In this “Face the Nation” show moderated by Margaret Brennan:
- Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin
- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
- Chinese Ambassador to the US Qin Gang
- Oksana Markarova, Ambassador of Ukraine to the USA
- Dr. Scott Gottlieb
Click here for full transcripts of “Face the Nation.”
MARGARET BRENNAN: I’m Margaret Brennan in Washington. And this week on FACE THE NATION, international outrage is growing as Vladimir Putin’s brutal assault on Ukraine escalates, with more and more barbaric attacks on civilians. Russian forces continue to fight in their efforts to take over the capital, Kyiv. And the Ukrainians persevere despite the devastation and ruin in their homeland.
We will talk with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin about the new weapons that the US is sending to Ukraine and the delicate diplomatic dance to arm them. And after President Biden warns Chinese President Xi not to help Russia with his invasion, the Chinese ambassador to the United States, Qin Gang, will speak exclusively with us. The Ambassador of Ukraine, Oksana Markarova, will also join us. And we’ll have a weird interview Sunday with Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell. Finally, we will contact the former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb. Everything is ahead of FACE THE NATION.
Good morning and welcome to FACE THE NATION. There is no end in sight, no way out for the Russians, and apparently there is no serious move in the negotiations for a ceasefire in the 25-day-old Ukrainian war. When we get out into the air, the scenes of death and devastation in the port city of Mariupol are disgusting, and the city is about to be completely under Russian control.
We have a lot to do today and we want to start with the latest news from Ukraine. And we want to warn you that some of the images you will see in this show could be disturbing. Charlie D’Agata has been in Ukraine since before the Russians invaded and reports today from Kyiv. Charlie.
CHARLIE D’AGATA: Good morning, Margaret. The dire situation unfolding in Mariupol has taken an even darker turn this morning. Ukrainian officials have accused Russian forces of bombing a school where hundreds of people took refuge, and now claim residents are being taken by force to Russia.
(START VT)
CHARLIE D’AGATA (voiceover): They are where they died, so many bodies all over Mariupol. Some buried in the same place. Images of the drones reveal the extraordinary destruction after weeks of relentless bombing, entire neighborhoods in ruins in what human rights groups describe as a catastrophe.
City officials say Russian soldiers are forcibly deporting several thousand residents to Russian territory, such as this refugee center in the Russian port city of Tagenrolf (ph).
Resident Leud Milisifka (ph) said they had little choice. The Russian soldiers gave us 10 minutes, saying that if you want to live, go. Her husband, Victor (ph), said all of Mariupol is gone. There is nothing alive inside.
In a nightly speech, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the constant bombing of Russia, saying that the terror inflicted on this peaceful city will be remembered for centuries. Hospitals have been overwhelmed by exhausted doctors unable to keep up with the number of civilian victims entering through the doors. The death toll is rising as fighting intensifies in various parts of Ukraine. On the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukrainian troops are caught in a brutal back-and-forth battle to keep Russian offenses at bay. The capital’s defense systems have intercepted some incoming missiles, but others have struck right in the heart of the city.
CHARLIE D’AGATA (on camera): Intentionally targeting civilians or not doing enough to protect them is a war crime. And in this residential neighborhood of the capital and other cities, there is a lot of growing evidence.
CHARLIE D’AGATA (voiceover): As Russia intensifies its air campaign, the Russian Ministry of Defense now claims to have fired a second hypersonic missile since the invasion began. With Ukrainian forces fighting Russian troops to a standstill in some areas, a show of strength that Russia still maintains its upper hand in firepower.
(Final VT)
CHARLIE D’AGATA: With growing international pressure unable to stop the fighting, the Ukrainian government has now urged China to join Western countries in condemning what it calls “Russian barbarism.” Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: The UN human rights bureau said today that at least nine hundred civilians have been killed in Ukraine, which is probably much larger. We are now accompanied by Secretary of Defense Retired General Lloyd Austin, who has just returned from a trip to Bulgaria and Slovakia. Both NATO allies. Welcome to Face the Nation. It is a pleasure to have you here in person, sir.
US SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD AUSTIN: Thank you.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You just heard horrible reports about what’s going on in Mariupol. The AP reports that a school that had hundreds of civilians was deliberately attacked. Can you confirm that?
SEC. AUSTIN: We’ve seen deliberate targeting in cities and towns and civilians over the last few weeks. And again, these would mean that you have to spend for these processes. He has not been able to achieve his goals so quickly, he wants to achieve them as quickly as he wants to achieve them. And so he’s resorting to the kind of tactics we see on display every day. And again, these would mean that you have to spend for these processes. But again, the hat, the hat to the Ukrainian people who have fought bravely and are determined to defend their country.
MARGARET BRENNAN: What you’re describing are war crimes. What a local leader in Mariupol has described is that there are residents sent to the camps. Is Russia about to take this city, which would be a strategic victory?
SEC. AUSTIN: Well, it’s hard to say. I mean, they have been, we have seen a significant effort on their part to go after this city, to go after Kyiv and other cities. They really want to start controlling the population centers, but they haven’t taken it yet. And we have seen in the past that the Ukrainians have counterattacked, used their initiative to move things on the battlefield, and have presented some major problems for the Russians.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Russia also says it has so far used a hypersonic missile at least twice in Ukraine. So this is a missile that travels more than a mile per minute. It is very difficult to intercept. Does this change the game of arms?
SEC. AUSTIN: I wouldn’t see it as a game changer. I think again, the reason he resorts to using these types of weapons is because he is trying to restore some momentum. And we have seen – again, we have seen it attack towns and cities and civilians directly. We hope this continues. But I don’t think that in itself would change the game. You wonder why I would do that. Are you running out of precision-guided ammunition? Do you have absolute confidence in your ability to: the ability of your troops to restore momentum? But … but I don’t see it as a game changer. I cannot confirm or discuss whether or not he used these weapons.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, the U.S. assessment that is public is that Russia has about 90 percent of its combined combat power. So if they’ve lost 10 percent of their combat power in twenty-five days, can they still be effective?
SEC. AUSTIN: Well, they are … they are … today they are not effective in terms of their maneuvering forces on the ground they are …
MARGARET BRENNAN: That’s right.
SEC. AUSTIN: –essentially stagnant. And it has been … it has had the effect of moving its forces to a wooden crusher. You know, the Ukrainians have continued to use their strength and they have been very effective, using the equipment we provided them, you know, and armored weapons and aircraft weapons. And again, a significant resolution on the part of the Ukrainian people.
MARGARET BRENNAN: One of the concerns is that if Vladimir Putin is cornered, he would increase to scale that he would use a weapon of mass destruction. Do you expect to hear more threats about nuclear weapons? Is it a real and viable option for him?
SEC. AUSTIN: I would just say that any threat of the use of a nuclear weapon, any rhetoric about the use of a nuclear weapon is very dangerous. And so I have confidence in our ability to defend ourselves and our abilities. But again, I don’t think this kind of conversation, this kind of rhetoric is useful.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-Hmm. But do you take it seriously?
SEC. AUSTIN: Absolutely. And, again, I am confident in our ability to stand up for ourselves and our allies and partners as well.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Another option for a weapon of mass destruction that the Biden administration has warned is a chemical or biological weapon. Vladimir Putin delivered this creepy speech earlier this week in which he claimed that the Pentagon supported biological programs in dozens of Ukrainian laboratories, which the Biden administration has just said is completely false information. However, China has repeated this as a point of conversation. Would using a weapon of mass destruction like this change the U.S. calculation? Is there a level of catastrophe here where the United States could not sit on the sidelines?
SEC. AUSTIN: I think if a chemical or biological weapon were used, you would see it as a significant reaction not only from the United States, but also from the world community. And again, these would mean that you have to spend for these processes. I think … I think that, as you know, participating in hypothetical is not useful here either. But I think this is a very serious step. And as you have heard our president say, we will not do it, we will not take it on.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And when Vladimir Putin talks about it, do you think it’s more likely?
SEC. AUSTIN: I think what we’ve seen from the Russians in the past is that they’re raising issues and creating a pretext that if they did something in the battlefield, they could blame someone else, whether they were Ukrainians. or us, NATO.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-Hmm.
SEC. AUSTIN: And that could possibly be what we’re seeing today.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Secretary of State Blinken has said that private mercenaries are being mobilized to enter Russia or to move to Ukraine by Russia. Do you see Russia sending reinforcements?
SEC. AUSTIN: We’ve heard them. We have heard about this from various sources that this is happening. We haven’t seen mercenaries appear on the battlefield, as far as I know.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And there are still no reinforcements from foreign sources.
SEC. AUSTIN: No.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Moscow is attacking the United States for firing guns, you talked about all the things that change the game, you say anti-tank, stingy, the eight hundred million that the president authorized and the secretary of state went sign. . When does this equipment start arriving? And what makes the difference compared to what we offer in Ukraine?
SEC. AUSTIN: We’ve been providing this kind of equipment all along, and that allows us to offer more. In the last two weeks, we have provided equipment worth more than $ 300 million in Ukraine, and the $ 800 million that the president recently signed here is a total of more than $ 2 billion in security. the strength help we have been providing in Ukraine. I remind you that we have had coaches there since 2014, along with some of our allies. And not only did we provide them with equipment, but they were ready to …
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