>> MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT IS THE UKRAINE FOREIGN MINISTER
DMYTRO KULEBA. HE'S CUT SHORT A TOUR OF
AFRICAN WORK HE APPEALS FOR THE CONTINENTS SUPPORT NOW MORE
THAN EVER. HE'S JOINING ME NOW.
WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM, A FOREIGN MINISTER.
>> IT'S MY PLEASURE -- LET ME ASK YOU WHAT'S --
YOU'RE TAKING TIME OUT OF A BUSY DAY.
WHAT CAN YOU SAY TO CONFIRM WHAT HAPPENS.
AND WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE THIS TIME?
>> THOUGH I'M AWAY BUT EVERYTHING LITERALLY HAPPENS IN
FRONT OF MY FAMILY IN KYIV. SOME PEOPLE WHO I KNOW IN KYIV.
MY KIDS WERE LITERALLY 800 METERS AWAY FROM THE BRIDGE.
THE RUSSIAN MICHEL HIT THE DOWNTOWN KYIV.
I KNOW A WOMAN WHO WAS KILLED BY RUSSIAN MISSILE AT A
CROSSROAD, LEAVING HER CHILD IN ORPHAN.
BECAUSE HER HUSBAND HAD BEEN KILLED SIX MONTHS AGO.
THESE ARE THE STORIES. DEATHS OF CIVILIANS, THREAT TO
CIVILIANS AND MASSIVE, MASSIVE DESTRUCTION OF ENERGY
INFRASTRUCTURE ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO MAKE THE LIFE OF
CIVILIANS AS DIFFICULT AS IT CAN BE.
>> YOU KEEP SAYING CIVILIANS. WHICH I ASSUME IS DELIBERATE.
OBVIOUSLY, THEY ARE TARGETS AND THEY ARE KILLED AND WOUNDED.
BUT WAS THERE ANY MILITARY INFRASTRUCTURE OR ANY OTHER
INFRASTRUCTURE. YOU MENTIONED ENERGY.
ANYTHING ELSE THAT THEY TARGETED?
AS OF >> NOW I'M AWARE THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF TARGETS WERE
ENERGY FACILITIES. WE STILL HAVE SOME PARTS OF
UKRAINE BLACKED OUT. AND I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY MAJOR
MILITARY FACILITY THAT WAS TARGETED.
IT WAS ONLY ENERGY FACILITIES AND CIVILIAN HOUSES, APARTMENT
BUILDING. THIS IS JUST A CROSSROAD INTO
DOWNTOWN KYIV. THERE SHOULD BE NO DOUBT THAT
THE GOAL OF THIS ATTACK WAS TO TERRORIZE PEACEFUL POPULATION
AND TO MAKE THEIR LIFE AS DIFFICULT AS POSSIBLE.
I'M PRETTY, SURE I'M CONFIDENT THAT THIS IS THE RESULT OF
PUTIN'S DEFEAT ON THE BATTLEGROUND.
WHEN HIS ARMY CANNOT BE UKRAINIAN ARMY.
HE CHOOSES TO TERRORIZE CIVILIANS IN RESPONSE AS
REVENGE. >> FOREIGN MINISTER, IT LOOKS
LIKE HE LASHED OUT SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED ON THE
BRIDGE OVER THE WEEKEND. DID UKRAINE DO THAT?
THEY BLAME YOU FOR THE ACT OF TERRORISM AND THEY ACCUSE YOUR
SECURITY SERVICES INTELLIGENCE SERVICES OF BEING BEHIND THIS
PLOT. DID UKRAINE DO THIS?
>> LET'S START BY SAYING THAT RUSSIA BLAMES UKRAINE FOR BEING
UKRAINE. RUSSIA FINDS THIS GUILTY
BECAUSE WE EXIST. THIS IS THE STARTING POINT.
I THINK THAT THE NARRATIVE TO SAY THAT UKRAINE NEEDS TO BE
BLAMED FOR SOMETHING IS WRONG AND MISLEADING.
I'M NOT BLAMING YOU PERSONALLY ABOUT THIS IS SOMETHING I'M
HEARING SINCE 24TH OF FEBRUARY. AS REGARDS TO THE BRIDGE.
I'M TRAVELING I HAVE NO ACCESS TO CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
FROM HERE. SO I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHO BLEW
UP THE BRIDGE. I WOULDN'T EXCLUDE --
SOMETHING HAPPENING INSIDE OF RUSSIA BECAUSE THIS BRIDGE IS
SO HEAVILY PROTECTED FROM ALL SIDES.
AGAIN, AS LONG AS THEY DON'T HAVE INFORMATION TO OUR
INTELLIGENCE, IT WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO CLEARLY
SAY WHAT HAPPENS. OTHERS HAVE SUGGESTED THAT
PRESIDENT PUTIN IS LASHING OUT EMOTIONALLY.
THERE ARE LOTS OF ARTICLES THAT ARE BEGINNING TO SAY THAT
TODAY. AND THAT PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED,
THERE ARE MOUNTING CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT HE MIGHT KEEP DOING
AND WHY KEEP ESCALATING. DO YOU AGREE THAT THERE IS AN
ESCALATORY LADDER UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW AND WILL WHAT
HAPPENED AROUND YOUR COUNTRY TODAY CAUSE YOU TO RETHINK YOUR
OFFENSIVES AND YOUR COUNTER OFFENSIVES TO LIBERATE YOUR
TERRITORIES OUT OF UNOCCUPIED AND SEIZED?
>> NO WAY. NOTHING.
WHATEVER HE DOES, WHATEVER HE DOES, WE WILL CONTINUE TO
LIBERATE OUR TERRITORY. I WANT TO UNDERSTAND A VERY
SIMPLE THING. THIS IS THE WAR FOR THE
EXISTENCE OF UKRAINE. THIS IS THE WAR FOR THE
EXISTENCE OF INTERNATIONAL LAW AND RULE-BASED ORDER.
SO HE MAY ESCALATE, HE MAY DO WHATEVER HE WANTS.
WE WERE GOING TO CONTINUE FIGHTING.
THAT'S EXACTLY WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
-- WHAT DO YOU NEED SPECIFICALLY.
WE HEAR SOME OF YOUR UKRAINIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS MILITARY
OFFICIALS -- TALKING ABOUT A NEED FOR MUCH
MORE REGULAR SUPPLY OF ARTILLERY AND AMMUNITION.
FOR AIR DEFENSES, WE UNDERSTAND YOUR PRESIDENT SPOKE TO THE
PRESIDENT OF FRANCE. AND RAISED THE ISSUE OF AIR
DEFENSES. ET CETERA, TANKS, ARMORED
PERSONNEL CARRIERS, NOT TO MENTION WINTER UNIFORMS IN
ORDER TO BE ABLE TO FIGHT THE VERY COLD MONTHS AHEAD.
WHAT DO YOU NEED RIGHT NOW ESPECIALLY AS YOU SEE WHAT'S
JUST HAPPENED? >> I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY MORE
CIVILIANS HAVE TO DIE. HOW MANY MORE CITIES HAVE TO BE
DESTROYED FOR ALL THE COUNTRIES WHO POSSESS AIR DEFENSE AN ANTI
MISSILE DEFENSE WEAPONS TO SHARE THEM WITH US.
AND WE ARE READY TO ENGAGE IN DIFFERENT MODELS OF SHARING.
WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR CIVILIANS.
IF WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT WE ARE ABLE TO PROTECT THEM WE WILL BE
EVEN MORE SUCCESSFUL ON THE BATTLEGROUND.
THE ONLY FIELD -- THEATER IN THIS WAR WHERE
RUSSIA HAS MORE ADVANTAGES THAN WE DO IS MISSILE DEFENSE.
THIS IS REALLY THE PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE TO ADDRESS IMMEDIATELY.
AND IN EVERY CONVERSATION THAT I HAD TODAY, EVERY SINGLE
CONVERSATION WHEN INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS.
I MADE THAT POINT CLEAR. THEY ARE AN ANTI MISSILE
DEFENSE NUMBER ONE. IT'S TRUE WE ARE FIGHTING A WAR
YOU NEED EVERYTHING. LITERALLY, FOR ME TO Z.
BUT WE WANT TO PROTECT CIVILIANS.
WE WANT TO PROTECT CITIES. IF WE DO THAT, WE WILL KNOW
THAT EVERYTHING IS SAFE IN OUR --
WE WILL MOVE FORWARD. >> YOU'VE BEEN IN AFRICA.
YOU'RE TRYING TO GET SUPPORT FROM THE CONTINENT.
YOUR CUTTING SHORT YOUR TRIP TO GO BACK TO DEAL WITH THIS
CRISIS. AFRICA AND MANY OTHER PARTS OF
THE WORLD THE GLOBAL SOUTH AS YOU KNOW BETTER THAN I DO HAVE
NOT JOINED THE SANCTIONS AGAINST RUSSIA.
THEY'VE BEEN SUSCEPTIBLE TO VLADIMIR PUTIN'S NARRATIVE.
PARTICULARLY ON THE FOOD POVERTY.
EVEN THE HEAD OF THE AFRICAN UNION.
REPEATED WHAT PRESIDENT PUTIN SAID ABOUT --
IT'S THE WAR, IT'S UKRAINE. IT IS HOLDING UP GRAIN EVEN
THOUGH THERE ARE NO SANCTIONS AGAINST THAT.
HAVE YOU HAD ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF WHAT JUST HAPPENED
ANYTHING THAT MAKES YOU FEEL THAT AFRICA OR OTHER COUNTRIES
THAT ARE RELUCTANT MIGHT BACK YOU MORE NOW >> YES BUT WE NEED
TO TALK MORE WITH THEM. I CAN TELL YOU ONE STORY JUST
TO GIVE YOU A GLIMPSE OF THIS ENGAGEMENT HERE.
THE NARRATIVE THAT RUSSIA HELPS AFRICA A LOT IS QUITE
WIDESPREAD HERE ACROSS THE CONTINENT.
AND WHEN YOU MAKE IT A POINT THAT RUSSIA IS NOT EVEN CLOSE
ON THE LIST OF INVESTORS OR PROVIDERS OF HUMANITARIAN AID
TO AFRICA. AND THE BIGGEST INVESTMENT IS
MADE IN AFRICA IS THE -- THAT CHANGES THE OPTICS.
AND THAT MAKES PEOPLE THINK. BUT WE HAVE TO TALK WITH THEM.
WE HAVE TO CONVINCE THEM AND WE HAVE TO TELL THE TRUTH.
ABOUT, IT'S SO IT WILL TAKE TIME.
I'M SURE THAT THEY WILL BE CHANGING POSITIONS.
>> DO YOU EXPECT TO NATO AND OTHER ALLIES WHO ARE FIRMLY GOT
YOUR BACK. THERE IS GOING TO BE APPARENTLY
AN EMERGENCY G7 CALL TOMORROW BETWEEN LEADERS INCLUDING YOUR
PRESIDENT. THERE IS GOING TO BE A PLANNED
NATO DEFENSE MINISTER IS MEETING.
TOWARDS THE END OF THIS WEEK. GIVEN WHAT HAPPENED TODAY.
GIVEN -- WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING?
>> SO MY PRESIDENT HAS HELD A NUMBER OF INTERNATIONAL CALLS
TODAY. I AM SPEAKING WITH FOREIGN
MINISTERS IN -- G7 SUMMIT WILL BE TOMORROW WITH
THE PARTICIPATION OF PRESENTS A LANDSCAPE.
THERE WILL BE A LOT OF INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENTS.
WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS DECISIONS.
WE APPRECIATE EVERY WORD OF CONDEMNATION AND EVERYWHERE TO
SUPPORT. THIS IS REALLY HELPFUL.
YOU CANNOT WIN THE WAR ONLY WITH WORDS.
YOU NEED WEAPONS, YOU NEED HARDWARE.
AND YOU NEED FURTHER ISOLATION OF RUSSIA THROUGH SANCTIONS.
THROUGH A VERY SIMPLE DECISION NOT TO SHAKE HANDS OF PRESIDENT
PUTIN. ALL OF THESE THINGS.
THEY MUST HAPPEN. SOONER OR LATER, THEY MUST BE
HAPPENING AND THESE ATTACKS THAT OCCURRED TODAY.
THEY ACTUALLY MAKE A VERY STRONG POINT THAT ALL OF THIS
HAS TO HAPPEN SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.