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First Move with Julia Chatterley

Ending the Silence around Colon Cancer; Harris: Visit to Poland Signals U.S. Commitment to NATO; Oil on the Rise again after Wednesday's 12 Percent Pullback; Ukraine says Russia is Bombing Mariupol Evacuation Route; Moldova Residents Helping out Ukrainian Refugees; World Food Programme: Conflict Could Leave Millions Hungry. Aired 9-10a ET

Aired March 10, 2022 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: CNN coverage continues right now.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN HOST, FIRST MOVE: You're watching CNN. I'm Julia Chatterley in New York with you for the next hour and we begin with the

latest from Ukraine. The besieged City of Mariupol is where we begin.

Authorities there accusing Russian forces of dropping bombs on a civilian escape route there's been no word from the Russian side to refute the

claim. Please be warned the following images are graphic. Few people are now known to have died after an attack on a maternity and children's

hospital in the city. Among the victims was child a little girl.

The Russian airstrike left the facility in ruins Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling it proof of genocide of Ukrainians. The World

Health Organization says they've been 24 verified incidents of attacks on healthcare facilities in Ukraine since the start of the invasion.

Diplomatic efforts leading nowhere this morning to a meeting in Turkey between the Foreign Ministers of Russia and Ukraine ended with no agreement

on humanitarian corridors or a ceasefire. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is in Poland for talks with the President and Prime Minister her visit

comes after the United States turned down a Polish offer to send MIG fighter jets to Ukraine via a U.S. Air Base in Germany.

Ukraine's President called the Russian strike of Mariupol's maternity hospital and atrocity. The city council says warplanes dropped several

bombs on the building that despite Russia having agreed to a 12 hour ceasefire on Wednesday. It was intended to allow civilians to get out of a

number of specific towns and cities. Sam Kiley describes the scenes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAM KILEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): We were really stretched whatever cause you have sent them here. He says airstrike

maternity hospital. This was Russia's response to a global appeal for a ceasefire to evacuate a city of a million people.

A bomb dropped next to a maternity hospital in Mariupol. It's hospital number three. Inside a frantic search for survivors early reports say that

there were more than a dozen injured a miraculous outcome to an attempt to a mass killing at a place where lives should begin.

Many women and children had already fled to underground bunkers after a week of Russian bombardment. Ukraine's President renewed his pleas for NATO

to drive Russia from his nation's skies after the hospital airstrike.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Everything that the occupiers do with Mariupol is already beyond atrocity Europeans, Ukrainians citizens of

Mariupol today; we must be united in condemning this war crime of Russia.

KILEY (voice over): In fact, evacuations from other towns have been more successful, but still very limited. Around 700 people, mostly women and

children, were bused out of - the site of Europe's biggest nuclear reactor, which was captured recently by Russia.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The shops are empty. There's nothing there not enough medical supplies retired. We need to eat and rest.

KILEY (on camera): It may seem extraordinary, but these are the lucky ones. They've escaped from the shadow of a nuclear power station and the clutches

of Russian troops but in comparison to what people are enduring in Mariupol this is good fortune.

KILEY (voice over): Yulia Coriolan volunteers and refugee center in Zaporizhzhia set up to receive people fleeing her hometown of Mariupol.

It's empty. She's been waiting a week for news from home of her husband --. This morning, she got a brief call.

KILEY (on camera): How's your daughter doing?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My daughter told me she loves me.

KILEY (on camera): Of course she does.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Actually how she's alive. She's doing like all of its children doing now in Mariupol almost no food, no drinking water, no

electricity. It was minus five this night. They have no heat and cold basement and some courts.

KILEY (voice over): Small families living in a bomb shelter with hundreds of others. She says they can only survive another few days. Then they will

have to surface perhaps to face more of this.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHATTERLEY: Russia is bombing the civilian evacuation route out of the city according to Mariupol officials. They accused Russia have deliberately

targeting roads in order to completely isolate the city. Mariupol was first shelled in the early days of the invasion and has been under siege for

almost a week.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister sees its civilians are being held hostage. Scott McLean joins us now from the Lviv. Scott, good to have you with us it's not

just about the civilians being attacked, it seems as they're trying to escape but also the accusation that Russia is now targeting the roads so to

permanently contain people in the city and prevent those escaping that want to?

[09:05:00]

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes that's exactly right and that's something that's been going on for several days it seems because this

humanitarian corridor out of Mariupol has really not gotten off the ground. Despite the many attempts to actually make it happen.

It seems that Russia and Ukraine have not been able to agree on the specific details to actually allow this corridor people to get out and

allow this convoy of food and aid and water and all the things that you need to get in.

And this is a city that has been cut off for some time now. They have no power, they have no water. In many cases, they have no heat. It is a very

desperate situation; the President Zelenskyy Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that the Russians are trying to humiliate the Ukrainians by encircling the

cities and essentially cutting them off from all of the resources and the ability to escape.

The situation is dire the talks today between Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister and the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba yielded

basically nothing. But Lavrov's point was that look, this was never going to be the venue to work out something on the ground.

This should have been the teams that are actually on the ground. Of course, there are talks going on in Belarus. They've had three rounds already. They

have agreed on precious little but they have agreed on at least the need for these humanitarian corridors. But it seems Julia that actually getting

them done in practice is a lot more difficult.

CHATTERLEY: Yes, the irony of talking about them in those talks in Turkey meanwhile, you describing the scenes that continue to take place, and the

bombing that seems to be continuing to take place around these areas at the same time in Ukraine.

I've just got a play at a piece of tape, actually, to show you what the Ukrainian Foreign Ministers said, coming out of those talks. Let me just

play it for our viewers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DMYTRO KULEBA, UKRAINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: We also raised the issue of a ceasefire 24 hour ceasefire to resolve the most pressing humanitarian

issues. We did not make progress on this since it seems that there are other decision makers for this, for this murder in Russia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHATTERLEY: Scott, the upshot of that it seems that he doesn't believe he's negotiating with the person, people person who makes all the decisions

here, which I think we all know who he was indicating. He also suggested they're going to keep on going with their aggression until the Ukrainians

surrender. And obviously, he said we won't.

MCLEAN: Yes. And so Sergei Lavrov's point was that look, these negotiations are happening in Belarus, and Russia has submitted this document, which

they said was quite comprehensive to essentially bring about the end of the war and a new relationship with Ukraine.

Of course, what Russia is looking for is for Ukraine to be neutral for them to give away Crimea and the two breakaway territories in the East as well,

something Ukraine, at least to this point, hasn't really been willing to talk about. And so that seems like a long way off.

And so perhaps it's not that surprising that Russia is unwilling to give an inch here because they're warning to keep up this maximum pressure

campaign. But of course, the Ukrainians have also pointed out that the West maximum pressure campaign in terms of sanctions, they believe is

strengthening their position at the negotiating table.

So regardless of what happens with the sanctions, though, Julia, the bottom line is that people are suffering on the ground right now and they are in

desperate need of help, as the fighting continues.

CHATTERLEY: That's the truth. Scott McLean, thank you so much for that. Big support too from Vice President Kamala Harris in Poland after talks with

the Polish President earlier, Harris said her trip to Warsaw was a signal of the United States commitment to NATO.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: The United States is prepared to defend every inch of NATO territory. Does United States take seriously, and then

an attack against one is an attack against all?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHATTERLEY: CNN's Kevin Liptak is traveling with the Vice President and joins us now. Kevin, avoiding, unfortunately commenting on a solution of

some kind for providing jets to Ukraine that the President continues to say they desperately need. I think the question coming away from this for me is

they reaching the limits of what they're able to do at this stage within the confines of NATO and non-NATO nations?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, I think they're reaching the limits of both what they're able to do and really what they're willing to

do. These jets seem to have been a red line for the United States. And you did hear the Vice President sort of skirt around the issue when she was

asked today about this apparent disconnect between the United States and Poland over this question of sending their Soviet era jets to Ukraine.

[09:10:00]

LIPTAK: And this trip is really meant to be about reinforcing cooperation among NATO allies talking about unity between the United States and Poland

and that was really undercut somewhat by that statement that the polls put out really in the hours before Harris departed Washington to come here to

Warsaw, saying that they would transfer their debts to the United States instead of transferring them directly to Poland.

Now, when she was asked about it, the Vice President simply said that the U.S. and Poland were coordinated and that they would remain that way. She

said they were united "Full stop". What I thought was interesting, though, was the Polish President was not shy and talking about why they put out

that statement?

He said that Poland wants sort of buy in from all of NATO on this issue, instead of directly providing these jets to Ukraine, just Poland itself

because of the questions of escalation. And there's also questions of logistics of how do you get these planes to Ukraine so that their pilots

can use them?

And so he gave a rather lengthy answer sort of ticking through the reasons why he did that, not necessarily addressing why he didn't tell the White

House beforehand, but giving this rationale that he wanted the entire NATO membership to be part of this and not just NATO.

Now, the other big issue that Harris addressed here in Poland was the refugee crisis. And you see that here in Warsaw in the bus station right

next to the hotel where she is staying just turned into really kind of a receiving center for these busloads of Ukrainians who are arriving here,

more than a million have come to Poland.

The Polish President requested assistance from the United States on that issue. And Harris did announce that the U.S. was providing $53 million in

additional humanitarian assistance to help alleviate this situation. She was also asked about the issue of war crimes.

And she said - she stopped short of calling what's happening on the ground there in Ukraine war crimes, but she said it was clear that atrocities were

happening and that an investigation should precede, Julia.

CHATTERLEY: And I think with regards your point is about his lengthy answer on why he adds the proposal of providing jets to the United States. Some

questions don't need answering that clear. Kevin Liptak thank you so much for that.

Now more Russian oligarchs sanctioned, the UK Government adding seven more individuals to its sanctions list including VTB Bank Chairman Andrey

Kostin, and Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich. Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying there can be no safe havens for those who have

supported Putin's vicious assault on Ukraine.

Anna Stewart joins me now. So these are some of the most recognizable faces, Russian faces in the West Anna. And it seems they got what, one two

weeks longer than other individuals from Russia?

ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: Yes, there's been a lot of criticism and pressure on the government to have announced these weeks ago, frankly.

Particularly when it comes to Roman Abramovich he's possibly you know, the best known oligarch with major assets here in the UK.

And according today, he's his net worth is over $12 billion. We can bring you the full list of those included on this. It also includes Igor Sechin,

who's the CEO of Russian Oil Giant Rosneft you can see Andrey Kostin there, as you mentioned, the Chairman of VTB Bank that's the second largest bank

in Russia.

All of those apart from Abramovich are already sanctioned by the EU, the U.S. or both. So the UK does feel like it's coming to this incredibly late.

Why did it take so long that has allowed plenty of time for asset shifting asset shedding? I think we saw that most clearly of course with Abramovich

who announced the sale of Chelsea Football Club, didn't have time to get that one through though.

Also looking at some of his other assets, I've been watching the Super Yacht that is tied to Abramovich, it left Barcelona on Tuesday, currently

cruising down south of Sicily, which I'm sure was lovely at this time of year. We don't know where it's going but clearly out of the reach of UK

authorities.

And I want to mention one more asset actually of Abramovich which is of course his stake in Evraz the steelmakers. It is listed in London and I

want to bring you the share price Julia. It fell 11 percent earlier today, shares are now suspended. That was a result of the FCA saying they want to

protect the other investors of Evraz pending clarification of the impact of sanctions will have.

Now I was wondering actually whether they're looking at a line from the UK Government that came out today regarding Evraz, in which it said Evraz is

or has been essentially directly involved in destabilizing Ukraine saying potentially it's been supplying steel to the Russian military, which may be

used in the production of tanks.

Which I think raises questions as to why Evraz has not been sanctioned as a corporation and whether it will be maybe in the days to come?

CHATTERLEY: That's an interesting wasn't it? I guess you'd have to prove military contracts if you think this is effectively directly providing

materials that are targeting civilians and others in Ukraine. I want to jump back there and talk about Chelsea because this was interesting for me

to all sorts of limits now applied to Chelsea Football Club, its operations you can actually go who can buy tickets. Also the sale I believe it's going

to be managed by the UK Government.

[09:15:00]

STEWART: Yes. We think the sale whilst stall probably can still go ahead but it will involve UK Government issuing a special license another license

effectively. Now Abramovich had pledged to donate all funds from the sale hadn't been able to go through before he was sanctioned to some sort of

foundation to help victims of the conflict in Ukraine.

Now, it's entirely possible that the UK Government can set up a similar sort of fun to that aim clearly proceeds will not be going to Abramovich

himself. I think it's likely the government will support a sale of Chelsea Football Club they made as you say a number of measures today to try and

protect it.

And effectively Premier League for instance, they've granted a special license so no change to fixtures. I believe there is a match coming up

today. People who have bought tickets can still go that includes season ticket holders, salaries and pensions will be paid.

I of course questioned immediately. How long can they afford to pay the salaries of football players because lots of things are not going to be

happening? No new ticket sales. The merchandise shop is closed. The hotel is closed, no transfers, no new contracts. And one sponsor Mobile Network 3

says they are reviewing their position.

We have reached out to other ones including Nike, Trivago and Hyundai but no comment from them yet, Julia?

CHATTERLEY: Yes, fascinating to see. And your point about perhaps a fund to sell these assets on managed by the government is an interesting one for

things like houses and other assets. Watch this space, Anna Stewart thank you for that.

OK, still to come, mining giants cutting ties with Russia, the Chairman of Fortescue Metals tells us why he's joined the exodus and feeding civilians

in the water in the World Food Program is helping out in Ukraine but says the war will add to global hunger. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHATTERLEY: Welcome back! The world reacting in horror today as the Russian military is accused of stepping up attacks on civilians and their proposed

escape routes in the south east Ukrainian City of Mariupol. Ukraine's growing humanitarian crisis only worsening as the Russian invasion enters a

third week and after peace talks failed once again today it raises fresh uncertainty over how long this war continues and how that uncertainty

volatility well across the energy complex?

And in turn, I think - driving sentiment across broader financial markets both Brent Crude and U.S. Crude higher by around 5 percent as you can see

there this after plunging 12 percent in the previous session on hopes that OPEC might raise output as the West moves away from Russian fuel.

[09:20:00]

CHATTERLEY: The UAE Ambassador to Washington telling CNN that his country will push OPEC to increase production that was an abrupt U turn from their

previous stance. Fast forward to today the UAE Energy Minister in the last few minutes has said his country still supports OPEC plus targets so mixed

messages coming from that country's officials.

And that's added to the upward pressure that we've seen in today's session in the last few minutes too and today's U.S. inflation data reminding us of

the urgency to tackle the supply and demand in plants in just in this sector alone, U.S. consumer prices in February rising 7.9 percent year-

over-year that is a fresh 40 year high and of course higher oil a major contributing factor.

This data of course collected well before the decision to phase out Russian energy and the latest price spikes in essential commodities like wheat. And

from phasing out to pulling out more global firms cutting ties and commercial operations with Russia, mining and metal giant Rio Tinto, the

latest.

And Australian mining group Fortescue Metals halted its Russian projects earlier this month, the world's fourth biggest iron ore miner Fortescue

says its CO2 goal is net zero by 2040. It was in talks with the Russian government about investing in hydrogen projects in the country. But now its

Chairman says every dollar made in Russia is blood money.

Joining us now Andrew Forrest, Founder and Chairman of Fortescue Metals Group, Andrew always good to have you on the show! Blood Money, it is a

bold statement?

ANDREW FORREST, FOUNDER & CHAIRMAN, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP: Now, it's just how we feel. We haven't met our goal in 2030. And we feel that those

companies who are prolonging fossil fuel, particularly fossil fuel from Russia, or indeed, making $1, anywhere out of Russia, because that's now

being converted into munitions into bombs on the Ukrainian people. We're saying its bad money; let's get completely out of Russia.

CHATTERLEY: Does independent energy security and reducing the reliance on Russia in your mind, matter more in the short term than cutting back on oil

and gas and tackling the climate crisis? One emergency is today one emergency is today but also about the future.

FORREST: And Julia, it's a great point, but actually, they're completely combined. We need to accelerate vertically; the so called energy transition

is life and death to people all over the world. But it is particularly critical now, that despotic regime who happens to be sitting on huge piles

of oil and gas, impairing their attitudes, which are irresponsible, your power has corrupted them absolutely.

That old term you've heard, to take us away from any reliance on them to make us energy independent as Germany as America as Australia, is now

critical. And the first time in history we can do that is for the technology we now have for solar and wind direct, the green electricity,

green mining, green hydro run the entire economy.

CHATTERLEY: The problem is all that takes time Andrew. And what we're looking at today is a boosting of oil and natural gas production, even in

the interim, and the risk that actually it pushes nations like the United States and the EU in totality into the arms of players like Iran,

Venezuela, for example, it's sort of a battle of the ugly here. And those two are coming out as winners, potentially.

FORREST: Yes, Julia that is correct. We didn't learn our lesson from the Middle East. We're now learning a lesson from Ukraine. But this time

without any doubt, we have the solutions now, to be fair, in days gone by when we want to push ourselves away from reliance on fossil fuel and

reliance on despotic regimes we couldn't.

But now we have no excuse. There's no political leader, there's no business leader, there is no one in responsibility to actually, we don't have a

practical implementable solution. Of course now you do. It's to create hydrogen. It's to create ammonia. It's to create electricity; it can cover

the whole gamut of the world economy.

So you have a solution. We must take it. And Julia to reply to your question, yes but how much time does it take? I would say we need to cut

back straightaway. Even if it's turbulent waters, even if it's some stormy seas, what it won't be, is empowering a despotic regime to go from Ukraine

that other countries, we must send that message that even if you get through today, we're moving away from your fossil fuel tomorrow.

You will not be able to finance any more wars tomorrow. You will have no economy to fight a war with. So stop now. We've got to get that message

across. That's why it's today's is better Julia never.

CHATTERLEY: So just very quickly, Andrew, you're saying that EU should have announced sanctions on Russian oil and gas already and deal with the

consequences?

FORREST: Look, I think if you're Ukrainian, you would see absolutely no choice but that common sense Julia.

[09:25:00]

FORREST: If you're looking at it from the buyers point of seeing bombs coming your way you would not hesitate. The issue now is if Putin's Russia,

subject cage Ukraine, modeling himself in his ideology of Peter the Great, he will not stop there, we must send the signals now that your great cash

flow.

The bank for your military or Air Force your navy, your armies, that bank is going to get switched off. And that is able to happen with fully

renewable energy from hydrogen, Ammonia and electricity, or green. We don't need to rush it. See you later.

CHATTERLEY: Yes. Andrew, it's interesting. And it's a big question for business too, because I talked about and I talk about it on a daily basis,

big businesses cutting ties, and I know you, Fortescue have said, look; we're canceling any planned investments, the negotiations over green

hydrogen too.

What does that mean, in practice? Do you write those investments and interests down and say, we're walking away? Or will back doors to Russia

still be left open because that's what's always happened in the past within one two years? People are backing Russia and it's almost like the

atrocities and things that were breaking international law at the time never happened. Is this time different?

FORREST: Yes, look Julia; I think this time is different. But those fossil fuel companies, I send a strong message for those companies who are

suspending operations. If you're going to keep operations in any country, which is prepared to invade lava, then you're actually receiving blood

money.

You are being supported by other people's misery. To say clearly, Julia, we now have a choice. We can go entirely pollution free energy, and entire

pollution free future. We have the technology, we don't need fossil fuels, and we do not need Russian oil and gas.

We now have the renewable energy which can last the - humankind many thousands of times forever. Let's just make the move. Let's get on with it.

Let's cut off Russia. Let's know that we're protecting not only the people of Ukraine, but any other country which may suffer at the hands of a

despotic regime, empowered from fossil fuel, because Green Energy is everywhere.

It can be completely democratic. You now can have energy sovereignty in America, in Australia, in the Ukraine, all over the world, all throughout

Africa, you we can become energy independent as nations. And that, of course, is a great catalyst for peace.

CHATTERLEY: Yes, we just have to put our minds to it. I don't want to speak to you now as the as the Chairman of Fortescue. I want to speak to you as a

wealthy individual in your own right. And it goes back to the conversation I was having earlier on in the show about assets like things like Chelsea

Football Club, boats, houses, assets around the world that are most likely going to come onto the market.

We've had JP Morgan talking about distressed debt opportunities as well in Russian debt. That's something a little bit different. But how should the

assets that are in nice places London, for example that are being sold at this moment by Russians also be treated? How do you think that should be

handled?

Because there's a risk here, too, that you are effectively handing money to those that are tied to a regime that's doing what it's doing in Ukraine at

this moment? How should that be handled?

FORREST: Julia, I think everyone has to face their own conscience. You know, they have to go to sleep at night with their own demons. I certainly

won't be getting involved in at all, I would counsel my friends and colleagues to say, if you're indirectly or directly hiring a trans, a

regime, which is prepared to totally subjugate another country with hideous bloodshed that I would say I wouldn't touch it with a stick.

Now, Julia, that's a personal moral question a bit like about business saying, well, once the war finishes, we'll just go back to normality why?

We must not as a global business community, reward atrocious behavior. And if you do that, I think your shareholders should really hold you to

account.

CHATTERLEY: Yes. I mean, there are so many examples of this around the world. We need the commitment to this shared around the world, but that's

another conversation. Andrew, great to chat to you as always! Andrew Forrest, Founder and Chairman of Fortescue Metals there thank you sir.

Coming up, Mariupol under siege, the city being hit again as diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire end without progress the latest next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:30:00]

CHATTERLEY: Welcome back! No agreement on humanitarian corridors or a ceasefire after the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine met in Turkey.

Meanwhile, officials in Mariupol are accusing Russia of deliberately targeting roads in order to completely isolate the city. Mariupol has been

under siege for almost a week Ukraine's Foreign Minister sees civilians are being held hostage.

In the meantime, President Vladimir Putin has been meeting with Russian government officials to discuss Russia's response to Western sanctions.

Officials have so far detailed plans to help stabilize the financial markets and measures to support businesses and individuals, not

surprisingly, Putin put the blame for global financial turmoil squarely in the hands of the West.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT: Russia is supplying in full everything that we are committed to, to our main consumers in Europe and other regions

of the world. 100 percent even the Ukrainian grid is fully supplied and we're doing all of this. And yet the prices are rising over there. That's

not our fault.

That is your miscalculation. Nothing to do with us, including the price rises for oil and petroleum products in the U.S. that there has been an

announcement that there's a ban on Russian import of Russian oil, but the price is the high inflation is unprecedentedly high and has reached

historical levels. And they are trying to blame us for their own mistakes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHATTERLEY: "Nothing to do with us". To get a sense of the human toll of Vladimir Putin's war look no further than the City of Mykolayiv in

Southeast Ukraine. People there are experiencing terrible suffering and unspeakable loss after days of heavy bombardment. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh

reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL EDITOR (voice over): This is probably when Russian forces tried to cut off Mykolayiv, pushing to its north to

encircle it. Ukrainian shells here, not holding them back.

[09:35:00]

WALSH (voice over): The Governor told locals to bring tires to the streets which they did fast. And in the dark Russia's punishment of just about

everyone here did not let up. An airstrike flattened this warehouse. And if you needed proof the Kremlin seeks to reduce all life here.

1500 tons of onions, beer and pumpkins were an apparent target for a military jet. So - in the back bedroom when a missile hit - built this home

himself 43 years ago, and knows he lacks the strength to do so again. She says she doesn't even have her slippers now.

The hospitals are steeped in pain. They're corridors running underground. Svetlana lost three friends Tuesday, when Russian shells hit the car they

were traveling in to change shift at the disabled children's home. When she ducked she saved her life. She names her three dead friends.

Mykolayiv was badly burned by a missile in his yard. Moscow targets hospitals and so they perversely need their own bomb shelters where sick

children wait for the sirens to end. He is 12 and alone but he doesn't know the reason his father is not here just now is because he is burying his

mother and sister.

Sonia has shrapnel in her head, causing her to spasm explains they were outside taping up the house windows when the blast hit while all the time

trying to get Sonia to keep still. Outside it is cold and loud. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Mykolayiv Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHATTERLEY: Back after this stay with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:40:00]

CHATTERLEY: Welcome back! The latest estimates say at least 2 million Ukrainians have fled their homeland since Russia's invasion began two weeks

ago. Many Ukrainians fleeing west for safety to countries like Poland, others crossing into Moldova, where residents are lending a helping hand

and welcoming Ukrainians into their homes Ivan Watson reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): On the day Russia first attacked Ukraine residents of this sleepy village in

Moldova heard explosions.

RUSANDA CURCA, MOLDOWAN ACTIVIST: You can hear sometimes the explosion from Ukraine is terrifying.

WATSON (voice over): It's not just the sounds of war that are coming across the border. Refugees of the conflict have come here too. Some Moldova and

villagers have opened their doors to their Ukrainian neighbors in their time of need. People like Boris Makeyev of this 75-year-old widower

welcomed Olga Kuznetsova her mother and two children into his home after they fled across the border last week.

I feel badly for them he says the children are small, this little one is innocent. Boris holds two year old Andrey as if he was his own grandson.

These Ukrainians have never been to Moldova before, but they fled after spending days and nights hiding from Russian airstrikes in the basement of

their home.

WATSON (on camera): The family left on very short notice after hearing warplanes the night they packed two suitcases and left with five minutes'

notice.

WATSON (voice over): With no advanced planning the women rely entirely on the generosity of Moldovans for food, shelter and clothing including for

eight years old.

WATSON (on camera): She says there are very kind people here in Moldova. What made you want to help?

CURCA: I don't know how to act differently you know.

WATSON (voice over): Rusanda Curca has been helping find homes in the village for a few dozen of the hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians that

have fled to Moldova in the last two weeks.

CURCA: So because it's normally to help people in need, some people are hosting refugees other are donating products, stuffs things, and others are

just praying for peace.

WATSON (voice over): Down the road from Boris's house we meet Valentina - she took in her Ukrainian sister in law Olga and family, including 29-year-

old Natalia, who is seven months pregnant. We have to stop Vladimir Putin Olga tells me or else he'll just keep going invading countries like Moldova

and Poland. As she speaks Olga's 14-year-old daughter fights to hold back tears.

The Moldovan government says tens of thousands of refugees are living in the homes of ordinary Moldovans an extraordinary act of collective kindness

from one of the poorest countries in Europe. Asked how long he could afford to continue hosting this Ukrainian family Boris Makeyev told me they can

stay as long as they need. Ivan Watson, CNN, Moldova.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHATTERLEY: Our coverage continues after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:45:00]

CHATTERLEY: It's been two weeks since Russia unleashed its unprovoked assault on Ukraine and we've seen the devastating toll facing civilians. As

attacks ramp up evacuations remain limited and the death toll climbs the heartbreak and devastation on the ground unimaginable as CNN's Phil Black

reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PUTIN: Our plans are not to occupy Ukraine. We do not plan to impose ourselves on anyone.

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): With those false words the unthinkable began. Violence, destruction and suffering rained down on

Ukraine and its people. In this new time of horrors, people sheltered underground or risked being bombed in their homes. Vast numbers had little

choice but to flee. Their leader had a choice but decided to stay.

The president is here he said from the streets of Kyiv. Russia's firepower, its vastly greater numbers failed to make quick early progress. Some of the

first Russian units to try pushing into major cities were wiped out. While advanced weapons supplied by allies added to Russian losses here knocking

an attack helicopter out of the sky.

Vladimir Putin insisted Russians and Ukrainians are one people. Ukrainian civilians showed they disagreed by chasing Russian vehicles lying down

before them, climbing on top of them, even defying Russian gunfire to peacefully protest the invasion.

That while Ukraine spirited resistance inspired the world, Russia's war machine continued to inflict a terrible human cost. Near Kyiv thousands

fled across a downed bridge the bombardment ever closer. For some in Ukraine death now comes with little warning.

This strike killed a family of four cameras have occasionally captured terrifying moments of impact or weapons flying through the sky. Far more

often, they record the aftermath. The facts, - ripped and punctured buildings, usually people's homes and businesses but also schools,

churches, hospitals the devastated communities that prove false rushes claim civilians are not targets.

Two weeks into this war, Russia's invasion grinds on advancing in the south, slowly and encircling Kyiv from the north and Kharkiv in the east.

[09:50:00]

BLACK (voice over): The world can only watch largely united in disgust determined to punish Vladimir Putin but incapable of stopping him. Phil

Black, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHATTERLEY: There are other challenges too; the war in Ukraine is exacerbating the global hunger crisis. Between 2019 and today the U.N.

World Food Programme sees the number of people facing famine has risen over 60 percent. We're talking 44 million people. Add to that Ukraine's refugee

crisis and global dependence on crops grown in Ukraine.

The World Food Programme gets half of its wheat supplies from there. The consequences of this are going to be vast. And in the words of the Director

of the WFP, Russia's invasion has reminded us that the root cause of hunger around the world is human folly and reckless disregard for human life.

In short, the conflict in Ukraine will leave millions hungrier around the world. And the Director of the WFP David Beasley joins us now. David,

you're seeing global challenges, I think in the future that most of us can't comprehend because we're too fixated, or at least fixated in the

short term on Ukraine.

I know you just came back from the border. Tell me what you're seeing? What you've seen and what you are thinking now?

DAVID BEASLEY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, U.N. WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME: Julia, I was just in Ukraine and at the border, talking with people watching the

families who just distraught as you can imagine, it's very cold temperatures, they're leaving everything behind in harm's way.

But they're the lucky ones that are actually making it and to the European Union and getting all the help that they need. And so you're already

talking about a couple of million people that are refugees. But you've still got over 40 million people that we need to reach with food inside, if

we don't reach them immediately and quickly you can only imagine that catastrophe within the war itself of 40 million people that will be

starving to death.

So we've got to develop supply chain systems putting in place, there's a lot of work to be done. Our teams are on the ground ramping up as we speak

right now.

CHATTERLEY: How can you do that, David, in a situation as we've been talking about for the last hour, where it's tough to see any kind of

ceasefire hold for these evacuation corridors? We've seen infrastructure destroyed, like air planes, and airports and roads, how can you even do

that?

BEASLEY: It's tough. Now, our experience 80 percent of our operations are in conflict areas or war zones. So we know how to do this. And it's a very

fluid, dynamic situation, as you can imagine, any given time. And let's just put aside just the impact this will have globally right now.

Because as you know, 50 percent of the grain that we purchased to feed 125 million people a year is now stuck we can't get. So now can we acquire all

the grain that are stuck inside Ukraine and distribute it? But let me tell you some of the problems.

Like you're seeing frontlines, and all the young men guess where they are? They're on the battlefield right now so getting truck drivers and people

that can offload and upload all of these kinds of issues, in addition to moving these supplies into cities like Kyiv and Kharkiv and many other

places, because Ukraine is not a small country.

But we are positioning food as we speak all across the country of Ukraine, different distribution points so all of our eggs are not in one basket in

cases of catastrophe. So we can have rapid response, and at the same time, meet the needs of the people where they are and when they are moving, as

well.

But I can tell you this, and this is very important to understand. We, for example in Syria we could feed a Syrian inside Syria for 50 cents, that

same Syrian ends up in Europe, it's over $70 per day. So the same thing you'll be facing here a dollar or two for Ukrainian in Ukraine, that's not

in harm's way, versus what very well could be 75 to more dollars per day. So everything we can do to give comfort to that not in harm's way inside

Ukraine. We are going to do.

CHATTERLEY: Yes, I mean, and the backdrop here, of course, is soaring commodity prices as well. What's the plan B, if you can't get access to

enough of that grain? Obviously, we know that Russia is also a huge exporter of wheat and other resources too, would you go to them? Would you

negotiate and take grain from them, David?

BEASLEY: There is enough available grain around the world. It's just going to be very expensive as the price is now going up. It'll impact inside

Ukraine, but it's going to devastate as well in the poor developing nations around the world that are already very fragile.

We had a perfect storm before Ukraine, with climate conflict and COVID. Our operational costs because of these three in the past year had gone up $40

to $50 million per month and we were already short billions of dollars because of the crisis.

Now because Ukraine, fuel prices are as everyone knows, is going up, food prices going up shipping costs going up. We're looking at an additional

$750 million increase in our operations just to stay even when we now know we're billions of dollars short to reach the people globally and especially

in Ukraine.

[09:55:00]

BEASLEY: But let me be very clear, you got 40 million people inside Ukraine, we've got to reach as many of those and create a stable food

system in place to do everything we can to bring comfort to those who are in conflict and those in harm's way do everything we can to get them out of

harm's way.

CHATTERLEY: Yes, that's a call to action if ever I had one, David because this is another priority that we need to tackle immediately today. Thank

you for joining us it is so good to talk to you. David Beasley there the Executive Director of the World Food Programme, thank you! And that's it

for the show. Stay safe, "Connect the World" with Becky Anderson is next and we'll be back tomorrow.

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END