AND NOW PLAYING SOME MORE OF IT
ON MSNBC ON THE "TODAY" SHOW,
AND THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THIS
FORMER KGB GUY, AND EVERYONE
SHOULD WATCH YOUR INTERVIEW AND
TALK TO US ABOUT ALL THINGS YOU
LEARNED AND YOUVE INTERVIEWED
HIM BEFORE, BUT THIS WAS 90
MINUTES OF VLADIMIR PUTIN JUST
DAYS BEFORE THE G7 AND OF COURSE, THE SUMMIT WITH
COURSE, THE SUMMIT WITH
PRESIDENT BIDEN.
>> ANDREA, HE DENIES AND
DEFLECTS AND GOES TO HISTORY AND
HE DOES ALL OF THE THINGS ON
SUBJECT AFTER SUBJECT THAT WE
HAVE COME TO KNOW ON CYBER
HACKING, ON THE QUESTION OF
HUMAN RIGHTS WITH TWO AMERICANS
HELD IN THE PRISON HERE, IN A
JAIL HERE IN RUSSIA.
HE CONTINUALLY THREATENS AND
DENIES AND THEN OFFERS TO
NEGOTIATE AND ANDREA, YOU AND I
SPOKE ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS
BEFORE THE INTERVIEW, AND I SO
MUCH APPRECIATE THE
CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAD IN THE
RUN-UP TO THIS INTERVIEW AND WE
WANTED TO ASK HIM ABOUT THAT
VERY MOVING REPORT THAT YOU MADE
ON THE BORDER WITH TURKEY AND
SYRIA WITH THE U.N. LOOKING AT
THAT VITAL LIFELINE FOR SO MANY
PEOPLE THAT COULD BE CLOSED IF
RUSSIA USES ITS VETO AT THE
SECURITY COUNCIL.
WE WANTED TO ASK PRESIDENT PUTIN
ABOUT THAT, AND ASK HIM WHY HE
WOULD EVEN BE CONSIDERING
CLOSING THAT LIFELINE FOR SO
MANY SYRIANS.
TAKE A LISTEN.
>> OUR OWN ANDRYEA MITCHELL SAW
THE LAST BORDER CROSSING IN
SYRIA THAT IS KEEPING PEOPLE
ALIVE.
YOU THREATENED TO CLOSE THAT
CROSSING IN JULY AT THE SECURITY
COUNCIL.
WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT KNOWING
THAT IT WOULD CAUSE THE DEATH OF
REFUGEES?
>> Translator: LOOK,
UNFORTUNATELY, THERE ARE ALREADY
A GREAT DEAL OF TRAGEDIES THERE
AND ALL OUR ACTIONS IN THEIR
TOTALITY NEED TO BE GEARED AT
STABILIZING THE SITUATION AND
BRINGING IT INTO A NORMAL COURSE
OF EVENTS, AND WITH SUPPORT OF
RUSSIA, THE SYRIAN AUTHORITIES
HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BRING BACK
INTO THEIR CONTROL 90% OF THE
SYRIAN TERRITORY.
WHAT NEEDS TO BE SET UP NOW IS
THE HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO
PEOPLE IRRESPECTIVE OF ANY
POLITICAL CONTEXT.
HOWEVER, OUR PARTNERS IN THE
WEST, IN THE WEST IN GENERAL,
BOTH IN THE UNITED STATES AND
THE EUROPEANS HAVE BEEN SAYING
THAT THEYRE NOT GOING GIVE ANY
HELP TO ASSAD.
WHAT DOES ASSAD HAVE TO DO WITH
IT?
HELP PEOPLE WHO NEED THAT
ASSISTANCE, JUST THE MOST BASIC
THINGS.
THEY WONT EVEN LIFT
RESTRICTIONS ON SUPPLIES OF
MEDICATION AND MEDICAL EQUIPMENT
EVEN IN THE CONTEXT OF THE
CORONAVIRUS INFECTION, BUT THAT
IS JUST INHUMANE.
AND THIS KIND OF CRUEL ATTITUDE
TO THE PEOPLE CANNOT BE
EXPLAINED IN ANY WAY.
AS FAR AS THE BORDER CROSSINGS
FOR DELIVERY OF HUMANITARIAN
ASSISTANCE, THERE IS THE AREA
WHERE COMPETENCE ARE STILL
KILLING PEOPLE, ROBBING PEOPLE,
RAPING PEOPLE AND THERE IS THE
ZONE, WHICH BY THE WAY, IS
CONTROLLED BY THE U.S. MILITARY
RECENTLY.
WE CAUGHT THERE A GROUP OF
GANGSTERS WHO HAD COME FROM
THERE AND THAT THEY DIRECTLY
SAID THEY HAD SPECIFIC GOALS AS
FAR AS RUSSIAN MILITARY
FACILITIES.
AS FAR AS BORDER CROSSINGS, OUR
POSITION IS SUCH THAT ASSISTANCE
NEEDS TO BE GIVEN JUST AS IT
SHOULD BE DONE IN THE ENTIRE
WORLD AND WAS PROVIDED FOR IN
THE RULES OF INTERNATIONAL
HUMANITARIAN LAW THROUGH THE
CENTRAL GOVERNMENT.
THAT IS HOW ASSISTANCE SHOULD BE
GIVEN AND IT SHOULD NOT BE
DISCRIMINATED AGAINST AND IF
THERE ARE GROUNDS TO BELIEVE
THAT THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OF
SYRIA WOULD PLUNDER SOMETHING
AND STEAL SOMETHING WE WOULD BE
IN THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS
OR RED CRESCENT WHO WILL OVERSEE
ANYTHING.
I DONT THINK THAT ANYBODY IN
THE SYRIAN GOVERNMENT IS
INTERESTED IN STEALING ANY PART
OF THE HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE
AND IT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN THE
CENTRAL GOVERNMENT AND IN THIS
SENSE WHO WILL SUPPORT PRESIDENT
ASSAD BECAUSE A DIFFERENT MODE
OF BEHAVIOR WILL BE UNDERMINING
THE SOVEREIGNTY AND THATS ALL.
AS FAR AS THE IDLIB ZONE THE
TURKISH TROOPS EFFECTIVELY
CONTROL THE BORDER BETWEEN
TURKEY AND SYRIA AND CONVOYS
CROSS THE BORDER WITHOUT
RESTRICTIONS ON THEIR NUMBERS IN
BOTH DIRECTIONS.
>> SO WHAT YOU HEARD THERE,
ANDREA, IS ANOTHER PIECE OF THE
PUTIN PLAYBOOK, USING LEVERAGE,
USING THE THREAT OF CLOSING THAT
BORDER CROSSING IN ORDER TO PUT
PRESSURE TO TRY TO HAVE
SANCTIONS AND RESTRICTIONS
LIFTED ON HIS ALLIED PRESIDENT
ASSAD.
ITS THE KIND OF THING THAT THE
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION NEEDS TO
KEEP IN MIND.
THATS THE STRATEGY THAT THE
KREMLIN WILL USE AS PRESIDENT
BIDEN GETS READY FOR THIS
SITDOWN WITH PRESIDENT PUTIN,
ANDREA?
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR RAISING
THAT ISSUE WITH HIM BECAUSE THE
FACT IS THAT ASSAD AND RUSSIA
HAVE BEEN BOMBING THOSE PEOPLE.
THATS WHY THEY WERE IN REFUGEE
CAMPS.
MORE THAN 4 MILLION PEOPLE AND 3
MILLION PEOPLE DISPLACED BECAUSE
THEYRE ATTACKED AS ENEMIES BY
THE ASSAD REGIME AND NOW BY
RUSSIA, ITS ALLIES AND THAT IS
WHY THE U.N. IS MONITORING THE
AID THAT GETS THROUGH CHECKING
EVERY SINGLE BOX.
I WATCHED IT WITH MY OWN EYES AS