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First Move with Julia Chatterley

Russian Forces make Advances in Southern Ukraine; Beijing Hints it may Ease Regulatory Crackdown on Tech; Estonia PM: Russia Trying to Intimidate its Neighbors; Ukrainian Girl Taken to Russian-Occupied Territory now Free; Amazon Stock Plunges after Nearly $4B Loss in Q1; Singapore's Reopening Hindered by Lockdowns in China. Aired 09-10a ET

Aired April 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]

RICHARD QUEST, CNN HOST, FIRST MOVE: Hello good day you're watching CNN. I'm Richard Quest in New York sitting in today for Julia. I begin with the

latest from Ukraine. Only hours after the country said it would try again to get civilians out of a steel plant in Mariupol. An official there says

Russian forces blocked off a potential escape route near the as Azovstal complex.

An operation to evacuate the complex have been scheduled for today, hundreds of people are thought to be sheltering inside the plant, which has

now become symbolic of Ukraine's resistance in the Eastern part of the country.

There have been heavy strikes and counter strikes in Donetsk region. These are images of a fuel depot that was set alight in an area controlled by

Russian backed forces. Elsewhere Ukrainian rail hub and supply line was hit. Ukrainian military says shelling is intense along the entire line of

contact in the Donetsk and Luhansk region.

U.S. officials are acknowledging Russian forces are making progress. They describe it as slow and uneven. President Zelenskyy is accusing the

Russians of carrying out five missile strikes on the Capital Kyiv, while the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres was wrapping up his visit to the

city.

Several people were injured when an apartment building was struck, setting it on fire. President Zelenskyy says the attack reveals what Russian

intentions truly are?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Today, immediately after the end of our talks and Kyiv Russian missiles flew into the city, five missiles.

This says a lot about Russia's true attitude to global institutions about the Russian leadership's efforts to humiliate the UN and everything that

the organization represents, and therefore requires an appropriate, powerful response.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUEST: The Russian President Vladimir Putin has accepted an invitation to attend the G-20 Summit in November, according to the host of the summit,

Indonesian Leader Jaco Ricardo. He says he's also invited Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This is what the Pentagon Press Secretary

said, when asked if Mr. Putin should be welcomed at the G-20.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: No, he absolutely shouldn't be. I mean, he has isolated Russia by his own actions, and he should continue to

be isolated by the international community. Look, I can't speak for President Biden or what the schedule might offer for the President for

United States attendance. But it's inappropriate, I think for the entire international community to keep treating Russia as if things are normal

because it's not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUEST: Russian forces are making advances in Southern Ukraine for many civilians near the frontlines. The evacuation is as dangerous as sheltering

in place. CNN's Nick Payton Walsh reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PAYTON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): If Moscow had any surprises left in this war, it is along here. The other side

of the river has been rushes for weeks. But here the western side is caught in the fast changing landscape of this week's push.

WALSH (on camera): That's the prize over there the Dnipro River up past which on the left side bank here, the Russians are trying to push wanting

control of both sides of that vital part of Ukraine. Here in - we are told there are a handful of Russian tanks just over a kilometer away on its

outskirts, pushing, probing, but ultimately kept at bay by Ukrainian forces that still hold the town.

Resilience here embodied Ludmila under the threat of rocket fire, planting onions. I'm here until victory she said. A 90-year-old mother and her are

staying here. Her mother says she's not going anywhere and she's not going to leave her alone. All her windows are blown out she says.

WALSH (voice over): Ukrainian forces who don't want their positions filmed are dotted around the town as to other signs of innocent lives lost here.

Rockets peeking out from under the water and this boat in which 14 civilians tried to flee Russian occupation on April 7th. Four of them died

when Moscow's troops opened fire when it was 70 meters out.

Yet still the desperate keep fleeing. This morning these women left behind their men to defend their homes near --.

[09:05:00]

WALSH (on camera): We ran, ran early in the morning said Luda they didn't let us out we're shields for them they don't let us out by foot or by

bicycle we go in the fields we ran. Soldiers were two kilometers away - ads and we ran to them. Well, they need the Russians tank, she said; take cars

- ads on everything. As their new unwanted guests demanded milk and food at gunpoint. They had a glimpse of their warped mindset.

They say they've come to liberate us Luda said these aggressors. That's what they told us. They say America is fighting here, but using the hands

of Ukrainians to do it. That's what they say.

WALSH (voice over): Another claim to be fueled by the violence of the long war with separatists in the east. In general, that - militants say she

said, you have been bombing us for eight years now we bomb you. Across the fields, loathing and artillery swallow hole once happy world's.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST: Joining me now is Nick Payton Walsh, who is with us now. Nick, the situation that we are seeing the deteriorating situation it's difficult to

judge, isn't it? At one point wherever the U.S. says that Russia is making small advances, but they are making advances. And then the other side,

we're hearing that the Ukrainians are also holding very strong lines. How do you judge the position at the moment?

WALSH: Yes, I think it's fair to say in overall that Russia is making some small gains here. And that may be something which increases over time,

certainly here in the southern areas, these vast rural expanses with villages scattered between them, it's very hard to really give you a sense

of who the ultimate winner is, at this point, while Russia clearly takes some village on one day move forward in one area Ukraine moves in to the

West in certain areas, to the south of where I am, and has victories there.

It is back and forth constantly. But the important thing to remember here is this is the second time, Russia has tried to bring its forces to bear

and on mass push through Ukraine's countryside here in the south, but also in the East as well.

And it is slow going. So your question is how much energy how much sort of resources they have left to pour into this until that begins to drain on

the Russian side too Richard?

QUEST: One thing to just get your take on if we may, with your wider foreign policy experience, the G-20 President Putin is now saying he will

attend the G-20 in Indonesia in November. That's I mean, I guess that's going to absolutely put the cat amongst the pigeons, in terms of nobody

else will want to be seen with him. It's very difficult to see how that will proceed?

WALSH: Yes, it is tough to imagine how the G-20, the world's richest nations will comfortably stand around a man. But it will also, I think,

possibly reflect on how sanctions across the world are certainly united when it comes to Western nations, but not a universal thing around the

entire globe.

And so it'll be a fundamental question, I think will end up being whether or not Western leaders decide to not go? I think that would damage the G-20

as a premise where they decide to go and then have images on stage where they stand meters apart from the Kremlin head.

But November, which is a long way away and I think, you know, we did not imagine last November that we could possibly be standing here talking about

the largest land war in Europe since 1945. Certainly, I'm sure there were many in Ukraine who desperately hoped the war will have stopped taking so

many lives by then it's doubtful, with Russia, frankly, have the juice to keep going that long in the way that they're doing right now.

But still, this certainly I think, raises the issue of is the Western shunning of Russia in all ways, or in the economy in the political sphere

of the world, emulated by the other rich nations of this world, and quite where we be geopolitically in this frankly, new global landscape since

Russia had this decision to - invade Ukraine at the end of the year, Richard.

QUEST: Nick Payton Walsh very grateful. Thank you, sir. Staying with what's happening in Russia, the Russian Central Bank has cut its benchmark

interest rate by a full three percentage points to 14 percent today, and this is as the Western sanctions against Moscow intensify, and there are

prospects of more.

Because Russia is bracing for what could be a total EU ban on oil initially and maybe gas later, oil is high up where you can see the numbers on the

screen. Germany apparently is ready to support a Western embargo against Russian oil if it's phased in gradually to cushion the economic shock and

that's of course available with natural gas as well.

[09:10:00]

QUEST: New numbers showing the Ukraine war impacting Euro zone growth GDP expanded just two tenths of a percentage point in Q1.

Euro zone inflation now is a record of seven and a half percent and the war impacting corporate results. Exxon Mobil taking a three and a half billion

dollar charge for exiting Russia, its shares is under pressure in the pre- market down 1 percent.

And Amazon and Apple two, now this is a point we'll be talking about throughout the morning, Amazon is losing nearly $4 billion in the first

quarter. So it's worth - sales growth in more than a decade.

Apple is warning, China's lockdown will hurt sales to the latest class a bastion on this. There's much that we need to chew over. Let's do the

financial bits first Amazon and Apple and Amazon's numbers, why, what was the underlying direction for Amazon to lose this?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Richard, they on the one hand chalking it up to an investment in electric car company Riva. And they say

that they lost 7.6 billion due to the drop the precipitous drop in that stock price since its IPO in November. But there's more to it than that.

This is about Big Tech, including Amazon, which has benefited so greatly from the pandemic and the lock downs, really sort of coming off those dizzy

heights, ensuring that it's not immune to the same kind of supply chain and inflationary pressures that the rest of the economy is looking at as well.

I thought what was really interesting about this is that they are saying that there are costs in there that they can control and costs in there that

they can't. So the costs, they can't have things like shipping costs, inflation, fuel, wage, sort of, you know, labor shortages, and things like

that.

But the ones they can control are the impacts of the immense growth they saw during the pandemic. They doubled their fulfillment network that they'd

spent 25 years building; they doubled it in 24 months.

They doubled their workforce from the first quarter of 2020 to this quarter, an extraordinary amount of growth. And they now say that they're

coming off that and they have some excess capacity in their system, and that is costing them money because of lower productivity. So they have to

manage that going forward, Richard.

QUEST: Let's talk on this oil and gas. Germany's ready to support a Western embargo to a large extent that we're talking here about oil, not gas,

because they need gas and will do until the end of the year.

But it's interesting that they're basically saying they're now going to get 12 percent of oil from Russia.

SEBASTIAN: Yes, I think this is part of the story, Richard that we haven't actually talked enough about the countries you know, while this war have

been going on have actually already started the work that they need to do in reducing their dependency on Russia.

That doesn't mean that they are ready for the taps to be switched off. But they say or suddenly Thierry Breton, the EU Commissioner said to this show

yesterday that he is trying right now to put the work in for the EU that will mean that they can cope if the taps have switched off.

But all eyes of course, are on Germany when it comes to whether or not the EU will move to an oil embargo. They are the biggest importer of Russian

oil and gas in Europe, the biggest economy if they say they're ready to do this, I think that signals momentum.

QUEST: Clare Sebastian in London, thank you. China now vowing to boost stimulus as COVID growth obviously hits COVID lockdown hitting growth.

Beijing may be winding down its months long crackdown on tech, the Asian markets rallied with the Hong Kong HANG SENG up 4 percent, Selina Wang is

in Kunming first.

What's the indication Selina that they may be about to ease off the pressure on the tech companies?

SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, earlier today, Richard, we had this Politburo statement saying that they want to promote healthy growth of the

internet sector. And they want to boost this technology sector which is a clear indication for many outside observers that regulators are now ready

to ease up on that sweeping regulatory crackdown that started back in 2020.

And what this is also clear the statement from the Politburo about potentially easing these tech restrictions as well as boosting the economy

is that China's leaders are increasingly concerned about the grim economic outlook.

Analysts are calling these COVID lockdowns across China, "making China's economy get closer to breaking point".

Right now there are 27 at least 27 cities across China that are under some sort of lockdown that is impacting around 180 million people. That's more

than half the U.S. population.

And these comments from earlier today from the Politburo, Richard come after just earlier this week. Xi Jinping said that the country needs to go

on an all-out spending spree on infrastructure to spend more on construction projects on large scale transportation projects and in

technology to try and boost the economy and boost consumer demand. And it's extremely critical that trying to try and turn the economy around this

year.

[09:15:00]

WANG: This is ahead of the very important Communist Party Congress, this bond which Xi Jinping is widely expected to secure a historic third term as

party chief.

QUEST: All right. Selina getting in and out of China at the moment, many business travelers just can't be bothered. It's far too difficult, even if

you could get permission.

WANG: Exactly, Richard, I mean, even before these latest outbreaks, China was one of the hardest places to enter in the world. Foreign visas are

extremely limited. And it's even much harder than that for American journalists to get into China because of U.S. China tension.

So finally, after I got approval, the big hurdle after that was just getting a flight into the country. The only flight our team could find for

me from Tokyo was to Quinn Ming, China, which is 1600 miles away from Beijing where I'm intended to be based. So this is the story of how I

entered China during this zero COVID policy and increasing lockdowns.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WANG (voice over): China is like entering a fortress. The country has been virtually sealed off since the start of the pandemic, guarded by strict

border controls in the world's harshest quarantine. My journey to get in started with three PCR tests in Tokyo.

WANG (on camera): Seven days out from my flight just got my first COVID test.

WANG (voice over): Back at home, I track my daily temperature and pack a suitcase full of snacks to prepare for 21 days in quarantine. Within 48

hours of boarding China requires PCR tests at two different government approved clinics.

WANG (on camera): This is possibly the most paperwork I've ever needed to board an airplane.

WANG (voice over): I say goodbye to Tokyo, my home for the past one and a half years, checking in at the airport, relatively smooth.

WANG (on camera): They're checking my documents that I finally have my boarding pass. I'm at the gate. I'm going to check.

WANG (voice over): Most people on my flight or Chinese citizens, foreigners can only enter under very limited conditions. It's even harder for American

journalists because of U.S. China tensions, all the flight attendants in full protective gear.

WANG (on camera): Getting ready for takeoff. There we go.

WANG (voice over): Flights into China, especially Beijing are extremely limited. Even though I'll be based in the Capitol first, I'm flying to

Yunnan Province. After landing I get another COVID test. A bus eventually takes us to the quarantine location.

No one can choose where they'll be locked in for the next 21 days. Hours later we arrive. I count myself lucky. It's a hot spring resort converted

into a quarantine site. It's my first time here, but I'll have to enjoy the view from the window.

I can't step out onto the balcony or open my door except for health checkups and food pickup. Two temperature checks a day. Regular COVID tests

sometimes even twice a day. Food delivery isn't allowed.

But breakfast, lunch and dinner are part of the quarantine fees. These restrictions are all part of China's zero COVID policy. Across China 10s of

millions are sealed inside their homes. Since mid-December, China's average new daily case count has surged from double digits to more than 20,000.

Any positive case and close contact has to go to government quarantine. Entire metropolis is brought to a standstill. Most of Shanghai's 25 million

residents have been locked in for weeks, many struggling to get enough food and medical care.

In year three of the pandemic, most of the world is learning to live with COVID But in China, no case is tolerated, no matter the emotional and

economic cost.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WANG: And currently on day seven of 21 days of quarantine. But even after these 21 days are up it's not clear whether or not I can fly into Beijing,

as Beijing tightens controls around the city even though COVID cases are currently still low.

If the situation worsens, and it goes into a full lockdown flights into Beijing will probably be canceled. But right now I still count myself

lucky. Even though I can't choose what I eat at least I get three meals a day, which is better than what a lot have been dealing with in Shanghai

where they're still struggling to procure enough daily essentials and food.

Now these 21 days in quarantine the countless COVID tests hoops to go through Richard it is no surprise that so many are just avoiding leaving

the country or going in.

QUEST: Yes, well I'm glad you explained something. I was wondering why you're in Kunming and I hadn't, I kept looking at notes thinking have I

missed that we've opened a bureau into Kunming. Now it all becomes clear.

You're on day seven of 21 days. Well I wish you well in your endeavors that will follow and will keep a track, but not as much as you'll keep track.

But anyway we will keep track of how you're doing. Selina, have a good weekend as best you can.

[09:20:00]

QUEST: One other thing. Does that spa bath in that hotel? Does that actually work? Or is they switched it off?

WANG: Well, thank you so much for that, by the way. And let's see, after 21 days, if you still see me here and could mean. The bath I turned it on a

few times, and the water coming out is brown and muddy. So I'm just going to avoid using it at all cost.

QUEST: That's disappointing. Thank you. Good to see you. Keep well. As we continue tonight, more on the conflict in Ukraine, which includes a war on

the economic front, the President of the American Chamber of Commerce.

We like to talk about the damage being done to Ukraine's economy, and what that means globally. Also an escalating humanitarian catastrophe, Doctors

Without Borders on how it's getting help to those who need it most.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

QUEST: There are fears that Russia is trying to expand the conflict beyond the borders of Ukraine. We are using tactics ranging from cutting off

energy supplies to making a nuclear threat.

Estonia, for instance, shares a border with Russia and says it would gladly welcome the entry of Sweden and Finland into NATO, strengthening its

eastern flank.

On new day a little earlier speaking was the Estonian Prime Minister who says Russia is trying to intimidate its neighbors, whatever that means it

can.

KAJA KALLAS, ESTONIAN PRIME MINISTER: Russia wants NATO to be part of this because the big rhetoric has been that NATO is attacking Russia. It's a war

between NATO and Russia, but it actually it's not.

So what they are doing, they are threatening different countries and using the tools that they have. And they of course have a lot of tools in their

toolbox. One is the dependency on gas and oil.

So that, you know they are cutting off certain countries not all to give a message to everybody that we can do this to you as well. But I think it was

President Roosevelt who said that the only thing we should be afraid is fear itself so we shouldn't be intimidated by their actions.

QUEST: Do you have any fear that Russia has intentions toward you at this point?

[09:25:00]

KALLAS: No, we see a lot of threats that they are making towards different countries. What Russia is really good at is playing on our fears and

knowing exactly what each and every country or the population of that country is afraid of.

So for some countries, it's nuclear. So they are bringing in this nuclear threat whereas for some others, it's invasion. So they are playing those

different, different types of fears. But we should not fall into this.

QUEST: Estonia's Prime Minister, American firms inside Ukraine overwhelmingly agree that when the war is over, they want to play their

part in rebuilding the country.

The American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine has been finding out the situation and how it is for its 600 or so members. Giant companies like

Citibank, Coca Cola and Visa, and for of course, their people are employees on the ground.

76 percent say all their employees are safe. 72 percent say they're continuing to pay salaries, full salaries, about 40 percent are fully

operational and 87 percent plan to actively participate in the post war rebuilding.

Joining me now is the President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, it's Andy Hunder, who managed to leave the country and it because

you basically saw what was about to happen. And before as it did, you got out?

ANDY HUNDER, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN UKRIANE: Yes, Richard, I woke up on the 24th of February in Kyiv and with the air sirens

blaring, and the missiles hitting Kyiv. So my son and I got into the car, we already had jerry cans in the car, we've been driving around three weeks

prior to the war, because the U.S. intelligence was telling us this is what is going to happen.

We had paper maps we had, because we thought the internet, the mobile networks would go down. We have cash, local currency, hot currency, and we

drove west. Luckily, you know, we have AmCham across Europe, and in this particular case, AmCham Slovakia took good care of us.

And you know, what we have seen in the first two months, I think especially it's the amazing work that the internet companies, the mobile networks have

done, the internet has been up and the mobile network has been up uninterrupted, which is fascinating.

So much effort has gone into that to keep that running. The banks, the banks are running, the banks managed to move data centers, out of cities

like - Nipro, across eastern Ukraine, they've managed to either take them up into the clouds or to Frankfurt out of the country.

So it is, it's a lot of hard work still going on and businesses are consuming 40 percent of our members are continuing.

QUEST: On that point because one minister did point out to me that whilst the eastern part I'm not for a second suggesting normality was the eastern

part may be undefined, et cetera.

The western part there is still productivity, there are still factories that are producing goods and they're still services. And to that extent,

some of your members, again, not normal, but are managing to do business as best they can.

HUNDER: Absolutely, Richard so, you know, we do see a factories that are manufacturing, --coffee machines are doing electronic and electric wiring

for the automobile sector, they are continuing.

We've seen many factories that have been destroyed in Drosten heads. This is a big chocolate factory that makes Oreo cookies for all of Europe,

that's been pretty much destroyed.

We've seen a Unilever factory in the - that's been destroyed. We've seen numerous McDonald's restaurants that have been destroyed. But there are

still companies across in Kyiv, in western Ukraine that are considering.

Many of the service companies their business has totally dried up, they are hardly getting any customer related business. So what we're asking for the

global business community is do business with Ukrainians, especially in the service sectors like advertising, consulting, information technologies,

legal, you know, outsource your business to these people are many of them are doing pro bono work.

One more company that I spoke to yesterday, they are fully doing pro bono work. And one of the projects they just completed last week was the

application of Ukraine to become an EU member, the application form, so a lot of pro bono work going on. But still it's really asking, you know, the

global business community to do business with Ukraine.

QUEST: Is there a sort of a difficulty here between continuing to do business and supporting Ukraine, but also being very well aware of course

of the difficulties.

[09:30:00]

QUEST: I mean, it's how you help? You don't break sanctions against Russia, obviously in doing so, you navigate this to and you keep your staff safe.

At the same time it's a tricky line to move.

HUNDER: Well, yes, I mean, you know, we've said many times before it is immoral. Not only is it immoral, but now it's also illegal to do business

in Russia. President Biden, on April 6, signed an executive order prohibiting all new investments in Russia by U.S. citizens, no matter where

they're located.

So I think you know, we are asking, you know, for these companies to continue doing business in Ukraine. Ukraine, obviously the big sector is

agriculture that currently is pretty much at a standstill.

The port's we have 104 vessels that are stuck in the black seed, nothing's coming in, nothing's coming out. And that is Russia really choking. It's

holding Ukraine's economy by the throat it is strangling it.

And until that black seed reopens until we get some minesweepers, a clearing up the mines, and reopening those ports, the economy is just going

to shrink and shrink.

We're looking at about the World Bank seeing a contraction of 45 percent GDP. But a lot of that depends on the horse, because there is some that's

coming out of the wheat.

The Sunflower, Ukraine is number one in the world for sunflower production, sunflower exports, it's big on wheat. Many nations across the globe are

very much reliant on Ukrainian Soft Commodities on wheat on corn on sunflower seeds.

And until that sort of opens up, the sea is cleared. The ports are back operating, the vessels are coming in going down through the --, and across

the world.

That is what really needs to happen as soon as possible. Otherwise, it's going to be a disaster for Ukraine's economy.

QUEST: We'll talk more about this, thank you Sir. And this is CNN on Friday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:35:00]

QUEST: The mayor of Mariupol says more than 600 people have been injured in recent bombings at the Azovstal steel complex. Officials there so Russian

forces blocked off a potential escape route only hours after the Ukrainian government said it would try again to get civilians from that.

Heavy shelling is continuing in the eastern regions, Russia struck an important railway hub and a supply line for Ukrainian troops. And millions

of Ukrainians have been displaced since the war started.

One of them has been reunited with her family in Kyiv. She's a 12 year old girl who was taken to Russian occupied territory after bombs killed her

father in Mariupol. CNN's Matt Rivers has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): For Kira Obedinsky, her new iPad is everything. She's 12 after all, but the shiny screen is also a

welcome distraction, from an ordeal no 12 year old should ever have to endure.

Because just a few weeks ago, the young Ukrainian wasn't safe like she is now in Kyiv. But in a hospital run by Russian backed separatists forcibly

separated from her family.

When the Russians first invaded Mariupol, Kira's dad Yemen was still alive. Her mom had died just after she was born. And when Russian bombs started to

fall, they sheltered in a neighbor's basement, she recalls.

But they hit the house where we were staying, she says, we were buried in the cellar. Then the rescuers took us out of the wreckage. Her dad did not

emerge, Kira told us. Now an orphan she started to walk to try and find safety amidst chaos and then another explosion from a mine.

My friends saw something on the ground, she says and she hid it accidentally with her boot. The military came after the explosions and took

us to a hospital because we were bleeding but in some ways her journey was just beginning.

In the chaos she was picked up by soldiers she says spoke Russian and eventually brought to a Russian held area in Donetsk. I was taken there at

night, she says, they took shrapnel out of me out of my ear.

I screamed and cried a lot. And it was shortly after this happened that CNN first learned about and reported Kira story because Russia paraded it on

state TV. State propagandists showed images of Kira in Donetsk hospital and said she was being treated well.

Convinced she was being mistreated. Her family went public with her story. And it worked. A deal between Russia and Ukraine allowed her grandfather to

travel to Russia and bring her back to Kyiv where she told us with Russian state TV did not.

It's a bad hospital there. The food there is bad. The nurses scream at you, the bed is bent like this. There wasn't enough space for all of us inside.

None of that came out on Russian state TV.

Her injuries have largely healed now though she'll stay in the hospital a little longer. It was there that someone gave her that iPad after a

presidential visit came bearing gifts this week.

She didn't love all that - though. So for now, she says she just wants to see her cat and spend time with her grandfather recovering from the horrors

of war, one game at a time Matt Rivers, CNN, Kyiv, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST: From displacement and injury to worse Ukraine civilians are bearing the brunt of this war. The U.N. says more than 2800 people have died in the

conflict and more have been injured.

The numbers of course will probably be much higher when we finally find out. Doctors Without Borders is leaping into the fray help trying to help

key medical supplies and sending a specially equipped medical train across the country in a bid to reach those in need.

Avril Benoit is with me, the Executive Director of Doctors without Borders, it is good to see you thank you for taking the time. So what is it that you

need with we're familiar with we are very familiar of course with your organization.

In the case of Ukraine, there is a health network there is a health infrastructure, if you will, and in some places it was highly

sophisticated. So where now do you fit in to bolster that which is there?

[09:40:00]

AVRIL BENOIT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS: You're absolutely right. Not only do they have staff that are highly skilled, the

Ukraine was also a place that welcomed a lot of medical students from low income countries, middle income countries, the quality of care there is

very high.

And so what we have found in our discussions with doctors, nurses, people who are running the hospitals, especially in the war affected areas in the

east, or places that are being bombed, is that they have a lot of concern about patients who require follow up surgery.

Patients who require rehabilitation, that post-operative care that can take a long time and they're worried that they're going to be overwhelmed by

mass casualty influxes of patients that they're going to not have enough time attention, and also the calm necessary for people to really recover

properly.

So one of the areas where our help was requested is in Medical Referrals, so normally would do this in an ambulance. But given the distances and the

numbers, what we decided to do was outfitted a train, it's got doctors and nurses on board, certain standard of medical equipment.

And if the patients are well enough to travel for up to 24 hours, so going from, say, a hospital in the east, we load them at the train station, we

take a good number up to 40 at a time.

And we can transport them all the way across the country 24 hours, if not more, with a lot of stops along the way. And over that time, we can monitor

their vitals, make sure they're OK. And then they get the follow up care at the receiving end at a hospital in the West.

QUEST: So this is extremely initiative, because the rest of the world is helping in every way it can. I know just the number of medical supplies

that you've been able to bring in, so that so you're getting the goods, what's the challenge in with this train?

BENOIT: The challenge of the train right now, the main one is that we don't have enough trains like this, there are so many patients requiring medical

referrals, we wish we could do so much more.

So we keep trying to keep it on the tracks. And of course, it's now becoming increasingly obvious that there's that there's a risk of being on

the rails. For the most part, the railway system is running well, moving all kinds of goods and people, the shipments of medical supplies, for

example, coming in, often are coming by rail.

But for us, we have to be always vigilant and mindful of the fact that some tracks and stations are being attacked.

QUEST: On your own staff, of course and your own people that the safety of them is very is key in all of this. How long do you think you can keep this

operation going?

BENOIT: We will do it as long as we can, Richard it's imperative to be able to bring these people to safety so that they can get the excellent care

that's available in those hospitals in the western parts of the country that are less affected by the war.

So we will certainly do it as long as we can. And we're working with the railway authority to try to make it as safe as possible and make sure that

the journeys are avoiding as much as possible, the conflict.

QUEST: And finally, I guess, the awful part will be that if Russia continues, as I say, if there seems to be no reason to doubt that they

won't, continues to prosecute this war with the ferocity and gravity that they are.

Then you could eventually become overwhelmed, the sheer number of casualties God forbid will overwhelm all potential medical supplies.

BENOIT: Yes, it's a huge concern that you've got not only trauma wounded, which require very specialized care. But you also have all the people with

other ailments other medical conditions that are kind of being lost in the priority on trauma patients sometimes you know that people who just require

medication for their chronic illness.

So those are also the people that were worried are going to be left behind as we see this war evolve and people are increasingly finding themselves in

insecure places. QUEST: I'm grateful you're taking time this morning to talk to us. Thank you.

BENOIT: Thank you.

QUEST: This is CNN, more news to come.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:45:00]

QUEST: Gosh, welcome back. Stocks are up and running on the last trading day of April. Challenging day left right and center, wherever you look, the

NASDAQ's off one and a quarter percent, an Amazon among the worst performing stocks after reporting a shocking quarterly loss of almost $4

billion.

And I mean, Amazon is down 12 percent. Clare Sebastian is back. You told us earlier about the various reasons that Amazon had problems. But yes, I

always come back to this same point.

At the end of the day, I will still order tonight at some point or I'll order something from Amazon and millions others will do the same. What

justifies a reduction of 12 percent?

SEBASTIAN: Richard, it's not about the demand for Amazon's services. It's ecommerce or AWS, which actually really propped up this earnings report.

This is about the costs the company is facing inflation fuel shipping.

We talked about this, the fact that they grew so much during the pandemic and now have spare capacity. This isn't going to end with this quarter.

That is the crucial thing to realize that I think is why we're seeing this drop, not just a knee jerk reaction, but as sort of reprising.

It's something that we're seeing across the board, really with tech as we see them come off those growth rates that we saw last year, and perhaps the

year before as well. That's what's going on here.

It's the fact that this is not just this quarter, it's not just a blip that the inflationary pressures they're seeing are going to carry on for a

little bit, too. So that's what we're seeing here.

QUEST: And Tesla's price is up today, Elon Musk sold 4 billion or so of his stock. It was expected. I'm wondering that fall of 10 percent that we saw a

couple of days ago, that was pricing in the fact he was going to have to sell?

SEBASTIAN: Yes, absolutely, Richard. And Tesla, I think you have to look a bit sort of look out a bit longer term with that stuff. Yes. It's been off

a bit since he announced his stake in Twitter.

But you know, down 25 percent year to date, up 32 percent over the last 12 months, but since its low of March 2020, Tesla is up some 950 percent. So

that is the big picture here.

I think these recent falls are just a sort of reaction to the fact that he has to sell his company stock to pay for today. Also the concerns that he

might be distracted from the running of Tesla when he buys Twitter. But I think overall, this company is still looking pretty strong as the market

leader.

QUEST: I'm just looking at, I'm just trying to see quickly, the Twitter price it is slightly up to date, just $1 a couple of cents. It's up 4913

hertz or - 244924 on the screen. And the arbitrage is still there between the spot and the offer price.

SEBASTIAN: Yes, Richard, I think you can see why the board went ahead and accepted this now because it's not making it back up to what Elon Musk

offered. And again, they didn't get any better offers between the time that will stay - that poison pill and the time in which they accept in their

office.

[09:50:00]

QUEST: Clare at this price, does he pay the breakup fee for the deal the billion breakup fee? Or does he continue and gadget when the market price

is less?

SEBASTIAN: You know, I am sort of nervous to predict what Elon Musk is going to do next is notoriously unpredictable, but he's still tweeting

about Twitter. He's still looking like he's making plans for this company. So I'd say for now the money is on him going ahead with this.

QUEST: Thank you, Clare Sebastian. And of course Quest Means Business bought one share of Twitter. We paid $48 for a one share, and we're going

to follow it closely.

And arbitrage the difference if we do get the $6 difference, we'll give it to charity. Thank you Clare, Clare Sebastian. Coming up after the break,

Singapore fights back for a slice of the global tourism market and China's locked down stands in the way.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

QUEST: As the Asian travel market is looking to get back on its feet, the lockdowns in China are now putting all that at some risk. China is

Singapore's number one source of tourist income. It's around $3 billion before the pandemic.

Singapore reopened to vaccinated travelers at the beginning of the month after keeping the shutters down for more than two years.

On groceries business, I spoke to Keith Tan, the Chief Executive of Singapore's Tourism Board.

KEITH TAN, CEO, SINGAPORE TOURISM BOARD: At least for our projections, and now thinking for this year, we are not counting on recovery from China. And

hence, we have to maximize getting tourists and visitors from other parts of the world, which is why I am now here in the U.S.

QUEST: Right, you're trying to drum up and not unreasonably so I have to say though, of course you've got stiff competition from every other parts

of the world that's doing something similar. So what have you got to offer and why? How are you reforming if you will, the product and offering from

Singapore?

TAN: Yes, yes, well, I'm very confident that what we have, and what we have built, even over the last two years has been will be very relevant to

visitors who are now looking for new experiences, experiences or renewal experiences of coming back together to meet and reunite with old friends.

Over the last two years, we have seen a tremendous experience explosion of new experiences, new offerings, new products in Singapore, because the

tourism attractions and hotels in Singapore have had to adapt to meet domestic demands domestic requirements.

And in the process of innovating they've created a whole new universe of new products and experiences that I believe are very relevant for visitors

coming now into Singapore from around the region and from the U.S. and other parts of the world.

For example, a strong emphasis on renewable and well-being we've created a whole I observe a lot more emphasis and interest in these experiences to

the extent that now we are curating a wellness festival in Singapore in June to make all these products and offerings much more knowable and

discoverable.

[09:55:00]

QUEST: Singapore is a long way in some cases, but finally wreckage found on Mars even further. It's not an alien spaceship rather - from the

perseverance rover, captured on camera by NASA's Mars helicopter ingenuity.

The chopper took photos of the parachute that helped its rover, perseverance land on the Red Planet, as well as the shell that protected

the rovers landing capsule. Perseverance journey was no small feat, getting to Mars means surviving extreme gravitational forces and temperatures all

at the speed of more than 12,000 miles per hour. That's your up to date. "Connect the World" is next. I'll be back in a couple of hours with "One

World".

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END