i'm chris jansing live at msnbc headquarters here in new york city. it is tuesday, march 8th. breaking right now, nbc news has learned that the u.s. is expected to announce a ban on russian oil. the president set to speak at 10:45 eastern time. part of what the white house says are ongoing efforts to hold russia accountable for its unprovoked an unjustified war in ukraine. in fact, this morning russian forces are ramping up their attacks from the air. ukrainian forces digging in on the ground, and millions of ukrainians are stuck in the middle. the u.n. says 2 million people

have now mangled to escape the country, more than a million of those are children. [ child crying ] children like this little boy crying as he tries to keep up with his mom, a video that went viral and summarized in second the agony, the heartbreak of war. roughly 40 million ukrainians remain in the country, many of them fighting, others displaced and desperate to leave. as we speak, a fourth attempt at creating a humanitarian corridor is under way in the northeastern city of summi. but it's a city under siege and evacuations remain perilous. look at the video from overnight. the ukrainian dwoft says a russian air strike destroyed apartment houses, killing at least nine people, including two children. some buses have managed to get out but it remains to be seen how long the cease-fire along the route will last. further south, a separate attempt of creating the

evacuation route out of the city of mariupol has failed. the ukrainian ministry of foreign affairs claims russian shelling ended plans to get people out and badly needed aid in. 200,000 people are stuck in that city alone, surrounded and cut off, no power, no running water, food running low. in the capital of kyiv where they're bracing for a huge fight, thousands of people have been coming into the city, escaping russia's relentless attack on its suburban areas. >> my feeling is that i'm afraid about tomorrow, not now. i'm worried about tomorrow. what's the next day. what's our future here. our families, our businesses, here. i have lived a good life. i don't know what's my future, what's going to happen. >> hundreds of checkpoints have been built across the capital with sandbags, concrete barriers and stacked tires. also in the capital, ukrainian

president zelenskyy defiantly delivering his latest video message from inside his office in kyiv. he says, "i am not hiding. i am not afraid of anyone." in a separate interview, zelenskyy alleged mitted his military is outmatched by russian forcings and appeals again for more help not just from the american people but to the american people. listen to this appeal. >> americans, if you see how we fight against all the enemies, support us. support us and not only with -- with direct steps. do this. >> so, zelenskyy also repeated his calls for a no-fly zone over ukraine and for fighter jets for his military. but that looks even less likely now with the u.s. citing logistical problems and poland's president saying he doesn't want his country to get pulled into the war.

the u.s. is sending more troops into the region, 500 additional forces, to push the number in the region to over 100,000. let me bring in nbc's erin mclaughlin who's in lviv, hagar chemali the spokesperson for the u.s. mission to the u.n., also worked with the treasury department. laura kennedy is a former u.s. ambassador and served as deputy assistant secretary for european affairs. and democratic congresswoman christy houlihan, an air force veteran. a power panel of women on this international women's day. i'm glad to have all of you here. hagar, can this oil ban help? >> it will help. the united states imports 3% of russian oil. it will have a financial impact, but ultimately, multilateral implementation of sanctions, of oil sanctions are what are going to make a big impact.

it's not a problem that the united states has started, gone along first. but they can't do it overnight. it's going to take time. with syria, it was five months after the violence started. it had an effect. the iran oil sanctions, such an impact and those were impacted five years after -- >> i'm just going to interrupt you because we're having a little problem with your audio. i'm going to give some time for that to get fixed. i want to go to you, congresswoman, get your reaction to the oil ban, and also what we heard from president zelenskyy overnight again pleading with the u.s. to do even more. again, we're having audio difficulties there. let me go to you, ambassador, and ask you what your reaction is to what we're seeing.

we're expecting at 10:45 to hear from the president and how you view this in terms of how it might help the situation on the ground. >> well, i applaud it. i think putin has been astounded at the range and severity of the sanctions that have been imposed, and i think we have smartly done them e in a phased manner. so this is just the latest that we have been done. again, in the success of germany previously cutting off that nord stream 2 pipeline. i think i would's a real call for all nations to be very, very scrupulous about their energy security, and i'm delighted to see that countries, indeed, are picking that up, most notably germany. >> congresswoman, this was one of the things that the people supporting ukraine and within ukraine would happen, but the big thing is the no-fly zone,

getting supplies of planes to them. if that's not on the table, about anti-tank, anti-air craft weapons, do you have confidence that they'll be delivered in a timely fashion? >> once again, thanks for having me. sorry for the confusion on sound. i am grateful that the administration is heeding our requests here in congress and in the senate for there to be a ban on russian oil. i am hopeful still we will be able to provide the jets that president zelenskyy has asked for. we have also called for that here in the congress. and of course i do believe that there are lots and lots of weapons that are making their way very, very rapidly into the hands of the ukrainian people. if it's okay, i'd like to call attention particularly on international women's day to the women who are in this fight. i had the opportunity to be in ukraine just a few weeks ago and was really struck by how engaged women in that community and that country are all the way from the little girls in lotards on

their way to dance recitals that i'm worried about, to the several congresswomen i met who were strong and forceful people to women who i met in a bar who were going to take up arms if president putin went ahead and invaded as he did. there are some really strong women out there, and i really want to heed what zelenskyy asked for, which is that the american people stand in solidarity with all of the ukrainian people including women on this international women's day in support of the fight for democracy. >> of course, erin, we heard this morning that the estimate now, 2 million refugees, most women and children. we also heard that the original estimate there could be as many as 4 million they don't think is high enough, they do believe, the experts at the u.n., that it will exceed that. so many people still on the ground where you are who want to get out, who want to be able to bring their children out.

tell us what you're seeing today. >> reporter: hey, chris. the civilians they've been speaking to who are trapped in some of these cities say they are absolutely terrified. they don't know what to do. and they don't know what to trust. take, for example, the city of summi, about 18 miles from the russian border, currently surrounded by russian forces. and they announced a cease-fire this morning. ukrainian officials say that the cease-fire has been holding, they have been able to evacuate some civilians, some foreign students from the city. they've also been able to get food and supplies into the city. but last night was absolutely horrific. according to ukrainian officials, the russian forces dropped thousand-pound bombs on civilian areas, killing at least 21 civilians, including two children. msnbc has been unable to corroborate those numbers, but i've been speaking to a woman named irina.

she told me she heard the bombs drop last night. she knows friends of hers that lost their homes in that attack, and to wake up to news of a cease-fire, she didn't believe it. she said if she left she was worried russians would use it as a provocation to attack her. so she was staying put, despite ukrainians saying that the cease-fire is holding and evacuations are under way. just an example of the uncertainty and terror facing ordinary ukrainians trapped in these cities. another woman said she ran out of food, ran out of water and power. she reached a point where she knew if she stayed there, she was going to die. she decided to run for it with five others. they managed to get out, but she doesn't know where she's going next or what to do. as you point out, 2 million of these stories and counting out there. it is the largest refugee crisis

since world war ii. >> erin, thank you. ambassador, in spite of these stories and the heartbreak that all of us feel that the international community is so angry about what's going on, there are a lot of people in ukraine and fighting for ukraine who say i'm not sure you still get it -- we need to do something now. i want to play for you what the former u.s. ambassador to russia, michael mcfaul, had to say about that. >> this is the worst war since world war ii. what putin is doing today mirrors what hitler did to poland in 1939. i think people have to get their heads around how big of an event this is. we've been going too slow. it's time to move faster. >> ambassador, i think one legitimate question is, is there a point in your mind at which a nato no-fly zone becomes necessary? and if that's even a possibility in the future, why not do it now?

>> well, one, let me just say i agree completely with ambassador mcfaul about the extraordinary impact of this unprovoked action is for europe and the transatlantic community, for whole world. and i also agree we need to do everything possible to pump military, political, and economic aid to the ukrainians. but with regard to the no-fly zone, the administration thus far ruing that out, tantamount to direct military engagement with russia, which we have ruled out, i think we also need to focus on what's going to be most immediately important. and we are pumping in javelins and all of that material. the real damage is actually being done by ground-based russian artillery and missiles.

so keep that pressure in. i'm delighted to see congress is on the verge of approving a new massive aid bill. and so thanks to congresswoman houlihan, of whom i'm a big admirer. >> so, i mean, obviously, to state the of course, this is all -- every decision being made by vladimir putin. and yesterday during a u.n. security council meeting, ukraine's ambassador to the u.n. read aloud a tweet from the russian embassy l in the uk which stated russia's goal is to stop any war that could take place in ukraine. the post was retweeted by foreign minister sergey lavrov. here's how the ukrainian diplomat responded to that. >> let me remind the russian diplomats that in london, in case of need for mental help,

you can dial nhs line 111. thank you. >> obviously, speaking to the ridiculous, preposterous, and horrifying actually nature of that claim. at what point, hagar, would vladimir putin look for an off-ramp? is there a point at which he would if he's living in this alternate reality? >> unfortunately, i have a lot of bad experience -- i'm sorry. i don't know -- >> yeah. we're continuing -- i think we have a bad internet connection. i'm sorry, hagar. but it allows me to go to the congress because this is something that's been discussed widely in congress. we know the push in congress got this oil ban. do you see anything on the ground on capitol hill that suggests there are further actions that members of congress are willing to push the white house to take? and what do you make of the fact

that, you know, there's still ongoing talks, may be another set of talks on thursday, but should we think at some point there's going to be any off-ramp for vladimir putin? >> so, one of the things i've become convinced of is no one know what is's in the mind of vladimir putin and no one can anticipate what he's planning next, nor do i believe he necessarily believes there are any off-ramps. i really believe we have to take him at his word, this is not just about ukraine but about the entire eastern part of europe, and the desire he has to reignite what was the former soviet union. i think we have to believe him. so far everything that he's said he has done. that's very worrisome. do i have hope for diplomacy? of course. we have to. we have to have hope. you led into this story with this crying child, and any mom can recognize that sound and that plea, a tired, exhausted, hungry child. i just hope we can continue to

maintain any option we have for diplomacy and for peace. >> i want to thank all of you. apologies to our viewers for the technical problems. but hagar, ambassador laura kennedy, congresswoman houlihan, we appreciate your time. up next, back to the breaking news this morning. just over an hour from now, president biden expected to announce a ban of russian oil imports as soon as today. congresswoman susan wild just returned from a visit to the region joins me next. and on international women's day, we'll talk to a ukrainian member of parliament who's delivering a strong message to the women of her country. >> this year, ukrainian women will receive flowers but these are not only flowers that we will be considerrying because we are also carrying guns to protect our country along with our men. i want to congratulate all ukrainian women who are standing up and fipgting.

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we are seeing and hearing reaction to the major news that nbc news has learned, that the u.s. is expected to announce it will ban imports of russian oil as soon as today. that's according to two sources familiar with the matter, and president biden is set to speak in the next hour. it all comes after lawmakers in the nation's capital reached a bipartisan deal on legislation that would ban russian energy impart, including oil and gas.

i want to go to chief white house correspondent kristen welker who with our friend peter alexander brought us this breaking news. kristen, first of all, a tremendous amount of pressure, right, from bipartisan groups of members of congress but ultimately, what can you tell us about this and what we're expecting to hear from the president? >> reporter: well, chris, we are going to hear president biden announce that the u.s. will ban russian oil imports. this is the most punitive measures that the u.s. has take on the date. of course, they have announced a range of other sanctions against russia including against its large financial institutions and oligarchs. but this goes a step further. in terms of whoo we are going to hear, the president will announce that the u.s. is acting unilaterally. in other words, that means its european allies and partners are not taking the same step, and this is significant, chris, because it means it's not going to have the same bite, the same impact on russia's economy if this were being done in lock

step with european partners and allies. so, what is the president's message going to be about that? i'm told the remarks are still coming together. but here's what press secretary jen psaki said yesterday when she was asked about this. she said, "we have a different circumstance as it relates to russian oil because we import such a smaller amount and because we have our own production capabilities and capacities. all that is different. we recognize that." so i wouldn't be surprised if we heard president biden echo those remarks. the u.s. imports about 8% of its oil from russia. that's a 2021 figure. it gets much larger when you're talking about european countries, chris. so that's where the difference comes in. you talked about that legislation as well that's coming together that undoubtedly added pressure on president biden to take action, including after we heard house speaker nancy pelosi e last week saban it, ban russian oil. she was very definitive. this is a groundswell of pressure that the president was

taking to take this action. it is important to note he can't take this action without congress' sign-off. the legislation is moving forward on a separate track, and if it were to pass would effectively codify this ban and may include some other provisions. the big question, chris, what will. the impact be on u.s. consumers as you've been talking about throughout the hour, gas prices at an all-time high since about 2008, about $4 a gallon, and expecting to go higher than that. we're expecting the announcement at 10:45 in the roosevelt room at the white house. i want to bring in susan wild of pennsylvania who's on the house foreign affairs committee and just returned from the poland-ukraine border. i think what kristen said was the president's hesitation. we already have record-high gas prices, we have inflation bearing down on so many americans. russia is now threatening that if there is this ban, we could

see $300 a barrel gas. that could literally put gas out of reach for hundreds of thousands of people. so what should americans be looking for, bracing for, and whatever that is, think it's still the right decision? >> i think it is the right decision, a difficult decision for the administration. nobody wants to pay more for gas. i pump my own gas and see the price myself. we've had a bit of sticker shock. but having just come from the ukrainian-polish border, i will tell you that if every american could see what is happening there, the sacrifice we will need to make on what i believe will be a short-term basis is absolutely essential. we have to put every bit of economic pressure on russia and putin that we possibly can. by the way, this will affect your european allies more than

us. we import a small amount of russian oil as you've covered. oil is a global commodity. when european prices are afktded, we will be affected as well. we have to make sure we're doing everything we can to produce as much oil as everything we can here in the united states but also to make sure that we are continually moving towards renewable energy so we don't find ourselves in this situation again in the future. >> president zelenskyy has thanked the u.s. and the international community for what they have done already to put that economic pressure on vladimir putin. but then there's the request to supply the country with fighter jets. both the biden administration and poland are concerned, as you know, that this just sets up -- sets the stage for a bigger conflict. and i think you have supported the idea of some supplies of fighter jets. so, how do you square those two things? >> i 100% support the concept of

providing fighter jets to ukraine. let me be clear about that. i will tell you everybody on the bipartisan trip i just came from, all eight of us are in unanimous agreement about that. these fighter jet, by the way, would be supplied by poland, romania, and other nato countries that have a supply of ironically aged russian warplanes. the ukrainian pilots know how to fly them. and so the idea is that we would be -- or that nato would be supplying these fighter jets to ukraine for their use but with a promise, an explicit promise that we would backfill the supply of fighter jets to poland and other country who is turn over those older russian jets. >> but as you know, congresswoman, vladimir putin has made it clear, the kremlin has made it clear, they would see anything like that as an act of war.

so even though it's not the u.s. directly getting involved with boots on the ground, even though it's not the u.s. directly providing airpower, are you concerned that it would be a deadly escalation? >> any escalation is a concern. but at what point are we going to say no to putin? are we going to let one man, one evil person, literally control the entire world? having been there, having seen the refugees with desperation on their faces, having talked to our own u.s. top military brass, having met with the governor of lviv in ukraine, we don't have any choice but to get involved in this and to -- it's short of a no-fly zone, keep that in mind. we're talking about providing ukrainian pilots with the ability to shoot down russian airplanes. >> congresswoman susan wild, there's so much more we could talk about.

i old love to hear more about your experience at the border. thank you for taking the time today. >> thank you. up next, a check on the markets a day after the s&p 500 saw its worst day in 2020. a pho. and when i'm driving, i see inspiration right through my glass. so when my windshield cracked, it had to be fixed right. i scheduled with safelite autoglass. their experts replaced my windshield and recalibrated my car's advanced safety system. ♪ acoustic rock music ♪ >> woman: safelite is the one i trust. they focus on safety so i can focus on this view. >> singers: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace. ♪ i'm mark and i live in vero beach, florida. my wife and i have three children. ruthann and i like to hike. we eat healthy. we exercise. i noticed i wasn't as sharp as i used to be. my wife introduced me to prevagen

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never before in history have gas prices in the u.s. been this high, up 10 cents overnight. $4.17 per gallon for regular is the national average. in california, some folks are paying more than $7 a gallon, and that comes after a terrible day on wall street yesterday fuel build concerns over the war. the dow dropping nearly 800 points, the s&p 500 fell 3%, the biggest loss since october. but you see today it's up just a touch. all of this coming before president biden is expected to announce the banning of imports of russian oil in a speech later this morning. joining me now, nbc news business correspondent jo ling kent. should we expect to see the reaction to what the president is doing already this hour? and do we have a sense yet, even though russian oil isn't a huge part of what we get, what the

impact here might be on oil prices overall on gas prices at the pump? >> let's start with the gas prices, $4.17 is a new record according to aaa. i was talking with drivers at gas stations paying the premium, especially in california, and the overwhelming sentiment was if there was going to be a ban on russian oil and prices were to continue to go up, the drivers i spoke to said, yes, we are willing to pay more if it means a better outcome for ukraine. but that was before prices rose another 10 cents overnight, certainly hitting people's wallets very hard. you have to remember that inflation is already so high in this country, 7.5% right now, outpacing wage growth, and that means for the 60% of american who is live paycheck to paycheck, the pain is very, very much an issue week to week as people plan their routes, their grocery shopping, their jobs, and going back to work in this new normal. as for what the market reaction

will be, so far it's been relatively multed. some of this, you know, anticipation and risk might be baked in. you see the dow up about 40 points, so just about even across, but we are looking at both indices in correction territory. the nasdaq in bear market territory. so, you know, the markets are watching this. but like you said the impact of russian oil and gas on the u.s. very much limited. the russian imports of oil here in the u.s. very little and no russian natural gas. so a lot of consumers are waiting to see what happens, but, you know, we talked to gas buddy and asked them, look, what will happen to people's budgets if this russian ban goes into place anytime soon? and gasbuddy is reporting they anticipate an increase of 40 to 50 cents a gallon soon, in the coming days and weeks. even though the ban on russian oil may not impact us directly in the same way it does in

western europe, you will see those prices continue to climb according to the experts, chris. >> i guess all you can do right now is fill up today. jo ling kent, thank you so much. still ahead, back to ukraine and talk to a member of parliament there who is urging her people on the ground to fight. we gotta tell people that liberty mutual customizes car insurance so you only pay for what you need, and we gotta do it fast. [limu emu squawks] woo! new personal record, limu! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty. ♪ no one thinks about their hearing until you start losing it. and then you think about it a lot. this doesn't help and the whole process of getting them is a royal pain in the ..... ear.

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>> hello. thank you so much for having me. so today i am in kyiv, ukraine, and there has been a massive shelling of the city a cup minutes ago. this is the result of -- also peace negotiations. we know for sure -- today there was the corridor in mariupol dying of dehydration. and putin's forces not let them out. they shell them. they had to return back. people are starved. they don't have water. they just cannot get out.

ukrainians resist. we are getting ready to fight. we are getting ready to stand up to putin's forces. yesterday -- outskirts heavily bombed. people who didn't do anything wrong lost their homes, their families, and their animals they were trying to rescue from the fire. they were trying to take back -- refugees. this is so crazy because this used to be fancy outskirt where is people used to live. we are helping them to get out to safety. and where is the safety now in ukraine? you see this suffering and how cruel putin's forces are, there is no other way to fight them

because he doesn't keep his -- he doesn't keep his word on the cease-fire. so the only chance for us to save our people is fighting back. and despite we have been asking for a no-fly zone or air force -- from our allies, and this is why we are fighting right now. these are essential steps. so we will be able to fight on the land but also in the air and protect our citizens from massive shelling and killings right now. >> kira ruddik, thank you so much for being with us. i want to apologize again -- >> thank you. >> obviously, we have difficulties in getting clean fields out of country and i

guess we can't be surprised we haven't had more. i highly recommend if you're twitter follower, go to kira rudik and you'll see things she just talked about. she has a passionate plea this morning talking about all the women who are fighting here on international women's day. our thanks to her for being with us. coming up, we have the late latest on the ground.

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now to an extraordinary story of bravery and survival. look at this 11-year-old boy. he traveled 600 miles across the entire width of ukraine alone carrying a plastic bag and a psz port with a phone number written on his hand. he made it safely to the slovakian border and was reunited with relatives. his mother, shown in this video, couldn't leave ukraine but gave heart felt thanks to slovak officials saying that saved her son's life. there are so many people arriving at the border that the

situation is threatening to become overwhelming, particularly in poland. kelly cobiella is in poland near the ukraine border. and the one women's regional director for europe and central asia. kelly, there's been conversations about how to potentially get some refugees to other countries because so many are going to poland. talk about the refugees you're seeing and what officials are telling you. >> reporter: yeah. we see pretty regular now just tens of thousands of people arriving here every day. the numbers are pretty astounding. you see behind me at this train station, one of the busiest train stations in this border area, these people are all actually headed back to ukraine. one mother said she came here a week ago with her 18-year-old daughter. she's going back she said because her husband of 20 years is is there and she wants to be with him. the train has been unloaded, and these are people who have already arrived. they are greeted here by volunteers.

then they head over to the other part of the train station where they get advice on where to go, where to stay, they get power banks, sim cards, a warm meal and a warm place to sit before getting on another train. the issue is these border towns are being completely overwhelmed now. i was listening to an english-speaking volunteer, talked to a mother and daughter today, desperately wanted to stay close to the border because they wanted to get back. he said, i'm sorry, there is no space in this part of poland, no place to sleep for more than a couple of nights, you know, basically shelters. you have to get farther into the country in order to find anyplace to sleep. even big cities like warsaw, a city of 2 million, is really filling up. they're actually setting up a huge shelter with 10,000 beds, a space for 10,000 people in warsaw, just because the need is growing so quickly. chris? >> as we know, the majority of

these refugees are women and children. u.n. women has been a presence in ukraine since 2015. in this morning's "new york times," they wrote, can "already unduly burdened by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic in one of europe's they are now in staggeringly precarious positions after the russian invasion, one in which they could be more vulnerable to violence, abuse, and exploitation. talk about what you're most concerned about right now. >> we are hugely concerned about the situation that is unfolding, both in ukraine and outside of ukraine, as people are constantly on the move. i think as you heard from kelly, displacement is on such a massive scale, and it's happening also within ukraine. and as this is happening, people are traveling with basic necessities with them. it is the majority of women and children, who are being separated from loved ones. they're making these difficult

choices. the trauma that they're experiencing will have long-standing impact. they have experienced war directly. they are also experiencing the trauma of this separation. the loss of dignity that one experiences when undergoing this kind of displacement. and of course, they are vulnerable to abuse. they are vulnerable to exploitation, and they are vulnerable to violence, gender-based violence. because they are women and girls. this is what we've seen across conflicts, across the world. it is unfortunate. and of course, we are hugely concerned, as we've seen in a country which has been making great advances and very solid commitments to achieving gender equality and women's empowerment, this is going to set us back years and years and years. and this is something that could have been avoided and is hugely unnecessary. and the ukrainian people will be paying the price for years to

come. >> we're almost out of time, but what can be done now? not just obviously for the refugees who are streaming over the border, but the women who have decided to stay, whether they want to be with their husbands, whether they want to fight themselves, or frankly, there's just no safe passage out? >> i mean, i cannot emphasize enough the importance of these humanitarian corridors. there has to be safe access to the kinds of needs -- the basic items that they need, and also the humanitarian assistance that they need. humanitarian actors are on the ground in ukraine and on the borders, and in those countries that are receiving so many of these refugees. we have to ensure that they are able to function. we have to make sure that we're looking at the gender dimensions of these issues. we cannot be gender blind. there are specific needs that women and girls have and we have to address them, to make sure that our assistance and aid,

which is well intentioned, is the most effective. we're working also in coordination with all of the u.n. agencies, all of these amazing humanitarian actors, and finally, the plea is that we have to always remember those women, not only as those who are marginalized and vulnerable, but those who can take action under these situations. there are so many women, civil societies organizations, in ukraine, and in these countries that are volunteering, that are providing this assistance. and as you know, as women, we call on everyone to ensure that they are financed. they have been there before this crisis. they will be there during this crisis, and they will continue to be there after this crisis, to win back those hard-won gains on gender equality and women's empowerment. we need to make sure that we acknowledge their leadership and their voice in this crisis. >> especially on this international women's day. alia el-yassir, kelly cobiella,

thanks to both of you. if you want to learn more about the work that u.n. women is doing to help ukraine, you can scan this qr code or go to unwomen.org. still ahead, what one new jersey mayor is doing to help ukrainian refugees in poland. a story you don't want to miss. stay with us. land a story you don't want to miss stay with us goodbye to appliance heartbreaks. and hello to new quality finds you'll love on wayfair. you can always get the brands you trust. the support you need. and dependability you can count on. plus, get financing up to 60 months on qualifying purchases. fast and free delivery. and installation and haul-away. so with wayfair, you'll always find your perfect match. ♪ wayfair you got just what i need ♪

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...for the lowest price ever. plus, choose from the latest 5g smartphones— like a free samsung galaxy s22. so switch to the network that helps your business do more for less—join the big switch to t-mobile for business today. this morning. the mayor of one new jersey beach town traveling to poland to help the ukrainian refugees there and bringing with him items like blankets, toiletries, diapers, cramming it all into five large suitcases. joining us from poland, mayor paul kanitra of point pleasant beach, new jersey. >> good morning, everyone. happy to be here. wish it was under different circumstances. right now, we're in front of our shed up here. the suitcases that you talked about, we blew through in about an hour and a half. and i think that shows you just how massive the humanitarian crisis is here.

we have since been making runs with the van that we have right here, and since they put in perspective, we just spent about $4,000 at the local mall. we filled up all of these tables, filled up all of these boxes and half of it's already been gone in the last 45 minutes that we're here. >> i think you know and you're one of the people who here in america has watched what's going on. and we've been moved to do things. not everyone can go over there like you did. but are there things that even you have seen in the time that you've been there that you would want people to know? >> so it's a very good point. and we've been trying to be the eyes and ears for everybody at home. you know, we've tried to do a lot of vetting of different charities. we've volunteered with a lot of different groups, as well. you know, we've been kind of jacks of all trade. last night, we were shuttling refugees from the actual border crossing, here to the refugee center here. we have embedded with world central kitchen, that is handing out hot meals at the border. last night, we were handing out

hot meals. we helped prep the meals, the day before. we've investigated caratas, who is here and have pledged to bring 2,000 ukrainian orphans here to poland and to resettle them. and as you guys know, there are millions coming across the border. all of those charities are really, really good ones if people at home want to look them up, find out more, jump in and help. >> you come from a polish and slovakian heritage yourself. and a lot of ukrainian immigrants i know work along the jersey shore, so this is personal to you. not just for your heritage, but for the people that you know from new jersey. what is your message to people who want to help? just cash? go to an organization that you know is doing good work. is there room for people who want to volunteer? >> so, we do keep hearing that they do need bodies here. you know, the humanitarian crisis is only going to keep growing. most of the people who have left now are somewhat people of means, who have the luxury to

leave. some of the hotels nearby here, you're seeing ukrainians staying there. you're seeing them saying that they think that they're going to be back in a couple of weeks or so. but as the war gets closer to these cities and closer to these home fronts, we're going to see an increase in refugees coming across. if people want come and put boots on the ground and jump in and volunteer, that's fantastic. if they can't, money does help. a donation really does help. i know people think that a donation may go towards, you know, too much administrative costs, but right now, it's kind of chaotic on the ground. it's very ad hoc. it's just people from around the globe coming here, jumping in, volunteering. we set up three tables and at any given point during the day, we might have four or five other volunteers who don't even necessarily speak english, who are just jumping in and helping us hand out stuff, as if we were, you know, a set bona fide organization instead of just paul and greg doing it on our own. so everybody can help in their own way. >> mayor paul kanitra, thank you

for what you're doing and thank you for pausing to talk with us today. we appreciate it. and one final note. today is international women's day. when we stop to celebrate the social, political, and economic achievements of many women, that includes all of our guests today, like ukrainian parliament member, keira ruddick, bravely staying in her country to fight for her country. and it includes the leaders from countries like denmark, estonia, and lithuania. they're showing girls around the world, if you can see it, you can be it. so on this international women's day, we especially honor the women on the battle fields, in the halls of government, and the ones fighting to protect their cities and their families. that wraps up this hour. i'm chris jansing. jose diaz-balart picks up breaking news coverage now. and good morning. it's 10:00 am eastern, 7:00 a.m. pacific. i'm jose diaz-balart. and we begin with breaking news. nbc news that has learned the u.s. is expected to announce it is banning imports of