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Macron And Putin Meeting Today Amid Escalating Tensions; German Chancellor To Visit White House, Says He May Send Reinforcements To Battle Group In Lithuania; Peng Shuai Gives Rare Interview To Foreign Newspaper. Aired 10-10:45a ET
Aired February 07, 2022 - 10:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:00:28]
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi. This is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello. You are watching CONNECT THE WORLD from our Middle East programming hub here in Abu Dhabi, where the
time is 7:00 in the evening. Amid U.S. warnings that Russia could invade Ukraine at any time, the president of France trying to negotiate a peaceful
way out of what is this crisis. Right now Emmanuel Macron is in Moscow to meet with the Russian president.
Going into the meeting, Mr. Macron said he was reasonably optimistic but warned not to expect "spontaneous miracles." Well, we should hear from them
in the coming hours and we will get you to that news conference just as soon as they start. Mr. Macron's next stop is Kiev tomorrow. Russia is
believed to have around 100,000 troops positioned near Ukraine's borders. You are looking at satellite pictures said to show an advanced build up in
Belarus which may or may not be linked to this week's military drills there.
We are now learning about the specific concern some Russian officials have about any potential invasion. Well CNN's Nic Robertson is in Moscow for
you. Alex MarquardtMark is in Kiev. First up, though, in Washington Natasha Bertrand joins us with what CNN is learning about how some Russian
officials feel any full-scale invasion of Ukraine would play out. What have you got, Natasha?
NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, Becky. So what we're learning is that U.S. intelligence has intercepted communications among
Russian intelligence and military officials that suggests that those officials are concerned that they could be in over their heads when it
comes to a large scale invasion of Ukraine. Now, many of them don't fully understand what the actual plan is.
Many feel that they are underprepared for the kind of large-scale invasion that Putin seems to be planning here. But there importantly is no evidence
that they would be willing to revolt, for example, or that they would go against Putin's orders. They are professional military, of course, and a
U.S. official told us that they are expected to act as such and fulfill anything that Putin demands them to do.
Now, this is all coming, of course, as the U.S. is warning that Russia now has 70 percent roughly, of the military and weapons along Ukraine's borders
that it would need to launch that full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But the defense personnel that are on the ground there, the Russian personnel, they
do seem to be concerned not only that they could be underprepared for the kind of large scale attack, and and holding on of territory that Putin may
be planning there.
But also that the west now knows a lot and has exposed a lot about what those plans may be, and therefore has kind of taken away the element of
surprise, Becky?
ANDERSON: Well, that's the perspective out of Washington. Natasha, thank you, Nic, as he landed, Emmanuel Macron said he is reasonably optimistic
about talks with Vladimir Putin. But he said I don't believe in spontaneous miracles. And pick that, if you will, from your vantage point there in
Moscow.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, I think, you know, when we talk about miracles, we really talking about the hand of God. I
mean, he has a very big task ahead of him here. The gap that he needs to bridge between Russia's position and we heard from the Kremlin spokesman
today, saying Russia still has not heard what it needs to hear. And as much as the security guarantees that it wants a knot on the table.
The position President Macron comes to Moscow in is trying to get a de- escalation commitment from President Putin that he will de escalate his forces around Ukraine to reduce what the President Macron's office calls
that the perception that those forces are a threat, because of course, the Russians continue to say they have no intention of invading Ukraine. So
that gap between those two positions is a huge gap and with the Kremlin as well say that they are not expecting a breakthrough today, either.
So I think perhaps, you know, by President Macron, saying, you know, he doesn't -- that this would really have to be something of a superior order
of magnitude to happen today to make success possible in this one round of talks that, you know, I think that if we redo the reverse of what is
saying, which is essentially, that's a very big ask and it's not going to happen today. That -- that's where we're at, that's where the expectation
we're at.
[10:05:01]
ANDERSON: What is it about the French President's relationship with Vladimir Putin which suggests that he can or might break this impasse over
Ukraine where others from the West Europeans, U.S. stakeholders have failed?
ROBERTSON: I think there are several ways to answer that. One of those, of course is that, you know, some experts would say, look, Emmanuel Macron,
has elections coming up soon, and wants a big foreign policy success to look as if he's -- if he's a significant interlocutor with a powerful
leader like President Putin. He does want President Macron does want the European Union to have a stronger foreign and defence policy and within the
sort of new security guarantee relationships that he's talking about Europe needs to have.
There's something there that he could get that he wants on his foreign policy agenda. Of course, there are those who will say, look, President
Putin sees all of that is a much more experienced leader than the -- than President Macron and sees a way to exploit differences between the E.U.,
NATO, NATO members. And I think that's part of the picture. And look, I think, you know, a takeaway here has to be that President Macron has rarely
hesitated when he sees a big foreign policy issue, light up the horizon, to try to jump in and fix it and help.
And he has put a lot of effort and energy and expended many air miles to do that. And this seems to be again, on the track of wanting to try to lend a
hand it's not clear he can deliver.
ANDERSON: Alex Marquardt, you're in Kiev, what's the mood in the Ukrainian capital right now? Is there much hope that war can be prevented or is this
just life getting on with itself as it will?
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR U.S. CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's both Becky. And I think we've made so much and we've reported so much about the daylight, the
differences between the U.S. attitudes talking about imminence, talking about as they did yesterday as the White House did that, you know, an
invasion could happen tomorrow versus the Ukrainian attitude, which is much calmer.
And there have been a number of moments where Ukrainian leaders have been quite frustrated and angry in fact with this alarmist American attitude as
they see it. We heard from the Ukrainian foreign minister just saying yesterday, don't believe what he called apocalyptic predictions, saying
that different scenarios are predicted by different capitals. And that of course, is a reference to Washington, D.C.
Becky, I've just arrived in Kiev. This is a city that I've visited several times before. Life is continuing as normal. This is not a city that feels
like it is under siege. People are out and about, people are shopping, people or are in restaurants. Of course, there is significant concern for
this city because of this massive troop build up that we're now seeing in Belarus, that border between Ukraine and Belarus just two hours away from
Kiev.
So the Russians could make very quick work if they decided to come down from there. But, you know, Ukrainians that, you know, CNN has spoken with
over the past few days and weeks, have repeatedly said, you know, this is the kind of thing that could have happened over the past eight years.
Russia has been perched on Ukraine's borders for years. And this is not the Ukraine of 2014 when Crimea was invaded.
This is a much more nationalistic Ukraine. This is a Ukraine that has built up its military. And this is Ukraine that will fight. I spoke with a senior
Ukrainian defense official who said that if the Russians decide to invade, that people will shoot from every window, essentially saying that, you
know, Ukrainian from all walks of life will will rise up to defend their country. Of course, everyone hopes that that does not come to pass.
The Ukrainians are very much involved in the diplomatic process. Everyone hoping that Russia takes a diplomatic off ramp, Becky.
ANDERSON: Thank you, sir. Well, following this quite closely is Bruno Tertrais case of the Fondation pour la Recherche Strategique or Foundation
for Strategic Research, leading think tank in France. So thanks for joining us. What's Emmanuel Macron's strategy with Russia at this point. Can you
explain?
BRUNO TERTRAIS, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, FOUNDATION FOR STRATEGIC RESEARCH: Well, thank you. I think his strategy is twofold. He's going to try to rejuvenate
the talks about the future of Ukraine, the talks which produce the so- called Minsk-2 agreements which is a format involving France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia. But he wants also to have a broader conversation
(INAUDIBLE) man to man so to say because the meeting is taking place without any advisor to try to look into put in soul so to say.
And to see whether what he says he wants that is a complete rewriting of European security rules, particularly regarding NATO enlargement is really
what he wants. So gauging Putin's intentions, engaging Putin's mood I think is a large part of what is Macron is trying to achieve.
[10:10:06]
TERTRAIS: Maybe more than an immediate diplomatic results.
ANDERSON: Yes. Famously, a U.S. leader looked into Putin's eyes and thought he saw his soul back in the mid 2000s of course, when Vladimir Putin Putin
was sort of relatively new to this job, things have changed with the U.S. relationship with the Kremlin since then. What is it about Emmanuel Macron
and indeed, the relationship that he thinks he has with Vladimir Putin, which suggests that he might be successful where others at present have
failed to really engage and get anything out of the Russian president?
We're all talking about at this stage, the West, really not being able to read the tea leaves on all of this.
TERTRAIS: Yes. Yes, thank you. This is a very important point. Emmanuel Macron believes that he's very good at handling personalities, and that he
is quite the charmer. He tried that to Donald Trump and particularly worked only to some extent. But the problem is that in front of him, this guy,
Vladimir Putin switch KGB train, who's actually much better than he will ever be about handling personalities.
So to sense, Macron is brave enough to believe that he can steer Putin in a certain direction, but I'm certain that on the other side and Putin side,
Vladimir Putin is certain that he can actually play Emmanuel Macron. So it's going to be a very interesting result. We'll have to see in the press
conference immediately afterwards, the body language of the leaders. It will tell us a lot about how this went.
ANDERSON: Yes. He might be a charmer, he may think he can deal with big personalities. He may be brave enough as you suggest, the he may feel he
is. But ultimately, you know, does he have a successful track record?
TERTRAIS: That's another good question, Becky because his track record is not very good. Actually, he did try a lot about mediations. Libya, Iran and
the United States, Lebanon, et cetera. But you're you're right, his track record is not very good. At the same time, we can't -- I mean, I can't
blame him for trying. This is an almost desperate situation. And as long as this is well coordinated with European and American leaders, which is the
case, then I think it's still worth a try.
If only once again, to gauge Putin's mood. Putin is a guy who's, you know, who's almost completely isolated. He's like COVID bubble. Ky sees
physically very, very few people, and especially very few foreign leaders. So once again, I'm not hopeful in terms of concrete results, but I still
think it's worth a try.
ANDERSON: Let's talk about those upcoming French elections. Could Emmanuel Macron involvement in this Ukraine crisis work in his favor do you think?
And, you know, how does -- how does his foreign policy activity, his foreign policy goals, his involvement in so many of these issues away from
home go down with the domestic electorate?
TERTRAIS: Well, at first glance, it looks like it could help because he's sort of placed and godless side president. One who can speak simultaneously
to Washington to Moscow, but in fact, record of French presidential campaign show that there is much more to lose than to gain to be lost and
to be gain with high level diplomacy. So, I really don't think he's doing that for domestic political gains.
Once again, there's more than there actually risks involved. But certainly, if it ever came to an image of a leader who, you know, who can talk to
anybody and talk to everybody and engage in high-risk diplomacy, that could help him but certainly he's not doing that for diplomatic political gains.
ANDERSON: Well, the U.S. wants to assure that the Europeans are completely aligned and that there isn't any wedge driven between European countries in
all of this. Thank you, sir.
Germany's Chancellor visiting the White House today after signaling he may be willing to send reinforcements to a German battle group in Lithuania.
Olaf Scholz is getting criticized for refusing to send defensive weapons to Ukraine. Fred Pleitgen explains why Germany has remained on the sidelines
of what is this Russia-Ukraine crisis.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): As Russia continues amassing troops that Ukraine's borders, the U.S. and its
allies have stepped up deliveries of defensive weapons to Kiev including armor piercing anti-tank missiles.
[10:15:04]
PLEITGEN: Notably missing though, NATO partner Germany. The Germans only offering 5000 helmets for the Ukrainians facing Russian tanks.
CHRISTINE LAMBRECHT, GERMAN DEFENSE MINISTER (through translator): The German government has said very clearly that we will not send any lethal
weapons or arms deliveries to conflict areas because we do not want to feel these conflicts further.
PLEITGEN: But Germany is coming off a record year for arms exports. Top client, Egypt despite its difficult human rights track record.
Ukraine's ambassador to Berlin says his country is not happy.
ANDRIY MELNYK, UKRAINIAN AMBASSADOR TO GERMANY: I think that they have to reconsider and they have really start helping us with the weapons of a
defensive type, which we need right now.
PLEITGEN: Some NATO countries are questioning just how reliable an ally Berlin is when it comes to confronting Russian aggression, especially after
the head of the German navy recently had to resign after saying Vladimir Putin deserves respect. When dealing with Russia, Germany is still haunted
by its past says Sudha David-Wilp from the German Marshall Fund in Berlin.
SUDHA DAVID-WILP, SENIOR TRANSATLANTIC FELLOW AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR, GERMAN MARSHALL FUND: They're afraid of sending weapons to Ukraine and those
weapons being used against Russians given the number of Russians that were killed during World War II. But let's be honest, there were huge amounts of
Ukrainians that were victims as well during World War II.
PLEITGEN: Millions of Ukrainians were killed as Hitler's army overran what was then the Ukrainian part of the Soviet Union, nearly the entire Jewish
population there wiped out. But Germany also has hard economic reasons for going soft on Russia. Its dependence on Russian gas and the Nord Stream 2
pipeline. The $11-billion undersea link between the two countries.
While Berlin recently claimed the pipeline was a purely economic project, at least now the government says a Russian invasion of Ukraine would have
an impact.
ANNALENA BAERBOCK, GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): If there is renewed aggression, we have the full bandwidth of measures, including
Nord Stream 2.
PLEITGEN: The U.S. has long urged Berlin to use Nord Stream 2 which is not yet certified for gas transit as leverage to deter Moscow. Now, the State
Department says if Russia invades the project is dead.
VICTORIA NULAND, U.S. UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE: If Russia invades Ukraine, one way or another Nord Stream 2 will not move forward.
PLEITGEN (on camera): But currently, the Germans are still very much moving forward with Nord Stream 2. In fact, a German subsidiary was just founded
trying to speed up certification here in Europe. All this as Berlin says it remains firmly in the U.S.'s corner and says that it will support massive
sanctions against Russia if there is a further invasion of Ukraine.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: She's not competing at the Olympics but tennis player Peng Shuai is getting an awful lot of attention there. What she now says about the
controversy surrounding her disappearance from public life and a now deleted social media post.
Plus, how a snowboarder who faced a life threatening illness went from a hospital bed to the metals podium flying high at the Winter Olympics. Talk
about inspirational story. That is next.
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[10:20:39]
ANDERSON: Let me get you the day's action at the Olympics shortly. First up though, Peng Shuai. What do we know about her at present? The Chinese
tennis star had two meetings over the weekend. She met with the head of the International Olympic Committee for dinner on Saturday. Then a rare for an
interview on Sunday with the French sports newspaper. She once again denied accusing a retired top Chinese official of sexual assault.
Selina Wang with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SELINA WANG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: For many, it's the most anticipated meet of the Winter Games. International Olympic Committee
President Thomas Bach and Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai. A dinner inside the Olympic COVID closed loop. But censorship questions swirl. The IOC not
willing to provide images of the pair's meeting. A degree of transparency came the next day when post sat with journalists from French sports paper
to keep the nearly hour long interview hitting on post emotional accusation of sexual assault and her immediate disappearance from the public eye.
It's all according to Peng just any enormous misunderstanding. And Chinese Olympic official playing chaperone. The reporter saying he knew he would
have to look past the tennis player's words.
MARC VENTOUILLAC, SENIOR REPORTER, L'EQUIPE: She was very cautious about a question and our answer. But as I said, it's -- I don't speak Chinese.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's done it.
WANG: Peng is herself a three-time former Olympian. Last November, the tennis star posted a painful message to social media, accusing this man, a
former Chinese Vice Premier once among the country's most powerful of sexual assault. The post gone from Chinese social media within half an
hour, while Peng fell silent. For more than two weeks, many around the world feared for her safety as the Chinese censors went to work deleting
all traces of her accusation and scrubbing international coverage from China's airwaves.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Chian blocked our feed.
WANG: It was too late to stop the global outcry. Some of the biggest names in sport offered their support, fearing she was being held against her
will. While China attempted to stem the criticism, initially with a letter that state media said was from Peng insisting everything is fine.
Then she reappeared happy and smiling. In videos posted on Twitter, not seen in China, that the Women's Tennis Association said may also be staged.
The WTA took a firm stance halting all upcoming tournaments in China.
STEVE SIMON, WTA CHIEF EXECUTIVE: We have to start as a world making decisions that are based upon right and wrong, period. This is bigger than
the business.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Beijing.
WANG: But the Beijing Winter Olympics would not be stopped and Thomas Bach has taken on the task of reassuring the world.
CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: The IOC treated it as something to basically be swept under the rug. What a sad, sad state of affairs.
WANG: The Chinese propaganda machine in overdrive, Peng shown off by state media at a ski competition in Shanghai in December alongside basketball
legend Yao Ming. The Chinese government has not acknowledged the sexual assault allegations. But its foreign ministry said it hopes to "malicious
speculation about her would stop."
Sunday's L'Equipe report is not the first time Peng has said she never made the accusation of assault. But now in telling a Western outlet that she
didn't disappear she said she just had too many messages to respond to, that she herself deleted the accusation. But no inquiry has been announced.
And there is still no way of knowing whether Peng has been allowed to speak her own mind. Selina Wang, CNN, Beijing.
ANDERSON: Well, away from all the questions surrounding Peng Shuai, the Olympics of course are all about sport in the Winter Games bring us stories
of heartbreak of hope. At least one performance that made history. CNN's Coy Wire is in the mountains northwest of Beijing where a lot of the skiing
and snowboarding competition is taking place. He joins us now. Snowboarder Max Parrot, what a story he has. explain.
COY WIRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Talk about inspiration, Becky. This is the stuff we live for during the Olympics.
[10:25:01]
WIRE: In 2018, the 27-year-old to Canada was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. He had to go through 12 chemotherapy treatments before eventually
returning to competition in 2019. Now, earlier here at the Beijing Games, he became an Olympic gold medalist. It's Canada's first gold at these games
and to make it even sweeter, Becky, his teammate Mark McMorris joined him on the podium winning his third straight Olympic bronze in this event for
Canada.
So, Parrot taking that silver in Pyeongchang four years ago. Little did he know that the next year he was going to get cancer. He said he lost all his
muscle. Now it feels surreal to be an Olympic champion.
ANDERSON: I love the stories. Thank you, sir. Kamila Valieva, the first woman to land a quad jump. And as I understand it, she actually nailed two
of them in the finger state. I wasn't watching the competition. I normally watch everything during the Winter Olympics. Missed that one. Tell us.
WIRE: Yes, yes. Two different versions of it. And, you know, she's 15 years old, the sensation, this legend just continues to grow here in Beijing. She
-- Kamila Valieva, the Russian Olympic Committee, as you mentioned the first woman to land a quad in Olympic competition. And remember, she won
the free skate by more than 30 points as well. It's absolute domination. She propelled the Orosi to gold in the team event.
Team USA took silver. She had already set world records coming into this, Becky. I know we spoke about her in the -- in the previous days. But now
she's setting Olympic records and other skaters had talked about they just can't do what the -- what these skaters are doing. They're that good. And
it was been said coming before into this -- these games that it was more difficult for the Russian Olympic skaters to make it to the Olympics than
it was to actually win a medal once they got here. Because they're so competitive that they really -- their only competition is each other.
ANDERSON: Amazing. Look, the Olympics are an event filled with inspiration and indeed, of course with heartbreak. Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin had
her heart broken on the giant slalom health.
WIRE: Yes. She -- we're talking about one of the greatest Alpine skiers of all time. One of the faces for team USA. And she came into these games,
Becky with the hopes of meddling in all five Alpine events. But here in our Beijing debut, the defending giant slalom Olympic champ missed the gate
just seconds into her run. She didn't even finish the race. She said that she won't ever get over this. That's how tough it was for her.
But she also said after that, Becky, that is the type of thing that drives her to keep working. Her next opportunity to metal will be in a slalom in
just a couple of days. The conditions are very cold out here. It's very windy. We spoke at Olympians who say it's challenging, more challenging
than they were expecting. And as you can see, very cool. Minus 23 degrees feels like Celsius, Becky.
ANDERSON: Wow.
WIRE: My bald hair is hating me right now.
ANDERSON: Bless you. And buy yourself a beanie. Is it real snow out of interest? There's so much talk about whether there was going to be actual
real snow or whether this is all going to be manufactured. What's the story?
WIRE: Yes. It's actually the first Olympics that's all virtually completely artificial snow. They had the pipelines to bring massive water supplies up
to fuel these machines. And when you watch these games on the screen, Becky, even notice some of the trees, the Pines look perfectly lined is
because a lot of trees were brought in and planted to make it look more like an alpine environment when typically it's barren and dry.
ANDERSON: Thank you, sir. Always a pleasure. There are many more stories of triumph as athletes make history at the Olympics. Dutch speed skater Irene
Wust has just set a new record becoming the first athlete ever to an individual gold medal in five separate Olympics. What a result.
Cnn.com for more Olympic coverage for you.
Well, Iraqi politics are rarely simple. Case in point, today's presidential election. Find out what happened after the front runner got chucked out of
the race. More on that after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:32:01]
ANDERSON: All right. You're with CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi for you. Iraq's presidential election is on hold indefinitely
after major political blocs boycotted it. Parliament members were supposed to vote on the next president today, but they did not have enough lawmakers
present to hold the session. Well, this comes after Iraq Supreme Court suspended the candidacy of one of the front runners.
So let's take a look at what this latest political turmoil means for Iraq. We're joined by Jomana Karadsheh. Zebari very temporarily suspended. What
does this mean at this point? Can he still become president at a later date?
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, basically, Becky this suspension is based on a decision by the country's
constitutional federal court that came late last night just hours before M.P.s were supposed to meet for this vote. And they're suspending his
candidacy until a decision is made on these allegations of corruption that date back to 2016. We heard from Zebari saying that he respects the
judiciary and again he is denying these allegations.
Just to give you a bit of background here, Becky. I mean, usually the vote for president when the Iraqi parliament goes in for this vote. It's usually
a formality. The political blocs usually decide on this before taking it to a vote. Usually the two main Kurdish parties because the presidency is
given to Iraq's Kurdish minority under the Constitution. They agree on a candidate, they take this consensus candidate to the different political
blocs, agree on that and take it to a vote.
But what we're seeing right now is serious divisions amongst the Kurds. Political infighting between the two main political parties. There is
Zebari's KDP and the PUK. That is the party of the current Iraqi President Barham Salih. And to complicate matters even further, not only do they not
have a consensus candidate is these allegations of corruption. You had then the biggest political bloc in Parliament.
That of the populist cleric Moqtada Sadr. He told his M.P.s, although he supports Zebari and the KDP. He told him not to go to Parliament today for
this vote because he really wants to distance himself from any sort of allegations of corruption because he promised that he will deliver a
government free of corruption to the Iraqi people. So right now, Becky, we don't know when this is going to -- yes.
ANDERSON: Sorry. I was just going to say, what's the context? I mean, what does this say about the state of Iraqi politics and indeed, the country's
future at this point?
KARADSHEH: Well, you know, Becky, this is really why Iraqis are so frustrated with the political process with the ruling elite and we have
seen this with the protests that took place in the country starting 2019. People are fed up with this. They were hoping that, you know, these
protests when people took to the streets will bring about a new system and change for this whole entire political system that they have been --
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: OK.
KARADSHEH: -- strauggling with.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Let's just -- apology, Jomana, I'm just going to -- I'm just gonna stop you there because we've been headlining that the French
President is meeting with Vladimir Putin. And we're just getting some images in now. So let's just have a listen to what's being said.
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): More than 150 such representatives that created very good atmosphere. So, our relations are in
very good track between our two countries. What else I wanted to say. Well, essentially about the general tension in the security sphere, I searched
like, thank you for finding the time to participate in working out some kind of mutually acceptable arrangement.
I think that is the essence of human relations. And I think it's symbolic that we should meet today. Because it was exactly some 30 years ago that
the founding package of NATO was found -- was signed, and France was a founding member. And ever since that time, France has been taking a very
active fundamental role in the question of security. Your predecessors addressed the whole issue of the Georgian assault, and the elaboration of
the normative format.
And I can see also how active France has been all the way along and you yourself, taking decisions to make sure that there is security in Europe on
an equal footing. And, also, of course, the settlement of the internal Ukrainian issue, I think, on the telephone, we have quite --discussed quite
in detail, many of these issues. And I'm very pleased to be able to meet you now in person. So, welcome.
EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): Thank you very much, President. Thank you much. Vladimir, this day is, of course, all
kinds of sides with the 30 years ago, when we took up diplomatic relations again, that of course, so much has happened since then, particularly with
regard to cooperation on -- in the academic and cultural areas and piano dialogue as well, which we decided three years ago.
And, of course, the whole question of Kiev is preoccupying both of us and the whole of Europe is at a critical crossroads here. And feels very
responsible about that. We have laid the foundations for a dialogue in 2019 which has given rise to a number of exchanges in St. Petersburg (INAUDIBLE)
and elsewhere. And I just like to say that this dialogue is absolutely essential, more than ever, to ensure the stability and security of the
European continent.
And that is why in this context, we have had a number of telephone calls between us. And I have been able to exchange opinion with the leaders of
Ukraine, despite the pandemic, as well as lots of European allies. The British and the American as well, the Canadians. And I think that today's
discussion will start off at least a process of de-escalation of which we know the terms, the Ukrainian situation, of course and the normative
format.
The security situation in Belarus and that whole region. And of course, the really major issues of security that we're going to talk about. I have
pretty much that we'll be able to enter into detail on all those issues and begin to build a constructive arrangement which is -- which is mutually
acceptable to Russia and the rest of the Europe and which will help us to avoid war and create the greatest degree of visibility for all concerned.
[10:40:12]
MACRON: Thank you.
ANDERSON: Well, in an attempt to calm tensions, Emmanuel Macron, is in Paris to meet with Vladimir Putin. And you saw them there. Sorry, in
Moscow, sorry, flown from Paris to Moscow. And you saw them there at the -- as we understand at the top of their meeting just talking to each other, I
have to say the optics. Well, let's be frank. Didn't look particularly warm. Did they? A very long, very long table separating the two.
And President Putin looking decidedly are unimpressed. But look, he was listening to translation and maybe in translation. Things weren't as warm
as perhaps he they might have been. Anyway, let's just get a sense of what we understand from what we just heard is going on there. CNN's Nic
Robertson is in Moscow. Look, I mean, this is -- we understand it is at the top of this meeting and we'll get more as I understand it a little later
on.
But you saw what I saw there, and you listen to President Putin at the top of that, and indeed, to his French counterpart. Your thoughts?
ROBERTSON: Yes. President Macron did look very pensive. When he was listening to President Putin, there was almost a sort of a -- somewhat of a
frown on his place. I think let's not read too much into the -- into the table. This is the same table or appears to be the same table with the same
settings and that it's very sort of big social distancing there that we saw with Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary last week and President Putin.
And actually the the president -- the Iranian president a couple of weeks before that, although interestingly, at the end of last week, President
Putin did meet with the Argentinian president, Alberto Fernandez. And actually they shook hands and hugged. So, you know, there is a distance
here but I think the perception until now has been this is -- this is because of the pandemic.
So to the meat of what they said, you know, there was a discussion there about the phone calls that they've had about the, you know, some positivity
around those phone calls. You know, both of them have come into this with the expectations not set too high. Russians not expecting a breakthrough.
Macron indicating that, you know, this is going to take a miracle to do something in this instant today.
t was interesting listening to President Macron. Because in the translation, at least, and things, as we know, in translation, perhaps
don't come out as clearly as they're articulated, and maybe clearly as they're understood at the other end of the table. But when he was talking
about de-escalation, he seemed to be talking at one point, in the same sentence, President Macron talking about de-escalation in terms of the
Ukrainian forces and the pro-Russian separatists in Donbass in the east of Ukraine.
And in the same sentence, talking about de-escalation in terms of Russian forces in Belarus was that intentional. He certainly indicated that they've
made progress in the past in the Normandy format for implementing the Minsk-2 agreement, to bring an end to that conflict in the East of -- in
the east of Ukraine and, of course, what President Putin sees as a good resolution of that and what Ukrainian authorities see as a good resolution
on that are poles apart.
You know, we're going to -- as you said, Becky, we're going to get a better readout later when they've spoken at length privately.
ANDERSON: Yes. I don't know, Nic, but I'm not under estimating this on the playing this table diplomacy. I get it. Let's see. Thank you, sir. Nic is
in Moscow. We are back after the break with World Sport. And CONNECT THE WORLD second hour follows that. Stay with us.
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