>>> WELCOME BACK TO "MORNING
JOE."
JOINING US NOW ADMINISTRATOR OF
THE UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT,
SAMANTHA POWER.
AMBASSADOR POWER, GOOD MORNING,
GOOD TO SEE YOU.
YOU'VE BEEN OVER TO THE BORDER
WITH UKRAINE A COUPLE OF TIMES
RIGHT TE DAWN OF THE WAR IN
THOSE EARLY DAYS AND AGAIN LAST
WEEKEND WITH PRESIDENT BIDEN.
YOU'VE SEEN WITH YOUR OWN EYES
WHAT'S HAPPENING AS MORE THAN 4
MILLION REFUGEES STREAM OUT OF
THAT COUNTRY.
IN THE COURSE OF YOUR DIPLOMATIC
CAREER YOU'VE BEEN TO DIFFICULT
PLACES.
TELL US WHAT YOU SAW OVER THERE
AND WHAT AMERICA NEEDS TO DO
FURTHER HERE.
>> WELL, YOU'RE RIGHT THAT I'VE
TRAVELED TWICE AND SO GOT TO SEE
A LITTLE BIT OF THE EARLY CHAOS
AS PEOPLE KIND OF CRUSHED UP
AGAINST THE BORDER AND HAD TO
WAIT THREE, FOUR DAYS EVEN TO
GET INTO NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES.
NOW THAT SYSTEM IS MUCH BETTER
ORGANIZED.
THERE ARE PEOPLE TO GREET THEM.
THEY ARE TAKEN TO SOMEONE'S
HOME.
BUT THE INN IS FILLING UP YOU
MIGHT SAY.
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SO GENEROUS
OPENING UP THEIR HOMES AND
THEY'VE -- THEY ARE STARTING TO
RUN OUT OF ROOM IN THE BIG
CITIES IN A COUNTRY LIKE POLAND
THAT HAS TAKEN 2.5 MILLION
UKRAINIAN REFUGEES SO FAR.
THAT'S ONE DIMENSION OF IT.
MAINLY, OF COURSE, WOMEN AND
CHILDREN AS PEOPLE HAVE HEARD
AND THAT CREATES NEW CHALLENGES.
OKAY.
I WANT TO WORK, I HAVE A WORK
PERMIT, THE EU HAS BEEN GRACIOUS
ENOUGH TO, YOU KNOW, CHANGE ALL
THE RULES AND MAKE IT POSSIBLE
FOR PEOPLE FLEEING TO WORK AND
GET BENEFITS, BUT IF I WORK WHAT
HAPPENS TO MY THREE KIDS.
THERE'S NO HUSBAND NO FATHER TO
RELY UPON, NO COMMUNITY TO FALL
BACK ON BY AND LARGE, SO THAT'S
FOR THE REFUGEES INSIDE EUROPE.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, INSIDE
UKRAINE, FURTHER INSIDE EUROPE
YOU MIGHT SAY, THE NUMBER ONE
ISSUE REALLY IS THE BESIEGED
AREAS AND THE FACT THAT
PRESIDENT PUTIN AND HIS FORCES
ARE NOT ALLOWING FOOD, MEDICINE,
FUEL AND AT THE SAME TIME
SHELLING TO SMITH THER RENES.
82 ATTACKS ON HOSPITAL
FACILITIES, MORE THAN 500 ON
EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES, AND
AGAIN, THAT ENSIRCMENT AND
ATTEMPT TO USE CIVILIANS AND
THEIR PAIN AND STARVATION, TO
TRY TO EXTRACT SURRENDERS.
SO FAR IT'S NOT WORKING, BUT IT
PUTS AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF
PRESSURE ON POLITICAL LEADERS
WHO, OF COURSE, WANT TO DEFEND
THE TERRITORY BUT AT THE SAME
TIME ARE SEEING THEIR PEOPLE
EXPERIENCING SUFFERING THAT WE
HAVEN'T SEEN, YOU KNOW, SINCE
WORLD WAR II.
>> PRESIDENT BIDEN AS YOU KNOW
HAS RALLIED THE WEST, WHETHER
IT'S ON ECONOMIC SANCTIONS THAT
HAVE CRIPPLED THE RUSSIAN
ECONOMY, GETTING MILITARY
EQUIPMENT IN TO UKRAINE TO HELP
THEM FIGHT RUSSIA, WHAT ABOUT ON
THE HUMANITARIAN SIDE?
WHAT DOES THAT EFFORT LOOK LIKE
FROM THE UNITED STATES POINT
VIEW OF AND WHAT'S STILL OUT
THERE FOR US TO DO THERE?
>> WELL, I WANT TO STRESS AGAIN,
THERE'S ASSISTANCE AND THEN
PRESSURE AND POLICY.
ON THE ASSISTANCE FRONT, WHILE
PRESIDENT BIDEN WAS IN EUROPE HE
ANNOUNCED A PREPARATION ON THE
U.S. PART TO PROVIDE A BILLION
DOLLARS IN HUMANITARIAN
ASSISTANCE.
WE'VE ALREADY EXPENDED HUNDREDS
OF MILLIONS TO ORGANIZATIONS
LIKE THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAM,
UNHCR AND OTHERS, BUT A BILLION
DOLLARS IS GOING TO BE A LOT OF
RESOURCES.
THE KEY, AGAIN, THOUGH IS NOT
JUST HOW MUCH FOOD DO WE HAVE,
MEDICINE IS STOCKPILED ON THAT
SCORE I THINK WE'RE IN A DECENT
PLACE, THE KEY IS, HOW DO WE GET
THESE BRUTAL RUSSIAN FORCES TO
LET THAT FOOD IN TO PEOPLE WHO
NEED IT AND THAT IS WHERE
DIPLOMATIC PRESSURE, THE
FULL-COURT PRESS ALONG THE LINES
WE'VE SEEN FOR THE SANCTIONS AND
FOR THE CONDEMNATIONS AND
ISOLATING RUSSIA, WE NOW NEED
SOMETHING COMPARABLE WHERE
EVERYWHERE A RUSSIAN OFFICIAL
GOES IR REPRESENTATIVE OF WHO
THEY TOOK TO, WHETHER IT'S A
FRIEND OR A PARTNER LIKE CHINA,
WHETHER IT'S A COUNTRY LIKE
INDIA, WHETHER IT'S GULF STATES
WHERE RELATIONSHIP, YOU KNOW,
CONTINUES IN CERTAIN WAYS, EVERY
SINGLE ONE OF THOSE PHONE CALLS
NEEDS TO INVOLVE SOMEONE SAYING,
LET THE FOOD IN, LET THE
MEDICINE IN.
NOT JUST A GENERIC GLOBAL CALL
FOR THAT, BUT SPECIFIC DIPLOMACY
OR
ORIENTED AROUND THESE BESIEGED
AREAS.
>> I KNOW YOU SPENT SOME TIME
WITH MY BROTHER AND MEMBERS OF
THE U.S. MILITARY WHO ARE TRYING
TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT FOR THE
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS, MILLIONS
OF PEOPLE AMASSED AT THE BORDER.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THAT
ENTAILS?
WHAT YOU SAW?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, LET ME
JUST SAY AS AN AMERICAN CITIZEN,
ALSO AN IMMIGRANT TO THIS
COUNTRY HOW JUST AMAZING IT IS
TO SEE YOUR BROTHER, MARK, IN
ACTION TO HAVE AN AMERICAN
AMBASSADOR TO POLAND SPEAKING
FLUENT POLISH, TALKING TO
OFFICIALS AND FAMILIES WHO ARE
HOSTING UKRAINIANS IN THEIR
NATIVE TONGUE.
IT'S THE BEST WE CAN PRESENT.
THE BEST --
>> THANK YOU.
>> AMBASSADORIAL FACE THAT WE
CAN OFFER.
AND I THINK IT'S BEEN AMAZING TO
SEE THE U.S./POLISH PARTNERSHIP,
WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN STRONG,
BUT THE WAYS IN WHICH IT HAS NOW
MANIFESTED IN THIS SHOW OF
SOLIDARITY TOWARD UKRAINIANS IN
THEIR GREATEST HOUR OF NEED.
WITH REGARD TO THE MILITARY,
THEY'RE MAINLY THERE AS YOU KNOW
IN A SHOW OF ASSURANCE AND
DETERRENCE, AND SO THIS IS A
HUMANITARIAN OPERATION THAT IS
ACTUALLY DISTINCTLY AND
DISCREETLY HUMANITARIAN, WHERE
ANYTHING IN THE SECURITY SPACE
IS IN ITS OWN CHANNEL AND IT'S
VERY IMPORTANT WE NOT MIX THOSE
AND THAT'S SOMETHING, AGAIN,
AMBASSADOR BRZEZINSKI HAS PUSHED
HARD ON AS WELL.
YOU SEE ALL DIMENSIONS OF U.S.
FOREIGN POLICY AND ALL
DIMENSIONS OF POLICY IN THOSE
FRONTLINE STATES BEING BROUGHT
TO BEAR FROM THE SOCIAL SERVICES
AND THE EDUCATION, TO ACTUALLY
NEEDING TO BE IN A POSITION TO
BE SURE THAT THERE'S SUFFICIENT
READINESS BECAUSE, OF COURSE,
PUTIN HAS PROVEN HIMSELF, YOU
KNOW, NOT EXACTLY ACTING IN THE
INTEREST OF HIS OWN PEOPLE.
>> AMBASSADOR POWER, GOOD
MORNING.
IT'S JONATHAN LAMERE.
MUCH HAS BEEN NOTED ABOUT THE
RIPPLE EFFECTS FROM THIS WAR ON
THE REST OF THE GLOBE, A LOT ON
ENERGY AND ENERGY PRICES.
BUT THERE'S GROWING CONCERNS
ABOUT A LACK OF FOOD, BECAUSE
UKRAINE AND RUSSIA, BREAD
BASKETS OF MUCH OF EUROPE AND
BEYOND, WHAT'S TO -- HOW
CONCERNED ARE YOU ABOUT FOOD
SCARCITY?
THERE'S REPORTS THAT IT MIGHT BE
THE GREATEST SINCE WORLD WAR II.
WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT?
>> WHO'S GOING TO BE IMPACTED
AND HOW CAN WE HELP?
>> THANKS.
FIRST ON THE STATE OF PLAY, IT'S
GRIM.
I MEAN, JUST TO GIVE YOU ONE
EXAMPLE, 85% OF EGYPT'S GRAINS
COME FROM UKRAINE.
81% OF LEBANON'S GRAINS COME
FROM UKRAINE.
AND THIS PLAYS ITSELF OUT AROUND
THE WORLD AHEAD OF THE IMF, THE
FIRST WEEK OF THE INVASION SAID
SOMETHING MEMORABLE AND
IMPORTANT WHICH IS, WAR IN
UKRAINE, MEANS HUNGER IN AFRICA.
AND WE'RE ALREADY SEEING THAT.
I'VE HAD MEETINGS WITH PEOPLE IN
CHARGE OF THE KINDS OF
INNOVATIONS OR TRY TO GET THOSE
KIND OF DROUGHT RESISTANT SEEDS
AND GREATER CROP PRODUCTION
GOING AT A FASTER PACE.
I HAVE MEETINGS THIS WEEK TO TRY
TO PUSH THAT AGENDA.
BUT WE ALSO NEED THOSE COUNTRIES
THAT HAVE LARGE GRAIN RESERVES
TO RELEASE THOSE RESERVES ON THE
GLOBAL MARKET.
IT'S ALMOST ANALOGOUS TO THE
DEBATES ABOUT FUEL PRICES, WHO
CAN RELEASE MORE RESERVES SO
THERE'S MORE SUPPLY SO THE
PRICES GO DOWN.
EVERY DOLLAR NOW IS BECAUSE THE
PRICES ARE SKYROCKETING, NOT
ONLY IN TERMS OF FUEL, NOT ONLY
IN TERMS OF FERTILIZER, BUT IN
TERMS OF THE GRAINS THEMSELVES
THAT MEANS THAT A DOLLAR IS
GOING TO BUY MUCH LESS WHEN IT
COMES TO HUMANITARIAN
ASSISTANCE, BUT ALSO THAT
FARMERS WHO USED TO BE ABLE TO
COUNT ON BEING ABLE TO BUY X
AMOUNT OF FERTILIZER, CAN NOW
BUY A THIRD OF THAT.
WE'RE ALREADY SEEING ACTUALLY
RIOTS WHERE FARMERS ARE
DEMANDING GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES
TO HELP SUPPORT THEM AS THESE
PRICES ARE SPIRALING UPWARDS.
AGAIN, EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED
TO EVERYTHING ELSE.
GLOBAL STABILITY TURNS ON A
CERTAIN AMOUNT OF FOOD BEING IN
THE ECOSYSTEM AND SO WE NEED TO
LOOK AT HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE
AS A STOP GAP, BUT WE AGAIN NEED
MORE SUPPLY ON THE MARKET AND
THOSE OF US WHO DO PRODUCE,
BRINGING THAT TO BEAR TO TRY TO
AMELIORATE THE SITUATION.
>> ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE UNITED
STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL