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Pentagon: Ukrainians Have Pushed Russian Forces Back From Kyiv; U.S. Expected To Accept Up To 100,000 Refugees Fleeing War In Ukraine; Ukrainian Teen Describes Horrific Attack While Escaping Chernihiv. Aired 7:30-8a ET
Aired March 24, 2022 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[07:32:42]
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Major developments from outside of Kyiv. The Pentagon says Ukrainian forces are pushing Russian troops back from the capital.
Now, I spoke to two Ukrainian fighter pilots earlier this morning who say despite the gains, they still need more help in the sky to help properly hold off Russian forces.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUICE, UKRAINIAN AIR FORCE PILOT: Using this baby, I'm not efficient. I'm not effective against Russian jets or against Russian fighters. So we need something more advanced -- something modern. We are pushing them from our border -- from our front lines -- but we couldn't gain real (INAUDIBLE).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: Joining us now is Wladimir Klitschko, a member of the Kyiv Territorial Defense, a former world boxing champion, and brother of the mayor of Kyiv. Thank you so much for being with us this morning.
We keep reporting that the Ukrainians -- that your forces -- the military forces are making gains around the capital of Kyiv. What does it feel like to you? Does it feel like the Ukrainians are making progress?
WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO, MEMBER OF KYIV TERRITORIAL DEFENSE, FORMER HEAVYWEIGHT PROFESSIONAL BOXING CHAMPION, BROTHER OF KYIV'S MAYOR (via Skype): Out there, they are like different sources for news and the reality is that fights are still going on. And it's something that is -- obviously, we're looking forward to defending our land and also get as much space around capital as possible. And the Ukrainian military forces are doing as much as we can to get our enemy -- cut off any supplies.
And it is a very complicated and difficult fight because we definitely still need support from our allies as military equipment and much more. BERMAN: Military equipment and much more. What would that help
provide you?
KLITSCHKO: Well, we definitely need that the world is going to isolate Russia. To build something you need finances and to destroy as well. So, finances is very important issue.
[07:35:02]
If we isolate economically Russia banking system, stop trading with Russia -- you need to understand if you trade with Russia, every cent that they're going to gain through this trade is going to be used for weapons that today are killing our people -- killing civilians and destroying the infrastructure of the country.
And this war can be stopped if the isolation -- the economical isolation is going to proceed and everyone is going to stay together as a unity against this Russian aggression.
We talk about a third world war possible. I believe it's already in the beginning because the whole world is against this Russian invasion of Ukraine.
And Ukraine, as you have heard from Russian propaganda, is just the beginning. All the other countries -- Lithuania, Estonia, and Poland, and so on. So they're definitely looking for more and their appetite is going to get bigger. We need to stop Russia in Ukraine and we definitely need this support from our allies.
BERMAN: Your allies -- NATO leaders -- are meeting behind closed doors at this very moment. Do you trust them to deliver?
KLITSCHKO: Well, if you look back, today is one month since the war started. And I remember thousands of Russian troops and military equipment was on the Ukrainian border.
And the Western world and our allies were telling to President Putin that if he's going to invade Russia -- I'm sorry, Ukraine -- if Russia is going to invade Ukraine, the consequences are going to be severe. Well, we're getting support but consequences for Russia are still not severe.
And I just want to remind you on that in this case and in this war we stand together in Ukraine and we do any resistance we possibly can do, but they're limited. So we definitely need supply. Humanitarian help as well as military equipment.
It is important that this severe promise to Russia is going to take place and the sooner it's going to happen the better it is -- the more lives we're going to save.
BERMAN: Wladimir Klitschko, we appreciate you being with us. Stay safe. We look forward to speaking to you again.
KLITSCHKO: Stay with Ukraine and support us. Thank you. BERMAN: Breaking overnight, Ukrainian forces say they destroyed a large Russian ship in the Russian-occupied port of Berdyansk. Plus, I sat down with a 15-year-old boy who escaped a bombing during his escape from Chernihiv. He survived; his mother did not.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDRIY, ESCAPED CHERNIHIV: One second and I see a yellow explosion -- sound in ears. And I just remember like I woke up in road.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: We're going to hear his story, next.
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[07:41:56]
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We're getting major, major breaking news out of Brussels where I am right now, here at NATO headquarters, about the Biden administration's new humanitarian response to this brutal crisis emerging in Ukraine over this past month.
Our chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins is getting new information for us and this is very significant.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, two pieces of reporting here, Wolf.
One is we are learning that at some point today, President Biden and the White House will announce that the United States is prepared to take up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees. That, of course, comes as this massive refugee and humanitarian crisis has been spawned by this Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Over three million people have fled Ukraine because of this invasion and we know a lot of them have gone into neighboring countries like Poland. Over two million, at least, have gone into Poland. Not all of them have stayed there. Some have left.
And the White House does, largely, have this belief that most of them will want to stay in Europe because obviously, they would hope to be able to return to Ukraine once this invasion ends -- return to their homes and to their families. But they say they are preparing for the United States to take some as well.
So we don't have this yet confirmed by the White House but we are hearing from sources familiar with this announcement that this is going to be something that happens.
Separately, we're also learning a lot about what's happening inside the room right now as President Biden is meeting with these NATO leaders in this very extraordinary summit. Of course, this is a summit that got kicked off behind closed doors -- no cameras in the room -- with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy speaking even though --
WOLF: Virtually.
COLLINS: Virtually, of course -- not there in person -- via video call even though we should note, of course, as everyone knows, Ukraine is not part of NATO. That's been a big point of contention in all of this.
And according to a senior U.S. official, they say that Ukrainian President Zelenskyy spoke eloquently as he addressed these leaders off the top in this very urgent meeting. He asked for more assistance from the West.
Of course, military assistance has been so key in helping Ukraine push back against this Russian invasion from things like these anti- aircraft missiles that they've gotten, armed drones that the United States is sending -- all of ammunition as well.
And so, of course, as this is going on we are told, notably, Wolf, by a senior U.S. official that President Zelenskyy did not repeat his request for a no-fly zone over Ukraine. That is something that President Biden has said is not happening based on his view that they do not believe they are going to send U.S. forces in to do that.
He also did not make a repeated request for NATO membership and that obviously sticks out because that is something Zelenskyy has framed as if you're not going to give us the NATO membership at least tell us yes or no. But one way or another, tell us yes or no. But we are told that is not something that came up during this meeting today.
Of course, then Zelenskyy got off his video call. President Biden spoke as well. He talked about the need for them to stay united and the United States' response when it comes to this. But we're told overall, Wolf, the mood in the room was very sober -- very muted as it comes to what their response is going to be here and how they need to stay united on this.
And, of course, these are all issues that they will likely be dealing with in June when these NATO leaders are scheduled to meet again in Madrid. They've got their regular summit coming up. And, you know, the White House has been warning that this is not an issue that's going to go away anytime soon.
[07:45:01]
And one leader they did speak about today in that room is China, talking about the need for China to condemn Russia's aggression in Ukraine -- something that China has not done yet. They also have not even referred to it publicly as an invasion, Wolf.
BLITZER: Yes, the China factor is a very important factor. But the big breaking news, 100,000 Ukrainian refugees will now, according to President Biden --
COLLINS: Up to 100,000.
BLITZER: Up to 100,000 will be allowed to come to the United States. Our John Berman is watching all of this unfold. Very significant, John
-- a subject very close to my heart personally because in 1948, the House and Senate passed the Displaced Persons Act of 1948. President Truman signed it into law granting 200,000 visas and then 400,000 visas to displaced persons, including Holocaust survivors from World War II. And that enabled my mom and dad to settle in Buffalo, New York which, of course, is where I grew up. So it's a subject close to my heart.
BERMAN: It makes such a huge difference in the city where I am right now in Lviv. We see so many people moving through.
We have some new video this morning that shows the catastrophic conditions in Chernihiv. Ukrainians fleeing the city where Russia has been shelling for weeks. One of those civilians who fled is 15-year- old Andriy who barely escaped after being forced from his home at gunpoint and then driving over what he thinks was a landmine.
Now, I spoke to Andriy as he recovered from his injuries inside a children's hospital here in Lviv.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BERMAN (on camera): Can you tell me what happened?
ANDRIY: We sit in car --
BERMAN (on camera): Yes.
ANDRIY: -- and I remember I look at my broken watch and I will not look. And we go to ride. Five minutes, I see -- I just see like a road and something grass or something. And one second and I see a yellow explosion -- sound in ears.
And I just remember like I woke up in road. I see the broken car and I see like my mother going on fire. My mother was -- she was (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (translating): And my mother was still alive when -- while she was on fire.
ANDRIY (Speaking foreign language).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (translating): I started crawling from -- away from the road and then I felt a pain in my left clavicle.
ANDRIY: And I have broken. I feel blood in my left ear.
Then I hear shooting -- not from weapons -- rockets or something. And I cling to stairs and hide here. I screaming one time for two minutes or three.
It was very cold. I haven't -- I just be in socks.
BERMAN (on camera): You can't walk?
ANDRIY: Can't walk.
And some peoples in village hear the explosion and these people take us to his house.
BERMAN (on camera): Yes.
ANDRIY (Speaking foreign language).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (translating): As he wrapped us in blankets.
BERMAN (on camera): And your mother during this?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (Speaking foreign language).
ANDRIY (Speaking foreign language).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (translating): She died -- she died at that location. And she was still alive when she got the fire -- the fire -- and she just burned.
ANDRIY: And when doctors drive me about to hospital, I looking for some people from national (ph) defense or police to find my father.
BERMAN (on camera): You and your father -- are you OK in your hearts?
ANDRIY: Father is hard. You understand. Your wife is dead and you're looking to your son. I can just stand up (INAUDIBLE). You understand.
BERMAN (on camera): I understand.
ANDRIY: Now I think I (Speaking foreign language).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (translating): And myself -- I think I haven't realized everything to its full extent.
[07:50:02]
BERMAN (on camera): What do you want the world to know about your mother?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (Speaking foreign language).
ANDRIY: (Crying). Sorry.
BERMAN (on camera): I'm sorry.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (Speaking foreign language).
ANDRIY: Excuse me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (Speaking foreign language).
ANDRIY: Thank you. (Speaking foreign language).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (translating): I want them to know that my mother was a very beautiful woman. ANDRIY (Speaking foreign language).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (translating): She always liked things to be tidy and clean. And my father and I -- we always supported -- used to do that and supported her. And right now, it's very -- it's very difficult without mother.
BERMAN (on camera): She has a beautiful and brave son.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (Speaking foreign language).
BERMAN (on camera): And I'm so sorry you've gone through this. Do you think you'll get back to Chernihiv?
ANDRIY: Will I get back to Chernihiv?
BERMAN (on camera): Yes.
ANDRIY: When war end, I back to my city and I want to rebuild my city because it's my -- it's my city. I all my life live in this and I -- it's very hard to look what's going on with my city.
BERMAN (on camera): What will you do now?
ANDRIY: Now, I just -- just I play guitar. I just want to (Speaking foreign language).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (translating): I want to distance myself from this.
ANDRIY: I just want some -- I can like -- maybe I can't explain it for you because --
BERMAN (on camera): I understand. You want to get away from this. At least somehow, if you can, play music. Be a 15-year-old kid. Can you play right now? Can you play the guitar?
ANDRIY: Yes. Can you hand me guitar. It's song -- group -- a song called "Night."
(Playing guitar).
And --
BERMAN (on camera): It's nice to see you smile.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (Speaking foreign language).
ANDRIY: (Playing guitar).
BERMAN (on camera): Well, look, I hope you live a long and meaningful life, and I'm glad you made it through this. And I'm so sorry for what you've been through. Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: What a special report, Berman.
BERMAN: He's the same age as my sons. And to see what he's been through, it's just heartbreaking to see that.
And you can see how hurt he is. Obviously, the loss of his mother. Obviously, taking care in some ways, emotionally, of his father. But just coming to grips with what's happened to his home and his country. You can see how hard it is for that.
He had told me -- he said, you know, I was supposed to be playing with my band at a concert right now. Instead, I'm here.
KEILAR: Yes. I was really struck by also how he said when you asked him if he would go back. When someone like Andriy is thinking of their future, he said after the war he will go back home. And it was beautiful to hear him play -- beautiful.
BERMAN: It was the first time that a smile went on his face. And that's all I think we can do is try to help him smile somehow through this. Again, he's just one of the stories -- one of the many lives that have been shattered here.
We'll be right back.
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[07:58:04]
BLITZER: We're live here in Brussels at NATO headquarters where President Biden is meeting with 29 other NATO leaders.
Our CNN chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour is with me. Christiane, always good to be together with you.
What are the stakes of what's going on right now -- the stakes, specifically, for the people in Ukraine?
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well, huge, obviously. This is about a land war in Ukraine -- an invasion that has not gone the way Putin wants and therefore, it is being directed against the people of Ukraine in cities like Mariupol and elsewhere. You've seen that.
For the NATO leaders here, they have to figure out how to get enough weaponry and lethal aid, and defensive aid to help Ukraine stave off the Russians for as long as possible.
And beyond that, what they're discussing is how to posture and re- posture NATO for any future and broader threats. So they're going to be announcing more brigades, more groups -- groupings of NATO soldiers to be placed in other Eastern European NATO countries. That, we're going to hear later.
They also have to figure out how to deal with the potential -- as the U.S. president has said, there may be signals that Putin, frustrated, may resort to weapons of mass destruction -- chemical or biological. They have to figure out how that plays in and how to get ready for that. How to respond if necessary.
And so, all of this is happening in this building behind us as they discuss, really, what is a completely new landscape. After this war, it's not going to be status quo ante. It is impossible to imagine going back to the previous order.
And Zelenskyy, who was invited to address them behind closed doors, according to CNN reporting, made another very eloquent plea. Laid out the stakes but pointed and asked what it is going to be for my security after this? If I'm not going to join NATO, then what are the security guarantees that a Ukraine or any other country that faces an invasion by -- you know, by a bigger country -- what can we expect from you all?
BLITZER: Yes.
AMANPOUR: So I think that's important.
BLITZER: There's a trio -- three separate summits going on --
AMANPOUR: Yes.
[08:00:00]
