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Connect the World
Russian Deputy FM: No Risk of Large-Scale War; Blinken to Meet with Russian Foreign Minister on Friday; What you need to Know about "Hunga Tonga"; Ukrainian Intel: 127,000 Plus Russian Troops in the Region; Emirates Press: Airline Only Learned Extent of Issue Tuesday; Villa with Caravaggio Ceiling Fails to Sell. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired January 19, 2022 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN, Atlanta. This is "Connect the World".
LARRY MADOWO, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: I'm Larry Madowo at CNN Center. Hello and welcome to "Connect the World". A new warning about the standoff
at the Ukrainian border U.S. Secretary of States Antony Blinken says Russia could double its forces their "On relatively short order".
Blinken just wrapped up a series of meetings in Ukraine aimed at defeating the standoff. He'll talk with the Russian Foreign Minister on Friday.
Blinken got an elbow bump there. That's what you're looking at with the Ukrainian President. Blinken says Russia has almost 100,000 troops near the
border. Ukraine puts that number higher at 127,000.
Russia continues to deny plans to invade and says there's no risk of a large scale war. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen is in Moscow and Matthew Chance is
in Kiev. Matthew first to you, Blinken is spending all this time in the region because the U.S. and its allies are trying to avoid a war. How is
that looking so far?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I mean, there isn't one so far. So you could argue that it works. But the diplomatic
strand on this is still not fully played act.
We're seeing Antony Blinken, Secretary of State coming here to Kiev to brief Ukrainian leadership on the outcome of the week long negotiations
that took place last week with Russian officials, U.S. officials and NATO were the Russian demands about Ukraine never joining the NATO military
alliances were discussed and met with a rejection I should add, by the U.S. and by NATO.
And to discuss what can come out of the next round of negotiations, or at least next meeting between Secretary of State Blinken and his Russian
counterpart Sergey Lavrov, which is taking place on Friday morning in in Geneva.
But you know it was also a symbolic show support. And whenever, you know, congressional delegations come here, as they happen this week, or the
Secretary of State and U.S. comes to Ukraine. It's always to show Ukraine and to show Russia as well, that its partner, its ally United States stands
squarely behind it.
And of course, they've promised crushing sanctions, if Russia were to once again take the decision to invade Ukrainian territory. And behind the
scenes though, while they welcome that support behind the scenes, we are seeing a bit of frustration privately expressed by Ukrainian officials, the
symbolism is all very well and good and the promise of sanctions if Russia invades are all good, too.
But the Ukrainians want sanctions ahead of that to deter Russia, and to punish Russia for this aggression. They want military aid now, not
afterwards. So they can defend against what they regard as an impending Russian threat.
And they also want to discuss cash, hard money, that that you need from the Americans loan guarantees to compensate the economy in this country, which
they say has been severely battered, because of the lack of foreign investments due to this ongoing crisis.
So on the surface, everything, you know, between the two is, you know, smiles and handshakes or fist bumps as are doing during this area of COVID.
But behind the scenes privately, I think there's a lot more frustration being expressed.
MADOWO: There's a lot of demands, but to beyond the camaraderie and the elbow bombs. Frederik, the Russians are downplaying the potential for an
all-out war in Europe, despite what the U.S. or its allies are saying, what is the Deputy Russian Foreign Minister tells you about their standoff right
now with Ukraine?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you're absolutely right. And the Russians are certainly saying and have been
saying that they have no intention of invading Ukraine.
However, they also have said they have said in the past as well, you know, with some of the things that Matthew was just alluding to that with these
weapons deliveries, that they do believe that that is counterproductive weapons deliveries to Ukraine and could further escalate the situation.
Nevertheless, of course, you do have, by most accounts, more than 100,000 Russian forces there near the border of Ukraine. And of course, that in
itself creates quite a dangerous situation. And I asked the Deputy Foreign Minister, who by the way, also led that delegation last week that spoke to
the United States in Geneva, how big the threat of war is right now in that part of Europe, and let's listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SERGEY RYABKOV, RUSSIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER: I do believe that there is no risk of a larger scale war, to start to unfold in Europe or elsewhere.
We do not want and will not take any action of aggressive character. We will not attack strike, invade, quote unquote, whatever Ukraine.
It has been said dozens of times in recent weeks, and that just reconfirm this. We see the threat of Ukraine becoming ever more integrated in NATO
without even acquiring a formal status of a NATO member state.
[11:05:00]
RYABKOV: This is something that goes right to the center of Russia's national security interests.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: And of course, one of the things the Russians have said is that they want a written responses from the United States to those demands,
specifically the one where the Russians demanded that NATO - that Ukraine would never join NATO.
Of course, Secretary of State Blinken has already said those responses in writing will not be forthcoming, at least in the meetings that he's about
to have with the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, in Friday on Geneva.
There's one other nugget that I also picked up from the Deputy Foreign Minister as well, though Larry, and I want to share that with you, because
the Russians are obviously saying they have all these security demands, especially for countries like the Ukraine not to join NATO.
But he also said, alternatively, if the U.S. undertakes a unilateral obligation in a legally binding form, that it will never vote for Ukrainian
and others membership in NATO, we would be prepared to consider that as well, those the words of the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister.
Hard to see the U.S. ever agreeing to something like that, since they've already poured cold water on most of the things that the Russians are
demanding. But certainly we can see that the diplomacy is continuing, even as the situation around Ukraine and generally in Eastern Europe seems to be
growing more dangerous by the day, Larry.
MADOWO: And we just had Fred from a Secretary Blinken in Kiev, saying he will not be presenting written response to the proposals that the Russians
had given last week. And how is that likely to be received back there in Moscow?
PLEITGEN: Well, that not very well, because judging by some of the things that I've heard from the Russian side over the past couple of days,
especially from the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, who's really now apparently jumping in and taking over these negotiations, with those
very important talks that are going to happen with the Secretary of State Blinken in Geneva on Friday.
And one of the things that I've heard pretty much every day from the Russian Foreign Minister is the Russians want written answers, written
responses to their demands. And he keeps saying they want those very quickly. Now, the Secretary of State, as you mentioned, has said that those
will not be forthcoming, at least at that meeting.
I think one of the things that Secretary State Blinken also said is he wants to talk to Sergey Lavrov, and see where both sides stand and see how
it could be possible to move forward. It certainly seems as though right now, the U.S. does not want to give those written responses because maybe
wants to open the door a little further for broader negotiations with the Russians to talk about all this rather than talking around written
responses that the U.S. might give.
But certainly, the Russians are saying for them. This is key and they want this very quickly. So certainly that could weigh down those talks on
Friday.
MADOWO: So the next key moment is on Friday, when that meeting between the Secretary Blinken and Sergey Lavrov takes place in - we're going to be
watching that very closely. Matthew Chance and Fred Pleitgen thank you both gentlemen.
I want to get some perspective right now. Let's bring in Jill Dougherty, who has followed Russia extensively, spending almost a decade as our Moscow
Bureau Chief and CNN International Security Editor Nick Paton Walsh reported on the last invasion of Ukraine.
Let me start with you, Professor Dorian, thank you so much for coming back to CNN great to see you. We've just heard the Russian Deputy Foreign
Minister say that there is no risk of a large scale war. But all the signs watch the contrary. What do you make of that?
JILL DOUGHERTY, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY ADJUNCT PROFESSOR: Well, it's what they've been saying for a long time now. But you have to look at what's
happening on the ground. I mean, right now, I think one of the most worrying signs is that in Belarus Russia is intending to have military
exercises with Belarus.
Belarus is right on the border, actually, of Ukraine and Poland and Lithuania. So if you look at the map, you could say really, that Ukraine,
except for its western side that looks toward Western Europe, could be surrounded by Russian forces. Now, what will they do? Will they come over
the border? It looks as if they are preparing for that.
Now, whether obviously, the big question here is, will they do it, but you have to look at these warning signs, these military signs. But I agree with
Frederik, that there is something happening or could be behind the scenes diplomatically that statement by Ryabkov if the United States agreed to.
That's interesting, because it kind of opens the door a little bit. Up until now the Russians have been absolutely categorical. It's our deal or
nothing. And it has to be in writing it. It has to be right now. But there might be an opening because there are some here in the United States who
have suggested that maybe you could have an agreement, let's say, putting off membership.
The West would agree putting off NATO membership for Ukraine, Georgia for 10 years, 25 years this is kind of revolutionary not everybody agrees with
this but there might be an opening.
[11:10:00]
MADOWO: Right. So Nick, the Biden Administration is reported to be weighing new military options, including providing even more arms to Ukraine to
resist a Russian occupation. Our European Union allies are concerned as the U.S. says.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: I think there are certainly concerns not quite so much of the wild escalatory rhetoric that
we've seen both out of Washington and Moscow. The UK, not part of the European Union, but they seem to have sent a shipment of anti-tank missiles
warmly received by the Ukraine by Ukraine.
Just in the past few days, the French have suggested direct talks between the EU and Russia. And Germany too has suggested that for it, the vital
Nord Stream two pipelines might be something that might be on the table in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
I should point out, though, that there have already been two Russian invasions of Ukraine in the last eight years since 2014, 2015. So we are
seeing maneuvers on the border, which are certainly troubling, yes.
And are larger it seems than previous years when we've seen similar gesturing by Russian forces amassing and then leaving and certainly to the
activity in Belarus does seem to be a little different. But I should just point out to people, the notion of the Russian Military marching into
Poland, utterly farfetched, it's a NATO member, they simply aren't really going to do that.
The Baltics have been deeply concerned about Russian meddling and Russian presence. For years, they've kind of galvanized their population to that
potential risk, exceptionally difficult task to even imagine the Russians contemplating that.
And Ukraine, yes, certainly weaker, absolutely, but the mere notion that the Russians will try and take a large part of that country, I've heard
serious analysts suggest that they take a large part of it and then try and occupy.
Well, that to me is practically farfetched; it would be deeply costly, not only in terms of sanctions, but in terms of Russian Military expenditure.
The U.S. have made it quite clear, as you mentioned, Larry, that they're making an exceptionally uncomfortable presence in terms of Ukrainian
resistance, if there were Russian troops on Ukrainian soil, I should say, more Russian troops on Ukrainian soil.
So we're seeing an escalation here, certainly. And there are some analysts, though that is saying this is basically what both DC and Moscow want.
Washington want to be seen to be back on the European security stage after the coziness of the Trump years, standing up for their allies, getting them
all together on the same page and telling Moscow that they are going to face a united enemy.
And at the same time, Moscow loves this sort of showmanship, the respect; it's getting the kind of Soviet era meetings that they're seeing now. And
the running around of U.S. diplomats to strike deals with them. It seems to work for any people apart from Ukraine, frankly, who the ones are risking
being invaded.
MADOWO: And there are people who are some people who believe it's all posturing by the Kremlin by Vladimir Putin. Professor Dory, the U.S.
Secretary of State is in the Ukraine today. And we'll be meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov on Friday. But I want to play for
you something that he said today about those Russian troops on the border with Ukraine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: The significant buildup we've seen of Russian forces near the Ukrainian border. No provocation, no reason.
Except that we have a very significant force. We know that there are plans in place to increase that force even more on very short notice.
And that gives President Putin the capacity also on very short notice, to take further aggressive action against Ukraine. And that, of course, has
gotten not only our attention, but it's gotten the attention of virtually all of our allies and partners, and not just in Europe, even beyond.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MADOWO: I want to get your reaction to that and what success will look like going into this meeting, Professor?
DOUGHERTY: Well, I think what we're getting right now from the American side, is the idea that this could happen at any moment. They have been
saying that, that the rhetoric right now is really quite serious that this could happen and it's imminent.
And I think Friday really is the showdown. As was mentioned, we're going to have the Foreign Minister Lavrov discussing with the Foreign Minister, the
Secretary of State of the United States, and I don't think it could really get much tenser than it is right now.
Again, the question is, you know, what does Russia really want to do? I agree with Nick, that Russia, probably in the end doesn't want to get
involved in a land war in Europe in Ukraine, but it's willing to do it if it doesn't get what it's what it wants.
So what exactly the final thing does it really want and it appears to be those security guarantees. So how do you pull that apart? The United States
has been saying you could look at missiles placement you could agree on where missiles could be stationed.
[11:15:00]
DOUGHERTY: You could hold back on trip deployments in the region. But the Russians continued to say, no, we don't want anything partially, we want
the whole thing. And until that changes, or there's some way of agreeing and pulling those things apart doesn't look as if much can be accomplished.
MADOWO: Great insights. We're going to have to leave it there, many thanks. Great to have you back on CNN, Jill Dougherty and our Nick Paton Walsh,
appreciate your time both. Another bruising day for Britain's embattled prime minister.
A few hours ago, Boris Johnson faced the wrath of many UK lawmakers, as most of the House of Commons erupted in theory of the escalating party gate
scandal. You'll know from watching this program that Mr. Johnson is in trouble.
And that one more call today for him to resign over Downing Street parties held while England was in lockdown, take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID DAVIS, BRITISH CONSERVATIVE MP: But I expect my leaders to shoulder the responsibility for the actions they take. Yesterday, he did the
opposite of that. So I'll remind him of a quotation altogether too familiar to him of Leo Amory, to Neville Chamberlain. You sat there too long for the
good you have done in the name of God go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MADOWO: What Mr. Johnson did is sidestep that issue by referring to the future outcome of an inquiry that's currently underway. CNN's Salma
Abdelaziz is watching all the twists and turns for us in London.
Salma, Boris Johnson knew he was going to face tough questions in Parliament, and he was prepared and he's very good at this sort of thing.
But it's more than just showmanship because people are truly angry about all these boozy parties and making the best of the lovely weather.
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: So angry in fact, Larry, that latest polling shows that nearly two thirds of adults in this country want to see the
prime minister resigned because the accusation here Larry is not just that the Prime Minister lied to the public. The accusation is that he lied badly
that he's taking us all for fools.
You heard the opposition leader there, Keir Starmer standing up in Parliament and saying how many more excuses can you come up with. For many
in this country, the defenses have become first of all, still, the Prime Minister insisted that he's going to kick the - down the road, wait on that
investigation, take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I understand the feelings that he has relayed, to me, as I said, I said last week, and I sympathize very
deeply with the feelings and I understand why people feel as they do. And I thank people very much for everything they have done.
I recognize the enormous sacrifice that people have made. I apologize for miss-judgments that may be made in number 10, by me and anybody else. But
please, can I ask him to wait for the inquiry to conclude?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABDELAZIZ: Larry, let's just go through the Prime Minister's latest defense. Because remember, this started weeks ago with the prime minister
saying there were no parties denial, denial, denial, and then there was an event but the Prime Minister thought it was a work event.
And then just yesterday, the prime minister saying, well, I didn't know it broke the COVID rules it. I wasn't told it broke the COVID rules. This is
the prime minister, I'm talking about, the very person who writes in sets and enforces those rules, claiming he didn't know the rules.
You can imagine how this really stretches our imagination here as the British public. But it's not going to be the voters that are going to push
him out, Larry, because we don't have an election in this country for a few more years.
So what he's concerned about is his own lawmakers, his own party, and there are cracks there. I mean, it was a really boisterous session in Parliament
today. It started with a mutiny a defection, one conservative lawmaker literally crossing the aisle and sitting with the opposition in the hits
kept on coming.
I know you played that sound bite from the former Brexit secretary, that was someone who was a top ally telling him in the name of God go we already
know that there's a handful of MPs who have submitted letters to trigger a leadership contest to trigger a vote of no confidence.
Now you need 15 percent of conservative lawmakers in Parliament to submit such a letter in order for that vote to take place. We are nowhere near
that threshold yet, Larry. But look, every single day something breaks on this story. There are more leaks.
So for the Prime Minister, this is simply not over yet, and you absolutely still had that investigation. We're looking to see how that implicates the
Prime Minister, if it implicates the Prime Minister when those results come out. Look, Johnson is a great political --artist but he'd have to be
Houdini to get out of this one.
MADOWO: The next few days will be very interesting and critical to his political career Salma Abdelaziz in London, thank you ahead on the show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The worst fear is the suffering of other people. That's hard to cope with probably even more thinly your own suffering.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MADOWO: Fearing the worst in Tonga as communication in parts of the country is still down; we'll have the latest on the aid efforts. And thousands of
kilometers away the Tongan volcano is being blamed for an oil spill in Peru the latest on the investigation coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:20:00]
MADOWO: New images are emerging of the aftermath of the volcanic disaster in Tonga. As you can see here, a thick blanket of ash seems to cover
everything inside. Phil Black has the latest on the international efforts to help.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Days after this eruption sent shockwaves across the Pacific. Only now is the world hearing
from people in Tonga, living with the aftermath of that glass and the tsunami that followed.
The World Health Organization's Dr. Yutaro Setoya spoke to CNN via satellite phone from the Main Island Tongatapu.
DR. YUTARO SETOYA, OFFICER IN CHARGE, W.H.O. TONGA: So after the eruption and initially there was like a sound on the roof like a rain, and it was
not actually a rain. It was a small pallets falling from the sky. And then it was followed by very, very fine ash.
BLACK (voice over): Eight groups now know what people in Tonga need most urgently.
SAINIANA ROKOVUCAGO, PACIFIC HEAD OF PROGRAMMES, IFRC: Today for the first time did we get - do we get to speak to the Secretary General of the Tonga
Red Cross Society who confirms that water is the number one issue.
BLACK (voice over): Much of the local water supply is contaminated by ash from the volcano and seawater from the tsunami. New Zealand Navy ships are
on their way with vast stores of fresh water and desalination equipment.
Eight flights are now possible because the runway at Tonga's main airport is clear of ash and debris. Tonga will welcome the aid deliveries but
doesn't want people from outside the country to help distribute it.
SEAN CASEY, W.H.O. PACIFIC COVID-19 INCIDENT MANAGER: Tonga is a covered free country and I think they want to stay that way. And bringing in teams
brings with it risk. We have a lot of COVID around the world at the moment of Omicron variant circulating and including neighboring countries here in
the Pacific.
BLACK (voice over): Communications are still a big challenge especially with the outer islands. The one underwater cable linking Tonga to the world
is damaged and will take weeks to fix. New Zealand geologists predict the volcano Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai; will continue to be active in the coming
days and weeks.
The volcanic island first rose out of the water only seven years ago, these satellite pictures from before and after the recent eruption the blast has
destroyed almost everything about the surface Phil Black, CNN, Melbourne, Australia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MADOWO: So here's the thing. This is actually not the first time that Hunga Tonga has erupted so violently. CNN meteorologist Jennifer Gray is here now
to give us more details about that, Jennifer.
JENNIFER GRAY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes Larry record show that this volcano erupted had a massive eruption nearly a thousand years ago. But this
eruption was significant not only are those pictures from space drawn topic.
[11:25:00]
GRAY: But looking at this we have the pictures from this eruption, the ash that has just shot into the sky and now blanketing not only Tonga, but the
ash is filling the skies of neighboring countries as well.
So it is going to be a long time to recover from this. Now studies show that eruptions of this magnitude occur every thousands years. And the
deposits from these events show smaller eruptions follow and weeks and even years after the eruption.
Now that massive eruption will definitely cause a lot of the magma that was just stored in this volcano and the tension inside this volcano that has
been released a lot of times the volcano will settle after these massive eruptions, but smaller eruptions can occur afterwards.
Now pyroclastic flows date back to 1040 ad. Now it's a sulfur dioxide that acts as the coolant within the atmosphere. And we have seen eruptions
linked to one degree Celsius planetary cooling.
Now we don't think that much sulfur dioxide is in the atmosphere to cool the planet a full degree. But of course, time will tell. The damage though,
will last for a while; the tsunami that was triggered from this blast that impacted the entire Pacific ash that is over Tonga and nearby islands will
definitely be devastating for quite some time.
So Larry, a lot of cleanup to be done and a lot of studying of this volcano in the days, weeks, months and even years to come.
MADOWO: Absolutely. Jennifer, the images you've been showing us this week have just been incredible. Thank you. We're also seeing extraordinary new
images from an environmental disaster in Peru.
Golden beaches, drowning in crude oil that's failed after that volcano erupted in Tonga, and mass cleanup effort is underway right now. And an
investigation has been launched into the Spanish company responsible.
Stefano Pozzebon joins me with more details from Bogota. Stefano, like I said, Peru is about 10,000 kilometers from Tonga. So that's a really long
way. But it also speaks to how strong the tsunami was, what more are Peruvian authorities telling you?
STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: Exactly. Larry, Jennifer just said that that tsunami impacted the whole of the Pacific. Well, here we are on the other
face of the earth. We are literally on the other side of the Earth from Tonga, about 10,000 miles away.
And a wave from that tsunami hit in oil sheep as he was uploading, some cruder into a refinery called La Prairie - refinery close to Lima, the
proven Capitol. As a result of that hit about 6,000 barrels of crude oil spilled over the Pacific Oceans and arrived on coaster 13, about three
beaches in Lima, the capital of Peru and - a close city nearby.
Now the Peruvian authorities, including an attorney general who is responsible for investigating crime, say environmental crimes are looking
into possible full play. And the la perdida refinery is saying that they are collaborating with the authorities and that about 200 workers are
working around the clock to try clean the spill as quickly as possible.
But it speaks volumes of how the world is a closed place. It's a very narrow place when it comes to environmental disaster. If it's tsunami in
Tonga has as a consequence in oil spill in Peru, Larry.
MADOWO: That is a really long way indeed Stefano Pozzebon, thank you. I appreciate it. This is "Connect the World" live from CNN Center in Atlanta.
Still ahead the U.S. Secretary of State's new warns about Russia's true buildup along Ukraine's border at talks in Kiev.
And I'll talk to a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. Plus, Joe Biden struggled to keep up with his campaign promises the challenges he faces as
they enter the second year in office.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:30:00]
MADOWO: Welcome back. I am Larry Madowo at CNN Center and you're watching "Connect the World". The U.S. Secretary of State says he will not give a
written response to his Russian counterpart when they meet in Geneva Friday.
Antony Blinken spoke after meeting with Ukraine's president and Foreign Minister in Kiev. Russia is demanding an answer to security proposals if
negotiators presented at talks last week.
Blinken also warns today that Russia could quickly double its estimated 100,000 troops deployed along Ukraine's border. Russia's Deputy Foreign
Minister says those troops will not be withdrawn. But he tells CNN there is no risk of large scale war in Europe.
John Herbst is the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. He is now director of The Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center, and joins me via Skype from
Virginia. Ambassador, thank you so much for being here. What's your reading of the situation?
Does Vladimir Putin really want to war with Ukraine and all the consequences that would come with or is this just posturing for him to get
what he wants?
JOHN HERBST, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE: I think Putin is put into position forces that enabled him to launch a new Military offensive against
Ukraine. But I think he's reluctant to do that.
Because he is truly concerned, especially about the sanctions that will follow, but also about the changes in NATO's force posture that will put
more NATO forces right up along Russians border in the Baltic States, Poland, and Romania.
MADOWO: And so is there a way to avoid a war here and handle things diplomatically because that's what both sides are saying from the Kremlin,
but also from the State Department. You say that Putin is the aggressor. But to get out of this crisis, there will have to be some compromises,
right?
HERBST: Well, I don't know if there needs to be, "compromises". Putin's idea of compromises is massive concessions relating to the way NATO
operates, and he's not going to receive those.
And of course, if we give presents to people who threatened - then we're going to get more threats of war. I think the best way to handle this
crisis is to let Putin know that yes, he can launch an invasion of Ukraine, but he will suffer devastating consequences.
And right now, the fact that he Blinken is going to sea level off after last week, the Russian said there's really no more reason to talk,
suggested Putin is still looking for time. So he does not have to, in fact, launch Military another invasion of Ukraine.
MADOWO: The Russians have called that a double standard. They think that the Ukraine is being treated like as a member of NATO, even though they're
not a member of NATO. And yet, all the U.S. and the Western Allies want Russia to temper the worst intentions. Do you see their argument there?
HERBST: I think that their argument is non-sense. Moscow was trying to dictate Ukraine's foreign policy. That's why there's aids conducting a war
right now in Donbas and be now threatening a major offensive. Their war in Donbas is failing; it's not achieving its objective.
So they're threatening a major offensive. I don't see how support for a country under siege. A NATO is not part of I mean, Ukraine is not part of
NATO. So NATO forces are not going to fight Russian forces in Ukraine.
But I don't see how support for Ukraine as awards off, intimidation and war are in any way the wrong thing to do. In fact, is very much an American
interest because Putin's objectives go beyond Ukraine to weakening NATO to weakening the EU to weakening the United States?
[11:35:00]
MADOWO: Ambassador, the Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian president told you last week that President Zelensky wants a trilateral summit with his
Russian and American counterparts. Do you think that is a good idea?
HERBST: I think it makes perfect sense for the United States for Biden, Putin and Zelensky to sit down together. But I think Putin's aim again is
to by intimidation, course concessions.
MADOWO: What do you make of how the White House has been handling this? Russia Ukraine standoff considering that like he mentioned Antony Blinken
is the region he said today that President Biden has asked his team to take stock of the situation?
HERBST: Well, I think the Biden Administration has demonstrated to the Kremlin, that there will be serious consequences. I think, again, the
threat of sanctions is the one that Putin takes very seriously.
And I'm delighted to see that the administration today changed its policy, and is now providing additional military equipment to Ukraine. They had
said a few months ago, they would do that if Russia, in fact, sent that force into Ukraine. They're doing it now as deterrence, not as a very smart
thing to do. So the administration policy is getting better, stronger, and tougher.
MADOWO: But you're still critical of one aspect of the administration's policy because the U.S. doesn't have a senate confirmed ambassador in
Ukraine, and you think that is a missed opportunity?
HERBST: Well, I think that if that is a missed opportunity, for sure. And I also think the administration should be working with NATO now to put NATO
forces along Russia's border, not after Russia reinvade Ukraine, so they're to the policy could be stronger.
But again, recently, like the last day or so they've taken a step to send new additional Military from Ukraine. So that's the good thing.
MADOWO: Ambassador John Herbst, we're going to have to leave it there. Thank you so much for coming to talk to us here at CNN.
HERBST: My pleasure. Thank you.
MADOWO: All right. In the coming hours, the U.S. President Joe Biden is set to hold his first news conference in months. It comes on the eve of his
first anniversary in office. His presidency and the country are facing a 30 of the pandemic record inflation and more challenges. CNN's Jeff Zeleny has
the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge. And unity is the path forward.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN'S CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice over): As President Biden interest is second year in office that unity is elusive,
with the very same crisis and challenge still burning red hot and complicating his path forward. The optimism from Biden's Inaugural Address-
-
BIDEN: Bringing America together --
ZELENY (voice over): --tempered by the bitter reality of a Capitol and a nation even more divided and a president scrambling to find his footing.
From an unrelenting pandemic, to stubborn inflation, to dangerous threats to democracy at home and across the globe.
The White House is trying to reset and restore a floundering presidency. Election reform on the cusp of failing in the Senate, the latest example of
the limits of presidential power in today's Washington, where Republicans are loath to cooperate, and Democrats with a razor thin majority struggle
to compromise.
JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: There's been a lot of progress made. We need to build on that the work is not done. The job is not done.
And we are certainly not conveying it is.
ZELENY (voice over): Still in March, Biden signed a $1.9 trillion American rescue plan to ease the economic fallout from COVID-19. And months later, a
$1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure plan, a landmark accomplishment that has eluded Presidents of both parties.
BIDEN: Despite the Senate, Democrats and Republicans can come together and deliver results.
ZELENY (voice over): But that bipartisan bridge did not extend to the second part of his economic agenda, the build back better plan stalled in
the Senate and facing an uphill road in this midterm election year.
But above all, top White House officials can see the first year of the Biden presidency has been complicated and consumed by Coronavirus.
Remarkable gains were made on vaccines. But the President Summertime declaration of success proved utterly premature.
BIDEN: No longer controls our lives. And no longer paralyzes our nation. And it's within our power to make sure it never does again.
ZELENY (voice over): A fall wave of the Delta variant followed by a winter surge of Omicron laid bare the failures in COVID testing and eroded
confidence once again in the administration's grasp of the crisis.
BIDEN: Its clearly not enough provided, we know we would have gotten harder quicker if we could.
ZELENY (voice over): On the world stage, Biden reassured allies after the whiplash of the Trump era.
BIDEN: America is back.
ZELENY (voice over): Yet the prospect of a new Cold War is now an urgent fear. That was not apparent during Biden summit with Vladimir Putin in
June, which focused on cyber-attacks. A threat overshadowed by Russia's aggression toward Ukraine.
BIDEN: Look ahead in three to six months and say did the things we agreed to sit down and try to work out did it work.
[11:40:00]
ZELENY (voice over): Biden sought to reset the Russian relationship. Now Putin is testing Biden and Western allies. For all the challenges outside
any president's control, one of the most devastating periods of Biden's first year was a decision that he made in stands behind.
BIDEN: I was not going to extend this Forever War. And I was not extending a forever exit.
ZELENY (voice over): The swift follow the Afghanistan Government, and the chaotic evacuation that followed, including 13 Americans killed in a
suicide bombing, raise critical questions about competence that Biden and his team still struggled to shake six months later.
BIDEN: I take responsibility for the decision.
ZELENY (voice over): Yet taking responsibility marks and noted change between Biden and his predecessor, who looms even larger one year out of
office. That point was clear on the anniversary of the capital attack.
BIDEN: He's not just a former president. He's a defeated former president.
ZELENY (voice over): And that advisors say is a glimpse in the Biden's current mindset. He's no longer ignoring Trump and as assault on democracy.
The outcome of the second year will help shape how Biden answers the biggest question of all, likely by this time next year. Will he run again?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MADOWO: That report from CNN's Jeff Zeleny in that press conference, I want to say it's just a couple of hours away. Just ahead international airline
kais as the U.S. rolls out 5g. What the president of Emirates is telling CNN about it next.
A standoff with Israeli Police ends in defeat for one Palestinian family, how they lost their home in a sensitive neighborhood in East Jerusalem.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MADOWO: Several airlines are canceling some of their international flights into the U.S. this hour due to the rollout of 5g mobile phone technology.
The concern is the 5g antenna signal could interfere with plane sensitive equipment.
Emirates, British Airways Air India and Japan Airlines are among the carriers canceling flights. The president of Emirates spoke exclusively to
CNN's Richard Quest, take a listen.
TIM CLARK, PRESIDENT, EMIRATES: The truth being and we were not aware of this until yesterday morning to the extent that he was going to compromise
the safety of operation of our aircraft and just about every other 777 operated to and from the United States and within the United States.
It came to a head. It was known by the U.S. operators probably a little bit more than we knew. And we have evidence of letters have been written to the
Secretary of transport in the U.S. government alerting that group to the what was likely to happen and its consequences. As we were aware of a 5g
issue, OK.
[11:45:00]
MADOWO: CNN's Pete Muntean explains what aircraft equipment that they're referring to and why there's so much concern about it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Major airlines call it the latest issue affecting your safety in the sky. They say new high speed 5g
cell service could cause errors and crucial information that pilots need to land.
In a new letter to the Biden Administration, 10 Airlines including Delta, American and United insists that could lead to as many as 1000 flights
diverted, delayed or canceled each day, a situation they call economic calamity.
Airlines say 5g signals can disrupt radar altimeters, instruments that bounce a radio beam at the ground to give a hyper accurate reading of
height. Pilots like Captain Dennis Tajer of the Allied Pilots Association call the system essential when they need it most and poor weather when it's
hard to see the runway.
CAPTAIN DENNIS TAJER, ALLIED PILOTS ASSOCIATION: This one instrument if it gets bad data sends it to a collection of other systems flight controls,
auto throttles wind shear protection, stick shake, I could go on and under 17 items. Each of those if they get bad information in, there are going to
do bad things.
MUNTEAN (voice over): In this simulator of a regional airliner, I saw what happened when a radar altimeter fails, automatic warnings could stop and
flight displays give confusing, mismatched readings.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just go around and --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right and figure it out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: --the big bottleneck.
MUNTEAN (voice over): Verizon and AT&T have now agreed to delay their rollout near certain airports. AT&T, which owns CNN's parent company, says
airlines and the FAA have not utilized the two years they've had to responsibly plan for this deployment.
Verizon says officials figured out how to make 5g safe and fully operational in more than 40 other countries. Even still United Airlines
fears interference would impact operations at some of its busiest destinations, Houston, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago.
EDUARDO ROJAS, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY, SOUTH FLORIDA: It is critical; especially to make sure that the airplane
doesn't crash to the ground.
MUNTEAN (voice over): Professor Eduardo Rojas is researching 5g interference with radar altimeters at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University
in Florida.
ROJAS: It's one of the most critical systems in aircraft and helicopters, especially because it helps to land.
MUNTEAN (voice over): Low visibility and a malfunctioning radar altimeter led to a fatal 2009 Turkish Airlines crash just short of an Amsterdam
runway, the flights autopilot acted like it was landing, but in reality it was more than 2000 feet up.
Captain Tajer says there must be more time to review the data on 5g because when it comes to paying passengers, there was no deadline on safety.
TAJER: So get this right, test it gets it done. We want 5g to come but we're not going to do it while jeopardizing the margin of safety.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MADOWO: CNN's Pete Muntean there reports from Washington on the chaos from the 5g rollout. Israeli authorities have evicted a Palestinian family from
their home in the Flashpoint neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem. The home has been demolished ending an overnight standoff. Hadas
Gold has more on that controversial move.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It was around three in the morning when the Police and municipality workers arrived. Members of the
salvia family were led away evicted for the heavy machinery came in to destroy what buildings remained.
Large operation began on Monday; Israeli Police on site joined by dozens of heavily armed Special Forces. A metal and glass structure housing a nursery
selling plants was demolished while the family along with supporters stood on the roof of their house in a show of defiance.
Earlier in the week, family patriarch Mahmoud Salhiyeh threatened to light a gas canister and burn down the house where he lived with his wife and
five children.
MAHMOUD SALHIYEH, SHEIKH JARRAH RESIDENT: Whoever leaves his house is a traitor. We are going nowhere. Either we die or live. I will set myself on
fire. This is oil will burn myself with the house and my children.
GOLD (voice over): The Jerusalem municipality says the buildings were illegally built on public land, and then it plans to build a school for
local children with special needs on the site. An evacuation order was first issued in 2017 and had been upheld by the courts.
Israel's Public Affairs Minister Omer Barley tweeted his support saying you can't have it both ways both demanding the municipality act for the welfare
of its Arab residents and at the same time opposes the construction of educational institutions for their welfare.
Sheikh Jarrah is one of several neighborhoods in East Jerusalem where buildings housing Palestinian families and businesses faced possible
demolition or evacuation.
The threat of what appear to be imminent expulsion for several families who live less than 200 meters away from the Salhia family cause weeks of
protests last spring. There the case was triggered not by the municipality but by Jewish groups using a restitution law to get back land they claim
was originally theirs.
[11:50:00]
GOLD (voice over): The plight of the families helped spark an 11 day war in May between Millicent Gaza and Israeli army. Despite the different legal
contexts, many Palestinian say the cases all feel like an ongoing attempt to drive them off the land.
A Palestinian Authority minister Fadi Hidmi telling CNN such evictions are part of an effort changing the status quo of Jerusalem and negatively
affecting the Jerusalemite presence whether they are Christians or Muslims.
As the light rose on Sheikh Jarrah on Wednesday, and the bulldozers continued their work, the belongings left behind served as a reminder of
Jerusalem's ongoing tensions. Hadas Gold, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MADOWO: Still ahead, a breathtaking sights and it's for sale. So why didn't somebody snap it up? We have details from Rome.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MADOWO: It sounds like the plot of a potboiler book. It's almost unreal. A Playboy model turned to Princess three stepsons and the villa with a
ceiling painted by Caravaggio. So what do they have in common? Well, it's complicated. So I will let Ben Wedeman tell you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RITA CARPENTER BONCOMPAGNI LUDOVISI, VILLA AURORA: Caesar Augustus and here's Gwendolyn Talbott earlier, she was Mary's daughter who married Mark
Antonia - and they had a child name and the - super gazing became my husband's great grandmother.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Texan board Rita Carpenter, better known in these parts as her Serene Highness
Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi shows me around Rome 16th century, Villa Aurora, her home for almost 20 years, but not for much longer.
The villa valued at around $535 million has been at the center of a bitter legal dispute between carpenter who was the third and final wife of her
late husband, Prince Nicola Boncompagni Ludovisi and his sons by a previous marriage.
An Italian judge ordered the house to be put up for auction with a starting price of just over $400 million. In real estate, it's all about location,
location, location, but in this case, it's also about the villas interior jam packed with priceless artwork in almost every room.
LUDOVISI: It is the only ceiling painting ever done by Caravaggio that's done in 1597 when he was 23.
WEDEMAN (voice over): The villa is just a few minutes' walk from Via Veneto, Rome's most exclusive shopping district. It's brimming with art,
but it needs about $10 million worth of renovations starting with the heating.
WEDEMAN (on camera): What's it like to live in this house? It's cold, it's very cold.
LUDOVISI: I'm freezing right now. We didn't think about the pipes burst. All the other things you have to think about no don't normally have to
think about in a modern house in America. I mean, there are things that go wrong here all the time. And so trees that fall down and hit a car on the
street or whatever it might be.
WEDEMAN (voice over): Villa Aurora is out of the price range of all, but the billionaire class carpenter who spent years documenting the villas
history looks to a heavenly buyer.
[11:55:00]
LUDOVISI: I hope that an angel buys it and that they understand the depth of history here.
WEDEMAN (voice over): By law, the Italian government can match the winning bid and take possession of the villa, a stretch perhaps in a country where
the state is in a perennial financial crisis. For art historian Elizabeth Lev, that would be the ideal solution.
ELIZABETH LEV, ART HISTORIAN: Well as an adopted Italian there's nothing I would love more than to see it in the hands of the Italian state, so that
we could continue to enjoy our tremendous works from one room to another.
You are looking at masterpieces, exciting moments in the history of art, and then absolutely absolute unique exemplars in the history of art.
WEDEMAN (voice over): As it turned out, there were no takers in the auction which closed Tuesday, Villa Aurora goes back on the block in April, prepare
your bids. Ben Wedeman, CNN, Rome.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MADOWO: Prepare your bids, I hope I can see myself the way Ben Wedeman sees me as the kind of person who can buy a $400 million Villa. An award winning
French actor has died following a ski accident.
37 year old Gaspard Ulliel passed away Wednesday in a hospital in southeastern France. He is best known for playing Hannibal Lecter and
Hannibal Rising. He wanted to says our award that is a French equivalent of an Oscar for his performance in the film; it's Only the End of the World.
Guess who's not the biggest fan of The Rock Band YouTube? Yep, Bono. What a surprise. That's the band song Beautiful day we're playing. The lead singer
revealed he's embarrassed by the band's name.
Also, he cringes at the sound of his own voice on his older songs. That voice by the way helped you to win 22 Grammys, 22 I mean, I guess I have
one thing in common with Bono, I also created the sound of my voice but I have not 122 Grammys not have been 21 exactly zero.
Thank you for watching "Connect the World". I am Larry Madowo in Atlanta. "One World with Zain Asher is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
