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Russia Adds 7,000 More Troops Around Ukraine; V.P. Harris to Meet Ukraine's President at Conference in Munich; Kamila Valieva to Compete in Women's Free Skate Amid Scandal; Loretta Lynch to Defend NFL in Race Discrimination Suit. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired February 17, 2022 - 06:00   ET

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

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. It is Thursday, February 17. I'm John Berman with Brianna Keilar.

[05:59:58]

No sign of de-escalation. That is the latest from the Biden administration on the crisis in Ukraine. In fact, a U.S. official says Russia has added 7,000 troops along its border with Ukraine, despite claims of a pullback.

The latest estimates place the number of Russian forces, positioned possibly to invade Ukraine, north now of 150,000.

According to "The New York Times," a senior administration official directly accused Russia of lying, claiming there is fresh evidence the Kremlin is mobilizing for war and planting false stories as a pretext for invasion.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: And new satellite imagery from Maxar Technology shows heightened military activity in several regions near Ukraine. Russian forces consolidating and even adding to their positions.

Russian and Belarussian military units, including self-propelled artillery units, seen conducting military drills near Brest, Belarus, about 150 miles from Ukraine.

U.S. officials are also watching the construction of a new bridge, what appears to be a pontoon bridge in a key area of Belarus, less than four miles from the Ukrainian border.

Overnight, Russia's ministry of defense released new video, still insisting that units from their southern and western military districts have completed combat training exercises and are returning home to their bases.

BERMAN: Jim Sciutto begins our coverage, live on the ground in Kyiv.

Jim, the United States says the Russians are adding forces. They are lying, flat-out lying, officials are saying, about the return to bases and de-escalation. What's the latest from the ground there this morning? JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT/ANCHOR: Well,

John, it seems what's continuing here is this ongoing contrast between what Russia says and what the U.S. says it has seen, what it sees along the border there.

Forces being added, not taken away. This despite those pictures you referenced of some tank units in the south moving, essentially, across a bridge but to a base still within striking distance of Ukraine but further away than it was before. There are also some reports of some of the Russian units in Belarus to the north of Ukraine that they moved back from their border positions.

But, as you say, NATO and the U.S. say the big picture, 7,000 troops, have been added to the border in the last several days. And what has not changed throughout this, John, is this, at least from the U.S. perspective.

And that is whether you're moving a unit here or a unit there, that the whole force together maintains the capability today to carry out a broad military strike on Ukraine. Whether that happens today, in the coming days, in the coming weeks, we don't know. But the U.S. position remains that that force has the capability to do so, and that hasn't changed.

BERMAN: So Jim, there continues to be a diplomatic track here. Diplomacy going on, on many different fronts. And just a few minutes ago, the Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, said that Russia will be issuing a written response to the security guarantee issues that had been posed here. What exactly does that mean and what are we expecting?

SCIUTTO: The question will be, does Russia move in this written response? The U.S. NATO did not move in their initial answers to Russian questions, particularly on the issue at the center of this. This is Russia's demand that Ukraine foreswear membership ever in NATO ever.

The U.S., the NATO position consistently has been that's not up to you. Right? It's up to Ukraine and NATO members, if and when that happens. Right? Without saying that this is going to happen any time soon or perhaps ever. They don't want to take it off the table.

To date, Russia has wanted to take that off the table as its security guarantee.

So let's be watching that Russian statement to see if there's something short of that in there that provides a way forward. Because otherwise, yes, they may be talking, but there's no evidence that the diplomatic path has moved it forward in any substantial way today.

BERMAN: Talking past each other, not to each other.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

BERMAN: Jim Sciutto on the ground in Kyiv. We'll check back in with you shortly. Thank you. KEILAR: Now this morning, Vice President Kamala Harris takes off for a

high-stakes trip to Germany for the Munich Security Conference. She'll be there meeting with Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, as many leaders are there working to divert a Russian invasion. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will join the U.S. delegation for meetings about the ongoing crisis between Ukraine and Russia.

And CNN's Kylie Atwood is tracking this for us from the State Department. What are we expecting? What do you think can really happen here?

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Listen, this is a show of solidarity. This is Biden administration officials headed to this Munich security conference to be there alongside allies and partners, to show that they all agree that it would be tremendously if there were a Russian invasion into Ukraine. That they all oppose any possible Russian aggression against Ukraine.

So we aren't expecting that there's going to be a diplomatic breakthrough here. Right? This isn't something where the United States has said we are going to meet with our partners and allies, and we are going to come out with some sort of solution here.

[06:05:06]

Because the Russians aren't even going to be at the table in Munich. But it is important to note that this comes on the heels of continued Russian aggressions, right?

We heard from a senior U.S. official, as you guys have been discussing last night, that in recent days, the Russians have added about 7,000 troops to the border with Ukraine. Of course, on the contrary, they have been saying that they are pulling back troops. But that is just not true, based on what U.S. officials are seeing.

And when it comes to U.S./Russia diplomacy, you guys were just discussing the fact that Russians have said that they are going to put forth this Russian written response to the United States. But they still haven't done so.

Today Marks three weeks since the United States gave the Russians a written response, and they are still waiting for a response from them. Of course, as Jim was saying, we will look to see what that says. The Russians have indicated publicly that they want diplomacy to continue.

But there isn't really a meat of the matter here. There isn't something they have put on the table that the United States has said, yes, we're ready to dig into that with you. Because everything that they want to talk about right now is off the table when it comes to the viewpoint of Biden administration officials.

KEILAR: All right. It is a tough, tough negotiation here. Kylie Atwood, thank you so much.

Let's bring in retired Army Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, former commanding general of Europe and the 7th Army. Mark, as you're forcing me to call you -- It's hard, but I'm going to

call you Mark. Thank you so much for joining us.

This is the map of the now north of 150,000 Russian troops surrounding Ukraine here. But I want to start small if I can so people can see the changes the last few days. We have been talking about this bridge over a river just four miles from the Ukrainian border in Belarus. It did not exist on Monday. Tuesday, it exists.

And I want you to explain to people, this is a closer look at it, what exactly we're looking at.

LT. GEN. MARK HARTLING (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: OK. Well, first of all, this is one of probably 1,000 photos that the commander on the scene, the European commander, the folks involved in NATO are saying what's going on?

It sets patterns of life, patterns of training, patterns of potential assaults.

This is called a pontoon bridge, John. It can be in place very quickly. It's a series of fold-up things that fall off the pack off of trucks and then these boats push them into position.

You could literally set this bridge probably within an hour or two.

The interesting piece of it, as you look around, and I'm no military analyst. We need Spider Marks to come in and talk about this. There's nothing on either side of these.

So my question is, is this truly part of what the Russian military is trying to do in terms of threaten northern Ukraine, or is this just show? These kind of photos, the other things we're seeing with maneuvers, with movement in and out of bases, you know, it's making the U.S. or NATO commander on the scene saying, What the hell is he doing? What's going on here?

BERMAN: It's interesting. Obviously, you could move tanks and trucks and everything over this.

HERTLING: Sure.

BERMAN: But you're asking, where is it going?

One other thing I want to show here is this. This is artillery set up in Belarus. Now, what do you see here?

HERTLING: This would be the equivalent of a a U.S. Artillery battalion, an organization off about 600 or 800 people. You see five in each. That's how they normally maneuver.

The thing about this photo -- it just really shocked me -- is you would never put an entire battalion in this close a range, because then they don't -- they are no longer an artillery battalion. They are now a target. And when you have them lined up like this, that's usually not the

Russian way of war. They're going to space them out, have more space between them. So some of the films of artillery, tanks moving that are all close together, again, they know we have satellites and planes over this. They know we see this.

BERMAN: I just wanted to point this out to people, because one of the things it suggests is you think this is to be seen.

HERTLING: Yes.

BERMAN: Maybe not to be used.

HERTLING: Yes.

BERMAN: In other words, deliberately, you know, waving -- waving the saber to the world, saying look at all of our weapons. Look at all our weapons. But they're not maybe arrayed in the best way.

HERTLING: And note where it was taken. Belarus. We'll talk about that in a moment.

BERMAN: Well, let's look at Belarus. These are the troops set up in Belarus. What do you see here?

HERTLING: Well, in the tri-border area right in here, between Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, what you see is a lot of forces, military forces. These are the -- where the photos are coming from. And it shows a lot of movements.

It's threatening -- this force is threatening Kyiv. But this could be a feint. This could be a deception effort, which is incorporated in everything Russia does. So it's to keep Kyiv on their toes.

I think interestingly, Putin is -- keeps doing this, whereas the president of -- Zelensky keeps saying this isn't bothering us at all. This isn't where it's mainly going to happen. If he attacks the capital, if Putin attacks the capital of Ukraine, that's trouble.

BERMAN: You think where it might happen, and I think increasingly you think it's possible it will, is over here. Explain.

HERTLING: Yes. This -- this is Putin's, I think, limited objective. If he can't take all of Ukraine, he's going to continue to expand in the Donbas, these two provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk.

[06:10:09]

Those are where they've been fighting for the last eight years now. And what you see is this area here, which is the conflict, the naval bases and military bases in Crimea, which Putin took in 2014. And you'll see, John, Ukraine is between the two of them.

Putin would like nothing better to have a land bridge between these two so it connects to Russia.

BERMAN: Yes. This is what he wants to look like, right there --

HERTLING: Exactly.

BERMAN: -- perhaps, when it's all said and done. And if he does step foot further over that region, that is where President Biden has said there will be some kind of response.

General, Mark, thank you so much for being here.

HERTLING: Yes.

BERMAN: I think this helps us understand what's going on there much better. Appreciate it.

We're going to speak with the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S. -- to the U.S. a little bit later in the show as the threat of a Russian invasion remains strong. Is there a possibility of a diplomatic solution? And what's she hearing this morning from Ukrainian intelligence?

Also this morning, Russian skater Kamila Valieva set to return to the ice as the women's free skate begins.

And the NFL just hired former attorney general Loretta Lynch to defend the league in its high-profile racial discrimination lawsuit. Will her star power help the case?

KEILAR: And the IRS is backlogged, so backlogged it has left nearly 24 million Americans waiting for their tax refunds from last year. What is behind this long delay, and could this impact you?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:15:42]

KEILAR: Fifteen-year-old Russian skating phenom Kamila Valieva taking the ice later this morning in the Olympic women's free skate as her doping, her positive doping test casts a shadow over her athletic abilities.

The scandal is raising concerns about the intense training methods of Russian figure skaters. CNN's Selina Wang is live for us in Beijing with more -- Selina.

SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brianna, they say that this doping scandal is not only tainting Valieva's phenomenal talent but also the integrity of the entire Olympics.

It's also shining a light on the Russian figure-skating system that Valieva is a part of, which is, many say, controversial, pushing these skaters to new heights. But the big question is, at what cost?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WANG (voice-over): Global outrage over Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva, under the microscope for testing positive for a banned substance less than two months ago.

But she's just a child, 15 years old, often seen clutching her favorite stuffed animal. It puts the spotlight on the adults around her and the alleged dark underworld of Russian figure skating beneath the glittering surface.

DENIS OSWALD, IOC HEAD OF DISCIPLINE: A girl, 15, would not do something wrong alone.

WANG: The World Anti-Doping Agency will be investigating her entourage. And at the center of Coach Eteri Tutberidze, the powerful woman behind Russia's dominance in figure skating, infamous for her brutal training regimens.

In this December interview, Tutberidze said her skaters train 12 hours a day, saying they can, quote, "always do more, demand more from yourself."

Valieva tested positive for Trimetazidine. Tutberidze has defended a similar drug, Meldonium, as harmless. But it's banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency. She said in a 2019 TV interview that it just, quote, "helps the heart muscles recover faster."

Earlier this week she told Russian state TV, quote, "We are absolutely sure that Kamila is innocent and clean."

JIM WALDEN, LAWYER FOR RUSSIAN DOPING WHISTLEBLOWER GRIGORY RODCHENKOV: It's heart wrenching, right, to take an example of this young, really talented skater, who's clearly worked really hard. The problem is that's not ever good enough for Russia.

WANG: Jim Walden is a lawyer for Grigory Rodchenkov, the Russian doping whistle-blower. He says another close adult to Valieva is Filipp Shvetsky, the figure skating team doctor who was punished in 2007 for doping violations on Russia's rowing team.

It's from this Somber 70 sports club in Moscow where Tutberidze produced a string of Olympic medalists. Russian figure skater turned coach Anna Pogorilaya briefly trained with Tutberidze at Somber 70.

ANNA POGORILAYA, RUSSIAN FIGURE SKATER AND COACH (through translator): She's an iron lady. She's so dedicated to her vocation. To her, every athlete is like her own child.

WANG (on camera): Do you think she would pressure her skaters to take performance-enhancing drugs?

POGORILAYA (through translator): I'm 100 percent sure they are clean.

WANG (voice-over): But her best proteges had short-lived careers. Take Yulia Lipnitskaya, who won gold in Sochi, retired at 19, suffering from anorexia and injuries.

Evgenia Medvedeva took home silver at 18, then stopped skating competitively a few years later, citing permanent back injuries.

All of the, coached by Tutberidze.

KIIRA KORPI, FINNISH FIGURE SKATER: The problem is that child abuse is so normalized in our sport. Emotional abuse, psychological abuse is one big part of it.

WANG: Reaching the pinnacle in any sport comes at a cost. The question is if the Russian skating world has gone too far.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WANG: We've reached out to the Russian Olympic Committee for comment on the team doctor, on the coach. No response yet.

And the IOC says that, if Valieva places in the top three, which she is expected to, no medals will be awarded until a full investigation is complete.

Now, what's devastating is that all of the skaters, they've poured blood, sweat and tears into this moment but now, this doping scandal is stealing that Olympic moment from them -- Brianna.

KEILAR: Yes, it is. I didn't know about just how quickly these athletes are cycling through that program. It's almost like they are disposable, in a way. And I think it's so important that you're pointing that out there.

I know, Selina, that you're going to be going to the figure skating event right after this. What are you expecting the reaction to be to Valieva's performance?

[06:20:06]

WANG: Well, people are going to be watching her every move. The anticipation, I imagine, is going to be palpable when I'm there. And it's going to be watched with this mixture of outrage and amazement and sadness. Outrage, of course, that someone who tested positive for a banned substance is allowed to compete, which some athletes are calling a slap in the face to clean competition.

But also sadness, because again, we are talking about a 15-year-old here. And when I talked to some of these former professional figure skaters, they say beyond the doping allegations, the bigger issue here is this system of extreme training in Russia.

One Russian figure skater told me that this sport, it's not about health. It's about pushing yourself to the limit to get results. And that takes a mental and physical toll.

And we are seeing just how young these figure skaters are and how soon they're retiring after that Olympic moment. So an important reminder that when we are watching these beautiful, incredible, graceful performances, that there are years of brutal sacrifice behind that, Brianna.

KEILAR: Yes. And what does the future hold for them, as well? What does it do to their futures, as you point out? Selina Wang, great report. Thank you.

Up next, Loretta Lynch, the first female attorney general, is now actually -- I don't think she was the first female. First black female attorney general. Now defending the NFL in the racial discrimination lawsuit filed by Brian Flores. What the hire could mean in the suit.

BERMAN: And this video. A fight between a black and white teen sparking outrage. The action police took in the heat of the moment raising a lot of questions.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:25:59]

BERMAN: This morning, we're learning that former attorney general Loretta Lynch is joining the NFL's legal defense team as it fights a race discrimination suit against the league and three teams brought by former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores.

Joining me now CNN's Laura Jarrett, "EARLY START" anchor and attorney at law.

Look, the NFL has got, like, deep pockets to be sure. And this is a big name, high-profile hire. What's going on?

LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: You can understand why they want her on their team. What's interesting is that she wants to be on their team.

She's obviously the first black woman to lead the Justice Department, under the first black president, who is now going to be involved in a very high-profile, potentially landmark class action suit about pervasive racial discrimination in a league that has only currently two black head coaches.

Now, her firm, Paul, Weiss, has represented the NFL for years. And she's previously worked on an NFL case for the Washington football team. But I think for outside observers, her involvement here on the defense team is notable, because her background is really in criminal law.

She's a former federal prosecutor. She prosecuted mob bosses, public corruption cases, narcotics cases. She's not someone who has typically been involved in these kind of things.

Now, having said that, her firm bio is now sort of highlighting some of her work on race discrimination. She worked for Syracuse University, was facing a number of racist incidents on campus, so she did a review for them. It says that she's currently representing McDonald's Corporation in three high-profile racial discrimination suits. So it's interesting to see she's kind of made that pivot now in private practice.

And she's also not the first former prosecutor, former federal prosecutor to take on a controversial case. Right? This is sort of the revolving door of government into big law. But remember the allegations here. I mean, you talked to Brian Flores. They're significant. I mean, he's alleging pervasive racial discrimination. He's alleging he was subjected to these sham interviews, sort of this pro forma application of the Rooney Rule.

And so it will be interesting to see what -- what her involvement does for them.

BERMAN: Just to be clear, when the NFL talks about this, they don't say things like there's not a problem here. They're very careful, to be clear, they think they have work to do. I will -- I will be very interested to see where they draw the line on this.

Does this give us any sense on where the case is going?

JARRETT: I think it's too early to tell, but they -- I mean, they have called his case meritless. You're right, that they have talked about larger issues that need to be worked on. Certainly, Goodell has talked about that.

But she's now going to be involved in a case where they are saying he has -- he has no case. He has no claim here, which is -- it's an interesting position to have her in.

BERMAN: Laura Jarrett, great to see you. Thank you very much.

JARRETT: Sure.

BERMAN: So the IRS grappling with a backlog of millions of tax refunds from last year. Why are so many Americans still waiting?

An American held captive in Russia for two years says he's coughing up blood and hasn't received medical care. We will speak with Reed's parents on his condition now.

KEILAR: And Congress inviting Britney Spears to testify about her experience under conservatorship. Will the pop star show up? We'll have a response ahead.

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[06:30:00]