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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Biden Adds Sanctions As Putin Orders Troops Into Eastern Ukraine; Boris Johnson Announces End of Pandemic Restrictions in England; Juwan Howard Suspended for Rest of Regular Season. Aired 5- 5:30a ET

Aired February 22, 2022 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:25]

LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. It is Tuesday, February 22nd. It is 5:00 a.m. here in New York.

Thanks so much for getting an EARLY START with us. I'm Laura Jarrett.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Christine Romans. Welcome here in the United States and around the world.

And we begin this morning with the breaking news out of Eastern Ukraine. Senior officials tell CNN the latest U.S. intelligence suggests Russian troops could roll into Ukraine's Donbas region at any moment.

President Biden signed an executive order imposing new sanctions on trade and financing in two pro-Russian territories after Vladimir Putin recognized them as independent. Just hours later, Putin escalated the crisis, ordering troops into those regions. A Russian media outlet is running this video here of a military convoy moving through the city of Donetsk. Now, unclear if this is Russian or belongs to the separatists who are backed by Russia. Both use this type of weaponry.

JARRETT: Meantime, world leaders are condemning Putin's new move. The U.N. Security Council convened an urgent late night meeting Monday where U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said, quote, Putin wants the world to travel back in time, and his recognition of these two separatist regions was an attempt to create a pretext for invasion. And overnight, Ukraine's president said his people will not concede anything.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): We are dedicated to a peaceful diplomatic solution and we will follow this and only this path. We are on our land. We are not afraid of anybody and anything. We owe nothing to anybody and we will not give anything to anyone. We are confident about it.

(END VDIEO CLIP)

JARRETT: Meantime, the U.S. ordered all diplomatic personnel out of Ukraine for the night. A spokesman said it is clear Russia is seeking war not diplomacy.

Let's go now to CNN's Nick Paton Walsh who is live in Lviv, Ukraine, for us.

Nick, good morning.

President Zelensky's tune there -- you heard him, confident, no one is taking anything. I assume that reflects the mood of the Ukrainian people.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: Certainly. But it's important to contextualize quite what we saw Russia do last nigh, which is not the full scale, not the invasion U.S. officials have been warning about. What we are waiting for them to do is make good on the words of a document they released last night saying they would send in peacekeepers, they call it -- it's Russian troops, however you want to name it, into the separatists that have been backed since the beginning by Russia.

So the question really today is do we see the Russian troops, Russian flags rolling in? What is their goal? Do they stay in those areas or do they move to the front lines where Ukrainian army currently sits and where shell fire is regularly exchanged with separatists. And how does the West respond?

This is not the fullest aggression Russia is capable of. What kind of sanctions do we see? Heard yesterday from the White House they will be looking to sanction those trading with those separatist areas. Not much trade happens. So, limited those sanctions might have. The E.U. will talk about what sanctions they push out later on today so essentially the question will be, is it the full barrage or a smaller tranche which reflects how this is not a full scale invasion that has been warned about?

It could be an escalatory step possibly. Those Russian troops might find themselves too close to the army and they may be in combat. They may have wider goals. The issue is the level of the Western response and it looks like an incremental or a lesser move by the Kremlin.

JARRETT: So, Nick, at the same time, sources are telling CNN that the U.S. has had private conversations about Zelensky's personal security. In the event of a full-on Russian invasion, what more do we know about that?

WALSH: Well, certainly, warnings if there was a Russian move towards Kyiv, that the Ukrainian leader would be best served by not staying in that capital. This is some degree hypothetical because until we actually see some sort of military move towards the Ukrainian capital, it's hard to say what would be best. I'm sure he'll speak for himself. He did leave and come back to the Munich security conference.

[05:05:04]

But today though, the focus is how does the West respond to this Russian move, not the large step that was anticipated, but still, a gross violation of Ukraine's sovereignty. JARRETT: All right. Nick Paton Walsh, thank you so much. Appreciate

it.

ROMANS: Let's get straight to CNN's Fred Pleitgen, who is near the Ukraine-Russia border.

Fred, what does Vladimir Putin want here? We know for some 15 years he has been laying the groundwork questioning the sovereignty of Ukraine, the identity of Ukraine.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Y, I am indeed near the border of Ukraine and Russia. I want to give you a quick feel of what we're seeing here. I'm going to step to the side. You can see behind me there is Russian military in the field now. We are say maybe 25, 30 miles away from the border between Russia and Ukraine to that Donbas area.

And what you are seeing several pieces of self-propelled artillery and also infantry fighting vehicles as well. Those are not on trucks, those are in the field. It's something you see quite common here. We saw several columns of armored vehicles, military trucks. In fact, as I'm speaking to you now, you can see another military truck passing us at this point in time.

You do see the area really teaming with Russian military as of course the U.S. is concerned that more of it could move into Donbas. The way president Putin is framing this, has been framing it, he says Russians are under threat in those areas, in the areas of Donbas. He has to recognize those areas and essentially set the stage for the Russian military, the so-called peacekeepers to move into that area.

He claims that the Ukrainians had been shelling some of those areas in Donetsk and Luhansk, and that therefore, the civilians there were under threat, that the Russians and the Russian military now very soon would have to answer. Now, of course, Ukrainian denial of that, the U.S. denies that was true. They say this was all a pretexts. Certainly from being on the ground here, there are a lot of Russian vehicles that we've seen in just a very short period of time, guys.

ROMANS: Yeah. Okay, Fred, thank you for the show and tell there. Come back when you see more. Thanks, Fred.

JARRETT: OK. Let's get some perspective on all of this and where it might be headed from.

Retired U.S. Army Major General Dana Pittard. He is the author of a new book, "Hunting the Caliphate: America's War on ISIS".

General, so nice to have you this morning. So important to get your expertise here.

Help us understand what a military invasion might look like. You just heard Fred's report. The troops are there right now. The military vehicles are there, but you say they still don't have enough for a full takeover, at least at this point.

MAJ. GEN. DANA PITTARD, U.S. ARMY (RET): Good morning, L and Christine.

They have capabilities certainly and president Putin has several options. The force which ranges somewhere between 150,000 and 190,000 troops surrounds Ukraine on three sides.

So, again, the Russians have options. They've declared the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk. So, we should expect to see more forces coming into those two provinces.

Some things the Russians could do. One is, look at a map. They've taken over Crimea back in 2014. They could move to Knet (ph), the territory of Luhansk and Donetsk with Crimea, along the short of Lake Azov, not Lake Azov, the Sea of Azov, which could turn into a Russian lake. They could do that.

They could still have the capability to seize Kyiv if they choose to. So they still have a number of options.

By doing what they just recently did in eastern Ukraine, they've tied down Ukrainian forces. Ukrainian forces really can't move to reinforce because the Russian forces have surrounded them by three sides.

ROMANS: We know Vladimir Putin has said many times actually that the fall of the Soviet Union was the biggest mistake of the 20th century. He has many times talked about Ukraine and Ukrainian sovereignty.

You say Russian forces might be surprised by the tenacity of the Ukrainians. Tell us more.

[05:10:02]

PITTARD: Yes. In fact, his statements are very telling, in that yes, Putin and Russia are concerned about the expansion of NATO. What Putin fears the most is really the democratization in Ukraine. That democracy in Ukraine has been slow, it's awkward, it's been imperfect but it is growing.

And after 30 years of independence from the old Soviet Union and Russia, they've developed their own national identity. And I've seen that with Ukrainian troops and when I visited Ukraine. So he questions that sovereignty because he fears it because he's an autocrat. That could happen in Russia. These are Russian speakers.

But Ukraine has its own identity and he fears that.

JARRETT: Major General, we really appreciate your perspective. Thank you so much for coming in and walking us through all of this.

ROMANS: I'm sure we'll be speaking again because the story is a slow motion here. A lot happening.

All right. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson set to lift COVID restrictions in England, shifting toward a strategy of just live with it.

JARRETT: And swift punishment for Michigan basketball coach Juwan Howard after he took that swing at an opposing coach. What the Big Ten Conference just did.

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[05:15:43]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: To let us learn to live with this virus and continue protecting ourselves and others without restricting our freedoms.

9END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Prime Minister Boris Johnson declaring the end of COVID restrictions in England.

And Queen Elizabeth has tested positive for the virus we've learned.

Let's bring in Anna Stewart live from Windsor, England.

What is the prime minister's plan, Anna?

ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: Essentially this plan to live with COVID is shifting it from the state to the people, from Thursday in England, people who test positive won't be legally required to self-isolate. They have to use their own judgment.

And from April, Christine, it will be hard to know whether or not you have COVID-19 because free testing which we've enjoyed for many months is ending. Now, the government said that cost last month, 2 billion pounds, about $2.7 billion. That was testing and contact tracing. One of the key reasons they're deciding to put that behind them and end it.

Also, immunity levels in the U.K. are very high from vaccinations but also after this last wave of omicron which hit the U.K. so hard and deaths are very low. Looking at the latest data, though, 15 deaths recorded, 28 days after positive COVID tests.

Now, the reaction to living with COVID plan is fairly mixed. Some people are pleased. They want to see an end to masks and shopping swabs down their noses and the noses of their children. But other people are really concerned that this will make it very hard to contain the spread of future waves of COVID-19 and they could be really hard to identify and track new variants of concern going forward.

Now, the government said it could introduce surge testing in those scenarios, and it's definitely a recognition here that this is not the end of the pandemic. This is and they could act in the future. For now, it's over.

ROMANS: Anna, the queen, how is she doing?

STEWART: Yeah, quick update on the queen which is no news at the moment in terms of her health. I think we can take that to be good news. I don't expect we'll get any updates unless there is a significant change.

But hopefully, still, mild symptoms for her majesty.

ROMANS: All right. Anna Stewart, thank you so much.

JARRETT: Here in the U.S., Fox News and business anchor Neil Cavuto returning to the air Monday after he says COVID-19 nearly killed him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEIL CAVUTO, FOX NEWS HOST: I did get COVID again but a far, far more serious strand, what doctors called COVID pneumonia. It landed me in intensive care for quite a while and it really was touch and go.

Some of you wanted to put me out of my misery darn near got what you wished for. Sorry to disappoint you but no, the vaccine didn't cause that, because I've had cancer and multiple sclerosis. I am among the vulnerable 3 percenters or some of the population that cannot sustain the full benefits. In other words, it simply doesn't last.

But let me be clear, doctors say had I not been vaccinated at all, I wouldn't be here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: Wow. Some like -- unlike some of his Fox colleagues who have peddled vaccine misinformation, Cavuto has championed the COVID vaccine and is simply telling the truth.

ROMANS: We wish him well and the recovery. When we're talking about living with COVID, 3 percent of the people we need to protect our neighbors.

All right. Coming up, Michigan coach Juwan Howard paying the price after he came out swinging with members of the Wisconsin coaching staff Sunday.

JARRETT: But jurors are now deciding the fate of Ahmaud Arbery's killers at their federal hate crime trial. The latest on that case just ahead.

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[05:23:45]

JARRETT: All right. Some big consequences for Michigan basketball coach Juwan Howard after a scuffle at the Wisconsin game.

Andy Scholes has this morning's "Bleacher Report".

Hey, Andy, what happened?

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, good morning, Christine.

So, the big ten suspending Michigan head coach Juwan Howard for the final five games of the regular season and fined him $40,000 for his role in the Sunday post game altercation. Howard hit a Wisconsin assistant after being grabbed by Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard.

After the loss, Howard explained a late time-out call made him upset. During a post game press conference, Howard did not apologize. He said his actions and words were unacceptable, adding: I speak a lot about being a Michigan man and representing the University of Michigan with class and pride. I did not do that nor did I set the right example in the right way for my student athletes. I will learn from my mistake and this mistake will never happen again. No excuses.

The Big Ten also fined Gard $10,000 for violating the sportsmanship policy. Three players also were given a one-game suspension. Howard will be eligible to return when the Big Ten tournament begins on March 9th.

All right. College basketball last night, we had another ugly incident. The women's game between Morgan State and Norfolk State, with seconds left, and Morgan State up by 1.

Ja'Niah Henson grabbed the loose ball, but then she got slammed to the ground by Norfolk State's Mahoganie Williams.

[05:25:07]

Both teams started pushing and shoving before the scuffle was broken up by coaches and security guards. Some of the players ejected from that game. Morgan State went on to win, 51-48.

For just the second time in the 146-year history of the Kentucky Derby, a horse has been disqualified for a banned substance. Medina Spirit is officially disqualified as the winner of 2021 Kentucky Derby yesterday. The Kentucky Horseracing Commission announced a 90-day banning and a $7,500 fine for trainer Bob Baffert. Medina Spirit a drug test after beating Mandolone to the finish line back in May.

At the time, it was Baffert's seventh Kentucky Derby Title. Baffert said he plans to appeal that decision.

In June, Churchill Downs racetrack announced a 2-year suspension of Baffert, including the 2022 and 2023 Kentucky Derbies. Medina Spirit unfortunately died in December after a workout in California.

And, Christine, when it comes to all of the winning tickets for the Kentucky derby, no going back on those. Everybody had had Medina Spirit gets paid. If you had Mandaloun, tough.

ROMANS: Wow. All right. Andy Scholes, nice to see you. Thank you.

SCHOLES: All right.

ROMANS: All right. Coming up, Russian troops on the move. The world waits for Vladimir Putin to strike next. How will the West respond?

JARRETT: And Britney Spears to tell her side of the story. The new lucrative book deal ahead. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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