BACKING DOWN.
THAT'S FOR SURE.
THANK YOU.
AND JUST IN THE LAST HOUR, I
SPOKE WITH DEPUTY SECRETARY OF
STATE WENDY SHERMAN ABOUT
UKRAINE AND THE ESCALATING
DIPLOMATIC CLASH NOW WITH RUSSIA
OVER WAR CRIMES.
MADAME SECRETARY, THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR BEING WITH US.
VERY DIFFICULT TIMES RIGHT NOW
BETWEEN THE U.S. AND RUSSIA OVER
UKRAINE.
NOW, RUSSIA SAYS THAT THEY
SUMMONED OUR AMBASSADOR IN
MOSCOW, AND BASICALLY THREATENED
HIM WITH BREAKING RELATIONS
BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT CALLED
VLADIMIR PUTIN A WAR CRIMINAL. WHAT'S OUR RESPONSE?
WHAT'S OUR RESPONSE?
>> WELL, OUR RESPONSE IS THAT
VULT
VLADIMIR PUTIN HAS BEEN DOING
HORRIBLE THINGS TO THE PEOPLE OF
UKRAINE.
THERE'S NO ONE WHO WATCHES YOUR
PROGRAM OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT'S
ON TELEVISION THAT DOESN'T SEE
ONE HORRIFIC INCIDENT AFTER
ANOTHER.
WE'VE ALL WATCHED THE SIEGE OF
MARIUPOL.
WE'VE ALL WATCHED THE BRAVERY OF
THE UKRAINIAN PEOPLE.
I HEARD A STORY TODAY, ANDREA,
OF A 96-YEAR-OLD MAN WHO
SURVIVED THE HOLOCAUST, AND WAS
KILLED BY VLADIMIR PUTIN'S WAR
OF CHOICE AND WAR OF CARNAGE.
I THINK THAT WE ALL HAVE SEEN
WHAT WE HAVE SEEN.
WE KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING AND
VLADIMIR PUTIN IS RESPONSIBLE.
>> IF RUSSIA WERE TO BREAK
RELATIONS WITH THE U.S.,
WOULDN'T THAT MEAN CLOSING OUR
EMBASSY?
>> IT MAY INDEED MEAN CLOSING
OUR EMBASSY.
I DON'T WANT TO GET AHEAD OF
THREATS OR HYPOTHETICALS HERE.
WE THINK IT'S IMPORTANT ALWAYS
TO MAINTAIN DIPLOMATIC
RELATIONSHIPS BECAUSE THAT'S A
METHOD OF COMMUNICATIONS AND
THAT'S PARTICULARLY CRITICAL IN
THIS CIRCUMSTANCE, BUT THAT
SAID, I THINK THAT WHAT WE'RE
SEEING BY THAT MESSAGE, IF THAT
IS INDEED WHAT'S BEEN CONVEYED
TO AMBASSADOR SULLIVAN THIS
MORNING, YOU'RE AHEAD OF ME ON
THAT, IT JUST SHOWS HOW
DESPERATE PRUITT
DESPERATE PRESIDENT PUTIN IS
BECOMING BECAUSE HIS MILITARY
HAS NOT OPERATED IN THE WAY HE'D
HOPED.
HE CERTAINLY WAS NOT RECEIVED
WITH OPEN ARMS, WHICH IS WHAT HE
TOLD THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE.
PRESIDENT SEARCH,ZELENSKYY, THE
OF UKRAINE ARE JUST RESILIENT,
EXTRAORDINARY, AND THEY'RE GOING
TO KEEP DEFENDING THEIR
SOVEREIGNTY, TERRITORIAL
INTEGRITY, AND THEIR RIGHT TO
MAKE THEIR OWN CHOICES ABOUT
THEIR FUTURE.
WE STAND UNITED WITH THEM AND
HELPING THEM IN EVERY WAY WE CAN
BY PROVIDING MILITARY
ASSISTANCE, OF COURSE, THROUGH
WEAPONS, AS HAVE MANY MANY MANY
OTHER COUNTRIES AS WELL AS
HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE, WHILE
AT THE SAME TIME IMPOSING COSTS
ON VLADIMIR PUTIN SO THAT HE
THINKS AND PERHAPS WILL CHANGE
HIS CALCULUS AND DEESCALATE AND
MOVE FOR PEACE.
>> I JUST FOR CONTEXT HERE, I
DON'T BELIEVE THAT ANYTIME FROM
THE COLD WAR FROM THE HUMAN
MISSILE CRISIS THROUGH RONALD
REAGAN CALLING THE FORMER SOVIET
UNION AN EVIL EMPIRE, I DON'T
THINK THEY EVER THREATENED TO
BREAK DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS OR
SUGGESTED THIS WAS THE FIRST
STEP TOWARD SEVERING RELATIONS.
>> THEY CERTAINLY DIDN'T DO THAT
DURING THE COLD WAR AS YOU
CORRECTLY NOTE.
WE'VE BEEN HAVING A VERY TOUGH
TIME IN TERMS OF OUR EMBASSY
STAFF AND PERSONNEL FOR MANY
MONTHS, EVEN BEFORE THE INVASION
IN UKRAINE WHERE, IN FACT, WE
WERE NO LONGER ALLOWED TO HAVE
LOCALLY EMPLOYED STAFF.
WE HAD TO GET OUR OWN SUPPORT
STAFF.
VERY VERY STRESSFUL
RELATIONSHIP.
I HOPE THAT PRESIDENT PUTIN
DOESN'T TAKE THIS STEP.
IT WOULD NOT BE TO HIS
ADVANTAGE, AND IT WOULD NOT BE
HIS INTEREST, BUT HE KEEPS
MAKING DECISIONS THAT ARE NOT IN
HIS INTEREST.
THE RUBLE IS ALMOST WORTHLESS.
THE STOCK MARKET HAS BEEN CLOSED
FOR SOME TIME.
THE ECONOMY IS HURTING BADLY.
PEOPLE CANNOT GET WHAT THEY WANT
IN THE STORES, AND THE RUSSIAN
PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THE TRUTH,
THAT THIS WAS A CHOICE BY
VLADIMIR PUTIN, UKRAINE WAS NOT
THREATENING RUSSIA IN ANY WAY
WHATSOEVER.
THIS IS NOT A WAR AGAINST THE
RUSSIAN PEOPLE.
THIS IS A WAR OF CHOICE THAT
THEIR PRESIDENT MADE ON THEIR
BEHALF AND TO THEIR DISADVANTAGE
AND TO THE HORROR OF THE ENTIRE
WORLD.
>> WHAT WOULD THE U.S. DO IF
RUSSIA WERE TO USE CHEMICAL
WEAPONS AGAINST THE PEOPLE OF
UKRAINE THE WAY THEY HAVE USED
CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS
BEFORE, AND SUPPORTED ASSAD AND
SYRIA DOING THE SAME?
>> WELL, THIS WILL CERTAINLY BE
ON THE AGENDA WHEN THE PRESIDENT
TRAVELS TO BRUSSELS LATER THIS
WEEK, AND THEN ON TO POLAND.
HE WILL BE MEETING WITH NATO
ALLIES, WITH THE EUROPEAN
COUNCIL, AND WITH THE G7, AND
OUR CONCERN ABOUT THE USE OF
CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS
WILL CERTAINLY BE ON THAT
AGENDA.
WE ARE VERY CONCERNED THAT
PRESIDENT PUTIN MAY DECIDED TO
THIS OUT OF DESPERATION.
HE CERTAINLY HAS USED WEAPONS IN
THE PAST ON INDIVIDUALS TO
ATTEND ASSASSINATIONS BY
POISONING PEOPLE IN SUPPORT OF
ASSAD'S BRUTALITY IN SYRIA.
SO WE ARE QUITE CONCERNED ABOUT
THIS, AND THE PRESIDENT HAS
SAID, SECRETARY BLINKEN HAS
SAID, WE HAVE ALL SAID IN OUR
DISCUSSIONS WITH THE MEDIA THAT
THERE WILL BE SEVERE COSTS TO
RUSSIA SHOULD THEY TAKE SUCH A
HORRIBLE ACTION.
>> THE NATO LEADER, JENS
STOLTENBERG SAID YESTERDAY ON
"MEET THE PRESS" THAT AS
HORRIBLE AS THAT WOULD BE, THE
REAL FOCUS OF NATO HAS TO BE TO
PREVENT A WIDER WAR BETWEEN NATO
AND RUSSIA.
BUT IS THE USE OF CHEMICAL
WEAPONS A RED LINE FOR THE
UNITED STATES?
>> I THINK THE USE OF CHEMICAL
WEAPONS IS OF GREAT CONCERN TO
THE ENTIRE WORLD.
WE HAVE ALL SAID THAT THE USE OF
CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS
IS UNACCEPTABLE IN A MODERN AGE.
UNACCEPTABLE IN HISTORY, OF
COURSE, BUT CERTAINLY TODAY.
WE HAVE SAID THAT THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT NO COUNTRY SHOULD
DO.
WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IS VLADIMIR
PUTIN PUT OUT A PRETEXT SAYING
THAT UKRAINE HAS SUCH WEAPONS,
THAT THE UNITED STATES HAS SUCH
WEAPONS.
THIS IS COMPLETELY INACCURATE.
WE'RE TRYING TO CONVEY THAT TO
THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE SO THEY KNOW
THE TRUTH.
THE ONLY COUNTRY THAT POSSESSES
SUCH WEAPONS IN THIS ENVIRONMENT
IN WHICH WE'RE CURRENTLY IN IS
RUSSIA, AND THEY SHOULD NOT,
THEY MUST NOT USE THEM, AND
THERE WILL BE SEVERE
CONSEQUENCES SHOULD THEY DO SO.
>> HAVE YOU CONFIRMED THAT THE
RUSSIANS HAVE TAKEN PEOPLE FROM
MARIUPOL INCLUDING MANY CHILDREN
TO RUSSIA?
>> WE HAVE HEARD THOSE REPORTS,
ANDREA.
WE HAVE NOT YET BEEN ABLE TO
FULLY CONFIRM THEM.
BUT THERE IS NO QUESTION THERE
IS ENORMOUS CONCERN AND
CERTAINLY A LOT OF AN EPIDEMIC
DOE TAT EVIDENCE THAT PEOPLE
HAVE BEEN QUOTE UNQUOTE DEPORTED
TO RUSSIA.
BUT LOOK, THERE'S NO ONE WHO
WATCHES WHAT'S HAPPENING IN
MARIUPOL, BOMBS EVERY TEN
MINUTES IS BEING REPORTED IN
MARIUPOL.
WE HAVE SEEN THE HORRIFYING
ATTACK ON A MATERNITY HOSPITAL
IN MARIUPOL WHERE PEOPLE HAVE
DIED, WOMEN AND THEIR UNBORN
CHILDREN ALMOST READY TO GIVE
BIRTH HAVE DIED.
WE HAVE SEEN TERRIBLE ATTACKS IN
UKRAINE AGAINST AN ART SCHOOL,
AGAINST PEOPLE IN THEIR OWN
RESIDENCES.
THE CIVILIAN ATTACKS ARE WHY THE
PRESIDENT, THE SECRETARY OF
STATE, MYSELF INCLUDED HAVE SAID
AS AN INDIVIDUAL, AS A PERSON,
WE BELIEVE THESE ARE WAR CRIMES.
WE ARE DOING THE LEGAL ANALYSIS
AND WORKING VERY QUICKLY TO
ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE EVIDENCE
THAT SHOWS INTENTIONALITY WHICH
WOULD MEET THE LEGAL THRESHOLD
OF A WAR CRIME.
>> AND FINALLY, WHAT MESSAGE DO
YOU HAVE FOR UKRAINIAN AMERICANS
WHO ARE DESPERATE TO REACH LOVED
ONES, AND POTENTIALLY GET THEM
OUT OF REFUGEE CAMPS, GET THEM
HERE, AND GET THEM INTO THE
UNITED STATES, BUT CAN'T GET
THEM IN BECAUSE OF OUR
RESTRICTIONS ON ASYLUM,
PARTICULARLY RESTRICTIONS DURING
COVID.
>> LOOK, ALL OF US JUST FEEL
TERRIBLE WATCHING OVER 3 MILLION
REFUGEES LEAVING UKRAINE, MANY
OF THEM WOMEN AND CHILDREN,
LEAVING BEHIND THEIR HUSBANDS,
THEIR FATHERS, THEIR BROTHERS,
EVERYONE LEAVING THEIR COMMUNITY
BEHIND.
MANY WANT TO STAY IN EUROPE
BECAUSE THEY WANT TO RETURN TO
UKRAINE.
WE ARE LOOKING VERY QUICKLY AS
FAST AS WE CAN AT WHAT WE CAN DO
TO ENSURE FAMILY REUNIFICATION.
THOSE CASES WHERE THERE ARE
COMMUNITIES AND AMERICANS HERE
WHO WANT TO BRING THEIR FAMILY
MEMBERS OVER.
WE HOPE TO HAVE SOME WAYS
FORWARD TO HELP PEOPLE OUT AS