>>> NEW VIDEO INTO "OUTFRONT,
THIS IS THE MOMENT THE UKRAINIAN
SOLDIER SPOTS TWO RUSSIANS THAT
ARE RUNNING JUST FEET AWAY FROM
HIM. THEN HE OPENS FIRE.
AND THIS NEW VIDEO THAT WE ARE
SEEING TODAY COMES AS VLADIMIR
PUTIN APPEARED EARLIER WITH A
TOP ALLY, THE CHECHNYAEN WAR
LORD, AMIDST SPECULATION HIS
HEALTH WAS DETERIORATING.
THE CAB DRIVER WAS BRAVELY ILL
FROM KIDNEY FAILURE.
UNSUBSTANTIATED REPORTS SUGGEST
HE WAS POISONED OR DIED.
THE KREMLIN WANTS YOU TO KNOW
THE WAR LORD WHO SOME EXPERTS
SAY HAS A FATHER/SON
RELATIONSHIP WITH PUTIN, AND
MANY SAY IS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE
WAR, IS ALIVE.
MATTHEW CHANCE IS OUT FRONT.
>> Reporter: BEHIND THE DAILY
STRIKES AND INFORMATION WAR IS
RAGING, FUELING SPECULATION
ABOUT KEY RUSSIAN FIGURIES,
FORCING THE KREMLIN TO DISPEL
THE ROOTS, LIKE THOSE SWIRLING
AROUND HARD LINE CHEN YAN LEADER
SHOWN ON STATE TV MEETING PRUITT
AF
PRESIDENT PUTIN, AFTER RUMORS HE
WAS GRAVELY ILL.
I STRONGLY ADVISE ALL THOSE WHO
CAN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN TRUTH AND LIES ON THE
INTERNET TO GO FOR A WALK IN THE
FRESH AIR AND PUT THEIR THOUGHTS
IN ORDER, HE WROTE.
RUSSIA HAS BEEN BUSY DENYING
UKRAINIAN CLAIMS THAT A STRIKE
ON THE BLACK SEA FLEET
HEADQUARTERS KILLED DOZENS OF
RUSSIAN NAVAL OFFICERS,
INCLUDING THE OVERALL COMMANDER.
ADMIRAL VICTOR SOKOLOV SOON
APPEARED IN AN UNDATED VIDEO
CALL WITH RUSSIAN DEFENSE
OFFICIALS.
HIS STIFF APPEARANCE, THOUGH,
ONLY FUELED SPECULATION ABOUT
HIS CONDITION.
FINALLY, THE ADMIRAL IS SHOWN
HANDING OUT MEDALS TO THE
RUSSIAN NAVY SOCCER TEAM,
ANSWERING QUESTIONS, APPARENTLY
ON THE ATTACK, ALTHOUGH CNN
CAN'T VERIFY WHEN THE EVENT TOOK
PLACE.
>> Translator: COULD YOU PLEASE
TELL US IN A FEW WORDS WHAT
HAPPENED TO ASSURE RESIDENTS.
>> Translator: NOTHING HAPPENED
TO US.
LIFE GOES ON.
THE BLACK SEA FLEET IS CARRYING
OUT THE TASKS ASSIGNED BY THE
COMMAND.
>> Reporter: BUT PROMINENT
RUSSIANS DO HAVE A TENDENCY TO
OCCASIONALLY DROP FROM VIEW.
GENERAL SERGEYSERGEY, CALLED FO
REBELLION BACK IN JUNE.
MONTHS LATER IN SEPTEMBER, THIS
IMAGE WAS CIRCULATED, PURPORTING
TO SHOW HIM AND HIS WIFE OUT AND
ABOUT, TO DISPEL RUMORS OF HIS
ARREST.
AND RUSSIA'S DEFENSE MINISTER
SHORTLY AFTER THE FULL-SCALE
INVASION OF UKRAINE LAST YEAR
VANISHED FROM VIEW FOR OVER A
WEEK. EVENTUALLY POPPING BACK UP ON A
VIDEO CONFERENCE CALL WITH
PUTIN, A SIGN, PERHAPS, HE WAS
BACK IN FAVOR.
AND, ERIN, YOU KNOW, THE KREMLIN
WILL CRITICIZE THE REPORTS THAT
COME OUT FROM UKRAINE, FROM THE
WEST, ABOUT WHERE PEOPLE ARE AND
WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM.
BUT THE TRUTH IS IT'S SUCH AN
OPAQUE COUNTRY NOW, EVEN
RUSSIANS DON'T KNOW WHAT'S
REALLY GOING ON, SO THE WHOLE
COUNTRY IS RIFE WITH EXACTLY
THAT KIND OF SPECULATION.
>> PRIGOZHIN, THEN WAS HE ALIVE,
WAS HE NOT.
ANYTHING FOR A CONSPIRACY.
>> HE EMERGED WHEN HIS PLANE
CRASHED.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MATTHEW
CHANCE.
>> AND A BIG QUESTION TONIGHT
AROUND RUSSIA IS WHETHER THE
UNITED STATES CAN TRANSFER
$300 BILLION IN RUSSIAN ASSETS
TO UKRAINE, ALL OF THIS FROZEN
MONEY, RIGHT, JUST GIVE IT TO
UKRAINE.
THE RENOWNED CONSTITUTIONAL
EXPERT LAWRENCE TRIBE SAYS YES,
THEY CAN.
IT IS COMPLETELY LEGAL, AND IT
MUST BE DONE IMMEDIATELY.
"OUTFRONT" IS THE HARVARD LAW
SCHOOL PROFESSOR, LAWRENCE
TRIBE, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
YOU SPENT A LOT OF TIME THINKING
ABOUT THIS.
WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AT
BEGINNING OF THE WAR, CERTAINLY,
THE IMAGES OF THE YACHTS AND
FROZEN ASSETS, RIGHT NOW WE
UNDERSTAND THERE ARE ABOUT
$300 BILLION IN KNOWN FROZEN
RUSSIAN ASSETS SITTING IN
INTERNATIONAL BANKS.
THIS IS ACTUAL CASH THAT YOU'RE
REFERRING TO.
YOU SAY IT IS LEGAL TO GIVE THAT
MONEY TO UKRAINE, AND I BELIEVE
NOW. TELL ME WHY.
>> BASICALLY, THE INTERNATIONAL
EMERGENCY ECONOMIC POWERS ACT
THAT CONGRESS ENACTED MANY YEARS
AGO GAVE EXPLICIT POWER TO THE
AMERICAN PRESIDENT TO SEIZE AND
TRANSFER, AND THE WORD USED IN
THE STATUTE IS TRANSFER, FROZEN
ASSETS THAT HAVE BEEN FROZEN
PURSUANT TO SANCTIONS WHEN THE
PRESIDENT DECLARES THE RELEVANT
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC
EMERGENCY, AND BIDEN HAS DONE
THAT. SO IN MY VIEW, AND I HAVE
STUDIED IT WITH THE HELP OF
BRILLIANT LAWYERS AT THE LAW
FIRM OF HECKER AND FINK AT THE
REQUEST OF THE RENEWED DEMOCRACY
INITIATIVE, CONCLUDED AFTER SIX
MONTHS OF CAREFUL STUDY IS THAT
THERE IS JUST NO QUESTION ABOUT
THE PRESIDENT'S POWER IN THE
UNITED STATES TO TRANSFER THE 35
BILLION OR SO THAT ARE FROZEN
HERE, RATHER THAN JUST LETTING
THAT MONEY STAY IDLE.
AND ONCE THAT'S HAPPENED, THE
OTHER 300 FROZEN IN OTHER
COUNTRIES FROM CANADA TO VARIOUS
COUNTRIES IN EUROPE THAT CAN BE
RELEASED AS WELL, AND
TRANSFERRED TO UKRAINE.
YOU SHOWED IN EARLIER VIDEO THE
DEVASTATION IN UKRAINE.
IT'S THE RESULT OF AN
AGGRESSIVE, ILLEGAL WAR
DETERMINED TO BE A WAR OF
GENOCIDE.
PUTIN HIMSELF IS URN THE THREAT
OF ARREST SHOULD HE GO ANYWHERE
OUTSIDE OF RUSSIA, BASICALLY.
FOR ALL OF THIS MONEY TO SIMPLY
SIT THERE AND DO NOTHING WHILE
CHILDREN ARE KIDNAPPED AND
PEOPLE ARE MURDERED AND RAPED IS
AN OUTRAGE.
THAT'S WHY I THINK IT SHOULD BE
DONE NOW.
>> I DO WANT TO POINT OUT, BY
THE WAY, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT
$335 BILLION, WE KNOW SWISS
BANKS, A LOT OF OTHER PLACES,
I'M JUST POINTING OUT AS A
MATTER OF RECORD, THERE'S A LOT
MORE MONEY AND A LOT MORE THAT
CAN BE DONE IN TERMS OF FREEZING
ASSETS.
IT'S A SEPARATE POINT FROM WHAT
YOU'RE MAKING, BUT I THINK ONE
WORTH MAKING SO PEOPLE DON'T
FORGET.
I DO WANT TO JUST GIVE THE SIDE
HERE THAT MAYBE THIS ISN'T A
GOOD IDEA, THAT SOME HAVE PUT
FORTH.
BLOOMBERG EDITORIAL BOARD SAID A
MOVE YOU SUGGEST WOULD, QUOTE,
SET A LEGAL PRECEDENT, AND THEY
SAY, AND I QUOTE THEM, RESPECT
FOR STATE AND PRIVATE PROPERTIES
IS ESSENTIAL FOR MODERN ECONOMY,
THE U.S. AND EUROPE WOULD RISK
UNDERMINING, WHY WOULD GIVING
OTHER GOVERNMENTS AN INCENTIVE
TO TAKE PUNITIVE ACTION AGAINST
WESTERN INTERESTS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT
ARGUMENT THAT IT JUST INVITES
SORT OF A PAY BACK AND A BACK
AND FORTH THAT ENDS UP IN A
REALLY BAD PLACE FOR EVERYONE?
>> INTERNATIONAL LAW MAKES CLEAR
THAT WHEN THERE IS AN ILLEGAL
WAR OF AGGRESSION THAT ANNEXES A
SOVEREIGN STATE, THEN COUNTER
MEASURES ARE ENTIRELY
APPROPRIATE, AND IF WHAT THIS
DOES IS CREATE INCENTIVES FOR
OTHER COUNTRIES, NOT TO COMMIT
THE KIND OF ILLEGAL AGGRESSION
THAT RUSSIA HAS COMMITTED,
THAT'S JUST FINE.
A LOT OF HARD HEADED PEOPLE, BOB
ZELICK, THE FOREIGN PRESIDENT OF
THE WORLD BANK, THE FORMER
SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY HAVE
LOOKED INTO THIS WITH US, AND
HAVE CONCLUDED THAT THERE WOULD
NOT WITH BE A DESTABILIZING
EFFECT.
THERE WOULDN'T BE
DE-DOLLARIZATION.
THE INCENTIVES WOULD BE ENTIRELY
POSITIVE, SO ALL OF THE SQUARE
TACTICS ABOUT HOW THIS WOULD BE
DESTABILIZING, THEY'RE JUST NOT
TRUE. WHAT IS DESTABILIZING IS TO HAVE
A COUNTRY FOR THE FIRST TIME
SINCE WORLD WAR II BREAK THE
INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS AND
SIMPLY INVADE A NEIGHBOR, A
SOVEREIGN NEIGHBOR.
AND PRIVATE PROPERTY I'M
ADVOCATING THINKING, IT'S
ACTUALLY VERY COMPLICATED TO
TAKE THE PRIVATE YACHTS OF
OLIGARCHS, THAT'S ALL TIED UP IN
LITIGATION.
A NATION LIKE RUSSIA DOES NOT
HAVE PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS.
IT'S A SOVEREIGN, AND BECAUSE
IT'S A SOVEREIGN NATION, IT'S A
MATTER OF INTERNATIONAL
DIPLOMACY.
NOT A MATTER OF LAW.
THAT'S WHY CANADA, FOLLOWING THE
EXAMPLES THAT WE SET IN THIS
REPORT IS CONSIDERING NOT
INVOLVING THE COURTS AND THE
SEIZURES SO THAT THE JUDICIAL
O
OBSTACLES TO SEIZING THESE
ASSETS WILL NOT BE IN THE WAY.
YOU KNOW, I STUDIED THIS FOR
DECADES, AND I THINK THE ANSWER
IS CLEAR.
THE POWER OF THE EXECUTIVE
BRANCH TO ENGAGE IN FOREIGN
POLICY ALONG THESE LINES IN
ORDER TO DISCOURAGE ILLEGAL
AGGRESSION IS VERY CLEAR.
BOTH IN THE UNITED STATES AND IN
OTHER G7 COUNTRIES.
>> WELL, PROFESSOR, I APPRECIATE
YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU, SIR.
>> THANK YOU.