for being with us. that's it for me this hour. you can catch a special live edition of american voices that is tonight, 10 pm eastern. i will see you then. but for now, i handed over to my friend and colleague ayman medina. he. ayman >> halle's, yeah think you so much for that and thank you for putting the spotlight on refugees, it's a country's first nation that will be worth continuing. i'll see you in a little bit my friend, get some restful you can. >> good evening to everyone at home. we are following the breaking news in ukraine all hour long. it's a pm here in new york, 3 am in the country's capital of kyiv. it's day 11 of the russian invasion. and just within the last hour, we have learned that president biden has spoken with ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy for the second time. we do not know yet what the two leaders discussed, but their latest conversation comes on the heels of a chaotic day of fast moving developments in this conflict. earlier, the u.s. state department issued a clear warning to americans, still inside of russia, get out

immediately. that advisory comes that an american basketball player is currently being detained in russia. russian officials say that phoenix mercury center, brittney griner was arrested after hashish oil were found in her cartridges. meanwhile, -- visa and mastercard both announced that they are suspending all operations in russia. on the ground in ukraine, another day of shelling and bombing as russia's assault continues. in the early hours of saturday morning, though, it appear that there might be a brief moment of peace on the horizon. russian and ukrainian forces agreeing on a temporary cease-fire as well as a humanitarian corridor for the evacuation of civilians from at least two embattled southern ukrainian cities. but within hours of that agreement, it collapsed. that's after officials from one of those cities in mariupol accused russian forces of breaking the cease fire,

throwing an attempted besic vacuum a shunt of civilians into chaos. according to the new york times, residents in a desperate attempt to evacuate, tied white flags, like, it's and sheets to our vehicles that they pose no threat. but as friday continued, they were forced to turn around. russian forces have hit mariupol with relentless shelling, leaving that city and its residents without water, heat, or electricity. it is a dire situation inside of ukraine and that is where we start tonight with nbc's cal perry. he is live on the ground for us in lviv, ukraine. cal, it's good to see you again. i don't even know where to begin this evening because so many moving pieces. let's start with the mood in ukraine after what appears to be russia breaking that cease-fire agreements and setting the situation to chaos for those trying to escape. >> yes, i think the place you are starting it is the place which is, you have civilian populations coming under increasing fire, whether it's

being shelled or actual sort of combat on the ground. you have the cities that are being cut off from the rest of the country. you mentioned mariupol, this follows kherson, on the west. it's clear that russians are moving out of crimea and they are creating that land bridge that we have heard about for so long that they said they would do. they're doing it through this very crude tactic of choking off these cities, as you said, cutting off the power, cutting off the water, taking away the heat from the residents that remain. basically shelling it into the ground. we have seen this before and people have long feared it. it's not just happening in the southern part of the country. in the northern part of the country as well. at least half a dozen villages now for three days under that sustained fire with civilians unable to leave. you mentioned that brief cease-fire. it really just was the framework for a cease-fire. there were not high hopes that would work, and it did work. according to the ukrainian government, the firing never stopped. the shot never stopped. add to that you have presidential in ski now begging for a no-fly zone.

asking nato to impose a no fly zone. for nato's part, is something they want to avoid, they said from the beginning. they do not want to face off against the russians. they are worried, of course, in order to impose a no fly zone, you have to shoot down russian jets. that's with the secretary general of nato said. so you have really what is becoming a conflict with the russians have slowed their advance, where they're being a bit more methodical, but it's brutal. it's brutal on that civilian population. and, so, of course, you have a humanitarian crisis. more than 1.2 million people have already left this country. the world food programme says that 5 million people are in need of immediate relief and food. so it's a deteriorating situation as the conflict only seems to widen. again, the shelling of the civilian area seems to get worse. >> and cal, while we were speaking, we were getting that readout from the white house from president biden's phone call with bullet amir zelenskyy, the ukrainian president. and one of the things and that rate up was the president reiterating america's commitment to helping ukraine

both on the security, economic, and humanitarian front. that's what i want to focus on here for a moment. eastern ukraine, where you are -- excuse me, eastern ukraine, not where you are, but has been battered by violence, has many cars to flee to where you are in the western part of the country. how how are those cities handling the influx of people who can't, the lucky ones who can, make it to where you are? >> i have to say, lviv is handling it so far very well. it was a couple of days ago when restaurants here were starting to run out of food, where places are starting to shut. and it's almost oh revived a bit. there seems to be finally, in the days for there to be some kind of a system to get folks to the polish border. the polish border was so jammed with cars, there was a 20 mile back up. the trains weren't running properly to warsaw. the train station was filling up. there was a logistical problem here on the ground where people had left the cars at the train station and just left the country. and the government locally here had to go and tow them away.

there's just simple logistical things that needed to happen. those things have started to happen. but it doesn't lessen the need. like i said, 1.2 million people have left the country, that does not account for the hundreds of thousands, probably millions of people, who have nowhere to go. some of them are finding room here and will be, some are moving to other villages closer to the border. and we are finally starting to see now that first influx of humanitarian work. i saw my first polish red cross to the other day outside the train station. -- moldova as well. trying to get a handle on this humanitarian crisis. and as you said, nato starting to support as they can on the other side of the polish border, those 10, 082nd airborne troops from the u.s. military, trying to support that effort, starting to -- the question is, where is this going and how long are we going to need to support millions of refugees, and will they ever come back? will people ever be able to return to their homes?

because the russians are not, it doesn't seem at this point, going anywhere. except for forward. and as i said, they are slowly shelling, as we heard from the state department, the civilian areas. so as they close around the city of kyiv, it's only going to increase the refugee crisis, and in the city i am in now, lviv, it's a staging area. it's a support area. people here are worried it's only a matter of time until vladimir putin turns his attention here. >> yeah, you bring up a very good point about the plight of the refugees and whether or not they will come back. nbc's cal perry, kyle, don't go far away. we will be checking out with you throughout the evening. to stay safe. earlier today, president zelenskyy met with more than 300 senators of u.s. congress. he urged senators to do more to pressure putin back to the negotiating table. including imposing a new flies on -- a no-fly zone, excuse, me over ukraine. democratic congressman raja krishnamoorthi from illinois

was in that meeting, he's a member of the house intelligence committee. he joins us now. thank you so much for joining us. i know it has been a very busy day for you, so appreciate your time. let me start with that meeting, if i can. volodymyr zelenskyy, ukraine's president, directly asking for a no fly zone. but earlier today, russian president, buttery putin, warned that he would consider any third parties that to clear a no fly zone over ukraine to be participants in the conflict. do you believe a no fly zone could lead to a direct military confrontation with russia? >> yes, i think so. and that's why i don't think that the united states or nato allies were engaged with a no-fly zone. however, the alternative which mr. zelenskyy emotionally asked for, where fighter planes themselves. as you know, ukraine is a need a fire -- fighter planes to combat russian air assets. but they need russian warplanes because that's what their

pilots are trained on. it turns out some of our nato allies have those types of planes and are willing to potentially give those planes to the ukrainians. but, i, and some of my colleagues, would like the united states to help support those nato allies. and in doing so, we believe that's an appropriate ask and totally reasonable one right now. >> are you at all concerned that russia may perceive the transfer of russian-made fighter jets in the hands of nato as nato military assets going to ukraine even though they are being piloted by ukrainian nationals? could that be misinterpreted or perceived as nato getting involved in this conflict? >> they already know that we are providing hundreds of millions at this point, more than a billion dollars worth of equipment, overtly, through poland and other nato allies to the ukrainians. they know that. and that's what we have to do. we have to help the ukrainians defend themselves.

i think it's an appropriate action. but our direct deployment of troops, or our own fighter planes over the skies of ukraine and enforcing a no fly zone would be unnecessarily dangerous and escalatory. i don't think people would want that eta. >> the biden administration as you probably know sir has asked for ten billion dollars and aid for ukraine from congress. when do you expect that deal on military humanitarian aid to make its way to the presidents desk? >> very quickly. i think that by next week, i expect that that particular request will probably be satisfied to a large degree. i'm also leading legislation with mike turner, riding with the intelligence committee, to assess and prepare and support an insurgency and that's extremely important because as we know, the ukrainians are putting up an incredibly stiff resistance. but if the russians try to overwhelm them with their firepower, they could

potentially, at some point, overrun the country. and then they would meet with a ferocious resistance and insurgency. and we must support them with everything we got. >> let me ask you about that for a moment because i understand you are working on bipartisan legislation to develop, to support, this so-called pro independence insurgency, if putin forces take over kyiv and basically overrun the country. are you preparing for what's seems like the inevitable takeover of ukraine or do you think the ukrainian resistance and current forces as they stand have a chance in repelling this russian invasion? >> they have a chance and they have mounted an incredibly courageous and stiff resistance. however, if in the event that the russians do overwhelm them, and overrun the country, i still think it's extremely important to give the ukrainians a fighting chance through an insurgency to repel

the russian onslaught. i think we can do that. but we have to prepare right now, ayman. and i am glad that on a bipartisan basis, many of my colleagues are interested in joining with me and congressman turner in doing that. >> let me just finally ask you really quickly, is there a diplomatic offering that you see, that you came up with, volodymyr zelenskyy? is there anything nonmilitary as you see that has a chance in result being this contact? >> first, the russians have to get out of ukraine. i think -- this hostility has to cease. they have to withdraw their troops for there to be a viable settlement negotiation. until then, i think we are going to have to fight them out, or fight them off, and help the ukrainians do the same. >> all right, congressman rush now kofi, thank you so much, i greatly appreciate your time as always.

>> still ahead, more than 1.3 million ukrainians have fled into neighboring countries. we will bring you the latest on the ground from poland. don't go anywhere. >> i had to take all of my life in these bags. this is all my life. this is heartbreaking. it's not because i love things. it's just -- it's 68 years of my life in these bags. these bags d along the ride, you'll have many questions. challenges. and a few surprises. ♪ but wherever you are on your journey. your dell technologies advisor is here for you - with the right tech solutions. so you can stop at nothing for your customers.

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that breaking news we told you about at the top of the hour. the white house has now provided a readout of a call this evening, between president joe biden and president zelenskyy of ukraine. in part, it reads, president biden highlighted the ongoing actions undertaken by the united states, its allies and partners, and private industry, to raise the costs on russia for its aggression in ukraine. in particular, he welcomed a decision this evening by visa and master card to suspend service in russia. president biden or his administration is surging security, humanitarian and economic assistance to ukraine. it is working closely with congress to secure additional funding. biden reiterated his concern about the recent russian attack on ukrainian nuclear power plant. and he commended the skill and bravery of the ukrainian operators, who have kept the reactors in safe condition. let me play for you a part of what secretaries of state anthony blinken said earlier. >> we come from several days of

meetings with nato, they are being union, countries beyond the g7. and we see that support not only continue, security support, humanitarian support, but that's support will increase. and as for the pressure of russia, not only is it unprecedented, not only is it producing very, very concrete results and russia, but that pressure to will not only continue, it will grow until this war is more choice is brought to an end. >> now, the stars had their nobles, and the soviet premiers had their apparat checks. and vladimir putin has his oligarchs. grumbling connected elites who enriched themselves and extended putin's influence basically. the biden administration has announced a new round of sanctions that are actually targeting some of these russian oligarchs, by name, saying these measures will help with the squeeze on putin self.

and as the administration describes it, these individuals have enriched themselves. basically, at the expense of the russian people, and some have elevated their family members into high-ranking positions. others, they sit at top of russia's largest companies, and are responsible for providing the resources necessary to support putin's invasion of ukraine. but here's the question, how effective are these sanctions? and is there any real way that these sanctions are ultimately going to sway putin's mind? joining me now, professor angela stent, she's the director of the center for eurasia and russia and east european studies at george town university. and author of putin's world: russia against the west and with the rest. professor, it's great to have you with us this evening. we have heard of some of these guys. i mean, there is the most notable name, roman abramovich, that billionaire, best known in the west for owning england's chelsea soccer club. he hasn't been sanctioned yet. and then there's billionaires like alisher usmanov who is on

the u.s. sanctions list, and of course, this past week, this 500 foot yacht, half a billion dollar worth, was just seized by german authorities. tell me a little bit about who these guys are, and what do they have to do with this putin in the war, at this point, if anything? >> so some of these people got rich on the yeltsin. some of these people got rich andra putin. so -- so they have remained very rich. there was a deal in the 1990s when nelson was about to lose an ♪ ♪ ♪ election, that these now oligarchies gave him a lot of money to get reelected, and then in return they were given a bargain based on prices. they could buy the oil, the gas, the metals, all the riches that the soviet union had. and now, russia has. and then, some of these all of our x, like the two of them who

are judo sparring partners of putin. he was a judo champion, when he was a teenager. and he was a big owner initially at ♪ ♪ ♪ eastern facebook. he lives in russia. so it's a mixture of people who have made their money mainly on war materials. and some on, you know, on metals and things like that. and, you know, putin is wanting to keep their wealth, and the deal they have is they've never challenged him, politically. and mr. peskov, who is the press secretary for mr. putin, longtime press secretary, he and his family were sanction. but interestingly enough, his daughter who lives in the west has already criticized the russian invasion, maybe she thinks that's gonna get her off the sanctions list. >> yeah, i saw that instagram post. it was a post on social media. let me ask you about how these

sanctions work, because i guess the ultimate question is will they sway the government's behavior? and more importantly, specifically, vladimir putin's? so i guess is a two fold, will they sway vladimir putin, or will they impact him directly? >> they will not sway putin. frankly, he doesn't care if some of these people lose their walks, your apartments, their houses. that's really of no interest to him. he is hell-bent on doing what he's doing in ukraine. he wants to subjugate ukraine, and you know, we've also said that putin himself is personally sanctioned, whatever that means in terms of going after his money. that really doesn't change political calculus. >> and it seems let that, you know, critics might say, professor, to the extent that if sanctions do hurt putin and his inner circle, they might just reinforce a bunker mentality, and push them closer to markets like china. is there that scenario, or is that not something that should be keeping american officials

up at night, as they play this kind of free dimensional chess as to how reserve reverse course? >> china has already begun on the trump administration with sanctions on russia and a trade war with china. he has made his choice, and his choices now to be with china. so i don't think that has much of an impact. but what does has an impact, he said all of these sanctions threaten the existence of the russian state. so he can then use that as an excuse to escalate and retaliate. and also, tell the russian people, because these sanctions are affecting them as well. they can't get money out of the atms. prices are going up. and he's gonna tell them the reason you are suffering like this, is because the west has sanctioned us for no reason. so you know, sanctions can backfire in some ways, in terms of visibility to use propaganda. >> all right, professor angela stent, author of putin's world: russia against the west and with the rest, greatly appreciate your insights. thank you so much for joining

us this evening, professor. >> coming up, the u.s. has issued a new round of sanctions, targeting russian oligarchic. but first, the difficult journey out of ukraine. we're gonna have the very latest on the ground. nna have the ver>> what was khae yesterday? we were hearing stories. we saw the pictures, but what was it like for you? >> [speaking foreign language] tymutual.com so you only pay for what you need. isn't that right limu? limu? sorry, one sec. doug blows a whistle. [a vulture squawks.] oh boy. only pay for what you need. ♪liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty♪

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us, it's great to see you. i know we spoke earlier in the week. i appreciate you making more time for us. let's start with what ukrainians are living through on the ground right now, and play this for you. take a listen. >> [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] >> so, those are just some of the stories that us and other journalists have been hearing from citizens still inside of the country. what can you tell us about the realities those who remain in the country are dealing with right now? >> so, i am in kyiv.

i was born and raised in kharkiv, so i still have many family members, many friends. i'm getting messages from some of my classmates. back in kharkiv, and they're all just terrified. they have been bombarded from air for five days in a row. some of them were staying in underground metro stations for five days with her children. i read the story yesterday where a small child was stayed in the bunker of five nights, and the child died from pneumonia, because it was too cold in that basement where they were staying. the child was 40 days old. imagine the pain of the parents who did live through that. a mother myself, i can't imagine that happening to my son, and how i would feel. but people in kharkiv, they're saying, they're texting me and

saying, talk to the world. please let the world know what's putin's doing to assist it genocide. we don't want to surrender. we just want to be able to go back to where it's warm, where there's heat and electricity. so that is the same for the state of mariupol. it is in the southeast of ukraine. it supports city. it has been under heavy siege from the russians for the last seven days. i don't have that many acquaintances there, but a sister and other member of parliament is there with her son. and today, the russians promised to provide for humanitarian corridor, to allow for women and children from the city to leave. and the most terrible thing happened, there were intended to shoot at the humanitarian corridor. we were extremely afraid that the ukrainian police learned about that in advance, and they

managed to move the woman and children into a safe place, ten minutes before they started shelling the area where people who are gathering in order to leave. that is the kind of evil that we're getting with right now here in ukraine. they're willing to shoot at children. they have already killed more than 30 ukrainian children, and the numbers are growing. they're shelling the kindergartens, the schools. particularly by air. the air ray rates are the most terrifying, with kind of high alert of a bomb falling on your head. so that's why we're asking to cover our skies, because they're targeting mariupol right now. and we are more scared of the worst things coming in the coming weeks. and we hear information that morris coming. and that is something even more

horrific then, more terrible than what we have faced so far. >> as you've probably heard, and we're almost out of time, but i wanted to ask you. as you've probably heard, nato and the united states and european countries have said they will not participate in a no-fly zone, because they do not want to get into a direct military confrontation with russia. as a member of the ukrainian parliament, what is your response when you hear that? do you feel that you're being abandoned by europe and nato? >> so as simple as that, in 1994, ukraine gave out voluntarily its use nuclear weapon potential. we gave that up in exchange for assurance for our security from the united states, from the u knighted kingdom. and now, we're just getting excuses that insurance is gonna be provided, where our children are gonna be murdered by putin. we don't take it as acceptable.

we are begging to save our lives. or if nato doesn't want to get involved directly, just give us the fighter jet. we can cover our skies, by ourselves. but to kind of just stay here, we'll kind of just continue looking at this, as the whole country of 40 million is being devastated from air by putin. and simply, not do anything. so if direct involvement is completely impossible, it does feel like a threat, but there's another option, supply jets. that should do the job. use the ukrainian army showing extreme professionalism. probably one of the best armies in the world. they should be able to do that themselves if nato doesn't want to get involved. we just need the fighter jets. >> i don't know if you had a chance to see my interview with the congressman from the u.s., he was saying that they were trying to do that at least here in the u.s. congress, to try and get those support and those fighter jets to you. inna sovsun, member of the ukrainian parliament, thank you

so much for joining us tonight. and thank you for all of what you're doing. >> coming up, african immigrants living in ukraine are facing direct tape and discrimination, as they try to flee the country. stay with us. >> get into the train station in lviv. they said they can't allow africans to go onto that train. you should go use the bus! we slept outside last night. lept outside last night. allergies don't have to be scary. spraying flonase daily stops your body from overreacting to allergens all season long. psst! psst! flonase all good. ♪ ♪ ♪a little bit of chicken fried♪ ♪cold beer on a friday night♪ ♪a pair of jeans that fit just right♪ ♪and the radio up well i've seen the sunrise...♪ get 5 boneless wings for $1 with any handcrafted burger. only at applebee's

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in a green alleged racism and discrimination at the country's borders. video posted this week by a nigerian student studying in ukraine, and verified by nbc. it appears to show military officials pointing guns at refugees, who say, they're not being allowed out of the war stricken country. according to video, officials

continue to point the guns, even as refugees race at their hands and surrender. alexander, a nigerian student was there. he alleges officials at multiple borders turned refugees of color away. >> you identify a ukrainian, because if i don't see you check your passport. i see you picking white people only. >> how would you describe what's happening at the border? >> i don't like using the word racism -- >> that was nbc news correspondent. take a look at these images out of poland. hundreds of thousands of refugees have arrived there, after long journeys in freezing temperatures, they joined the more 100 million people who fled ukraine in the ten days of the russian invasion. and the un expects this exodus to be the largest refugee crisis in europe in nearly a century. and with the good news that the european union is providing temporary protections to all refugees fleeing the war, there

are also troubling reports of discrimination and mistreatment of africans trying to leave ukraine. listen to a medical student who made it to romania for a four-day, describing the alarming situation. >> there is been a lot of segregation and racism. the people who have managed to actually get through the passport control, it seems like there is a hierarchy of ukrainians, first, indians second, africans last. so there's been a lot of racism in that sense. and then amongst communities trying to flee ukraine, there's been a lot of violence. >> as she is just one of the many speaking up, grace will have the democratic republic of congo to be an engineering student in ukraine, told the times that she encountered hostility from the ukrainian military, while trying to board a train out of lviv. she said that they were dividing people up into groups, those who are white and those who are not. and that african woman were

forced to wait in the blistering cold, while white women boarded the train first. the situation inside ukraine is a humanitarian emergency, and the swift action taken by europe should have been the response. but this crisis has highlighted the blatant racism and xenophobic that many refugees actually face, trying to escape war. and you an expert condemned this treatment on thursday, saying, quote, the reality is that non-white migrants and refugees face deadly discrimination all over the world, as they attempt to cross international borders. the images and testimonies from nonwhite people attempting to flee ukraine attest to this fact, and they should motivate immediate action to ensure that racist and xenophobic treatment, whether official or unofficial, is brought to an end. but there are also students taking action on the ground inside ukraine, working to make a difference. a recent graduate is helping fellow african students find safe shelter underground bunkers. he uses his instagram account to streamline information,

helping students with funds and transportation. can you imagine leaving your home country to pursue a better education, a better life, only to end up in the middle of a war, not knowing where or who you can turn to for help! but the terrible truth is that is what we're seeing in ukraine, unfortunately, it isn't unique. lets them off for a moment. look at how many people have been displaced from their homes in venezuela, south sudan, myanmar, syria, afghanistan. what's happening in ukraine is only adding to this global refugee crisis, one that has more than 84 million people displaced globally. more than any other time in modern history. the world is watching. the global community has unified around ukraine, rightfully so. but we can't let the millions of others slipped through the cracks. they need help as well. more, after the break. more, after the break. small businesses are fed up with big bills and 5g maps that are mostly gaps— they're switching to t-mobile for business and getting more 5g bars in more places.

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do you struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep? qunol sleep formula combines 5 key nutrients that can help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up refreshed. the brand i trust is qunol. >> what do you want people to know about the experience of africans and ukraine right now? >> i want the world to know that the exact people asking the world for help are committing war crimes against africans! >> that was more from nbc news reporter. a coalition of human rights are calling on the go and take action to protect africans and other ethnic minority groups in ukraine. professor points out in a new op-ed that the global crisis of racism, inequity and anti-immigrant xenophobic or might seem secondary to the violence of the conflict in

ukraine. but in truth, they're inextricable concerns. joseph is the finding director of the center for the study of race and democracy at the lyndon b. johnson school of public affairs at the university of texas at austin. he joins me now. professor, thank you so much for your time. i want to read another quote from your piece. no single ethnic, racial or religious group has a greater capacity for civilization, personal dignity or citizenship than others. why do you think we are seeing this level of discrimination during a time of such crisis? i've been saying that war brings out the best and the worst in humanity. >> ayman, thank you for having me. i think that this is an ongoing problem, but i think it is stark and acute right now in 2022. this is two years, of course, after the racial, political, black reckoning that impacted the united states, and the whole world. uk, germany and other places. and i think the narratives of

sort of white supremacy that are embedded in this conflict have just come out for all the world to see, in a sense that, we all stand with ukraine. and what we have seen is heartbreaking. but we also stand with those nonwhite, global citizens, who are in ukraine, who are trying to flee, right? and that's africans, that's people from asia and south asia, it's not just sort of blond, blue eyed people being killed and murdered and massacred. and so, in this context, which we've seen is this both this narrative framing by the western press about were so shocked this is happening in europe. and this is a relatively european city, and a relatively civilized city. but at the same time, we're seeing all of the sort of structural violence and racism against africans and immigrants and students at borders who aren't able to escape the

conflict solely because of race. >> you probably heard ukrainian authorities have called for agencies in the country to support foreign citizens. they also have dismissed some of these reports of discrimination, as russian propaganda. certainly, some of the european, neighboring european countries have said that as well, that it is not true that they're discriminating those who are trying to get out, or get into their country's respectively. what do you make of the response from the ukrainian government, as well as some of the neighboring countries? >> you know, i take the word of the united nations. and we've seen reporting, including by msnbc on the ground, we've seen the ambassadors for ghana, kenya and got bone release a really strong statement about the discrimination that african immigrants are receiving on the ground in ukraine. so this is happening. this is not a time to put our head and the sand, and to sort of pretend that it's not happening. it is always tough to talk

about racial discrimination and racism. and in the clip that you showed, there was one white jeans tonight was saying, look, i hate to say this, but this is racism. we've all sort of been trained that people of color do not say what it is, to not speak about the racism that is so widespread. but we have to say this. this is racism and this must stop. we can't have these warcrimes being committed by russia against the ukrainian people, and at the same time, within the context of ukraine, there is different classes of citizenship, we are the white ukrainian is treated one way, and those who are dark -- and by the way, we're also acting like there are no multiracial ukrainians. we're all acting like it's all mixed on the ground -- they're not all white. they're not all blond and blue eyed. they're all part of the human family, and we have to cast a spotlight on this, so that there's not these warcrimes happening within war crimes like that students said.

>> yeah i'm, so glad you made that point. let me ask you really quickly, we have about 45 seconds left. when it comes to the media coverage, we are seeing some disparities in how reporters, some reporters, talk about the nature of refugees, fleeing ukraine, compared to refugees fleeing conflicts in the middle east, where it's almost expected that that is happening from these uncivilized parts of the world. europe is no stranger to violence, and war itself is noted in the past. why is the media acting so shocked about this particular conflict? >> these are our own prejudices and biases. world war i, world war ii were spectacular examples of european violence, and sort of catastrophe and war, on a global scale. so all these reporters seem to have forgotten that. and he seemed to have also forgotten about bosnia in the 1990s. there's always been conflicts in western and eastern europe. so, i think the power of our example, especially as americans and those in the west, it's to call this out, and to

really call everyone to more aspirational kind of citizenship. martin luther king day on your talked about a beloved committee that was free of racial discrimination, economic discrimination, and also, war, violence and poverty. and that's what we should be trying to build, even emits this conflict. so we have to protect the lives of all the people who are in ukraine, irrespective of their skin color, irrespective of whether they were born there or not. these are all global citizens of the world, and this is a human rights crisis. and the only way we can solve this is by confronting it together, and not discriminating against people who happen to be nonwhite. >> yeah, and confronting it had on. professor peniel joseph, great pleasure to have you on the show. great appreciate your insight. thanks for coming on. >> still ahead, zelenskyy's calling on european allies to stand up and support their fight, as ukrainians just keep praying that they will wake up from this nightmare. >> that's the seem like a crazy

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ukrainians have fled into neighboring countries, to escape the russian invasion. many left with little more than whatever they could carry. my colleague, ali velshi, spoke

with some of the refugees at a train station in budapest, as they determined what they do next. >> reporter: at black form ten in budapest new rail station, ambush arrives by the hour. >> absolutely awful situation! without any idea, good ideas, why, i would say, why? rockets, guides, every time we will be afraid. >> reporter: she and so many others have made the thousand mile journey from the heavily shelled city of kharkiv. here, there is safety. but there isn't certainty. this train carried 500. some more, others less. they're both young and old. a mixture of those ukrainian by birth, and others who are not. all now refugees.

>> do you guys know each other? >> no. no. just in the situation, we met each other on the train, and we help each other. >> reporter: inside the train station, there is food, medicine and small comforts, all of that arranged by volunteers. like these women who scour lists on laptops to pair that weary travelers with temporary shelter in private homes across budapest. >> they don't know when exactly the train comes, and it's really bad because two days ago, there were a lot of people here until 2 am. a 900 people just came in. and we were like, oh my god, it's 2 am. how can we manage this? and even at 2 am, we find help. >> reporter: they disembark in a new unfamiliar place, as we reported life on our first night in hungary, a woman stopped me in the station. >> oh, i'm sorry. i'm sorry, i don't speak -- i'm only english. >> -- >> the name of this train

station -- this train station name, david, what's the train station name? nougati station, nougati station, that's correct. good luck. >> reporter: a snapshot perhaps of the million lives forced to flee, some with no known destination. this one, marina, hopes to make it to munich, while the world wonders when the fighting will end, she is just wondering about her next step. >> what do you want the world to do? >> now, i need transport. >> you need transportation? >> yeah. >> i know why there are people who are making the arrangements. you can get transportation, get some sleep, and relax. >> reporter: ali velshi, nbc news, hungary. >> that was my colleague ali velshi with some incredible

reporting on the plight of those refugees. good evening to you, i am ayman mohyeldin, it is 9 pm here in new york, and 4 am now in the besieged city of mariupol, where earlier today efforts to evacuate civilians had to be suspended, after russian forces reportedly violated that temporary cease-fire. and agreement that had actually been reached. the stunning move pushed the state department to call on all u.s. citizens, living or traveling in russia, to depart immediately. it seems any hopes the situation on the ground may stabilize where misplaced. and earlier today, ukraine released a remarkable video that officials there claim shows ukrainian armed forces downing a russian military helicopter with a missile. nbc news has not independently verified the authenticity of that video. we're gonna break down all of the very latest information out of ukraine in just a moment. but first, i'd like to introduce you to a young woman, named all examined raw. she is 25 years old. she lives in kharkiv,