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Russia's Top-Ranked Female Tennis Player Speaks Out Against War; CNN Interviews Ukraine's President Zelensky From Bunker Amid New Attacks; Biden Slams Putin's War On Ukraine In First State Of The Union Address. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired March 02, 2022 - 05:30   ET

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

[05:30:00]

ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA, RUSSIA'S TOP-RANKED WOMAN TENNIS PLAYER, 14TH RANKED WTA PLAYER IN THE WORLD (via Skype): I don't know. I just hope, you know -- again, as I said in my message on social media I'm not a politician. I'm just a woman who plays tennis professionally. So I don't know much about it but I just try to speak out. I just try to make my point. I just don't want violence.

All we want right now -- our hearts are broken. We just want peace and love and stop the violence.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: You say your heart is broken. You also said on social media, "Personal ambitions or political motives cannot justify violence." What did you mean by that, Anastasia?

PAVLYUCHENKOVA: I -- because we just -- I'm an ordinary person like all of us. We're just ordinary people and we don't want any violence. We just want -- we just want that life goes on in peace, really. That's all -- that's all we want.

KEILAR: How have your Russian fans been reacting to what you've said?

PAVLYUCHENKOVA: I'm trying to stay away as much as possible from the social media right now. Of course, I get some messages, you know, but trying to focus on me. Right now, I'm actually rehabbing from my injury in Dubai. I'm also trying to stay away from the news as much as possible because it just really upsets me to watch anything on T.V. right now.

KEILAR: Do you fear for your safety or for your career for representing Russia by speaking out?

PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Absolutely. It's more I have a fear just for the future because I would like we also think about our children as well. And I think I want a future for the children as well, and for the people, and for me personally as well.

I think it's not about sports or tennis right now. As Andrey Rublev said earlier during the tournament here in Dubai, which he won, it's true I think we don't have to be -- or I'm not going to be selfish in talking about sports and my career, which is very important to me. But I think right now it's more about our future and our life, really. It's more than the sport right now.

KEILAR: What is -- you know, Ukrainian -- I don't know if Russian -- the Russians -- Russian citizens will hear you Anastasia, but Ukrainians might. And I wonder what your message to them is as you're speaking out against the war.

PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Yes. I'm very good friends with a lot of Ukrainian players on tour and I was in touch with them. I just want to say that I understand them and I feel for them, and my heart is broken as much as them, you know. And I also understand their position. And I just want that the violence stop.

KEILAR: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, I really appreciate you being with us. Thank you so much.

PAVLYUCHENKOVA: Thank you so much.

KEILAR: More explosions rocking Ukraine's second-largest city as Russia hits civilian areas, increasingly with heavy artillery. Plus, we are getting word that Ukraine is now asking for immediate help to safeguard nuclear sites. More on that ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:38:16]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Just in, moments ago, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said that 6,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the invasion began. Now, all these areas in red here on this map are areas under Russian control. But according to President Zelensky, it is coming at an enormous cost for the Russians. Six thousand dead, he says. Now, CNN cannot independently confirm that but that is a high, high estimate.

This comes as Zelensky gave a rare interview to CNN's Matthew Chance in Kyiv. The interview happened just ahead of President Biden's first State of the Union address.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE: Message -- so many messages. I think that he has to give those message what will really work. That is very important to be -- to be very useful in this situation -- in this war against Russia.

ZELENSKY (through translator): I think, first of all, he's a world leader and it's very important for people in the United States to understand that despite the fact that the war is taking place in Ukraine, it's essentially the values in life. The democracy for freedom. Therefore, this war is for all the world. And that message should be sent far and wide from Ukraine to people in the United States so they understand what it is like for us here -- what we're fighting for and why support for Ukraine matters.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: For a long time, you downplayed the U.S. intelligence assessments about there being an imminent Russian attack. Do you now regret that? And do you think the fact that you didn't act earlier has left the people of Ukraine unprepared?

[05:40:07]

ZELENSKY (through translator): The response you see today -- how we work, how our army works and defends us -- is a testament that we're ready for anything. Even though we were preparing in advance it's important not to let your enemy anticipate your reaction. That's why I really did not like that situation where we put everything at risk and tell the world that we're preparing for war.

CHANCE: The United States has said that it will not enforce a no-fly zone over this country, and it won't put boots on the ground. But do you think it is now time for President Biden and other Western countries to reconsider that and to help you, not just with military aid but with -- but with manpower?

ZELENSKY (through translator): I've already turned to some foreign leaders with this request. I believe that leaders must support democratic states of the world who are keen to defend (INAUDIBLE). The powerful issue of closing the airspace helps us tremendously. This does not mean dragging NATO into this war.

We spoke many times with President Biden and I'm thankful for him for these opportunities and support, but they also did not hear me. I've been telling them that Ukraine will fight hardest of all. You will see. But us alone against Russia, we would not be able to do it.

CHANCE: Your army has enjoyed some significant battlefield victories in the past week. I, myself, have been to see some of the Russian armored columns that have been totally hammered and destroyed by the weapons and the men you've got fighting the Russian advance.

Are you now concerned, though, that the Kremlin will double down on its military operations and hit Ukraine even harder?

ZELENSKY (through translator): Firstly, why are we winning or why are we defending ourselves? Because this is our home. Yes, Russia will double up, but take a look at them.

Why are our men are stronger, more powerful, and successful? Because as I said, we have what we need to protect and they do not even understand our state. They do not know these streets. They do not know our people, do not understand our philosophy, our aspirations -- what type of people we are.

They don't know anything here. They were just sent here to fight and to die.

CHANCE: You send your delegation to meet the Russians for talks. Did anything substantial come out of that? Is there any hope as the world watches for diplomacy?

ZELENSKY: They decided -- they decided to begin to speak about the situation. And I wanted -- I really wanted -- you have to speak -- first of all, everybody has to stop the fighting and to go to that point from where it was beginning -- yes, it began five -- today, six days ago. I think there are principal things you can do it, and that is very important moment.

If you'll do this and if those side is ready it means that they are ready for the peace. If they don't ready, it means that you're just, you know, just -- how --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wasting your time.

ZELENSKY: Wasting time.

CHANCE: And do you think you're wasting your time, or do you think they're ready?

ZELENSKY: We'll see.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: We'll see.

Meanwhile, new developments this morning in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Civilians, as you can see here, under attack at hospitals, a maternity ward, a university, a Holocaust memorial, apartment blocks. CNN's special live coverage continues right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:48:00]

KEILAR: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky making an urgent plea. He is calling on citizens of the world to join in the fight against Russia.

And joining us now is Olexander Scherba. He is the former Ukrainian ambassador to Austria, as well as former Ukrainian ambassador-at-large to Ukraine's foreign ministry. Ambassador, thank you so much for being with us this morning.

You are there in Kyiv. Can you tell us what it has been like overnight?

OLEXANDER SCHERBA, FORMER UKRAINIAN AMBASSADOR TO AUSTRIA, FORMER UKRAINIAN AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE, UKRAINE FOREIGN MINISTRY (via Skype): Well, it was a rather jumpy night. I am Kyiv downtown and there have been reports that Russia is about to bomb Kyiv downtown -- this neighborhood. So it was a jumpy night running back and forth between my home and the shelter.

Right now, there has been a siren. Quite frankly, I'm tired of running back and forth so I stayed put.

KEILAR: You said it's jumpy. Was it different than other nights?

SCHERBA: Well, it was the first night that reports were very specific. Kyiv, downtown, was the target. Kyiv, downtown, is where the most -- all the places for Orthodox Christians are. So I always assumed that it wouldn't happen ever because Russians are Orthodox, too, like many Ukrainians.

But it seems that within the last couple of days Russians are getting desperate and they are starting to shell residential areas and probably, Kyiv is next. Actually, Kyiv was yesterday shelled. Kherson was shelled.

The chief rabbi of Ukraine issued an amazing and absolutely heartbreaking address to all Jews of the world -- to all the people -- all the people of the goodwill of the world, saying, I don't understand how the country where I was born, whose language I speak, is now bombing me. And I don't get that from everywhere around the world people calling me or showing support, except from my friends from Russia.

[05:50:12]

KEILAR: You may have heard President Biden last night talking about what America has done, how unified the West is. What did you think of that? And is there more that you need and what is it?

SCHERBA: Well, you know, what we need -- we need more arms, we need more weapons. We don't need anybody else to fight our war. We are doing it successfully.

It's the seventh day of the war and this formidable army from Russia didn't manage to take a single big city in Ukraine. And their armored vehicles and tanks are burning all over the country.

And they are clueless because they were expecting two categories of people to encounter here -- either Nazis or people who embraced them with flowers -- and they are seeing neither. Just one people who doesn't want them here. Just people who go to the streets.

You may remember this beautiful, wonderful scene in Tiananmen Square when there was one person standing in front of tanks. Imagine hundreds and thousands of people like him standing in front of tanks. And in Ukraine's case, it's not -- it's not a metaphor. It's happening really. It just -- it's -- the videos that you get of these people -- men, women, children -- standing in front of tanks and chanting "Go away! Go home! We don't want you here."

It's one of the hardest time in my life. Maybe the hardest days of my life, but those were the proudest.

KEILAR: Yes. Look, we've seen -- we have seen those videos. And in some cases, the Russian tanks turning around. They are deterred by these actions of ordinary Ukrainians.

Ambassador Scherba, thank you so much for talking with us.

SCHERBA: Thank you.

KEILAR: And, of course, stay safe, please. We'll be checking back in with you throughout the coming days. The breaking news is that Russia is claiming it has captured the city of Kherson. We're going to take you live to the ground as we try to figure out the veracity of that claim.

Plus, we're getting word that Ukraine is now asking for immediate help to safeguard nuclear sites.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:57:10]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The United States Department of Justice is assembling a dedicated task force to go after the crimes of the Russian oligarchs. We're joining with European allies to find and seize their yachts, their luxury apartments, their private jets. We're coming for your ill-begotten games.

And tonight, I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding additional squeeze on their economy. He has no idea what's coming.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: He has no idea what's coming. President Biden's first State of the Union address -- the first 12 minutes addressing the situation in Ukraine.

Joining us now is CNN White House correspondent John Harwood. John, obviously, not the address that he had planned on giving a few months ago, with the first 12 minutes devoted to Ukraine. And actually, one of the few things over the last several years that received unanimous support in that chamber.

JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And John, that was the strongest part of the president's speech. You could imagine an entire speech built -- being built upon the conflict in Ukraine because that's something that has united the American people. And as you indicated, you could see it in that chamber.

The domestic parts of the speech were pretty familiar -- evoked the usual partisan divisions. But when the American people have seen the horrific images coming from Ukraine -- the brutality of the Russians -- that has turned the views even of some of the conservative voices that have spoken sympathetically of Vladimir Putin and his claims. That tells you the power of what Biden's message was.

KEILAR: Yes. I was wondering as I watched it, John, what does Vladimir Putin think while he's watching this? Because he's watched as President Biden had said the West be unified against Russia. But with this recent Republican tilt towards Russia here in recent years, I think he might have expected the Republicans and Democrats weren't so unified. And this must have been a bit of a wake-up call. HARWOOD: Absolutely. And look, the entire response of NATO and the West, Brianna, has been a wake-up call for Vladimir Putin. It's been a wake-up call for many of us ourselves who have been participating in the political media discussion here. There was a lot of concern that the West was not going to be as strong and united as it's been.

Just remember a week ago, the concern about well, how strong are the sanctions going to be imposed? Are they going to go after the biggest Russian financial institutions? Are they going to go after the Central Bank? People thought well, no -- the blowback on Western economies is going to be so great you're not going to be able to get everyone together.

Russia has, in fact, united and solidified NATO -- solidified opinion in the United States to its disfavor, and that is a consequence.

[06:00:00]