good morning. i'm ali velshi, it is sunday, march the 20th. i'm here at the new gaudy rail station in, budapest hungry. where ukrainians fleeing russia's destructive invasion continue to pour in. we begin with breaking developments, russia's defense ministry claims to have launched a second hypersonic commission thistle strike. hypersonic missiles, because of their speed and maneuverability, are hard for u.s. satellite and radar to detect. russia says the second use of

hypersonic missiles was aimed at reacquainted military targets, in the nikolai of region in southern ukraine. nbc has not verified these claims. meanwhile, -- are continuing their movement into mariupol, which has been the sight of some of the wars were suffering. city council officials there say russian occupiers bought bombs on an art school yesterday, where about 400 mariupol residents were hiding including children, women in the elderly. officials say the building was destroyed, the people are trapped under the rubble. city council officials are now claiming that several thousand variable residents have been forcibly sent to russia, over the past week, amid the heavy shelling and attacks. again, nbc news has not yet independently verified that claim. as russia's military continues apostle the port city, more than 4000 citizens have been able to leave through the eight humanitarian corridors that were open on saturday. that's according to a top ukraine official.

the kremlin's attacks have left that city without electricity, heat, water, food or medical supplies for days. something that has been confirmed to us by ukrainian refugees who have arrived here in hungary from mary-able. that, of course, is in addition to the more than 3.3 million ukrainians who fled the country in search of safety. according to the united nations refugee agency. russia's continued invasion is taking a devastating number of ukrainian lives. the united nations estimates that from february to march 18th, more than 2000 and 200 civilians have been either killed or injured. mostly from shelling in airstrikes. the actual toll is not to be much higher. those numbers are, unfortunately, expected to continue to rise. early friday morning, there was a rocket attack that decimated a ukrainian naval base in nikolai of. it destroyed the bases barracks where an unknown number of marines were sleeping. senior military official now tells the new york times that

more than 40 ukrainian marines were killed by that air strike. if that were, true it would make it one of the single deadliest attacks on ukrainian forces since the war began. joining me, now nbc's jacob soboroff, live from leave ukraine. what is the story, as the sun comes up in the east. it is the middle of the day where you, are in lviv. what is the situation? >> well, ali. first, a quick word on that attack on the art school in mariupol. you mentioned hundreds, 400, potentially, people, casualties in that attack. we know yet know the extent of the attack, of the, damage of the destruction, of the death. but we do know, from local officials there, that people may yet be buried under the rubble. you know, there are obviously activities, attempts underway to rescue as many of those people as possible. the indiscriminate, some may say indiscriminate, targeting of civilians is anything but. the more we see, the more time

we spend other, grand the more weeks that go by in this war with russia's invasion, the targeting of civilian seems more and more deliberate. deliberate in mariupol, in kharkiv, in kherson. that scene continues to play at the same. why here in lviv, even in the west, we are starting to see attacks. just a couple of days ago, frankly we've had a raid sirens every day here. but a few days ago, that air raid facility was targeted few days ago. just four miles from where i am standing right now talking to you. at, times here in the, west things can seem almost surreal. you can probably see behind, me you can hear, basically a regular day on the street for many people. there is a war going on, but you have people in the park playing music, people out for a sunday walk earlier this morning. after we are all woken up by those air raid sirens i took a walk around the city, i popped and one of the many charges here that dot the landscape, all over the place. people were inside, praying.

they are praying for peace, they were praying for terror and for the nightmare to end. but there's no side of that anytime soon, ali. >> jacob, i want to ask you about the scene behind you. the fact that there's music, buskers, people living a normal life. and yet, you are in a city that has heard either the sound of explosions in the near distance, and at some point arid sirens. explain to me why you think that is happening. are people just trying to claim some normalcy, and just live a life until they're forced to do something else? >> because of the pride in the confidence of the ukrainian people, because of the certainty that this country will win the war against russia. everyone i talked to, two nights ago, three nights ago, we are over in an apartment of seven young ukrainian, friends young professionals who fled here from kyiv after the shelling of that city began. they said to, me they are staying together. they're not leaving this country. that is because they're confident that there will be victory here, and that is, when

you talk to people on the street, they say the same thing. even people fleeing this country, some of the many, the millions of internally displaced people, the millions of refugees, will make their way to where you are and other countries outside of this nation. they have faith that they will return, they have faith that they will come home, they have faith that they will defeat russia in this war and that one day, they hope very soon, things will return to normal. the fact of the matter is, the reality is, that likely is a long way off. even yesterday, when we are outside of the city at a farm, we should say, this is the bread basket of europe. there is more produce, more wheat, grain produced here than anywhere outside of europe. this country feeds the word, world, feeds north, africa feeds the middle east. we are walking around to farm as a fighter jet through flew overhead. even in places where things appear to be normal, that is obviously not the case. >> jacob, i can't say i'm happy to see you in lviv, but you are

among us, a remarkable expert when it comes to refugees and migrants and asylum seekers. and now you are covering that, and yet another country. jacob soboroff, thank you, stay safe. nbc correspondent, jacob, soboroff in lviv. joining me now is clint watts, he's an nbc national security analyst and a fellow at the research institute. he's also the author of messing with the enemies, arriving in a social world of, hackers terrorists russian than fake news. clint, i need your analysis on what is going on now, in the last 24, hours in ukraine. >> i think what you're seeing, ali, is really phase two. we often don't remember what it was like to see a large invasion of a country. and so, week one was a little confusing. week two, that is when the armored convoys started the conventional warfare. now what you're seeing, here in week three and four, is the russians building up forces. across the, east you are seeing significant battles. the russians, excuse me ukrainian, counter offensive are in places here. here, the russians are trying

to advance. their goal in all of this is to link their forces here, in the, east coming out of donbas, with this axis of advance here, heading out of kharkiv. one important part of all, this kharkiv still very contested. the problem for the ukrainians is, very close to the ukrainian border, russians can do lots of resupply here. secondly, how long can they last without enough humanitarian aid flowing into this area. this comes back to what we are talking about this morning, awful devastation invariable. talking about a lot of cruise missile strikes, a lot of fire being levied on. here is starting to see russian forces advancing. the goal, all along, really, has been telling the southern portion here with the eastern portion. i think that is the key thing to look at, as the week goes on. which is what is going on in the south. the russians, despite many setbacks, particularly in and around kyiv, have created this land bridge. that is essential to them, that is what they see. and that's what the reports you

have say, about people in mariupol being moved, forcefully, back into russia. here are the things to watch, right now. you talk about miguel abe. there was a strike on their base right. here we mykolaiv is where the ukrainian navy moved as our base of operations. this has been a strong part for ukrainian resistance, you see them defended very well here. but, overall, what the russians want to do is like their forces and essentially advance here, all the way to transnistria, more importantly to block off odessa. we see reports that here, in and around odessa, there are naval forces that are here, down in the black sea, that might be preparing for an and davis landing. similarly, odessa itself, hopefully i can get it to pull up, here but if, not if you look at this i have to take me calais to circle from the north and prevent military resupply before they can start this

amphibious invasion. i think the two places to watch, in the next 2 to 3 weeks, is one, if mariupol completely false. to, the battle around nicolas and if they can move to the north. and three, louise in the next few days a massive attack on odessa. essentially blocking the black sea from the central of ukraine. >> again, clint. just where odessa is, that is also important. because that explains why moldova has now become such a big destination for ukrainian refugees, far greater than hungary at this point. in fact, as of this day is, number 14% of the population of moldova has, that is a percentage of people that are coming in as refugees. because, as people are fleeing odessa, they're going straight west. >> that is exactly right. this is the other corridor, it's really opened up. the people in odessa which, by the way, the ukrainian military

reinforcing here, this is going to be an incredible fight. if and when it occurs. but the russians are surrounding from the sea here. if they move around and secure the north and, by the way, the russians have what they call peacekeeping forces here in transnistria. an ethnic population they would like to link up with. this could create a massive force that could move on odessa from the land, they would have it from the sea. moldova, also, not a nato country. one of the viewers, overtime, if russia was to take all of southern ukraine. if not the current, maybe someday, they were trying to advance all the way into moldova. that would possibly be a next up in putin's agenda. >> that is what they are very worried about in moldova. clint, thank you as always, my friend. clint watts, nbc national security analyst. nearly 3.4 million people, just regular people, like you and, me have been forced to leave behind the only life that they have known in ukraine and find somewhere else to live. we've got an update on the staggering refugee crisis.

and, putin is not the only problem. russia is just one of about 50 countries ruled by a dictator. we are taking a look at the world's authoritarian problem. and then, right after the break, we are back with our friend -- he's been reporting. this is a special edition of velshi, and live in budapest, hungary. hungary. to feed your dog real food. it's real meat and veggies. freshly-made. developed with vets. delivered right to your door. that's why dog lovers are choosing the farmer's dog. a smarter, healthier pet food. delivered. visit tryfarmersdog.com and get 50% off your first box of food. i may have moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. visit tryfarmersdog.com or psoriatic arthritis. but we are so much more. we're team players and artists. designers and do-it-yourselfers. parents and friends. if joint pain is getting in the way of who you are,

it's time to talk to your doctor about enbrel. enbrel helps relieve joint pain, and helps stop permanent joint damage. plus enbrel helps skin get clearer in psoriatic arthritis. ask your doctor about enbrel, so you can get back to your true self. play ball! enbrel may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, nervous system and blood disorders and allergic reactions have occurred. tell your doctor if you've been someplace where fungal infections are common. or if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if you have persistent fever, bruising, bleeding or paleness. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. visit enbrel.com to see how your joint damage could progress. enbrel. eligible patients may pay as little as $5 per month.

as a struggling actor, i need all the breaks that i can get. at liberty butchemel... cut. liberty mu... line? cut. liberty mutual customizes your car insurance so you only pay for what you need. cut. liberty m... am i allowed to riff? what if i come out of the water? liberty biberty... cut. we'll dub it. liberty mutual customizes your car insurance so you only pay for what you need. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ when it comes to cybersecurity, the biggest threats don't always strike the biggest targets. so help safeguard your small business with comcast business securityedge™. it's advanced security that continuously scans for threats and helps protect every connected device.

on the largest, fastest, reliable network with speeds up to 10 gigs to the most small businesses. so you can be ready for what's next. get started with internet and voice for $64.99 a month. and ask how to add securityedge™. or, ask how to get up to an $800 prepaid card. judge jackson was picked and --

>> i can assure you she will be treated fairly, but i cannot predict whether she will be confirmed, or about kind of vote. >> the supreme court confirmation here, and tomorrow on msnbc. >> reporter: joining me now live from kyiv is terrell jermaine starr. he is the founder house to the black diplomats protests, and a nonresident senior fellow with the united -- center. he has been in the round ukraine long before the invasion began, reporting in helping people evacuate. terrell, what is the latest on the situation, which you have come to know very well. in a city that you've come to know very well. >> thank you very much. kyiv, tomorrow, lviv right now.

one of the things i'm learning about the refugee crisis is that people with disabilities, for example, it is very difficult for people who are immobile, people who are wheelchair band, to get from wherever hospital they, are wherever their homes are, to the north. ukraine, even before the world, it was not handicap excess-able. so before i was here talking with you, ali, i was in communication with someone who is trying to assist. a congolese person he was bedridden. and we were trying to get them out of their situation. also some people who are in kherson. but again, that challenge is that the ukrainian army has liberated a lot of these places, or has not liberated them. they are in the corridor, facilitating. little, me there's not much i can do. but i'm trying to levy some support from national organizations that i've made contact with, to assist as best i can. this just shows the inequity of

how people have access to movement, before the war, and how they are just being applied now. >> terrell, i want to ask you about your war we roll. you are analyst, podcast, or journalist. we've talked to you several times over the last few weeks. you are helping people get out. you are also going out and talking to people, and bearing witness. it is a hybrid of things that becomes very complicated in hard to describe to our viewers. >> it is. the thing is, i've always made myself perfectly clear about what i do. i use journalism as a tool to tell stories. i am not a part of a club. i have no interests in peoples perceptions of the type of journalist i am. because i find that for, me and the people support me because of that. so, in addition to that, i am not somebody was just going to a report on -- if i cannot help them. i think that this cold heartedness is not the spirit that i bring in. and as i told a recent

journalist for politico, i see myself more as oprah than walter cronkite, as far as somebody they emulate and somebody who's echoes i want to follow. when i tell stories, and into the stories, people tell me how they can help. and i do it. i also -- because that is part of my job. for me that is perfectly clear. i am just one of those rare journalists who is very open and transparent about what i do. basically, until he words, i show my work. and it is up to people to decide if that is something -- >> how long are you going to stay in there? i am curious about how you see things going down in kyiv. in kyiv, generally speaking, it is a place that is controlled by ukrainian forces in the territorial defense force. not the russians, but there are constant attacks from outside. there is some sense that cities

getting surrounded. >> as far as how long i'm going to be in ukraine, i am going to be here for the rest of the year. omaha we read to a place here. taking ukrainian language lessons, because i just tends to be where i go during a summary province, whether there is a war. not as far as my work here during that time, i will continue to build relationships. and they will be here throughout the rest of the year. i have already paid my rent for my apartment in new york, and also secured housing for myself and ukraine. you have to do everything in advance here. so i'm here for the long run, regardless of what happens. because this is my second home, this is my mission, this is my calling. for me to be here. and whatever ukraine goes through, i will be here to bear witness. and also to support, as well. >> we you will be there to bear

witness. and that is the most part thing that you do. but i think there are other things you. do in his plan to pull back the curtain for our audience and explain to them what you do. thank. you terrell jermaine starr is the founder and host of the black to the men's podcast. founder of the atlantic -- eurasia center. speaking to a former member of ukraine's parliament, who is dedicated a important part of your career to the betterment woman in her countries. this is a special report live from budapest. from budapest. i don't know. i think they look good, man. mm, smooth. uh, they are a little tight. like, too tight? might just need to break 'em in a little bit. you don't want 'em too loose. for those who were born to ride there's progressive. with 24/7 roadside assistance. -okay. think i'm gonna wear these home. -excellent choice.

with 24/7 roadside assistance. -okay. i don't just play someone brainy on tv - i'm an actual neuroscientist. and i love the science behind neuriva plus. unlike ordinary memory supplements, neuriva plus fuels six key indicators of brain performance. more brain performance? yes, please! neuriva. think bigger. a financial advisor that understands me and my goals as well as the markets? now you're talking. no wonder clients rate ameriprise 4.9 out of 5 for overall satisfaction. ameriprise financial. advice worth talking about. what happens when performance... meets power? you try crazy things... ...because you're crazy... ...and you like it. you get bigger... ...badder... ...faster. ♪ you can never have too much of a good thing...

and power is a very good thing. ♪ (vo) right now, the big switch is happening across the country. 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. save over $1,000 when you switch to our ultimate business plan... ...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.

(music) who said you have to starveat heyourself to lose weight?e

who said you can't do dinner? who said only this is good? and this is bad? i'm doing it my way. meet plenity. an fda -cleared clinically proven weight management aid for adults with a bmi of 25-40 when combined with diet and exercise. plenity is not a drug - it's made from naturally derived building blocks and helps you feel fuller and eat less. it is a prescription only treatment and is not for pregnant women or people allergic to its ingredients. talk to your doctor or visit myplenity.com to learn more. one of the most remarkable things about the ukrainians resilience is the unwavering willingness on the part of civilians to stay and fight for their country while it is under attack. take up arms. people who have never held a gun in their lives. my next guest has done that, and he is demanding that lawmakers in nato states declare ukrainian no-fly zone for the sake of children and

innocence. the type of which we have been seeing coming into places like this in budapest. joining me now from warsaw, poland, is elena shop. nick adviser to the deputy prime minister of ukraine, and former minister of the ukrainian parliament. miss sought, nick thank you for being with us, we appreciate your time this morning. i want to ask you about the position that the prime minister is taking. in which he is looking for negotiations. he is saying that there are things about ukraine's positions, about joining nato, that can be amended or adjusted. but it is not capitulation. how do you balance those things. because ukrainians are very frustrated, they did not want the war in the first place, so are there to negotiate vladimir putin in russia about it? >> so, first of all, when ukrainians -- will defeat putin the victory is only one way, how we can stop this war, because if it

was going to be just some kind of resolution of initiations with the conditions of the russians, that was in several months or maybe years, we will get one more war. remember how it used to be -- for example in other countries. the only way to stop putin's to defeat him in ukraine. and i believe that after this, more than three weeks of war, we have already demonstrated that we are capable of doing this. we just need more references. -- two takes, and also the unity of the world. to use economic sanctions. because we need to remember this. -- for putin, to continue this war. firstly, it is military, and the second is economic

stability of russia. and all of this oil -- which they're using to finance this war, it is the main access for that. so, as long as the euro in the -- won't stop financing this war, buying gas and oil from russia, it will be very hard, of course, to stop it. because he will continue to finance this war. -- >> you have been talking to a lot of -- you've been talking to the europeans about this. and the united states has already, said we are not buying any energy from russia. but that becomes a lot more complicated in europe. i am in hungary right now. and the hungarians have said, we are definitely not getting involved in sanctions. other european countries are much more energy --

much more welcoming of the idea of an inch sanctions. but it is tough for europe, because they buy so much energy from russia. >> you are right. it is tough. we are not talking about saying that they should stop doing it immediately. but they should send a signal. they should establish the system. and they should tell putin that russia, guys, we are not going to buy from in the long term perspective. we are not going to buy from you anymore. we're looking for other resources and diversifications of these resources. for example, united states. you have a lot of oil reserves. and they can exchange with you. they can, find for example, coal and australia. or in other countries. it is a matter of willingness. so, they just need to find another solution. russia is not the only one, monopoly country, with these

energy sources. the cases just money, price. of course, putin is going to buy for example, hungry, for reduction in price. property conditions. it is not an economic case. political corruption is helping -- just again the next election, just to win the next election. we should go deeper in this. it means that -- should realize that they are involved in russian forces. they are helping russians to fill ukraine up. helping russians to move on in europe, with their aggressive position. this is a very simple, difficult, challenge. what do you want? we want to stop the war. >> the elections here on april 3rd. i want to ask you something. you are a former member of

parliament. one of the things that we learned when we interview a lot of ukrainians, in parliament, is how young they are. i want to just tell our audience, 50% of the ukrainian parliament is -- sorry, leave that internet connection. i am sorry to keep interrupting you. 63% of the ukrainian parliament is under the age of 45. 60% of the iranian parliament is under the age of 40. what influence do you think that youth has on the resistance and the unity. there are all sorts of political parties in ukraine, who are normal, times are in opposition. but everybody seems united on voting putin and the russian yeah.on all of it is very simple. all of the young ukrainian, so we grew up in an independent ukraine. we really were built in this

country, we are inspired by all the opportunities of this country. it is young, we are young, and we believe that there is a prosperity in the future. ukraine can play a significant role. look at our president, he is also young. but now he has won all the main democratic leaders of the world. he is showing democracy, it's not just talking or speaking about democracy. it is a bad action. sometimes, you even sacrifice with life, risk it with your life to protect the democratic value. it's very important, because not many politicians nowadays can not just talk but also act. this is significant, the symbolic role of ukraine. ukrainian young people, politicians and the whole society, which demonstrates tremendous motivation. look at these people, who are

naked. without guns. they are going against the tanks, fighting with aggressors. can you imagine the spirit of these people? how they perceive their independence and their country? they are not going to give out, this is the main message. they're not going to give up. that is why, please, united states, whole west world. we are asking for the world to survive, survive with humanity, with democratic principles. restore real democracy. so, you should support us. this is the main case, to support us and we will -- this guy, we will destroy this terrorist. >> well, the message that you are not going to give up this coming across loud and clear. again, i apologize for interrupting you. it was because of the bad internet connection, i thought you had finished peaking. i apologize. thank you so much for taking the time to be with us. olena sotnyk it's an adviser to the deputy prime minister of

ukraine. well, authoritarianism is not just something happening in russia. the world has far more authoritarian the dictators and you might think, and they are watching what happens to putin very closely. this is a very special addition of velshi, live from budapest, hungary. of velshi, live from budapest, hungary. hungary. oh, we can help with that. okay, imagine this. your mover, rob, he's on the scene and needs a plan with a mobile hotspot. we cut to downtown, your sales rep lisa has to send some files, like asap! so basically i can pick the right plan for each employee. yeah i should've just led with that. with at&t business. you can pick the best plan for each employee and get the best deals on every smart phone. (man 1) oh, this looks like we're in a screen saver. you can pick the best plan for each employee (man 2) yeah, but we need to go higher. (man 1) higher. (man 2) definitely higher. (man 1) we're like yodeling high. [yodeling] yo-de-le-he... (man 2) hey, no. uh-uh, don't do that. (man 1) we should go even higher! (man 2) yeah, let's do it. (both) woah! (man 2) i'm good.

(man 1) me, too. (man 2) mm-hm. (vo) adventure has a new look. (man 1) let's go lower. (man 2) lower, that sounds good. (vo) discover more in the all-new subaru outback wilderness. love. it's what makes subaru, subaru. to see my ancestors' photos was just breathtaking. wow, look at all those! what'd you find? lorraine banks, look, county of macomb, michigan? oh my goodness... this whole journey has been such a huge gift for our family. i could've waited to tell my doctor i had leg pain this whole journey has been such a huge gift just walking the dog... but i didn't wait. i could've put off telling my doctor my leg was red and swollen just doing the crossword... but i didn't wait. they told their doctors. and found out their symptoms... leg pain, swelling and redness - were deep vein thrombosis. a blood clot which could travel to the lungs and lead to a pulmonary embolism. which could cause chest pain or discomfort, or difficulty breathing - and be deadly. if you have one or more of these symptoms, contact your doctor. this is no time to wait. i recommend nature made vitamins, because i trust their quality. they were the first to be verified by usp,

an independent organization that sets strict quality and purity standards. nature made. the #1 pharmacist recommended vitamin and supplement brand. age is just a number. and mine's unlisted. try boost® high protein with 20 grams of protein for muscle health. versus 16 grams in ensure high protein. boost® high protein also has key nutrients for immune support. boost® high protein. (music throughout) boost® high protein also has key nutrients boi earn 5% cash backlso on travel purchased through chase with chase freedom unlimited. i earn 5% on our cabin.

hello cashback! hello, kevin hart! earn big time with chase freedom unlimited with no annual fee. how do you cashback? chase. make more of what's yours. the world is, for the most, part united in its disdain for russian president vladimir putin. as it should be. but, whatever the outcome of this, for other global pariahs are watching closely. and possibly calculating the risks of their own next moves. right, now it may look as if the world has a putin problem. but, really it has an authoritarian problem. believe it or not, there are, right, now about 50 countries ruled by dictatorships. dictatorships arlette measured by levels of freedom and civil liberties enjoyed by their citizens. this map shows the status of every country in the world, based on how free it people are. it was put together by freedom

house, a nonprofit that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, freedom and political rights. the country's in orange are considered all not free, based on access to civil rights and liberties. you can, see there are quite a few in sub-saharan africa, about a dozen in the middle east and north africa. if you in the asia pacific region and in eurasia. you've got cuba, nicaragua and venezuela in the americas. and of course the big one, the biggest one on the, map is russia. dictators and authoritarian's come a different flavors. some of the most boot brutal and a prius are known as personal list dictatorships. that's when all the power lies in the hands of a single individual. putin, china's decision paying, north korea's kim jong-un come to mind. infamous personal lists of the past where people like saddam hussein and libby as moe maher gaddafi. fascinatingly, in a world where information travels faster than sound and, light personalized

dictatorship is actually on the rise. according to the washington post, 40% of authoritarian governments are created by a single miscreant. those under authoritarian regime suffer the most, but for some authoritarian's it's not enough to persecute their own people. so they reach beyond their borders, to persecuted, today, silence and in some cases murder. freedom house calls that transnational regression, it's when countries reach across borders to silence dissent among diaspora's and exiles. including through assassinations, illegal deportations, abductions, digital, threats interpol abuse and family intimidation, end quote. according to freedom house, the six or she is most guilty of this are turkey, which happens to be a nato country. saudi arabia, which donald trump had a noticeably warm relationship with, putting them at the heart of his middle eastern policy. rwanda, china, iran and, of course, russia. one of the most intimate cases

of transnational regression in nash recent history is the killing of saudi dissidents and journalist jamal khashoggi by agents in 2018 and another country. another other leaders, like vladimir putin, who take their toll roll a step further. invading countries, stealing land and starting unprovoked warfare. i want to focus on two of the world's most brutal dictators, whom i bet many of you have never heard of. isaias if aware day is the leader of eritrea, a country on the horn of east africa. known as africa's north korea. he became president in 1990, three he's ruled with an iron fist ever since he. take advantage of the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, with the world distracted. he transformed his country into a dictatorship. his government has been accused of extrajudicial killing, torture, rape, indefinite military service and forced labor by the united nations. in 1998, eritrea invaded the disputed bomb a region of, ethiopia triggering a war that

lasted two years. i'll bet this one also flew under your radar. in 2020, azerbaijan's corrupt leader eli ali of attacked our medias autonomy's territory, known as an agüero car back. which had long been self governed by ethnic our medians. its troops sees much of that territory by force. thousands of armenians soldiers were, killed in it triggered a massive refugee crisis. ali have is still currently attempting a cultural array sure of the armenian population. armeniani don't have time in thw to give you a lot more, and it is without touching on countries like hungary, where i, and for still a democracy. but backsliding on that. too often with the support of voters. something that we are witnessing on a smaller scale in america. but many americans aren't worried that that could happen. in part because we aren't worried about, or don't know about, the invasion of bob. me or the invasion of the accord karabakh. we don't know, and for

disappear witness to, and global leaders don't take decisive action, decisive dictators go unchecked. which is why how the world response to russia's onslaught against ukraine is crucial. the world in which we live is full of inhumanity. and more often than not, those who are responsible for that in humanity room free. those amoral, undemocratic, inhumane leaders are all watching closely right. now they are watching putin, and they are watching with the rest of us do about it. i use liberty mutual, they customize your car insurance, so you only pay for what you need. wooo, yeaa, woooooo and, by switching you could even save 665 dollars. hey tex, can someone else get a turn? yeah, hang on, i'm about to break my own record. yeah. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty. ♪ ♪♪

three times the electorlytes and half the sugar. ♪♪ pedialyte powder packs. feel better fast. (fisher investments) in this market, you'll find fisher investments pedialyte powder packs. is different than other money managers. (other money manager) different how? aren't we all just looking for the hottest stocks? (fisher investments) nope. we use diversified strategies to position our client's portfolios for their long-term goals. (other money manager) but you still sell investments that generate high commissions for you, right? (fisher investments) no, we don't sell commission products. we're a fiduciary, obligated to act in our client's best interest. (other money manager) so when do you make more money, only when your clients make more money? (fisher investments) yep. we do better when our clients do better. at fisher investments, we're clearly different. i'm gonna earn 3% on dining including takeout with chase freedom unlimited. that's a lot of cash back. are you gonna stop me? uh-oh... i'm almost there... too late! boom! earn big time with chase freedom unlimited with no annual fee. how do you cashback? chase. make more of what's yours. to help prevent bleeding gums, try saying hello gumwash

with parodontax active gum health. it kills 99% of plaque bacteria and forms an antibacterial shield. try parodontax active gum health mouthwash. [♪♪] if you have diabetes, it's important to have confidence in the nutritional drink you choose. try boost glucose control®. it's clinically shown to help manage blood sugar levels and contains high quality protein to help manage hunger and support muscle health. try boost® today. you do not have to live under the role of full dictatorship to be repressed. democracy is eroding in nations around the world. huge national institute for democracy in electoral the systems found the new 2021, more countries than ever are suffering from something called democratic erosion. and more than a quarter of the

world's population now lives in democratically backsliding countries. joining me now is an apple, she is a pulitzer prize-winning historians, staff writer for the atlantic, and author of the book twilight or democracy. the seductive lore of authoritarianism. last week she appeared before the senate foreign relations committee to speak about the rise of authoritarianism around the world, and how democracies like the united states can a trip to combat. and, good to see you again. there was something you said in your testimony that actually triggered that commentary that i just delivered. the idea that there are lots and lots of authoritarian and dictators around the world, who are watching very closely to see if vladimir putin gets away with what he is doing. this we have a domino effect on the rest of the world. >> you are absolutely right. not just in terms of numbers of dictatorships, but that there is a sense of impunity that has been growing. this is the result of delivered actions which they've taken. they've deliberately sought to

really weaken you institutions, to override norms about human rights and about the viability borders. they have come to support one another, but so the state companies, in one dictatorship, invest in the state companies have another. they share with one another. surveillance technology, tactics and how to push back against opposition. and all of this is happening while the democratic world has acted like nothing special was happening happening. we have gone on using our mantra's, repeating or mantras, or piñera language about the inviolability of borders and so on. even as a contagious were preparing to do otherwise. and yes you are right, many countries are watching what happens here, on all sides of the political spectrum. and they will draw lessons accordingly. i think already the nato response is much stronger than we expected. the western sanctions are stronger than anybody expected.

and that will, at least, give us some pause to other dictators who are thinking of doing the same thing. although we still have a long way to go before this conflict is over. >> anna, on the one hand i am heartened by the unit the air on people understanding this is really bad, and we should do something about it. on the other i'm deeply troubled by the fact that there are some -- i don't call it mainstream, but elected officials in america. conservative media personalities. who have somehow found themselves on the wrong side of this, being useful idiots for russian propaganda. but we do not seem to have that unity about this in america that the ukrainians, for instance, have about the invasion of their country. >> yes. and i think it is not an exit of the people who are supporting putin, or were supporting him, maybe sometimes they're making excuses for having supported putin, these are often the same people who are attacking american democratic institutions at home.

there is some continuity between the admiration for dictatorships and scorn for your own democracy. many of the people, like tucker carlsen, you could think of other propagandists, are people who dislike modern america. they do not like american institutions. and so they come to admire and lion ice, even, foreign dictators. or even elected officials who are acting against their own democratic institutions, like victor oregon in hungary, where you are right now. >> yes. and that election, by the way, is in two weeks and it has the endorsement of donald trump. victor -- does. you are not usually critical of western institutions and these bodies have come together to try to maintain a stable world order. but you have written an article, western american responses have been profoundly inadequate. you talked about changing the way we do this entirely. unitas gust this a little bit last week.

but you know what's yours note you or think about how we could change our responses to things like what happened in ukraine? >> first of all, we need to be prepared for. them we need to understand that this might happen again. this is not a one-off situation. and i would say that we need 300 of responses. one is the response that involves military deterrence. it means reinforcing our allies, reinforcing other democracies. being prepared for this kind of event. not treating it like it is some kind of a give left field unimaginable circumstance. because if it happens in ukraine, it could also happen somewhere else. secondly, thinking differently about how we communicate with the autocratic world. we need to put a much bigger emphasis on talking to russians, talking to the chinese, talking to others. finding ways to do that. that is a longer conversation that we can have at some time. thirdly, and even most

importantly, what we need to do is and the ways in which our financial institutions support and make possible hypocrisy. so very often, you heard in the interview that you do with ukrainian members of parliament, just before talking to me. often it is our trade with russia, or trade with china, or the way that are being signed in law under russian money. longer it into respectability, make it possible for russian oligarchs to have those villas in the south of france. we need to end those practices inside our own society, so that we are not facilitating the rise of a democracy. and this does require a deep briefing of how we deal with those kinds of states, and that we are killer on institutions. >> and applebaum, thank you for continuing this conversation with me. you and i talked last, week i felt there so much more to get into. so i'm glad we are able to do

that. and applebaum is a staff writer at the atlantic, she is the author of twilight of democracy, the seductive lure of authoritarianism. among other important books. well, skilled school children in naples, italy offered a hand to their new ukrainian classmates. literally. >> [applause] >> it is a heartwarming moment, welcoming these two children to their new home, their new school. with balloons, ukrainian flags, supportive chairs, a standing ovation. the two of them are hundreds of miles from the life they're forcefully behind. like all refugees displaced by conflict, there is no clear answer as to where these two children will be able to return home. they are monks one and a half million children who have fled ukraine, one child every second. we will have an update on the refugee crisis when we get back. e crisis when we get back back r a print that

i never actually printed... ... so i don't have to deal with that terrifying pile of invoices. intuit quickbooks helps you easily send your first invoice in 3 steps. simple. hi, my name is cherrie. i'm 76 and i live on the oregon coast. in 3 steps. my husband, sam, we've been married 53 years. we love to walk on the beach. i have two daughters and then two granddaughters. i noticed that memories were not there like they were when i was much younger. since taking prevagen, my memory has gotten better and it's like the puzzle pieces have all been [click] put together. prevagen. healthier brain. better life. welcome to the eat fresh refresh at subway

wait, that's new wait, you're new too nobody told you? subway's refreshing with better ingredients, better footlongs, and better spokespeople. because you gotta you gotta refresh to be fresh (vo) small businesses are joining the big switch. save over $1,000 when you switch to our ultimate business plan for the lowest price ever. plus choose from the latest 5g smartphones. get more 5g bars in more places- switch to t-mobile for business today. at xfinity, we live and work in the same neighborhood as you. get more 5g bars in more places- we're always working to keep you connected to what you love. and now, we're working to bring you the next generation of wifi. it's ultra-fast. faster than a gig. supersonic wifi. only from xfinity. it can power hundreds of devices with three times the bandwidth. so your growing wifi needs will be met. supersonic wifi only from us... xfinity. >> this morning, the united

nations refugee agency reports that nearly 3.4 million ukrainians have escaped the war torn nation. the vast majority of them being women and children. according to the child advocacy group unicef, one and a half million groups have fled ukraine. which breaks and a nearly one child becoming a refugee every second.

the united nations refugee agency estimates that more than 2 million ukrainians have escaped into poland, that is by far the most of any neighboring country. which is where i'm headed, by the, way today after the show and. romania has taken the second highest number of refugees, at 527,000. more than 362,000 have crossed over into moldova. and hungary, where i am now, it has taken more than 325,000 today. david miliband joins me now, he is the president and ceo of the international rescue committee. he is also, however, of former foreign secretary of the united kingdom. david, i want to start, if i, can by asking you to switch has to the other one for a. moment i know that, obviously with the irc, you can't get as political as you could when you are a political guy. but that conversation i was just having with an apple bomb, that commentary i just delivered about how the autocrats a dictators of the world are looking at how he handled this, i am curious, as a guy who was in government in the west, how you feel about that. how we have to take this moment,

as the world backslide from democracy into authoritarianism at a rate we have not seen since 100 years ago. how do you think we should think about that. >> i'm very happy to answer, that ali. because, the retrenchment, the recession of democratic rights at home is associated with the application of the rule of law abroad. the retreat of the rule of law abroad, the rise of impunity abroad. invading at child as maxim of a punitive, so is bombing a hospital or they're full of civilians. the two seems, if humanitarian distress within the war torn countries, the -- of the rule of law in the recession a democracy, they are linked in exactly the way that in applebaum it's described. there is a surprise, it's that putin is trying to turn back the european geopolitical clock by about 30 years. to the end of the soviet union. he's trying to rewind. i think it's very, very important that, in democratic

countries, we rediscover the spirit that, of that 1889, 1990 period. when people did embrace the freedoms that were available, and show that there is an alternative way to this impunity in the international sphere. and repression at home. >> david, i want to ask you. now i want you to put your other hat on. as the ceo of the international rescue committee, we showed you the numbers of refugees who are coming to neighboring countries. there are now starting to be, i don't want to call it pushback, but these countries are saying that there is a lot of people coming. 2 million people coming out of poland, moldova now has the equivalent about 14 or 15% of its entire population who are refugees. how do we think about that, too? refugees typically either go to a neighboring country are the closest country that can provide them with safety and shelter, and perhaps, longer term prospects. >> yes, i think the key thing to understand today is that

things are getting much wars inside ukraine, and that means there's going to be increasing pressure on the neighboring countries, as people flee. the 3.4 million figure that you read, out there. the international rescue committee, we are in poland as well as inside ukraine. we are very concerned about the situation in moldova, where they have had more than 10% increase in their population in the space of the last three weeks. there is a simple answer, at least on, paper to what you're saying, ali. which is that, europe needs to share out these refugees. the truth is that you are right to say most refugees and up in neighboring states, but the fundamental truth is that they end up in the same region there in buttoned safety. now, europe is the largest, riches single market. 500 million people. this is as an operational challenge, with three and a half million people across the borders. but, when you think about the scale of the european continent, especially if you think of the uk and other 65 million people. this is manageable if it's organized.

if the responsibility is shared out, because warsaw may well become full, berlin may well become full. but there are thousands of cities across europe that need to be part of this effort. >> david, thank you for your analysis and your continuing work with the international rescue committee. i do want to remind our viewers, because many people tweet and say what can we actually do, go to the international rescue committee for and it's around. that david milled, and he's the international rescue committee president and ceo. coming, up the significance, strategic significance, of odessa. that port city has been a key target for the kremlin because of its access to the black sea, or the fact that it's going to end up being ukraine's only access to the black sea unless the false. ukraine is holding out so far, but russian military moves have intensified. we're going to talk about that on the other side. another hour, velshi live from budapest hungry begins right now. budapest hungry begins right now.

good morning, it is sunday march the 20th it is not name in york and 2 pm here budapest, hungary. i am ali velshi at the rail station embraced capital city of budapest, we refugees playing the war and ukraine continue to arrive. 25 days after russia began its invasion. the ukrainian resistance made up of the country's military as well as citizens who are taking up arms in the last few weeks. it continues to put a strong fight. but russia's brutal offensives continues as well. mainly from the, sky now. this morning, russia's military defense says this once again used a high position hypersonic missile against ukraine. this is the second time in his many days the russia says it has used the weapon. nbc's not independently verified this, but in adviser to the ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy is also saying that russia has deployed hypersonic missiles this weekend. today's attack, according to russia, destroyed a base that we used to supply and refueling vehicles for the uk