Return to Transcripts main page

Connect the World

Russia Attacking Kyiv and Chernihiv Despite Claims of Deescalation; Over 4 Million Have Fled Ukraine, Half of them Children; Three Ukrainian Evacuation Routes Agreed upon for Wednesday; Survivor Recalls Deadly Attack on Mariupol Theater; Saudi-led Coalition Halts Military Operations in Yemen; U.S. Warns "Don't Be Fooled" By Russia's Claims; Civilians Flee Fighting Near Mykolaiv; Astronaut and Two Cosmonauts Back on Earth. Aired 10-10:40a ET

Aired March 30, 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]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): I'm Becky Anderson. It's 6:00 pm here in Dubai and hello and welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD.

Well, a day after Russia's claim of a military deescalation in Kyiv and Chernihiv, Ukrainian officials say it's not happening.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON (voice-over): Well, that is the sound of overnight explosions around Kyiv. The mayor describing a night of intense Russian shelling and

more death.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: The mayor of Chernihiv telling CNN what his city has been enduring today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR VLADYSLAV ATROSHENKO, CHERNIHIV (through translator): They're saying about reducing intensity, they actually have increased the intensity of

strikes. Yes, today, we've had a colossal mortar attack on the center of Chernihiv; 25 people have been wounded and are now in hospital. They're all

civilians.

So whenever Russia says something, this needs to be checked carefully.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: The mayor also saying there's only a week to 10 days of food left in Chernihiv. Another government official says the city has no

electricity, water or gas and communications are down.

And there are similar scenes in and around Ukraine's capital. I have to warn you, the next video contains graphic images.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON (voice-over): Newly released video showing the utter devastation in Irpin, the suburb of Kyiv. Dead bodies in cars and in streets. Ukraine's

interior minister telling CNN that Ukrainian forces clearing that city have encountered many mines and booby traps, even booby trapped bodies.

Officials in Washington believe Russia is repositioning troops as opposed to withdrawing them. Some units moving into neighboring Belarus, the

increased intensity of attacks could be a concerted effort to cover their movements.

Ukraine and Russia have agreed on three evacuation corridors to operate today. Those include routes out of Mariupol, Melitopol and Enerhodar. In

the 35 days since this war began, more than 10 million people have fled their homes. That number includes more than half the population of children

in Ukraine -- half the population of children in Ukraine displaced.

Of those 6.5 million are internally displaced, more than 4 million have fled to neighboring countries.

Well, those numbers are simply horrific, aren't they?

They're provided by United Nations and the High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi joins me now live from Lviv.

Can you just put this into context for me?

Numbers like that seem almost inconceivable.

Can you remember any other conflict, where you've seen these sorts of numbers on this sort of scale less than 40 days from the start of the

conflict?

FILIPPO GRANDI, U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES: No, I can't, Becky. You know, I can't put it in context. There's no more context here to

compare this to anything else.

I crossed the border from Poland into Ukraine this morning as we were passing the 4 million marks for a refugee crisis that started five weeks

ago. And when you come here to Ukraine and you start talking to people, you measure also the human dimension of that, right?

It's not just numbers; it's the fear, it's the loss, it's the separation, it's the uncertainty about the future and this is difficult to compare,

difficult to measure, difficult to address.

ANDERSON: Just how bad do you believe things could get at this point?

GRANDI: Look, we have not been good at predicting the future in this crisis, have we?

So I do not know. I think we need to be ready for more displacement, unless, of course, the war ends, unless the commitments that Russia has

taken -- in Istanbul, at least that's what we had heard -- are really realized in practice and fighting ends.

People told me today, people I met, people displaced from all over Ukraine --

[10:05:00]

GRANDI: -- and congregating here in the west of the country, which is relatively more secure for now, people are telling me that they won't go

back unless there is reassurance. They want to go back, mind you, even people in Poland.

I saw them yesterday. They want to go back. But they need the end of the rockets, the end of the airstrikes, otherwise they will not go back. And

you cannot blame them for that.

ANDERSON: As we understand it, Ukraine and Russia have agreed on three evacuation corridors to offer today. Those include routes out of Mariupol,

which is in desperate, desperate need at present. We understand there are 160,000 people there, just locked off from the outside world.

Melitopol and Enerhodar, if those corridors are successful, how important are they at this point?

GRANDI: I think they are irrespective of everything else. I just spoke to some of my colleagues, my UNHCR colleagues, the team here who are based in

Mariupol. And some managed to get out. Some are inside and we can't communicate with them at this point. These are our colleagues.

But those who came out told me about the extent of the suffering. So I think that we need those windows to be able to bring relief and maybe to

help people get out.

But you know, we've spoken about this corridor safe passage for a long time. The U.N., the Red Cross, we were able to help a couple of times. We

helped in Sumy, in Kharkiv just last week.

But to do that, we need firm commitments that there will be no fighting and we need a bit of time. You cannot do these things in a couple of hours. You

need time to get in, distribute and help people get out. It's very complex and it needs those reassurances. Otherwise, we cannot do it.

ANDERSON: So tell me, what sort of communication have you had with the Russian side?

GRANDI: Well, the U.N., the U.N. here in Ukraine, works through one point of contact. The secretary general has appointed a crisis coordinator and he

keeps in touch with both the Ukrainian and the Russians.

But the negotiation, the agreement to establish these safe passages, has to be done between the two parties. And then we can implement. We can --

realize we can bring the supplies. And we're always ready to do it at anytime when the opportunity presents itself.

But can I say something also, Becky?

This is important, of course. But these are only stopgaps. In the end, we really need -- I know it sounds almost idealistic at this point -- we need

a cease-fire. We need an end of hostilities, because every day that passes makes the situation worse and more difficult to help people.

ANDERSON: There is, of course, a Ukrainian proposal on the table. You alluded to that. The ball now very firmly in Vladimir Putin's court at this

point. Let's talk about what you need. What you need is an agency and what these refugees need, who have actually been able to get out of the country.

What resources are needed at this point?

GRANDI: Well, we have received an overwhelming response, not just by states but also by ordinary citizens, businesses, foundations. I've never

seen, in my long career, anything like that. So there's a lot of solidarity.

What is needed now is logistical capacity to carry the relief items, to distribute them not only in the neighboring countries but also -- and I

will say, at this point, maybe especially inside Ukraine because it's not just the corridors or the safe passage. There's all the other millions of

displaced people.

You've mentioned them. And other people affected by conflict that are accessible and we can access them. I've just had a very good conversation

with the deputy prime minister of Ukraine, who heads the relief branch of the government.

And we have agreed, for my organization at least, we will focus on certain things: distribute cash -- we've already started a big program here;

distributing basic relief supplies and working on shelter options, both for those who are temporarily displaced and those that are staying in their

homes but the homes are damaged.

Where we have access, these are the big priorities of the government, in addition, of course, to food and facilities. Now humanitarian organizations

cannot reconstruct.

[10:10:00]

GRANDI: But they can at least alleviate the suffering, whilst the situation becomes ready for proper reconstruction -- hopefully soon.

ANDERSON: This is not the first time that you've been out to try and assess what those needs are and talk to people who are impacted by this war

in Ukraine; 34, 35 days in.

How do the stories that you've heard, how have they changed?

I'm thinking about the kind of impact here that this war is having on people psychologically.

GRANDI: What strikes me -- and you know, I came to the region, to the neighboring countries, three, four weeks ago. I toured the region. Now I'm

inside Ukraine.

What strikes you is how sudden all this is, how people were taken by surprise by this completely senseless war, which has hit them in their

daily lives, because let's make no mistakes, this war is devastating the lives of millions of civilians, not of military forces or other targets.

It's civilians that are impacted. And the fact that, from one day to the other, they have to leave their jobs, children couldn't go to school, their

ordinary family lives were completely devastated and turned upside down. This is shocking.

Today, I met many families here -- and I met them before in Poland, in Romania, that told me how psychologically devastated this whole impact was.

And this is why we are investing quite a lot of resources also in helping government deal with the psychological impact that can be very, very

lasting, this trauma.

ANDERSON: Sir, it's good to have you on and your insight and analysis is so important at this point. Thank you. Stay in touch and we'll have you

back. Thank you.

UNICEF says, with the war forcing more than 4 million children from their homes, it's the kids that are in an especially fragile position. I asked

the head of UNICEF if enough funds are coming in to address this growing crisis. This is what she told me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CATHERINE RUSSELL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UNICEF: People have been very, very generous but the needs are immense. That's the problem. They're just

extraordinary to try to take care of the people who have left the country for sure, then also the people who are still in the country.

We're estimating right now that half the children in Ukraine have left their homes. So yes, 2 million have left the country but 2.5 million have

left their homes in the country and still need services.

You've shown some of them on your videos. These children are really at a loss and don't know what comes next. And we're trying to provide education

services and health services.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: If you'd like to safely and securely help people in Ukraine, who may be in need of shelter, food and water, let's be quite clear, most of

those who need help are women and kids. Please do use the CNN Impact site, cnn.com/impact. You can find several ways that you can help.

And it doesn't have to be, you know, an enormous sum. You know, it can be volunteering help as well. We can all do our bit.

I want to show you new satellite images now of the unfathomable destruction in Mariupol.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON (voice-over): These pictures show entire city blocks obliterated, homes, markets, theatres, whole neighborhoods reduced to ashes. What was

once a vibrant city left in ruins. Mariupol Theatre, that had been sheltering up to 1,300 people, was among the buildings bombed earlier this

month.

Ukrainian officials believe around 300 people in that shelter were killed. One of the people inside talked to our Ivan Watson about what was her

terrifying story of survival.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This was the Mariupol drama theater before Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, a cultural and architectural

symbol of the city.

And when the Russian military laid its deadly siege of Mariupol, the theater became a safe haven.

MARIA KUTNYAKOVA, MARIUPOL THEATER BOMBING SURVIVOR: Six people, like with a cat, we go on the street and Russian then started to shooting us. And we

run in, there was craziness and then we go to the theater.

And you know what, in the theater was a lot of people there, was like, be OK, we have a food, they give us a tea and they said, like you should find

a place where you could -- like a bed.

WATSON (voice-over): This woman and her family recently escaped from Mariupol.

KUTNYAKOVA: My name is Maria Kutnyakova. I'm from Mariupol. I'm Maria from Mariupol.

[10:15:00]

WATSON (voice-over): On the morning of March 16th, Maria, her mother, sister and cat joined hundreds of other civilians sheltering in the

theater. Footage from March 10th shows families huddled there in the dark, feeling protected perhaps by the signs Children in Russian that volunteers

posted outside the building.

Shortly after arriving, Maria went to check whether an uncle who lived nearby was still alive.

KUTNYAKOVA: Now I hear in there noise of the plane, like bombs plane. We know how it's not -- you know, how it's -- this noise because there's bomb

every day.

WATSON: She returned to the theater to find it destroyed.

KUTNYAKOVA: So I understand that my family is in this theater and everyone screaming the names, you know, like Mama, Papa, Lucia, Sasha and I'm

(INAUDIBLE), like, Mom, Gala.

WATSON: Footage of the immediate aftermath shows dazed civilians covered in dust, while the roof over the main auditorium had completely collapsed.

KUTNYAKOVA: When the theater was bombed, my sister was standing with a window and the window was like blow up and she's fallen down. And my mom

was in another part of the theater and wall fallen to her.

WATSON: Maria's mother and sister were wounded but survived. Your sister, is she doing all right?

KUTNYAKOVA: No.

WATSON: Really?

KUTNYAKOVA: She's like, (INAUDIBLE).

WATSON: She's got a concussion.

KUTNYAKOVA: Yes.

WATSON: Shortly after the initial strike on the theater, Maria says what was left of the building came under a fresh artillery attack.

KUTNYAKOVA: Everyone starts screaming. The theater is on fire. So we should run and we run in but Russians bombed it. So we run in from the

theater and bombs was like these, these, these.

WATSON: It eventually took nine days for Maria and her family to get through Russian checkpoints and reach relative safety in Ukrainian

controlled territory.

You seem very positive and upbeat right now.

KUTNYAKOVA: I understands that I'm very lucky. I understand like thousands and hundreds people still in Mariupol and they're bombed. They have no

food, no water. They have no medicine, nothing and I'm going to say I'm very lucky. Like, I have my arms. I have my legs.

What I need any more?

Nothing.

WATSON: And your family?

KUTNYAKOVA: Yes and my family. My cat is inside.

WATSON: This is little Mischka. She's a 2-year-old cat. And she survived the bombing of the Mariupol theater with her family. And they're now headed

to Western Ukraine in this bus.

But no one knows how many people may have died under the rubble. Russia has denied that its forces bombed the theater and Russian state T.V. recently

showed what was left of it after Russian troops moved into this part of the city.

Judging by the damage, the Russian reporter claims it was bombed from the inside. He alleges there is information that Ukrainian nationalists

organized a terrorist attack here. A claim that people inside the theater strongly reject.

Are you angry right now?

KUTNYAKOVA: No, I want that Russian just go away. This is Ukrainian territory. I don't understand why they come in and tell me that it's not my

land. They're not fighting with the army. They fighting with every citizen.

You know, they bombed hospitals. They bombed kindergartens. They bombed the houses of peaceful people. They not fighting with the armies.

WATSON: Maria and her family rushed to a waiting van. The driver will take them for free to Western Ukraine, where Maria hopes her sister can safely

recover from her injuries -- Ivan Watson, CNN, Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Maria's story.

A wave of violent attacks in Israel. Why Palestinian militants are stepping up their campaign of violence.

And despite tensions over Ukraine, U.S. and Russian space agencies work together to bring back an astronaut and two cosmonauts from the

International Space Station. More on that after this.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:20:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ANDERSON: Israel has arrested five people suspected of being involved in a deadly attack by the Palestinian government. Tuesday's shooting started out

in an orthodox Jewish city near Tel Aviv. Five people were dead by the time the gunman was killed by police.

The al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade claimed responsibility, saying it was in response to a meeting of Arab foreign ministers and Israeli officials. This

was the third deadly attack in the past week. CNN's Hadas Gold has been tracking this story and she joins us now live.

Before we talk about the why, let's just talk about the what happened. This has been a wave of deadly attacks.

What do we understand to be the details at this point?

HADAS GOLD, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm actually standing on the street where this attack started. You can potentially hear and see a group

of men behind me. They are praying.

Then over my right shoulder, there's a small memorial that's been set up for the victims. The attack started here at this store behind me, where two

Ukrainian nationals were shot.

Down the street, a driver was shot in his car. And further down, a father holding a baby was shot. The baby was unharmed.

Then later down the street, the attacker encountered two police officers on a motorcycle. One of the police officers was shot and died. The other did

manage to shoot the attacker and kill him.

This is the third such deadly attack in Israel in just a week. Last Sunday, two people were killed and six wounded when two assailants affiliated with

ISIS went on a shooting attack north of Tel Aviv.

Then last Tuesday in the southern city of Be'er Sheva, four were killed in a stabbing and ramming attack by a man who had been arrested in previous

years for having an affiliation with ISIS.

So 11 have been killed in a week. There haven't been attacks like this in Israel for some time. And there is a concern this is a new wave of terror.

The Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett said Israel is facing a wave of murderous Arab terrorism, saying they will fight the terror with an iron

fist.

And the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas also condemned the attack, saying the killing of Palestinian and Israeli civilians will only lead to a

further deterioration of the situation.

In just the next few days, Ramadan is starting, then Passover and Easter. It's rare that all of these holidays coincide together. And there's been a

lot of fear that the tensions are just going to continue rising.

What's unique is that they're occurring in Israel proper, not in hot spots like Jerusalem. A lot of concern, especially in the coming days. The

Israeli security forces are on their highest alert and more troops have been sent into the West Bank -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Hadas Gold, thank you.

Let's get you up to speed on some other stories we're following.

In the Saudi coalition fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen is halting military operations to help with peace talks during Ramadan. This comes after the

Houthis declared they would stop cross-border attacks and ground offensives for three days.

[10:25:00]

ANDERSON: But they say the Saudi move is meaningless if the siege on Yemen isn't lifted.

Nigerian military is trying to find passengers who were kidnapped during an attack on a train. Officials say an armed gang bombed the tracks between

Abuja and Kaduna, forcing the train to stop. Eight passengers were killed, 26 were injured. It is unclear how many people were taken but more than 360

were on board.

In Shanghai, the city reporting nearly 6,000 new COVID infections, accounting for 70 percent of all new cases across the country; 9 million

people have been tested in part of the city that was put on lockdown on Monday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: It's day three of the massive lockdown in Shanghai, the Chinese financial capital and megacity of

almost 25 million. On Tuesday, Shanghai posted around 6,000 new cases of the virus.

While that number is small compared to many Western countries, China is fighting its biggest outbreak since Wuhan in early 2020. And Shanghai is

the epicenter. Now this two-stage lockdown was launched for millions of residents to undergo mass testing. At least 9 million have been tested so

far.

On Monday, half the city entered lockdown on four days. On Friday, the other half will start the process. And during this testing period, 6

million residents are not allowed to leave their homes. Public transport and work is suspended.

The lockdown is testing the patience of residents and testing China's zero COVID strategy. To China, the policy has been a success. It's curbed

previous outbreaks and saved lives. But zero COVID has come at a steep cost, especially to China's economy.

On Tuesday, the Shanghai (ph) government issued a statement, saying the city will import of COVID treatment and vaccines, suggesting it may pursue

the approval of foreign vaccines to help fight the virus -- Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson. Just ahead, the Pentagon says they're not buying the Kremlin's pledge to scale

back Russian troops in Ukraine. We'll take you directly to the Pentagon to find out why.

And living on the front lines of this horrible war, residents living there, one city in southern Ukraine forced to flee or find shelter, as the

fighting edges closer to their homes.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:30:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

The mayor of Chernihiv is describing the Russian onslaught on his city as a colossal attack. It now has no power or water and communication is down. At

the same time, air raid sirens sounded all across Ukraine through the night.

All this coming just hours after the Kremlin told the world it would scale back its military operations.

The Pentagon also dispelling the Kremlin's narrative, saying they are actually repositioning. British (ph) defense officials saying some Russian

forces were moved to neighboring Belarus to resupply.

A U.S. official telling CNN that Putin is being misinformed by senior advisers about how poorly Russia's military is performing. Barbara Starr

joins us live from the Pentagon.

This is intelligence, obviously. Ukrainian officials, though, do say that Russia is lying. U.S. officials warning nobody should be fooled by Russia's

announcement.

Does that suggest that your sources believe that Russian aggression, more Russian aggression, is expected at this point?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think the Pentagon, the White House, across Washington, the Biden administration, not having any of

it, Becky, not believing anything that Putin or the Russians are saying.

And as you said a moment ago, sirens continuing to sound all across Ukraine. There may be some ground movement shifting; repositioning is what

the U.S. believes, not withdrawal. But the air onslaught, the shelling, the missiles, the bombs, all of that continues.

If Russian troops are repositioning, the feeling is that they are going to reposition so they can go back into the east, into the Donbas area, where

they have limited control but it's considered vital to their objectives to take the east of Ukraine, control it, then begin to build that land bridge

south to Crimea.

It's believed that that has always been very central to Russian military strategy.

All of this coming as our own Jeremy Diamond is also reporting from the White House that U.S. officials now believe Putin is not being given the

full story by his own generals and that there's a good deal of stress between him and the Russian ministry of defense at this point, that they

are not telling him just how badly it's all going.

He would only have to watch news outside of Russia to have the full picture, I suppose something he's not doing while he's holed up in the

Kremlin -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Thank you, Barbara.

Near Mykolaiv, the relentless fighting has become too close and too much to bear for some residents. Some are fleeing to safety. Others are staying

behind, too scared to leave, instead taking shelter in their homes. CNN's Ben Wedeman reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The blasted, burnt-out hulks of Russia's might lie on a road outside Mykolaiv. War rumbles in the

distance.

Lieutenant Colonel Yaroslav Tchipurni (ph) doubts peace or even a pause is in hand.

"Russia," he says, "put such a huge effort into invading Ukrainian territory, it's hard to imagine it will leave so easily."

WEDEMAN: As fighting raged on the road, just a few minutes' drive from here, were civilians, many of them huddling in their cellars for

protection, scared of the fighting but terrified of the danger if they tried to flee.

WEDEMAN (voice-over): This house in the nearby village of Shevchenko took a direct hit. Bombardment is less frequent now.

It's just calm enough for 72-year-old Natalia to pack up and go.

"It's impossible to tolerate this anymore," she says, "I'm already an old woman."

A neighbor will drive her to nearby Mykolaiv. Shrapnel riddled his car and shattered the back window.

"I'm not afraid to die," says Natalia. "But I'm just not ready. I haven't gone to confession yet."

In an adjacent town, Lubya shows me the potato cellar she hid in for days.

"It's cold here," she says, "there was no electricity for two weeks."

[10:35:00]

WEDEMAN (voice-over): As fate would have it, she did well to stay down there. One day, a rocket landed in her back yard.

Tongue in cheek, she told us, the Russians left a gift for her, a gift that keeps on ticking.

WEDEMAN: All right, we have to leave this spot because this rocket has not exploded.

WEDEMAN (voice-over): Many of the villages near the front have been largely abandoned. Only the most stubborn stay behind -- Ben Wedeman, CNN,

outside Mykolaiv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, Germany is issuing what it is calling an early warning of a possible natural gas shortage. That's if Russia cuts off supplies because

of a dispute over how it wants to be paid.

Russia says it wants payment in rubles instead of in dollars or euros and it has threatened to cut off supplies if that doesn't happen. Germany says

it has enough gas supplies for now but is urging all customers to cut back as much possible.

Despite geopolitical tensions between Russia and the West, they haven't stopped cooperating on all fronts. Ahead, an astronaut and two cosmonauts

return to Earth. What this means for space cooperation going forward.

And a remarkable recovery less than a year after collapsing on the pitch. One of Denmark's best players is back in action for the national team. And,

boy, did he have a match.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ANDERSON: As Russia's war in Ukraine rages and tensions between Moscow and the West seem to worsen every day, NASA is continuing to work closely with

Roscosmos. Today a Russian spacecraft brought a U.S. astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts back to Earth from the International Space Station.

Here, you see Mark Vande Hei, the American who spent almost a full year in space, 355 days, a new record for any American astronaut in a single space

flight. CNN's innovation and space correspondent Rachel Crane joining me now from CNN New York.

And I think this is so significant; one, because back on Earth, of course, you know, these, this war rages on. But the fact that you're still clearly

seeing this cooperation, very much needed by the Russian and U.S. agencies; whereas the European Space Agency recently postponed its Mars rover project

with the Russians.

Where do we see this sort of cooperation going forward?

RACHEL CRANE, CNN BUSINESS INNOVATION AND SPACE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, you know you really just hit the head on the nail (sic) there.

[10:40:00]

CRANE: The stark contrast between the cooperation and you know the working together that's happening in orbit versus, you know, the very, very tense,

mounting geopolitical tensions here on Earth.

As a result, there was a lot of anxiety, really, surrounding today's landing. Fortunately, it was flawless, hit the bull's eye. Vande Hei was

returned home because, at one point, Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Russia's space agency, tweeted out a highly edited video, suggesting that perhaps

the Russians would abandon him on the International Space Station.

As we saw today, that did not happen. Russia and the U.S. still continuing to work peacefully together in space, because they really are partners on

the International Space Station.

You know, the American side provides the electricity for that $150 billion floating laboratory up there. But it's the Russian side that provides the

propulsion. That's what really keeps the station in orbit.

To the question of, will this partnership continue, there's been a lot of speculation around that for years, really.

Will the Russians pull out of the International Space Station?

The U.S. said they will continue to support it until 2030 but NASA has already tapped private industry to create a replacement space station so

our efforts in low Earth orbit can continue. Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos' company, is one of those companies that's been tapped to potentially create

that replacement.

But as of now, as we saw today, space continues to be one of those last you know, remaining diplomatic links between the U.S. and Russia. And as we saw

today -- and also I want to point out that, before Anton Shkaplerov, the commander of the mission left the International Space Station, he had very

poignant words during the handover to the NASA astronaut.

And he said, you know, while there are problems here on Earth, in orbit, we are one crew, calling his fellow crew mates his brothers and sisters.

So if only we were all brothers and sisters here on Earth.

ANDERSON: Yes, absolutely. Thank you. Thank you, Rachel.

Less than 300 days after he collapsed on the pitch with cardiac arrest, the Danish star Christian Eriksen returned to the same stadium to play football

again. Eriksen is being outfitted with a pacemaker that ensures his heart is beating properly. Not only did he play but he played a blinder. He

scored in Denmark's 3-0 victory over Serbia.

("WORLD SPORT")

END