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First Move with Julia Chatterley
Milley: Ukraine "Well-Prepared" for Counteroffensive; Pilot of Small Plane was Unresponsive; Doctors Warn a Gun Violence is like a Disease; Russia Claims it Repelled Large-Scale Offensive; IATA Chief on French ATC Walkouts: "It's Chaos"; Haley Swipes at GOP Frontrunners Trump, DeSantis. Aired 9-10a ET
Aired June 05, 2023 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[09:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MAX FOSTER, CNNI HOST: A warm welcome to "First Move". I'm Max Foster in for Julia Chatterley. Just ahead on today's show India in mourning, more
than 270 people confirmed dead and more than 1000 injured after Friday's devastating train collision.
Authorities have stopped looking for survivors. They say a signal failure may be to blame the very latest on the investigation just ahead. Plus
Ukraine military setback; Russia claims to have repelled a major offensive in the Donetsk region, saying hundreds of Ukrainian troops have been
killed. Ukraine says it has no information to back up Russian claims. We'll have a live report.
And crude on the move oil, rising after Saudi Arabia surprise decision to cut production by a million barrels a day. The Saudis are going it alone
without other OPEC partners some expert analysis for you just ahead.
On the global markets Futures are pointing to a subdued start in the U.S. trading week. After last week's across the board gains driven in part by a
solid U.S. jobs report and the deal to raise the U.S. debt ceiling European stocks are trading a bit mixed though today.
Energy companies among the big winners after Saudi Arabia's expected production cuts Exxon, Chevron and other U.S. producers are higher pre
market. A busy hour ahead we'll begin with the latest though from Ukraine because Russia claimed its forces stopped a large Ukrainian offensive in
the Donetsk region and killed 250 troops.
Moscow's releasing this video purportedly showing Ukrainian armored vehicles coming under fire. But Kyiv says it has no information about any
such battle meanwhile, sources telling CNN that Ukraine has cultivated a network of anti-Kremlin agents inside Russia and provided them with drones.
Clare Sebastian joins us. People talk about the spring offensive potentially starting today I mean, what how do you read all of these
movements?
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we don't know. Russia is the only one at the moment talking about this major they're calling large scale
offensive in the Donetsk region that video I don't think is conclusive evidence of anything. Frankly, it's blurry. You can't tell what's been
blown up and Ukraine is saying we have no information on this.
And separately today we've had two warnings, two separate warnings from the Ukrainian side, about a ramp up in Russian disinformation ahead of this
counter offensive the Strategic Communications for the armed forces, saying Russia is planning to intensify the spread of false information.
They'll disseminate false information they're saying about the counter offensive, even if there is no counter offensive, and then another
Presidential Adviser -- saying Moscow is already actively involved in repelling a global offensive that does not yet exist.
So they say the counter offensive hasn't started, they have all along those and they're not going to sort of cut a ribbon, they're not going to fire a
starting gun. It's not going to be 100 percent clear. And it is -- it does seem that there is activity both sort of on the eastern front and on the
southern front, where another pro-Russian official in Zaporizhzhia has said on Sunday that they repelled a potential Ukrainian in advance and is
talking about more incidents today Max.
FOSTER: And meanwhile, the threat within Russia seems to be increasing according to these sources telling us that this network of anti-Kremlin
agents inside the country.
SEBASTIAN: Yes, I think this really underscores this coming from officials in the U.S. with knowledge of U.S. intelligence, underscores the sort of
gray factions within this war, that it's not sort of clear cut Ukraine versus Russia.
I think that sort of shows the, the proximity with ethnically and culturally of these two countries before this, well there is some side
switching going on. And we're hearing from the sources that they believe that Ukraine has been building up this network of sabotage really over the
last year and the culmination of that has been over the last month.
And particularly you see the video, the drone attack on the Kremlin, which they do now attribute to these so called agents within Russia. Crucially,
they're saying they don't think they've been provided with U.S. made drones that it was Ukrainian made drones.
And the Ukrainian side having been asked to comment on this very cryptically saying, you know, we're not going to comment on what they call
-- which is slang for explosions until after their victory, but saying that it will continue.
FOSTER: OK, Clare, thank you. Meanwhile, the top U.S. military officer saying Ukraine is well prepared for a counter offensive. General Mark
Milley, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff had an exclusive interview with CNN's Oren Liebermann in France ahead of tomorrow's 79th
anniversary of D-Day. Oren joins us now from Normandy. Take us through what you discussed Oren.
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Max, this was a wide ranging interview that first covered why we're here in Normandy 79 years after the
D-Day invasion. We certainly talked some about that his personal feelings, his professional feelings being here.
He's been here before but the significance it still has for him. We certainly talked about China as well as some of the domestic issues in the
U.S. military faces. But of course much of the interview itself focused on Ukraine as we anticipate this counter offensive here and wait to see when
it begins.
He is closely watched this war for the last year and a half or so really ever since it began and even before that our question to him was are they
prepared and how do you know they will be successful?
[09:05:00]
LIEBERMANN: He was very careful in his answer here, worrying not to predict how battles play out because of how complex that is to know, here's what he
had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GENERAL MARK MILLEY, CHAIRMAN U.S. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: So I think it's too early to tell what outcomes are going to happen. I think the Ukrainians
are very well prepared, as you know very well, the United States and other allied countries in Europe and really around the world have provided
training and ammunition and advice, intelligence, et cetera to the Ukrainians, we're supporting them. They're in a war, that's an existential
threat for the very survival of Ukraine, and has greater meaning to the rest of the world for Europe, really, for the United States, but also for
the globe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIEBERMANN: In speaking about current operations, what we're seeing what you just talked about Max, we also asked about the attacks we're seeing
inside Russia and does that escalate or risk the possibility of an escalation with Russia?
He acknowledged that, yes, it could risk an escalation with Russia, and it's up to Russia, how they choose to respond, something the U.S. is
watching very closely. But then he made a distinction here, an escalation of Russia and Ukraine is one thing the U.S. has been watching this and
knows how to handle this, taking it as it comes.
And keeping an eye on the different dynamics there in that situation, but escalation outside of Ukraine, whether that's in another part of Europe,
against NATO in the Middle East that would put this in an entirely different ballgame completely he says Max.
FOSTER: What about tensions between the U.S. and China?
LIEBERMANN: So we certainly spoke about China as well, especially days after an encounter between the U.S. and the Chinese navies at sea in the
Taiwan Strait, one of the most sensitive areas for China. We focused on the question of communication, where are they on re-establishing communications
between or at the higher levels of the militaries between the U.S. and China?
For him, he simply stressed the need to resume communications and to keep that going, because it is the ability to have dialogue, especially with
tensions high as we're seeing them now that makes sure that the relationship between Beijing and Washington stays in the realm of
competition and doesn't veer towards conflict, Max.
FOSTER: OK. Oren thank you for bringing us that! Now an investigation into the cause of India's worst rail crash this century has begun at least 275
people were killed among the 1000 injured when three trains collided in the State of Odisha on Friday. Authorities say they've identified more than 150
bodies on the tracks where the crash happened. Trains have started running again. Ivan Watson reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Working on the railroad an army of laborers laying new rail by hand racing to
reopen this transport route after one of the deadliest train disasters India has seen in its modern history.
WATSON (on camera): On Friday night, three trains collided in this area and everywhere on the side of the tracks in this rural part of Eastern India.
There are massive railroad cars that were as you can see, severely damaged in this collision. This vehicle here this car was reserved for people with
disabilities, you can still see people's personal belongings down below right outside.
WATSON (voice over): It began with a passenger train moving at 128 kilometers or 80 miles per hour, slamming into a parked freight train
colliding after dark in this rural area. Villagers rescued passengers by the light of their cell phones.
WATSON (on camera): Did you actually as volunteers pull survivors from the train wagons?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, yes. One the -- hit train wagon, where I told the other guys to put the mobile light I entered into it. It was no space
literally because it was so inclined that everybody was male, female, everyone was dumped at a place so we had to pull them very carefully. We
pulled them out. Few were alive. We just separated them. Few are dead so we have to -- don't have to waste the times.
WATSON (voice over): Crowds of volunteers gather outside local hospitals, local reporters interviewing a crash survivor being transferred for
treatment. Among the crowd here a worried mother she's still searching for her missing son who was a passenger on the train.
Inside the hospital, some of the more than 1000 injured in the crash the road to recovery may not be easy. This 52 year old farmer in so much pain,
he can't lie down. I'm blessed to have another chance at life says Monto Kumar (ph); the 32-year-old said the collision felt like an earthquake.
Afterwards I took my shirt and wrapped it around my head and started looking for my friends he says. Kumar says he shared an ambulance with his
friend who lost both legs and later died.
[09:10:00]
The Indian government launched an investigation into this disaster and vows to punish anyone responsible. The pressure is on to ensure a catastrophe
like this never happens again. Ivan Watson CNN in Odisha State in Eastern India.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: The U.S. Navy has released the video the near collision between Chinese and U.S. warships in the Taiwan Strait that Oren was talking about.
It says it shows unsafe interaction as a Chinese ship sails directly in front of an American destroyer over the weekend.
The U.S. military says the ships were just under 114 meters apart. Meanwhile, Beijing claims the U.S. provoked that incident. Anna Coren joins
me now from Hong Kong. I mean, when you consider the scale of these vessels is incredibly close. They can't maneuver that quickly, usually.
ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, absolutely. I mean, it's a catastrophe waiting to happen and you know, near misses like this one Max could lead to
an accident and then it's a crisis and this is something the USS desperately wants to avoid.
As you see from the footage. You know, this happened on Saturday, the USS Jong Hoon, and Canada's HMCS Montreal they were transiting through the
Taiwan Strait when that Chinese vessel cut in front of the U.S. destroyer carrying out U.S. officials say was, "Unsafe and unsafe maneuver".
The U.S. destroyer was forced to slow down to avoid a collision as you can see from that video released by the U.S. Navy and it's no surprise that
China is blaming the U.S. Within hours of the incident China's Defense Minister accused the U.S. of provocation and creating chaos in the region.
A few hours ago we heard from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Let's have a listen to the spokesman.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WANG WENBIN, SPOKESMAN, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY: The truth is that the United States is provoking trouble first, and China is dealing with it in
accordance with laws and regulations. The actions taken by the Chinese military are necessary measures to deal with the provocations of certain
countries, and they are reasonable, legal, safe, and professional.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COREN: Max some analysts believe that this is the first time that such a close encounter has occurred during the U.S. Navy transit of the Taiwan
Strait. Now the backdrop to all of this over the weekend was the Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore where it was hoped that the U.S. Defense Secretary
would meet with his Chinese counterpart to try and decrease the tension.
But all they got was an awkward handshake after the Chinese rejected a private meeting. The U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had firm words for
China saying that Washington would not accept coercion and bullying of allies and partners and cautioned the Chinese military against,
"Unprofessional intercepts by warplanes over the South China Sea" following that close encounter with a U.S. jet just two weeks ago.
Chinese Defense Minister well he responded by accusing the U.S. without naming it of meddling and other country's internal affairs and building up
excessive military alliances in the Asia Pacific. But you know, Max despite all this rhetoric and near misses, the Biden Administration remains hopeful
that there could be a potential Thor in U.S. China relations that a meeting between President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping could happen in
the near future Max.
FOSTER: Anna in Hong Kong thank you. U.S. investigators want to know why a small civilian plane flew close to the U.S. Capitol building on Sunday then
crashed. All four people on board died. The U.S. has scrambled fighter jets to intercept it in the process creating a sonic boom over D.C. Brian Todd
has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It was the boom heard far and wide across the Washington D.C. region, disrupting a Sunday music rehearsal
and sending people and pets running for cover. The cause U.S. 16 fighter jets scrambled to reach a Cessna Citation private jet unresponsive and
flying through tightly controlled Washington D.C. airspace.
According to FlightAware the civilian aircraft took off from Elizabeth to municipal airport in Elizabethton, Tennessee at 1:13 pm and was bound for
Long Island MacArthur Airport in New York. The plane with four people on board then turned around over Long Island, heading back over the Washington
D.C. area, nearly two hours after it originally took off.
That's when NORAD scrambled the F-16s who were authorized to travel in supersonic speeds in pursuit of the jet. According to a news release from
the continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command region, the pilot of the civilian aircraft was unresponsive as the F-16 fighter jets
attempted to make contact.
[09:15:00]
At one point, according to the statement, the F-16s used flares in an attempt to draw attention from the pilot. The Cessna 560 Citation 5
traveling more than 300 miles off course, going off radar at 3:23 pm and ultimately crashing in a rural mountainous terrain near George Washington
National Forest near Charlottesville, Virginia.
Late Sunday according to a statement from Virginia State Police first responders reach the crash site by foot but found no survivors.
TODD (on camera): According to FAA records that private jet was registered through a company called Encore Motors out of Melbourne, Florida owned by
Barbara and John Rumpel. They told "The Washington Post" that their family members were on board including their daughter, a grandchild and her nanny.
They told "The New York Times" that the family was returning to their home in East Hampton, New York from another family home in North Carolina, and
that their granddaughter is two years old, Brian Todd CNN Greenville, Virginia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Prince Harry has been accused of wasting time after suddenly delaying his much anticipated court appearance he had been due to give
evidence at the British High Court in his case against the newspaper group. He accuses a phone hacking the Prince's lawyer blamed his tricky travel and
security arrangements.
Nada Bashir is outside London's High Court. There was a suggestion that he wouldn't arrive today. But actually, you know, there were people in court,
including the judge that expected to see him every day this week was that his part of the trial was taking place.
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Defense lawyers have said in the earlier hours that they found it extraordinary that Prince Harry was not present
for the first of what is said to be three days. The court considering this case, which of course has been put forward by more than 100 claimants but
Prince Harry was selected as four of -- one of the four representative claimants to provide evidence in this hearing as you present for that cross
examination.
Of course, today is the first day of vote here and we are expecting it to be focused mainly on those opening statements was suggested that he arrived
late last night or rather departed from the U.S. overnight. It was of course, his daughter Lilibet second birthday yesterday.
He is expected to be present in court tomorrow to provide evidence and this is of course, a hugely significant hearing for Prince Harry it is a matter
that is deeply important, deeply personal to him. He has long been very, very vocal on the intrusion of the media not only his life, but that of his
family as a whole. And in particular, that of his late mother, Princess Diana.
Now according to his representatives who are present in court today, they have submitted some 147 articles dating back from the 90s into 2011, which
they say provide evidence of the media organization -- newspapers, using unlawful means to obtain private personal information. It was published as
part of the stories.
Now according to his legal representatives these details include conversations arguments with his brother Prince William details around his
previous relationship with Former Girlfriend Chelsy Davy as well as his activities his whereabouts while he was doing military training at
Sandhurst.
Now according to his legal defense team, they believe that the disinformation was obtained through illegal means, including of course,
phone hacking, which has been a core focus of this hearing, but also through intercepting his voicemails and through hiring private
investigators amongst other illegal methods.
And of course, Mirror Group Newspapers has contested these allegations. They say their senior editors were not aware of any wrongdoing at the time,
and also that some of these places didn't even put forward to labor for Prince Harry. He doesn't wish to settle this time. He wants to see this
through in the course this is a hugely important personal matter.
We've seen him over the last couple of months and years being very vocal about this not only in his recent, in his book "Spare" in the Netflix
documentary he released alongside his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. But this is something that he has repeatedly been vocal about in his search
for privacy away from the Royal Family.
In his search along with side the Duchess of Sussex to in their words, reclaim the narrative that has been drawn around them and their family. So
we do expect to hear from him tomorrow. This will be a hugely different environment, what we're used to seeing Prince Harry and of course.
We've seen him speaking to journalists speaking to people he knows in a comfortable environment in which oftentimes he has been played a huge part
in shaping that environment. This time, we will see him appearing in court under cross examination giving evidence but also facing questions from
defense lawyers Max.
FOSTER: OK, Nada Bashir outside the High Court in London. Thank you. Straight ahead on "First Move", are higher gas prices on the way? Saudi
Arabia says it's slashing output a bit more on that. And later airlines soaring back into the black. We're live with the IATA Conference where
they're predicting billions of dollars of profits this year.
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[09:20:00]
FOSTER: A stunning number this weekend in the U.S. at least 95 people die from shootings according to the gun violence archive. Some doctors now say
gun violence is like a deadly plague in America and children are often the victims of this disease. CNN's Josh Campbell has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. NICOLE WEBB, CALIFORNIA EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER OF AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS: This is the number one cause of death of American children
which is just unacceptable and astonishing.
JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Those on the front line saving children's lives fed up with America's gun violence epidemic.
CAMPBELL (on camera): To you gun violence is a disease.
WEBB: Yes, the country is the victim in this case.
CAMPBELL (voice over): The outrage felt by Pediatrician Dr. Nicole Webb on display across the country this past weekend, as demonstrators took to the
streets demanding an end to the endless gun violence ravaging the nation.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Enough is enough.
JADA HUGHES, HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR IN SPRINGFIELD, VIRGINIA: Let's take it upon ourselves to inspire action so that students across the country can
worry about homework and tests, not gun violence.
CAMPBELL (voice over): National Gun Violence Awareness Day began after the brutal killing of 15 year old Hadiya Pendleton on a Chicago playground in
2013. Murdered one week after marching with their schools banned in a parade celebrating Barack Obama's second presidential inauguration,
Pendleton's mother speaking out.
CLEOPATRA COWLEY, MOTHER OF HADIYA PENDLETON: There have been thousands of other families that unfortunately have joined this fraternity, and no one
wants to be a part.
CAMPBELL (voice over): But tens of thousands more have been impacted since her daughter's death. More than 18,000 people have been shot and killed so
far this year. The federal government calling gun violence a public health crisis, and while guns are often politically polarizing, most Americans
surveyed in a recent CNN poll agree gun control laws should be stricter.
American health professionals say common sense evidence based safety efforts should not be, partisan at all.
WEBB: States with red flag laws see fewer high profile mass shootings. States that have closed loopholes in the background check system see fewer
shootings involving illegally obtained weapons.
CAMPBELL (voice over): A recent troubling trend guns in the hands of children in recent weeks at least nine teens arrested for bringing guns on
campus, including a Phoenix student arrested with an AR-15.
WEBB: The most helpful thing anyone can do is store their weapons securely. Your child may be comfortable around the gun. It may even be something that
you've purchased as a gift, maybe something that's really important to your family. They have a bad day at school. They're feeling down and you know
they make a decision that they can't recover from.
CAMPBELL (voice over): But even basic evidence based safety efforts have drawn the ire of America's gun lobby.
CAMPBELL (on camera): The NRA said in this tweet that someone should tell self-important anti-gun doctors to stay in their lane. How do you respond
to that?
WEBB: The only thing that matters is safety. Every American citizen should be free to live their life without the fear that they might be shot to
death.
CAMPBELL (on camera): Are you anti-gun?
WEBB: No, I'm not. Anyone who's actually really interested in what is going to keep a majority of people safe is not going to take that approach.
CAMPBELL (voice over): And while major national reforms remain stalled, the killing continues. Doctors have a grim analogy.
WEBB: Straight up, somebody's sort of sitting, having a picnic by the river and you start noticing a body floating down, you know, stream so you fish
it out. And you know you resuscitate that person and then a few minutes later, there's another one and another one.
Pretty quickly, you stop trying to fish the bodies out of the river and you go upstream and try to figure out why they're ending up in the river in the
first place. So we know gun violence is preventable, and yet we keep focusing on treating the aftermath.
CAMPBELL (voice over): Josh Campbell, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Coming up, a live report from key for the very latest on the Ukrainian front line. Plus the country's Former Defense Minister joins us
live next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:25:00]
FOSTER: Let's get back to our top story the Russian military claiming it has stopped a major Ukrainian offensive in the Donetsk region and kill 250
troops Ukraine says it doesn't have any information about the battle.
Meanwhile, sources tell CNN Kyiv has cultivated a network of saboteurs inside Russia and provided them with drones. Fred Pleitgen joins us now
live. What are your thoughts on what happened with this you know counter action and costing 250 troops?
[09:30:00]
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this alleged attack, you know, it's very difficult to say, Max. One of the
things that the Russians did put forward was a drone video that did seem to show armored vehicles advancing through some fields. It appears as though
in that video that some of those armored vehicles might be hitting landmines or something of that sort.
And that some of them may have been hit by artillery shells as well. It's very difficult to ascertain how many vehicles may have been taken out and
what sort of damage would have been? And you're absolutely right. Of course, the Ukrainians at this point in time are saying that they have no
information about this, and they're not commenting on this either.
It's something that we've been talking about the Ukrainians this weekend, put out a video specifically saying they were not going to make an
announcement when their big counter offensive begins. One of the interesting things that we've heard since then, though, Max, is that a
Governor from that region, a Russian installed official from that region, I should say, was saying that there was another attack by Ukrainian forces
this morning.
He said it was larger in scale. And he says that he believes the Ukrainians are trying to make it all the way to the Sea of Azov. And of course, if
they did make that they would be able to cut off the land court with the Russians currently hold between Russian territory and Crimea.
So that would be a big deal. But it certainly seems if anything is going on, it is still very much in the early stages. So the Russians are saying
right now at this point in time, they are hanging on the Ukrainians for their part, simply saying nothing at all.
One of the interesting things that we did here, though over the weekend was the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, come out and say that he
believed that Ukrainian forces are now ready for a counter offense, he said that it would probably take a very long time.
But he did believe that in the end, it would be successful. And it also comes, Max, as we're seeing across the frontlines here in Ukraine, but
also, of course, with those actions on Russian territory. Right now, the Russian is really very much on the back foot.
FOSTER: Yes, what do you make of this with getting this from U.S. sources? Aren't we that there's a network of Russians who are in Russia coordinating
with Ukrainian Military?
PLEITGEN: Yes, I mean, it's certainly something that is very interesting to see. It's something that it appears as though the Russians sort of had been
hinting at and Ukrainians had been hinting at. But certainly, it seems as though it's something that is quite possible. And we had that drone attack
on the Kremlin, where it was really unclear who was behind that.
Of course, we then heard from U.S. sources that they had initial thoughts that the Ukrainians could be behind it because of some of the things that
they had intercepted. But it really was a preliminary conclusion, and certainly not one that was definitive at all. However, one of the things
that do seem clear is that the Russians are being put under a lot of pressure right now on Russian territory.
You then had that drone attack last week on Moscow, which the Russians blamed on the Ukrainians, the Ukrainians once again, saying that they had
nothing to do with that. But certainly it could very well be the case that there are operatives inside Russia, that are causing problems, not just for
the Russian Military, but in general for Russian politics and sort of trying to destabilize the situation there.
And I think one of the things that we've heard that has been key about all that is that we did have last week, Vladimir Putin come out and say that
there were forces as he put it, who were trying to destabilize the country. So clearly, the Russians are aware of this.
The Russians are concerned about this, whether or not there are operatives inside Russia, who are working for the Ukrainians is one thing, but
certainly the Russians right now very much concerned about the situation within their own country, and about the stability, not just in those border
areas, but in Moscow as well, Max.
FOSTER: Fred, thank you. For more on this, let's go to the Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Zagorodnyuk, joining us. He's Chairman of the
Ukrainian Think Tank Center for Defense Strategies. Thank you so much for joining us.
ANDRIY ZAGORODNYUK, FORMER UKRAINIAN DEFENSE MINISTER: Thank you.
FOSTER: What do you make of this line that we've got from the Russians and short bit of videos showing what they say is their efforts to stop a
Ukrainian offensive and Ukraine not saying anything about that?
ZAGORODNYUK: Well, there will be a comment about this from what we know, soon, but at the same time, obviously, Russians are trying to insulate the
situation like their actions and an overall situation. So there's been some activities along the line of contact are now along the front line in
different locations.
We certainly cannot call this is like the major counter offensive starting at the same time. Yes, that would be the activities and then they actually
honestly they took place for some time. There's been a different military effort by Ukraine and by Russia in different periods of time.
And some of them ended with the success and some of them didn't and so basically, like the inflation of the meaning of this is what Russians are
trying to do. I certainly can say from our sources of our organization that the numbers which they provided about the casualties are extremely
inflated.
[09:35:00]
That's what we know already so I don't think that's the case.
FOSTER: Yes, so something happened it wasn't as bad as the Russians are saying that's what you're suggesting. Can you tell us at the video, you've
probably seen it that we've got from the Russians of vehicles being blown up? Is that accurate? Is that -- ?
ZAGORODNYUK: I obviously cannot confirm the accuracy of the video. But certainly the video doesn't show any major offensive strategic level
operations. That's for sure.
FOSTER: Might this be the Ukrainians just testing Russian defenses ahead of the big wider offensive that we're expecting?
ZAGORODNYUK: It certainly could be correction in the frontlines. It could be testing and it also could be local operations of not being a part of the
wider strategic effort. Yes, so it could be all that. And certainly again, what Russia is trying to show is that they prevented something very large
from happening.
But most likely that if any large operation starts, it's obviously not going to be like having a, it could be either from the collection of
different efforts, and then the armed forces of Ukraine will see where they could be more successful, and then focus their attention there. And it's
most likely how it's going to happen in the future.
So we can see some preparation, we can see some probing, we can see some testing, we can see some local tactical level operations, all at the same
time absolutely.
FOSTER: And what about the network that we're hearing from U.S. sources? I don't know if you're hearing the same thing, that there's a network of
Russians within Russia, who were working with the Ukrainians, against the Russian Military and -- with drones.
ZAGORODNYUK: As obviously, we wouldn't, you know, anybody would confirm that even if that was the case, because of the nature of such activity. But
what we can certainly confirm is that there is a lot of Russians currently who are unhappy with the Russian policy. There's a lot of Russians who know
that the whole war from Russian side is going to fail, and it's not succeeding.
They see that Russian offensive in January didn't succeed, they seemed like they're panicking right now about Ukrainian counter offensive, and so on,
and so on. So certainly there is a lot of distrust among Russians to the government. And it just increases. I think we'll see more future more
operations like that, I think we'll see more and more Russians joining against Putin's regime in the future, that's for sure.
FOSTER: Is the danger that if the conflict spreads more widely within Russia, that then it changes the whole dynamic, and it's very hard for
Western nations and NATO nations to support Ukraine, which may be you know, it's seen as a more offensive strategy, obviously, going into Russia, as
opposed to defending Ukrainian territory.
ZAGORODNYUK: First of all, I don't think that we have a critical mass of people in Russia happy to go against Putin regime right now that it turns
into large Civil War, anything like this. No analysis, so far gives us any evidence that we're there, I think there will be more Russians unhappy.
And I think that will be more Russians trying to do something to stop their basically criminal regime from doing what they're doing. But I don't think
we're there in terms of critical mass. At the same time, we cannot really say that, you know, we're going to be preventing Ukraine from achieving
success by actually making Russia more stable, because that's in any case, that's not going to happen.
I mean, Russia is going in, basically Russians are deciding their future themselves. And what they're doing is what the government is doing is
deeply, you know, illegal, and it's horrible from a moral perspective, and so on. And I'm sure that there will be lots of people there, will
understand that and we'll try to do something about it.
FOSTER: Andriy Zagorodnyuk, thank you very much indeed for joining us with your insight. Former Ukrainian Defense Minister, thank you.
ZAGORODNYUK: Thank you.
FOSTER: Coming up after the break, the post pandemic travel boom is helping lift the world's airlines. But how long will it last? We're live at the
meeting of industry leaders in Turkey, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:40:00]
FOSTER: Welcome back to "First Move", a U.S. stocks up and running this Monday the major averages are mostly higher after the best week on Wall
Street in two months. Stock that up to the U.S. debt ceiling agreement and finally solid jobs report as well.
Shares of global oil companies are among the early session winners after the Saudi government said that it would cut production by some 1 million
barrels of oil a day. The move intended to help support oil prices during this time of global economic uncertainty.
Meanwhile, the Turkish currency is under pressure again, the U.S. dollar is currently up more than half a percent against the Lira. That's despite the
appointment of over the weekend of a well-respected New Finance Minister. The appointment is seen as a sign that President Erdogan is ready to pivot
to a more orthodox economic policy in his new term.
The world's airlines are on route to a $10 billion profit this year despite the global economic meltdown. The estimate came from the annual meeting of
the International Air Transport Association or IATA. Its Director General says the rebound has been helped by low prices for jet fuel.
China reopening higher cargo revenues as well, Willie Walsh requests, he doesn't think we'll see a repeat of last year's chaos at European hubs.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIE WALSH, IATA DIRECTOR GENERAL: Well, I certainly told last year with the disruption that we saw in many of the European hubs. I think in a lot
of cases, we should avoid that this year. But some of the problems that we didn't face last year will face this year, principally air traffic control.
So you know there are concerns about the U.S. And we've already seen capacity reductions, because they know they don't have sufficient
resources. We're seeing already in Europe delays three, four times what we were expecting. So I think ATC is going to be a big factor this year.
And the other thing that's playing on the industry, which didn't have as big an impact last year are the problems with suppliers.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN ANCHOR: There's a variety of issues. Certainly the U.S. has had some very troubling runway incursion issues, and they cannot supply
enough air traffic control. But you're getting a similar sort of situation in Europe with strikes.
WALSH: Yes, it's exactly so in Europe, the resources are there. But the issue that we face, particularly from an agency point of view is French Air
Traffic Control going on strike every day. And when France goes on strike, it disrupts traffic right across Europe.
QUEST: The Minister of Transport in France, when I interviewed him on this point, didn't seem to give any ground. He didn't seem to suggest that this
was the big issue.
WALSH: No, it's the big issue.
QUEST: -- you are going to change the law?
WALSH: No, they're not going to change. And we've known that for some time. You know, what we've been pushing for is, you know, for France to
facilitate over flights. So if the French want to shut the country down, fine. You know, let them shut our country down. But it's the idea that they
can shut Europe down.
That is causing problems because once France goes on strike, you can't overfly the country, and then it's putting pressure on air traffic control
systems around France and that's causing delays and cancelations in other areas. So it's chaos.
[09:45:00]
QUEST: You're not going to get high altitude over flight exemptions either?
WALSH: Well, I think in time we will, because I think in time, we can demonstrate that this situation is just unacceptable. There's no reason for
people to disrupt flights that are going from Ireland to Spain. You know, why the French want to disrupt that, because that's disrupting Europe? And
that is --
QUEST: That's the point of industrialists -- .
WALSH: No, it's not the industrial action is to disrupt things in France. They're annoyed with what's happening in France, -- love Europe.
QUEST: You put as much pain in as many places. That's the point -- .
WALSH: No, we know we have to get this sorted out, because you're the environmental impact alone, I think gives justification to address this
over flight issue, because the flights are operating. They're just operating around France, extending the distance to have to fly burning more
fuel producing more Co2, and that has to be addressed.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Anna, is that the meeting in Istanbul? Hi, Anna, so Willie was striking quite an optimistic tone there, that we weren't seeing those
baggage nightmares. So that's -- reassuring to Europeans?
ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: Well, we certainly hope not. They also actually have double their profit forecast for the global airline industry this year
they're expecting airlines to bring in $10 billion in profit. That said, Willie Walsh does say that profits are going to be and I "wafer thin for
airlines".
One of the big things they face one of the main topic areas here this year, and frankly, every year of late has been sustainability and what their
sector is going to have to do to reach their net zero target by 2050. Now a huge part of the goal is to bring in sustainable aviation fuel, anything
else will make up 65 percent of the reductions in emissions for 2050.
But, Max, right now SAF, as it's called, actually only accounts for 0.1 percent of global jet fuel around the world. And looking at some stats here
in order to get it where it needs to be by 2050, there needs to be an investment of $1.45 trillion. So some way off and actually, this morning,
Richard Quest spoke to the CEO of Qatar Airways, and was very interesting to hear that he doesn't believe the sector can actually reach that net zero
goals.
In fact, he dismissed it as a bit of a PR exercise. That aside, that is the main topic of conversation so far, I would say at -- . And lots of panels
on the stage behind me are discussing how to get there, Max.
FOSTER: He was talking about potentially not be able to fly over France. Obviously the big issue at the moment is flying and avoiding any of the
issues related to the Ukraine-Russia crisis.
STEWART: Yes, the closure of Russian air space has of course made some routes for certain airlines extremely long winded it means that you're
burning a lot more fuel, which is terrible for emissions. It's also terrible for costs. And it means you've got more hours to fill for cabin
crew.
So ultimately, it means that for some flight routes, taking longer having to circumnavigate Russian air space, you're looking at a much more
expensive flight indeed. And for some airlines, and I was speaking to the CEO of Finnair earlier today, that's been hugely impactful for their
business model for Finnair.
Very much Helsinki provided a great shortcut from passengers from Europe, to Asia via Helsinki. But given the closure of Russian air space, well,
that means have to go very long way round. Take a listen to what you had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOPI MANNER, CEO OF FINNAIR: Huge impact, I mean, basically, the Russian air space closer smacked right into the middle of our strategy, just when
we were coming out of the pandemic, and we have needed to change more than ever before in the 100 year history of Finnair.
For example, we introduced a completely new geographically balanced network, keeping our foothold in Asia but pivoting to the vest and also
introducing Middle East as a new long haul traffic category. And with that, we were able to keep our European network.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEWART: He went on to discuss the uneven playing field. He mentioned Chinese airlines which are able to do the route from Asia through to Europe
but flying through Russian air space, which of course he cannot. And lots of other airlines do fly to Russian air space, lots of the Middle Eastern
carriers and many of the big Asian carriers.
So that is one of the big talking points here. And what's so interesting, Max, about these big summits, particularly this one each year is it brings
the CEOs of all of these different airlines assessing all of these different issues, many of which they disagree on so you get some pretty
robust debate going on, Max.
FOSTER: OK, Anna Stewart, there. Thank you for joining us for that. We'll be back in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:50:00]
FOSTER: Nikki Haley taking some big swipes of Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis. During last night's CNN Town Hall, the Republican Presidential
hopeful sharply criticized her party's front runners. Haley faced tough questions over red flag gun laws, the Federal abortion ban and other hot
button issues. CNN's Chief National Affairs Correspondent Jeff Zeleny has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley seeking to elevate her candidacy for
President by calling for consensus on polarizing issues like, abortion.
NIKKI HALEY (R), FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think we can all agree on banning late term abortions. I think
we can all agree on encouraging adoptions and making sure those foster kids feel more love, not less.
ZELENY (voice over): At a CNN Town Hall in Iowa, she broke with two Republican front runners on key foreign policy issues like Russia's
invasion of Ukraine.
HALEY: You can't be trustful of a regime that goes in and tries to take away people's freedoms, and for them to sit there and say that this is a
territorial dispute. That's just not the case to say that we should stay neutral. It is in the best interest of America. It's in the best interest
of our national security for Ukraine to win. We have to see this through we have to finish it.
ZELENY (voice over): She called out Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's legal battle with Disney as hypocritical.
HALEY: He went and basically gave the highest corporate subsidies in Florida history to Disney. But because they went and criticized him now
he's going to spend taxpayer dollars on a lawsuit.
ZELENY (voice over): Haley also said Former President Donald Trump and DeSantis have not been straight with voters about the fiscal solvency of
Social Security and other programs.
HALEY: I think it's important to be honest with the American people. We are in this situation, don't lie to them and say, oh, we don't have to deal
with entitlement reform. Yes, we do. It's the reality. I'm always going to tell the truth isn't going to hurt. Yes.
ZELENY (voice over): At 51. Haley has said she would bring a generational change to the White House asked whether she believes she would experience
sexism as a female candidate, she said this.
HALEY: None of my jobs have ever had a line going into the women's bathroom ever.
ZELENY (voice over): But she drew applause when she said it was time to break the Presidential glass ceiling.
HALEY: So I'm a big fan of women we balance we prioritize we know how to get things done. I mean, honestly, we've let guys do it for a while it
might be time for a woman to get it done.
ZELENY (voice over): The Town Hall put an exclamation point on a busy weekend of campaigning in the state that opens the Republican contest early
next year.
GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): Well, hello, Iowa.
ZELENY (voice over): What's DeSantis joining some of his Republican rivals as they shook hands and introduced themselves to party activists.
DESANTIS: There is no substitute for victory. And we need to dispense with the culture of losing that has beset the Republican Party in recent years.
ZELENY (voice over): Trump was the only major candidate who declined an invitation to Senator Joni Ernst in -- Roast and Ride where motorcycles and
barbecue come with a side of politics. Yet the Former President looms large over the Presidential race and sits at the center of the choices facing
Republicans as the campaign intensifies.
ZELENY: What's the balance in your party? Do you think of people who want to turn the page and move forward versus turning back to Donald Trump?
[09:55:00]
SEN. JONI ERNST (R-IA): I think there are a lot of folks that want to move forward. I know that President Trump has a great base here. It is strong,
but at the same time people don't want to hear about what has happened in the past, because we've had two years of a Biden administration that is
just destroying our nation.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Now Sony's latest animated outie Spider Man across the Spider-Verse dominated the U.S. box office over the weekend very much better than the
film's character.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MILES MORALES, FICTIONAL CHARACTER: My name is Miles Morales. I'm Brooklyn's one and only Spider Man. And things are going great.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are supposed to be here at five.
MORALES: All right, whatever.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Whatever?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Whatever?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: It is equal to 2018 into the Spider-Verse the movie follows a new spider. Spider Man fighting alongside heroes from across the multiverse,
the film made more than $120 million in the U.S. -- . That makes it the largest opening of season so far and the second largest of the year. That's
it for the show. Thanks for joining me. "Connect the World" with Becky is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:00:00]
END
