Transcript of Drone attack underway in Kyiv, mayor says

Under attack. Killer drones as we speak striking Ukraine's capital of Kyiv. At this hour, the mayor of Kyiv says Iranian made drones used by Russia are swarming the city from all directions. And that situation right now is quickly escalating. A top NATO and military official tonight warning companies across the US And Europe that they need to prepare for a quote, wartime scenario. And Reuters tonight is reporting that the German government is now expanding a list of bunkers that can be used as emergency shelters. The German government, Germany talking about emergency bomb shelters. They have plans, they say to convert basements, underground garages and subway stations into possible shelters. I remember days before the bombs and missiles started landing in Ukraine, walking around, looking at places and thinking this is stuff From World War II, is this really serious? And then we all heard when those missiles started landing that night and the world has changed. Now you're hearing that from Germany, who Putin has been making it very clear what you're looking at here, that he's going to mass produce these nuclear resistant bomb shelters. And they've been putting these images out for everyone to see.

In fact, Moscow is now producing four times as many weapons as the European Union. That's according to the German defense Minister. It's not a Russian propaganda estimate, it's the German defense minister. Four times more for Russia versus the EU in entirety. And on Russia state television tonight they're bragging Putin's allies are touting Russia's new hypersonic missiles, actually showing simulations of the missiles hitting European capitals. Ukraine's former top general reportedly warning that World War three has already begun. Oren Lieberman begins our coverage tonight out front live at the Pentagon. And Oren, the US watching what's happening on the ground at this very hour in Ukraine extremely closely. These masses of drones that they say are descending from all directions upon Kyiv. What more can you tell us, Aaron?

The Pentagon tracks very closely what types of weapons Russia fires and the quantities of those and those have been very great indeed. It's not just a drone attack on Kyiv and other places tonight. We saw a very similar large scale drone attack last night with the devastating Iranian shahed drones. Ukraine said Yesterday they intercepted 50 out of 73. That's an impressive number. But we have seen repeatedly how much damage, devastation and frankly death 23 drones that get through Ukraine's defenses can cause. Now Russia has kept this barrage up partially because it's gotten help from Iran and North Korea in supplying its own military and that has allowed them as they push on the ground to also attack in the air. Now Ukraine certainly is not defenseless. And for the first time, John Kirby of the National Security Council acknowledged publicly that Ukraine has been able to use US long range missiles, ATACMs, to attack deeper inside Russia. He also acknowledged these have been used in the Kursk region. We saw the first of Those attacks with eight missiles of these ATACMS variety, according to U.S. officials, used to attack ammunition depots and storage facilities inside of Kursk.

The video you showed a moment ago, that may be another use of the ATACMS missiles. We don't know that for sure yet, but Ukraine clearly focusing on that and because of the limited supply of these missiles, every use of them, even in small quantities is absolutely worth noticing. It is this use of ATACMS missiles that Russia has used as an excuse to update its nuclear doctrine. Of course, the US and the Pentagon are watching that closely, although they largely view that as more nuclear saber rattling. Still, it is a very dangerous moment, Aaron, and that is what we, and of course the Pentagon are tracking.

All right, thank you very much, Oren at the Pentagon. Ian Bremmer is with me now, renowned global affairs analyst and founder of Eurasia Group and Gzero Media, of course, also your fantastic show on pbs. So we go through, you hear what Oren's reporting. You've got these drones, as we are speaking, descending in this mass attack on Kyiv in the context of Ukrainian missiles made by the US Striking deep inside Russia. Putin with his saber rattling nuclear resistant bomb shelters. Germany telling people where their bomb shelters are. If there's anything that kind of hearkens people intellectually and emotionally back to World War II, it would be that Germany warning Moscow, is out producing all of the EU by 4 to 1 on weapons. It's a very frightening moment. And right now it appears that the ball is in Putin's court.

Let's remember the two things that matter that have changed in the past few months. Number one, the Russians were losing territory vis a vis the Ukrainians. They're now gaining territory vis a vis the Ukrainians. Number two, Biden President Kamala Harris close to a coin flip, being able to win. Turns out Trump's about to be the president. Everything we are seeing right now is performative from the Russians because they understand that they are not losing, they are gaining. And that means that they can show that Biden, who is the lamest of ducks on this specific policy, his policy is failing. From the Russian perspective, that gives Trump much more reason to back away from it and to say I'm the guy that's avoiding World War Three. I'M the guy that's engaging with the Russians to bring peace and end to the war, as I promised. Also allows the Russians to have a better shot at splitting the Europeans, as we are starting to see over the last week with comments publicly from a number of the European leaders.

Right. And of course, a big victory for the pro Russian government in Romania in the first round, right on the border of Ukraine.

But we'll probably win in two weeks time in the second round. It was a big surprise. The Russians clearly providing support, at least from an algorithmic and ideological perspective. Don't know about how free or fair those elections were, but do know that this is another important EU state, that assuming he wins, you're going to have a significant call to end this war, to stop support from Ukraine from yet another European Union and NATO member.

So when you hear, you know, Fred Plaikin talking to people on the streets of Moscow, they think highly of Elon Musk. And Elon Musk, of course, was crucial in providing support for Ukraine in this war when it came to Starlink, but obviously, and many crucial points has been very closely aligned with Putin and Russian talking points more on the war itself.

True.

So does Putin see an ally in Musk right now?

I think Putin sees someone he can do a deal with. Trump. And that Elon is potentially useful because of what Elon has been publicly saying about Russia and Ukraine in the past weeks. Certainly how to end the war undermining Zelensky publicly. But look, this is very different from the last peace deal that Trump cut as president. That was Afghanistan, that was the Taliban. That was a deal that he cut by himself, not with American allies. But the cleanup on aisle three was done by the Biden administration. Right?

Right.

This time around, anything that Trump does to cut a deal with the Russians, he's in charge of the cleanup. And I think that actually means that Trump is not going to give the entire store away to Putin because he's going to have to live with those consequences for four years.

So while we were speaking, you have mass drone attack going down on Kyiv. Trump just came out on Truth Social, his website, and says that he is going to be putting tariffs on day one. So presumably via executive order, if this is actually something he can do on day one of 25% on every single thing coming in from Canada and Mexico. And he also said he's gonna put another additional 10% tariff on China on top of what else is already there. Now, I don't know what he's not saying here, what this is, but 25% on every single thing coming in from Canada and Mexico is a seismic shock.

Look, I remember you from CNBC in Bloomberg days. I'm not allowed, I don't know if I'm allowed to say that on cnn, but you understand how the markets are likely to react to that if they were implemented. Big if.

And he says on day one, I mean, it isn't like I hypothetically mean it.

I mean, he said 24 hours to end the war in Ukraine, too. He sometimes he exaggerates a little sometimes. I think that this is meant to be an opening position. The United States is in a much more powerful position vis a vis its allies around the world and vis a vis China. China's economy right now is in the worst shape it's been since the 90s, maybe the 70s. I was just there a few weeks ago. They're deeply concerned about what an increase in tariffs from the United States would mean for their economy. This time around, you're going to see offers from these countries. Why wouldn't Trump, in the weeks before he's president, throw that out when they have an opportunity before he's president to say, no, no, no, please, here's what we'll do for you. I think he's smoking them out a little bit early on. There's no reason for him not to do it.

Well, certainly that's what the markets will Hope, because a 25% tariff from Canada and Mexico of every single thing coming in obviously would be calamitous. It would hurt them. It would be calamitous. All right, thank you very much, Ian Bremmer.