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Kremlin Says U.S. Troops on Alert Escalates Tensions; Boris Johnson Partygate Scandal; Iran Concerned about Yemen War Escalation; UAE Reserves Right to Protect Itself While Pursuing Diplomacy; Clinical Trial Begins for Omicron-Specific Vaccine; More U.S. Equipment and Munitions Arrive in Ukraine; James Webb Space Telescope Reaches Final Destination. Aired 10- 10:40a ET

Aired January 25, 2022 - 10:00   ET

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

[10:00:00]

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BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): Ukraine says it will not accept any concessions to Russia made behind its back. CNN's exclusive interview with

the foreign minister is coming up.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin says Washington is escalating tensions by putting troops on alert. This as Russia sends more military personnel to its

western border.

And the British police now investigating fresh allegations of parties held at Downing Street, while the rest of the country was locked down.

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ANDERSON: Very warm welcome. I'm Becky Anderson. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD.

Russia accusing the United States of escalating tensions as fears of war along the Ukraine border grow. The Kremlin today responding to news that

the U.S. is putting as many as 8,500 troops on heightened alert for possible deployment to Eastern Europe.

Now the Pentagon says, if deployed, most would bolster NATO's quick response force but they could be moved anywhere needed. U.S. President Joe

Biden talked strategy in an 18-minute video call on Monday with European leaders.

Afterwards, he said, there is "total unanimity with how to proceed." CNN's chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward is on the ground,

connecting us from Kiev, where she sat down for an exclusive interview with Ukraine's foreign minister.

Melissa Bell is with us in Paris. She's been watching the reaction out of the U.K. and elsewhere on the continent.

Stand by, Melissa.

Let's start with you, Clarissa.

How are the Ukrainians reacting to this news that thousands of U.S. troops may be headed to the region?

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, it is no secret that there have been some little hiccups along the way. President

Biden making the comments last week that potentially a minor incursion into Ukraine would not bring about the same sort of swift, severe response that

a full-on invasion would.

Then the U.S. now ordering its family members of U.S. embassy personnel to leave the country. Both of those incidents were upsetting to the Ukrainian

officials here.

But the news that these 8,500 U.S. troops are now on heightened alert to potentially deploy to Eastern Europe has been received very well here. We

asked the foreign minister about why that is and what the potential risk might be associated with that kind of an escalation or threat of

escalation. Take a listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DMYTRO KULEBA, UKRAINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: If anyone makes a concession on Ukraine, behind Ukraine's back, first, we will not accept that. We will --

we will not be in a position of a country that speaks out the form, hears the instruction of the big power and follows it.

No. We paid a lot, including 15,000 lives of our citizens, to secure the right to decide our own future, our own destiny. And we will not allow

anyone to impose any concessions on us.

WARD: So when, last week, you heard President Biden in that now infamous press conference say that a minor incursion into Ukraine may not bring

about the swift, united, severe response, what was the reaction of officials here?

And did you ever receive an apology or a phone call from the White House or the State Department to try to explain the comments?

KULEBA: We heard what President Biden said, the White House and presumably President Biden heard our response to that. And we turned that page over.

We heard from both U.S. officials, speaking openly to the media, but also speaking to me and to other Ukrainian officials directly on the phone, that

the United States will remain absolutely committed to slashing (ph) Russia, if any type of incursion, invasion, interference takes place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[10:05:00]

WARD: Sorry, that was actually a different clip from that interview, where he talks, as you heard there, about how Ukraine will not be cornered into

making any concessions about its own future.

Ukraine feels strongly that it has already made a lot of concessions in order to deal with the Russians diplomatically.

On those U.S. troops, though, when I asked about the possibility that this could escalate tensions and whether the Ukrainians were mindful of that, he

said that strength is the only language that President Putin understands. And so you need to constantly be forceful, be unified, be robust in any

dealings with the Russians.

So definitely a sense on the ground here that this decision by President Biden was a wise one. And it is being embraced by Ukrainian officials,

Becky.

ANDERSON: And that's the position as far as Ukrainian officials are concerned.

What is the atmosphere on the ground?

WARD: It is interesting, Becky, because, you know, really, the Ukrainians don't view this as being a sort of one alarming moment in terms of the

developments of the last couple of months.

They see this in the broader context of eight years of war, eight years of the constant threat of Russian military aggression, eight years of constant

meddling, attempts to destabilize the country politically, financially, economically.

So there is, I would not say calm -- people are definitely anxious, people are exploring their options. Most people are still hopeful that a military

conflagration can be averted. As I said before, this has become part of their normal life, in a sense.

And so the hope that they have is that, with the support of the international community and, particularly, of course, with the support of

the U.S., that NATO and the U.S. and Ukraine can come together and show a unified strong response that will push the Russians to really try to go for

a diplomatic solution to all this.

At the same time, no one is under any illusions and everybody understands that diplomacy could well be a diversion technique, a delay tactic. So I

think people hope for the best and they prepare for the worst. But they're pretty strong, Becky, and they have been dealing with this for a long time.

ANDERSON: Yes, absolutely.

And more of that interview, that exclusive interview with the foreign minister in what is this two-hour show. Clarissa, thank you.

To Melissa, the U.S. and its Western allies then, Melissa, being really quite public about their strategy with regard to Ukraine, an intentional

strategy perhaps to drop that usual secrecy that we would expect. The U.K. prime minister, for example, bluntly warning Vladimir Putin not to invade,

even as he holds out hope for more diplomacy.

And what more do we know at this point, from the U.K. and its European counterparts?

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, after that phone call that we saw, between NATO allies at the request of the United States last night, there

is that sense that they are putting on this united front.

It is about showing that they are united in their approach to Ukraine. It is interesting, when you look at the NATO readout and the European

Commission readout to the phone call, the first emphasizing unity, then talking about the importance of dialogue, the latter talking about the

importance of dialogue and then emphasizing the importance of strength and unity in the face of Russia.

There is a determined attempt to show a united front. Boris Johnson, as part of that very public effort at showing what goes on normally behind the

scenes in these moments of high diplomatic activity and exchange, Boris Johnson taking the House of Commons to warn not only that the United

Kingdom was ready, like its European allies.

And we heard from foreign ministers, who met yesterday in Brussels on that question of sanctions, to place sanctions on Russia, should it go ahead to

Ukraine. But he went further when it came to what would happen, should Russia decide to invade. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS JOHNSON, U.K. PRIME MINISTER: The British army leads the NATO battle group in Estonia. And if Russia invades Ukraine, we would look to

contribute to any new NATO deployments to protect our allies in Europe. In every contact with Russia, the U.K. and our allies have stressed our unity

and our adherence to vital points of principle.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BELL: So that emphasis on unity, strength, preparedness to act, should the need arise, and yet, here on the continent, there are those voices and --

specifically amongst them, the two largest economies on the European continent, Germany and France, who has been at the forefront of calls to

really place the emphasis on dialogue with Russia.

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BELL: Germany, because it is very conscious of how dependent its markets are, not only on natural gas supplies but what the impact of sanctions

would be on its economy as well, and Emmanuel Macron, because he's been arguing for a long time for a European strategy of dialogue with Moscow,

quite independent of the one led by the United States.

Now they're meeting in Berlin tonight. And we will hear more on their approach to Ukraine over the next few hours.

But there will also be talks that both the Kremlin and Paris are looking to, as, with a sense of hope about what might come out of them. Germany,

France, Ukraine and Russia, it is diplomat level talks. They will take place here in Paris.

And, more importantly, there will be a phone call between Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Putin later this week, in which the two men will decide or

discuss what possibilities there may be to avoid what would be a catastrophic war, Becky.

ANDERSON: Yes, absolutely. Melissa, thank you.

I want to bring in our international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson, who is in Moscow for you at this point.

Obviously the effort to find a diplomatic solution in all of this is front and center for everybody here. We are hearing some strong rhetoric. I was

discussing with Clarissa there and with Melissa this strange sense of sort of, you know, of publicly stating strategy rather than this all being sort

of behind closed doors, as it were.

Nic, what do you make of this?

How is the Kremlin viewing where we are at the -- this point, given, of course, the news of thousands more U.S. troops possibly moving into Eastern

Europe at this point?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, the Kremlin sees that as escalating tensions. They see it as informational hysteria, what

they say.

And it is interesting to see, you know, just how closely the Kremlin pays attention to what is happening, you know, in NATO, between the European

Union partners, between NATO allies with the United States, and looking for all the little gaps there.

It was interesting; just last night, the foreign ministry spokeswoman commented that, you know, on the one hand, the Ukrainians are saying they

don't see an invasion to happen. And the spokesman saying that Russia, he sees no sign of Russia de-escalating anything.

And the foreign ministry spokeswoman said, look, this is a case of the United States trying to undermine the morale of the Ukrainians.

And I think another example of this sort of open dialogue about differences in the West, we had another example of potentially, this afternoon, you

have the British prime minister, who you were listening to there, you know.

And in his discourse in Parliament, he was talking about hoping that the international partners, the French and the Germans and others, who were on

the phone last night, that everyone would get in alignment on sanctions.

He was asked another question that kind of led to a similar answer, indicating there were still divisions; one MP asking him, why doesn't --

why don't you act to take Russia out of the SWIFT system of international finance?

It would be a very, very heavy burden on Russia.

And just in the last few minutes, we heard an interview that Tass has done here with the Federation Council, saying, if Russia were removed from

SWIFT, that would mean we could no longer supply gas and oil and electricity to Europe because, in essence, the money -- we couldn't handle

the money. We wouldn't be able to take the money.

So there is no doubt that the Kremlin looks at the open -- the divisions that exist. And information flows out that feeds those -- that lack of

unity there -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Nic Robertson is in Moscow for you.

More on this as we move through the next couple of hours, of course. Ukraine is one of many big challenges facing U.S. President Joe Biden. At

this point on our website, Stephen Collinson, my colleague in Washington, has an indepth look at a series of interlocking global crises that the U.S.

president is dealing with right now.

Why he says each of them is putting American power to the test: at cnn.com or through your CNN app on your smartphone.

Well, as Boris Johnson tries to drum up support for his Ukraine policy, the British prime minister also dealing with the growing Partygate scandal at

home. Let me explain.

The London Metropolitan Police said they are investigating Downing Street gatherings that allegedly broke lockdown rules. The spokesperson says the

prime minister will cooperate with investigators.

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ANDERSON: There you see him, a couple of hours ago, facing lawmakers. Word of The Met's investigation follows Downing Street's confirmation that Mr.

Johnson did attend a gathering for his birthday while England was in its first lockdown.

The British Labour Party, the opposition party, says it welcomes the police investigation. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz joining us live from London.

You've been taking a look at these new allegations. Critics say Downing Street no longer in control of events. With this new police probe now

announced, the outrage really just pouring in on Boris Johnson at this point.

What is the likely consequence at this point?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is a serious escalation of an event that has been building for weeks, for weeks now. We have seen reports

of parties taking place at Downing Street, parties that took place across multiple lockdowns, across two years.

The latest allegation is a birthday party. Before that, we were looking at allegations of Christmas parties, garden parties, a party you were told to

bring your own booze, a party before Prince Philip's funeral during a time of national mourning.

All of that now potentially part of a police probe. And that's taking place because there was already another investigation in place, an inquiry led by

the cabinet office, led by a senior civil servant they had been in touch -- Sue Gray, the civil servant in charge, in touch with the Met Police

throughout her investigation.

And now it seems that it's a rise to that occasion, to that threshold, that police need to look at it. The prime minister says, still insists he has

not committed any wrongdoings or any criminal offenses. He apologized multiple times to the public. This is how he broke the news today in a

press conference of the police investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNSON: A few weeks ago, I commissioned an independent inquiry to a series of events in Downing Street and cabinet offices and other

departments that may have constituted potential breaches of the COVID regulations.

That process has quite properly involved sharing information continuously with the Metropolitan Police. So I welcome the Met's decision to conduct

its own investigation, because I believe this will help to give the public the clarity it needs and help to draw a line under matters.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: The prime minister there, really trying to strike an impartial tone, a cold, distant tone. The idea that it would draw a line under the

matter, that it would answer the questions for the public.

This is so much bigger than that. This is about the future of the prime minister himself, about whether or not he remains in power because, yes,

you have that overwhelming anger from the public.

But it is not going to be the public that pushes the prime minister out, if he is pushed out. It is going to be his own party.

And as more and more information mounts and now a police investigation into the prime minister's government, into potential COVID breaches to party,

that's quite trite there. But it really comes down to that.

For the public, I think many, just looking at the latest snap polling, that two-thirds of the people want the prime minister to resign, for many, it is

absolutely unforgivable. It is now a question as to whether or not his party can continue to support him, Becky.

ANDERSON: Fascinating. Thank you.

Just ahead, after the latest attacks early this week on the UAE by Houthi rebels, Tehran speaking out about the conflict in Yemen. We'll discuss that

with a Middle East specialist and discuss what all of this means for this region.

Of course, this show coming to, of course, this show coming to you from our Middle East broadcasting hub here in Abu Dhabi.

And Pfizer and BioNTech begin trials for a vaccine to fight the Omicron variant. We'll speak to our senior medical correspondent later this hour.

You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson. Stay with us.

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ANDERSON: Welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD.

Tehran speaking out about the conflict in Yemen. The Iranian foreign minister calling on UAE and Saudi Arabia to, in his words, "end the human

siege." That's according to the state run media.

Now we know the UAE deflected a Houthi missile attack near Abu Dhabi on Monday. It also says it destroyed a Houthi missile launch and this was the

second attack in a matter of a week here in Abu Dhabi.

For more than six years, the Iran-backed Houthis have been fighting a coalition in Yemen that includes the UAE. The UAE has designated the

Houthis as a terror group. And it has urged Washington to redesignate the militia group as such.

The U.S. president says he is considering doing that.

Vali Nasr is a professor at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. He joins me now live from Washington, D.C.

I spoke earlier to the UAE's ambassador and permanent representative at the U.N., Lana Nusseibeh. Listen to what she told me momentarily.

Before we listen to that, what do you make of what has been a series of attacks now on Abu Dhabi by the Houthis from Yemen, from about less than a

thousand miles away?

And what does that say to you about what is going on in this region?

VALI NASR, AUTHOR AND DEAN OF JOHNS HOPKINS SCHOOL OF ADVANCED INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: Well, what it says is that the region is in a

dangerous point because the Iran nuclear deal is hanging in the balance. The war in Yemen has started to heat up again.

And America's attention is actually completely focused on Ukraine and Russia right now and Washington is not really very much focused on the

broader sets of issues it has in the region.

So what we are seeing is that, you know, the coalition in Yemen has had some ground victories in recent weeks, has pushed the Houthis back

significantly.

And the Houthis are trying to essentially force UAE to back out of this conflict and to show they can disrupt, if you would, trade, tourism, et

cetera, in Abu Dhabi and destabilize the country as the price for their involvement in the war and the victories that have been -- they have gained

on the ground recently.

ANDERSON: This, of course, an Iran-aligned military group. I spoke earlier, as I said, to the UAE's ambassador at the U.N. Lana and I had a

wide ranging discussion and our viewers will hear most of that in the next hour.

But part of what she told me, I want you just to have a listen to at this point. Let's just roll that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LANA NUSSEIBEH, UAE AMBASSADOR AND PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE U.N.: Look, I think you can do many things in diplomacy at the same time.

You can have many channels and tracks and discussion and negotiation with different partners in the region including Iran but have fundamental

disagreements.

We will continue on the track of de-escalation and diplomacy but, at the same time, at the same time, Becky, we reserve the right to fully defend

ourselves, defensively and offensively, in the region because that is the commitment we make as a government to keep our citizens, our 8 million or

so residents from the different 192 member states of the U.N., safe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[10:25:00]

ANDERSON: I wanted to understand whether these brazen attacks on Abu Dhabi have in any way impacted this leadership's intention with regard to its

foreign policy. It has been talking for some time about the importance of de-escalation in this region, taking a lead from Abu Dhabi in doing exactly

that around this region.

And we have seen this seeming rapprochement when it comes to relations between the UAE and Iran.

What did you make of what you heard from the ambassador there?

NASR: I think it is a very sound strategy for UAE. It also suggests they have to follow a very sophisticated and delicate path forward. UAE

definitely would like to reduce tensions with Iran; it doesn't want a conflagration, it doesn't want attacks on tankers or even a greater set of

attacks on -- coming from Yemen or elsewhere.

But at the same time, both UAE and Saudi Arabia have high stakes in Yemen. And sometimes, when you engage diplomatically, actually the conflict

escalates, because Saudi Arabia can -- and UAE can not engage with the Houthis, when the Houthis have the upper hand and are pushing against the

order and total control of Yemen.

At the same time, the Houthis don't want to sit at the table and have serious negotiations when they're on the back heel. So the very fact that

this possibility of serious negotiations, either with Iran or with Yemen, gives both sides an incentive to try to have the upper hand as they go to

the table.

And to me, it is suggestive that we're in a very fraught moment. It is not clear where the war in Yemen is going to head. It is also not very clear

that where U.S.-Iran negotiations are going to head.

And I think UAE is trying to play a very sort of delicate balancing role to protect itself, protect its security in a very dangerous region. And one of

the elements of that is that, as it will go to war with the Houthis, as it will retaliate against Houthis, it also doesn't want to increase the level

of conflict with Iran at the same time.

So it will talk to Iran. Hopefully, Iran incentivized to play a positive role as well.

ANDERSON: What happened in Abu Dhabi reminds us that, despite hopes that these renewed talks with Iran might, in some way, diminish the impact of

this sort of regional power play by Iran, that does seem to be very much out there. Iran says it now is prepared to talk to the Americans over these

talks.

Will it?

NASR: Not immediately. What Iran is basically signaling is that it sees hope that there will be some kind of a deal in Vienna. And Iran's rhetoric

about Vienna is far more positive than that of the Americans.

It is dangling this idea that we will talk to directly in the hope that maybe the Americans will move a few steps closer to where there might be an

agreement. I think there are -- there is a sort of broad framework in the mindset of both sides.

But I don't think that they're very close to an immediate deal right now. But Iran is trying to say that, essentially, if you keep moving in that

direction, if we get closer, we could go to the next level and talk to you directly. I think it is an important signal but it doesn't mean imminent

resolution of what separates them.

ANDERSON: Interesting. Vali, always a pleasure. Thank you very much indeed for joining us.

A reminder, stay tuned to catch my full interview with Ambassador Nusseibeh in the next hour of CONNECT THE WORLD, including our discussion about

practical steps to end that war in Yemen and what sort of support she is hoping to get from the Biden administration. That is coming up in about an

hour's time. Stay with us for that.

Now to news on the coronavirus pandemic. The United States could be about two weeks away from reaching the peak of the Omicron wave. That is

according to the president's chief medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Adding to the country's virus fighting arsenal, Pfizer and BioNTech have started their clinical trial for their Omicron-specific vaccine candidate.

For more on that, senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins me now.

Elizabeth, is this vaccine completely different from the company's previous vaccine?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Becky, I would be the say that it is completely different. We know that Omicron was a big drift --

that's the word that scientists use -- a big drift away from Delta and the other previous variants. They had to do certain things to change it.

[10:30:00]

COHEN: But I wouldn't say that it is a completely different one. Now let's take a look at what Pfizer is doing to test it out, to see if it actually

might work.

So they're doing a clinical trial, with up to about 1,400 participants. One of the group, before this trial started, they already had two regular

doses. And now they're going to give them one or two Omicron doses.

A second group, well, they already had three regular doses before the trial started. And they'll give them one regular, in other words the dose that is

already out there now, or one Omicron dose.

And group three, this is a group of completely unvaccinated people, they'll give them three regular Omicron doses. And what they'll be doing is they'll

be looking at safety, tolerability and what kind of immune response they get from all of these different variations -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Thank you. Elizabeth Cohen on the story for you.

News you can use, folks.

Well, international politics can be like a game of chess, we are told. There are moves and countermeasures -- countermoves, if you like. But if

Russia invades Ukraine, it could be economic trouble for Europe.

And just the whiff of war is enough to unnerve jittery investors. We'll see how the markets are doing, what investors are up to after this short break.

Stay with us.

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ANDERSON: Welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson. You're with me in Abu Dhabi. This is CONNECT THE WORLD.

World markets may be in for another volatile day after a very rocky Monday. U.S. markets are back to selling. They are following Europe, which opened

higher but then had a funny old day.

Let's have a look at this U.S. market. There are the European markets. So not bad in the end. But this Dow Jones industrial index down, what, some

near 400 points. And this after Asian markets ended lower today.

Uncertainty, what have we got, over what is going to happen in Ukraine, one of the factors and it is an important factor, shaking investor sentiment

right now. We're just getting new pictures in to CNN of the latest shipment of American military aid arriving in Ukraine.

The U.S. stepping up its arms shipments to bolster its defenses in the event of a Russian invasion.

[10:35:00]

ANDERSON: Well, Europe, on its hand, is weighing new sanctions against Russia.

But just how much leverage does the West have, given its financial ties to Russia and, of course, its reliance on Russian energy?

I want to get into this now with Anna Stewart, who is joining me now from London.

And these are really important questions. We're looking at the markets. Investors are clearly very concerned. This is not the only reason for the

sell-off that we have seen across much of the world -- not all of the world but much of the world today -- but it is an important point.

Given Europe's dependence on Russian energy, how would the sanctions work?

And ultimately could they backfire?

ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They really could. I think that is one of the many concerns for investors right now. They could backfire. I think it

depends on what sort of sanctions we're looking at.

You go right from sanctions being imposed on individuals, maybe linked to the Kremlin or oligarchs, right up to the option for trying to cut off

Russia from financial markets. And that's where potentially, where there is more severe sanction options, you could get more financial fallout. That is

the big concern. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEWART (voice-over): Away from the border with Ukraine, a different battle strategy is being drawn up as Western allies consider how to respond

to a potential Russian incursion with economic weapons.

URSULA VAN DER LEYEN, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN COMMISSION: The European Union is by far Russia's biggest trading partner and by far the largest investor.

And, yes, this trading relationship is important to us. But it is far more important to Russia.

STEWART (voice-over): In 2020, the E.U. accounted for over a third of Russia's total trade. It is their biggest market for oil and gas and their

biggest foreign investor, with investments worth $350 billion in 2019.

Some sanctions are already in place, imposed in 2014 for Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea. And more were added as relations with Russia continue

to sour.

TIM ASH, BLUEBAY ASSET MANAGEMENT: Sanctions do have an impact. A lot of people brush them away as being ineffective. Russia spent a lot of money

since 2014 lobbying against them, which suggests they don't like them. And more restrictions on sovereign debt, Russia's ability to borrow overseas,

and there's still a whole host of things they can do.

STEWART (voice-over): The Kremlin has repeatedly denied they plan to attack Ukraine. But Western allies remain wary. Europe faces a problem,

though: energy. The E.U. relies on Russia for more than 40 percent of its natural gas imports and 25 percent of oil.

ADAM THOMSON, EUROPEAN LEADERSHIP NETWORK: Some allies -- and I guess the finger often points at Germany -- are very committed to an approach of

dialogue and diplomacy. And through Germany, a lot of the rest of Western Europe gets Russian energy supplies, which, if cut off totally, would leave

us with a very cold winter indeed.

STEWART (voice-over): Which is why other, more extreme options on Europe's table could backfire. Germany could refuse to give the final approval to

Russia's new $9.5 billion Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): We are at the heart of the global financial system.

STEWART (voice-over): Or the West could cut Russia off from the global payment system SWIFT, used by banks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASH: Russia has made it clear that it would see a cutoff from SWIFT. I think the Kremlin press secretary said that it would be equivalent to a

declaration of war. And I think, in that scenario, Russia could well suspend energy deliveries to Europe.

STEWART (voice-over): Western allies and the E.U. in particular have powerful economic weapons to hand. But wielding them comes with risk. It

will be hard for the West to agree on sanctions.

But if Russia invades Ukraine, they'll need to stand united.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STEWART: The risk that some of the Western allies may not be able to agree on all the sanctions on the table, the fact that Russia really holds the

cards in some ways when it comes to Europe's energy security, these are facts that President Putin knows. And that means even the threat of

sanctions is potentially less effective -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Yes. Interesting. Thank you, Anna. Good reporting there.

Coming up on CONNECT THE WORLD, the Australian Open changing its mind over the issue of controversial T-shirts. I'll explain exactly what I mean after

this.

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ANDERSON: One month after liftoff, the most powerful telescope ever built has reached its final destination in space. Unlike the Hubble telescope

that orbits the Earth, the James Webb Space Telescope was sent to orbit the sun.

NASA says it will be able to examine the atmosphere of planets in other solar systems and basically bring us closer to uncovering the mysteries of

the universe.

What is next for the Webb telescope, now that it is in place?

Well, NASA says it will spend the next few months calibrating its instruments. But then we can expect new images to start beaming back to

Earth. And you will see those first here on CNN.

From the center of the solar system to its outer planets, a new study of Saturn's closest moon, Mimas, shows it may be home to an underground ocean.

The moon is known for being almost completely made of ice. So a liquid ocean means it may be a stealth ocean world, capable of supporting life.

At least two of Saturn's other moons and one orbiting Jupiter are considered ocean worlds.

Well, we all love our space news here on CONNECT THE WORLD. When we leave this world, we get you into outer space.

An about face from Tennis Australia at the Australian Open. Officials now will allow fans to wear T-shirts in support of Chinese tennis star Peng

Shuai. That update came earlier on the sidelines of the open. "WORLD SPORT's" Alex Thomas here to tell us more.

What do we know at this point?

ALEX THOMAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There was outrage when we saw that video, circling on social media, of stewards and police stopping fans with "Where

is Peng Shuai" on their T-shirts. And it seemed like there was a bit of censorship going on.

Organizers saying the T-shirts were never banned, aren't banned, they just don't want big banners going up and vocal noisy protesters. So people

quietly wear the T-shirts while watching tennis, that's fine.

ANDERSON: Let's find out whether there will be more of those quiet, silent protests. More on that in "WORLD SPORT." We're back top of the hour for

you. See you then.

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