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Russia's War on Ukraine; Russian Patrol Ship in the Black Sea Allegedly Sunk by Ukraine; Russia's Advances Surrounding the Eastern City of Avdiivka Halted by Ukraine; Combatants from Ukraine Claim to be Out of Ammo; More Pressure from the Biden Administration for Ceasefire in Gaza; Israel-Hamas War; Blinken Meets with Qatari Counterpart on Truce in Gaza; Israeli War Cabinet Member Benny Gantz Meets with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin; Negotiators and Hamas in Egypt Must Hold Urgent Ceasefire Negotiations; 2024 U.S. Election; To Secure Republican Candidacy, Donald Trump Eyeing Potential Super Tuesday Sweep; Voting Will Take Place on Super Tuesday for Millions of Americans; Super Tuesday Match in 16 States Today. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired March 05, 2024 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:30:00]

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JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF DOMESTIC CORRESPONDENT: New this morning, dramatic video appears to show the moment Ukrainian forces say they hit and sank a Russian Navy patrol boat. Take a look at this really astonishing video. You can see an unmanned drone approaching the vessel just before a large explosion. This happened near the Kerch Strait which separates Crimea from the coast of Russia. It also comes as Kyiv says it has stalled Russia's advances around the city of Avdika and -- excuse me, Avdiivka on its eastern flank.

Our Nick Paton Walsh joins us now from eastern Ukraine. Nick, tell us more about this really astonishing video that we're seeing this morning and what else is happening where you are.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jim, and look, it's a refrain now, frankly, of Ukraine, quite surprisingly, using unorthodox means like drones, things we didn't expect to see, but the start of the war to hit part of Russia's Black Sea fleets and essentially deprive them of a space they used to consider safe. The most recent, last night, the Sergei Kotov, a patrol boat, seven dead, apparently, according to Ukrainian officials, because of the use of a drone attacking it.

They've also claimed hitting a bridge 500 miles inside Russia. And President Zelenskyy said they took 15 jets out in February alone that belonged to Russia. So, a lot of claims by Ukraine that they're doing very well in unexpected areas.

What is undisputable, though, is the lack of U.S. aid, the lack of ammunition, the lack of personnel Ukraine has. It's causing a very dire situation on the front lines at a time when Russia is deeply in the ascendant here. You cannot deny that at all. There are villages that Ukraine said it would be able to hold as its defensive line when they left Avdiivka two weeks ago that are now under constant threat, all helping Russia because the Ukrainians simply didn't have the equipment they need. Here's what we saw on the front line in the past days.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALSH (voice-over): It's a lonely path ahead. The Russians have never been louder or closer. Occupied Bakhmut is just up the road. But now, some Ukrainian tank guns are silent just when they're needed most. Here, they don't have enough shells.

WALSH: Sometimes, they just won't fire at all. For a whole day, other days, they will be shooting constantly. And I tell you, it is loud on the other side of that hill. And it's, sort of, surreal to hear that sort of noise over there and see this tank unit having to ration their ammo.

YAROSLAV, 42ND MECHANIZED BRIGADE (through translator): We have people, but without weapons this is not a war you can win with a sword.

WALSH (voice-over): We learned they didn't fire at tool that day, or the day before, or the next day. The silence here is what losing sounds like. So, too, is what these soldiers had to say.

[10:35:00]

WALSH (through translator): If the Americans don't give money what's going to happen?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I think we're all going to die. Everybody who is here, we will be no more.

WALSH: Is this the worst you've seen it?

GARRISON FOSTER, U.S. VOLUNTEER FIGHTER: Yes. Yes, definitely. I think, this year is going to be the worst year in the war. Oh, I do know that there's certain units that they're running out of tanks.

WALSH: How angry does it make you?

FOSTER: You know, I'm pissed. I'm absolutely pissed off. There's no point in trying to paint this in any sort of light, where it's good for us that Russia takes Ukraine. That's going to be very, very, very bad for us geopolitically.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALSH (on camera): It's just not -- I should understate here, Jim, exactly how dire it is beginning to look on Ukraine's eastern frontier. Separate news though, the International Criminal Court, remember, they put out an arrest warrant, an indictment against Vladimir Putin for trafficking of -- sorry, the forced deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.

Well, they've just announced that two key Russian commanders in charge of Black Sea fleets themselves, those targeted by that strike earlier on today. Well, they are also subject to arrest warrants because of what they say is targeting civilian infrastructure and civilians over the past years or so. So, startling development there that suggests the international ramifications legally for Russia going forwards because of its atrocities here in Ukraine. Back to you.

ACOSTA: Yes. And Nick -- I mean, getting back to what that soldier was saying a few moments ago and the frustration that people feel inside Ukraine, really all around the world, that they're not getting the weapons that they need. They have to be, sort of, improvisational when it comes to these attacks. I mean, this drone attack, for example, on the Russian ship, I mean, it kind of shows how -- I mean, Ukraine has had to resort to these sorts of tactics to get the upper hand at times.

WALSH: Yes, look, and there's no doubting the Ukrainian ingenuity here using video gaming consoles or headsets to fly drones, specifically into Russian armored vehicles. You know, technological advancements that NATO armies, frankly, are studying at the moment because of their efficiency and accuracy as well, and things like those naval drones too.

But ultimately, they need the heavy weapons. They need the financing to even have a chance. And that's what's so despairing here as you watch them try to band aid over the problem here that is essentially down to a very small number of Republican congressmen, essentially, giving Putin a very good shot seeing significant progress in this war, Jim.

ACOSTA: All right. Nick Paton Walsh, thank you very much.

Coming up, more pressure from the Biden administration for a ceasefire in Gaza. This time coming from the Secretary of State Tony Blinken. His comments this morning as he meets with his Qatari counterpart, that's next.

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[10:40:00]

ACOSTA: Secretary of State Tony Blinken just wrapped up his meeting with his Qatari counterpart as Israel -- the Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks are ramping up. This video is just from a short time ago. And in the next hour, Blinken is expected to meet with Israeli War Cabinet member Benny Gantz, who is also meeting with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin as part of a three-day trip to meet with senior Biden administration officials.

And CNN's Chief National Security Correspondent Alex Marquardt joins me now. Alex, tell us more about these talks. I mean, obviously at a very critical moment.

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, a critical moment and the meetings today here in Washington just underscore how important the -- these talks are and the figures who are involved in these talks. Now, what is clear, Jim, is that even though there has been some progress in the past few weeks, negotiators are still struggling to get Israel and Hamas on the same page. And the clock is ticking. The U.S. has repeatedly said that they want to have a ceasefire in place by the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which starts early next week. If fighting were to continue during Ramadan, that could certainly inflame tensions even farther.

So, the mediators, Israel -- sorry, the U.S., Egypt and Qatar, working feverishly to try to get to a deal. Here's a little bit of what Secretary Blinken had to say earlier today standing alongside the Qatari Prime Minister. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: And here, we have an opportunity for an immediate ceasefire that can bring hostages home, that can dramatically increase the amount of humanitarian assistance getting into Palestinians who so desperately need it, and can also set the conditions for an enduring resolution. And it is on Hamas to make decisions about whether it is prepared to engage in that ceasefire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUARDT: Jim, you can hear there, the U.S. is putting it on Hamas. The Biden administration has essentially said that Israel has agreed to the broad framework. We have reported that Israel has demanded a list of the hostages that Hamas is holding, both dead and alive, so that they could have a sense of who would be freed in a hostage deal. There have also been talks in Cairo over the past few days that Israel has not attended because they did not get that list. We heard Egyptian state television earlier today saying that there are still difficulties in those talks. Jim.

ACOSTA: All right. Alex Marquardt, thank you very much.

And in the meantime, there is clear and convincing information that hostages held in Gaza were sexually abused. That's according to a new United Nations report.

CNN's Paula Hancocks joins me now from Abu Dhabi. Paula, the report says it's reasonal to -- reasonable to believe that this sexual violence is still ongoing. Is that right?

[10:45:00]

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Jim. Of course, that shows just how urgent it is to try and get the hostages out of Gaza, among, of course, many other things. But what we're hearing in this report is from the U.S. Special Envoy for Sexual Violence in Conflict. It was at the end of January. She had two weeks talking to witnesses, for example, to the October 6th attack by Hamas. Also, to some hostages who had been released from Gaza and also some survivors from the attack.

Now, in this report, they say that there is clear and convincing information that there was rape used as a weapon, and that it potentially is still going on, also specifying on October 7th. They believe there are reasonable grounds to believe that conflict related sexual violence was used.

So, this is something that we have heard. But this is a definitive, the most definitive, report really that we have had to date to show that this is what is believed to have happened. Now we have had a denial from Hamas as we have in the past saying that these are unfounded lies.

Also, the U.N. team though saying that they did have limited ability to carry this out, saying they didn't have the access that they wanted on the ground to -- in part because of mistrust. But also, that they found it difficult to have forensic evidence that was professionally gathered at the time. So, they did find some restrictions in what they were able to do.

Also, this same team went to Ramallah in the occupied West Bank to hear allegations from both Palestinian men and women who had been incarcerating, saying that they alleged, "Cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatments". The mission said that they did have allegations made to them of these -- these prisoners saying that they had beatings. They had threats of rape against women or threats of rape of female members of their family against the men, among other allegations that were made. We've put these allegations to the IDF. We are awaiting comment on them, Jim.

ACOSTA: Wow. All right. That is very disturbing. Paula Hancocks, thank you very much. And we'll be right back.

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[10:50:00]

ACOSTA: Voters across the country headed to the polls today as Donald Trump eyes a possible Super Tuesday sweep to all but clench the Republican nomination. Trump is on track to potentially win more primaries and caucuses than any previous Republican presidential candidate outside of an incumbent. An indication of his successful transformation of the GOP in his own image.

Joining me now to discuss is Former Trump White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Matthews. Sarah, it's great to talk to you. I guess, one of the things that we should get into is, you know -- sort of, what I was talking about with Adam Kinzinger earlier on in this program. I know that you resigned on January 6th. And what goes through your mind that on this Super Tuesday Trump is basically on the verge, on the cusp of clinching the nomination? He won't clinch it today, but he's going to be very close.

SARAH MATTHEWS, FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY: Yes, I think if you would have told me back on January 6, 2021 that just a couple years later, we would find ourselves in this position, that he is still the leader of the Republican Party and is on his way toward clinching the Republican nomination, I would probably be shocked. And it's shocking because so many Republicans in the immediate aftermath of January 6th condemned Donald Trump for his efforts to try to overturn the election and his failure on January 6th. And now many of those people have kissed the ring and cozied up to him.

And so, I -- it is disappointing. And I find a little bit of hope, though, in the fact that Nikki Haley is still in this race, that she's been able to win about 40 percent of the vote in some of the states that we've seen thus far. And it shows me that there is a growing shift in the Republican Party of folks who want to leave Donald Trump behind, but obviously it's not enough. He still has this large hold on the base.

ACOSTA: Yes. And -- I mean, you bring up a good point. I mean, there's going to be a lot of pressure. You know, Trump world, there's going to be a lot of pressure on Nikki Haley to get out of this race after tonight. You think she should hang in there?

MATTHEWS: That's my hope. I hope that she stays in honestly until the convention as she has the resources and has the ability to do so because we don't know what could happen between now and the convention. We could see Donald Trump be convicted. And so, who knows then what could happen at a convention.

And so, I really do hope that she'll stay in the race and continue to give voters another option because right now, obviously, it looks like he is marching towards clinching the nomination, but there is still sometime between now and the convention.

ACOSTA: Yes, and for the folks at home who have forgotten what was going on inside the White House that -- I was inside the White House that day on January 6th, and I know you were part of the team that was trying to get Trump to basically talk down the rioters, to get them to stop doing what they were -- for folks who forget all of this. What was going on that day?

MATTHEWS: Yes, I was in the West Wing that day, as were you.

ACOSTA: Yes.

MATTHEWS: We spoke that day.

ACOSTA: Yes.

MATTHEWS: And I was doing everything in my power to try to get Donald Trump to stop the violence because I knew that his supporters would only listen to him. And so, I was talking to the people who I knew had his ear, and telling them he needed to condemn the violence, and he needed to tell these rioters to get away from the Capitol. And obviously, it took hours and hours and hours for him to do so after he had many of his closest advisers begging him, pleading with him. And so, he reluctantly finally did.

[10:55:00]

But that was already after much of the violence had already happened and the Capitol police had regained control of the building. And so, it really didn't matter at that point then when he finally did speak up.

And I think he didn't speak up because he was enjoying what was happening. He saw these people as fighting for him and he wanted to do everything he could to stay in power. And so, that was why I resigned that day. I felt uncomfortable with his efforts to try to overturn the election from the post-November moving on to January 6th, but obviously that day was a red line for me then.

ACOSTA: Yes. And I know, Sarah, that's why you you're speaking out to this day and we appreciate the time. Sarah Matthews, I hope we can continue this conversation in the days ahead. Thanks so much for joining us and thanks to everybody else for joining us on this Super Tuesday morning.

I'm Jim Acosta. Our next hour of NEWSROOM starts after a short break with Wolf Blitzer. That's next, stay with us.

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