♪ i'm going to somewhere, anywhere. ♪ ♪ a beach house, a treehouse, ♪ ♪ honestly i don't care ♪ find the perfect vacation rental for you booking.com, booking. yeah. >> a global sign of support for ukraine tonight on the -- on the right, brussels, and in the center, the eiffel tower in paris. a cnn town hall, russia's invasion of ukraine, when year later, hosted by fareed zakaria, starts now. this is a cnn town hall, russia's invasion of ukraine when year later. almost exactly a year ago, missile attacks against the capital of ukraine, kyiv. to most this was a surprise attack and invasion, the ukrainians did not see it coming, nor did the europeans.

the another surprise for the world -- the intense resolve of that entertainer turned president, volodymyr zelenskyy. unlike others in his position, he did not -- indeed, he's only left the country a handful of times to plea for guns and ammunition. and for the last year, he has faced off from across the border with vladimir putin, who has ruled russia for more than two decades. a key player who is not a participant in the war, the united states of america. it is a country that has organized the sanctions against russia. it is the country that has been the single biggest provider of military and non-military assistance, and tonight, on this special program, you will hear from two top officials on america's national security team. first, the biden administration's key player on

countering russia's war in ukraine, the national security adviser jake sullivan, who is with president biden in kyiv this week. also, usaid administrator samantha power, the official responsible for making sure the u.s. is assisting the people of ukraine in the horrible humanitarian crisis created by russia's war. they will answer questions directly from americans and ukrainians in the war zone. ♪ ♪ ♪ good evening, and welcome to our live cnn town hall event. i'm fareed zakaria. we are coming to you from three countries tonight, the united states, russia and ukraine. as russia's invasion turns one year old, our questioners have a lot on their minds. and they are seeking answers about americas commitment to help ukraine defeat russia. this hour we will speak to a soldier on the frontlines, a mother who is uneasy about america's resolve, and a child who is looking for protection from the united states of america.

and the people with the answers are joining me now. president biden's right-hand man on ukraine, national security adviser jake sullivan joins me here on the stage right now. >> [applause] >> as does, usaid administrator samantha power. >> [applause] >> jake sullivan, samantha power, i'm so glad you are here with us. it's such an important night. the audience is getting ready to ask you questions. but before that, while they prepare, let's go to our reporters in the region. they have been covering this conflict for the last year in and out of ukraine. we have had teams there all the

time. senior international correspondent fred pleitgen is in moscow. senior national security correspondent alex mark what is in,. -- ,. ? you have been covering it ever since it began. >> that's right, fareed. and when we watched explosions one year ago lighting up the night sky, the expectation from intelligence services wa s that kyiv would fall in a matter of days. well, one year later, kyiv is

still standing. you can see the lights are still on behind me, despite a ruthless concerted russian campaign to target civilian infrastructure. and the ukrainian military has been able to launch very successful counter offensives, relying on a mixture of courage, obviously, but also creativity, savvy international support, and cutting edge technology that has been crucial in pushing back russian forces. but ukrainian authorities now, fareed, are saying that they want to take back all the territory they have lost. they want to return to 1991 borders. and that is going to be very tricky. because the situation now is still a, particularly in the eastern part of the country. it is a grinding war of attrition, looking more and more like a stalemate every day. and that is why you are hearing ukrainian leaders coming out every day asking for that

heavier weaponry they say they need to finish this off. i spoke to one senior ukrainian official last night who said that they had pushed this home to president biden once again and that, quote, it is now in america's hands and they understand. >> thanks for, that clarissa ward. and stay safe out there. now we get to our special guests, national security adviser jake sullivan and usaid administrator the samantha power. jake was one of just three who aides accompany biden on that strategic trip to kyiv. i want to ask, you jake sullivan, this was really an extraordinary trip and the president, first time in history a u.s. president has entered a war zone that the united states did not control -- i have taken that overnight train to kyiv. and you are going through poland. and you are in a war zone for a large part of it. so, i am guessing u.s. planes could not enter that war zone. what was it like for you there?

what were you guys thinking? there is a period there where the president was not protected the way the president normally is, right? >> first of all, fareed, thank you for having us tonight. i want to thank cnn for putting a spotlight on this war when you're after it began. it's just so important we get the chance to talk about all these issues. the trip actually began with a long planned flight from washington, a stopover in ramstein, germany. and then we landed in poland. and in fact, the president had to take an hour-long car ride in an unmarked suv -- not his normal limo that we are all used to seeing -- with a very small motorcade and pull up to the train station and board this train latex night in the dark for a ten hour trip overnight to arrive in kyiv the following morning. and as you said, the united states did not control the

airspace, did not control the ground, and we are entering a country at war, a capital at war, a country subject to repeated bombardment by the russians. and without any of the normal security capacity that usually accompanies a president. so, we are heading into the unknown. because this was unprecedented. the president was up much of the night, not so much worried about his safety as he was worried about making sure that he was going to maximize his time on the ground in kyiv, that he was going to have the kind of conversations face to face with president zelenskyy that would allow us to move forward in our support. and most importantly, that he could stand up and say to the world, from right there in kyiv -- as you just heard clarissa ward say -- that, a year ago, people were bracing for the fall of kyiv.

and a year later, kyiv stands. ukraine stands. and america stands with kyiv. and there's no more powerful way to send that message then to have the american president go do that. so, it was a mixture of the pen zayante, but also a kind of building pride about serving a president and being part of a country that is trying to support ukraine in its hour of need. >> so, let me ask you about the next thing that clarissa said, which is, ukrainian officials say they are trying to press on the biden administration. give us the tools and we will repel the russians completely, we will repel them out of crimea, we will retake the donbas, but you are not giving us that offensive weaponry we need to take it. what did president biden and

you say when the ukrainians told you that? >> first, i want to make sure to protect the private conversations that president biden and president zelenskyy have had. because they have built a relationship of trust. and they did have deep conversations about precisely what kinds of capacities and training ukrainians to be successful in this effort to take back the territory that russia is currently occupying. >> -- >> but let me just say this, fareed. on this day alone, the day the president arrived, he brought with him an announcement of more artillery, more ammunition, more himars on the back of major announcements about american tanks and armored vehicles. and so much else of americas high technology capacity. and today, the united states announced a further two billion dollars in security assistance to ukraine all designed for a specific purpose, which is, with our military looking hard at the set of problems, what

can we do to give ukraine the tools it needs to win? and we will keep working wit h them month by month to figure -- >> thank you so much. you have heard president biden himself speak often to the importance of avoiding exactly that scenario. he has been very attentive to the risk of escalation and the strategy that has been pursued, has been very measured. but what is at stake in ukraine our values and interests so core to the united states --

i mean, imagine just wanting your freedom and your independence. this country is predicated on exactly those two values. imagine the counterfactual where we walk away or we did not show up in the first place, and what that would mean when a dictator who has shut down civil society, shut down independent, media shutdown dissenting voices in his own country, then can just turn his sights on a neighbor and, with impunity, take over that country. what would that mean for our allies in europe? what would that mean for our own security over time? i think americans understand belize and the importance of standing up to belize. at the same time, again, we are very alert to the risks given that russia is a nuclear armed power, as you rightly say. that is, again, how we are in the position we are in now, building a coalition of countries now, making sure this is not just the united states and russia, that this is, in fact, ukrainians on the

frontlines, ukrainians doing the fighting and a coalition of 50 countries rallying behind them and including, actually, today, more than 140 countries at the u. n. signaling still into the war their support for ukraine's self defense. >> and jake, what about this issue of nuclear escalation? are you confident that vladimir putin is bluffing when he says that he may escalate to other means? he said that at various points in the past. >> what i can speak to is what we see. and we do not see any change in russia's nuclear posture. and we've made no changes in our nuclear posture. so, we are constantly vigilant and we also maintain regular channels to the russian government to be able to talk to them about the risk of this escalation and also to communicate the severity of the consequences of the use of nuclear weapons. but from our perspective, sitting here today, we do not

see movements in russia's nuclear forces that lead us to believe that something fundamentally has changed from how things have been over the course of the past year. >> let's bring in igor. igor is a soldier in ukraine's territorial defense forces. he's working as a tactical medic on the front lines. for his safety, we are not going to tell you his last name or his exact location. but he is on the front lines in the east of ukraine, just a few miles from russia's troops. igor, for someone who has been living on the frontlines they a night, give us an idea of, what is life like out there? >>, hello, everyone. -- frontline zone is difficult. it depends on many factors we. people speak about our direction, direction of my unit -- basically we have fights every day into every night. you know now it is night in ukraine. and sometime -- enemy -- attack.

our enemies try to breakthrough frontline zone. yesterday only in our direction the enemy had hundreds of soldiers. and what should i say? we continue to hold our territories. >> does it feel to you like the russians are trying to breakthrough? does it feel like there is a lot of new russian forces coming out? coming out? coming out? coming out? coming out? coming out? coming out? coming out? coming out? -- i'm gonna sea girt pose the question to the national security advisor jake sullivan. this, question and many more, ahead on the special hour. get help reaching your goals with j.p. morgan wealth plan, a new tool in the chase mobile® app. use it to set and track your goals, big and small...

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>> welcome back to cnn's town hall. russia's invasion of ukraine, one year later. i'm joined here in d. c. by national security adviser jake sullivan and usaid administrator samantha power. and joining us again from the front lines of the war is yegor, a territorial defense soldier in the ukrainian military.

yegor, i know you have a question you want to ask jake sullivan. what would you like to know? >> yes, i have a specific question for mr. sullivan. is the u.s. government planning are considering launch of production of -- especially for ukraine? i mean, 1:55 caliber shells, -- shells, and of course, himars missiles. do you consider this plan and if your answer is positive, could you please tell me when are you going to realize this? thank you. >> first, yegor, before i answer the question, i just want to say as you stand out on the front lines tonight, you are defending the freedom of your country. as president biden said in warsaw last, night you're defending freedom everywhere. so, i want to say thank you for your freedom, your bravery, and your courage, and for the men and women who are fighting with you, we are grateful for all that you do, the sacrifices that you are making.

and we can't even begin to imagine the difficulties and the trials that you've gone through. what we can do is everything in our power to get you the equipment and the ammunition that you need. and you mentioned 155 millimeter artillery shells, 120 millimeter tank shells, and other systems like the himars missiles that you also just discussed. one of the things that we are working hard at in president biden's direction is to increase the production of all of these types of ammunition. here in united states, but also in nato countries. so that the total supply of each of these different forms of ammunition grows month by month, and we can continue to move to the front lines this ammunition in the quantities that is necessary for you to be able to mount a successful

defense. and for you to be able to take back territory that's been occupied by russia. this is not something we can do with the snap of a finger. but it's something that we're putting immense effort and resources into. and secretary of defense lloyd austin every month gathers 50 countries together in europe in order to take stock of our progress. and every two weeks, president biden authorizes a new package of ammunition to send to ukraine. and we are trying to ramp up the numbers of that as rapidly as we possibly can. because we recognize that it is so central to your success in the fight. so, we will continue to do all that we can do on this very specific issue. that it's not just about rhetoric or words, it's about actually delivering the goods. and that's what we're trying to do. >> yegor, and you so much for joining us. we pray that you near compatriots return home safely to your families. you know, we have yegor up

there because of starlink. i wanted to ask you something that's always puzzled me. the ukrainian army is able to communicate with among itself. ukrainian society is able to communicate because of starlink, which is essentially the will of one private individual in the united states. but is that how it should be, and you know, people in ukraine have told me they worry that if elon musk loses interest in them, that will suddenly turn the battlefield dark for them. ukraine not only will not only be able to communicate with one another,, should the u.s. government be playing a role in this, rather than elon musk? >> well first, the fact that there is a company that has sent off enough satellites to create a resilient system for internet communication and telephone communication, even in a war zone, even when russia is day-by-day trying to take out ukrainian communications. that is a good. saying and it should be praised. but of course, there should be more options. there should be more availability of the internet,

more competition. and we would like to see more companies enter the picture to be able to offer a range of choices. now, having the united states be the internet provider, the u.s. government, in the united states or anywhere, is not the way that we have designed the distribution and the availability of internet communication. we have relied upon the private sector for it. but there are steps the u.s. government can take, working with other governments, to stimulate and support more of these types of companies being able to deliver more internet to more people in ukraine, but yes, also here in the united states and elsewhere around the world. and in fact. , something that usaid does, i don't need to speak for samantha on this, is looking to expand internet access everywhere through ways in which we can break down the barriers to the provision of that internet access in ukraine and everywhere else. because there should be many

different options available, but we also should give credit where credit is due, and starlink has been a critical element in this defense of ukraine. >> if i could just add one thing, fareed, just on the specifics of starlink, it turns out that was a public private partnership. it was actually a partnership tween u.s. a. i. d. in getting the terminals delivered in a timely way. within days, not ours, of when putin invaded. so, you know, it would be very hard for a ceo from far away to know where they should go, to have the connections on the ground with ukrainian officials. because u.s. aid and the u. s. government has been working with the ministry of digital transportation, with the cybersecurity experts on the ground. one of the untold stories of this war is how secure ukrainian communications have been, not rushes known proclivity for hacking and

trying to use asymmetric means in order to destabilize countries. that's the product of years of partnership with the ukrainians. so, often when you see a private sector actor, one is important at this one, we cannot discount that. but it also stems from some hostile and some catalytic work by u.s. government actors. , frankly in order to get out of the way and just bring the private sector together with ukrainians who know what they need and when they need it. >> samantha, power, let me ask you a question that really is full o in your purview. and it's something that a lot americans think about. a lot of republicans have been clamoring about, which is before the, war ukraine was regarded as, if you look at various industries, very corrupt country. there was a lot of corruption in ukraine, transparency international, all those kinds of measures. how can you be sure that these massive amounts of aid that the united states and europe descending into ukraine are getting to the people that they

need to get to, that there isn't corruption, graft, siphoning off? what kind of assurances can you give? >> one thing, just stepping back and recalling a year ago putin's speech where he described his motivation for invading ukraine, at the heart of it was his panic over the progress that ukraine was making to mitigate itself to europe, for starters. to become more democratic, and to take on this corruption fight. because that endangered so many of his and his cronies ill gotten gains. so, actually, what you've seen, particularly since 2014, it's the strengthening of a whole series of anti corruption institutions within ukraine. are they panacea for decades, generations where corruption was a major issue? absolutely not. >> but you've seen u.s. aid and other u.s. government actors throw their weight around the support for independent media. including once this war broke out a year ago, getting flak jackets and sat phones to

independent media, but also making sure they could survive a war and continue to report on what the ukrainian authorities were doing in a critical way, as a check and balance. civil society organizations, judges, we just launched a new initiative with the g. a. o. and united states to help ukraine build a supreme audit institution. and that is going to be incredibly important for reconstruction all the resources that are flowing in. with regard to the very large investments that we make in providing monthly direct budget support, so that health workers can be paid and educators can be paid, people with disabilities can get support when ukrainian budget is under such strain and such pressure. that, we do on basically a reimbursable basis. we don't provide resources unless we see the receipt for the expenditure. and up until this point, we don't have any evidence that u. s. assistance is being misused or misspent. but again, the key is not resting on anyone's good will or virtue, its checks and balances, the rule of law, the integrity of officials, and when something a spot it, because there is going to be issues, that get smothered,

that the people get fired, that they get prosecuted. and what's amazing about this last year's at the same time people like oleg have been fighting in the trenches, the fight against corruption has been continuing. -- has been continue to pass laws on whistle blower protection and aid procurement, subhuman is more visible to ukrainians, but also to the rest of us. and that fight as they continue alongside the military fight. >> i want to bring in artem kulyk he is an interpreter for the international rescue committee. he's a native ukrainian. artem, you have a question for the national security adviser? >> i do, yeah. i wanted to ask, do you have a regret that if the united states started supplying weapons earlier, a lot of innocent lives would've been saved? >> so, in 2021, the first year of the biden administration, the united avoiding -- international rescue committee. he's a native ukrainian. artem, you have a question for the national security adviser? >> i do, yeah. i wanted to ask, do you have a

regret that if the united states started supplying weapons earlier, a lot of innocent lives would've been saved? >> so, in 2021, the first year of the biden administration, the united states provided far more lethal assistance, weapons to ukraine than any previous year in u.s. history. javelins, and other critical anti-armor systems to help build the ukrainian defense. and we flowed that assistance, as we are seeing the russian troop, build up in the spring of 2021. and we kept flowing it as we saw the subsequent buildup that actually led to the invasion. now, at the end of the day, anytime a country ends up in the kind of crisis that ukraine did when russia rolled in with its full scale invasion, of course we'd want to do more and faster, and get as much as we possibly could into the hands

of the ukrainians. but i have to say, that our ability to flow assistance very rapidly in the lead up and in the early weeks of the war played a critical role in supporting the courage and bravery of the ukrainian people in defending the city of kyiv and ensuring that kyiv did not fall. and for that, i think the united states and our allies and all of the other countries supporting ukraine, played not the vital role, because the vital role was played by the ukrainian people, but a critical role, and one that we continue to play to this day with what we are supplying. >> but, jake there does seem to be a pattern. the ukrainians ask for something. the administration is ambivalent. time passes. there is a clamor around it that builds. and then it starts leaning towards it, and then finally delivers it. that's what happened with himars. that's what happened with patriots. that's what happened with the

abrams tank. fighter jets is now the issue. it feels like if you're going to do it, three or four months later, why not do it now? given that speed is of the essence. what is going on that always leads to this pattern where you do eventually say, yes, but it's now four, six months later? >> so first, fareed, the way that our military and our intelligence community makes recommendations to the president's they look at the needs of the ukrainian military during the phase of the war that they are confronting at that time. in the early weeks of the war, what the ukrainian military needed to defend kyiv was anti-armor systems. basically missiles that could stop tanks in their tracks so they could not roll over kyiv. and anti-air systems like stinger missiles to shoot down the helicopters that we're bringing in paratroopers to try to take over the city from the air. and the second phase of the war, ukraine really needed artillery in the east to stop the more traditional advances of the russian military.

as we head into the spring, what ukraine really needs is armor. infantry fighting vehicles and, yes, tanks. now, and we're providing those. the president was advised by his military abrams tanks, the american tank doesn't make sense for this fight. what they really need it where leopard tanks, german tanks, that a bunch of countries in europe no. but the germans said we will not provide our tanks unless you, the united states, provide your tax. and president biden said if me providing abrams tanks, even if it's not the most sensible military move will help unlock german tanks to get to the front lines, and also will sustain alliance unity, i will do it. i tell that particular story as it relates to f-16s. because these decisions are not just people sitting around and saying thumbs up thumbs down. a wide variety of factors go into the decision to provide a particular system, to train up the ukrainians on it, and then to get into the fight.

>> so, will they get fighter jets? >> when it comes to f-16s, this is important for the current phase of the war. this point is important for the current phase of the war. which is they're about to mount a significant counteroffensive. from our perspective, f-16s are not the key capability for that offensive. it is the stuff that we are moving rapidly to the front lines now. f-16s are not a question for the short term fight. f-16s our question for the long term defense of ukraine. and that's a conversation that president biden and president zelenskyy had. >> we will be back in a moment to talk about a potentially disturbing escalation in this war. will china begin to arm russia? we'll talk about that when we come back. [applause] liberty mutual customizes your car insurance so you only pay for what you need. with the money we saved, we tried electric unicycles. i think i've got it! doggy-paddle! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪

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[applause] >> welcome back to washington, d. c.. and it's a very special cnn town hall. russia's invasion of ukraine when your later. i want to go live to kyiv, ukraine, and bring in lesya karnauh, a mother of three. she has a question for usaid administrators samantha power. lesya, welcome. what is your question?

>> first, i would say to all american people for the unbelievable level support in this war began. my father's 60-year-old soldier, now in ukraine, an army is fighting to protect defend us. my children are able to go to school and we have hid because of what you have given us to protect our families. all of my friends and family, we are really grateful for all american people for your help. and we want to live normal lives in peace. but russia has brought war to us. i would like to know if americans see how similar they are to ukrainians? and do americans understand that we share the same values and that we are just like you, we love our families, we love our children, we want to progress, and we want to see our children happy and safe. i would like you to know that we do not have heat in our hearts. and we do not want to take a piece from anyone in this world, even though the war has come to us. please don't -- about us. and can you tell us please how the normal american feels about us? thank you so much. >> thank you so much. i mean, first, let me say that the reflection, i think, of how much commonality americans do feel with ukrainians is the flow of support that has been sustained over the course of this last year.

it is the bipartisanship, in a town that is not famous for it anymore. but ukraine has been not only a galvanizing issue, but a uniting issue for her own country, which has been very divided in recent years. that's as recent and the end of last year, where an enormous new appropriation was given to usaid and other parts of the u.s. government in order to support schools, to support keeping the lights on, rebuilding the place, providing generators and boilers as putin seeks to weaponize winter. and i wish someday you'll be able to travel to united states. and even when the war is over, you'll probably see the remnants of the blue and yellow flag flying in the most remote parts of this country. and so, i think, you know, that commonality is there, that spirit of solidarity is there. but the other thank you all have done is you have just awed us with your bravery and your resilience. so, that is a separate dimension. instead of something that we've

learned about ukraine over the course of this conflict, that mothers using their sewing machines to pull household items together to make flak jackets. others pulling pipes in mirrors together to make periscopes to provide to the troops like oleg on the frontlines they can see over the trenches. the way that all societies come together and just refuses to be intimidated and bullied, it has inspired the world. it has inspired the american people. and i think that's why you see that kind of solidarity, is we have gotten to know you and your hearts through the ways that you have come together and the way that you have fought for freedom. >> lesya, thank you that was just a wonderful moment. let's go live to russia now. cnn's fred pleitgen is in moscow. fred, you've been in moscow for much of the conflict. tell us how ordinary russians see all of this? and how are they living their

day-to-day lives? >> hello fareed. i would actually say a lot of russians see the war in ukraine as very similar to the way vladimir putin sees the war in ukraine. if you look at the approval ratings for vladimir putin, you always have to take them with a grain of salt. but according to an independent pollster, they're at around 80% at this point in time. and i would describe the support for the special military operation, as the russians call, it as not necessarily enthusiastic among most people. and i think one of the things administrator powers said is absolutely correct, dissent is obviously very dangerous in this country. nevertheless, there are things that vladimir putin is laying out there in his reasoning for going to war that do resonate with a lot of russian people. there are a lot of people here

in this country who believe that the east of ukraine is essentially russian territory. historically russian territory, there's a lot of people who believe that territory was infringed upon by the united states, by nato, and that somehow, this conflict now is one between russia and the west. and specifically, between russia and the united states. so, right now, there's no public pressure on vladimir putin to end this war. and it certainly does not seem as though he's inclined to do so anytime soon, fareed. >> and fred, what is life like day-to-day for russians? do they feel the war in any sense? >> that's an extremely important question. i'm really glad you asked that, fareed. because i think a lot of people be very surprised to see what life is like here in moscow. there's still a lot of products that are on the shelves. card payments are possible, electronic payments are possible. if you wanted to, you could

basically block out the fact that this country is at war. of course, then there are the symbols of the war. there are z symbols in a lot of places. z symbols, new symbols of russia's invasion of ukraine. by and large, i would say as far as the economy is concerned, it's been hurt by the sanctions, but not crippled by the sanctions. so, certainly economic pressure is not something that will cause flattering putin to change course. >> thank you, fred. fred pleitgen from moscow. but let me ask you about that, jake sullivan. the imf projects that the russian economy is actually going to do better this year than the british economy or the german economy. there are reports the new york times had a long report on how countries like china and india and turkey and iran are supplying all kinds of goods to the russians that perhaps they thought they would you been able to get the u.s. and companies that left. does this mean the sanctions are really not working? >> no, it does not. first of all, the russian government has put an enormous amount of effort into trying to pop -- prop up the economy.

and they're spending down their sovereign wealth fund, basically the money they've got in their government bank in order to prop up the economy and keep those numbers looking good on paper. but underneath that, there are signs of fundamental structural wrought in the russian economy. their ability to access high technology, which mostly comes from the west. their ability to access the brains of some of the smartest people in russia is becoming constrained by the fact that those people are fleeing drones in hundreds of thousands. their ability to keep replenishing their war machine with the components they need to build, the missiles and bombs that the raining down on ukraine, has been hampered badly by these sanctions. and the thing about the sanctions freed is they have a compounding effect. they get worse overtime month by month. they hollow out the russian industrial base, the russian technology base. and the fundamental foundation of russia's ability to hold on to a modern economy into the future.

so, are there more steps that we can take? absolutely, and tomorrow the g7 will announce a new quite powerful round of sanctions, including aimed at countries that are trying to back fill the products that are denied them from these sanctions. so, you will see as time goes on the continued erosion of the quality and capacity of the russian economy, even as vladimir putin races to spend money in an effort to prop it up. >> let's now talk about china. we have a another audience member who's here in d. c., joseph ogundeyi is a project manager at a nonprofit. he has the floor with a question for jake that gets right to the heart of the matter. >> yes, hello, jake. i was wondering do you feel that u.s. sanctions will actually have an impact on drawing a closer relationship with russia and china and pushing them together? >> well, i think it's a great question. and we've all been watching the relationship between china and russia closely, since early last february, when president putin traveled to beijing for the olympics to meet with president xi.

but what i would say is that the kind of cartoonish notion that these two countries become unbreakable allies is belied by a few facts. first, china actually even today abstained un security council, on un general assembly resolution. they did not vote with russia. they've been very careful in how they posture themselves publicly and their comments. they have tried to pitch themselves as somehow not standing fully in russia's camp when it comes to the war in ukraine. and their top diplomat recently was in europe trying to sell the idea that china's not all in with russia. but there are also disturbing signs about the ways in which china is supporting ukraine as not standing up and speaking out about the terrible atrocities being committed in ukraine. and of course, they have not taken off the table the possibility of providing military assistance to ukraine. although we have not seen them do it yet.

so, it's something we watch very closely. president biden has a simple message to send when he talks to president xi. china should not be supporting the russian war effort, because the russian war effort is all about trying to destroy and subjugate in neighbor, in violation of every principle of human decency and every principle of international law. and that is a message that not only the united states is carrying, but countries around the world are carrying. as samantha said earlier, 141 countries today voted to condemn this war and to show that the vast majority of the world recognizes what is happening here and who is at fault. and it is russia. >> but let me follow up on that question and ask is it a sign that the administration's relationship with china is so broken that the chinese don't feel they have anything to gain by being, by trying to play some even neutral role here, and are in some ways pushed closer to russia? the administration maintains the trump tariffs, it has put sanctions on a high tech to try to prevent technology transfer into china, from the chinese point of view, do they look at this and say what do we have to

gain? the relationship with united states is terrible anyways. they're trying to contain us. >> i don't believe that china's approach to russia's referendum on its relationship with the united states anymore than i believe it's a referendum on the relationship with europe. they bet big on building a better relationship with europe and the nations of europe. in fact, when we came into office, it was weeks after china and europe had agreed to a major investment treaty that's now on the shelf. i don't think that the reason that china is making its decision is about any other country, us for the european union, or otherwise. they're making a decision based on what they see as international interest. i think in the early weeks and months of this war, they thought russia would roll over ukraine and this would end up being good for them, as they see the extent to which russia continues to show every single day that it is acting in monstrous ways, that i think

deep down many people, even in the chinese government find difficult to deal with. they are just trying to get through. they're trying to find a way in a very awkward space to not oppose russia, but do not fully support them either. that's a difficult place for them to be. but i don't think that is about us. now, president biden has been absolutely clear. he has a very straightforward approach when it comes to china. we are in a competition with china, and we are going to compete vigorously. but we are not looking for conflict. and we will manage that competition responsibly. that's how he approached his meeting with president xi last fall in indonesia. and that's how we'll continue to approach this relationship going forward. >> samantha power, do you think this is an inevitable alliance between two autocracies? president biden often talks

about the world of democracies and the world of autocracies. is this what we're up against, which is a sobering thought, because the three largest nuclear powers in the world, and you have to, russian china, allied and in a sense their missiles pointed at the united states? >> well, what i see as usaid administrator traveling to developing countries is china making, continuing to make a whole series of investments, often causing those countries to incur a awful lot of debt. but really, carrying a lot about its standing in the global south. and this gets to jake's point about the awkwardness of throwing its lot in with a naked aggressor committing war crimes as a matter of state policy. i mean, when you set out to de-electrify a country in the dead of winter, that is enshrining the intentional destruction of civilian infrastructure as a war aim. that's very unusual. and to do so publicly and flamboyantly, that is, that creates great awkwardness for the people's republic of china. and with so much of the global south voting to condemn this

war, seeing themselves at stake, you know, what would it mean to a developing economy if neighbor, a larger neighbor ends up there in africa, just come across a border and take land and take resources? so, i think china's longer game involves establishing legitimacy, shaving international order in its own image, certain diminishing the role of human rights and other things that are deeply problematic. but in order to do so, they're looking for votes in the u. n.. they're looking for support. they're looking for trade partners. they're looking for markets for their goods. and what russia is doing is bringing them into circumstances that, i think, fundamentally are not in their economic interest, not in their interest of, again, expanding the standing, which has been so fundamental to xi's approach to leadership from day one. >> stay with us. up next, we are going to talk to someone in ukraine who has been living through this war. and she is just 14 years old. when we come back.

-- circumstances that, i think, fundamentally are not in their economic interest, not in their interest of, again, expanding the standing, which has been so fundamental to xi's approach to leadership from day one. >> stay with us. up next, we are going to talk to someone in ukraine who has been living through this war. and she is just 14 years old. when we come back. it's easy to get lost in investment research. introducing j.p. morgan personal advisors. -hey david connect with an advisor to create your personalized plan. -let's find the right investments for your goals okay, great. j.p. morgan wealth management.

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>> welcome back to the cnn town hall. russia's invasion of ukraine, one year later. i'm joined here in washington, d. c. by the national security adviser jake sullivan, usaid administrator samantha power's. and we have a very special guest joining us from kyiv. this is a 14 year old lera. our team first met her in september when we are in ukraine for an interview with president zelenskyy.

she's an amazing young woman. hello, good to see you again. what would you like to ask? >> good evening. most children feel the safest around their close ones. can i, as an average ukrainian teenager, rely on americans to feel that type of safety. >> samantha power? >> i think, as you know firsthand, lera, safety, the feeling a safety comes from a lot of things. above all, knowing that those around you are safe. it must be harrowing for you to know that your loved ones are likely to be called out a fight on the front, or are on the front. safety comes from being in your school and knowing that you're going to be able to continue to learn, the ability to know that you're going to have food on the table the next day, or when you try to log on to do your school work. there's going to be electricity. and what we are trying to do as a government's attack all of those issues that putin is trying to undermine and destroy at once. and really-able to do so because ukrainian people are tackling all of these issues that once. the farmers are still out in the field planting, sometimes

you think bomb detectors or metal detectors to make sure there is no unexploded ordinances. the teachers are teaching you, as you well know, in your classrooms. and when they hear the air raid sirens, bringing you and your classmates into the bunkers in order to ensure that -- >> even as you continue to try to learn. what i can promise you, and i know jake would promise you, and president biden would promise you, if you were here, is that we have your backs. we stand with you, not just on the battlefront, but in -- as much safety as you can when one man and his wicket vision has tried to take that away. and we all along for the day where you can walk freely with your classmates, not worry

about have to scamper to a bomb shelter, not have to worry about your loved ones or yourselves, or your neighbors and your friends and your family members are not often some distant country where they become became refugees. they are back home, we needed a few. as the president has it, we are with you until the end. we will stand with you. >> thank you lera. we are going to bring in someone else from ukraine. cnn's alex marquardt, who joins us from dnipro. alex, the ukrainians are bracing for possible russian attacks today, as the sun rises on the day of the one year anniversary of the war. we do they think these attacks will come? and what do they look like? what are they worried about? >> yeah, that's right, fareed zakaria. the sun is due to come up on this anniversary in just about 90 minutes time. and you're absolutely right that this country is bracing for what they are calling potential provocative actions by the russians.

they could come from land, c, or air, from the north, from the east, or from the south. there is a high likelihood, fareed zakaria, that we could see salvos of missiles fired all across this country, as we have seen many times before, fired at critical infrastructure, heating, electricity, water, crippling those facilities in the middle of the winter, which has had a devastating effect on the ukrainian population. we could see russia step up their attacks where we are already seeing fierce fighting. in the eastern city of bakhmut, in the southeastern town -- of vuhledar, where i was earlier today, with the unit that fully expected the russians to do something on this anniversary. around kherson where the ukrainians have pushed back the rush and several months ago. there could be random attacks in cities like dnipro, very far from the frontlines. we saw an attack in the city on an apartment building just last month. more than 40 people killed by a cruise missile. that kind of random attack was

just striking fear and terror in the hearts of ukrainians. so, this country certainly is girding itself for what could come on this anniversary, fareed. >> thank you, alex. jake sullivan, almost all of wars and in some kind of negotiation, sort of world war ii war where one side completely annihilates the other is very rare in history. what will those negotiations look like? the chinese have put out this -- i don't know whether to call it a peace plan -- it's just out. it's a 12 page document, calling for the end of hostilities and the resumption of peace talks. is there anything to this? what is your reaction? >> well, my first reaction to it could stop at point number one, which is respect the sovereignty of all nations. that's the first point in the 12 point plan. this war could end tomorrow, if russia stopped attacking ukraine withdrew its forces. ukraine was not attacking russia. nato was not attacking russia.

the united states was not attacking russia. this is a war of choice by putin waged on ukraine and it could end if he simply left ukraine. and that is the best way for this war to end. now, i cannot predict the future. what i can tell you is that the united states is not going to dictate ukraine how this war ends. president biden tells president zelenskyy and our allies at every opportunity nothing about ukraine without ukraine. it is the ukrainians who will decide how they will proceed towards the end to this war. our job is to put them in the best possible position on the battlefield, so they are in the best possible position to be able to do diplomacy wherever they choose to do diplomacy. and that is how we are going to proceed. but i think there's one more important point as we approach this anniversary. and it's actually, the anniversary as arrived in ukraine. and that is that russia has already lost this war. russia's aims in this war we're

too wipe ukraine off the map, to take the capital, and to eliminating crane, to absorb it into russia. they feel that doing that, and they're in no position to be able to do that as we go forward. and it's important for everyone to remember that the courage and bravery of the ukrainian people have already accomplished that objective, and the support of the united states and our allies and partners around the world has helped contribute to that. but where this goes from here is something that will play out over the coming months. what we know is day by day, we simply have to keep doing our job, which is to give the ukrainians the tools they need to defend themselves. >> sam, whatever happens at the end of this war, ukraine is going to need a massive amount of reconstruction and assistance. does the world have the capacity, does the united states have the capacity for the kind of thing? you know, people talk about a marshall plan, like there was after 1945, to help europe rebuild. is that the kind of scale we need to be thinking about? >> i think we associate the marshall plan with a moment,

just as we associate the end of the war, world war ii, with a moment. and it looks as the recovery and reconstruction in ukraine, at least for the time being, is going to happen differently. just this month, earlier this month, the world bank announced $50 million to invest in repair and restoration of the transport networks, the transport infrastructure in ukraine. and that's how usaid is proceeding as we try to catalyze the involvement of the european bank for reconstruction development, the big international financial institutions, and to get the private sector to be interested in coming back to those parts of ukraine that are relatively peaceful. and even to continue to make investments elsewhere. we just struck a public private partnership with bayer, which is building a new seat factory in ukraine, which is going to employ thousands of ukrainians. the more ukrainians are employed, the more revenue there is, the less assistance will need to come from up

without. that's going to come from within and without. that's not going to be an on off switch. it's something we want more ukrainian refugees to be in a position to come home, to have infrastructure that awaits them, where they can live in buildings that have been repaired. but of course, the damage that some estimates is that that the damage has been 130 billion dollars if you take terrible land, homes hospitals, schools. so, this is gonna be mammoth undertaking. the other thing we want to do now is with an eye to those big ticket items, most of which will happen only when there is a negotiated peace. but we have to make sure that resources are going to be well spent. when you have those huge investments, let's go well beyond what is being provided right now, that's one of course you want to make sure that you have the safeguards in place so that all outside investors and donors no end can say to their citizens that this is money that is going to be well spent. but i think president biden has spoken really eloquently, powerfully to how much

enthusiasm there will be when this war is officially over. you know, a number of actors our on the outside, really wanting to be a part of the longer term solution. but getting the institutional frameworks right is something we can be working on right now, in addition to the stopgap recovery efforts. >> jake, i've got to ask you one final question. we've talked all about the world, russia, ukraine. we haven't talked about what's going on in the united states. do you worry when you hear voices like governor desantis, senator josh hawley, senator vance questioning why the united states is doing this, asking why we should be spending this money, wondering whether we should be taking a more neutral position? >> what i find so interesting about that perspective is we can't operate in the world because we have to operate at home, as it presents a fundamentally false choice which is not at all who america

is. we can both invest at home and provide for the safety and well-being of the american people. and we can lead in the world. and that's what we've done at our best, under democratic and republican presidents for decades. the united states is capable as a powerful, self assured nation. we have the resources, we have the energy, we have the talents of our people to solve our own problems here. and president biden has done more in two years to invest in this country, to build jobs, to provide for the social safety net, to deal with the problems that people sit around their kitchen tables and think about. while at the same time, mobilizing a coalition of free nations to support the values that americans hold so dear. so, what i would say to the senators is yes, let's do these things at home. but are you saying that america is incapable of also helping to serve a powerful force for good in the world? i don't think that the american people believe that. i think the american people think we are capable of doing both. and at our best, that is

exactly what we have done. and i believe that a lot of the moments i've seen in this last year in ukraine, from those flags waving in small towns that samantha was talking about, to the people in the u. s. government who are trying to support folks like yegor on the front lines, that has been america at its best. and so, i think there's a pessimism in this argument that the senators are making. president biden has an optimistic view, which is we can do it. and we should do it. and we are doing it. and as a result, i believe that democracies in the world are getting stronger, not weaker, as the president said. and autocracies are getting weaker, not stronger. and that is better for every single person in this country. >> jake sullivan, samantha power, pleasure to have you on. cnn has something special coming up on the war in ukraine from chief international correspondent clarissa ward. she returned to ukraine recently to meet with the

people of ukraine, and here how they are faring one year into the war. she focused on the central ukrainian city of dnipro. it was considered relatively safe until last month, when it became the scene of one of the deadliest attacks since the war began. the will to win, ukraine at war, airs sunday at 8 pm eastern. [sirens] >> on january 14th, the 325th day of putin's war, dnipro was hell on earth. >> in all, 46 people were killed, including six children, after a 2000-pound russian missile as long as a city bus slammed into this apartment building. >> [crying] >> so, the blue wall, that was here -- that was your bathroom?

>> 24-year-old nastia was at home in bed sleeping. >> when you look at it now, what do you feel? >> [speaking non-english] >> the missile sliced her one bedroom apartment in half, killing both of her parents in the kitchen while just inches away, nastia clung on the life. >> i think for a lot of people it's hard to understand why russia would use this huge missile that's intended to take out an aircraft carrier but in a residential area. how do you try to understand why russia would do something like this? >> i don't understand.

>> can you tell me a little bit about your mom and dad, what they were like has people? >> [speaking non-english] [speaking non-english] [speaking non-english] >> do you ever wonder why you were saved? it's this extraordinary image sea of you surviving the unsurvivable. >> [speaking non-english]

[speaking non-english] [speaking non-english] >> take your time if you want to take a break. >> this is not the first grief nastya has experience in this war. in september, her boyfriend vladislav was killed while fighting on the front lines in kharkiv. >> you have experienced so much sadness and so much loss. in some ways, your story is the story of ukraine of people who have given so much, but who

continue to survive. >> [speaking non-english] [speaking non-english] >> that courage and great had come to define ukraine, but the price has been painfully high. ♪ ♪ ♪ tens of thousands of lives have been destroyed. estimates suggest it will require close to a trillion dollars to rebuild the country when this is all over. but today, the and is still nowhere in sight.

>> make sure to tune in sunday night at 8 pm eastern for clarissa ward's special report, the will to win, ukraine at war, only here on cnn. if you feel compelled to help out with humanitarian efforts in ukraine, we have a list of vetted organizations on our website. go to cnn. com/impact, and that concludes the cnn town hall. i want to thank our audience and questioners here in d. c. questioners in kyiv -- >> [applause] >> -- the front lines. i want to thank jake sullivan, samantha power and all of you out here for listening and watching this evening. >> [applause] >> and welcome to our viewers joining us in the united states. appreciate your company --

this is cnn newsroom and i'm michael holmes. the world is marking a somber occasion right now with the first anniversary of russia's brutal war against ukraine. ukraine's president is expected to address the g7 leaders virtual meeting in the coming hours. earlier tweeting that this year will be, quote, the year of our victory. russia's-year-old military offensive is badly stalled amid heavy losses and ukraine's allies are now more focused than ever on getting weapons and ammunition to ukraine as quickly as possible. here is what u.s. defense chief lloyd austin told our kaitlan collins. >> we are training and equipping several brigades of mechanized infantry. that is a pretty substantial capability. and in addition to that additional artillery -- and so, they will have the ability to breach russian defenses and maneuver. and i think that will create a different dynamic.

>> often anticipates that ukraine will launch its own counteroffensive once it receives the battle tanks and other advanced weapons that it has been promised. it's not often a man accused of murder testifies in his own defense. but a once prominent attorney accused of killing his wife and adult son did take the stand in south carolina on thursday. alex murdaugh spent hours answering questions and dropped a bombshell that could undermine his long held alibi for the murders. our diane gallagher with details -- >> alex murdaugh taking the stand -- >> nothing -- >> yes, ma'am -- >> defending himself against charges he murdered his wife maggie and son paul at their -- home. >> -- did you take this gun or any gun like it and shoot your son paul in the chest in the feed room at your property at --

>> -- i did not shoot my wife or son at any time, ever. >> for weeks, -- and relatives -- found on paul's phone, that he recorded at the kennels just before he was murdered there. >> -- >> chicken -- >> the ones now prominent disbarred attorney -- major part of his alibi -- candles after dinner was a lie. >> -- candles at 8:44 pm at the night maggie and paul were murdered. >> i was. >> did you -- >> -- >> -- and told them that you stayed at the house after dinner? >> i did lie to them. >> murdaugh telling the jury, the reason he lied was rooted in his opioid addiction. >> as my e diction addiction evolved over time, i would get in this -- circumstances where i would get paranoid, thinking --

i wasn't thinking clearly. i don't think i was capable of -- and i lied about being down there. and i am so sorry that i did. >> but during cross examination, prosecutor creighton waters emphasized murdaugh's 20 month lie. >> will you also agree that the first time that law enforcement officers that you talked to, prosecution, and here in open court, ever heard you say that you lied about being in the kennels which today in this court? >> yes. i'm aware of that. >> you would agree with that? >> yes, sir. >> murdaugh became emotional talking about his wife and son, who he called paul paul. >> -- most of all, i'm sorry to mags and paul paul. i would never intentionally do

anything to hurt either one of them. ever. >> the decision to testify, a risky one for any defendant -- but perhaps even more for murdaugh, who is opening himself up to questions about a host of financial crimes he is still awaiting trial for. >> -- talk about -- >> -- we years worth of theft and fraud. >> make this quick, correct? isn't that what you said? isn't that what you implied? >> no, sir. mr. waters -- my wife and my son. and i have sat here for all these weeks listening to all this financial stuff. again, i stole money that did not belong to me. i misled arthur badger to take that money. and i was wrong. >> how many times have you practice that answer before your testimony today? >> the prosecutor, creighton waters, spent painstaking

amount of time going over little details of financial fraud and theft allegations against murdaugh for a couple hours on thursday afternoon, painting murdaugh as not just the thief but also a liar. he questioned why he had never heard the defendant call his son by the nickname paul paul so far, insinuating the former attorney was playing it up for the jury. creighton waters said that he assumed he had about 3 to 4 hours of additional cross-examination on friday to go but he did concede that he is not very good at estimating time. dianne gallgher, cnn, walterboro, south carolina. >> disgraced movie mogul harvey weinstein now faces an additional 16 years in prison. the sentence follows his conviction in december on multiple charges of sexual assault after eight women testified against him in a california court. weinstein pleaded not guilty to all of the charges, calling the

case a, quote, set up. he has already been sentenced to 23 years in prison in new york for sexual assault and rape. he is appealing that conviction. the actor alec baldwin's killing not guilty to the -- on the set of the movie rust. in 2021, baldwin was holding the gun that went off firing a live round that struck -- cinematographer halyna hutchins. -- baldwin was released on his own recognizance as long as he stayed away from alcohol, does not own a gun and does not speak with other witnesses to the shooting. cnn has reached out for baldwin for comment. the war in ukraine has triggered a humanitarian crisis that is affecting much of europe. still ahead, we will discuss humanitarian needs in the country one year into the devastating conflict.

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learn more and view important safety information at inspiresleep.com. ever notice how stiff clothes can feel rough on your skin? for softer clothes that are gentle on your skin, try downy free & gentle downy will soften your clothes without dyes or perfumes. the towel washed with downy is softer, and gentler on your skin. try downy free & gentle. >> welcome back. russian held parts of ukraine are largely off limits to u.n. humanitarian aid. that's according to the u.n.'s humanitarian coordinator for

ukraine, who spoke with cnn on thursday. she says the war has called cause devastation on both sides of the frontline. but she says russia is not giving the necessary guarantees for her teams to be able to go across the front lines. as a result, about 2 million people, who are in dire need, are not receiving u.n. assistance. all right -- let's talk about the humanitarian situation in ukraine warrior into the war. i'm joined by matthew sterns. he's country director for ukraine for the international medical corps. he's in kyiv. thanks so much for being with us. we talk daily about the battlefield. but what are the most pressing humanitarian issues and needs you are seeing right now? >> thanks so much, michael, for taking the time today. so, in the -- that we are seeing now as a result of the configuration of this intense hostilities that are happening here, we see devastated health care systems

and massive population displacement and particular evil vulnerable groups that are -- accessing humanitarian services. i'm talking about elderly folks, people with disabilities, women and girls who are especially vulnerable during wartime conditions -- and so we are seeing these numbers increase. the latest numbers from the when -- we are looking at about 17.6 million people in need of criminal critical humanitarian assistance. >> wow. that's a stunning number. >> today -- >> i want to ask you this too. they are the physical needs that you deal with. but i know you also plays a great deal of importance on the mental health aspect of civilians. >> it's incredibly important and acute situation here, michael. we have a mental health and psychosocial care team that is on the ground across the country doing outreach to provide services, the support of the heavy trauma and fatigue, frankly, that is going on here amongst the ukrainian people. we are proud of the outreach we have done.

and the international medical corps has reached 15,000 people with its mental health care outreach. -- we anticipate it's going to increase as the conflict continues. >> you mention this. and i want to come back to it. your organization also focuses on gender based violence, violence against women and girls. how much of an issue has that been? have you been able to make a difference with that? >> so, michael, yes, it's a very serious issue here. we take it very seriously. we have an entire team of technical specialists that deal with violence against women issues. as we have seen here, as another conflicts settings, sexual assault is weaponized as an instrument of war. it is present here in this conflict. this results in severe, acute vulnerability for women and girls in this conflict. we have gotten apparatus that -- address that country wide, and specially in frontline areas where the needs are more cute. again, we have reached 15,000

women and girls through that type of programming and that type of support. >> i was reading your job biography, and it includes empowering, coaching and mentoring colleagues. and it made me want to ask you about this. the efforts of local humanitarian workers and counselors, the work they do, and how you might be able to assist them -- because they, of course, have themselves, many of them, suffered in this war. >> yeah, michael. thanks for touching on that. number one, he raised the point about localization. and we are using a lot of local partners here in ukraine, partners who have set up humanitarian operations. we support a number of them, all in violence against women efforts, the interventions that we are supporting their. and then on the mental health and psychosocial care piece. it's especially for the providers of care, folks that are dealing with gender based violence interventions and the medical health care professionals. the stress is that around them that are absorbing as a result of the significant