Summary
As Russia ramps up shelling of civilian areas in Ukraine, the U.N. reveals at least 400 civilians have died and that the actual death toll is likely much higher. It comes as the war sends more than 1.7 million refugees fleeing the violence. Meantime, the Secretary of Defense orders 500 more troops and equipment to Europe to help NATO allies.
Transcript
STEPHANIE RUHLE, MSNBC HOST: And what`s happening overseas now sending gas prices surging here at home, as Russia sinks deeper into isolation.
Plus, everyday Americans stepping up to join the fight against Putin, as THE 11TH HOUR gets underway on a Monday night.
Good evening, I`m Stephanie Ruhle. We are entering day 13 of Russia`s war on Ukraine. And it becomes more brutal by the day with a dramatic escalation in the shelling of civilian areas. The UN now saying more than 400 civilians have been killed, but the actual death toll is likely much, much higher.
The Pentagon says Russia`s efforts to take Kyiv remain stalled, which may be leading to the stepped up civilian attacks across the country.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: Well, we assess this as they continue to get frustrated. They continue to rely now more on what we would call long range fires. So this is bombardment missile strikes, long range artillery into city centers.
We have also picked up other indications as well on our own, that morale continues to be a problem for many of the Russian forces, particularly up in the north and the east. It is not clear to us that all of the soldiers that Russia has put into Ukraine realize that that`s what they were doing that they were actually going to invade.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RUHLE: The Secretary of Defense says another 500 U.S. troops and more equipment are heading to Europe to help NATO allies. And according to The New York Times, the U.S. and NATO sent in more than 17,000 anti-tank weapons in less than a week.
For the first time since the start of this invasion, Ukraine`s president spoke to his nation from his office in a video posted on Facebook. He said he is not afraid of anyone and promised he will not leave. And during an interview with ABC News, President Zelenskyy offered this message to Americans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINE PRESIDENT: I just want you to feel and to understand, what does it mean for us freedom. Because always American people, they speak about freedom. And they know what is it. And now when you`re looking at Ukrainians, I think you feel what does it mean for us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RUHLE: It is now estimated that this war, not even two weeks old, has created more than 1.7 million refugees. Many who`ve learned escaping the violence can be a harrowing dangerous journey and be seized. Richard Engel is on the frontlines with more.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
RICHARD ENGEL, NBC NEWS CHIEF FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Russian troops are now on Kyiv`s doorstep and they`re trying to break in through a suburb called Irpin. And this slippery row of planks is the only way for civilians to get out.
(on camera): The Ukrainians blew up this bridge in order to slow down the Russian advance. But it has also made it extremely difficult for people to evacuate these areas that are hotly contested.
(voice-over): Civilians today were crossing in wheelchairs or carried out. But even as they escape, Russian troops keep firing on them. This disturbing video yesterday captured what Russia is unleashing on civilians fleeing its onslaught.
In the background, you see people running down the sidewalk leaving Irpin. And then this. A mortar strike. Ukrainian soldiers move in to help but on that sidewalk at least four people, three from one family lie dead. Those who made it out today loaded onto waiting ambulances, thank God for their salvation.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
RUHLE: Or thanks to Richard Engel for that report. Let`s bring in NBCs Cal Perry in Lviv, Ukraine. Cal, Russia stepped up its attacks over the weekend. We saw it hospitals, schools, civilians who are trying to flee. Tell us what is it like there now. A week ago it was somewhat peaceful where you are.
CAL PERRY, NBC NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this city of Lviv in the West is still peaceful, but it`s starting to bend. I mean, this is a city that is running out of food. It is running out of fuel. We heard from the mayor today that some 200,000 people have been resettled in this city, the population was only 700,000. So you get an indication of how things are becoming increasingly difficult.
Now in the east, the situation is dire hell on earth, according to the mayor`s there. We just received word that the city of Mariupol according to the Ministry of Energy is now completely cut off from the power grid. So it`s not going to be possible to get power back on in that city and in the cities that line sort of that coastline of the Black Sea we understand they have been without power, without water, without heat since the second of this month, that is six days of sub-zero temperatures of people huddled in these basements not able to go anywhere.
[23:05:08]
And we heard from the United Kingdom Ministry of Defense that that scene that you saw in Richard Engel`s report in Irpin, they`re saying was intentionally targeted by Russian forces. They intentionally fired on the civilians. It`s something that we knew and suspected beforehand. Now officially hearing that from governments in the West. The State Department saying that there would be indiscriminate shelling and the targeting of civilians. That is exactly what we saw over the weekend.
And so here in the western part of the country, you now have preparations for war taking place here. The center of the city where I am is a UNESCO heritage sites. There are statues here from the 16th, 17th century, they are now being wrapped in fireproof clothing, fireproof blankets, they are going to start moving those statues underground, because people here just wonder, how long is it going to be until the war reaches them, Stephanie.
RUHLE: Now that we knowm now that you see civilians being targeted those who are still there, is there plan to get out? Or do they consider that too dangerous?
PERRY: Some folks are saying they`ll stay here that they have found a place to stay that they`re going to stay until the last possible minute. Look, the reality is nobody wants to leave their lives behind until the last possible second, some people are making that choice. Other people have fled to Poland, and for men in this country who are unable to leave the choice is an impossible one.
It`s drop your family off at the border, watch them walk across and then return to the front and fight the Russians. That`s the decision. And that`s the horrible thing that families here are facing across the country, Stephanie.
RUHLE: Cal Perry, thank you for that important report tonight. And as the violence worsens, so does the refugee crisis. Earlier today our UN Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield laid out just how dire the situation is. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: 100 refugees are crossing into Poland every minute. 100 a minute.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RUHLE: The future for Ukrainians isn`t best uncertain and at worst devastating as they grapple with the toll of war. NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt is on the ground in Ukraine with their stories.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
LESTER HOLT, NBC NEWS ANCHOR (voice-over): A little boy with a toy car blissfully plays in his own fantasy world thankfully oblivious if just for a moment to the real world spinning apart around him. At the Lviv train station adults cramming into cars with volunteers or following lines that will lead them to anywhere but here for the sake of their children.
Baby Ana (ph) won`t remember any of this born in Kyiv six weeks premature in late January, hospitalized since birth. And then --
ZOYA FILIPOVA, LVIV RESIDENT: We had the grenade, rockets who were in the bomb shelter but it was really scary.
HOLT: The war began around them.
FILIPOVA: Every night we went from upstairs. It was the third floor to the bomb shelter.
HOLT: Of the hospital.
FILIPOVA: Yes, the hospital.
HOLT: Zoya Filipova`s husband had gone ahead with her other child. Zoya staying so that Ana could continue to receive medical care.
FILIPOVA: Less and less doctors attending us. Less and less treatment and important more going to the shelter. Yes, so we decided to go to Lviv. Yes, we escaped by trains.
HOLT (on camera): So what is your future? What is honest future now?
FILIPOVA: Our future, so everything will be OK definitely. Ukraine will win.
HOLT (voice-over): There are so many children of this war, like young Alexander showing me his teddy bear and his language skills.
(on camera): Hi. How are you? Who`s your teddy bear?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m not.
HOLT: You`re fine.
(voice-over): I`m not sure if he heard or comprehended the weight of what his mom told me.
TETIANA KOLVOVA, LVIV RESIDENT: I go in Poland.
HOLT (on camera): Going to Poland. Do you know where you will live?
KOLKOVA: No.
HOLT: It is also achingly sad. They have escaped the chaos of war, the bombs and the missiles. And now they face the chaos of escape from their home country. Most of them their lives surrounded in uncertainty.
(voice-over): Tonight the UN Refugee Agency reports 1.7 million Ukrainians have now crossed into Central Europe, of that number UNICEF now believes a million of them are children.
JAMES ELDER, UNICEF: Here we are. We`ve seen tens of thousands of children flood through every day they`re traumatized. Children don`t cry anymore. That`s a clear sign of trauma.
HOLT: But much of the world is crying for Ukraine and its children.
(on camera): What do we use Sunday till Ana about the world that she was born into?
FILIPOVA: She`s a child of war.
HOLT: It should be OK.
FILIPOVA: Yes.
HOLT: Yes, you guys be OK.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
[23:10:00]
RUHLE: Lester Holt joins us now. Lester, I am so grateful you are there for those of us who are world away feeling helpless when we watch these stories that you`re sharing? What should Americans know?
HOLT: Well, if we`re feeling helpless, I think the people here want us to know that they`re not feeling helpless. I mean, they are scared, they`re angry, and is what has happened. They`re confused about their immediate future where they`re going to go, can they get to Poland? Where will they stay right there, but they believe many of them we met at the train station believe that they will come back that their military will prevail here, and they`ll be able to come back to their homes.
But right now, you know, incredibly scary time. As you know, city like where we are here, Lviv has been largely peaceful. But there`s an awareness here that at some point, this too, will become part of this war.
RUHLE: What has this been like for you, Lester, as I`m speaking to you, I`m thinking about Lester Holt covering the most important stories and crises around the world for decades. What is this like?
HOLT: You know, essentially asked that question, because one of things I was thinking about all day, and I tend to do this when I`m covering calamities and awful things, I put myself in and how would I handle this? And I watched people, you know, time and time again, put one foot in front of the other, and find a way. And I think sometimes I look at these things, I think I`d be balled up in a corner, crying.
But you see this incredible strength among people. I`ve seen it here. I`ve seen it countless places across the world.
And the other point I`ll make, it`s just it hurts. You know, you, you know, I shed a lot of tears today, you know, quietly as I was at the train station talking to families and talking to that mom with her newborn. And it makes you feel like you`re OK, because you, you know, you`re still a human being first before a journalist and that`s important to me.
RUHLE: Well, Lester Holt, thank you for being there. And thank you for joining us tonight.
With that, let`s bring in our experts, Admiral James Stavridis, a 30-year Navy veteran, the former head of the U.S. Southern Command and the former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, and Michael Allen, former staff director of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He also served as senior director at the National Security Council under President George W. Bush.
Admiral, despite Ukrainians begging for a no-fly zone, U.S. and NATO insist it is off the table because it could start a much, much bigger war. Can you explain this to us?
ADM. JAMES STAVRIDIS, MSNBC CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: I can, Stephanie, let`s begin by saying what we want to avoid here, ultimately, is a global thermonuclear war between the US and Russia. We can do that we can avoid that but still give the Ukrainians what they need to fight this war.
So, my answer on where`s the no-fly zone is we can give the Ukrainians the means to create that no-fly zone. We`ve done a lot of that, that`s with Stinger missiles. It is with providing potentially Polish MiG-29. These are very capable aircraft that can be transferred to the Ukrainian Navy and backfield by the U.S. military.
We have the capability to give the Ukrainians the opportunity to conduct this. We want to avoid a situation which would be a straight no-fly zone between U.S. and Russian aircraft going nose to nose up there. That`s a potential path to war of which we must be very mindful. So, give the Ukrainians the tools, they will fight this fight I think very successfully.
RUHLE: Michael, are we not doing that yet? Because when we talk to people from Ukraine, parliament members, we hear over and over, they feel like they`re being left alone left out in America is not there for them.
MICHAEL ALLEN, FMR. STAFF DIRECTOR FOR HOUSE PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTEL: We can do more, Stephanie. I would second everything Admiral Stavridis said and I would also try and add A10 Warthogs and other airplanes that we may have in our stocks that could be of great use to the Ukrainians as they continue to try and grind down the Russian forces as they move closer and closer to the cities.
It`s very clear that Putin is lamenting how poorly he`s done so far. And he`s trying to make up for that through the use, of course, indiscriminate bombing, and of course, thermobaric weapons. It`s a very frightening situation, but I think we`ve got to double down, help the Ukrainians as much as we can, so that they might be able to eventually have some leverage to get to a negotiating table with Vladimir Putin.
RUHLE: Admiral, you just mentioned it the administration trying to convince Poland obviously a NATO ally, to send its MiG fighter jets to you Ukraine but they`re running into some resistance why is that?
[23:15:04]
STAVRIDIS: Well, let`s face it, if you`re Poland, and you`re watching the Russians march across Ukraine, you start to get pretty nervous. My response to the Polish would be, look, you have the golden membership card. You are part of the NATO Alliance. We out spend Russia 15 to one on the NATO side. We have 25,000 military aircraft. They have 5,000, it`s five to one. We have 4 million troops under arms, they have a million, four to one. You get the idea.
The Poles need to step up, send their jets and we will backfill under the theory that both sides are looking at with the US F-16. Poles know how to fly those. The Ukrainians know how to fly the MiG-29. Look, I get it. It`s complicated. But we need to make this happen quickly. That would be the quickest path to creating real damage to the Russian war machine in Ukraine.
RUHLE: Michael, why are they going after civilians despite saying that they`re not? Is it because they can`t win against the Ukrainian military?
ALLEN: I think that`s part of it. I think they`re trying to break the will of the Ukrainians. They want to encourage more refugees, more miserable people that will ultimately pressures Zelenskyy and the others to sue for peace.
You know, the Russians floated several ideas today. They want the independent -- so called independent territories of Ukraine. They want Ukraine to recognize them as independent. They want Ukraine to acknowledge that Crimea is part of Russia. These are a long way for the Ukrainians to go. But I think it`s the plan of Vladimir Putin to try and put pressure on the Ukrainians through civilian deaths to make very difficult concessions at the diplomatic table.
RUHLE: Admiral, let`s talk about NATO and NATO countries, Americans here were preparing for higher prices on gas and groceries yet Europeans, they seem to be preparing for war potentially on their soil. Can you compare how it`s impacting us in a very different way?
STAVRIDIS: Well, let`s recognize that for Europeans, Russian advances across Eastern Europe, rattle old, scary ghosts. This is very much like experiences they had within living memory. Parents of these Europeans who are in their 80s can remember World War II. This is not some distant Roman Empire in the past. So this is very real to them.
And secondly, for the NATO alliance, they are on the front line with Russia. And to me, Steph, the most remarkable number and you`re an economist a numbers person is look at the German defense budget. Over the course of 48 hours, Vladimir Putin has effectively caused the Germans to double their defense budget. And at the end of the day, the Germans are going to end up spending $100 billion a year on defense, the Russian defense budget 70 billion, Germany will be spending more on defense than Russia. That is a sign of change in Europe, waking up to the threat of Russia.
RUHLE: A big change. Thank you both so much for joining us this evening, Admiral James Stavridis and Michael Allen.
Coming up, we just mentioned it as Americans are facing soaring gas prices, Ukrainians are suffering to what they call the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II. More on how war is impacting the world. THE 11TH HOUR is just getting underway on a Monday night.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[23:23:04]
RUHLE: Tonight, Congress is working on a bipartisan bill that includes a ban on the import of Russian oil. Even without Congress, the White House has already said it is considering that very ban. So here are the facts, the United States consumes about 20 million barrels of oil a day, only about 670,000 barrels come from Russia, or about three or 4 percent. That is a tiny drop in the bucket.
If we did ban Russian oil, we could make up the difference by drilling more in the U.S. and that is happening but slowly. We could import more oil from other companies like Canada. The administration could also try to convince Saudi Arabia and OPEC to produce more oil. So far, we have not been successful there.
And if we finalize a new nuclear deal with Iran, that could lead to more oil being traded. But that is getting very complicated.
And remember, oil is priced on a global market. So even if we ban Russian oil here, the price -- if the price is still at 130 a barrel, we`re still going to pay that, which means higher gasoline prices here at home.
With us tonight to discuss David Gura, business correspondent for NPR and Oleg Ustenko, economic adviser to President Zelenskyy. Oleg, thank you for being with us tonight.
I know you called on Western nations to stop importing Russian oil and gas. You called it blood money. Let`s say that happens. Then what? At this point, nearly 100 percent of Russian forces that were on the border are already inside Ukraine. Is it past the point where you can make a difference with economic sanctions for Ukraine?
OLEG USTENKO, ECONOMIC ADVISOR TO PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY: Oh, absolutely. Look, guys, we are fighting against the Russian troops here on the ground in Ukraine. But at the same time, we are in Uriel (ph) again, in this uriel (ph) the whole world leading by the United States has to fight with Russians in terms of economic sanctions. Everything was done so far.
[23:25:00]
You know, very effectively, all the sanctions which are introduced by United States such as, you know, sanctions on the Russian Central Bank, sanctions on other stuff were doing OK. But what we really need now, we really need to hit them, we hit them really very hard by introducing an embargo on Russian oil and a possible even gas.
But you are absolutely right. You know, if these sanctions they introduce only in the United States it will be -- it won`t affect Russian economy as much as you would like to see. And to hear to hit them really hard it will introduce sanctions all over the world, meaning they include in the secondary sanctions, and I`m very much sure that if the United States is doing that, then other EU allies realized I was going to grow the same way.
And then for me, it means that immediately, Russians are not going to receive around 50 percent of their budget revenue, no doubt that, you know, we didn`t do the try, and we`ll be trying -- still will be trying to buy sympathy from his population, from his military. And having that kind of fiscal deficit, he will not have any other way, again, thanks to sanctions which are already in place.
They will not be able to finance to fund these budget deficits. And the only way they can do that is just printing money and increase in inflation. And then the CGH will be dramatically changed in Russia. And the pressure for the central government in Russia is going to be really very high.
But it`s for very much, I understand that everybody is paying the price. But we are here of the crowd. We are paying the price with the lives of our people did a block of our people do a couple of hours ago rushing to form one of the largest cities in Ukraine called Sumy, which is in the east of the country, several forms they put to the city, which is somewhere around 700,000 people are in the city. So the yesterday, the day before yesterday, we were receiving massively reports that women were raped, kids were killed. Civilians were killed.
So basically, we are paying our price. And I understand that it`s going to be price if you are instituting that kind of ban. But I also understand that we could expect some increased in prices for oil on the international market. But it`s going to be only a very limited period of time when we will see that kind of shot.
Obviously, you know, it`s going to be in a needle (INAUDIBLE) is going to be a correction on the market that that kind of correction will be sold (ph) by the willingness of others and this is what I understand that there are many others on the market, which might potentially increase and which would block to increase their production and supply of oil on the market. I`m talking about precisely Middle East region.
And if they are increasing and for sure they are going to increase their production and supply of oil, the international market is going to be a downward direction in prices for oil in the long run. He will not have any negative effect there. In fact is going to be only positive.
RUHLE: Oleg.
USTENKO: I`m not even talking about non-economic issues. In terms of economics, it`s going to be a positive effects we are going to have --
RUHLE: Oleg. Oleg --
USTENKO: Yes?
RUHLE: I`m afraid we`re losing your audio. I can`t understand you so we`re going to just take a moment and see if we can correct that for you.
David, even if we put this ban on Russian oil, what if it backfires? Putin has shown time and again he does not care if his own people suffer economically. Isn`t there a risk it backfires and he doubles down on his actions militarily?
DAVID GURA, NPR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: There is that risk and you just look at the global energy market right now. There is so little slack in it that it`s not out of the question that you`d be able to sell this oil pretty quickly to the Chinese or the India abstained from that vote the United Nations General Assembly as well.
[23:30:03]
So I`m very sympathetic to what the President`s advisor is saying. And indeed, there are many people in Congress, as you said, who are sympathetic to the argument, as well. But this is very tricky territory. And just a few minutes ago, Admiral Stavridis was talking about the role that Germany has been playing in arming troops in Ukraine. This is a traditional military war in one sense, and an economic war in another.
And Steph, you know, Germany`s going to play a huge role here going forward. The Secretary of State over the weekend making those comments about how their conversations unfolding between the U.S. and its allies about the potential for these kinds of new sanctions on energy. And you heard the German Chancellor really muting those tamping those down in remarks afterwards.
So, it`s going to require a lot of convincing on the part of United States to get European allies who rely more on Russian gas and oil to go along with these sanctions, it`s going to be a bit trickier still, and I think the administration has its work cut out for it.
I will say, when you look at the economic war, in particular, the U.S. has very effectively over these last many months amassed this coalition of 30 plus countries, allies that it`s brought along with it to implement these sanctions. So I`m not saying that the administration is not at the path up to the task, but it`s certainly going to be a difficult undertaking, Stephanie.
RUHLE: OK, well, different countries, different governments, individuals all play a different role in times of war, David, but is this a moment for the president who does not set the price of oil? Is this a moment for him to use his bully pulpit to call in the CEOs of all these massive oil companies and talk to them about doing their part of a business they`re doing with Russia? About what they`re charging consumers? Yes, they are businesses, and they need to make money. But this is not a moment to maximize profits. Should the President be having this conversation and pushing them?
GURA: President Biden has the opportunity to do this. And there`s been so much reporting about the conversations the administration has been having with the leaders of these oil companies leading up to their decision to leave Russia a couple of days ago, and afterwards, still, it hasn`t happened in Washington. It hasn`t happened on the White House`s turf. And that`s interesting.
You know, the crucible in which this is happening is that an Energy Conference in Houston, oddly, where you have the CEOs of all of these companies sitting down with Dan Yergin, the Pulitzer Prize winning oil analyst, you know, they`ve ripped up their agenda. They`re talking about this issue almost exclusively.
And what you`re hearing from those executives is that acknowledgement of this crisis and the gravity of it, but also an entreaty, for the U.S. and for its allies to invest more in extraction of oil and natural gas, you know, well, that`s going to take some time. We`re looking here for shorter term solutions. And quite frankly, that`s not one right now. Stephanie.
RUHLE: Yes, they`re talking about ways to grow their businesses long term --
GURA: That`s right.
RUHLE: -- and to become more energy independent, but they are not talking about cutting prices right now. Rather than using all that excess cash for stock buybacks. David Gura, Oleg, thank you both for joining me this evening. I appreciate it. Oleg Ustenko, economic adviser to Ukrainian president Zelenskyy, excuse, Zelenskyy.
Moving forward, 12 days ago, they were enjoying life. Tonight. nearly two million Ukrainians are literally running for their lives. We`re going to check in with my friend and colleague and partner Ali Velshi in Hungary for more on the humanitarian crisis when the 11th Hour continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[23:37:50]
RUHLE: Ukrainians continued to seek refuge as Russia increasingly targets residential neighborhoods. The United Nations now saying at least 400 civilians have died. And that number is expected to climb. My good friend Ali Velshi is back on the border tonight. This time from Hungary.
Ali, it is good to see you. What happens once these refugees get to Hungary? Yes, they`re safe. But Are there jobs for them? Or their schools? Where do they go?
ALI VELSHI, MSNBC HOST: Really good question. You know, most of the refugees are going to Poland. They`ve got a better system. They`re established for what to do with them. Here in Hungary the EU is extending temporary protection of -- protected status to them, which means if they`ve got some papers, you know, these are not like Syrian refugees who didn`t in many cases have those papers because they couldn`t get them from the government. Right now Ukraine is still controlled by Ukrainians so they can get their documents and their licenses and their passports and things like that. If they`ve got papers, they can stay, they can get residency, they can get work.
But most of the people I`ve found coming into Hungary were going to Budapest, and they were going home and if they were otherwise from another country, or they were going onward to other European cities where they knew people.
Here at the border, it`s a different story. There are people almost everybody here gets picked up. So there`s a bus every now and then you`ll see one coming in behind me. They come in around every 40 minutes or so. And there are vans that pick them up and take them somewhere. So they`ve got some kind of plan. And there`s a school behind me and there`s the Baptist Church here and there`s UNHCR, so they`ll help them with transportation and things like that.
But I have to tell you, I ran into a young woman yesterday. She was 15 years old. She would come here with her -- she came with her mother, as you know, it`s mostly women and children coming in. And this is what she told me. She`s from Kyiv, listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANA SAFARIAN, UKRAINIAN REFUGEE: We`re going now to the Budapest and then we will make our cat`s passport. And then we will get to the airport. I know maybe tomorrow or in two days, three days, you know.
VELSHI: Do you believe that you can go home?
SAFARIAN: Of course. I believe it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[23:40:03]
VELSHI: Of course I believe it she wants to go home. So really the thing is most of them are hoping they can get home soon. But most people coming that I`m seeing you have got some sort of a plan, Steph.
RUHLE: Ali Velshi, thank you. Good to see you with us tonight and safe. Earlier today, Ukraine dismissed a proposal from Russia that would allow Ukrainians to leave the country, but only if they go to Russia or its ally, Belarus. Sky News correspondent Alex Crawford has more on that, and why civilians are stuck in Ukraine and what they`re forced to endure.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEX CRAWFORD, SKY NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Civilians are in the crosshairs of this war, a brief respite and shelling and firing in Irpin urban on the outskirts of the capital meant those still trapped were finally able to escape.
Remember, none of these people can be certain they won`t be fired on again. And they know their neighbors who fled earlier were attacked.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RUHLE: Let`s welcome Ukrainian parliament member Lesia Vasylenko. Lesia, thank you for joining us. Representatives from Russia and Ukraine did sit down for a third round of talks today. But they made no progress. How can we expect any progress to be made when the military is now going after civilians?
LESIA VASYLENKO, UKRAINE PARLIAMENT MEMBER: We can`t. And that`s the absolute truth about it. The force that Ukraine is reckoning is I don`t think it`s anything like the world has seen before. Well, at least not for decades.
It looks like Putin wants to outdo Stalin and Hitler put together, and it looks like he wants to have Russian Empire come back on the magnitudes that the world hasn`t seen before. And to do that, Putin needs to get hold of Ukraine, erase Ukraine off the face of the earth as an independent country, and get rid of Ukrainians as an independent and free nation.
And this is exactly what he`s doing when he is giving orders to shoot at civilians, to both schools, to bomb kindergardens, hospitals. And should point blank at cars, which might be driving in cities was families inside that want to get to safety. This is sad truth.
RUHLE: What we`re seeing hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians flee. The trains back to Kyiv are also filled with Ukrainians coming back to fight. What does that say about the will of the people in your country?
VASYLENKO: The will is unbreakable. And the will is so strong that the country is now in its 30 -- entering its 13th day of fighting the second largest army in the world. We are doing it was our own human resources here on the ground, but also in the air and in the sea. And we are prepared to be doing this for many, many days to come. And many months to come the necessary because we have no other choice really.
You know, we have we are a very big country with a lot of people 44 million, and we don`t really have anywhere else to go. And moreover, we really like where we are. So we`re not going to give that up. It`s ours by law, by international agreements. And we want those agreements to be honored and we want our right to life to be honored. That is what we are fighting for.
RUHLE: Lesia, thank you so much for joining us this evening. I appreciate it. Best of luck to you. Coming up --
VASYLENKO: Thank you.
RUHLE: -- thousands of Americans are now signing up to support Ukraine. One New Jersey man is about to drop everything and fly across the world to help those under siege but before he goes he will be here when the 11th Hour continues.
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[23:48:00]
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our story hit close to home for several families back in the U.S. because they recognize children they were trying to adopt.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I said oh my gosh, look, this is Viches (ph), what we call him and he was eating.
TOM LLAMAS, NBC SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Viches (ph) ask to us asking to be on camera. He spent summers and winters in Iowa, need to know the Hynek (ph) family who wants to adopt him and his two siblings.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He`s just like so special. And he wants to be with us so bad. And we have to say, you know, we can`t come today and we`re waiting.
LLAMAS: The Hynek`s (ph) tell us there are at least 300 American families in the same boat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because it`s kind of like they`re at that reach. But you can get to them.
LLAMAS: The Romero`s (ph) also recognized a child they`re trying to adopt. The couple is now in Poland on the border, helping refugees but also trying to move along the adoption of their child who they say text them every day that he`s afraid of the war.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For the last two years in my heart, he`s been my son, and it doesn`t matter which paper, but he`s my son.
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RUHLE: Tom Llamas with that reporting from Ukraine. Everyday Americans are looking to help Ukrainians in any way they can. And some are even planning to travel to Ukraine to join the fight against Russia, or lend a hand in support roles.
Tonight, I`m joined by Andrew Bennett and American planning to travel to Ukraine from New Jersey. I saw you this weekend on Nightly News and I said this man is the pride of the Garden State. I have to meet him. I want to share something President Zelenskyy said in an interview with ABC News, watch this.
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ZELENSKYY: If you see and if you understand how we feel like how we fight against all the enemies for our freedom, support us, support, and not only with words with kradic direct steps, do it and I think we`ll win, of course, together with all the world.
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[23:50:06]
RUHLE: Well, Zelenskyy is calling for help. The U.S. State Department is urging Americans not to go to Ukraine. You don`t have a military background? Why are you doing this?
ANDREW BENNETT, AMERICAN HEADED TO UKRAINE: I`m a union carpenter. Pretty fit. Am able bodied. Basically, he could watch Zelenskyy. And just if you`re not inspired, if it doesn`t move anything in your, you`re not alive.
RUHLE: When was the moment that you decided to drop everything? Was it about patriotism or humanity or faith?
BENNETT: I`d say a little bit of all, a little bit all of those things. I imagined, it`s just the way the U.S. military feels about their country, and they fight wars abroad. So it`s really no different. It`s really no different. I mean, these people, our military, America`s military sacrifices everything to go to, you know, halfway around the world, the other side of the world. They put everything at risk. They put everything on the line for what they believe in for them. They believe in freedom, they believe in America.
And what`s going on in Ukraine and what`s going on the way Zelenskyy`s so impassioned. It`s that -- he might as well be speaking from the White House. It`s the same thing. It`s no different. It`s just across in Europe.
RUHLE: You said you`re not going there to play rainbow. What do you see yourself doing?
BENNETT: Well, common sense is not just going to hand on train people, weapons or anything like that. But I have some leadership qualities. And I`m going to help out, you know, personally, I really want to help getting people in and out transporting some level, some type of security getting people in and out. Just -- I want to be between them and evil. I don`t want to stand between these people that are having everything destroyed their lives and evil. That`s really no more complicated than that is.
RUHLE: How did your friends and family react when you said, you see what`s going on in Ukraine? I`m going to join the fight. What did they say?
BENNETT: Well, my friend circles very, very small. It`s been going that way for a while. And I can kind of see, I think what God`s been doing, kind of getting used to be an isolated, kind of getting me used to going without food sometimes, because sometimes I`m just, I go to work, I don`t have an appetite. I don`t sleep too much. And I could see why this has been going on. Because I don`t want -- I don`t like comfort.
I`ve been comfortable my whole life here. It`s a wonderful country. This is the greatest country on Earth at the moment, in my opinion, because I`m born here, right?
So, I`m very privileged. I have a great job, great pay great opportunities. And I want to take what you know, what`s been given me freely. I want to give it freely to somebody else as far as my effort. You know, I want my hands to be over there doing something for them. I want these feet to be over there doing something for them.
RUHLE: Are you in touch with the organization`s there? Do you know where you`re going when you land?
BENNETT: I`m making contacts as I go. I`m meeting some Ukrainian people on my job, and they`re telling me that Listen, don`t worry about it. When you get over there, I got people I`m going to connect you with.
RUHLE: Even two sisters.
BENNETT: Yes.
RUHLE: What have they told you? Is anyone saying don`t go?
BENNETT: Yes, of course. But it`s, you know, they`re -- they understand.
RUHLE: What are you being driven by right now.
BENNETT: It`s got to be faith, to be honest with you. You know, as Zelenskyy says, God`s with them. So, if you have a certain level of faith, and I`m not saying that I have this level of faith, but I guess I am saying this. It`s like having a winning lottery, lottery ticket and you`re not afraid to go spend the last video money in your pocket because you know, you have something waiting for you.
RUHLE: And you say being born in the United States is like living with a winning lotto ticket.
BENNETT: Well, faith and faith in Christ, faith in God and being born in the United States is definitely an advantage. It`s an -- it`s a place where you could buy something for $2 sell for five.
RUHLE: Well, I believe the next time we will be speaking to you, you will be in Ukraine. Thank you so much for joining me this evening.
BENNETT: Thanks for having me on.
RUHLE: It is a pleasure. A pleasure to meet you.
BENNETT: God bless you.
RUHLE: Andrew Bennett. Wow, I wish you the absolute best.
BENNETT: Thank you.
RUHLE: Coming up, the incredible story of another man. An 11-year-old Ukrainian boy, boy who traveled hundreds of miles alone to safety. We`ll have his story when the 11th Hour continues.
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[23:59:26]
RUHLE: The last thing before we go tonight, a true hero. An 11-year-old Ukrainian boy is being hailed as a hero by a Slovakian officials after traveling over 600 miles by himself to find safety. The boy fled Southeastern Ukraine by train after fighting broke out at the nearby nuclear plant a few days ago.
He was carrying only a plastic bag, his passport and a phone number which was written on his hand. His mother sent him to find relatives in Slovakia. Using that number on his hand and the documents he brought with him volunteers were able to help him reunite with Slovakian family members and he is now safe.
[00:00:06]
Slovakia`s interior minister said in a statement that the boy won the hearts of everyone at the border with his smile and called him a true hero. His mother explained in a Facebook video that she had to stay behind to take care of her sick mother. And thank all of those who helped her son. Saying this in part, your small country has people with big hearts, please save our Ukrainian children and give them a safe haven.
And on that good note, I wish you a good night. Thanks for staying up late. I will see you at the end of tomorrow.