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>>> IN NEW YORK RS A POWERFUL
DISPLAY OF SOLIDARITY FOR THE
PEOPLE OF UKRAINE, SUPPORTERS
TURNING OUT AT THE METROPOLITAN
OPERA HOUSE LAST NIGHT FOR A
BENEFIT CONCERT THAT WAS
BROADCAST AROUND THE WORLD
INCLUDING ON PUBLIC RADIO IN THE
WAR ZONE 5,000 MILES AWAY.
THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM
BEFORE A SELLOUT CROWD OF 3,600,
TICKETS THAT SOLD OUT IN JUST
TEN MINUTES WITH ALL PROCEEDS
GOING TO UKRAINIAN RELIEF
EFFORTS.
THERE WAS A LONG AND LOUD
STANDING OVATION FOR UKRAINE'S
AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N. WHO
SHARED A BOX WITH MANY OTHER
U.N. DIGNITARIES, INCLUDING U.S.
AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N., LINDA
THOMAS GREENFIELD.
IN A WIDE-RANGING INTERVIEW, WE
WERE TOLD UKRAINE IS GRATEFUL TO
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, WHO HAVE
BEEN, IN HIS WORDS,
EXCEPTIONALLY GENEROUS.
THEN I ASKED HIM, WITH RUSSIA
ESCALATING ATTACKS, DOES HE
STILL BELIEVE UKRAINE CAN WIN
THIS WAR.
>> THERE'S NO WAY PUTIN CAN WIN.
I THINK PUTIN'S MONTHS IF NOT
WEEKS ARE NUMBERED.
IT'S VERY CLEAR.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME.
>> WHAT MORE AT THIS MOMENT DO
YOU NEED?
>> WE NEED THE CAPACITY FOR AIR
DEFENSE.
NATO IS NOT WILLING TO PROVIDE
THE NO-FLY ZONE, THEN WE NEED
AIR DEFENSE AND AIRCRAFT TO
DEFEND THE SKIES OURSELVES.
AND I'M SURE THAT THE WAY THEY
NOW SEE HOW UKRAINIANS AS A IN
ADDITION ARE DETERMINED TO
DEFEND UKRAINE AND DEFEND EUROPE
MAKES IT EVEN MORE POSSIBLE FOR
THEM TO DELIVER THE WEAPONS THAT
WE NEED TO DEFEND NOT ONLY
UKRAINE BUT THE REST.
THE IMPLICATIONS ARE GLOBAL.
IF YOU LOOK WHAT THE
SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED
NATIONS SAID TODAY, HE MENTIONED
THAT 50%, 60% OF CHEAT SUPPLY
GLOBALLY COMES FROM UKRAINE.
AND HE LITERALLY SAID THAT TODAY
THE BREADBASKET FOR MANY
THIRD-WORLD COUNTRIES IS BEING
BOMBED BY THE RUSSIANS.
IT WILL HAVE LONG-LASTING
EFFECTS ON FOOD SECURITY, ON
SUPPLY OF WHEAT, GRAIN, OIL.
THERE ARE COUNTRIES AROUND THE
WORLD THAT DEPEND ALMOST 100% ON
THE GRAIN SUPPLY FROM UKRAINE.
SO YOU CAN IMAGINE WHAT HAPPENS
NEXT AFTER THE SUPPLY IS
INTERRUPTED.
OF COURSE GO TO THE MARKETS AND
TRY TO BUY GRAIN FROM OTHER
SUPPLIERS, BUT THE PRICES ARE
ALREADY INFLATED AND WE ARE
SAYING THE COUNTRY IS BASICALLY
POUR OR DEVASTATED THEMSELVES
DUE TO THE NATIONAL CONFLICTS.
>> ON THE GROUND, NEARLY 3
MILLION PEOPLE HAVE FLED YOUR
COUNTRY TO SAFETY, BUT THE
MAJORITY WHO REMAIN ARE THERE
FIGHTING, HIDING.
THERE ARE PEOPLE IN HOSPITALS.
WHAT IS THE LATEST YOU CAN TELL
US ABOUT THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
WITHIN UKRAINE RIGHT NOW?
>> WELL, INDEED, WE HAVE MORE
THAN 2 MILLION REFUGEES.
THE MAJORITY OF THE REFUGEES ARE
CURRENTLY IN POLAND, HUNGARY,
SLOVAKIA, ROMANIA, MOLDOVA, BUT
WE ARE SPEAKING TACT 2 MILLION
OUT OF THE CAN COUNTRY OF 42
MILLION, 44 MILLION PEOPLE, SO
YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW MANY PEOPLE
ARE AFFECTED.
I THINK THAT AT LEAST HALF OF
THE UKRAINIAN POPULATION IS
AFFECTED, AND THEY ARE BASICALLY
IDPs INSIDE THE COUNTRY,
INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE.
SOME CITIES LIKE LVIV, FOR
EXAMPLE, THEY ARE ALREADY
OVERWHELMED WITH THE NUMBERS OF
IDPs.
AND I SPEAK DAILY TO MANY U.N.
AGENCIES AND TO FOREIGN
GOVERNMENTS IN ORDER TO EXPEDITE
AND ESCALATE DELIVERY OF
NECESSARY HUMANITARIAN
ASSISTANCE TO THE PEOPLE.
>> HOW ARE THEY DOING IN THEIR
ABILITY TO DO THAT?
THE WILL IS THERE.
>> THE WILL IS THERE.
EXACTLY.
THE WILL IS THERE.
BUT MANY OF THE ACTORS ON THE
GROUND, HUMANITARIAN ACTORS,
THEY REQUIRE FROM THE UKRAINIAN
GOVERNMENT SECURITY ASSURANCES,
WHICH IS VERY DIFFICULT TO GIVE
THEM.
IF SECURITY ASSURANCES WERE SO
EASY TO PROVIDE, WE WOULD
DELIVER ASSISTANCE OURSELVES.
SO IT IS FRUSTRATING THAT THE
RUSSIAN FEDERATION DOES NOT
REALLY KEEP THE PROMISES WHEN WE
DISCUSS WITH RUSSIANS
HUMANITARIAN CORRIDORS TO LET
PEOPLE LEAVE THE BESIEGED CITIES
AND TOWNS.
ONE OF THE TRICKS THEY USE IS
THAT THEY INSIST THAT PEOPLE
SHOULD FLEE TO THE TERRITORY OF
RUSSIA OR BELARUS, WHICH WE SAY
WE CANNOT FORCE PEOPLE TO FLEE
TO RUSSIA WHERE THEY ARE IN THE
RED THREAT AND THEY PACE
BASICALLY MAY BE USED AS
HOSTAGES.
WHY SHOULD WE FORCE PEOPLE TO GO
TO RUSSIA IF EUROPE IS STILL
OPEN TO UKRAINIANS?
>> DO YOU THINK THE LAST 2 1/2
WEEKS HAVE SHOWN THE LIMITATIONS
OF AN ORGANIZATION LIKE THE
UNITED NATIONS?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WE SHOULD HAVE NO ILLUSIONS
ABOUT THE UNITED NATIONS.
AS I POSTED IN ONE OF MY TWEETS,
I SAID BASICALLY, THE UNITED
NATIONS IS THE PRODUCT OF THE
DNA OF THE FOUNDERS.
DON'T FORGET THAT ONE OF THE
FOUNDING FATHERS WAS STALIN
HIMSELF.
SO THE UNITED NATIONS IS
BASICALLY A PRODUCT OF THE LAST
CENTURY OF HOW THE WORLD LOOKED
AND HOW THE GLOBAL POWERS WANTED
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LAST
CENTURY THE WORLD TO LOOK IN THE
DECADES TO COME TO PROTECT THEIR
SBRELS
INTERESTS.
THE WAY THE SECURITY COUNCIL IS
DESIGNED GIVES TOO MUCH POWERS
TO COUNTRIES LIKE RUSSIA, TO
BLOCK NECESSARY DECISIONS.
>> DO YOU BELIEVE THERE'S A
LEVEL OF FRUSTRATION AMONG YOUR
FELLOW AMBASSADORS THAT WHEN ALL
OF THIS IS OVER THE U.N. MIGHT
LOOK DIFFERENT OR TRY TO LOOK
DIFFERENT THAN IT DOES NOW?
>> YOU KNOW, I SAID TODAY
ACTUALLY AT THE END OF MY
STATEMENT IN THE SECURITY
COUNCIL THAT WHEN PUTIN IS
REMOVED FROM POWER FROM RUSSIA,
WE CANNOT AUTOMATICALLY GO BACK
TO NORMALCY.
IT WILL TAKE US A LONG TIME TO
ADJUST AND TO GO THROUGH A
PROCESS SO WE HAVE NEW
COUNTERPARTS FROM RUSSIA, NEW
GENERATION OF AMBASSADORS, NEW
GENERATION OF FOREIGN POLICY
PEOPLE TO DEAL WITH.
AND IT MAY TAKE A WHILE.
>> FINALLY, YOU'RE A DIPLOMAT.
RUSSIAN/UKRAINE NEGOTIATORS MET
ON MONDAY BY VIDEO.
U.S. AND CHINESE OFFICIALS MET
IN ROME.
WHAT DO YOU REALISTICALLY THINK
ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME
KIND OF NEGOTIATED END TO THIS?
>> WE'LL CONTINUE TO NEGOTIATE
AS LONG AS IT IS POSSIBLE.
WE'LL ALWAYS MAINTAIN THE
POSITION, EVEN BEFORE THE LATEST