Anderson Cooper Defends Zelensky: ‘What Is Incredible Is the POTUS Is Now Echoing Talking Points that Putin Has Pushed’

COOPER That s Matthew ░░░░░░░░ reporting the coverage from ░░░░░░░░ 24th of February 2022 ░░░░░░░░ Russian troops on orders ░░░░░░░░ Vladimir Putin rolled into ░░░░░░░░ A dictator launching a ░░░░░░░░ of aggression that would ░░░░░░░░ the biggest in Europe ░░░░░░░░ another dictator invaded Poland ░░░░░░░░ 1939 touching off the ░░░░░░░░ World War Now back ░░░░░░░░ the same as now ░░░░░░░░ country was divided over ░░░░░░░░ involved in European affairs ░░░░░░░░ in his fireside chat ░░░░░░░░ the nation President Roosevelt ░░░░░░░░ not commit to defending ░░░░░░░░ What he did do ░░░░░░░░ unlike today was tell ░░░░░░░░ simple truth about the ░░░░░░░░ and who started it ░░░░░░░░ starts ROOSEVELT Until 4 ░░░░░░░░ o clock this morning ░░░░░░░░ had hoped against hope ░░░░░░░░ some miracle would prevent ░░░░░░░░ devastating war in Europe ░░░░░░░░ bring to an end ░░░░░░░░ invasion of Poland by ░░░░░░░░ Clip ends COOPER Plain ░░░░░░░░ from an American president ░░░░░░░░ 86 years later Here ░░░░░░░░ what the current president ░░░░░░░░ doing most recently tonight ░░░░░░░░ earlier today in his ░░░░░░░░ of a fireside chat ░░░░░░░░ media Quoting from President ░░░░░░░░ now Think of it ░░░░░░░░ modestly successful comedian Volodymyr ░░░░░░░░ talked the United States ░░░░░░░░ America into spending 350 ░░░░░░░░ to go into a ░░░░░░░░ that couldn t be ░░░░░░░░ that never had to ░░░░░░░░ but a war that ░░░░░░░░ without the U S ░░░░░░░░ Trump will never be ░░░░░░░░ to settle And just ░░░░░░░░ he flat out said ░░░░░░░░ started the war He ░░░░░░░░ it in response to ░░░░░░░░ from Kyiv about being ░░░░░░░░ out of peace talks ░░░░░░░░ its future Clip starts ░░░░░░░░ I think I have ░░░░░░░░ power to end this ░░░░░░░░ and I think it ░░░░░░░░ going very well But ░░░░░░░░ I heard Oh well ░░░░░░░░ weren t invited Well ░░░░░░░░ ve been there for ░░░░░░░░ years You should have ░░░░░░░░ it three years you ░░░░░░░░ have never started it ░░░░░░░░ could have made a ░░░░░░░░ Clip ends COOPER Should ░░░░░░░░ have started he said ░░░░░░░░ neither Ukraine nor its ░░░░░░░░ did start the war ░░░░░░░░ and Vladimir Putin did ░░░░░░░░ president continued today writing ░░░░░░░░ admits that half of ░░░░░░░░ money we sent him ░░░░░░░░ missing He refuses to ░░░░░░░░ elections He s very ░░░░░░░░ in Ukrainian polls and ░░░░░░░░ only thing he was ░░░░░░░░ at was playing Biden ░░░░░░░░ a fiddle The president ░░░░░░░░ calls him a dictator ░░░░░░░░ elections and he warns ░░░░░░░░ Zelenskyy better move fast ░░░░░░░░ he is not going ░░░░░░░░ have a country left ░░░░░░░░ did the same as ░░░░░░░░ just heard tonight Thinly ░░░░░░░░ threats aside None of ░░░░░░░░ he said about Zelenskyy ░░░░░░░░ polling or the money ░░░░░░░░ accurate As for the ░░░░░░░░ which the president has ░░░░░░░░ was separately said by ░░░░░░░░ way was down at ░░░░░░░░ approval that s the ░░░░░░░░ s words that s ░░░░░░░░ not true According to ░░░░░░░░ recent survey in Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ of Ukrainians trust Zelenskyy ░░░░░░░░ do not His supporters ░░░░░░░░ fluctuated in the 60s ░░░░░░░░ 50s for about a ░░░░░░░░ or so The numbers ░░░░░░░░ dropped from the 90 ░░░░░░░░ he got in the ░░░░░░░░ following Russia s invasion ░░░░░░░░ in 2022 As for ░░░░░░░░ 350 billion figure the ░░░░░░░░ general overseeing it puts ░░░░░░░░ number at 130 1 ░░░░░░░░ obligated of which 86 ░░░░░░░░ billion has actually been ░░░░░░░░ and that includes Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ funding sent to countries ░░░░░░░░ than Ukraine Now the ░░░░░░░░ that President Zelenskyy admits ░░░░░░░░ half the money is ░░░░░░░░ that s just not ░░░░░░░░ either What he actually ░░░░░░░░ to the Associated Press ░░░░░░░░ this month was that ░░░░░░░░ people talk about Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ as much as 200 ░░░░░░░░ in U S aid ░░░░░░░░ had only received about ░░░░░░░░ billion He then said ░░░░░░░░ to the translation by ░░░░░░░░ news outlet that he ░░░░░░░░ t know where all ░░░░░░░░ professed additional money has ░░░░░░░░ and that perhaps these ░░░░░░░░ figures are correct on ░░░░░░░░ which is not the ░░░░░░░░ as him saying the ░░░░░░░░ is missing let alone ░░░░░░░░ as the president just ░░░░░░░░ that there s something ░░░░░░░░ going on As for ░░░░░░░░ Zelenskyy a dictator for ░░░░░░░░ holding elections well Britain ░░░░░░░░ Winston Churchill didn t ░░░░░░░░ elections during the Second ░░░░░░░░ War And by the ░░░░░░░░ when the war was ░░░░░░░░ and he was voted ░░░░░░░░ of office he did ░░░░░░░░ try to overturn the ░░░░░░░░ As for Vladimir Putin ░░░░░░░░ s held elections but ░░░░░░░░ are a foregone conclusion ░░░░░░░░ s a headline after ░░░░░░░░ last one Putin extends ░░░░░░░░ rule after predetermined vote ░░░░░░░░ What is incredible is ░░░░░░░░ President Trump the president ░░░░░░░░ the United States is ░░░░░░░░ echoing talking points that ░░░░░░░░ Putin has pushed repeatedly ░░░░░░░░ has called Zelenskyy s ░░░░░░░░ illegitimate and said he ░░░░░░░░ hold elections Clip starts ░░░░░░░░ We re hearing that ░░░░░░░░ wants to force Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ hold new elections in ░░░░░░░░ to sign any kind ░░░░░░░░ a peace deal Is ░░░░░░░░ something that the U ░░░░░░░░ would ever support Trump ░░░░░░░░ we have a situation ░░░░░░░░ we haven t had ░░░░░░░░ in Ukraine where we ░░░░░░░░ martial law essentially martial ░░░░░░░░ in Ukraine And yeah ░░░░░░░░ would say that you ░░░░░░░░ when they want a ░░░░░░░░ at the table you ░░░░░░░░ say the people have ░░░░░░░░ wouldn t the people ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine have to say ░░░░░░░░ You know it s ░░░░░░░░ a long time since ░░░░░░░░ ve had an election ░░░░░░░░ s not a Russia ░░░░░░░░ Clip ends COOPER Well ░░░░░░░░ in mind it s ░░░░░░░░ an exclusively Russia thing ░░░░░░░░ be more accurate Trump ░░░░░░░░ Putin are on the ░░░░░░░░ page on this In ░░░░░░░░ case President Zelenskyy weighed ░░░░░░░░ today about what President ░░░░░░░░ is saying about him ░░░░░░░░ starts Zelenskyy via translator ░░░░░░░░ President Trump I have ░░░░░░░░ respect for him as ░░░░░░░░ leader of a nation ░░░░░░░░ we have great respect ░░░░░░░░ The American people always ░░░░░░░░ us he unfortunately lives ░░░░░░░░ this disinformation space Clip ░░░░░░░░ COOPER Well he said ░░░░░░░░ against the backdrop of ░░░░░░░░ newspaper interviews with Vice ░░░░░░░░ Vance in which Vance ░░░░░░░░ Zelenskyy not to publicly ░░░░░░░░ the president Quoting him ░░░░░░░░ in The Daily Mail ░░░░░░░░ idea that Zelenskyy is ░░░░░░░░ to change the president ░░░░░░░░ mind by badmouthing him ░░░░░░░░ public media everyone who ░░░░░░░░ the president will tell ░░░░░░░░ that is an atrocious ░░░░░░░░ to deal with this ░░░░░░░░ Well meantime even some ░░░░░░░░ lawmakers feel uneasy with ░░░░░░░░ least some aspects of ░░░░░░░░ president’s Ukraine position.”