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CNN International: Ukrainian Military Says It Repelled 11 Russian Attacks In Zaporizhzhia Region Overnight; Dual U.S.-Russian Citizen Arrested In Russia; Navalny's Mother Asks Putin To Hand Over Her Son's Body; U.S. Proposes Temporary Ceasefire In U.N. Draft Resolution; Prince William "Deeply Concerned" About Human Cost Of Conflict; 100 Million Pieces Of Debris Are Circling The Globe. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired February 20, 2024 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:14]

MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to CNN Newsroom. I'm Max Foster in London.

Just ahead, we'll have a live report from Ukraine where the army says it's repelled Russian attacks in the southeast in what it says was a difficult fight. Then, Alexey Navalny's mother pleads for the body of her son to be returned. We'll have her video address.

And the U.S. proposes a temporary ceasefire in Gaza in a draft U.N. Security Council resolution. I'll be joined by the CEO of a leading U.S. humanitarian agency.

Just after the fall of the key Ukrainian town of Avdiivka, Russia has launched a new wave of attacks. This time the Ukrainian military says it held off a renewed Russian offensive in the Zaporizhzhia region overnight. It comes as Ukraine marks a day of remembrance for the heavenly hundred, those who lost their lives in the 2014 Maidan Square protests in Kyiv.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying Ukraine is, quote, "still standing 10 years later, despite continued attempts to destroy the country and its independence." CNN's Chief International Security Correspondent Nick Payton Walsh is in Kherson in southern Ukraine. And Ukraine's defense strategy, Nick, are repelling those renewed attacks.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, look, it's clearly been a difficult 48 hours start of this week, according to Ukrainian defense officials, obviously the fall of Avdiivka, the subject of weeks or months of assaults, but there appears to still be some momentum that the Russians have that they're trying to capitalize upon.

Most notably in Zaporizhzhia region, one of the key victories of the limited success of the summer counteroffensive that Ukraine had so much NATO funding to try and execute Robotyne, a tiny village, frankly, but one that was taken by Ukraine last summer. That now is under heavy Russian assault. Ukraine cleared that they've repelled those attacks, but there appears to be another prong of that assault slightly off to the east.

And then along the front lines, a series, frankly, of pieces of bad news for Ukrainian forces. Russia, it seems able to push forwards, commit significant numbers of troops to various separate assaults. Suggestions around Avdiivka that fell, there may be other attempts there. Bakhmut, the other last major city taken by Russia in May last year, suggestions of motion there, and then also Kupyansk to the north where President Zelenskyy visited troops just yesterday.

A lot of bad news. Ukraine simultaneously trying to sound like it is successful in repelling these assaults, but also candid about how persistent and frankly widespread they are. At the moment, also saying that they took two Russian fighter jets out of the sky in the country's east. But we're into a very perilous time here, because the potential for this moment has been telegraphed for months.

Back in December, when aid was initially held up by Republican-led Congress, they were concerned morale was being impacted. It was a matter of time till the front line saw real change. Well, that change is upon us now. And so, ultimately, Ukraine is now left with a difficult task of keeping people feeling that the fight is worth it, that the fight is winnable in their messaging and in their behavior too, but also projecting to the outside world the urgent need for assistance.

Sweden today passing a record $683 million worth of aid for Ukraine, but that is a fraction of the $60 billion they urgently need from the U.S. And for two weeks, the U. S. Congress will not even be discussing the possibility of passing that, and those two weeks a lot could certainly change here.

In Kherson, Max, I should tell you where I'm standing now, the sound of artillery is pretty constant and that's a reflection of how Russia is not running out of ammunition, is able to fund its frontline assaults and Ukraine quite the opposite. Max?

FOSTER: OK, Nick in Kherson, thank you.

Russia's arrested a U.S. citizen on charges of treason. The woman who holds dual U.S. and Russian citizenship is accused of raising funds to help Ukraine. Russia's arrested several U.S. citizens in recent years and the U.S. State Department has warned Americans about traveling to Russia.

Clare has been tracking that story. Clare?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. So this has just been coming out in the last few hours. This is a 33-year-old resident of Los Angeles, according to a statement from Russia's FSB, which was their internal security. She's 33. There's two alleged crimes that she's being accused of. One is collecting funds for Ukrainian organizations. Those funds allegedly then were used for battlefield supplies, medical supplies, but also weapons.

[08:05:02] And the second thing is, is interesting because this is actions outside of Russia, specifically in the U.S. being accused of public actions, they say, in support of the Kyiv regime, whether that was demonstrations or protests, it's not clear at this point. But the actual criminal case that's been opened is under the charge of treason, which is a very serious crime in Russia.

It used to be that the maximum sentence there was 20 years. Last year, they upgraded that to the potential for life imprisonment. That's likely to be when there's a repeat crime or things like that, but serious enough that they have not released her on bail. They say that she is being held what they call preventive measures.

But as you say, there's always a lot of scrutiny when any U.S. citizen is arrested in Russia. Obviously, the relations between Russia and the U.S. have basically collapsed. We have a situation Evan Gershkovich, that Wall Street Journal reporter, now approaching the year mark in pre-trial detention. He just had an appeal denied today.

Paul Whelan, more than five years behind bars. So this, we're still waiting for more information on this, but it will be very closely watched.

FOSTER: These are all, you know, people in situations, but they also become, you know, a negotiation point as well, right? Like if Russia currency if they want to talk about swaps.

SEBASTIAN: Right. And I think that's the other reason why these things are very closely watched. We know that that is something very much on the mind of President Putin. He talked about it in reference to Evan Gershkovich in his recent interview with Tucker Carlson, that they were ready to essentially do business on this.

There's one individual, a convicted assassin in Germany that we know Russia is looking to get back. So yes, it's currency. This is how they try to win back the prizes that they want from overseas. And it's -- it is potentially political. We don't know if we can say that yet with this case because we're waiting for more information about who this individual actually is but still something to watch very closely.

FOSTER: OK, Clare, thank you.

The Kremlin brushing aside accusations from Alexey Navalny's widow that Vladimir Putin was behind his death. A Kremlin spokesperson labeled the claims by Yulia Navalnaya unfounded and boorish. And just a short while ago, Navalny's mother released a video from outside the prison where he died. She called on Putin to release her son's body so she can bury him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LYUDMILA NAVALNAYA, ALEXEY NAVALNY'S MOTHER: Behind me is the IK-3 Polar Wolf colony where my son, Alexey Navalny, died on February 16th. I haven't been able to see him for five days. They won't give me his body. They don't even tell me where he is. I'm addressing you, Vladimir Putin. The solution to the issue depends only on you. Let me finally see my son. I demand that Alexey's body be immediately handed over so that I can bury him humanely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Navalny's widow says Russia is holding onto her husband's body to hide evidence of what actually killed him. We also got word that the ex-Twitter account used by Yulia Navalnaya has been suspended.

Now, Israel is forcefully rejecting disturbing allegations made about the conduct of Israeli forces in Gaza and the West Bank. U.N. experts are calling for a probe into allegations. They've heard that Israeli troops killed, imprisoned, raped and sexually assaulted Palestinian women and girls. They want an independent investigation. Israel says the allegations are despicable and unfounded.

In a separate development, the U.S. is now calling for a temporary ceasefire in Israel's war against Hamas and proposing its own draft resolution to the U.N. Security Council. This comes after the U.S. said it would veto an Algerian draft, which is set to come up for a vote today.

CNN's Nic Robertson is live from Tel Aviv. I think the Algerian proposal was an immediate ceasefire. The U.S. isn't, and that's the crucial difference.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It is, and there's a lot of growing international support for an immediate ceasefire. It really seems to be a lot of pressure coming on Israel internationally for that, but I think it will be interpreted here. The U.S. proposed resolution, which isn't up for a vote today, which says there should be a temporary ceasefire where as soon as is practically possible, also calls for the release of all hostages.

That's likely to be interpreted here by the prime minister as giving him more diplomatic and political breathing room. Certainly, his luck to the United States to provide that so that the IDF can continue with the offensive inside Gaza.

What the United States is saying to support its call and its proposed security council resolution is saying that the -- if there were to be a ground offensive into Rafah right now, the conditions would mean that many civilians could be killed, could be harmed.

[08:10:04]

And the real possibility that people would escape over the border, meaning into Egypt, and the United States says that would impact regional security, stability and peace. We haven't heard a response from the government here yet to the U.S. proposed resolution.

And it's something that it doesn't have a fixed time on it and isn't going to be voted on immediately. And behind all this, we know that the Israeli government has given Hamas until the beginning of Ramadan, the 10th, 11th of March, roughly to hand over all hostages before that ground incursion in Rafah would begin. So it gives, it seems, some more breathing room on this issue to the Israeli government.

FOSTER: OK, Nic, thank you so much for that.

And we've just had a rare intervention from British Royal on the Middle East of the war between Israel and Hamas, is from Prince William, who's conducting some engagements in relation to all of this today. He says he's deeply concerned about the terrible human cost of the conflict.

I like, so many others, want to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible. There's a desperate need for increased humanitarian support to Gaza is critical that gets in and the hostages released as well. He had sometimes it's only when faced with the sheer scale of human suffering and the importance of a permanent peace is actually brought home.

So rare intervention of someone who's meant to be a non-political figure getting involved in what many people see as a political issue, but he's very clear that he's speaking on behalf of all of the victims of this crisis on all sides.

Russia's foreign minister is on the second leg of his diplomatic tour through Latin America. Sergey Lavrov is expected to hold talks with Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas. The visit comes as tensions mount between Venezuela and the U.S. with Russia's influence with the Venezuelan government growing.

Stefano Pozzebon joins us live in Bogota, Colombia. I mean, obviously the, you know, this relationship speaks into so many international issues.

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN JOURNALIST: Yes, Max, of course the relationship between Caracas and Moscow continues as we see both the President of Russia and the President of Venezuela taking more and more authoritarian stances. Lavrov is in Caracas at a moment where Latin America finds itself at the center of the diplomatic circles, just like Europe was last week.

He's meeting Maduro today, but crucially tomorrow he will go to Rio de Janeiro where he will participate in a meeting of G20 foreign leaders, foreign ministers, where also Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, is due to participate. It will be interesting to see how the two interact with each other because it was the first time that they will meet after the death of Alexey Navalny.

Today in Caracas, Lavrov is due to do a press conference. It will be the first that he does after Alexey Navalny's death. So it will be interesting to see what he says. And his visits to Cuba yesterday and to Venezuela today shows a sign that Russia is not focusing only on Europe.

It's still very much interesting to project influence all around the world and especially in the United States backyard by meeting Maduro, who in recent weeks, it's interesting to notice what's going on inside Venezuela these days. There has been increased repression and increased crackdown on opposition leaders. The opposition leaders have been barred from running in an election that is scheduled for later this year. And at least 19 people have been detained for participating in an alleged plot to kill Nicolas Maduro. There has been no proof provided by the Venezuelan authorities. But it's a moment where the tensions between Caracas and Washington are running very high.

There is a lot going on between the two countries. And, of course, Lavrov's presence there is only adding fuel to the fire. Max?

FOSTER: OK, Stefano, thank you so much for joining us there from Bogota.

Now, jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is making a last ditch attempt to avoid extradition from Britain to the U.S. A two-day hearing is underway at the High Court in London. Assange's lawyers are seeking permission to launch a fresh appeal against extradition, but they say their client isn't in court because he's unwell.

The judges are expected to hear from the U.S. legal team tomorrow. Assange has long faced charges for publishing leaked U.S. classified documents.

Still to come, the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. We'll talk to a top official with CARE USA.

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[08:17:04]

FOSTER: As the U.S. proposes a temporary ceasefire in Gaza, we want to focus on the humanitarian situation there. Aid groups and the international community have been sounding the alarm for many weeks now. All eyes are on Rafah, where Israel is threatening to launch a ground assault.

The World Health Organization says there's an acute shortage of food, oxygen, and basic medical supplies at the besieged Nasser Hospital elsewhere. At a hospital in Khan Younis, the Palestine Red Crescent Society warns the available drinking water is only enough for three more days.

For more on the situation, let's bring in Michelle Nunn, the CEO of CARE USA, an organization that fights poverty around the world and empowers women and girls. She joins us now from Ramallah in the West Bank. Thank you so much for joining us.

I mean, with this specter of a ground invasion into that most southern part of Gaza, how are your staff and the people they work with feeling?

MICHELLE NUNN, CEO, CARE USA: I think they're feeling incredibly frightened and just in disbelief that this is being contemplated, frankly. Because if you think about this conflict, this war, you have the densest population in the world now confined to an even smaller, tiny space. So 1.3 to 1.5 million people in this region that is now being threatened.

They have left their homes multiple times on average, five to six times to find safe place right here, which is not safe for them, by the way, and where they have very little in terms of food, water, healthcare, absolutely no education for four months for children. And now they are being told that there is potentially an imminent attack and they have nowhere to go, nowhere to flee.

And on top of that, this is actually the passage through which all of the humanitarian aid, which is more of a trickle versus the kind of stream to meet the ocean of need that is necessary, that is being threatened here. So it really is nothing short of catastrophic to contemplate this.

FOSTER: Obviously, you would want the ceasefire as soon as possible to at least carry out your work, but obviously for the people living there as well. What do you make of what's happening at the U.N.? The Algerian proposal was one which would call for an immediate ceasefire, that's been killed by the U.S. They're not going to -- they're going to veto it.

They're instead proposing, you know, a pause in fighting when it's practicable. I think that was the language they were using. But that could mean after this ground invasion. So, what do you think of the way the U.S. is doing to influence this situation?

NUNN: I think it is well past the time of practicalities from a humanitarian perspective. It is required for there to be an immediate ceasefire, from the lives of tens of thousands of people that I think hang in the balance in terms of the tipping point.

[08:20:09]

Not only from the bombs, we've lost over 30,000 people reportedly, but also now we face the potential of desperate hunger, the lack of water, dehydration, issues of disease, with only 7 out of 34 hospitals, even partially operating. So there is no time to spare. And it is absolutely essential that this happen as soon as possible.

We need the U.S.'s advocacy, and we need the global community to rally together to ensure that we do see a cease fire, a release of the hospital, and the capacity for the delivery of the scale of aid that is needed to see perhaps even more people dying from nutrition, the lack of nutrition, the lack of food disease than we have seen just in the bomb. So the time is definitely now.

FOSTER: OK, Michelle Nunn, appreciate your insight and your reporting from there. Thank you so much.

A man-made garbage isn't just an earthly problem anymore. Some 100 million pieces of debris are in orbit around the globe, would you believe? But there's no simple solution to get rid of it.

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FOSTER: Outer space increasingly becoming littered with our earthly trash. Everything from spatulas to dead satellites. The question now, how to get rid of it all, all that junk floating up there above us? Bill Weir has been looking into that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDEN (voice-over): We all dropped things around the house.

PIERS SELLERS, ASTRONAUT: Guys, I think my spatula escaped.

WEIR (voice-over): So, when astronaut Piers Sellers dropped a spatula while spreading putty on the space shuttle, it was relatable news.

SELLERS: I don't see it on me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. We'll take a look.

WEIR (voice-over): But while a spatula in space was still novel in 2006, it seems quaint now, because nearly 70 years after Sputnik, the moon holds tons of human trash. And the final frontier is filthy with rocket fumes, an orbiting junk.

Check out this NASA time-lapse. Each dot, a manmade object bigger than a softball, flying 10 times faster than a bullet, the website orbiting now is tracking over 8,300 satellites, most of them put there by private companies like SpaceX. And over time, they will only add to the hundred million tiny pieces of manmade debris in orbit.

WEIR: So behind us is the National Air and Space Museum. Do they have an exhibit on space junk? Is it time that we start paying attention?

RON LOPEZ, PRESIDENT OF ASTROSCALE U.S.: There's been discussion about it, and it is time that we pay attention to the issue.

WEIR (voice-over): Ron Lopez heads the American branch of Astroscale, a Japanese entry into the growing field of orbital debris removal.

LOPEZ: The interesting metric is that over the next 10 years, were going to launch three times as much into space as we have launched since Sputnik, since the beginning of the Space Age, three times as much in just the next 10 years.

WEIR (voice-over): While they're a long way from flying garbage trucks, Astroscale just launched a second test mission and funded only by private investment recently proved that they can use magnets to catch and potentially extend the lives of dying satellites.

[08:25:05]

In 2018, a team from the U.K. prove that space junk can be snared with a net, which helps with traffic control up there, but does nothing to stop dead satellites from burning into countless pieces of metal, throwing off remnants can stay in our skies for years.

WEIR: The launches are almost a weekly fear daily occurrence. Is that having an effect on the stratosphere? TROY THORNBERRY, RESEARCH PHYSICIST, NOAA CHEMICAL SCIENCES LABORATORY: Yes. So as we see this increase in space traffic, we see significantly increased emissions in the something we've been talking about is adding a lot of material to the stratosphere that was never there before. All of the sort of the mass of material that we put into space doesn't all just stay there, and when it's de-orbited, it basically acts and same way that a meteoroid does.

WEIR (voice-over): With special high flying jets, a team from NOAA recently discovered that 10 percent of the particles in the stratosphere contain bits of rocket and satellite metal. And in the next few decades, it could be 50 percent matching the amount created naturally by meteorites. Scientists worry that this could eventually alter Earth's climate.

So, this summer, Japan and NASA aimed to launch the world's first biodegradable satellite, made mostly from wood.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WEIR (on-camera): Last year, the U.S. Senate passed the Orbits Act unanimously as yet to go through the House. This would charge NASA with coming up with new technology to clean up the mess and puts the whole mess under the responsibility of the Commerce Department.

But, of course, the U.S. is just one of many space going nations these days and we got word this week that Russia may be working on a weapon in space that could wipe out thousands of those satellites in one attack that we've seen here on earth. Policing or regulating the high seas is so difficult because no one owns them. That lesson now moving to outer space.

Bill Weir, CNN New York.

FOSTER: Thanks for joining me here on CNN Newsroom. I'm Max Foster in London. World Sport with Amanda is next.

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