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First Move with Julia Chatterley
Ukraine: Some Russian Units Withdraw from Kyiv Battlefront; Ukraine, Russia Discuss Possible Ceasefire in Talks; Russians five Update after new Talks with Ukraine; Ukraine: Some Russian Troops Withdrawing from Kyiv, Chernihiv; Airbnb.org to Fund Housing for Ukrainian Refugees; Ukrainian Children Make Postcards for Soldiers. Aired 9-10a ET
Aired March 29, 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: We're going to have more on this breaking news of the war in Ukraine. President Biden set to speak with European allies just
moments from now as Russia says it's going to reduce military activity in two key cities. CNN's 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 and we begin with fast moving developments this hour
on the crisis in Ukraine. Talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials just ended in Turkey, a top Russian negotiator calling them constructive.
Well, both sides are now discussing the possibility of a meeting between Presidents Putin and Zelenskyy.
Crucially, in the last hour, the Russian Ministry of Defense has announced it will drastically reduce "The military assault in Kyiv and Chernihiv. In
the next few minutes, President Biden will also be holding a call with European allies to discuss their response.
Meanwhile, Russian shelling has left villages in Kyiv in ruins with homes reduced to piles of rubble. In Mariupol official say 90 percent of the
city's residential buildings have been damaged or destroyed. 160,000 people are still trapped there.
And in Lusk in the west another fuel depot is on fire after being targeted by Russian forces. It follows a pattern of attacks on key infrastructure
over recent days President Zelenskyy again calling on the international community to punish Russia with more sanctions, just today this appeal to
the Danish Parliament.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: We ask you and the whole democratic community in the world, we need to step up sanctions against
Russia. We must give up Russian oil, no trade with the Russian Federation, close ports to Russian ships. And this must be a policy of solidarity in
the European Union among all member states.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: Nic Robertson and Phil Black joining us now. Nic, I want to come to you first a clear tone shift coming out of this but actually we've
heard from the Ukrainian officials and the negotiators. And what stood out to me was the number of times they insisted on a ceasefire before anything
else. What do you make of what we've heard so far?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It really does seem to set out where a track for a possible resolution to the conflict might be? I
think setting a Crimea aside to be resolved over a period of 15 years bilateral, bilateral negotiations between Russia and Ukraine that really
gives an opportunity to put aside what would be one of the thorniest issues.
The international community in Ukraine doesn't recognize Russia's annexation and control of Crimea that I took in 2014. Russia going into
this conflict said that was utterly non-negotiable. The fact that Russia now says that it's scaling back its offensive against Kyiv, is significant.
But we've also heard from separately and Russia we've heard from the Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, saying that Russian military operations
will continue until their objectives are met. What does that mean? What are the objectives? Is it purely securing the Donbas region? What does the
Donbas region mean?
We remember that when Russia began to invade the Donbas region, itself, only a tiny fraction of that was controlled by Russian backed separatists
is Russia saying it still wants to get that greater region that will seem to be unacceptable over the longer term to the Ukrainians.
Ukrainians have said that Russia should withdraw back to the pre February 24 pre-invasion positions. And of course, all of this predicated on
Ukraine, getting the security guarantees that it's looking to NATO and the European Union for.
Says a lot of detail to be still worked out in terms of ceasefire it seems that the most important and relevant parts of ceasefire at the moment, and
I'm sure Phil has a lot more detail on this would be the humanitarian corridors to try and alleviate the immediate suffering.
Right now Turkish officials saying that the ceasefire efforts were a big part of what's going on here. But the architecture of how things might look
going forward. That's beginning to become a little clearer a lack of trust, obviously, on both sides, so much work still to be done.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, the key point about trust there, I think resonating. Phil come in here, because to Nic's point there we had heard that the Russians
are saying they're going to drastically reduce activity in Kyiv and Chernihiv and as far as Kyiv is concerned we were hearing the sense of that
from Ukrainian forces that to some degree they were seeing the Russian military forces pulling back.
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's the interesting sequence of events that we've heard this afternoon here Julia is that yes the Ukrainians
initially said this is what we're seeing we're already seeing Russian forces pulling back around Kyiv around the northern City of Chernihiv.
[09:05:00]
BLACK: Then Russia confirmed that yes, we are doing this. And interestingly tied that move directly, it seems to progress made over the course of these
negotiations. That is, the torques having a direct impact if Russia was to believe, to be believed on its operations, here in Ukraine militarily.
So that's why it says it is pulling back from Kyiv in drastically in some cases and the northern City of Chernihiv. On the other hand, it has been
observed that around these two cities, Russia's operations have significantly come to something of a halt in any case.
They had not been advancing. They had not been taking new territory, particularly around the Capital Kyiv. In fact, they had been driven back in
various directions over the course of the last week or so. The impact of Russian military operations in these areas has mostly been felt through
shelling rocket fire, other indirect fire, particularly in Chernihiv the northern city where we hear and see that it has that sort of - that Russian
shelling has been striking at residential neighborhoods to a significant degree.
But this is what Russia was committing to for the moment. It says, pulling these troops back to some degree in order to create the circumstances, the
atmosphere that would allow this deal to continue to grow and perhaps lead to a situation where some sort of peace agreement could be signed.
And in the comments that we've heard from the Russian Ministry of Defense, they are talking specifically about the security guarantees that have been
discussed today in Turkey by the negotiating partners. And that is where Ukraine wants to see international partners signing on, to provide a
guaranteed rapid trigger to come to Ukraine's defense in the event that it is attacked in the future if it is to adopt this non-aligned, neutral
status.
That is what has been presented to Russia today. And in response, we don't know what - how precisely how Russia feels about it, but they say that at
the very least they are prepared to wind back military operations in these particular areas Julia.
CHATTERLEY: Nic, I want to pick up on what Phil was saying there in a couple of ways. The sequencing of events and to go back to some of the
comments from the Russian Defense Minister, because they caught my attention even before this, these talks in in Turkey ended.
And the suggestion was the main task to complete and bear in mind that the translation here and that the main goal is the liberation of Donbas now we
no parts of that, of course, have been controlled since the invasion of Crimea in 2014 by separatist forces.
We spoke to the Ukrainian Finance Minister yesterday and he said they will not accept any territorial losses. How do you see the ambition that the
Russian Defense Minister was talking about earlier today fitting with the suggestion, at least from some parts of the Ukrainian government that
they're not willing to see territorial losses?
ROBERTSON: Yes, there's still a lot to be settled here. And I think when we hear from the Defense Minister in Moscow, we're hearing from the Kremlin.
We're hearing from President Putin. He's the one that's been directing the war. He's the one that initiated the war.
That's certainly been the assessment of the European Union, the assessment of the United States. And it seems very clear that President Putin has not
achieved what he set out to achieve. He said that it was going to be de- nazification and demilitarization of Ukraine in a neutrality agreement.
If that can be put together, then perhaps he gets in his mind or he can sell President Putin can sell at home de-militarization as a success. But
it does seem very much as if President Putin has to reset and rethink what's achievable. And that's a negative blow for him.
So we - I think we'll look to the Kremlin to see how they try to spin this as a success. And it seems that they're going to try to spin it as a
success, because they're going to say that their goals in Donbas, which when they originally went in on this invasion, they kept repeating that it
was, although it was de-nazification and demilitarization.
They were also going into sort of take control of the Donbas region and support the separatists there and put an end to what they claim without
evidence. There had been an eight year war against the people in against those Russian backed separatists there.
So that narrative that the Kremlin is now trying to fix, it seems will be the way that Putin manages to extricate himself from this without damage to
his image at home, marrying up that Kremlin aspiration of not damaging a Putin's image at home.
[09:10:00]
ROBERTSON: And the reality of the war on the ground and the reality of trying to get trying to get peace that's going to be very difficult and
there will be sticking points on that, for sure.
CHATTERLEY: It's such a vital point, particularly in light of what Ukraine walks away with here? The comments from Liz Truss the British Foreign
Secretary today in front of Parliament. And I pulled the quote, because it resonated.
We need to ensure that any future talks don't upselling Ukraine out or repeating the mistakes of the past. We remember the uneasy settlement of
2014, which failed to give Ukraine lasting security. And five minutes ahead of a conversation between President Biden and European leaders to talk
about this, Phil.
That's what needs to be ensured not what was done in 2014, or at least after 2014 and in some way, ensuring longer lasting security. What does
that look like?
BLACK: Well, that's this guaranteed security deal that President Zelenskyy in Ukraine is pushing for. He knows he can't get NATO membership. So he's
pushing for something that is almost very similar in a way in the sense that NATO has Article Five as a trigger, if one is attacked than all will
defend.
He's looking for something similar to that in the sense that if Ukraine is attacked, then a number of countries signing on to an international treaty
would then be obligated to come to Ukraine's aid. In fact, from what we're hearing from Ukrainian officials, they're talking about a trigger that
would in some ways be sharper and more easily applies in the NATO's Article Five.
This absolute sticking issue in these talks right from the very beginning has been this idea of Ukrainian territorial integrity, in the sense that
Ukraine is not prepared to give up any territory. Nic was talking about a compromise that seems to be getting there on the issue of the Crimean
peninsula, that territory that was annexed by Russia back in 2014.
Ukraine has at the very least proposed that that issue is parked for 15 years with a commitment to engage in bilateral talks, and not to try and
take back that territory militarily, that could provide an off ramp for that issue. But the other issue remains those Eastern breakaway separatists
regions that Russia supports the areas of Donetsk and Luhansk.
These territories were based upon the state of military aims of Russia. They appear to be going for a maximalist approach of trying to secure an
undeniable military victory there that would ensure Russia controls that territory. The question there is how that can be reconciled in any ongoing
peace negotiations.
How can Ukraine possibly accept the loss of that territory through force when everything that the President of Ukraine and officials here, in fact,
what many people here feel is that that is simply unacceptable under any circumstances Julia?
CHATTERLEY: Yes, - not any territory any more territory? Nic, I know you'll have views on this point, too. And also just envisaging if indeed, the two
presidents do meet what that conversation looks like?
ROBERTSON: Putin has been so dismissive and spoken in such derogatory terms about President Zelenskyy. That is, it is, of course, going to be a
horrible meeting, for in many ways. Putin will be looking again, as I said, to secure the appearance of a victory that he can parade back home.
He has to do that, because he knows that his power in Russia is tied to the fact that he hasn't created a failure. So he's going to have to spin it as
success. So will he continue to try to sort of dominate and demonize Zelenskyy in these meetings?
Zelenskyy knows that he goes in as the weaker player, but he's recognized where his strength lies, and that is support from the West in terms of
security guarantees in terms of military hardware and support and information during the war phase.
He will know that he goes into those talks with the words of the international community, ringing in his ears as well that the respect of
Ukraine sovereignty and territorial integrity is sacrosanct. That he is going to go into those talks knowing, as far as we know at the moment that
the international community will support him and demanding and expecting to get all Ukraine's pre-February 24 territory back under their full control.
Anything less would be an abrogation of what the international community has signed up to here and its support multiple times, or many formats be at
NATO be at G7 be at the EU. Every time we heard before the war, international figures speak it was about their territorial integrity, and
sovereignty of Ukraine would not be diminished whatever happened?
[09:15:00]
ROBERTSON: So this is the point that he - this is the way that Zelenskyy will go into that meeting. But it is not a meeting of equals and it will be
a tough meeting when it comes in the choreography of course around it will be hugely important.
But what will be important for both leaders more so for Putin will be able to sell his success at home. Zelenskyy already has accrued a significant
measure of popularity of international support for the way that he has conducted himself through the war.
President Putin has stifled and stymied criticism at home by stomping on the independent media and portraying what has done in Ukraine through his
propaganda machine. He has a much harder job of walking away from this with the signals of success than the Zelenskyy does.
CHATTERLEY: The conditions and the challenges of ending this conflict. Nic Robertson and Phil Black great to have you with us, sir both of you thank
you. We're back after this stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back! Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have ended for the day with potential progress. A top Russian negotiator calling them
constructive meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced it will drastically reduce their military assault on Kyiv and Chernihiv.
Joining us now is Oleg Ustenko; he is Economic Adviser to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Sir, fantastic to have you on the show
constructive talks ending perhaps paving the way for President Zelenskyy to meet President Putin what might that look like? Oleg, can you hear me?
OLEG USTENKO, ECONOMIC ADVISER TO PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Yes, I can hear you.
CHATTERLEY: Welcome to the show. I just mentioned the peace talks ending in a constructive manner and the prospect perhaps of President Zelenskyy
having the opportunity to meet President Putin. What might that look like at this moment that meeting?
USENKO: Yes.
CHATTERLEY: I think we're having a problem.
USTENKO: And he said that in different occasions.
[09:20:00]
USTENKO: So basically in my view the sooner it happened the better it would for Ukraine and for the whole world and for Russia as well. So basically
everything--
CHATTERLEY: Oleg like if you can hear me, we have lost you and we will try and re-establish connection. But for now we will move on and try and get
him back. Russian shelling has targeted many suburbs of Kyiv. Fred Pleitgen traveled to one village just north of the capital to get a firsthand look
at the devastation there. We want to warn you some of these images are graphic.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Kyiv remains under full on attack by Vladimir Putin's army. Ukrainian
officials saying Russian forces are trying to storm the capital but failing, unleashing artillery barrages on civilian areas in the process.
We drove to the village - North of Kyiv, only a few miles from the front line. Even the streets here are pockmarked with shrapnel and massive impact
craters, whole buildings laid to waste. I mean, just look at the utter destruction caused by this massive explosion. There are some really thick
brick walls and even they were annihilated by the force of whatever landed here.
The people here tell us they only felt one really large explosion, and it wounded several people and killed a small child. That child was two year
old - killed while in his bed when the house came under fire. These videos given to us by local authorities show the chaos and the aftermath.
As the wounded appear in shock, residents and rescuers tried to save those who were inside the - pronounced dead on the scene. Stephan (ph) was -
second youngest child. We found Oleg sifting through the rubble of his house days later.
Inside he shows me the damage caused by the explosion. He was at work when his home was hit his wife, the other children and his mother in law had
already been brought to the hospital when he arrived at the house. Stephan couldn't be saved. And because of staff shortages at the morgue, Oleg had
to prepare his son's body for burial himself.
OLEG SHPAK, SON KILLED BY RUSSIAN SHELLING: I had to wash him to dress him his head from his right ear to his left here one large hematoma, his arms,
his legs, a total hematoma not compatible with life. And besides that, lots of other wounds were discovered after death.
PLEITGEN (voice over): Many other houses have also been hit here the police tell me the Russians shell the town every day. We bumped into 84-year-old
Halyna in the town center. She was a child when the Nazis invaded this area and says now things are worse.
HAYLNA, NOVI PETRIVSTI RESIDENT: Worse than fascists when the Germans were here and entered our homes, they would shoot at the ceiling but they would
not touch us. They moved us into the woods, but they did not shoot us like the Russian soldiers are shooting now killing children.
PLEITGEN (voice over): The Kremlin claims its forces don't target civilian areas. But the U.S., NATO and the Ukrainian say the Russians are frustrated
by their lack of progress and are firing longer range weapons because they can't make headway on the ground.
VLADYSLAV ODINSTOV, KYIV REGIONAL POLICE: They understand that sooner or later our troops will push them out of our territory. Now the Russians are
doing dirty tricks. They shoot more at civilian areas than at the positions of the Ukrainian army.
PLEITGEN (voice over): Ukraine's army says it's pressing its own counter offensive trying to dislodge Russian troops from the outskirts of Kyiv the
Kremlin's forces, meanwhile, so far unable to take the Ukrainian capital or instead laying waste to its suburbs Fred Pleitgen, CNN Novi Petrivsti,
Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHATTERLEY: Members of the Russian delegation have been speaking after the talks wrapped up in Istanbul. Let's just listen in to what they've been
saying.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR MEDINSKY, HEAD OF RUSSIAN DELEGATION: Our negotiators and the format was the following. At first, a treaty is drafted then the treaty is
approved by negotiators signed off by the foreign ministers at their meeting, then a possibility - for the meeting of the heads of state to sign
this treaty.
It is a difficult issue especially as this is about a bilateral meeting involving a multilateral meeting involving guarantor states on peace and
security in Ukraine. But after today's substantive discussion, we agreed as solution whereby the heads of state meeting is possible at the same time as
the signing off of the treaty by the foreign ministers, and possibly a discussion of the details simultaneously.
[09:25:00]
MEDINSKY: So, if work proceeds quickly on the draft treaty and the compromise found peace becomes much more possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: So that was the Russian negotiator speaking after the talks wrapped up in Istanbul calling the discussions substantive that our
solution was agreed where a heads of state meeting so President Putin, President Zelenskyy could possibly meet is possible.
They talked about a treaty being drafted approved by the negotiators and then on to the foreign ministers talking about the possibility of peace
after that point becoming more likely. All right, coming up after the break, a helping hand for refugees in need of a home the Co-Founder of
Airbnb is here to talk about their emergency accommodation plans. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back! Russian state media is saying the country's delegation brought up a possible meeting between President Putin and
Zelenskyy in today's talks with Ukraine. Ukrainian official in the meantime says enough progress was made to in the talks to allow the two leaders to
meet.
In Ukraine the military says Russian troops are now withdrawing from the Capital Kyiv and the Northern City of Chernihiv. Moscow, also saying it
will reduce military activity on the two battle fronts. Joining us once again Oleg Ustenko, he is Economic Adviser to the Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Oleg, can you hear me? I'll just double check again this time.
USTENKO: Hi, Julia.
CHATTERLEY: Fantastic good to have you back with us. You and I we're discussing that President Zelenskyy has long said he'd be willing to speak
to President Putin.
[09:30:00]
CHATTERLEY: How optimistic are you that a breakthrough has been reached today?
USTENKO: Look, I mean, we are not taking any words now. So we would like to see action. So this is actually what President Zelenskyy many times pointed
out already. So the ball is now on the side of the Russia, of the Russian Federation, and we are expecting that they are prepared to meet with our
president.
So President Zelenskyy as you rightly pointed out said many times. We are prepared. We are prepared. We need steps from that side. So we needed in
order to bring peace to our land.
CHATTERLEY: OK, I think you're back. We lost you briefly once again there at the end. Can I ask you, and you can tell me if you're not sure, just in
terms of a basic precondition for the two presidents to meet a ceasefire, troop withdrawal? Do you have any sense?
USTENKO: I would say that these two preconditions are the most important ones and also President Zelenskyy a couple of days ago, when he was given
an interview to the opposition Russian TV channel. He mentioned exactly these two preconditions and as the most important one, in order to start
the real negotiation process and to sign the documents.
So but one more time, as soon as the leaders of two countries are met, then I assume that the peace process will be growing at least faster and more
productive.
CHATTERLEY: The Russian Defense Minister before these talks wrapped up suggested that the main goal now is the liberation of Donbas. This was the
Russian Defense Minister. Oleg again, this has been a long fight between Ukraine and Russia. It dates back to 2014.
When we spoke to Ukraine's Finance Minister yesterday, he point blank said Ukraine is not willing to give up any land in Ukraine, does that still hold
in the Donbas region particularly in what are separatists controlled parts of that region?
USTENKO: Look, why I am saying and why we are saying here in Ukraine that we are not anymore in a position where we can just take somebody's words.
So we would like to see actions. Look today during this negotiation process in Istanbul our - which is in Chernihiv at scale - Chernihiv region was
under the bombing attacks from the air.
So several houses were completely destroyed again, bombing was to school, the inaction. So this is the position basically, Russians are talking about
peace process, but it doesn't mean that they are following up to all those words that are given to us and to the world.
CHATTERLEY: You raise such an important point, can President Zelenskyy trust anything that President Putin offers, or agrees to at this moment?
USTENKO: That's why actually President Zelenskyy is very straightforward in terms of our position on guarantees for our security. So basically, our
position as far as I understand, although you understand that I'm not, you know, involved into this peacekeeping process, I'm basically on the side of
economics.
But at the same time, President Zelenskyy said many times, that we would like to have third parties. And when he was talking about third parties, he
was talking about these countries, which can provide us with guarantees. And these are also in this list also includes the UK.
That's why you know, it's important now to have a civilized world on one side of the table and on the other side, we are going to have Russia. So
basically, it's going to be if you wish a collective decision. So each country can make again, if you wish, their own conclusions in terms of
whether we can take the words and whether we can trust into the documents which would be signed by the side of Russia?
[09:35:00]
CHATTERLEY: It's such an important point and I know President Putin is sorry; President Biden is speaking to European leaders just this morning to
work out where they stand and where they can provide I'm sure assurances on any future peace agreement to?
Oleg, I originally brought you on to discuss the economic fallout economic sanctions and what you've written an op-ed on, which is what you perceive
as a different kind of war crime, which is Europeans, buying oil, and gas and coal from Russia and de facto helping to fund this war by providing
financing to Russia.
Your view on this at this moment and all the decisions even if we see peace from here on out, all the decisions that have been taken to restrict energy
purchases from Russia, should they continue?
USTENKO: Absolutely. I do believe that all these sanctions against Russia, and especially the energy sector, should continue because look, in my
understanding what Putin did, he was trying to weaponize his energy resources. And eventually he believed that he will be able to surround
Europe and the whole world with his energy resources.
And the energy resources are the main actual land - is a main - for supplying their military machine. This is exactly the money Russia can use
in order to buy the missiles to buy bombs, to destroy our city and to kill our people. And we are talking about huge amount of money.
Now they are currently receiving around $1 billion in cash for or look for oil for $100 million extra, we'll give them gas. So in my view, the
sanctions which I introduced were OK. But however, some sanctions do not work, even if you can pay up.
Compare Russian revenues they were receiving before the invasion to Ukraine, they were receiving from oil 700 million but then during this
month of the war, they started to receive even more, as I said 1 billion daily. So we need to cut off Russians from the source of income, not to
allow them to buy weapons for this money and to do that.
I mean, it's simple. You just introduce embargo on Russian oil. Of course, I understand that some people are going to say that look it is going to be
an economic consequences and yesterday, right, but these economic negative consequences are going to be only in a very, very short period of time.
CHATTERLEY: You raise a vital point, and I'll make sure my viewers got that $1 billion a day is being paid to Russia for their energy. And you could
always put that money in an escrow account so they don't directly get it but it's protected for the future just my view.
Oleg great to chat to you sir thank you for persevering with the - that are affecting our connection! Economic Adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelenskyy there and I apologize once again to our viewers for some of the technical issues there. Live TV stay with more to come.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:40:00]
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back! Airbnb is activating its disaster plan to provide emergency accommodation to help address the humanitarian crisis caused by
the war in Ukraine. It's nonprofit, that offshoot called airbnb.org will fund short term housing for up to 100,000 people fleeing the nation.
Already, it's managed to find temporary homes for more than 1200 people. Joe Gebbia is Co-Founder Airbnb and is the Head of airbnb.org. Joe, great
to have you on the show you and your community aren't new to this kind of humanitarian crisis. You've utilized this all over the world. And you can
tell me about that too. But just describe the response you've seen in the case of Ukraine from hosts new hosts and donors providing funds.
JOE GEBBIA, AIRBNB CO-FOUNDER AND HEAD OF AIRNB.ORG: Oh, Julia good morning. Thank you so much for having me on the show. I'd say it's the last
couple of weeks have been devastating to watch the scenes unfold in Ukraine. This is we think going to be one of the biggest humanitarian
crisis in Europe since World War II.
And we believe that the business community has a responsibility to step up. And so one of the superpowers of Airbnb is incredible host community all
over the world, hosts with homes able to provide shelter at the last minute. And so we made the announcement to help house 100,000 people flee
the Ukraine, on airbnb.org, and Airbnb.
And the response has been absolutely amazing. As you mentioned, we've had over 1200 Refugees stay in the homes of hosts, thanks to their generosity.
And we've also had people open up their homes. 29,000 people so far have opened their homes and listed on airbnb.org to help provide shelter in this
time of need.
CHATTERLEY: I tried it out actually, it's really, and it's really easy. You can go to airbnb.org and you can sign up in minutes and just say, hey,
look, I've got space to take these people.
GEBBIA: It's such an easy way to help out. You know, if you have a spare room down the hall, a guest house an extra apartment, it really is the
easiest way to help. And people find so much joy in seeing these images on TV and saying well, what can I as one person possibly do to make a
difference?
Well, this is that way. And as you mentioned, it takes about 5 to 10 minutes to sign up on airbnb.org. When you become a host, you're getting
our air cover protection. So its a million dollars of property insurance, a million dollars of liability insurance 24/7 customer support all free to
the host just to make it really, really easy for people to sign up.
CHATTERLEY: And just to be clear, because there will be people wondering you're waiving or fees. There's no direct benefit to Airbnb from doing
this. You're just trying to provide support? What about protection for refugees? What kind of due diligence are you doing on the people that
perhaps aren't already hosts with you just to ensure that those refugees are going to safe homes and safe places?
GEBBIA: Oh, that's a great question. We work very closely with our partners on the ground. So these are nonprofits that process and vet refugees to
help them find places to stay and help them find support, safety and shelter.
CHATTERLEY: OK, good to know. And it's not just about support for refugees to it's also the platform has been used to provide direct support. I
believe people have signed on and booked places to stay in Ukraine not because they're going to go there at this current time, but simply to
provide income to people that are hosts in Ukraine and in better times.
GEBBIA: This is one of the biggest surprises of the last couple of weeks is to seen and an incredible outpouring of generosity in the Airbnb community.
It started with a host in Salt Lake City in Utah, who wanted to do something so she found a host on our site in Ukraine.
[09:45:00]
GEBBIA: And booked a couple nights' stay with no intention actually goes there with just to send money. And she felt a personal connection with the
host; they exchanged notes back and forth. She posted that to a Facebook group. And within a couple of days it went viral. And to date, we've had
people in over 165 countries send money to hosts totaling over $17 million of support to individuals throughout the country.
CHATTERLEY: Incredible. Did anybody from Russia participate in that, by the way?
GEBBIA: I would have to check.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, just wondering. I mean, you've also suspended operations in Russia, I believe too. This is a difficult one, Joe, because a lot of
people come on this show and they make the point that this isn't about the Russian people, even though they're suffering as a result of the sanctions
now too.
How do you handle and how do you feel about the responsibility of preventing those in Russia, perhaps earning an additional income or
offering their services?
GEBBIA: Well, I mean, it's an incredibly difficult time. I think when we make decisions like this; we ask the question, if we look back five years
from now, would we be proud of how we handled ourselves in this situation? And look, we can't wait for peace time to return to this part of Europe, so
that we could resume business there?
CHATTERLEY: Is that what you hope to do Joe? It's a case of look, it's a temporary suspension and fingers crossed, at some point you're operating
back in Russia has some businesses that sort of holding on and some businesses are saying, we're moving out we're leaving.
GEBBIA: We know it's a suspension of our business. And I think we'll weigh all options when the time comes.
CHATTERLEY: For people who are thinking, look, I can't provide my help. I can't provide a home perhaps for refugees, but I do want to help. What are
their options?
GEBBIA: Their options are actually very simple. They can go to airbnb.org and they can donate and their money will go directly to help fund stays for
people who don't have homes on airbnb.org.
I mentioned that my Co-Founders, Brian and Nate and myself, were matching up to $10 million of donations on airbnb.org over the next few weeks. So
any donations that viewer makes today or next couple of days, Brian, Nate and myself Co-Founders of Airbnb will match up to $10 million.
CHATTERLEY: Perfect, I'm glad you remember that because otherwise I was going to have to mention it. Great to have you on thank you for the work
you and your team are doing and of course for the donation matching. You're appreciated.
GEBBIA: Thank you so much.
CHATTERLEY: Joe Gebbia there thank you. All right still to come, messages for the military how art therapy is also helping bring hope to Ukraine's
frontline? Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back! Russia and Ukraine both saying that just concluded ceasefire talks were constructive global stock markets clearly
reacting positively to those headlines, Europe seeing the biggest gains with German and French shares up by around 3 percent as you can see oil
also tumbling more than 5 percent on ceasefire hopes, with U.S. crude currently, just below $100 a barrel.
[09:50:00]
CHATTERLEY: That's the daily move that you can see in front of you now, volatile energy prices, just one of the many challenges pressuring the
global transportation sector, which is also dealing with a widespread shortage of drivers.
Egyptian firm Trella has come up with an app to improve efficiency in these turbulent times that puts shippers in contact with truckers directly. It
claims to be an Uber for trucks. Eleni Giokos sat down with the CFO of Trella at the DP World Pavilion in Dubai.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HATEM SABRY, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, TRELLA: It's actually an industry that's very much antiquated and very paper heavy, very documentation heavy,
there is definitely a need for a digital solution to provide touch less experience or an experience with no manual intervention whatsoever versus
again, the traditional offering of having to speak with someone on the phone and chasing where the driver is and where the truck is.
So it is all about the experience as well. And this creates efficiencies as well, because the time saving, and cost savings as well,
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN HOST (on camera): What was the experience during the pandemic? And how did you deal with, you know, everything changes being up
ended?
SABRY: It was stressful at first, you know, everyone was trying to figure out what they're going to do? How this is going to impact the margins, the
business, the sales, the volumes? And one thing that we realized is that trucking never stops.
And especially during the first you know, waves of lockdown, and all that there was pressure on essential goods being transported like food and farm
and all that. And even during the lockdowns, you were seeing some concessions on these goods and trailer trucks were moving.
Of course, it was tough time from you know from, from a revenue perspective, and from cash collection perspective and all that, which is
normal. But I think in hindsight, there was a lot of learning.
And on a digital adoption front as well, we found a significant spike in how the carriers and our shippers interact with the application much better
now, because COVID actually, one positive thing that came out of it is basically it made everything digital. You know businesses--
GIOKOS (on camera): --all of that.
SABRY: Absolutely. The digital adoption has accelerated and this definitely played in our favor.
GIOKOS (on camera): o what extent are you concerned as Logistics Company in Africa about the crisis in Eastern Europe, where you got oil prices
spiking? We don't know where the oil prices going? You know, grain from both Ukraine and Russia are very important to import specifically for Egypt
and even for many parts of Africa, is this worrying you in terms of what it's going to mean for your business?
SABRY: It's a global worry; I think the main theme out of this is inflation. You touched upon it and commodity prices not only already but
again soft commodities, and food staples and all that inflation has been an issue in 2021 and it will be - it will continue to be to be an issue in
2022.
And this also impacted into the shipping, the cost of shipping global shipping container nowadays cost a lot more. So it is definitely a concern.
But I think a collective dialogue between all the parties us as a technology platform, document our shippers and also educating our carriers
about what this means to them. I think these needs to happen more often.
And ultimately there needs to be some collaboration in among all the players in the industry. But inflation, I would say is a big concern across
the region, or I guess globally as well.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHATTERLEY: And finally, to some art therapy in Ukraine, volunteers in Lviv are hosting art therapy classes for children who've been displaced by the
war. Salma Abdelaziz got the chance to meet them.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This is art therapy for the youngest forced out of their homes. Today's task is to make postcards
for good luck to keep the frontline troops safe. For nine year old Vlad, the escape from Kyiv was terrifying.
VLAD, FLED FROM KYIV: I saw rockets flying and guns he tells me and there was a crush tank right in front of our house. This is his message to
Ukraine's defenders. I wake up every day wishing for peace he reads please protect us.
ABDELAZIZ (voice over): Misha (ph) loves drawing the faces of his country's poets and warriors.
ABDELAZIZ (on camera): Why does you like to draw portraits? Because they look beautiful he says and they're not too difficult for me. I have drawn a
famous Ukrainian - he says I think he will protect the troops. Half way through the class an air raid siren sounds. The children head into the
basement draw by torchlight and sing the national anthem to pass the time.
[09:55:00]
ABDELAZIZ (voice over): Childhood should not look like this. Back in the classroom we meet Snizhana and Kvitka they only met two days ago. But
they're already inseparable.
ABDELAZIZ (on camera): Why did you become best friends?
KVITKA KOVALCHUK, FLED KYIV: We both love enemy, she tells me so we became very close.
ABDELAZIZ (voice over): 13 year old Snizhana is from Kharkiv hard hit by Russian bombardment.
SNIZHANA, FLED KHARKIV: I've wanted to tell you that my country is now in bad time. Zones of houses are broken now.
ADBELAZIZ (on camera): When you're drawing does that make you feel calmer?
SNIZHANA: Think about the good things, about perfect life.
ABDELAZIZ (voice over): An entire generation of children desperately trying to cling to their lives before war. Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, Lviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHATTERLEY: Stay with CNN. "Connect the World" with Becky Anderson is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
