A BEAUTIFUL SHOT OF LOWER
MANHATTAN AS WE CONTINUE OUR
COVERAGE.
NOW, SEVERAL WELL-KNOWN U.S.
COMPANIES CONTINUE TO OPERATE IN
RUSSIA DESPITE INCREASED
PRESSURE TO HALT OPERATIONS
THERE OVER THE INVASION IN
UKRAINE.
MOST U.S. FOOD COMPANIES AND
FAST FOOD CHAINS, EVERYTHING
FROM McDONALD'S TO COCA-COLA TO
PIZZA HUT TO STARBUCKS HAVE
REMAINED OPEN IN RUSSIA BECAUSE
MOST OF THEIR LOCATIONS ARE
OPERATED BY FRANCHISES THERE.
HOWEVER, "THE NEW YORK TIMES"
REPORTS, QUOTE, UNLIKE OTHER
CHAINS McDONALD'S OWNS THE VAST
MAJORITY OF ITS 847 RESTAURANTS
IN RUSSIA.
McDONALD'S HAS MADE NO STATEMENT
ABOUT THE INVASION, AND A
COMPANY SPOKESMAN DID NOT
RESPOND TO QUESTIONS BY THE
PAPER.
STARBUCKS MEANWHILE CONDEMNED
THE UNPROVOKED, UNJUST AND
HORRIFIC ATTACKS ON UKRAINE AND
SAID THE COMPANY WOULD DONATE
ANY ROYALTIES IT RECEIVES FROM
ITS OPERATIONS IN RUSSIA TO
HUMANITARIAN RELIEF EFFORTS IN
UKRAINE ALONG WITH OTHER
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS.
WILLIE.
>> IN AN EFFORT TO IMPOSE
HARSHER SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA,
SOME MEMBERS OF THE UKRAINIAN
GOVERNMENT ARE PLANNING TO URGE
U.S. CONGRESS TO IMPOSE STRICTER
PENALTIES ON COMPANIES THAT PAY
TAXES IN UKRAINE -- IN RUSSIA,
EXCUSE ME.
"THE WASHINGTON POST" REPORTS
UKRAINIAN LEADERS ARE EXPECTED
TO DELIST ALL SUCH U.S.
CORPORATIONS FROM THE STOCK
EXCHANGE.
THEY WANT THE AMERICAN
GOVERNMENT TO FREEZE THE ASSETS
OF ALL RUSSIAN OLIGARCHS ON THE
FORBES 100 LIST IF THEY DO NOT
DENOUNCE RUSSIAN PRESIDENT
VLADIMIR PUTIN WITHIN 48 HOURS.
JOINING US, MARION ZABLOSKI.
YOU HAVE BP, EXXON, SHELL, GM,
CREDIT CARD COMPANIES, NETFLIX,
TIKTOK, ALL MANNER OF COMPANIES
THAT HAVE CEASED OPERATIONS IN
RUSSIA.
WHAT SPECIFICALLY MORE WOULD YOU
LIKE TO SEE?
>> WELL, WE ARE GRATEFUL TO
THOSE COMPANIES THAT HAVE LEFT
THE RUSSIAN MARKET, AND IN
PRINCIPLE WEIGH HAVE NO PROBLEM
WITH RUSSIANS EATING JUNK FOOD
FROM McDONALD'S, DRINKING COLA,
SMOKING CIGARETTES.
IN FACT, THAT'S ALL WE WISH FOR
THE ARMY TO EAT AND CONSUME.
THE LESS HEALTHY THE BETTER.
WE HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE TAXES
THEY'VE PAID TO THE STATE BUDGET
OF RUSSIA.
PARTS OF THE MONEY GO TO THE
MILITARY AND IT IS BEING BAD FOR
THIS, WEAPONRY THAT KILL OUR
PEOPLE, KILL INNOCENT CHILDREN.
IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES WE THINK
IT IS IMMORAL FOR ANY FOREIGN
BUSINESS TO PAY ANY RUSSIAN
TAXES.
>> OBVIOUSLY RUSSIA DEPENDS SO
MUCH ON OIL AND GAS FOR ITS
PROFITS AND TO FUEL THE WAR
FRANKLY.
WE SAW SHELL STEP AWAY FROM
RUSSIA TODAY.
THERE'S BEEN SOME TALK IN THE
UNITED STATES CONGRESS AND INTO
THE WHITE HOUSE NOW ABOUT
BANNING THE IMPORT OF RUSSIAN
OIL AND GAS INTO THE UNITED
STATES.
IS THAT A STEP YOU WOULD LIKE TO
SEE?
>> DEFINITELY.
RUSSIA CANNOT THREATEN ANYONE
UNLESS IT HAS ADDITIONAL
INCOMES.
CURRENTLY JUST BECAUSE OF THEIR
ACTIONS.
I KNOW THEIR OIL IS BEING SOLD
AT A DISCOUNT SO THEY'RE NOT
FULLY ABLE TO PROFIT FROM THE
INCREASE IN ENERGY PRICES, BUT I
THINK THIS IS ALSO THE LESSON
FROM THE FUTURE.
YOU CANNOT HAVE STABLE TIES WITH
TYRANTS, WITH PEOPLE WHO ORDER
THE KILLING OF THEIR OPPONENTS
BECAUSE SOONER OR LATER THEY
WILL HAVE TO CUT TIES WITH THEM.
EVERYTHING SHOULD BE DONE TO
LOWER DEPENDENCE ON THEM AND IT
SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE IN THE
PAST.
>> MUCH OF THE WORLD, AND
ESPECIALLY THE UNITED STATES,
THE PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES,
STAND IN AWE OF THE COURAGE AND
RESILIENCE OF THE EUROPEAN
PEOPLE AND THE EUROPEAN ARMY.
YOU HAVE BEEN AT THIS WAR FOR A
COUPLE OF WEEKS.
YOU ARE VASTLY OUT MANNED BUT
YOU HAVE MANAGED TO KEEP THE
RUSSIANS FROM CAPTURING KEY
CITIES LIKE KYIV AND YOU HAVE
CAPTURED RUSSIAN SOLDIERS.
A COUPLE HAVE BEEN FEATURED IN
THE AMERICAN NEWS MEDIA TALKING
ABOUT THEIR TRAVAILS, THE FACT
THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT THEY WERE
CHARGED WITH DOING.
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE
RUSSIAN ARMY YOU ARE FACING
STILL EVERY DAY, EVERY HOUR OF
EVERY DAY?
>> FIRST OF ALL, WE ARE NOT OUT
MANNED.
WE ARE OUTGUNNED AND OUT
FLANKED.
SO RUSSIA'S MILITARY
EXPENDITURES ARE TEN TIMES THAT
OF UKRAINE SO THEY HAVE MORE
EQUIPMENT AND THEY'RE TRYING TO
SHOOT FROM THE AIR.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE ASKING FOR
FIGHTER JETS TO BE DELIVERED TO
UKRAINE FOR MORE AIR DEFENSES
AND THE POSSIBILITY OF THE
NO-FLY ZONE.
BUT, YES, FROM THE VERY
BEGINNING WE KNEW THAT, THE
MORALE OF OUR SOLDIERS WOULDN'T
BE VERY HIGH BECAUSE LITERALLY
THEIR FAMILIES STAY IN KYIV AND
THERE'S NO STOPPING BACK.
IT DOES NOT COMPARE TO THE MORAL
OF SOME RANDOM RUSSIAN GUY WHO
HAS $500 SALARY PER MONTH AND
GIVEN UNCLEAR ORDERS.
OF COURSE THE MORALE IS MORE ON
OUR SIDE.
>> HE IS CALLING, WITH MANY OF
HIS COLLEAGUES, TO STOP AMERICAN
INVESTMENT INTO THE NATION OF