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Renewed Shelling in Eastern Ukraine Damages Kindergarten; Flurry of Diplomacy as Tension Over Ukraine Grows; Putin Meets with Belarus President Lukashenko; Leaders of Breakaway Regions Organize Mass Evacuation; VP Kamala Harris Attends Annual Defense Conference Amid Ukraine Crisis; Some Ukrainians Leaving Their Homes Amid Fears of Invasion; Teen-aged Skier and Skater Dominating Olympic Conversation; U.K. Issues Rare Threat-to-Life Warning for Storm Eunice. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired February 18, 2022 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:33]
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi where it is 7:00 in the evening. Hello, and welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD.
Get out, that is the warning from the leaders of the breakaway Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine. They are urging citizens to evacuate to
Russia citing the threat of aggression by Ukraine. Portions of the territories are held by Russian backed separatists. We've seen a new flare
in tensions between those separatists and Ukraine. A kindergarten was shelled in a Ukrainian controlled area in the east on Thursday.
With Russian troops amassed near the border, the U.S. worries this is all a pretext for war. In a new assessment described as bleak, U.S. intelligence
says Russia is indeed preparing to invade Ukraine. But no word whether President Vladimir Putin is giving the final go ahead. Mr. Putin will get a
firsthand look at that preparedness on Saturday when he oversees military exercises that include ballistic missile launches. Mr. Putin insists there
are no plans to invade Ukraine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We will continue to take steps towards common defense considering the presence of NATO on the
borders of our union state. Our exercises in 2022 will continue until 20th of February. These exercises are purely defensive and do not threaten
anyone.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, to bolster this point released yet another video of tanks heading back to their home base after Russian military drills. We don't
know if this is the actual situation on the ground.
Well, on the diplomatic front, U.S. President Joe Biden is set to host a call with world leaders to discuss this ongoing crisis.
Fighting in eastern Ukraine separatist areas then began in 2014. CNN's Clarissa Ward has traveled to visit that bombed kindergarten building I
told you about a moment ago. This is her report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Ukrainian military has brought us nearly 400 miles towards the front lines
in the east of the country. It's already dark by the time we land. We only have a short time on the ground, but they are determined to show us the
aftermath of heavy shelling earlier in the day.
(On-camera): This kindergarten is less than three miles from the so-called line of contact, the front line. And witnesses in this area said that
around 8:00 or 9:00 this morning, they started to hear shelling. It was loud enough that they could hear the whistle of the shells going by, and
two of them landed here at this kindergarten. Let's take a look.
(Voice-over): At the end of the hallway, this is what remains of the playroom. The military says the first shell hit at 8:45. Mercifully, the
children were eating breakfast in another part of the building. Teacher Yulia Semenenko tells me she immediately rushed them into the hallway, away
from the windows.
(On-camera): So she's saying in that moment she was only really afraid for the children.
(Voice-over): I asked her how they reacted to the situation.
"Our youngest children thought it was all a game at first, and we just let them pretend," she tells us. "Our older children understood what was
happening and they were afraid."
Video released by Ukrainian police shows the kids being hastily evacuated from the building.
(On-camera): Obviously, it's very dark here. I'm not sure if you can see, but this is actually a children's playground. And if you just turn over
here, you can see this is a crater, and the local authorities are telling us that this is where the other shell hit.
(Voice-over): Our time on the ground is restricted. Fighting usually begins after dark here. As we finish up a live shot, our Ukrainian minders grow
nervous.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you hear the sound?
(On-camera): Yes, I hear it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go to the bus then.
[10:05:01]
WARD: John, please excuse me, but our Ukrainian military minders are asking us to move because of that shelling. So we will check in with you as soon
as we can. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go.
WARD: Let's go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go, guys, please.
WARD (voice-over): On an average day there might be three or four major ceasefire violations around here. Today, the military says there have been
more than 30.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go, guys.
WARD (on-camera): OK. They're telling us we have to go now. It's a steady stream of artillery that we can hear in the distance, so we're getting on
to the bus to leave.
(Voice-over): In the hours after we leave, another shell hits a house in the same town as this front line continues to heat up at a time when calm
is desperately needed.
Clarissa Ward, CNN, Stanytsia Luhansk, Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: So I want to discuss the significance of what Clarissa there was reporting on, and further what we know this hour on a sort of wider scope
and what we can expect in the hours to come. So Fred Pleitgen is in Minsk, where Vladimir Putin is currently meeting with the Belarus president. Alex
Marquardt is in Mariupol in Ukraine for you. But I want to begin this hour at least with Nic Robertson joining us from Moscow.
I think it's really important at this point that we're quite transparent about what we do and don't know. It been days now and we are still second-
guessing of course Mr. Putin's next move. What did you get from the press conference that he heard earlier -- that he held earlier with the
Belarusian president, Nic?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: I think we got a very clear idea of what President Putin is planning. He is planning to increase
the pressure on the leadership in Kyiv to negotiate directly with the rebel leaders in the east of Ukraine. He wants to do that most likely because
that is his easiest and perhaps in his mind the legal way to ultimately be able to exert influence over the Ukrainian parliament, potentially to be
able to weaken it, potentially to be able to stop Ukraine ultimately joining NATO.
Because in President Putin's view, it is that if Kyiv follows the Minsk agreement, then these rebel leaders could ultimately end up in that
parliament and the way to achieve that he believes, and he believes the terms of the Minsk agreement would imply that the political leadership in
Kyiv negotiate directly with them.
So what did we hear from him today? We heard from him complaints that the Kyiv leadership isn't doing that. We've heard him complain about that
recently over a number of weeks saying that the Western leadership is not putting enough pressure on the Kyiv leadership. We've heard him say that
Western diplomacy is not working because it's not having the desired effect on the leadership of Kyiv.
So what did we hear from him today? And this is the point that I think, this is the clearest articulation from President Putin so far about his
intention. While looking at those military exercises, some of which should or are expected to end on Sunday, the implication is they may go longer. He
said that de-escalation today should only come about when the leadership in Kyiv talks with those rebel leaders. Here are his words.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PUTIN (through translator): De-escalation around Ukraine should be based on fulfillment of Minsk agreements. All that Kyiv needs to do is start
negotiations with Luhansk and Donetsk leadership and start formulating humanitarian coordination and the sooner it starts, the better.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: This is absolutely in keeping with what we've heard from President Putin before. This makes it even more explicit that this military
buildup is designed with one goal at the moment and that is to put pressure on the leadership in Kyiv. The notion that this force that President Putin
has arrayed around Ukraine will be used for an invasion or incursion, he tried to put that to rest again denying that that was the intention,
denying that it was a threat to anyone but his words on this account seem to belie his other statements there -- Becky.
ANDERSON: We cannot underestimate -- thank you, Nic -- the importance of Belarus in all of this. So let me get to Minsk. My apologies, the
Belarusian president of course is meeting his Russian counterpart in Moscow.
You are in Minsk in Belarus, Fred, and you have spoken to President Lukashenko. What did he tell you?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I certainly have. And I think, Becky, one of the important things right now about
Alexander Lukashenko and Belarus, and you're absolutely right.
[10:10:02]
Belarus, of course, the significance really cannot be underestimated. And one of the main reasons for that is because of course the U.S. is so
concerned that with those massive military drills that are going on right now with the Russian and Belarusian armies involved in those drills, the
U.S. is very concerned that those he forces might not return to Russia afterwards, the Russian forces, and then might be used for an invasion of
Ukraine.
We have to keep in mind in all of that, Becky, is that the shortest way to get the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv is via Belarus. So that's certainly
something the U.S. is concerned about but definitely something that Belarus and the Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko wanted to downplay.
I did have an exchange with him on that. Here is what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: The United States has said that there would be severe consequences for Belarus if an attack on Ukraine were launched on
Belarusian territory by yourself or the Russian army. Do you still support Russia in its course towards Ukraine?
ALEXANDER LUKASHENKO, BELARUSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Do you still believe we're going to attack Ukraine from here or have you already
overcome this mental block?
PLEITGEN: So it's not about what I believe, it's about what the United States says. The United States says there is a very real threat of an
attack from Russian territory or Belarusian territory towards Ukraine.
LUKASHENKO (through translator): We have an agreement between Belarus and Russia. We have practically formed here a united Russia-Belarus group, a
united army that is, you might say, and this is our official position. Please take it into account as we take into account your position and on a
broader subject, what are you doing here, thousands of kilometers away?
What about your experts in Ukraine, your troops in Poland, in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia? What do you have to do here thousands of kilometers away?
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: Alexander Lukashenko, the leader of Belarus there, equating us obviously with the U.S. government. But there was something else that was
really important in that press conference today with Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko held. He said that those Russian forces that are
currently inside Ukraine, those drills are set to end on Sunday. He said that those forces will withdraw, however as far as a timetable is
concerned, it's pretty vague.
He said it could happen in a day, it could happen in a month but he also said that they would be in this country for as long as necessary. So there
is still a lot of ambiguity there, and of course that's another factor, Becky, that certainly very much concerns the United States and its allies -
- Becky.
ANDERSON: Let me get to Alex, then, thank you, Fred. That's kind of wider story. Let's hone back in and discuss what is going on on the ground as we
speak then in eastern Ukraine. Get out. That is the warning from the leaders of the breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine urging citizens to
evacuate to Russia. Citing the threat of aggression from Ukraine. Just assess where we are at as far as you can tell with what's going on on the
ground there.
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, this is Russia's disinformation campaign really kicking into a higher gear.
It's extremely worrying because there's been so much focus on this eastern front. The fear that of course President Putin would carry out some kind
of, you know, some kind of false flag operation, some kind of incident that would provide him a pretext with which to invade Ukraine, to say that he's
coming to the aid of these two breakaway enclaves, these provinces that have really not been part of Ukraine for the past eight years. They are, of
course, still claimed by Ukraine but Kyiv has absolutely no control over them.
So now we have the two leaders of these two breakaway republics, as they call themselves, that have not been recognized really by anybody. Calling
on their populations to evacuate into Russian held territory. They say that they have gotten assurances from the Russian authorities across in Rostov,
which is just across the border, to house their civilians, their population.
The leader of Luhansk has also called on the men of his region to take up arms and defend their land. The leader of Donetsk says that he called for
this evacuation because of all the Ukrainian troops and weapons that have assembled along their border. What they are fleeing from, evacuating from
and taking up arms against is not clear. There is absolutely no sense that Ukraine is going to carry out any sort of offensive operation.
So this is of significant concern, Becky, especially because it comes on the heels of a real spike in the ceasefire violations along that line of
contact as it's known between Ukrainian forces and those Russian-backed separatists just about 25 kilometers behind me. Just yesterday, there were
some 60 ceasefire violations. That is the highest number that we have seen since 2014 and almost four years the highest number.
ANDERSON: Right.
MARQUARDT: And of course, yesterday, as you heard from Clarissa there, there was that shelling of a school in Luhansk. And so the Kremlin really,
really ratchet ling this up. We've heard President Putin called what's happening in the east a genocide. Of course that is not true. They say
they're worried about what's happening there. So this really is an increase in the tension around eastern Ukraine where NATO fears Putin could start an
invasion -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes. We're seeing those violations of that ceasefire in eastern Ukraine specifically the shelling in Donbas. So let me close this part of
the show before we move on with a simple question to you, Alex, at this point could this be a pretext for war?
MARQUARDT: It certainly could be. I mean, the number -- the list is growing longer and so you could certainly hear from Russian authorities saying
well, our -- you know, the Russian speakers of Donbas are under threat so we are coming to their aid. This is not just something that, you know,
people talk about behind closed doors. This is something that NATO leaders like Secretary of State of the U.S. Tony Blinken and others have said is
fully expected to happen.
We do expect if there is a Russian invasion for it to be preceded by a false flag operation, some kind of incident, some kind of pretext for
Russia to justify their action -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Let me bring in Natasha at this point. Chaps, thank you. Nic is in Moscow, Fred is in Minsk, Alex is on the ground in Ukraine.
Let's move away from sort of, you know, where the action is as it were, to Munich, to the security conference.
Now, Natasha, this is an annual conference where you often get a lot of the sort of European, U.S., and other defense leaders talking about security
issues, couldn't be more important this year because those attending that meeting that you are at today, all have an enormous stake in what is doing
on at present. Has anything come out of the discussions that are being held there today of note at this point?
NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, we did hear, Becky, from Secretary of State Antony Blinken just a short time ago who said that
the U.S. is seeing the groundwork being laid for these false provocations by Russia and that we've been seeing that consistently within the last 24
to 48 hours especially with everything that has been going on in eastern Ukraine, in the Donbas.
Now of course with that evacuation happening, Russia really ratcheting things up. So the overall mood here I would say is generally very
pessimistic. No one really expects Russia to begin all of a sudden engaging with the U.S. and the West in good faith here. They say, of course, that
they want to continue this diplomatic path but that all signs right now are pointing to Russia preparing for an invasion.
Now caveated of course with the fact that U.S. officials say that Russian President Vladimir Putin has not yet made that decision to invade. They say
they do not have any indication that he's actually brought down that order but everything on the ground suggests that they are preparing to do so on
very short order if they do in fact want to.
Now the Vice President Kamala Harris has also been here today and her role here has really been to reiterate U.S. support for NATO, U.S. support for
our allies and to reassure them that in the face of this Russian aggression, the U.S. will stand by them, they will reinforce their force
posture on those eastern flank NATO countries. They will severely punish Russia financially with very severe sanctions if Russia does in fact move
in.
And so her message here has really been in solidarity with European and NATO allies whereas Secretary of State Blinken's role has been s to
communicate with G-7 foreign ministers and kind of shore up that support as well. But all signs here are pointing in the negative direction and the
direction that the U.S. really doesn't want to see at this point but they are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes, and while there is bipartisan support of course for a package of sanctions, U.S. sanctions, that actually hasn't got through
Congress at present. Some will certainly suggest, Natasha, that this is an opportunity for Kamala Harris to sort of raise her profile when otherwise
other have said that she's been sort of out of the limelight as it were.
So yes, Kamala Harris, the vice president, attending that Munich conference as are so many of the key stakeholders in what is going on with regard this
Russia-Ukraine crisis.
Natasha, keep us honest, keep up on the stories out of Munich, please do, and come back to us as when you have more. Thank you. Natasha Bertrand on
the ground in Munich.
[10:20:00]
Well, many people are now leaving Ukraine's capital fearing for their safety amid fears of a Russian invasion. Our Michael Holmes spoke to one
family so concerned for their kids, they chose to leave their home behind and head west. This is their story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In an apartment in Lviv in western Ukraine, Natalia and Dymtro Kolesnyk play with their three young
children. This is where they live but it's not their home. That's because until just a few days ago home was the capital Kyiv, 600 kilometers to the
east. Now a potential Russian target.
DYMTRO KOLESNYK, FATHER: Kyiv is also could be attacked by missiles or maybe some key factory or key of energy base.
HOLMES: According to American intelligence, Kyiv would be a primary target if Russia invades. And that is why the Kolesnyk family decided they
couldn't risk staying.
NATALIA, KOLESNYK, MOTHER: It was never in my head that this could happen but having this experience right now talking about the east part of
Ukraine, I can think that this basically could be the situation. That's why I'm considering the fact that we are not sure and safe anywhere.
HOLMES (on-camera): Lviv is a vibrant historic city. It's close to Poland, Slovakia. It feels very European. It's also, thanks to Russia, become a
refuge for Ukrainians fleeing their homes. And not just from this crisis.
(Voice-over): They have come, too, from the Donbass in the east where Russian-backed separatists for eight years waged war on the Ukrainian
government. And from Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014.
Oxana Nobokiva and her family know well how the Kolesnyk feel. In 2014 when the Russians came to Crimea, she knew she had to leave and now runs this
bakery in Lviv.
Many people went missing or were in prison when Russia occupied Crimea, she says, I didn't want to end up like them, so I left.
The notion that the massive and powerful Russian military might actually cross the border again is almost surreal for Ukrainians. But while they
might be concerned, they are defiant, too.
Oxana says, right now I feel calm because we Ukrainians have more confidence in ourselves. We are a united country.
For the Kolesnyk family they'll stay here in Lviv until the standoff, the threat of war recedes. Then they say they'll head home to Kyiv.
Michael Holmes, CNN, Lviv, Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: For a deeper understanding about this crisis do use CNN.com. Read the analysis by Nathan Hodge there about the shelled kindergarten in
eastern Ukraine. He says it is a reminder of the very real stakes for people living near the line of contact between Ukrainian government forces
and Russian backed separatists. Nathan of course was our Moscow bureau chief for some time. That's all at CNN.com and on our app.
Well, you're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. It's 22 minutes past 7:00 here in the Abu Dhabi in the UAE. When CONNECT THE WORLD returns, folks, after the
fall comes the fallout. The head of the International Olympic Committee with some harsh words for the people around controversial skater Kamila
Valieva.
And later, another powerful storm batters Britain. Why forecasters say Eunice could be one of the worst to hit the U.K. in three decades.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:25:56]
ANDERSON: Well, in recent days two young women have captured the best and sadly the worst of what the Olympics can be all about. Eileen Gu, the
American born but competing for China, has transfixed her adopted nation and the world by winning three medals in what's known as free style skiing,
a feat never done before in a single Olympics.
And Kamila Valieva, the Russian figure skater who broke down in tears after finishing fourth in her main event. The weight of expectations and the
investigation into doping allegations apparently just too much for a 15- year-old to bear.
Well, the president of the International Olympic Committee says watching the way Valieva's entourage treated her after the women's finals was very
disturbing. He also promised that the people responsible for her taking a banned drug would be punished.
Well, Selina Wang has been tracking these stories since the game began and she's live in Beijing, and these two young ladies' stories couldn't be more
different. Let's start with Kamila Valieva, who I'm sure there is a view of who wouldn't agree with those, and it was so painful to watch her reaction
after the event yesterday and the IOC chief has had some harsh words for her entourage. He didn't name her coach by name but it appears that many
are criticizing her. Just tell us what you know at this point.
SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Becky, even the head of the IOC saying that he was distressed, disturbed watching this 15-year-old girl fall apart
on the ice. The whole world saw it heart wrenching regardless of how they feel about the decision to let her compete. Now the head of the IOC Thomas
Bach said that there will be strong measures taken against the adults around her who were held responsible. He had some pretty harsh words to say
about her entourage. Take a listen to what he said here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THOMAS BACH, PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE: When I afterwards saw how she was received by her closest entourage with such, what appear to
be a tremendous coldness, it was chilling to see this rather than giving her comfort, rather than to try to help her. You could feel this chilling
atmosphere.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
WANG: Yes, Becky, when she got off the ice clearly distraught, the coach went to her, instead of embracing her and giving her a big hug, she said,
why did you let it go? Tell me. Basically asking her what did she do wrong, clearly not helping this girl who is in such a difficult position.
And at this press conference, I also asked Thomas Bach about this question of accountability. The IOC is calling her a protected person because she's
a minor, and I asked what has the IOC done to protect her? He basically deflected the question saying that they're waiting for this investigation
to play out as the World Anti-Doping Agency is investigating those adults around her saying there wasn't much they could do. But according to many
experts, the IOC is part of the problem, Becky.
ANDERSON: Interesting. Selina, thank you.
Well, a kindergarten caught in the line of fire. Troubling scenes of a school hit by shell fire as tensions escalate in eastern Ukraine. Now pro-
Russian rebel leaders there are warning residents, it's time to leave. How what is happening there could prove so significant in the days ahead. More
on the Ukraine-Russia crisis coming up.
Also ahead, the army is on standby as fierce winds pound the United Kingdom. What officials are telling people about staying safe. More on that
after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:31:52]
ANDERSON: Welcome back, I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi for you. And the time is just after half past 7:00 and we begin with a new and important
development in the Russia-Ukraine standoff.
The leaders of a pro-Russian separatist group in two regions of eastern Ukraine are warning citizens that it is time to leave as tensions escalate.
They say women, children and the elderly should evacuate first, evacuate their homes, and that Russia is ready to take them in.
Now, their warning comes as we get a bleak new assessment of what is happening on the ground. This is from U.S. intelligence, U.S. officials
saying it appears Russia is continuing with preparations to invade Ukraine and an attack could happen in the coming days. They don't suggest what that
might look like but Moscow for its part continues to claim it's actually withdrawing troops.
The Russian Defense Ministry releasing this video, new video, purportedly showing tanks and armored vehicles returning to home base by rail after
completing drills. CNN has been unable to confirm if it accurately reflects the situation on the ground.
Well, Clarissa Ward is in Kyiv in Ukraine and back from eastern Ukraine where you witnessed the kindergarten that had been shelled in the past 24
hours or so. Just explain what is happening on the ground and how it could prove so significant in the days ahead -- Clarissa.
WARD: So, Becky, this is probably, you know, some of our viewers might not have been following the minutia of this conflict which has been going on
for eight years. But in this war between Ukrainian military and pro-Russian separatists, the front lines have been largely frozen for some years now,
and casualties or major ceasefire violations are relatively rare.
You might get three or four or sometimes five a day in any given area but at the moment, in the last couple of days, we're seeing a massive spike
according to the Ukrainian military, more than 40 ceasefire violations yesterday and those are significant violations. Reports of, you know, heavy
artillery shelling being used and I should say there are also reports coming from the other side, from Luhansk and Donetsk, the so-called Donbas
region, the pro-Russian separatist areas.
They say that they have been taking a lot of shelling as well from the Ukrainian side. We are not able to independently verify those claims and we
haven't really seen any evidence to back them up. But nonetheless, they are saying that this is happening and as a result, you have heard the leaders
of those two areas now saying that they are evacuating civilians, women, children, but also the elderly to Russia, to Rostov on buses that's
supposed to take place at 8:00 p.m. Moscow time tonight, 7:00 p.m. time here in Kyiv.
[10:35:03]
Now it's not clear, is this theater? Is this potentially laying the groundwork for something else to happen? We just don't know. Or is it
simply a distraction? But what I can tell you, Becky, is that with this uptick in activity along those front lines, you are certainly creating a
situation where things can quickly escalate out of control and we know from recent history that President Putin will often use as a pretext to launch
an incursion into a place the idea that he has to go and protect Russian citizens.
Well, 600,000 Russian passports roughly have been handed out in these separatists areas in eastern Ukraine. So we don't know exactly what is
going to happen. No one does. There are a number of different possible permutations but it's certainly fair to say that as long as things continue
to heat up, that's very dangerous at a time where already it feels like a powder keg and already it could so easily devolve into something much more
serious.
It's a time when you really ideally want cooler heads to prevail but for the moment, the situation definitely, Becky, on that eastern front line is
very tense indeed.
ANDERSON: Invaluable insight and analysis, thank you, Clarissa. Back to you as we get more.
For the time being, Clarissa Ward is in Kyiv.
I'm just going to move away from this story but as we get more on it, of course we will get you to it. There's an awful lot going on behind the
scenes both in Munich, the Security Council of course. We know that the president of the Belarus is meeting with President Putin today. And well,
an awful lot going on and continue to stay with CONNECT THE WORLD. Of course this is a two-hour show.
I just want to move away for the time being because millions of people across the U.K. are under a red alert warning as storm Eunice batters
Britain. The army on standby for what could be the U.K.'s most dangerous storm in three decades. Officials are describing Eunice as a threat to
life. Well, people are being urged to stay at home, it's the second powerful storm to hit the U.K. this week and there is plenty of travel
disruption I'm afraid especially at Heathrow and at London city airports.
The Netherlands also telling people to stay at home with Storm Eunice limiting operations at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.
Let me bring in Nina Dos Santos. She's by London Bridge, which is of course on the River Thames. And joining us from there, and yes, it's windy. Many
flights cancelled, gale-force winds, army on standby, red weather warnings for London and elsewhere. Just explain how rare this is and what's going on
where you are.
NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's extremely rare to have more than one of these red weather warnings issued by the Met Office in the U.K.
per year meteorologists say let alone two throughout the course of the last 24 hours for parts of the United Kingdom. And this is what the U.K. is
dealing with. It isn't as you can see here as extreme in London.
We're getting these sort of lulls followed by big gusts of wind in very intermittent spaces of the banks of the Thames, but it's the sort of
randomness of the wind that's causing people to be concerned for their capital where the real risk to people is largely falling debris from, you
know, building sites and so on and so forth.
I have to say, though, there are no boats on the River Thames, so that has been suspended as a precautionary measure. But the rest of the U.K. is
really dealing with difficult conditions particularly if you're in parts of the southwest which took the big brunt of it earlier this morning. 123,000
people if not more currently without power across parts of the U.K. along the coast of Devon and Cornwall and so on and so forth after power lines
came down over there.
Also, what meteorologists and the government is really concerned about is the possibility of the high spring tides converging with Storm Eunice to
cause flooding in parts of the U.K. practically in places like Bristol, the (INAUDIBLE), up into Gloucestershire. But this isn't just the only part of
the U.K. that's going to be contending with Storm Eunice as it continues to pass through. It's going to head up towards the northeast, and as you
rightfully said, that raises the prospect of other countries on the other side of the North Sea like Belgium and the Netherlands and Northern France
getting concerned as well about the effects of Storm Eunice. They're on high alert, too.
Now for any travelers watching this show, obviously this is coming at a really painful time when many families are coming back to the U.K. because
of the Half Term holidays and Heathrow Airport has been cancelling flights. Gatwick Airport also cancelling flights amid the high winds. And London
City Airport not far from here, I should say, just down river still has flights suspended amid these high winds, making it difficult for planes to
land. So the message is, before setting off of course check online first -- Becky.
[10:40:00]
ANDERSON: Yes. Absolutely. And you can really hear and see those gusts as you described them. Thank you, Nina.
And Nina makes a very good point. Do check on your travel plans particularly if you're trying to return to the U.K. or go to the U.K. It's
the end of the Half Term holiday and obviously there will be an awful lot of disruption for so many people.
Still ahead, this man is used to fast cars. But how about fast exits? Well, we will explain all when we return.
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ANDERSON: Well, Formula 1's governing body making some changes. This after December's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and you may remember this ended in
controversy. Max Verstappen and not Lewis Hamilton won the world championship. Now one man is being dismissed as Formula 1 race director.
Amanda Davies in the house to tell us or remind us what happened and explain what has happened since. What's going on here?
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes, Becky, Michael Masi, the man who made the late, late call under pressure, the final race of the Formula 1
season, the final few laps which ultimately saw Max Verstappen be able to take the title ahead of the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton.
The FIA have announced that Michael Masi will no longer be the race director at Formula 1 races for the 2022 season. He's going to be replaced
by not one but two men and perhaps more importantly no longer will teams be able to communicate directly with the race director, to essentially lobby
them to make a call in their favor.
There was certainly a whole lot of drama, wasn't there? Those of us watching from the outside were able to enjoy it but the purists of the
sport just felt too much of a line was crossed. People suggested that Lewis Hamilton might be walking away from the sport after the way events played
out in the climax of last season but he has been speaking to the media for the first time with the launch of the Mercedes car. He says he's not going
anywhere and we're hearing from him in just a couple of minutes in "WORLD SPORT."
ANDERSON: Superb. "WORLD SPORT" up after the break. Stay with us, we are back with more CONNECT THE WORLD after that.
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[10:46:14]
(WORLD SPORT)
[11:00:00]
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