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Ukraine's Parliament Protest a "Cyber-Attack" on its Website; Ukraine FM: The World Must Confront Russian Aggression; U.S. Ambassador to U.N. Speaks at General Assembly; Thomas-Greenfield: Russian Aggression Threatens all U.N. Member States; U.S. Warns Ukraine Full-Scale Russian Invasions. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired February 23, 2022 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Websites for parliament the foreign minister, cabinet and security service, all down. This follows a
cyber-attack last week. You may remember the blocked access to Ukrainian defense agencies and banks that Ukraine at least blamed on Russia.
And this comes as Russia and Ukraine both make preparations for war. Ukraine set to declare a month long state of emergency in telling all of
its citizens in Russia to leave now, Russia pulling its diplomatic staff out of keys.
While there is not yet visible proof that Russian forces have entered eastern Ukraine, Latvia's Prime Minister tells CNN, Russian troops have
moved into contested areas.
New satellite photos show Russia has added Military infrastructure along the Russian side of the border, including a field hospital. Well, signs of
war are certainly apparent in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.
A bit earlier, my colleague, Sam Kiley reported from a town near the front line and witnessed firsthand the aftermath of an attack, have a look at
this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm in Netherlands, which is where I'm standing is about 500 meters to the front line. And two
days ago, at least three, possibly four shells, hit this town now it's a town that has been for the last eight years living almost on the front
line.
They're used to the threat of battle, but very few people could be used to that kind of impact. Let's take a closer look. If I take you into the home
of what happened, you got the remains of a piano a really devastating attack on a civilian home that has been blamed on the Russians.
You can see this is in a sense, the exit wound. This is where the blast actually went through the building and exited through that window, you can
see the how the infrastructure has been bent out.
But let me take you inside because then you'll get an idea of just how terrifying this was. Now, the good news is that the family, who live in
this home, were not actually in these rooms when the shell struck.
They were right next door in their outside kitchen. Isn't that a good thing this is what remains of their sitting room the shell came in through that
window exploded in here there's shrapnel damage on the floor.
A lot of the cladding has already been removed. But you can see the devastating effects on the ceiling here. For example, you look at those
holes have been punched in that's high explosive rounds, or rather high explosive rounds that have caused shrapnel damage the shrapnel courses,
cynically designed to tear into flesh to rip people apart.
Now, this is a family of three people, husband and wife and a nine year old daughter, her bedroom is upstairs. I'm not even going to attempt to go
upstairs. I did earlier on when we were talking to the family don't want to appear on camera.
But when we were upstairs, the bedroom of the child has been utterly ripped apart. It's now too dangerous for us to go up there for fear that the
building itself may collapse underneath us.
At the same time, John and Brianna that the salvos were being fired, just about 100 yards from where I'm standing, a man called Roman was killed.
And he was killed when he was trying to back his car into his garage after that he saw the shells landing here. That is that his most valuable asset
he was trying to back into a garage it would have given it no protection whatsoever against any kind of an artillery piece that was landing in this
village.
And he was killed. We've just been emptied to his funeral. We'll be bringing you the report of more widely of what happened in this town later
on. But this is a town that is inside the Donetsk oblast.
In other words, it is part of the territory that Putin and his Russian backed separatists just across the front line there lay claim to. The big
issue here is will they try to push into this territory and expand their territory and expand that war?
Or are they going to stay behind what's called the line of contact and be satisfied so far with owning or controlling that territory, which of course
the Russians and the Syrians their close allies have now recognized as independent States.
But under international law, of course, they're still Ukrainian territory, and it is still being described variously as a low level invasion. Perhaps
not the level of invasion that may trigger the overwhelming sanctions that have been threatened against Russia, but they certainly have been
triggering plenty of international outrage. John Brennan?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: OK. That was my colleague, Sam speaking to John Brennan earlier on. The last time we heard Ukraine's foreign minister at the United Nations
give me a very ominous warning about what will happen if Russia's moves on Ukraine go unchecked.
Nick Paton Walsh connecting us from southern Ukraine, Fred Pleitgen is in the Rostov region of Russia near Ukraine's border and Kylie Atwood is at
the State Department.
You heard the Ukrainian foreign minister all of you. And Nick your assessment of what we heard.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: Last minutely, we clearly there isn't much room for diplomacy at this stage unless something
magically comes out which we are not seeing move towards at the moment.
[11:05:00]
WALSH: Secretary of State Blinken canceling his meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, the Minsk agreements that were sort of the
thing we were working towards to try and find a solution and separatists areas essentially meaningless because Russia has recognized the territories
separately.
So minimal room at this point, everyone's saying they're possibly open to it. But then we have this consistent narrative from Vladimir Putin about
how great Russia's weapons are, how Ukraine wants nuclear weapons, it doesn't.
And that 57 minute speech we had a couple of days ago now so deeply troubling signals about what Moscow wants here, or its mindset as it enters
into this increasing sign that its troops massing on Ukrainian border.
And also the reports of, it seems like a patchy sort of cyber-attack on some Ukrainian government websites, always hard to work out whether that is
prolonged and sustained and deliberate.
It doesn't always seem to be universal lack of access, but many have been concerned that might herald the beginning of something larger inside of
Ukraine. So definitely foreign minister to labor, they're making it quite clear how on edge, the Ukrainian government are.
Remember the disparity that's been there for weeks between the calm demeanors often of Ukrainian officials, particularly President Volodymyr
Zelensky saying look, even just 48 hours ago, they did not think there would be a full scale invasion.
Since then he's got reservists out, declared a state of emergency we've seen here in a desert, a strategic port city so far away from where Sam is
now.
But still, if there is a full scale invasion, potentially a strategic asset that Russia might have its eye on, there are Police in it square here
mobilizing to move around as part of the State Emergency too.
So the whole country is essentially on edge, you're certainly seeing a change in Police presence. And that is because the clock is still ticking.
Essentially, Becky, because of the fact from certainly a Western official, many analysts who I've spoken to say Russia cannot keep these troops in
those for more tactical formation, essentially, in their vehicle sitting so close to the border, they cannot do that indefinitely.
They can't do it for much more than a matter of days. And so the clock is ticking on that as to whether there will be some larger invasion.
An idea with for so many long term observers of Russia just seem preposterous when it was first put out by Western intelligence, whether
that actually might be something we are about to see here and as Dmytro Kuleba warned, as something that no nation in the world will be able to
avoid the specter of a revanchist aggressive power rising in Europe, Becky.
ANDERSON: Nick Paton Walsh is on the ground. And to Nick's point, this was an appeal by the Ukrainian foreign minister to the room. And by default to
the world, this is part of what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DMYTRO KULEBA, UKRAINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: We have probably the last window of opportunity to do what Russia does not expect the United Nations and its
member States to do. Demonstrate unprecedented ability and readiness to act in order to stop aggression.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Fred, you are on the ground on the Russian side of the border. And is it clear what the intentions are at this point? I mean, I know
nobody can read Vladimir Putin's mind. And we've been talking about that now for weeks. But what's the evidence of any next move at this point?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think that certainly the intention seems to be that these Military forces at some
point are going to be going somewhere. And I think there's two key areas that we're looking at right now.
On the one hand, it's the Donbas area that's currently already held by those pro Russian separatists, the ones that were recognized by Vladimir
Putin. And really there appears to only be a matter of time before Russian horses move into there.
Again, you've already said that Latvia is saying they have information that Russian forces have already started moving in to that area was quite
interesting, because earlier today, Denis Pushilin is one of the heads of one of those of the separatists republics of the Donetsk People's Republic,
so that so far, it hasn't happened, but it could happen in the not too distant future.
Of course, the stage is set, as far as the legal framework, according to Russia and that Republic are concerned. So that is something that that
could happen very quickly, and that a lot of people are looking to happen very quickly.
But there's also of course, that second area and I would say that's further north to where I am right now, the sort of hierarchy of area where you also
have massive Russian troop concentrations that apparently are going on up there.
There's also talk of a field hospital being set up near the area of Belgorod up in that area, and that is very close to Kharkiv, that's very
close to an area that Vladimir Putin appears to have outlined yesterday as being part of what he would consider to be the Donbas, but which is not
held by those pro Russian separatists.
[11:10:00]
PLEITGEN: In other words if Russia would try to go in there, they would be face to face with the Ukrainian Military. And that's where a lot of people
fear that a real war could be getting one that would obviously have very devastating consequences.
So if you look at the situation right now, there could be Russian Military moves that could happen, obviously, with no resistance whatsoever, because
they'd be going into essentially friendly territories.
But there's others also where obviously, things are a lot more dangerous. Certainly the area that we're looking at is very big. We've been traveling
around this sort of area of between Russia and Ukraine, especially with those two separatists Republic's around that area.
It's a vast, massive area; you do see large Russian troop concentrations in certain places. But there's other places where there's no troop
concentrations at all. Nevertheless, what we can say is that the situation here remains extremely tense.
There are a lot of people who are obviously looking to see what happens here. And we're very concerned about their about the imminent future,
Becky.
ANDERSON: We get to the State Department, thank you Fred and to Washington, where Kylie Atwood is standing by. So what next should we expect from the
Biden Administration?
KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN U.S. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, listen, when it comes to diplomacy, we have seen a dead end in terms of the type of the diplomacy
that we have seen over the last few weeks. Right.
We heard Secretary of State Tony Blinken say yesterday that he's canceling his meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister, because the Russian invasion
has begun and because that is essentially a wholesale stamp of rejection on diplomacy from the Russians.
The United States doesn't want to engage with Russia and make it seem like Russia is actually engaged in real diplomacy, while they are just barreling
in the words of the secretary towards a war.
And so what the question is today is, what does the U.S. Russia relationship look like going forward? We don't know right now there isn't a
whole lot on the calendar planed and the United States is making it clear that they're still open to diplomacy.
But that would be contingent on the Russians changing its tactics here, changing its posture here. And of course, we are seeing none of that on the
ground. I also think it's significant that it wasn't just the U.S. that canceled their planned meeting with the Russians.
But also the French foreign minister was supposed to meet with his Russian counterpart on Friday, and he also canceled that meeting. Yep, Becky.
ANDERSON: I'm going to stop you because thank you. Your analysis and insight is extremely important. We need to get to the U.N. where the
Russian Ambassador to the United Nations is speaking now, let's listen in.
VASILY NEBENZIA, RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: --suppose reflect reality, when it should not be temporarily occupied territories,
but new territories lost as a result of the failed policy against its own citizens that Kyiv has turned into a national idea, after the illegitimate
Majdanek coup of 2014.
As regards those citizens who were not in agreement with that coup, as soon as the current regime came to power, with the tacit endorsement of its
western backers, a policy of systemic deprivation of basic human rights into - ethnic grounds was implemented.
We understand the focus of today's discussion is the recognition by the Russian Federation of the DLR and the LPR as the current affairs event of
the day, there is currently a great deal of speculation and insinuation surrounding this decision.
I'd like to underscore that what happened was a direct result of Kyiv's yearlong year's long sabotage of their direct obligations under the package
of measures adopted in Security Council resolution 2202 as soon as it was signed in February 2015.
Russia was consistently committed to this competent internal Ukrainian compromise. We did all we could to preserve the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of Ukraine.
We organize numerous U.N. Security Council meetings, area formula meetings; we actively participated in the work of the Normandy format, and the men's
contact group.
We discuss the situation in the east of Ukraine in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. This is despite the fact that Russia is
not a party to the Minsk process and is not and was not.
All this was in vain for eight years key have continued and is continuing to bomb its own citizens and shirk from direct dialogue with Donbas. It has
led over the past eight years, the entire international community up the garden path insisting on its commitment to the Minsk agreements, but only
through its interpretation.
[11:15:00]
NEBENZIA: And thus, has sabotaged the work of the Minsk contact group. Most of you don't even understand what the Contact Group meetings where like.
The Ukrainian representative sabotaged the implementation, not only of political issues but economic and other issues as well.
However, recently the Ukrainian leadership have stopped having scruples; they've told the cameras directly that they do not intend to uphold their
commitments. Perhaps the last straw the last confirmation of this was the fact that the Ukrainian key unambiguously confirmed this during the
Security Council meeting we organized on the 17th of February.
However, our Western colleagues did not even urge Ukraine to implement Minsk; it became clear that there were no more prospects for Kyiv
implementing this document.
It is precisely because of Kyiv's unwillingness to consider the interests of a broad swath of its population that since 2014, Ukraine has been at war
with its own citizens who do not agree with a Maidan values and the current policy of the authorities.
The Ukraine's Western backers did nothing to convince Kyiv to heat its own people, thus demonstrating egregious double standards. In any other crisis
situation, U.N. member states call for an inclusive direct dialogue between the parties to the conflict.
If this does not occur, an internal conflict cannot be resolved. However, with Ukraine, everything was completely the other way around. The
cornerstone of the package is dialogue.
And this has been sabotaged by Ukraine all this time. It is to a great regret that the U.N. Secretary General, today and a few days ago, has made
some statements regarding what is going on in the east of Ukraine that are not in line with his status and his mandate under the U.N. Charter.
We specifically looked at the statistics and former files and dossiers and we saw that there was no conflict when the Secretary General be this the
current one or his predecessors, allowed himself to make such statements regarding any country.
Regarding the situation in Ukraine, the Secretary General has raised his voice, often to uphold all the requirements of the packet of measures under
Security Council resolution 2202 that directly require all matters to be resolved between agreement with Kyiv and Donbas.
Nobody in the West mentioned that at all. Unfortunately, the Secretary General has followed this very sad example. In these circumstances, we
don't understand what good office is that the Secretary General talked about, can be provided.
The people in Crimea and Donetsk and Luhansk declared their independence. Crimea was luckier, its inhabitants almost immediately said they wanted to
accede to Russia, and they came under the protection of the Russian Federation.
The people of Donetsk and Luhansk, to who are German and French partners had promised a just settlement. Had to wait recognition over a long eight
year period. During this time at the behest of our Western colleagues, there was still a glimmer of hope that Kyiv would have a change of heart
and start dialogue with its citizens.
However, the Maidan authorities didn't have such plans in mind. Over that period, it carried out to heinous bloody Military adventures, culminating
in the Ukrainian army routing the self-defense fighters and flouting the Minsk agreements.
Instead of implementing them, Kyiv right from the start nurtured plans for revenge without ceasing to shell, residential areas and to conduct
sabotage. Furthermore, it's important to bear in mind that over the years, Ukraine, irrevocably became anti Russia and waged a war on the Russian
language and all that is Russian as part of its state policies.
The country has seen the emergence of a linguistic inquisition, the area where the Russian language can be used, significantly shrunk, and has been
subject to repression.
Under President Zelensky, who during his pre-election campaign donned the garb of a peacekeeper and a protector of the interests of all Ukrainians?
Under him, there was a ban introduced on broadcasting six opposition TV channels lies about World War II have taken deep root.
[11:20:00]
NEBENZIA: Hitler's comrades in arms have become heroes, and the real heroes have become nobody. We don't agree with Kyiv's policy. And those people who
didn't agree had been persecuted, and there's been physical harm and massacres and murders of journalists and others.
Thus, it was clear to the people of Donetsk and Luhansk, what kind of Ukraine they were being asked to return to. However, even faced with this,
they did not waver from implementing the Minsk agreements.
They believed that a document would be implemented, and they would be granted special status. As it turned out, these hopes were dashed. Today,
we are all aware of the horrific figure of 14,000 victims of the conflict, including hundreds of children.
The overwhelming majority of them are inhabitants of Donetsk and Luhansk. All these years, there's been an economic transport and food embargo on
Donbas, elderly people and children have to hide from shelling.
The number of refugees who are being rescued, and going to Russia, Russia and not Ukraine, over the past few days alone has reached tens of thousands
96,000 people today alone. For any civilized state, it's clear that you can't treat your people like that.
That means Kyiv doesn't need Donbas inhabitants, it only needs their land. And this is something that President Zelensky said this clearly telling
them that they should get away and go to Russia. However, the key of authorities dubbing these people very disparagingly terrorists.
Having become convinced the situation was hopeless. We decided that the people of Donbas are fully within their rights to consider themselves
independent, you know, the rest distinguished colleagues, given the blatant genocide and the trampling on the most important human rights of all the
right to life.
Our country could not remain indifferent to the fate of the 4 million people of Donbas. We primarily have been guided by the fact that the
greatest value of all is that of human life in criticizing us for our decision, you are showing utter indifference for the fate of the Donetsk
and Luhansk people, just as Kyiv and its Western backers have done during these eight years of conflict.
This conflict is by no means over, shelling of residential areas in both Republic's has not ceased. The West continues to goad and to provoke and to
arm Kyiv. We warn you that since upon the request of Donetsk and Luhansk, the ceasefire will be monitored by the Russian Armed Forces.
No one intends to go softly, softly with many violators. Therefore, we urge you today to focus efforts on reining in Kyiv and deterring it from
conducting a new Military adventure that might cost the whole of Ukraine very dearly. Thank you.
ANDERSON: Well, that was the Russian Ambassador to the United Nations; I want to bring in Nic Robertson, who is in Moscow. And I have to say, Nic, I
mean, you know, I'm going to get you briefly to assess what you heard. But as in listening intently there, my sense is that we have, quite frankly
heard it all before.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, and some of the lines at the end, I thought were quite chilling it his penultimate line was
that Russians would be going into monitor the ceasefire. But the most chilling line that I heard there was the last line which he said, don't
expect us to go softly, softly with violations of the ceasefire.
The vast majority of the violations across the Line of Control have been assessed by to be the pro Russian separatists firing into Ukraine's
territory. There have been many claims that have been broadly seen as, as at the very best bias at the other end of the spectrum, without strong
substance that very much appear to be fabrications very much appear to be just a propaganda message coming from Russia that that they the separatists
are under fire and that this is coming from the authorities of Kyiv.
This is a narrative that we heard the - that has been dispelled by many international observers. It was certainly dispelled by the Ukrainian
ambassador who was speaking at the U.N. Security Council just a little earlier.
[11:25:00]
ROBERTSON: I say those things are chilling, because what it's telling us is this is the Russian ambassador telling us that it appears his forces will
be going into monitor a ceasefire. We had been told that they were going to go in as peacekeepers and that they won't be dealing with violators in a
softly, softly way.
And we know that the propaganda that's coming from the Russian side is that the violators are on the Ukrainian side. And I think it's very implicit
from what he says that there's the real possibility here for an escalation of violence.
You know, I thought as well, that the other comment that in that chamber, the United Nations that for the Russian ambassador to say that the U.N.
Secretary General has essentially is no longer is essentially being becoming biased in favor of the Ukrainians is what is saying that Russia
can see no value in his good offices, to help bring about a solution.
The Russian ambassador is saying there's no value in what the U.N. can offer. And that at the U.N. Security Council is also a rather chilling to
hear, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes, absolutely and the Ukrainian foreign minister earlier on warning the chamber, that that is exactly how Russia feels about it. Those
troops, of course, are clearly not peacekeepers.
Last hour, I spoke to the Latvian Prime Minister Nic, who told me that Russia is moving additional forces into Donbas, and that by any measure,
"this is an invasion', he said.
He is unwavering in his support for the first raft of sanctions we've seen from the U.S., the EU and others, Nic. And this is his assessment of where
we are at, listen to the Latvian Prime Minister speaking to me earlier.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISJANIS KARINS, LATVIAN PRIME MINISTER: I think it took democratic nations a bit of time to realize what kind of an adversary Putin is. For a
long time in many countries and many politicians, there was this long held belief that somehow if we only find the right words, we'll finally gets
through to Putin.
And now the realization has come. Putin is on a warpath with democracy. He does not respect our values, he does not respect our boundaries, he does
not respect anything, and he says as much.
And when you realize that there's a very brutal opponent, then you start to change your behavior. And in the Western democracy, democratic countries,
this realization is now very profound among the political class, across countries across party lines that this is a different kind of adversary
than we thought many didn't even understand it was a complete adversary. Now there is this understanding, and the sanctions are coming just in time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Right. And as we speak, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations getting ready to address the General Assembly, let's listen in.
LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: --in the history of this body. On Monday, President Putin announced that Russia
would recognize as independent States, the so called DNR and LNR regions, part of the sovereign territory of Ukraine, controlled by Russia's proxies
since 2014.
He then ordered Russian Military forces under the guise of so called peacekeepers to deploy to these regions. In the hours that followed,
Secretary General Guterres said this was a violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and inconsistent with the principles
of the Charter of the United Nations.
He reaffirmed that to us in his remarks today. And in an emergency meeting Monday night, all but one member of the Security Council called for
dialogue and diplomacy, which can only happen if Russia abandons its unprovoked further aggression toward Ukraine.
Has Russia heated these calls? No. Instead, it has responded with additional actions to undermine Ukraine sovereignty, including mass
disinformation, which we just heard again today, cyber-attacks and efforts to create a false flag pretext in addition to Russia's overwhelming
Military buildup of more than 150,000 troops near Ukraine's border.
Russia's actions have only confirmed what we and other nations have been warning about. Other U.N. member States must recognize the threat before us
all today, before it's too late. Colleagues there's no middle ground here calling for both sides to de-escalate only gives Russia a pass.
[11:30:00]
GREENFIELD: Russia is the aggressor here. History tells us that looking the other way is ultimately the more costly path. And we need only to look
across the past decade for an indication of the path that Russia is taking.
Since 2014, Russia has occupied Crimea, following its illegal invasion, and has been manufacturing and fueling ongoing Military conflicts in eastern
Ukraine. In recent years, including President Putin's remarks this week, Russian leaders have claimed that Ukraine is not a real country.
They have questioned its right to exist. Russia's actions are an unprovoked violation of international law of Ukraine, sovereignty and territorial
integrity and a direct contravention contradiction of the Minsk agreements.
Russia's aggression not only threatens all of Ukraine, but every member state and the U.N. itself. Colleagues, President Putin gave us the clearest
indication of his intentions on Monday, when he asked the world to travel back in time, by more than 100 years before the United Nations even existed
to an Age of Empires.
He asserted that Russia can re colonize its neighbors and that he will use force, he will use force to make a farce of the United Nations. The United
States rejects that firmly. This is 2022.
We're not going back to an era of empires and colonies or to the USSR or the Soviet Union. We have moved forward. And we must ensure as the
Permanent Representative from Kenya said in the Security Council on Monday night, that the embers of dead empires do not ignite new forms of
oppression and violence.
Unfortunately, the fake reality Russia wants to create is already having real consequences for the people of Ukraine and for the world. To date,
Russia's war in eastern Ukraine has already killed more than 14,000 people.
Nearly 3 million Ukrainians, half of whom are elderly people and children need food, shelter, and other lifesaving assistance. And of course,
ordinary Russians should be asking how many Russian lives Putin is willing to sacrifice to feed his ambitions.
If Russia continues down this path, it could, according to our estimates create a new refugee crisis, one of the largest facing the world today,
with as many as 5 million more people displaced by Russia's war of choice and putting pressure on Ukraine's neighbors.
And because Ukraine is one of the world's largest wheat suppliers, especially for the developing world, Russia's actions could cause a spike
in food prices and lead to even more desperate hunger in places like Libya, Yemen, and Lebanon.
The tidal wave of suffering this war will cause are unthinkable. And then there's the broader threat that Russia's actions up in our international
system, make a mockery of the U.N. Charter and call into question our most fundamental principles of sovereignty, diplomacy, and territorial
integrity.
Unfortunately, despite these terrible word world altering outcomes, Russia appears determined to proceed. Together with our partners and allies,
President Biden has taken decisive action to make the cost of Russia's actions crystal clear.
But as much as we all want Russia to deescalate and choose the path of peace that is not our choice to make. This is President Putin's war of
choice. If he chooses to escalate further, Russia and Russia alone will bear full responsibility for what is to come.
What we can do together today is make clear that Russia will pay an even steeper price if it continues this aggression. Those responsible countries
do not bully their neighbors into submission, that former empires cannot lay claim to sovereign and independent nations.
[11:35:00]
GREENFIELD: The very first line of the U.N. Charter States, we are uniting together, "determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of
war'. This right here right now is the moment. It is a moment when we can save this generation, and the next from that terrible fate.
Colleagues, now is not the time to sit on the sidelines, now is the time to get off of the sidelines, let us together show Russia that it is isolated
and alone in its aggressive actions.
Let us stand fully behind the principles of sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity for Ukraine and for all member
States. Let us show Russia that every other U.N. member state believes it is time to de-escalate, to come back to the negotiating table and to work
toward peace so that Ukrainians can live in security and the tenets of the U.N. Charter can be upheld for future generations to come. Thank you very
much.
ANDERSON: Well, you've just been at the United Nations listening to the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations who said and I quote "other Member
States must see this threat from Russia before it's too late'. And she called for both sides to deescalate.
All she said calling for both sides to de-escalate only gives Russia a path she said Russia is the aggressor. And she went on to say that history tells
us that looking the other way is the more costly path. And that is what we have been doing, she said.
Russia's aggression threatens not just every, not just Ukraine, but every member state and the U.N. itself. And she quotes "The U.S. President Joe
Biden is saying Putin will use force to make a farce of the United Nations'.
What we can do together, she said today is make clear that Russia will pay an even greater price, that former empires cannot lay claim to sovereign
nations. Nic Robertson is with us from Moscow; Kylie Atwood is with us at the State Department.
The U.S. taking its turn in front of the chamber to basically try and convince other member States that this is as, as she, as U.S. Ambassador to
the United Nations said, this is a moment in time, Kylie.
ATWOOD: She made it very clear that the impending crisis, Becky, is something that is going to be a disaster for the world. She said that there
are as many as 5 million people who could become refugees if Russia goes forth with this war.
She also gave some interesting details talking about Russia, being a major wheat exporter, and therefore the prices for food would likely surge in the
places that they export food to, those are places that are already facing hunger crises.
So she made it very clear that there's going to be a real human cost here. And those ripple effects are going to be felt around the world. As you
said, she's making the case that all countries need to really get on board here and collectively come out against Russia, tell Russia that they cannot
go forth with it.
She also said very clearly that the United States firmly rejects what President Putin has put forth over the last few days in his remarks, this
idea of reclaiming the Soviet Union, she said, we are not going backwards. This is 2022.
This is not a time to talk about colonies. This is not a time to talk about the Soviet Union. This is a time to look forward. But of course Russia is
really in the driver's seat deciding if they are going to go forth with this invasion.
And as she has made these remarks we have heard in the last few days from the NATO Secretary General from President Biden, that a full blown invasion
of Ukraine is very likely, but the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations saying that there is going to be a really real human cost here.
ANDERSON: And Nic, thank you, Kylie. Nic, let's be quite clear here then. We have seen a revolving door of leaders meeting Vladimir Putin and being
wheeled out in front of the cameras. So when you hear these appeals from the Ukrainian foreign minister and from the U.S. Ambassador to the United
Nations for the U.N to come together?
[11:40:00]
ANDERSON: And these appeals to all member States, to ensure that they are on the right side of history here. It is important that we sort of try and
lay out who is friend and who is foe, as far as the Kremlin and Vladimir Putin is concerned, at this point, where's the split? Where is his support
in that chamber and outside? Is it what?
ROBERTSON: He has very little support in the chamber. China has sort of stood beside him at certain moments distance itself at other moments during
the recognition of the Luhansk and Donetsk.
But I think, you know, Becky, my takeaway of listening to the U.S. Ambassador there, and we've listened to a number of these Security Council
debates over recent weeks, you know, what I'm really struck by is absolutely the impassioned tone.
I mean, there's a real sense of desperation, not that she is desperate, or the world is desperate, but that we are at a desperate moment. She really
was trying to communicate that and invoking what it was that the U.N. was established to be in the first line of its charter to save future
generations from the scourge of war.
And her final point that this was the time for nations not to sit, stand on the sidelines, but to take their position and bring tell Russia that this
is the moment that it must come back to the negotiating table.
So she was appealing to all of those who might be inclined to stand with Russia, but to stand up and take the ground that the U.N. was designed to
take, which is to call recalcitrant nations that are on the verge of bringing war and death and destruction, to call them to account before they
do it.
And to try to bring a measure, restore a measure of calm that it was that passion in her voice that to me conveyed how much we should all worry about
where the situation is today and the costs of where this could go.
The possibilities of it of a war that kills thousands, tens of thousands of civilians, that makes millions more homeless, that creates rivers of
refugees flooding into Europe, and potentially beyond, that raises the possibility of a broader war that somehow escapes the confines of Ukraine.
These are huge and momentous issues. So when we hear emotion, in an ambassador's voice like that, these are all the things that she was trying
to convey. It really, to me feels like we're at that moment, as she said, we're all those that can stand up, take a position and try to head this
off.
ANDERSON: Nic, we've got about 60 seconds, no one can set this crisis out. Is effectively what she has said what we heard from the Ukrainian foreign
minister earlier? 30 seconds, is it clear what happens next?
ROBERTSON: It absolutely isn't. Look, for example, we know President Putin was on the phone with President Erdogan today. And the readout from that
was again that, you know, Russia, Russia is being let down by the international community.
Its concerns aren't being heard. We've heard all these lines before. There is no apparent off ramp. This is a desperate situation. Russia's army is
poised and has the ability to attack Ukrainians had been put onto a state of emergency.
This is a very, very dark moment. We just cannot look away from it Becky. That's where we're at.
ANDERSON: OK. Well, Nic Robertson is in Moscow, I do at this stage, thank you, Nic for your analysis and insight. It's so important and I do at this
stage want to just hand over shortly to my colleagues in the States who have got more news on exactly what we might expect from President Putin
going forward.
We have been listening now, for some for about an hour, an hour and a half two appeals by so many in the chamber of the United Nations General
Assembly to come together to try and avoid the possibility of an outright war.
But unfortunately it does feel as if we may have missed the window. I'm going to take you to my colleagues in the States.
[11:45:00]
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're following breaking news right now everyone. CNN has just learned the United States is issued a new warning to
the Ukrainian government. That warning is the latest U.S. Intelligence indicates a full scale Russian invasion is imminent.
This is a significant escalation in the growing quiet crisis. Joining me now on this breaking news is CNN's Matthew Chance; he's live in Kyiv,
Ukraine. CNN's Kylie Atwood is live at the State Department. Nic Robertson is live in Moscow and also joining us retired Air Force colonel and CNN
Military Analyst, Cedric Leighton. Matthew, let me start with you. This is your reporting. Tell us more?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, actually, the reporting has come from multiple sources, both Ukrainian
officials and sources in the United States as well.
And what they're saying to us is that the United States has now issued a new warning to the Ukrainians that their latest intelligence assessments
suggests that there could be an imminent invasion, a full scale invasion of Ukraine.
You know, very shortly, indeed that again, coming to us from various sources. The new warning was conveyed according to Ukrainian official that
I've spoken to, to Ukraine, in the early hours of Tuesday morning, that's over 36 hours ago.
The Ukrainian official, again, that that spoke to me about this news familiar with the matter, saying that it's not been verified that that
report of an imminent attack by Ukrainian intelligence. And of course, he said that the United States has warned them in similar ways like this in
the past.
But Ukrainians have consistently been trying to push back and play down the intelligence in this sense, and the timing of it. That's been it's been
coming from the United States.
I will say this, though, that this latest indication of a new warning from the United States, Ukraine comes as the Ukrainian president demands from
the Ukrainian parliament, that a state of emergency be imposed in this country from midnight, local time, here in Ukraine, that's just about five
hours from now.
And so whether that was part of the decision making or not that intelligence to impose that that state of emergency, it's not clear at the
moment, obviously, I get some more reporting to you on that.
But this is interesting, because a particular concern, according to Ukrainian officials that I've spoken to familiar with that U.S. warning is
the city of Kharkiv. This is a big city of nearly one and a half million people think 1.4 million people in the North in the northeast of Ukraine;
it's very close to the Russian border.
And it's sort of under government control. But it's also very close to a cross over the Ukrainian border into Russia about 30 or 40 miles, there's
been a big buildup of Russian forces.
We've been seeing it through satellite images, we've managed at CNN, to geo locate and verify ourselves concentrations of Russian armor, including
tanks and armored vehicles very close to that facility.
Also, hospital facilities close by as well, all the signs, in other words, that some kind of major Russian incursion is being prepared for at least in
that region. As I say, you know, we will wait, we will see we will watch very closely, what actually happens.
But that is the latest intelligence assessment that has been communicated by the United States to the Ukrainians, again, more than 36 hours ago.
BOLDUAN: Let's get out of the State Department. Now, Kylie, you've got some new reporting on this as well. What are you learning?
ATWOOD: Well, listen, Kate, U.S. officials say that this is in line with what they've been saying for some time that there could be an invasion
within hours within days. But there appears to be some new urgency here.
And the reason for that is because of the force posture of those Russian forces that are surrounding Ukraine right now. You heard President Biden
just yesterday, cite the fact that Russians have blood that is situated along the borders, and they won't have blood unless they're planning to go
to war.
We heard from the NATO Secretary General just yesterday saying that all indications are that Russia is planning for a full scale invasion here. So
you have heard these comments from U.S. officials from European officials with a sense of urgency in the last day or so.
And that is, according to our reporting being reflected in the intelligence that the United States is gathering and therefore sharing with the
Ukrainians.
Now, we should know that the Ukrainian foreign minister was here at the State Department yesterday, he was specifically asked if the Ukrainian
government has plans to evacuate that town of Kharkiv.
That's in the north east part of the country. And he said there are no plans to do so at this time. Plan A is diplomacy to try and prevent an
invasion. And he said Plan B essentially is to fight it out.
The Ukrainians excuse me; will fight for every inch and for every village. So that demonstrates where their posture was as of yesterday but of course
things could change because this is a rapidly quickly developing situation. Kate?
[11:50:00]
BOLDUAN: Absolutely. Let me bring in Colonel Cedric Leighton on this as well. I think the wording is important, Colonel, because I want to get your
reaction that this new warning to the Ukrainian government, the U.S. Intelligence is, it points to a full scale Russian invasion imminently your
reaction to that.
COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, Kate, it's clear that the United States government is taking this very seriously. And when
they use the term full scale Russian invasion, what they're talking about is everything that we have seen in the reporting from all our
correspondents so long the border along the Russian Ukrainian border, that all is going to be used, at least has the potential of being used.
So we're talking a standard invasion that I think will be coupled with cyber efforts which may be occurring right now as we speak. We also think
that there are going to be some hybrid warfare methods that are going to be used.
So this is going to be something that is going to impact really the entire Ukrainian nation. But to the fact that the City of Kharkiv as Matthew just
mentioned, is going to perhaps be in the crosshairs, this may be the first area that the Russians are trying to take.
And that may mean that they're trying to encircle the Ukrainian forces that are deployed along the eastern border opposite to Luhansk and Donetsk,
there was breakaway regions of Ukraine that the Russians have controlled since 2014.
BOLDUAN: Colonel, stick with me. Let's get over to Jeremy Diamond is at the White House. Jeremy, I'm just thinking, you know, one thing you and I have
discussed is kind of the unprecedented new approach that the Biden Administration has taken all throughout this, which has been the
transparency of putting out intelligence and declassifying intelligence, almost in real time in order to try to stop Putin from invading. What do
you think we're going to hear today from the White House on this?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right Kate. And just yesterday, for example, you heard Secretary Blinken, when he was asked
whether he had underestimated where the administration underestimated Putin, he said, no, we've laid out very clearly every single step of the
playbook.
And frankly, the words that Blinken use that as U.N. Security Council speech last week, and the Russian actions are pretty closely mirrored here.
What we heard from President Biden yesterday, of course, was warning that this is the beginning of an invasion.
And he made very clear that the Russian President, in his words is also setting up a rationale, as the President said yesterday, to take more
territory in Ukraine by force.
We've heard senior administration officials telling us over the last several days, that that's how they interpreted President Putin's lengthy
diatribe in which he laid out his version of the history of Ukraine and Russia over the past century as a justification for war.
And that is why as much as the White House and the intelligence community in the U.S. is basing this assessment off of the Military moves, that they
are seeing the positioning the pre-positioning of so many of these Russian Armed Forces, they are also basing it off of some of the political actions
that are being taken in Moscow.
And that is not only the words that we've heard from the Russian president, but also his move to get permission from the Duma in Moscow, in order to
take Russian forces and be able to use them outside of the country to be able to use them in a potential armed conflict against Ukraine.
So that is what the White House is watching here. And they've also made very clear, of course, that beyond the sanctions that we saw President
Biden and his administration imposed yesterday against these two large Russian banks against Russian elites and individuals, and also against
Russia's sovereign debt that more is going to come.
We heard the Deputy National Security Adviser Daleep Singh this morning, saying that it wouldn't even necessarily require additional Russian
Military action that the U.S. will continue to impose costs is the wording that he used there.
And we know that the U.S. has a lot more left in its sanctions bag that it could potentially use against Russia. We've heard talk of export controls
on key technologies that Russia would need.
Also, of course, this notion of sanctioning additional Russian banks, particularly those banks, that are not just used by the Military and for
its development fund, but banks that are used by large swaths of the Russian population.
So expect to see more sanctions action, particularly if Vladimir Putin does take these steps that the U.S. intelligence community is now warning could
be imminent now with a potential invasion.
But certainly there is a ratcheting up of tensions and of concerns here at the White House and across the administration about what the Russian
president may do in the coming hours and days.
BOLDUAN: Absolutely. Jeremy, stick close. Let's get back to Eastern Ukraine right now. CNN's Anne's Alex Marquardt is live there. Alex was just handed
this a little additional new reporting on top of this intelligence that's been given to the Ukrainian.
[11:55:00]
BOLDUAN: To the Ukrainians this recording is now NATO allies have also been given a similar intelligence assessment warning of an imminent attack.
That's according to a NATO Military official.
This visual caution, as we've heard all along, Alex, that no one knows for sure what Putin is going to do. But one thing that I think is different and
interesting about this, you tell me is the focus here on Kharkiv, as Matthew Chance was talking about?
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, that is a city that is right up against the Russian border right there in
the Northeast. And we have seen a significant buildup of Russian forces just across the border.
As we have Kate, along three sides of this border, that massive buildup during what they called exercises with Belarus, just to the north of
Ukraine, and that is what has given a lot of intelligence and national security officials, a lot of concern about Kyiv, because Kyiv is just a
short drive from that Belarusian border.
Down in the south, where I've spent a lot of time along that southern coastline, you have naval exercises. So there, there are a huge buildup all
around three sizes three, three sides of Ukraine, but this new reporting, you're right, Kate does indicate particular concern about that city of
Kharkiv.
BOLDUAN: Alex thanks for jumping up. Stick with me. Let's get over to Moscow right now, Nic Robertson back with me. Nic, we were talking at the
top of the hour Putin being undeterred by sanctions. What do you make of this?
ROBERTSON: Yes, look, since we talked to the top of the hour, the Russian ambassador has spoken at the U.N. Security Council. And some of what he
said particularly at the end is perhaps going to prove to be very prescient is certainly very chilling.
He said that the Russian troops that were going to be going in to those separatists enclaves are going into monitor the ceasefire. And he said that
they won't be going in softly, softly.
I think when the Russian Ambassador says they're going in, to monitor the ceasefire, and that, that it won't be softly, softly that doesn't sound
like your traditional ceasefire monitors, who check out who's firing when, make a note of it, go back to both sides, inform them try to try to use
that to establish some kind of peace.
When they're not going to be softly implies that these Russian forces that are going in will be firing off rounds at what they'll be accusing of being
Ukrainian forces firing them.
There have been so many false flag claims so many claims by the separatists that the Ukrainians are firing upon them that have proven so far, to be
entirely false and without merit.
This, these words from the Russian ambassador at the U.N. Security Council are quite chilling in that context is essentially saying the Russian forces
that are going in are not going to tread lightly and there'll be shooting a lot, that was the implication of what he was saying.
BOLDUAN: Nic, thank you very much. Thank you all for being here. CNN's breaking news coverage on this continues with Inside Politics after this
quick break.
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