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First Move with Julia Chatterley

Surviving Russia's Brutal Invasion; Shanghai Reports Eight Deaths, Over 18,000 new Cases; New Estimate: Ukraine Needs $5B a Month to stay Afloat; Metinvest Suspended Production at Azovstal Feb, 24; Macron, Le Pen clash in debate ahead of Presidential Runoff; Happy 96th Birthday, Queen Elizabeth. Aired 09-10a ET

Aired April 21, 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]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN HOST, FIRST MOVE: You're watching CNN. I'm Julia Chatterley in New York. This hour two guests crucial to both the present

and the future of Ukraine we'll hear from the CEO of the firm that owns the Azovstal Steel Plant in Mariupol currently surrounded by Russian forces.

And the Head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development the EBRD the organization built to help post-Soviet states fight for democracy.

For now Mariupol on the brink of falling into Russian hands.

The last remaining soldiers and hundreds of civilians are making a defiant stand in the Azovstal Steel Plant in the south east of the city. The

Kremlin says it can seize control of the plant in three to four days though Vladimir Putin today says storming the area is no longer necessary having

blockaded all means of escape.

Russia's President says he's offering a "Dignified treatment" to anyone who surrenders. He is calling the Kremlin's effort to capture Mariupol a

success. Yet overnight to Russian forces continue to bombard the battered city.

Earlier Thursday four evacuation buses were able to leave through a humanitarian corridor. And in a warning to the West Russia has tested a new

nuclear capable intercontinental ballistic missile sometimes referred to as Satan 2.

Putin that it should make Russia's enemies "Think twice and give them food for thought". Meanwhile, in Kyiv, the Prime Ministers of Spain and Denmark

have arrived for meetings with President Zelenskyy. Pedro Sanchez and Mette Frederiksen appeared together and promised to deliver concrete support to

Ukraine. Matt Rivers is in Lviv and has the latest.

MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Julia, the horrific situation in Mariupol continues as we learned that a planned evacuation corridor that

was set up yesterday did not work as planned.

Let's start with the latest headlines, though, from President Zelenskyy who says that Ukraine at the moment does not have the amount of heavy weaponry

that it would need to take back the city of Mariupol, not, I think, to the fact that Ukraine continues to ask for more weapons heavy weapons from the

West especially as they would face or they do face an ongoing assault by Russia in the Donbas region.

The idea that they have enough weapons to go around not only to fight that from but also to liberate Mariupol in some sort of counter offensive

Zelenskyy basically saying he doesn't have that ability.

Vladimir Putin on Thursday basically claiming victory in Mariupol even though there continues to be Ukrainian resistance centered on the Azovstal

Steel Plant complex where we know fighters on the Ukraine side remain.

Putin basically acknowledge that and said that Russia does not need to go in there and clear out every single one of those soldiers. He said that

they should just seal it off and congratulated his military for a victory in Mariupol as he called it.

Of course, the Ukrainian side denies that the city of Mariupol has fallen claiming there still is Ukrainian resistance there. This as someone 120,000

civilians according to the Zelenskyy in and around Mariupol will still need to be evacuated.

And there was hope, Julia that on Wednesday, a humanitarian corridor that had been agreed to between both sides could facilitate the evacuation of

several thousand at least civilians from Mariupol. But unfortunately that did not happen with Ukrainian officials saying only four buses carrying

civilians managed to make it out of that city.

The Ukrainians blaming the Russian side, saying that they were disorganized and that they actually broke a ceasefire that did not allow for the safe

evacuation of those citizens something that we have seen or at least heard the Russians be accused of multiple times throughout this war.

So this dire, dire situation in the city of Mariupol continues as so many citizens so many ordinary people still need to be evacuated Julia.

CHATTERLEY: Matt Rivers there. Now as the battle in the East for the Donbas region continues Ukrainians who survived Russia's brutal attack on their

homes are trying to work out what next, while fearing life will never be the same. CNN's Phil Black has been hearing their stories.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT, UKRAINE (voice over): Andre Ben Chino says his life will be forever split in two before and after the day the Russians

came. He remembers the skies over his home in - suddenly swarming with dozens of attack helicopters.

He says they flew in a low formation like they were on parade and soon after he says Russian ground forces approached his home. This is where he

says they opened fire from a distance and explosive round landed close by fracturing his leg trapped or piercing much of his body.

[09:05:00]

BLACK (voice over): But Andre says he was lucky. He got to hospital before the Russians worked out. He used to fight pro-Moscow separatists in Eastern

Ukraine. He says many veterans from the East were deliberately killed during the occupation.

If I had not been wounded, I would have been shocked too he says. He also survived Russia's occupation, but at great cost. He was shocked by the

Russian numbers and firepower that rolled into - a tiny village northeast of the capital.

So many tanks past he said so much ammunition. Every house had 20 soldiers occupying, including the house where he his neighbors and family were

sheltering. They stayed in the basement the Russians moved in above.

One night - says four drunken soldiers pushed open the basement door and screamed everyone out by the count of 10 or all will be careful. Bacilli

say women were screaming children crying and as he was the last one through the door, he was blasted from behind with a shotgun.

He says nothing was left at the leg all bones destroyed just a puddle of blood in minutes. He says two days later, some Russian soldiers helped him

get to hospital. He still thinks they're beasts, not people.

The Russian invasion of areas around Kyiv violently interrupted and ended many people's lives. And some would somehow survive brutal, intimate

encounters, leaving them forever changed Phil Black CNN, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHATTERLEY: And later this hour, President Biden is expected to provide an update on the war in Ukraine from the White House. And we will bring that

to live the moment it happens. For now in Washington, several finance ministers including U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen walked out of a G-

20 meeting yesterday in protest when Russia's Finance Minister began to speak.

Economic officials from around the world are joining World Bank and IMF meetings to discuss how to contain the fallout from the war. And Richard

Quest is there for us. That was the isolationist it seems better I think, Richard going into these meetings and obviously Ukraine is going to

dominate the agenda, but also the spillover effects.

And for some of these policymakers, how do you now set policy in a world of materially slowing growth and ongoing rising prices, and that's the

challenge too?

RICHARD QUEST, EDITOR AT LARGE: It is. And it is the most difficult challenge they faced, arguably, more difficult in a sense than pandemic or

global financial crisis. Because in those situations, they had firepower, and they knew what needed to be done.

Now you have slowing growth, you have very high inflation highest for 40 odd years. And you have a war, a war that's pushing up commodity prices. So

Julia, whether you talk about the OECD, the developed economies whether you talk about the developing emerging economies, or the - highly indebted

countries, they are all facing extraordinary difficulties.

And the IMF and World Bank don't really have any major solutions other than keep doing what you're doing, and try not to do any harm to anybody else.

But the war in Ukraine has really made it much more difficult.

Good example, as you said, yesterday, the Russian Finance Minister started to speak, he was speaking virtually from Moscow, and Janet Yellen and the

others all walked out. And the reasons very simple, they said they were not prepared to sit and listen to Russia speak and hold the agenda whilst they

were prosecuting this war.

There'll be more of that over the next couple of days, the IMF see the various other bodies, the IMF and World Bank meetings are very difficult

this year.

CHATTERLEY: And you could ask a question about why the Russians were even present and allowed to participate in that G-20 meeting? But that's a

separate question, which I knew are tickets on a completely separate tangent, not to mention some of the other problems.

The fact that whole swathes the world's still struggling with the pandemic, the challenge of climate change, and all the things that are having a

broader impact on the world that also needs to be discussed at this moment.

Richard, you are going to be discussing many of these things. Tell us who's coming up and why we should tune in to quest means business later.

QUEST: Yes, they call - they are the spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank and on Quest Means Business tonight, you will have the President of

the World Bank and the Managing Director of the IMF, the two top people to discuss the situation.

But what I'm going to try to get out of them tonight is what needs to be done rather than just a restating of how awful that position is?

[09:10:00]

QUEST: And on that question of G-20 I think most of them would love to kick Russia out. But there has to be unanimity, or at least general agreement,

and China will never agree has already said so to Russia being excluded from the G-20. So Lord knows what will happen when there are the leaders

meeting in Bali in Indonesia later this year.

CHATTERLEY: Yes, and I like your point. Let's talk about action and the response as opposed to debating the problems that we know are out there.

Can't wait for that and looking forward to it, Richard Quest thank you?

Now lock down nightmare in Shanghai, this new social media video shows an elderly woman who appears to be arguing with a COVID worker who's trying to

send her back to the quarantine center, the seemingly endless COVID lockdown leading to rare protests in the city of more than 25 million

people. David Culver has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Shanghai residents pushing back after nearly three weeks of lockdown. These videos circulating on

social media show people confronting police for being forced from their homes. These are not folks with COVID-19 but rather people whose apartments

are being turned into government quarantine facilities to cope with a surging COVID cases.

The rising tensions come as Chinese officials vowed to send every positive case of COVID-19 and any close contact to government quarantine, no matter

the age. Here you see an elderly man shuffling towards a group of other senior citizens.

Some in their 90s most in wheelchairs transferred from their nursing home to this isolation facility after testing positive. A video shared from

inside another center chose elderly patients seemingly left unattended cots set up in the halls with wooden boards and thin sheets as bedding.

Since the start of this outbreak in early March, more than 400,000 cases have been reported in the city according to China's National Health

Commission, and most in this metropolis of more than 25 million people are still in strict lockdown. CNN has been living through it.

We've mostly been sealed inside our homes let out only for mandatory COVID tests and the occasional government distribution of groceries. Last week,

we had a brief taste of freedom.

I could step out of my apartment and walk all the way to the compound gate still double locked.

But since a reversal for our community, new restrictions have a sealed back inside our properties. The draconian and inconsistent policies coupled with

a constant uncertainty weigh heavily. People tired, pushing back physically and through words.

These banners appeared on the streets of Shanghai in a cover of night. This one calling residents to resist the limitless locked down. This one reading

people are dying, referring to the dire struggle to secure food and medical care.

Online a flood of frustration surfacing on China's heavily controlled internet. On Chinese social media platform Weibo users began quoting the

first sentence of China's National Anthem, it reads rise those who don't want to be enslaved, a rally called no longer aimed at foreign oppressors

but rather Beijing's pandemic response and its harsh restrictions. That line now censored some residents even boldly calling out Chinese officials

for a perceived hypocrisy.

This person wearing the photo of one of China's Foreign Ministry Spokespersons who repeatedly accused Western governments' COVID response of

harming people's well-being the sarcastic critique shared repeatedly online. The backlash likely to worsen as the week's long lockdown drags on

further damaging China's economic engine.

YANZHONG HUANG, SENIOR FELLOW, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: Implementing this strategy by excessive manner by itself leads to exactly what the zero

COVID strategy wants to avoid.

CULVER (voice over): The growing dissent calls into question China's zero COVID strategy at a critical time. Later this year President Xi Jinping is

expected to assume and almost unprecedented third term paving the way for him to rule for life but the highly anticipated coronation now marred by

discontent over a policy so closely tied to the people's leader.

CULVER (on camera): There's a lot of skepticism and doubt over the official numbers when it comes to the case count and deaths as there was in Wuhan.

And similar to when we covered the initial outbreak more than two years ago. We rely heavily on anecdotal evidence.

And for several weeks now, people have been sharing news on social media of loved ones dying from COVID right here in Shanghai, and yet for several

weeks, the government kept the death count at zero.

Now they've started to adjust those numbers. And those points to the delicate balance that Chinese officials are trying to strike. They want to

show on one side their heavy measures are effective, but at the same time they need to demonstrate the virus is still serious and deadly.

[09:15:00]

CULVER (on camera): Otherwise, you'd have millions here asking if it's not that serious why this harsh lockdown. David Culver, CNN, Shanghai.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHATTERLEY: Important questions as always. Now straight ahead, the battle for Ukraine has lasted more than two months reconstruction will take years.

We'll hear from an international financial institution doing all it can to provide support now, and in the future that's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHATTERLEY: Welcome back! Scenes like these of utter destruction in Mariupol are a stark reminder of the massive aid Ukrainians will need to

rebuild when and if Russian troops ultimately withdrawal from their country.

The future of Ukraine and the financial support it will need going forward are key topics of discussion at the World Bank and IMF meetings in

Washington D.C. this week. Delegates hearing today that the country might need some $5 billion a month just to keep the economy afloat the European

Bank for Reconstruction and Development is already offering Kyiv relatively modest but also crucial $2 billion lifeline.

It's a unique financial institution overseen by more than 70 countries whose goal is to promote economic growth, free markets and the spread of

democracy in Central and Eastern Europe. Since its founding, it's invested over $150 billion on thousands of projects in the region, including

reconstruction efforts in the area surrounding Ukraine's Chernobyl Nuclear Plant.

The EBRD froze all assistance to Russia back in 2014, after its seizure of Crimea. Odile Renaud-Basso is the bank's President and he is joining us now

from Washington D.C.

Odile, great to have you on the show, thank you for your time! Correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is the EBRD is the only multilateral

investment organization that has a mandate to use its investments to support democracy. In light of what we're seeing in Ukraine today what does

that mean to you - for the bank's purpose?

ODILE RENAUD-BASSO, PRESIDENT, EBRD: Well indeed, the EBRD has instituted, the objective to support countries that adhere to principle of democracy -

and so forth, and this has been a guiding principle in the activity of the bank.

And that's why also in line of consistently with this mandate, we are very actively supporting Ukraine at the current juncture and in a symmetric

manner we have as you mentioned suspended all our financing access to our resources to Warsaw and Belarus in the context of the aggression, on

Ukraine.

[09:20:00]

CHATTERLEY: Let's talk about the money that you've allocated, because you're calling it the resilience and livelihoods package. It's 2 billion

Euros worth it. It sounds like a lot of money. And I know you're also providing fast track financing, how quickly can you allocate that money and

get that money out? And what kind of projects are you looking for?

RENAUD-BASSO: So what we are targeting is support to the economy, not support to the government, the budget of the government, but really the

economy, which means the private sector, financing the trade, exchanges, import export, financing, the key infrastructure, such as the electricity

network, railway network, access to gas.

And we already have a long, large pipeline of project with clients. We knew because we've been working in Ukraine that for in the last 30 years. We are

very important investors that we have been every year very important investors investing around 1 billion per year in the last three years, for

example.

So we have a lot of clients and we are in contact with them about to address their needs.

For example, we did not have some project for investment in infrastructure, which we are repurposing now to provide liquidity working capital in a

context where this public infrastructure, for example, cannot get payment nor have difficulties to get payment from their clients.

So our key focus is really supporting to Kyiv keeping the economy afloat and the key function of the economy is working. And I mean it takes a bit

of time to implement the project and to disburse them.

But we have, as I was saying, an important pipeline and really working very hard to react as quickly as possible to address the needs. Of course, the

situation is also evolving on the ground, but I think that we are doing everything we can to be effective in supporting our clients.

CHATTERLEY: I mean I believe you have a just shy of $5 billion portfolio in Ukraine now. And as you mentioned, some of this money has been reallocated

for liquidity support, loan deferrals, debt forgiveness, trade finance, as well. I just wonder if you have any sense at this stage.

And I appreciate it's very difficult, how much of that that portfolios in distress and how many of these people are coming to you and saying, look,

either we need cash immediately, and we need liquidity support, or we're not repaying any of those debts anytime soon.

RENAUD-BASSO: We are seeing indeed clients in distress and we are restructuring the debt with the private sector we have. Up to now the level

of devotees is relatively limited, because you know, you have some delay for payment, but we expect to have quite a high degree of losses and of

clients unable to pay.

So we get forbearance as much as we can there also, in particular for the private sector.

CHATTERLEY: I appreciate at the moment, it's for many people, it's about getting to safety and its survival. It's not worrying so much about

repaying debts and things. But to your point, I know small and medium sized enterprise is a crucial part of the support you present as well.

Are you doing any assessment at this stage of infrastructure projects for rebuilding, because as we were discussing earlier this week on the show

people are trying to go back particularly to some of the western cities.

And there are and will be need very quickly for rebuilding and for infrastructure projects to begin. Are you beginning work on that, too?

RENAUD-BASSO: Yes, we have some team that were working on, first emergencies report, humanitarian support and so forth, but also assessing

the need for reconstruction. I've seen the figures, I mean, there are a number of figures that are circulating around, I mean, from 50 billion.

This I mean, need for-- in short term reconstruction, from the word bank, as some figures are going much higher, it's of course, very difficult to

analyze. And it depends very much on the focus and, of course, evolution of the situation on the ground.

But it's clear that there will be I mean, there are some key infrastructure which need new investments, some of them have been destroyed. There is a

lot also of investment needed in the housing.

So I would say from what I've seen, it's probably more than half of the 50 billion assets needs assets as of today, that would be in infrastructure.

And the other part is more housing, buildings and so forth.

We see for example, we've been working a lot on Chernobyl - invested a lot to put the safety framework in place. And in Chernobyl and there we can

already assess that there will be need for further investment in equipment and so forth because of the toleration of the situation.

[09:25:00]

CHATTERLEY: There are those that look at potential future projects as well and say, also under your mandate are energy security. And to your point,

and you mentioned nuclear power plants, helping with the financing, perhaps of smaller safe nuclear power plants, non-Russian oil and gas projects,

even minerals. Obviously, Russia is not going to be supplying minerals and investment in both Ukraine and surrounding countries to that effect,

particularly as we transition away from carbon could be great investments for the EBRD to focus on.

Is that part of the game plan for this region going forward? Because they think in terms of energy security, this would be vital.

RENAUD-BASSO: No, clearly, that will be unique to very important investment in energy security and diversification of source of energy. Nuclear, is

likely to be part of the plan for a number of countries in the region into the Ukraine.

We are not financing new nuclear plants, what we've been investing in and financing substantially is more the safety dimension. That's why we worked

on Chernobyl.

But what we are supporting very centrally with financing and with advisory activities is the development of renewable. And the adjustment of the

electricity network, the - Breede, for example, in order to be able to support a high level of renewable, and that will be very important in the

agenda of reconstruction in Ukraine.

But that's also a very important agenda in the neighboring countries. Some of them are very dependent on coal today. And the need to get out of coal

and to develop alternative sources of energy and renewable. And energy efficiency is also a very important area for investment for us.

CHATTERLEY: Yes, - be incredibly busy I know, in the coming months and years. You mentioned and repeated actually that all investments activities

in Russia were frozen in 2014 after the invasion of Crimea.

In light of what we've seen in Ukraine, is it time to divest of interest in Russia is that being discussed?

RENAUD-BASSO: You already started divesting in 2014. So we had at that point of time, a portfolio of 10 billion in Russia. And now it's much, much

more measurable 10 times smaller.

And indeed, the strategy is too diverse that we are managing that project by project because what we have now in virtualizing, equity investment, and

by buyers and so forth, but the - to direction is very clear. And it's true divestment.

CHATTERLEY: So it's going to go down to zero as quickly as possible.

RENAUD-BASSO: Exactly.

CHATTERLEY: Odile, thank you for your time today. I know, you and your team are incredibly busy, and we will let you get back to work. Odile Renaud-

Basso, the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, great to talk to you.

RENAUD-BASSO: Thank you.

CHATTERLEY: Right after the break, thank you. After the break, I speak to the CEO of Metinvest, the company that owns the Azovstal steel plant as

President Putin gives an order to blockade it. Stay with us that are next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:30:00]

CHATTERLEY: Welcome back. Ukrainian fighters and civilians have been hunkered down in the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol. As we reported

earlier, President Putin says there is no need for his troops to storm the plant.

But he's ordered a blockade so that in his words, a fly could not get through. The plant's owners Metinvest, which is facilities throughout

Ukraine once, had around 40,000 employees in Mariupol.

4300 of its workers at the Azovstal plant have escaped. Metinvest accounted for 45 percent of Ukraine's crude steel output last year. Now it's focused

on getting aid and equipment to Ukrainian troops on the frontlines.

Yuriy Ryzhenkov joins us now; he's the CEO of Metinvest Holding. Yuriy, great to have you on the show! First and foremost, I'm sorry for what you

and your workers and your family are going through. What can you tell us about the workers, the civilians that remain in this plant that's now

surrounded by Russian troops?

YURIY RYZHENKOV, CEO, METINVEST: Well, hello, first, when the war started, we have stocked quite a good stock of food and water in the bomb shelter

center facilities. I've had to plan so for some period of time, the civilians, they were able to use it and basically survive on that.

Unfortunately, all the things they tend to run out, especially the food and daily necessities. So I think now it's close to a catastrophe there. But as

far as I understand both the fighters and civilians that are still there, they're, they're not giving up.

CHATTERLEY: A lost standards, it's seemingly being called. You mentioned something very important. And I know you were trying to get humanitarian

aid into them. Do you have any sense of how supplies are now in the plant?

How much food? How much water? I know, electricity and communication is very difficult, but just in light of the Russian blockade, do you have any

sense of how long they can survive in there?

RYZHENKOV: Well, not really, as I said, we've stocked some food and water, but our assessment was it's enough for two, three weeks, but they are now

more than almost eight weeks now in the blockade.

So I have no idea what was this humanitarian situation there, but I'm sure it's a catastrophe. So we're trying to get as many of the people as

possible out of town. We have volunteers helping us basically driving small cars and buses back and forth, bringing people out.

So we can meet them on the either in a safety but on non-controlled territory or on controlled territory, provide them food and shelter and

some daily necessities and get them some comfort. So that's what we've been focusing on the last few weeks. CHATTERLEY: You had 10 and a half 1000

workers originally at this plant. I know and I mentioned you've accounted for what over 4000 of them. What about the others?

RYZHENKOV: Well, we've set up a hotline for our employees, whoever comes out there registering on the hotline and then we provide them with advice

depending on where they are.

We're providing them on with advice of what to do, where to get the food, the shelter, the medical help and so on. So far, as you rightly said we had

been contacted only by four and a half 1000 people from Azovstal.

The remaining, they're still not in contact yet, but we trying to spread the message around as much as possible to get them to contact us as soon as

they're able to communicate, hopefully it is still alive.

[09:35:00]

RYZHENKOV: Hopefully, they're OK. And hopefully they will get out and we will be able to provide them with all the necessary comfort.

CHATTERLEY: Yes, if people are watching and if of your workers are watching, I think that's such an important message, get in touch and let

people know that you're OK and can be accounted for.

Of the people that remain stuck the civilians and potential workers to in that plant. President Putin has said that they will be treated in a

dignified manner if they surrender. I know it's a terrible question to have to answer.

But what's your advice if they see this, if somehow they get connection and can see this? Do you advise them to surrender?

RYZHENKOV: Well, our employees, the civilians, they're not fighting. So they cannot surrender. They are not fighting. But they my advice to them is

try to get out and try to get to either sort of Azov Sea coast where we can take care of them to the west, or all the way to Zaporizhzhia where we can

meet them and take care of them.

So it's, I don't see how civilians can surrender. But rather, my advice to them is to get out if you can, if it's possible.

CHATTERLEY: And what about the troops because this has become, as we've discussed, what feels to be that the last standing in Mariupol? How does

the Ukrainian feel about this the stance of these troops?

RYZHENKOV: Well, to be honest, we feel we all feel very proud for our fighters. So I mean, war is war, but they're what they're showing is a true

heroism there. And, and of course, it's their decision what to do next, we cannot advise them, but we would, we wouldn't be proud of them anyway,

they're heroes anyway.

CHATTERLEY: The other question, I think, and it could become a very important one. I know you've said in the past, this facility, and it's a

big one, we're talking more than four square miles, will not be used by Russia that the workers won't work for them.

Again, if the Russians do end up taking this plant and take control overall in Mariupol, are you willing to see that facility used for Russian

purposes, I know at the moment, you've been providing support to it to Ukrainian troops?

RYZHENKOV: Well, we already said our shareholder and the company, it's our shareholders and the company itself has proclaimed that we will not work

under the Russian occupation. Our enterprises will not be working on the Russian occupation, we will not be controlling this work, we will not be

providing this work.

Of course, Russians can try to restart the plants. Well, let's see if they can manage that. I doubt very much. But to be honest, I still believe that

Ukraine will be able to take back Mariupol and we will be restoring those plants and they will be working in Ukraine.

CHATTERLEY: Yuriy, forgive me for asking. But if you're given an ultimatum, and it comes down to life or death, your workers would you advise them to

work if they're told to?

RYZHENKOV: Well, I think if it's a life or death situation, they won't really have much choice. And, and they will, will have to work. But what

I'm saying is that I doubt very much that the Russians will be able to restore the operation said those mills to significant capacity, just by

what they're heading.

So I'm saying it's technically for them, it's technically and market wise, it's going to be very difficult. That's why I believe they will be able to

operate those facilities. Our workers, well, whoever stays there, if it saves their life, yes, they will work. But my advice to them, gets out, get

to Ukraine controlled territory, gets in touch with us as soon as possible.

CHATTERLEY: Yes, let people know where you are and that you're safe. Let's talk about the rebuild. I mentioned how important your operations are for

steel exports and internally for the country. And a lot of work is going to be needed to rebuild, talk about the role that you see for Metinvest in

that.

RYZHENKOV: Well, first is the city of Mariupol. There is a lot of damage to the civil infrastructure. So definitely Metinvest will participate with

helping people to restore the houses, to restore the infrastructure there in the city and help the city to restore its operation.

Second, the steel mills, since we stopped them in an orderly manner to avoid any technological disaster, I believe we can still rebuild them. And

the rebuilt will be in both ways on one hand we will try to restore the existing technology.

[09:40:00]

RYZHENKOV: But in parallel, we will be building the new technology which we envisaged, anyway and announced a few months ago, that we were planning to

do to decarbonize the new green steel production in Mariupol.

That is still the plant. And we're, we still believe we can do that. And we still believe we will do it in Mariupol in Ukraine.

CHATTERLEY: Yes, we like the attitude. And Yuriy, I know you have children abroad, that that were studying when this war began, so you're separated

from them.

And you're just one family of many who's now separated families in surrounding countries, the menfolk staying behind to fight or to carry on

work as best they can. What's your message to your children and to those families that are separated?

RYZHENKOV: Well, the message is simple. We're here to win. The victory will come for Ukraine, and then the families will be reunited. So the simple

message is, just hang on. We're doing it. We will succeed.

CHATTERLEY: Yes, we'll see you soon. Yuriy, stay safe please. Thank you for your time, and we'll chat again soon. The CEO of Metinvest there.

RYZHENKOV: Thank you very much.

CHATTERLEY: Thank you. We're back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHATTERLEY: And a moment now, we expect U.S. President Joe Biden to announce more security assistance to Ukraine. And we've just learned

actually Ukraine's Prime Minister is there at the White House to ahead of this announcement.

We will bring you President Biden's remarks the moment we happen. For now, let me bring you up to speed with some of the other stories making

headlines around the world.

More clashes earlier Thursday between Palestinians and Israeli security forces around the entrance to the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Video show

Palestinians inside the building launching fireworks towards police and police firing stun grenades.

Friction between Israeli nationalists and Palestinians has led to clashes recently around the mosque compound. French President Emmanuel Macron and

his election rival Marine Le Pen squared off in a televised debate Wednesday night.

Ahead of Sunday's runoff election Macron attacked Le Pen for her ties to Russian banks. And Vladimir Putin while Le Pen said Macron did not care

about working class France especially healthcare workers.

[09:45:00]

CHATTERLEY: CNN's Senior International Correspondent Jim Bittermann has more from Paris. The only head to head Jim, I believe welcome before the

public vote. And perhaps no surprise as far as Emmanuel Macron was concerned; the gloves were well and truly off.

And Marine Le Pen's ties to Russia, a highlight or a low light depending on how you choose to look at it.

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Exactly. It was the closest thing there was in the debate two hours and 45 minutes long, to a

gotcha moment. And it came as Emmanuel Macron accused Marine Le Pen of being beholden to the Russians because of a $10 million loan her party took

from a Russian bank some years ago. Here's the way exchange went.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT: You depend on Russian power, you depend on Mr. Putin. A few months after saying that Madam, Le Pen, you took out a

loan from a Russian bank in 2015, the first check Russian bank.

When you talk about Russia, you're not talking to other world leaders; you are talking to your banker, that is a problem, Madam Le Pen. We see it when

there are brave and difficult stances to take. Neither you nor your representatives are there.

MARINE LE PEN, FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, NATIONAL RALLY: He knows very well that I am a completely free, independent woman. I defend France and

the French because I'm a patriot. And I've shown that all my life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BITTERMANN: It was some fiery moments, Julia, no question about it. But in the end, at least if you believe the opinion polls, the snap polls taken

right after the debate aired last night.

They may not have changed the battle lines very much. The opinion polls indicated that the viewers who watched the entire debate believe that Madam

Macron was more convincing than his rival and by a somewhat great margin were 59 to 39 from Macron over Marine Le Pen.

So you know it may not have changed things. We'll see what the voters get to the polls on Sunday, Julia.

CHATTERLEY: It's a far wider margin than the poll suggests at least coming out of that debate. She did capture my attention on a few things where she

talked about and forgive the translation.

France needing to be stitched back together and how she would be the leader to address the high cost of living and surging energy prices. And it's a

sore point, not just for France, but for many other nations too. Jim, do you think Emmanuel Macron takes it in the end in the vote this weekend?

BITTERMANN: Well, that's the way it looks, at least from the opinion polls. By the way, on that issue of stitching the country back together, she did

come out on top and that snap poll in terms of who's the best to you know, renewed ties amongst the France of amongst the French basically, very

divided country right now.

And the pollsters found indication that she's probably going to be better at it than Mr. Macron. But that was one of the few areas that she came out

on top. Julia?

CHATTERLEY: Yes, the candidate that voters need to go to if they're unable to make ends meet. I think that was the message and it certainly caught my

attention. Jim, we shall see, great to have you with us. Thank you, Jim Bittermann in Paris there.

Now coming up, - for a celebratory tweet or perhaps a Tesla victory tango, Elon Musk might just break out the moves again after blockbuster results.

We'll see next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:50:00]

CHATTERLEY: Once again, a reminder that at any moment now we expect U.S. President Joe Biden to announce more security assistance to Ukraine. He's

just met Ukraine's Prime Minister at the White House ahead of this announcement.

We understand that Denys Shmyhal has just left and was there for around 45 minutes. We will bring you President Biden's remarks the moment they begin.

For now let's take a look at what's going on in that market price action and it was a Netflix nightmare on Wednesday. Well today a Tesla triumph,

Tesla shares rooming ahead in early trade after the electric carmaker reported record quarterly profits of more than $3 billion for the first

quarter.

China COVID lock downs not enough to slow the company down either. Tesla's results helping drive a bit of bullish action on Wall Street too, take a

look at that for the majors.

All averages are higher after the turbulence that came from Wednesday's streaming surprise from Netflix. The shares falling again today amid news

that billionaire investor Bill Ackman has sold his entire $1.1 billion stake after Netflix gave a warning on subscription growth.

That translates into a $400 million loss, Ackman angst and musk moment. Anna Stewart joins me now. That was a challenge get my teeth back in, Anna.

And Ted's reporting first quarter net earnings that were seven times greater I believe, than a year ago some of that of course price hikes in

the face of supply chain kinks.

But given what they're battling more broadly, this is an impressive performance and electrifying let's call it that result.

ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: Nice Julia, electrifying. Yes, this was an incredible beat. And you know what Tesla does keep surprising, I think are

some nice reports. Because this is despite some big challenges looking at factory shutdowns in China as a result of lockdowns looking at inflation,

pushing up the cost of raw materials.

And yes, such a big beat. Demand is strong, perhaps not surprising given at rising fuel costs across the world, frankly. But also a chart which we have

not been able to get through, I believe.

But looking at Tesla orders post Super Bowl because this was a wonderful chart in the earnings report that just shows how smug Tesla and Elon Musk

are. Because despite spending absolutely nothing on ad space, they saw huge demand rise off the back of other car makers as during the Superbowl.

And in terms of the outlooks and highlights to mention, Elon Musk thinks he can produce 60 percent more cars this year compared to last. And a big

update on Robo taxis, listen to this very ambitious, expecting to mass produce Robo taxis by 2024.

That is just a year and a half away. And that goes to show I think some of the struggle with Wall Street and analysts estimating where this company

will go. Because do you believe that incredible ambition to mass produce Robo taxis by 2024? What price would you put on that? They keep beating?

Maybe they'll make it, Julia?

CHATTERLEY: Yes, I mean, as he said on the call as well, we remain production constrained, not demand constrained, will that still be the case

in light of the challenges that China faces with the Gigafactory there as well.

And of course, pricing pressures because I know some of their long term supply contracts are rolling off. So that's going to be key to watch too.

What it does unlock though Anna is a multibillion dollar paycheck, I believe for Elon.

STEWART: It was not quite enough to buy Twitter, but approaching it.

CHATTERLEY: What's the latest on that?

STEWART: Yes, --the latest tranche or the last tranche of the incredible deal that they reached in 2018. In terms of bonuses of $23 billion for

something actually be able to sell any of those shares for a few years.

Where we are with Twitter is it's all gone a bit quiet. Now media reports do suggest that Elon Musk is looking to raise some debt. It's expected that

private equity would be involved in any case as well.

They will have to mull over not just having a maverick like Elon Musk, behind the steering wheel of Twitter. But also of course, the sort of

future finances and the potential for Twitter which isn't looking nearly as rosy I have to say as Tesla.

No news from Twitter on this bid. Now given that poison pill measure they introduced last week I'd say it's not looking good. Also looking at the

share price currently around $46 a share far less than what Elon Musk was bidding for remember $52.40.

CHATTERLEY: Yes, wow. Anna Stewart, we shall watch this space, I think for your phrase, but that is showing me the money. Thank you for that. OK,

before we go many happy returns to Queen Elizabeth as she celebrates her 96th birthday.

And she's getting her own Barbie doll, well from Mattel.

Mattel says it's a tribute to the Queen's historic 70 years on the throne. Wow piercing blue eyes that is a beautiful doll.

[09:55:00]

CHATTERLEY: Now the royal family and the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also honoring her on Twitter calling her an inspiration to people

all around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Billions of people cherish a particular moment of your reign. And for me, it has to be the opening

ceremony of the London Olympics in 2012. When your Majesty arrived, at least figuratively by jumping from a helicopter is - by James Bond. And

then the trumpet sounded, and your Majesty made your entrance and the entire stadium rose as one and burst into applause.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHATTERLEY: And just released this new photo of the Queen and her beloved ponies taken last month definitely prefer the ponies to the Barbie doll.

That's it for the show, stay with CNN. "Connect the World" with Becky Anderson is next as we await President Biden of course from the White

House, stay with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END