villavicencio was gunned down while campaigning in November, alleged hitmen arrested for the candidate's killing were themselves murdered in prison and officials have yet to determine who masterminded the assassination plot. Following Fito's escape and ensuing violence, Ecuadorian officials said gangs would be treated as terrorists.
ADMIRAL JAIME VELA ERAZO, ECUADORIAN ARMED FORCES (through translator): From this moment on, every terrorist group identified in the affirmation degree has become a military target.
ALTMAN (voice-over): Fito is sure to be at the top of the government's list. Officials say thousands of police and military personnel are searching for the fugitive and another gang leader who also escaped from prison. Ecuadorians are reeling from a wave of gang-related violence on Tuesday, including the brazen attack on a TV station that was carried live. Ecuador is a country in shock as their government hunts for its most wanted fugitive and fights a war on all fronts.
Patrick Altman, CNN.
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CHURCH: Still to come, Israel's war on Hamas is fueling anti-Semitic incidents here in North America. We will take you to a Jewish school that has to have constant police supervision because of those threats. Back in just a moment.
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CHURCH: Welcome back everyone. The Anti-Defamation League says anti- Semitic incidents in the U.S. have skyrocketed since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas. The group tracked more than 3,200 incidents from October 7 to January 7. It is a 361 percent increase from the same timeframe one year ago. Nearly half of those involved have written or verbal harassment with the League reporting a sharp increase in fake bomb threats at synagogues and other Jewish facilities.
There were also more than 1,300 incidents, the group describes as rallies promoting anti-Semitism and support for terrorism against Israel. The ADL's CEO says the American-Jewish community is facing a threat level that is unprecedented in modern history. Well, Canada is also experiencing a rise in anti-Semitism. It has been going on for months now. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau even said Canadians are scared to be on their own streets after a rise in hate speech.
CNN's Paula Newton has more.
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PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A morning ritual, school drop off at Yeshiva Gedolah. Students hustle in and as usual, Rabbi Menachem Karmel is meeting them at the door. It's a typical morning in Montreal, right down to the snow covered streets, except for this, police watching every move. In November, Montreal Police say the school was targeted not once, but twice by gunfire.
Students were not there at the time. There were no injuries but also no arrests so far. Rabbi Karmel, an American, and the grandson of holocaust survivors.
NEWTON: The fact that it could happen here. RABBI MENACHEM KARMEL, PRINCIPAL, YESHIVA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MONTREAL: It's scary, scary. And it's so shocking to have such an act in such a community. It's like -- it's almost like we're in a bubble here. The fact that as a religious school, very identifiably Jewish, that this becomes the go-to place to protest, to express your anger is so misconstrued. It's hurtful.
NEWTON (voice-over): And police across Canada say it's far from an isolated incident. Last week, a Jewish-owned deli in Toronto was the target of an arson attack. No one was injured, no arrests have been made. But Toronto Police call it a tipping point.
PAULINE GRAY, STAFF SUPERINTENDENT, TORONTO POLICE: This is a criminal act. It is violent; it is targeted; it is organized.
NEWTON (voice-over): Canada's prime minister has admitted there is new found fear on Canadian streets.
JUSTIN TRUDEAU, PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA: We're seeing right now, a rise in anti-Semitism. That is terrifying.
NEWTON (voice-over): Canadian authorities say hate-inspired incidents have spiked since the Hamas attack in Israel, punctuated by tense protests across the country.
RABBI SAUL EMANUEL, PRESIDENT, JEWISH COMMUNITY CONGRESS: Before you go to the tipping point, try and bring it back, try and pull it back.
NEWTON (voice-over): Rabbi Saul Emanuel voices concerns not just as a parent with children at the targeted school, but a community leader looking for security and less impunity.
EMANUEL: It has become accepted that you can go after any Jewish target.
NEWTON: That real fear of being targeted simply based on your religion is one shared by many Muslims here as well who have also reported an increase in hate-inspired incidents.
SAMER MAJZOUB, PRESIDENT, CANADIAN MUSLIM FORUM: It's much worse than the 9/11.
NEWTON (voice-over): Samer Majzoub speaks to us in a Montreal mosque that was recently targeted with hateful graffiti. He says all the recent hate-inspired acts have frayed nerves in many communities.
MAJZOUB: I don't like to divide our city and our province, and our country into, you know, you are from that community or this community. When we refuse hate, when we refuse violence, when we refuse intimidation, we refuse it against each and every individual.
NEWTON (voice-over): That so cherished Canadian hallmark of tolerance has somehow fractured. In this Montreal synagogue, they pray for peace in Israel, astounded by how that faraway war is affecting their everyday lives. NATAN SCHECHER, MONTREAL RESIDENT: Our day schools, our synagogues have always been kind of sacrosanct. I was getting calls from my friends in Israel saying, "Are you OK? We're hearing all these things happening there." You're calling me from a war zone asking me if I'm OK? It doesn't make any sense. But it's just been the reality.
NEWTON (voice-over): A new reality testing the very fabric of Canadian communities in Montreal and beyond.
Paula Newton, CNN, Montreal.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: And we'll be right back.
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CHURCH: To Papua New Guinea now where authorities are trying to ease tensions after a wage dispute set off violent protests that left multiple people dead. Police and other security personnel were among the demonstrators furious over an unexplained dock in their pay. Papua New Guinea's prime ministers said the smaller paychecks were due to an unintended computer glitch and he promised the problem would be fixed. Still, the unrest is already causing diplomatic fallout for the island nation, with Beijing demanding action against protesters who damaged Chinese-owned businesses.
I'm Rosemary Church. I will be back with more "CNN Newsroom" in just a moment. Do stay with us.
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