>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY!
WELCOME BACK.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY GUEST TONIGHT IS A CNN ANCHOR AND A
"60 MINUTES" CORRESPONDENT.
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW," ANDERSON COOPER!
♪ ♪ ♪
NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
I LIKE CASUAL ANDERSON.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: WE DON'T ALWAYS GET CASUAL ANDERSON.
>> I DECIDED THAT'S WHO I'M GOING FOR.
>> Stephen: VERY NICE.
THE DECISION ABOUT THE COLLAR-- INSIDE THE SWEATER, OUTSIDE THE
SWEATER.
>> Stephen: ORIGINALLY I WAS GOING TO WEAR A WHITE T-SHIRT
UNDER THIS.
AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, FOR STEPHEN, I'M GOING TO WEAR A
COLLARED SHIRT.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU.
>> I QUESTIONED WHETHER I SHOULD HAVE A TIE OR NOT, BUT I SAID,
YOU KNOW, WHAT?
WE'RE SORT OF STILL IN COVID.
YOU CAN'T EXPECT EVERYTHING.
>> Stephen: THAT'S AN INSTANT MASK IF YOU NEED IT.
THAT'S WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE TIE.
LAST TIME I SPOKE TO YOU, YOU WERE IN UKRAINE.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: AND WE ALL SEE THE TERRIBLE NEWS COMING FROM THERE.
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO, HAVING BEEN ON LOCATION AND SEEING WHAT'S
GOING ON IN A COUNTRY UNDER THIS MONSTROUS INVASION, AND THEN TO
COME BACK TO THE UNITED STATES TO SORT OF WHAT YOU MIGHT CALL
NORMAL LIFE?
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: FOR YOU AND ALL THE OTHER JOURNALISTS WHO HAVE
GONE OVER THERE FROM CNN.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: WHAT IS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE?
>> IT'S ALWAYS HARD.
I MEAN, THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT YOU CAN BE IN ONE PLACE
WHERE HORRIFIC THINGS ARE HAPPENING AND GET ON A PLANE AND
IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME BE BACK HERE WHERE LIFE GOES ON AS
NORMAL, AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE PAYING ATTENTION AND PEOPLE
KNOW ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON, BUT IT'S-- IT'S A VERY STRANGE
THING.
YOU FEEL GUILTY ABOUT LEAVING A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE ARE
SUFFERING, AND THEN -- >> Stephen: KNOWING THEY CAN'T
LEAVE.
>> RIGHT, KNOWING THEY CAN'T LEAVE, AND THAT YOU HAVE THIS
LUXURY OF BEING ABLE TO DROP IN AND LEAVE AND COME BACK TO YOUR
FAMILY AND, YOU KNOW, MY KIDS AR PROVIDED FOR AND MY FRIENDS
AREN'T, YOU KNOW, BURYING THEIR PARENTS IN THEIR BACK BACKYARDSD
THEY'RE NOT-- WE'RE NOT AT RISK OF HAVING OUR BUILDINGS BLOWN UP
AT NIGHT.
ALL OF THAT-- IT'S A STRANGE THING TO KIND OF GO BETWEEN.
>> Stephen: LET'S TALK ABOUT THE HEARTBREAKING IMAGES WE'RE
SEEING OUT OF BUCHA THIS WEEK.
AND THE CLEAR WAR CRIMES BEING PERPETRATED BY PUTIN'S FORCES
OVER THERE.
DO YOU THINK THAT THAT WILL ACTUALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN
THE INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE?
HAVE YOU HEARD ANY OF THAT IN YOUR REPORTING?
>> I DON'T THINK IT CHANGES THE FACTS ON THE GROUND IN TERMS OF
WHAT THE U.S. LEVEL OF SUPPORT IS.
OBVIOUSLY, WHAT IS HAPPENING, THE IMAGAGES THAT HAVE COME OUT
OF THIS TOWN BUCHA AND THINGS LIKELY HAPPENING IN OTHER TOWNS
AS WELL THAT RUSSIA HAS OCCUPIED, IT IS HORRIFIC, AND IT
CERTAINLY IS EVIDENCE OF WAR CRIMES.
AND THERE ARE ALREADY PROSECUTORS ON THE GROUND IN
UKRAINE LOOKING INTO THAT AND PEOPLE GATHERING EVIDENCE
SCPAWLT PICTURES WE SEE ON THE NEWS, ALL OF THAT IS POTENTIAL
EVIDENCE IN AN INTERNATIONAL WAR CRIMES TRIAL, WHICH IS, YOU
KNOW, VERY POSSIBLE SOME TIME PROBABLY IN THE VERY DISTANT
FUTURE.
I MEAN, USUALLY THESE THINGS TAKE A LONG TIME.
AND THERE'S NO WAY TO, YOU KNOW, ARREST VLADIMIR PUTIN AS LONG AS
HE STAYS IN RUSSIA.
BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT IT CHANGES THE WILLINGNESS OF THE U.S. TO,
YOU KNOW, TO PROVIDE DIFFERENT FORM OF WEAPONRY OR PROVIDE
DIFFERENT KINDS OF SUPPORT ON THE GROUND OR EUROPEAN COUNTRY
S.
>> Stephen: SO WE-- WE HERE IN THE UNITED STATES AND IN
WESTERN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICS, HAVE ACCESS TO THAT INFORMATION.
FROM WHAT YOU KNOW OF YOUR CONTACTS IN RUSSIA AND THE
PEOPLE THAT YOU'VE SPOKEN TO OVER IN UKRAINE, WHAT ARE THE
RUSSIAN PEOPLE GETTING?
AND HOW IRONCLAD IS THIS BUBBLE THEY'RE IN?
>> THEY'RE IN A BUBBLE.
THEY'RE-- THEY'RE -- YOU KNOW, UNLESS YOU HAVE ACCESS TO A
V.P.N. LINE AND CAN GET INFORMATION THAT'S NOT
ACCESSIBLE TO ORDINARY RUSSIANS, YOUR NEWS IS SILOED IN RUSSIA.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM VLADIMIR PUTIN, AND THERE
ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE EVEN, IF THEY KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON IN
UKRAINE, WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF IT IN RUSSIA BECAUSE THEY
SUPPORT PUTIN AND THEY BELIEVE HIS PORTRAYAL OF EVENTS ON THE
GROUND THERE.
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY UKRAINIANS I SPOKE TO WHO HAVE A
PARENT IN RUSSIA, AND THEY'VE CALLED UP THEIR PARENT FROM A
BOMB SHELTER, YOU KNOW, AS THEIR BUILDING IS BEING DESTROYED TO
SAY-- YOU KNOW, TELL THEIR PARENT WHAT IS HAPPENING.
AND THE PARENT DOESN'T BELIEVE THEM, BECAUSE THE PARENT WATCHES
RUSSIAN NEWS AND THINKS , YOU KNOW, "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING
ABOUT?
THERE'S NO REASON YOU NEED TO BE IN A BOMB SHELTER.
THEY'RE NOT ATTACKING CIVILIANS."
IT'S EXTRAORDINARY IN THIS DAY AND AGE HOW INFORMATION CAN
STILL BE SILOED.
I MEAN, LOOK, WE HAVE PLENTY OF PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY WHO
BELIEVE THE LAST ELECTION WAS STOLEN AND ATTACKING THE CAPITOL
WAS TOTALLY LEGITIMATE.
SO MISINFORMATION IS EVERYWHERE
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A-- PEOPLE HAVE THE ACCESS TO INFORMATION
HERE IF THEY WANT IT.
THEY'RE JUST CHOOSING NOT TO BELIEVE IT.
THERE, PEOPLE DO NOT EVEN HAVE ACCESS.
>> Stephen: WHAT ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE SANCTIONS OVER IN
RUSSIA?
WE HEARD TODAY THAT THE ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCED EVEN
MORE ECONOMIC SANCTIONS.
>> RIGHT.
>> Stephen: SOME INDIVIDUALS, SOME BANKING INSTITUTIONS.
>> VLADIMIR PUTIN'S TWO ACKNOWLEDGED DAUGHTER S.
>> Stephen: EXACTLY.
DO WE HAVE ANY SENSE OF-- THEY'RE TRYING TO FORCE, IT
SEEMS, THEY'RE TRYING TO FORCE A DEFAULT BY RUSSIA.
REALLY IT WOULD BE ABSOLUTE CRUSHING.
IT COULD CRUSH THEIR ECONOMY FOR A DECADE.
IT'S ALREADY IN PRETTY BAD SHAPE.
RUSSIA IS ALREADY THE POOREST EUROPEAN COUNTRY.
DO WE HAVE ANY SENSE OF, "A," WHO THAT IS MOSTLY AFFECTING?
AND "B" WHETHER THAT HAS ANY EFFECT?
CAN THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE IN ANY WAY MANAGE UP?
>> LOOK, THEY'VE IMPOSED HUGE SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA, INFLATION
IT RUSSIA -- >> Stephen: UNPRECEDENTED
SANCTIONS AND FASTER THAN EVER.
>> YES, ABSOLUTELY TRUE, AND EUROPE IS MORE UNIFIED, YOU
KNOW, WITH THE UNITED STATES, THE NATO ALLIANCE STRONGER THAN
EVER BEFORE.
YOU KNOW, IN THIS, AS FOR NOW, BUT LOOK, THE SANCTIONS-- THE
INFLATION IS GOING THROUGH THE ROOF IN RUSSIA.
I SAW SOME ESTIMATES OF IT'S GONE UP 2% EACH WEEK,s WHICH
IS, YOU KNOW, PRETTY CRUSHING.
THAT BEING SAID, RUSSIA MAKES ABOUT $1 BILLION A DAY FROM OIL
AND GAS SALES, MOSTLY TO EUROPEAN NATIONS.
AND THE SANCTIONS HAVE NOT ATTACKED THOSE SALES SOAP AS
LONG AS RUSSIA IS MAKING $1 BILLION A DAY, THAT'S WHAT'S
FUNDING THE WAR.
AND THAT'S NOT AN EASY SOLUTION TO FIX.
>> Stephen: THAT'S LIKE SAYING I'M GOING TO BOYCOTT THIS GAS
STATION BY NOT BUYING THE AIR FRESHENER.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: AND STILL GET THE GAS THERE.
>> THE UNITED STATES DOESN'T WANT ENERGY PRICES TO RISE
AROUND THE WORLD, BECAUSE THAT WILL FUEL INFLATION HERE.
SO THE UNITED STATES HAS, YOU KNOW, REASONS TO NOT GO AFTER
ENERGY SALES FROM RUSSIA FULLY.
AND ALSO TO KEEP THE EUROPEAN ALLIES TOGETHER, EUROPE-- MANY
EUROPEAN COUNTRIES RECEIVE A LARGE AMOUNT OF THEIR OIL AND
GAS, OR EVEN NATURAL GAS FROM RUSSIA.
AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IF YOU WANT TO
KEEP THE ALLIANCE TOGETHER, THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO GIVE UP SO
EASILY.
SO THAT MONEY IS STILL FLOWING INTO RUSSIA.
WHATEVER THE SANCTIONS ARE-- THEY CERTAINLY HAVE BEEN VERY,
VERY HURTFUL TO THE RUSSIAN ECONOMY-- THERE IS STILL A LOT
OF MONEY COMING INTO MOSCOW.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A BREAK.
BUT WHEN WE COME BACK, I WILL ASK ANDERSON COOPER ABOUT LIFE
WITH HIS NEW SON SEBASTIAN.
STICK AROUND.