Return to Transcripts main page

New Day

Biden Prepping State Of The Union Speech Amid War And Supreme Court Pick; Fighting Escalates As Russians Face Pushback From Ukraine; U.S. Embassy In Belarus Suspends Operations As Belarus May Join Invasion. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired February 28, 2022 - 07:30   ET

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

[07:30:00]

LEONID VOLKOV, CHIEF OF STAFF TO RUSSIAN OPPOSITION LEADER ALEXEY NAVALNY (via Skype): Those sanctions (INAUDIBLE). The great fight that the Ukrainian army is fighting and also inside the country is this crazy guy (INAUDIBLE), nothing is not enough. So whatever he can use to create more obstacles on his way, we have to use it.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: I know you're always worried about Alexey Navalny, but are you in -- do you fear more now for his life?

VOLKOV: Well, frankly, yes. I mean, what was our consideration before this war started? Like, well, Alexey Navalny is in the custody of the very people who tried to kill him one and a half years ago. But maybe they wouldn't try to kill him again because the world is watching and because they know that there will be sanctions.

Well, now, they see that, first of all, the world is watching Ukraine. Clearly, that's true -- that's the most important news now. And secondly, they see that actually, Putin doesn't give a damn about the sanctions. So, he was -- he was ready to ruin the Russian economy, like, completely to this goal. So we don't see now what actually, like, deters Putin from trying once again and it makes me very concerned about my colleague and friend.

KEILAR: Well, Leonid, thank you so much for being with us. We're going to keep an eye on Alexey Navalny, as we always do. Thank you so much.

VOLKOV: Thank you, Brianna. Thank you.

KEILAR: We have more special coverage on the Russian invasion in Ukraine ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:35:54]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Back to our special coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in just a moment.

Right now, though, President Biden and White House -- well, President Biden, I should say, is preparing for his State of the Union speech and, of course, the nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson -- Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson who, if confirmed, would be the first Black woman to sit on the highest court in the nation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KETANJI BROWN JACKSON, SUPREME COURT NOMINEE: If I am fortunate enough to be confirmed as the next associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, I can only hope that my life and career, my love of this country and the Constitution, and my commitment to upholding the rule of law and the sacred principles upon which this great nation was founded will inspire future generations of Americans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Joining me now is the former senator from Alabama, Doug Jones. He's the White House Supreme Court nomination adviser for legislative affairs and will serve as a guide for Judge Jackson during the Senate confirmation process. Senator, great to see you.

I understand there was some preparation done over the weekend for Judge Jackson as she heads to the hill to meet with senators over the course of the next few days. What did that entail? Like, how do you prepare for something like this?

DOUG JONES, WHITE HOUSE SUPREME COURT NOMINATION ADVISER FOR LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS: Well, John, first of all, thanks for having me. I really appreciate it. It's good to see you and be back with you.

You know, look, we wanted to start quickly right out of the shoot. It was an exciting day around here Friday. I think it was an exciting day across the country.

But we wanted to get with Judge Jackson and to start the preparation for her hearings -- for meetings on the Hill that will begin this week. That looks at her record, making sure we go through all of her record and go through the cases. Go through the constitutional principles that she's going to be called on to judge as a member of the Supreme Court.

So it's going to be pretty intense. We hope this is going to move quickly. We're at the kind of mercy of the hands of the Senate right now. But we want to make sure that she's ready for the hearing -- her meetings and for her confirmation hearing that should be coming up in a few weeks.

BERMAN: There were three Republicans who voted to confirm Judge Jackson to the Court of Appeals -- Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Lindsey Graham. Do you anticipate that these three Republicans, at least, will confirm her for the Supreme Court?

JONES: Well, we certainly hope so, John, but we're not going to take any vote for granted one way or another. We're going to try to meet with as many senators as possible. You know, our objective is to get as many votes as possible. At a different time and a different place, I think that this lady would get incredible support across the aisle. But we live in a different world a little bit so we know we're going to have to work for some votes, but we're going to work very hard.

I do think she's got the credentials and the background, and the experience that should get bipartisan support, and we're absolutely hopeful for that.

BERMAN: What do you see as potentially the most contentious issues?

JONES: I -- you know, it's hard to say. Every senator comes at this from a different way. I think, by and large, when they look at her record -- how she has ruled from the bench as a district judge, as a court of appeals judge, what they're going to see is somebody that follows the rule of law. And she really gives a lot of deference to precedent, to the Constitution, and the text of the Constitution.

So I can't speak for any one senator of what they might see in her background that they want to ask her about. But she'll be ready because she's got that experience, she's got that detail and working knowledge, and the confidence in her abilities to get -- be as good a Supreme Court justice as we've ever seen.

BERMAN: Senator Doug Jones, a pleasure to see you this morning. Thank you very much.

JONES: Thank you, John.

BERMAN: Russian forces, this morning, meeting with fierce resistance in Ukraine. In some cases, even seen to be retreating now. But, word this morning they could be getting some help. We have a live report from the Ukrainian capital just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:43:55]

KEILAR: Really intense fighting overnight between Russian and Ukrainian forces with new signs that the Kremlin invasion is meeting with fierce resistance and slowing down.

Delegations from Russia and Ukraine are meeting this morning to discuss de-escalating the crisis. Unclear if those talks will yield anything.

Let's get the latest now from CNN's Alex Marquardt. He is live in Kyiv. What is the latest there, Alex?

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brianna, those talks have now been underway for just shy of two hours. They are happening right on the border in Belarus, but on the border with Belarus and Ukraine. President Zelensky declining to meet in the capital Minsk because, of course, Belarus has not just been hosting Russian forces for the past few weeks but there are now indications that Belarus may be joining these Russian forces.

President Zelensky saying that he does not have much hope for these talks but they are going into these conversations with the Russians demanding an immediate withdrawal of Russian forces and an immediate ceasefire. The Russians not saying what their main goal is.

[07:45:00]

But, Brianna, it is clear that Russia is not where it wants to be right now. Remember, there were predictions that the Russians would take this capital city in 24 to 48 hours. We are now on day five of this invasion.

And we have strong evidence of this stiff resistance that the Ukrainians are putting up -- first, to the east of here in the second- biggest city of Kharkiv. That is near the Russian border. We have seen fierce fighting in the streets and Ukrainian forces literally pushing back those Russian troops. You can see in that video Russian vehicles and troops literally going backwards and Ukrainian forces firing round after round of RPGs at them.

And then, just to the west here of the capital city, we have seen a column of Russian vehicles absolutely torched by the Ukrainians. Our colleague Matthew Chance was out there. That just shows the kind of devastation that Ukrainian forces are wreaking on those Russian troops. But the fight, obviously, is far, far from over.

Some really unsettling new information. We've seen satellite imagery showing a three-mile-long column of Russian artillery, tanks, and troops making their way towards the Ukrainian capital. For now, the U.S. and U.K. believe that they are still at quite some distance. They have been fairly stuck at around 19 miles or 30 kilometers away.

So it will be very interesting to see what that column of Russian forces does. We'll be keeping a close eye on that.

Meanwhile, President Zelensky and Ukrainian officials asking everyone possible to join this fight -- not just Ukrainians of all ages but now, an international legion has formally been created. The deputy defense minister saying they have already gotten thousands of statements from foreigners who are ready to join this fight against Vladimir Putin's army -- Brianna.

KEILAR: Really unbelievable. Alex Marquardt live for us in the capital. Thank you.

BERMAN: All right. Breaking just moments ago, the U.S. State Department announced it is suspending operations at the U.S. embassy in Belarus. It's in the capital of Minsk up here. Suspending operations there, asking voluntarily for personnel at the embassy to leave the country.

Why? Well, there is word this morning that the Belarusians are joining the fight -- joining the invasion of Ukraine along with the Russians. This is the border between Belarus and Ukraine. Belarusian troops could soon be crossing the border into Ukraine.

That's even as there are discussions underway in this region of Belarus right now. A delegation from Russia and Ukraine meeting there as we speak. The Ukrainians are demanding a ceasefire -- an unconditional ceasefire.

Joining me now to discuss all of this, Democratic Congressman Tom Malinowski of New Jersey. He visited Ukraine last month as part of a bipartisan congressional delegation.

First, your reaction to the news out of Belarus? The U.S. basically shutting down -- suspending operations in the embassy there -- the significance.

REP. TOM MALINOWSKI (D-NJ) (via Skype): The significance is that it points to the growing involvement of Belarus in this war. I mean, the Belarusian dictator, Lukashenko, has essentially given up his country's sovereignty and made Belarus an adjunct of Russia, and that's an additional risk to Ukraine.

I will say though, I don't like it when the United States State Department closes embassies. I think we should be willing to take more risks under these circumstances. And most of my former colleagues at the State Department, I think, would agree with that.

BERMAN: Look, we've been watching very closely the progress or, in some cases, the lack of progress that Russian troops are having in their invasion of Ukraine. Setbacks for the Russians, Mykolaiv down here and Kharkiv up here. And in Kyiv, our very own Matthew Chance just saw a Russian column destroyed by the Ukrainian forces.

How surprised are you by the success that the Ukrainians are having?

MALINOWSKI: I'm not surprised. I am inspired by their resistance. I'm inspired by the help that our own government has been able to give to them in such a short period of time. I'm inspired by the international coalition that President Biden has assembled to impose sanctions on Russia that go well beyond anything I thought was possible in such a short period of time.

But I'm also worried because if Putin is frustrated he becomes more ruthless, and he has not yet unleashed on cities in Ukraine, including Kyiv, the full force of the army that he has assembled.

BERMAN: You know he put his nuclear deterrence force on higher alert. You say you're worried. Are you worried that could be an eventuality that he leans into?

MALINOWSKI: I'm more worried right now what artillery can do to civilians in Kyiv. As far as the nuclear alert, I think we have to stay calm and not take the bait. I think this is designed to rattle us and perhaps to rally his own people in some sick way. We have a nuclear deterrent and Putin understands that perfectly well.

[07:50:12]

I also think this is one reason why as much support as we are providing to Ukraine, and we have to do even more, why it was wise for President Biden to not directly involve U.S. forces in this fight. This is -- this is the way. What we are doing right now is the way to ensure that Putin suffers an enormous strategic defeat here, and I think we have to stay the course and stay calm.

BERMAN: Congressman Tom Malinowski from New Jersey, thank you for being with us this morning.

MALINOWSKI: Thank you.

BERMAN: All right, the breaking news this morning. CNN is live on the frontlines of this Russian invasion of Ukraine. Matthew Chance has seen remarkable things. A Russian column just destroyed there. He is back with us coming up.

Also, a new message to U.S. citizens in Russia. Stand by for that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:55:08]

BERMAN: All right, we have more breaking news this morning. Just getting word of new penalties imposed by the United States on Russian financial institutions.

Let's find out exactly what's going on here. Jeremy Diamond is at the White House. Jeremy, lay out the outlines of these new penalties -- these new punishments.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, John, this is a major action by the United States that tries to take direct aim at what Vladimir Putin has been building up for years in anticipation of major sanctions should he take an action like invading Ukraine.

Russia has this $630 billion rainy day fund of foreign currency reserves that were aimed at -- that could be used to prop up the ruble, which is plummeting right now, for example. So, today, the U.S. is taking immediate action to prohibit any U.S. dollar transactions with the Russian Central Bank, as well as its Russian Direct Investment Fund.

Full-blocking sanctions also being imposed on that Russian Direct Investment Fund, as well as its CEO Kirill Dmitriev, who is a really -- a member of Putin's inner circle. A very significant Russian elite who is now being targeted.

And I spoke with senior administration officials on a call moments ago and what they said is that this demonstrates that no country is sanctions-proof, saying that fortress Russia, as it has been called in relation to some of these moves that Putin has been taking, will be quote "exposed as a myth."

These officials also told me that these actions are taking effect immediately, in part because of concerns that the Russian Central Bank was already beginning to move some of its foreign currency reserves after the U.S. and some of its allies announced on Saturday that they were going to be taking these actions against the Russian Central Bank.

So, a very significant step that takes aim at some of these efforts by Russia to try and mitigate the sanctions being imposed by the U.S. and its allies -- John.

BERMAN: All right, Jeremy Diamond at the White House, thank you.

In a little bit, we're going to have a thorough report on the turmoil we are seeing this morning in the Russian economy.

KEILAR: And joining us now is a former congressman from Texas who sat on the House Intelligence Committee, Will Hurd. He's also a former undercover CIA officer. Sir, it is great to have you with us this morning.

And I just wonder as you see that Putin has put his nuclear deterrents forces on, essentially, alert -- you know, this is -- this is a step up -- one step closer to being able to use nukes -- are you concerned that he will?

WILL HURD, (R) FORMER TEXAS CONGRESSMAN, FORMER UNDERCOVER CIA OFFICER (via Skype): We need to be prepared for him to use those nuclear weapons. I think looking at this as just a threat would be the wrong move.

I think this is an opportunity to escalate further sanctions. Let's not nickel and dime it. And every financial sanction we have available, let's put it down because this is an actual threat.

And one of the problems that we've been dealing with Vladimir Putin is we don't take his threats at face value. We didn't take his threats when he did disastrous cyberattacks on Estonia in 2007, when he invaded Georgia in 2008.

Usually, when he says something, he follows through on it. And so, now is the time to make sure that there's consequences for his actions.

And we have this U.N. vote that's going to be coming up. I think President Biden should go to New York and implore the entire U.N. to support establishing a no-fly zone over Ukraine. We need to double down on sanctions against Belarus. You don't host Ukraine and Russia for talks and then potentially invade that country and then, at the same day, you say it's OK for Russia to put nuclear weapons in their country.

I think that President Biden should also fly to Poland and get Macron to show up, get the new chancellor from Germany to show up, and say if you step one foot -- one Russian boot comes into NATO countries, we will be prepared to defend and we will mess you up.

And this is the kinds of things that we need to be doing in order to help not just Ukraine, but make sure we have the back of our NATO allies as well.

KEILAR: Do you think that there is a U.S. presence on the ground in Ukraine? Is that possible?

HURD: Is it possible? It's possible. I'm not aware of that presence. I don't think we should be afraid if there is. Imagine what the Ukrainians could be doing if we gave them more equipment over the last couple of years since they were invaded back in 2014. Folks sometimes forget the Ukrainians pushed the Russians back, back in 2014 when the Russians tried to go to the capital of Kyiv. Imagine if we'd spent the last seven-eight years supporting the Ukrainians with all the equipment and needs that they asked for at the time, and what better position they would be in then.

And we also need to -- you know, this is not just about Ukraine. The Chinese government is watching as well because they're looking at is this a possible model for them to go into Taiwan.

[08:00:00]