♪♪ >>> HELLO, EVERYONE, WELCOME TO "AMANPOUR AND COMPANY."

HERE'S WHAT'S COMING UP.

MIXED MESSAGES.

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES A MASSIVE MILITARY PACKAGE FOR TAIWAN, EVEN AS IT ATTEMPTS TO RESET DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH CHINA.

I ASK REPRESENTATIVE, THE TOP RANKING COMMITTEE, IF THE U.S. IS HEADED DOWN A DANGEROUS PATH.

>>> THEN, RUSSIA WITH ANOTHER STRIKE ON CIVILIANS, AFTER UKRAINE'S DRONE ATTACK ON MOSCOW.

PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY SAYS EVERY INCH MATTERS, AS UKRAINE DOUBLES DOWN ON BUSTING THROUGH RUSSIA'S DEFENSES.

>>> ALSO AHEAD -- >> GLOBAL WARMING HAS ENDED THE ERA OF GLOBAL BOILING HAS ARRIVED.

>> WITH JULY SET TO CLOSE OUT THE HOTTEST MONTH ON RECORD, I ASK THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE WORLD METEOROLOGICAL CENTER IF IT'S HERE TO SAY.

>>> AND FEW ARE MORE ACUTELY AWARE OF THE DIVERS OF SOUTH KOREA.

THEY TELL HARI ABOUT THE DEVASTATION THEY'RE SEEING ON THE ECOSYSTEM THEY DEPEND ON.

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>>> WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM, EVERYONE.

WE BEGIN WITH ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST COMPLICATED AND CONSEQUENTIAL GEOPOLITICAL RELATIONSHIPS.

TWO GREAT SUPERPOWERS WITH THE FATE OF AN ISLAND BETWEEN THEM, WHICH STANDS TO SHAPE THE COURSE OF OUR IMMEDIATE HISTORY.

DESPITE A RECENT DIPLOMATIC PUSH TO RESET RELATIONS WITH CHINA, THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS NOW ANNOUNCED A WEAPONS PACKAGE WORTH AS MUCH AS $345 MILLION FOR TAIWAN'S SELF-DEFENSE.

THE UNITED STATES HAS ALLOWED TAIWAN TO BUY ITS WEAPONS BEFORE, BUT THIS DEAL DELIVERS EQUIPMENT DIRECTLY FROM EXISTING U.S.

INVENTORIES FOR THE FIRST TIME, MAKING ITS TRANSFER AND DEPLOYMENT MUCH QUICKER.

BEIJING HAS REPEATEDLY DEMAND THAT THE U.S., WHICH IS TAIWAN'S MOST IMPORTANT ARMS SUPPLIER, STOP THE SALES OF WEAPONS TO THE ISLAND.

WHICH ALL BEGS THE QUESTION, WHAT IS THE ADMINISTRATION'S STRATEGY ON CHINA, AND HOW WILL THE DISPUTE OVER TAIWAN'S SOVEREIGNTY PLAY OUT?

THE REPRESENTATIVE IS A TOP-RANKING DEMOCRAT ON THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON CHINA.

AND HE WAS WITH HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI WHEN SHE VISITED TAIWAN LAST AUGUST, CAUSING A MAJOR RUPTURE IN WHAT WAS ALREADY A TENSE U.S./CHINA RELATIONS.

REPRESENTATIVE, WELCOME TO THE SHOW.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

SO, YOU WELCOME THIS MOVE BY THE WHITE HOUSE FOR THE FIRST TIME PROVIDING MILITARY AID TO TAIWAN THROUGH ITS STOCKPILES, AT OPPOSED TO JUST SELLING THE WEAPONS.

WHY DO YOU APPROVE OF THIS?

AND WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON, SEEMINGLY UNDER THE RADAR?

>> WELL, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE DETER CONFLICT ACROSS THE TAIWAN STRAIT BETWEEN THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY AND TAIWAN, AND THE ONLY WAY TO DETER THAT CONFLICT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SUPPLY TAIWAN WITH ENOUGH ARTICLES OF DEFENSE TO BUILD UP ITS DETERRENCE.

TAIWAN HAS ALREADY ACQUIRED ROUGHLY $19 BILLION WORTH OF WEAPONS THAT HAVE YET TO BE DELIVERED, MAINLY BECAUSE OF ISSUES IN OUR MILITARY SUPPLY -- INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY BASE, AND SO, USING PRESIDENTIAL DRAWDOWN AUTHORITY TO BASICALLY GIVE THEM ARTICLES OF DEFENSE FROM OUR SUPPLIES AND THEN BACK FILL LATER SEEMS APPROPRIATE RIGHT NOW.

>> YOU SAY THIS IS A SIGN OF DETERRENCE.

HOW ARE YOU SO CONFIDENT THAT THIS ISN'T, PERHAPS, THAT WILL INSTEAD EMBOLDEN CHINA TO REACT?

>> WELL, I THINK THE CCP RESPECTS STRENGTH.

AND THEY VIEW TAIWAN AS WEAK, AND THAT'S WHY, IN PART, XI JINPING FEELS AS THOUGH HE CAN COMMAND THE MILITARY TO BE READY BY 2027 TO MILITARILY, OR COERCIVELY REUNIFY, QUOTE UNQUOTE, REUNIFY THE MAINLAND WITH TAIWAN.

AND SO, THE BEST WAY TO PREVENT THAT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THE COST OF TRYING TO COERCIVELY REUNIFY THE ISLAND FAR EXCEED THE BENEFITS.

AND SO, BUILDING UP THAT DETERRENCE RIGHT NOW IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.

>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THE RESPONSE WE'VE SEEN THUS FAR FROM CHINA.

CHINA'S TAIWAN AFFAIRS OFFICE SAID NO MATTER HOW MUCH OF THE ORDINARY PEOPLE'S TAXPAYER MONEY THE UNITED STATES IS USING, THE TAIWANESE SEPARATIST FORCES, NO MATTER HOW MANY U.S.

WEAPONS, IT WILL NOT SHAKE OUR RESOLVE TO SOLVE THE TAIWAN PROBLEM.

A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE CHINESE EMBASSY WENT ON TO SAY, U.S., STOP SELLING ARMS TO TAIWAN, STOP CREATING NEW FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO TENSIONS IN THE TAIWAN STRAIT AND TOP POSING RISKS TO PEACE AND STABILITY IN THE TAIWAN STRAIT.

WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF HOW CHINA IS RESPONDING TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT?

>> WELL, THESE COMMENTS ARE RATHER SHRILL.

OF COURSE, THEY SOUND A LITTLE RICH TO ME, IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE ENGAGED IN RATHER PROVOCATIVE BEHAVIOR IN THE TAIWAN STRAIT.

THEY'VE SENT DOZENS OF AIRPLANES, NAVAL SHIPS, EVEN MISSILES ACROSS THE TAIWAN STRAIT IN RECENT MONTHS AND YEARS, AND THEREFORE, THIS TYPE OF MILITARILY AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR WOULD NATURALLY CAUSE THE TAIWAN PEOPLE TO WANT TO DEFEND THEMSELVES WITH EVEN MORE VIGOR.

AND SO, THAT'S WHY WE ARE PROVIDING THEM WITH MORE EQUIPMENT TO DO SO.

WE ARE INDEED OBLIGATED TO DO SO.

EVEN AT THE SAME TIME WE OBSERVE THE ONE-CHINA POLICY.

I WOULD JUST CLOSE BY SAYING, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT IF THERE ARE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE CCP AND THE TAIWAN GOVERNMENT, THAT THEY ARE RESOLVED PEACEFULLY.

THAT IS WHAT OUR ORIGINAL UNDERSTANDING WITH THE CCP WAS, AND THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD ASK THEM TO CONTINUE TO OBSERVE.

>> WELL, IT'S COMING AT A VERY TENSE TIME, OBVIOUSLY, IN RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES AND THERE'S AN JUNE UPCOMING ELECTION IN TAIWAN, AS WELL.

WE SAW HOW CHINA RESPONDED WITH YOUR VISIT WITH THEN SPEAKER PELOSI LAST TIME.

IT WASN'T JUST TERSE STATEMENTS.

WE SAW SOME OF THE HIGHEST LEVEL MILITARY EXERCISES PERFORMED BY CHINA IMMEDIATELY AFTER YOUR VISIT.

ARE YOU CONCERNED AT ALL THAT THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MAY, IN FACT, UNNECESSARILY PUT MORE PRESSURE ON TAIWAN AT A TIME WHEN, AS I MENTIONED, THEY'VE GOT INTERNAL DYNAMICS IN ELECTIONS THAT THEY'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON, AS WELL.

>> WELL, THE TAIWAN GOVERNMENT WANTS THESE WEAPONS.

THEY WANT THESE ARTICLES OF DEFENSE TO BUILD UP THEIR DETERRENCE, AND, AGAIN, IF THE PRICE OF THE CCP NOT ENGAGING IN FURTHER PROVOCATIVE BEHAVIOR IS TO BASICALLY LEAVE THE TAIWANESE PEOPLE DEFENSELESS, THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

>> THIS IS COMING AT A TIME WHERE, AS IN THE INTRO, WE MENTIONED THE UNITED STATES IS WALKING A TIGHT ROPE HERE, TRYING TO RE-ESTABLISH RELATIONS AMONGST HIGHEST LEVEL OFFICIALS IN BOTH COUNTRIES.

WE SAW SECRETARY OF STATE BLINKEN VISIT, TREASURY SECRETARY YELLEN, AS WELL.

AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE FOUND THAT CHINESE OFFICIALS AND HACKERS HAD GOTTEN ACCESS TO SOME U.S. GOVERNMENT EMAILS.

IN THE MEANTIME, HOW DO YOU INTERPRET, AND HOW DO YOU TELL CONSTITUENTS, WHEN ASKED, WHAT IS THE STATE OF U.S./CHINA RELATIONS, AND HOW DO YOU SEPARATE THIS AID TO TAIWAN FROM WANTING TO MAINTAIN STABLE RELATIONS WITH THE COUNTRY?

>> WELL, IT'S VERY TIMELY YOU ASK ME THAT, BECAUSE I HAVE A TOWN HALL MEETING COMING UP WITH MY CONSTITUENTS.

BASICALLY, THE WAY THEY EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS ABOUT THE SITUATION IS, ON THE ONE HAND, THEY ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR BY THE CCP, MILITARILY, ECONOMICALLY, AND TECHNOLOGICALLY, WITH REGARD TO THESE CYBER ATTACKS.

ROUGHLY 67% OF CYBER HACKS, ACCORDING TO THE FBI, THAT ARE COMMITTED IN THE UNITED STATES, ARE LAUNCHED FROM THE PRC, PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.

SO, THEY ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT MILITARISTIC AND AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR.

AT THE SAME TIME, WE DON'T WANT AN OPEN CONFLICT.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY EXPRESS TO ME.

AND SO, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN ENGAGE WITH THE CCP IN A WAY THAT PUTS A GUARDRAIL ON THE RELATIONSHIP, BUT PROTECTS OUR VALUES AND PROTECTS OUR INTERESTS AT THE SAME TIME.

>> YOU MENTIONED THE CYBER ATTACKS.

WE KNOW CHINA'S BECOME MUCH MORE SOPHISTICATED IN TERMS OF THE LEVEL OF HACKING THAT THEY'VE BEEN CONDUCTING AROUND THE WORLD AND IN THE UNITED STATES.

JUST THIS WEEKEND, THERE WAS A REPORT OF THE DISCOVERY OF MALWARE IN U.S. SYSTEMS THAT HAS A LOT OF PEOPLE CONCERNED AT TOP LEVELS THAT THIS MALWARE MAY HAVE BEEN PLACED IN RESPONSE TO ANY MILITARY ACTION BETWEEN THE CHINESE AND TAIWAN OR THE UNITED STATES, THEM BEING DEPLAYED IN ANY TYPE OF RESPONSE.

IS THE UNITED STATES PREPARED TO HANDLE THE LEVEL OF SOPHISTICATION THAT WE'RE SEEING INCREASINGLY FROM THE PART OF THE CHINESE?

>> YES.

ALTHOUGH IT IS DISTURBING THAT THEY HAVE PLACED THIS MALWARE IN CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, INCLUDING POWER, WATER, COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS, THAT THEY BELIEVE WOULD AFFECT MILITARY BASES, BUT WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT IT WOULD AFFECT CIVILIANS, AS WELL.

IN THE AREAS CONCERNED.

WHAT THEY ALSO NEED TO UNDERSTAND, RESPECTFULLY, IS THAT WERE THIS MALWARE TO SOMEHOW BE USED TO CRIPPLE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE OR TO DELAY RESPONSE TIMES OR TO SOMEHOW ADVERSELY AFFECT OUR PEOPLE, THAT WOULD BE VIEWED EXTREMELY SERIOUSLY.

AND I THINK THAT THEY ARE PERHAPS MISCALCULATING HOW AMERICANS WOULD PERCEIVE THE USE OF THAT MALWARE IN THE WAY THAT THEY WOULD WANT TO AFFECT OUR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.

>> WE TALK ABOUT THIS FIRST TRANCHE OF A $345 MILLION IN WEAPONS FROM THE U.S.

STOCKPILES.

IT IS THE FIRST TRANCHE OF A $1 BILLION PRESIDENTIAL DRAWDOWN AUTHORITY THAT CONGRESS HAS APPROVED LAST YEAR FOR SUPPORT IN TAIWAN.

OBVIOUSLY, THAT RAISES THE QUESTION OF WHAT MORE WE CAN EXPECT, CAN WE SEE MORE DRAWDOWNS FROM OUR STOCKPILES TO TAIWAN?

>> YES.

I THINK THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE ANTI-ARMOR, ANTI- AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS, OF COURSE, SERVICES AND TRAINING THAT GOES WITH IT.

TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TAIWANESE CAN DEFEND THEMSELVES.

THAT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.

THEY ARE RIGHT NOW IN A VULNERABLE SITUATION, AND, AGAIN, UNDER OUR LAW, BUT ALSO IN THE SPIRIT OF PROTECTING FELLOW DEMOCRACIES, FRIENDS, AND PARTNERS, AND TO MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO, WE NEED TO HELP THEM BUILD UP THEIR DETERRENCE.

>> WHAT TYPE OF WEAPONS ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?

>> WELL, FOR INSTANCE, WITH REGARD TO AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT POTENTIALLY MAN PORTABLE SYSTEMS, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, IN THE CASE OF ANTI-ARMOR SYSTEMS, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'VE PROVIDED EVEN IN UKRAINE.

BASICALLY, WHAT IT TAKES TO DEFEND AN ISLAND, WHICH IS ALREADY QUITE DIFFICULT FOR THE CCP TO INVADE, WOULD REQUIRE JUST A LOT OF ASYMMETRIC TYPES OF SYSTEMS THAT WOULD MAKE CONQUERING THE ISLAND MUCH MORE DIFFICULT.

AGAIN, IT'S ABOUT RAISING THE COST OF POTENTIALLY INVADING THE ISLAND AND GETTING THE CCP AND THEIR LEADERSHIP TO SAY, NOT TODAY.

AND WE WANT THEM TO SAY NOT TODAY WITH REGARD TO INVADING TAIWAN FOREVER.

AND PEACEFULLY RESOLVE THEIR DIFFERENCES WITH THE TAIWAN GOVERNMENT.

>> YOU MENTIONED UKRAINE.

SHOULD AMERICANS BE CONCERNED IN TERMS OF THE DRAWDOWN FROM OUR OWN STOCKPILES AS TO WHETHER THERE IS ENOUGH WEAPONRY TO PROVIDE BOTH UKRAINE, NOW TAIWAN, AND OBVIOUSLY, TO MAINTAIN U.S. SECURITY, AS WELL?

>> THEY SHOULD NOT BE CONCERNED.

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB OF MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO BACKFILL ANY STOCKS THAT NEED TO BE RESUPPLIED AFTER THE DRAWDOWN IS EXERCISED.

BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT NOW WE NEED TO GET THE EQUIPMENT OUT INTO THE FIELD, SO TO SPEAK, ASAP, TO REALLY AFFECT, IN THE CASE OF TAIWAN, THEIR ABILITY TO DEFEND THEMSELVES, AND TO INCREASE THEIR DETERRENCE, AND THEN, IN THE CASE OF UKRAINE, TO MOUNT THEIR COUNTEROFFENSIVE AND TO CONTINUE THEIR BATTLEFIELD ACTIVITY.

>> ALL RIGHT, REPRESENTATIVE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

WE APPRECIATE IT.

>>> WELL, TURNING NOW TO RUSSIA'S FULL-SCALE INVASION OF UKRAINE.

AND WE HAVE JUST LEARNED THAT MORE THAN 700,000 UKRAINIAN CHILDREN HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO RUSSIA SINCE THE START OF THE WAR.

THAT UNBELIEVABLE STATISTIC COMES DIRECTLY FROM RUSSIA, AND ITS SO-CALLED CHILDREN'S RIGHTS COMMISSIONER.

BUT DESPITE WHAT THE HOMEGROWN PROPAGANDA MIGHT SUGGEST, SHE IS NO CHILDREN'S CHAMPION.

THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT PUT OUT A WARRANT FOR HER ARREST IN MARCH, ACCUSING HER OF WAR CRIMES, AND THE UNLAWFUL DEPORTATION AND TRANSFER OF CHILDREN.

MEANWHILE, THE KREMLIN HAS HIT ANOTHER CIVILIAN TARGET IN UKRAINE, THIS TIME, IN PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY'S HOMETOWN.

IN AN APPARENT RETALIATION FOR A DRONE STRIKE ON MOSCOW OVER THE WEEKEND.

HISTORIAN LAWRENCE FREEMAN JOINS THE SHOW NOW TO TALK ABOUT THE INCREASINGLY COMPLICATED STATE OF PLAY ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

LAWRENCE, GOOD TO SEE YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

SO, ONCE AGAIN, ANOTHER WEEKEND FILLED WITH MORE CIVILIANS INJURED AND KILLED.

THE RUSSIAN MISSILES HITTING A RESIDENTIAL BUILDING.

THESE DRONES THAT THE UKRAINIANS, WHILE THEY HAVEN'T OWNED UP TO IT, MOST BELIEVE THAT THE ATTACK IN MOSCOW CAME AT THE BEHEST OF THE UKRAINIANS.

WHAT MESSAGE IS THIS SENDING TO RUSSIA, AS PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY SAID, WE CAN BRING THE WAR TO YOU, AS WELL.

IS IT AN EFFECTIVE ONE FOR RUSSIAN CITIZENS?

>> IT HAS SOME EFFECT, BECAUSE THE WHOLE WAR IS BASED ON THEY BEING A MILITARY THREAT TO RUSSIA.

AND SO, EVERYTHING THE UKRAINIANS DO, WHICH HURTS RUSSIAN TERRITORY, WHICH, ESPECIALLY IF IT REACHES MOSCOW, IS SHOWING -- IS GIVING A LIGHT TO THAT.

HOWEVER, I MEAN, IT'S NOT IN ITSELF GOING TO CHANGE PARTICULARLY THE COURSE OF THE WAR.

IT'S ANOTHER THING WHICH ADDS TO THE PRESSURES ON PPUTIN, BUT I THINK HE'S GOING TO BE MAINLY CONCERNED FIRST WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN ON THE BATTLEFIELD AND SECONDLY, SIGNS THAT INTERNATIONAL OPINION, EVEN COUNTRIES THAT HAVE BEEN MORE SYMPATHETIC TO THE RUSSIAN POSITION, ARE GETTING FED UP WITH THE WAR AND TURNING AGAINST RUSSIA.

>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THE STATE OF PLAY RIGHT NOW ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

I BELIEVE WE'RE ABOUT SIX OR SEVEN WEEKS INTO UKRAINE'S COUNTEROFFENSIVE, AND PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIANS THEMSELVES, SAYING, IT IS GOING SLOWER THAN THEY HAD ORIGINALLY ANTICIPATED AND HOPED FOR.

OBVIOUSLY, IT IS MUCH EASIER TO BE ON THE DEFENSIVE SIDE OF A WAR FRONT THAN ON OFFENSE.

THAT HAVING BEEN SAID, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE CURRENT SITUATION ON THE BATTLEFIELD AND HOW UKRAINE IS DOING?

>> IT'S DOING OKAY, BUT IT'S SLOW AND DIFFICULT, FOR THE REASONS YOU'VE GIVEN.

WHEN WE STARTED OFF IN EARLY JUNE, I THINK THERE WERE SOME HOPES THAT THEY COULD MAKE SOME RAPID BREAKTHROUGHS.

BUT IT SOON TRANSPIRED AS UNLIKELY.

THE MINE FIELDS ARE A VERY FORMIDABLE BARRIER, ONCE YOU GET STUCK, THEN YOU'RE VULNERABLE TO ALL SORTS OF FIRE RAINING DOWN ON YOU, AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'VE FOUND.

SO, THEY HAVE TO SHIFT TACTICS TO WORKING IN SMALLER GROUPS, TO RELYING MUCH MORE ON ATTRITION, ATTACKING RUSSIAN LOGISTICS, AMMUNITION DUMPS, ATTACKING WHATEVER TARGETS THEY CAN FIND, REALLY.

IN THE HOPE THAT THIS WOULD WEAR DOWN THE RUSSIANS.

AND ALSO, ATTACKING IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT AREAS, HOPING TO DRAW THE RUSSIAN RESERVES IN.

SO, THAT IF THEY DO MAKE A BREAKTHROUGH, THAT THERE'S LESS TO GET THROUGH.

THEY'VE BEEN STARTING TO PUSH AGAIN, AND THEY SEEM TO HAVE MADE SOME PROGRESS, BUT AGAIN, IT'S VERY HARD WORK, AND I THINK PART OF THE DIFFICULTY WITH THIS IS THAT PEOPLE DO HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS, GIVEN ALL OF THE RESOURCES THAT'S BEING PUT IN, BUT IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT THING THEY'RE TRYING TO DO.

BUT THEY DO SEEM TO BE MAKING SOME PROGRESS NOW.

>> IS THERE STILL TIME FOR A COURSE CORRECTION?

OR, AT THIS RATE, ARE YOU WORRIED THAT THIS MAY END UP, THIS COUNTEROFFENSIVE MAY END UP IN A STALEMATE BETWEEN THESE TWO SIDES?

FOR SOME TIME.

I THINK THE PROBLEM IS THAT -- PEOPLE ASSUME THAT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS SOME SORT OF DECISIVE MILITARY THAT THE RUSSIAN ARMY IS JUST CHASED OUT AND PUTIN HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO GIVE UP.

I THINK THE END GAME OF THIS IS GOING TO BE MORE COMPLEX.

IF UKRAINE CAN KEEP ON MAKING PROGRESS AND RUSSIA CAN'T RETURN TO THE INITIATIVE, THEN THE PRESSURE BUILDS UP ON MOSCOW.

SO -- I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A STALEMATE IN THE SENSE THAT TWO LINES OF TRENCHES LOOKING AT EACH OTHER AND NO MOVEMENT.

THERE WILL BE MOVEMENT.

SOMETIMES IT MIGHT BE RAPID, SOMETIMES IT MIGHT BE SLOW, BUT THE POLITICAL EFFECT TO WATCH FOR IS WHETHER THE -- WHETHER MOSCOW STARTS TO BELIEVE ITS POSITION IN UKRAINE IS UNTENABLE.

>> YOU WROTE A PIECE IN "FOREIGN AFFAIRS" RECENTLY TITLED "PUTIN IS RUNNING OUT OF OPTIONS IN UKRAINE."

YOU WROTE, LOSS CASTS DOUBT ON THE WISDOM AND COMPETENCE ON THE GOVERNMENT.

FAILURE IN WAR CAN CAUSE A GOVERNMENT TO FALL.

THAT IS OFTEN WHY GOVERNMENTS KEEP ON FIGHTING WARS.

AN ADMISSION OF DEFEAT COULD MAKE IT HARDER TO HOLD ONTO POWER.

AND THIS IS A POINT THAT I'VE REALLY FOCUSED ON FOR THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, AND THAT IS THE ARGUMENT THAT VLADIMIR PUTIN IS A WEAKER LEADER ONCE THIS WAR ENDS.

THEN AS IT CONTINUES, DESPITE IT NOT GOING AND CLEARLY HOW HE SET OUT FOR IT TO GO, OVER IN A FEW WEEKS, AND TAKING OVER KYIV IN A MATTER OF DAYS.

THAT'S NOT WHAT PLAYED OUT AND THAT'S LIKELY NOT HOW THIS SWAR GOING TO END.

SO, GIVEN THAT, WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE MOST LIKELY OPTIONS FOR GETTING VLADIMIR PUTIN TO AGREE THAT THIS WAR WAS, INDEED, A FAIL JURY?

>> WELL, IT'S DIFFICULT, BECAUSE THE PROBLEM IS, THERE'S NOTHING OBVIOUS THAT HE'S GOING TO ACHIEVE NOW.

HE'S NOT GOING TO GET UKRAINE TO AGREE THAT ANY PART OF THEIR TERRITORY IS FOREVER RUSSIAN.

MAYBE THERE ARE STILL ARGUMENTS TO BE HAD ABOUT NEW SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS, BUT THAT'S GOING TO BE HARDER NOW THAN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN WHEN THE WAR BEGAN.

SO, IT REALLY IS ABOUT STAYING IN THE WAR, BECAUSE AS SOON AS IT ENDS, THERE'S A RECKONING.

WE FIGHT THIS WAR, WHAT HAVE WE GAINED?

SO, THIS IS WHY, I THINK, WE'RE LOOKING FOR FORMS OF PRESSURE.

SO, IN A SENSE, THE RECKONING IS WITH THE RUSSIAN ELITE ALREADY, THAT IT'S HARDER TO IGNORE.

AND THAT CAN BE IN THE ECONOMIC SPHERE, I THINK INCREASINGLY IN THE DIPLOMATIC SPHERE, AND AS WELL AS OBVIOUSLY ON THE MILITARY SPHERE.

BUT IT'S A BUILDUP OF PRESSURE, RATHER THAN A SINGLE BIG EVENT.

>> BUT WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS PRESSURE NOT COMING FROM RUSSIAN OPPOSITION?

BECAUSE MOST OPPOSITION IS EITHER IN PRISON, DEAD, OR OUT FROM THE FAR RIGHT, AND IN A SENSE, WHILE THEY'RE SAYING THAT THIS WAR WAS NOT A RATIONAL ONE TO BEGIN, ONCE THEY'RE IN WAR, IT SEEMS THE BIGGEST GRIPE IS THAT IT'S JUST NOT BEING CONDUCTED IN A COMPETENT FASHION.

>> YEAH, BUT THIS HAS BEEN TRUE FOR AWHILE, THAT THE MAJOR CRITICS OF THE WAR HAVE NOT BEEN THOSE, AS YOU SAY, WHO ARE EITHER IN PRISON OR IN EXILE, OR JUST COWED INTO SILENCE, BUT THOSE WHO SPEAK UP FOR THE OBJECTIVES THAT ARE FURIOUS WITH WHICH THE COMPETENCE IT'S BEING CONDUCTED.

THE DIFFICULTY HERE FOR PUTIN, HE REALLY WORKED TO APPEASE THIS GROUP LAST SEPTEMBER WHEN HE BOTH UPPED THE -- INCLUDING FOUR NEW PROVINCES OF UKRAINE, SAYING THEY WERE NOT PART OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION, IN ADDITION TO CRIMEA, AND WENT TO MASS MOBILIZATION.

SO, OTHER THAN CARRYING ON HURTING UKRAINE WITH THE AIR STRIKES THAT YOU MENTIONED IN THE INTRODUCTION, WHICH HE'LL CARRY ON DOING, THE ATTACK ON THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR, BY ENDING THE GRAIN DEAL, THERE'S NOT A LOT MORE THAT CAN BE DONE BY WAY OF OPTIONS.

OTHER THAN JUST TRY TO HOLD UP WHAT THE UKRAINIANS ARE TRYING TO DO.

AND THIS, I THINK, IS A RISK FOR PUTIN, THAT HE -- LAST SEPTEMBER, WHEN THE POSITION WAS LAST IN TROUBLE, THERE WERE NEW THINGS HE COULD TRY.

IT'S NOT CLEAR WHAT HE TRIES NOW.

>> WELL, IT -- HIS MENTALITY, IT APPEARED, UP UNTIL THIS FAILED MUTINY, THAT TIME HAD BEEN ON HIS SIDE, AND PROVEN WRONG AND EMBARRASSED BY THAT FAILED MUTINY.

HE'S HOLDING OUT FOR ELECTIONS, SPECIFICALLY IN THE UNITED STATES LAST YEAR.

WE HAVE THE LEADING CANDIDATE FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY PUBLICLY OVER THE WEEKEND SAYING STATEMENTS LIKE, THE UNITED STATES SHOULD NOT BE PROVIDING UKRAINE WITH MILITARY AID, DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT, LISTEN TO WHAT DONALD TRUMP SAID AND SEE IF IT REMINDS YOU A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT LED TO HIS FIRST IMPEACHMENT.

>> JOE BIDEN IS COMPROMISED, HE'S DRAGGED US INTO A GLOBAL CONFLICT, THE SAME COUNTRY THAT PAID HIS FAMILY ALL OF THESE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

IN LIGHT OF THIS INFORMATION, THE U.S. CONGRESS SHOULD REFUSE TO AUTHORIZE A SINGAL ADDITIONAL PAYMENT.

WE HAVE TO KNOW AND THE PUBLIC DESERVES TO NOPE.

IN ADDITION, CONGRESS SHOULD IMMEDIATELY VOTE TO BLOCK JOE BIDEN'S RECENT CALL-UP OF RESERVE FORCES, WE'RE SENDING NOW TROOPS OVER TO EUROPE TO FIGHT.

>> SO, WE CAN JUST SPEND A SEGMENT JUST UNPACKING WHAT WE JUST HEARD, BUT ASIDE FROM CONFIRMING WHAT LED TO THAT FIRST IMPEACHMENT, A QUID PRO QUO OF SORTS FOR AID TO UKRAINE BASED ON INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE BIDEN FAMILY, I MEAN, ONE OF THE ARGUMENTS YOU MAKE, AND OTHERS MADE, AS WELL, FOR UKRAINE TO WIN, THERE HAS TO BE A LONG, STEADY, CONSISTENCY OF SUPPORT FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES FOR THE COUNTRY.

IS UKRAINE CONCERNED ABOUT STATEMENTS LIKE THIS, IF ITS NUMBER ONE PROVIDER ENDS UP GETTING A NEW PRESIDENT WHO WILL STOP PROVIDING AID?

>> YES, OF COURSE.

EUROPEAN ALLIES ARE CONCERNED ABOUT STATEMENTS LIKE THAT, BECAUSE OF THE RATHER SELFISH REASONS HE GAVE FOR MAKING THEM.

BUT IT'S STILL A LONG WAY AWAY FROM THE NEXT ELECTION, A LOT HAS HAPPENED IN THE LAST YEAR, A LOT CAN HAPPEN IN THE COMING YEAR.

SO, IT'S FOR SURE, I THINK PUTIN DOES HOPE THAT IF HE CAN HANG ON, THINGS MAY CHANGE IN THE UNITED STATES, OF COURSE, CONGRESS, EVEN THE REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS, STILL TEND TO BE GENERALLY MUCH MORE SUPPORTIVE OF UKRAINE, SO -- THERE'S STILL DOUBTS THERE.

BUT I THINK, I MEAN, REALLY, EVEN SINCE THE START OF THE WAR, FULL-SCALE WAR, PUTIN HAS BEEN HOPING FOR WESTERN OPINION TO TURN AGAINST UKRAINE, TO GET TIRED OF THE WAR, TO GET TIRED OF THE COSTS AND DANGERS OF THE WAR.

BUT IT HASN'T HAPPENED YET.

AND IF ANYTHING UP TO NOW, SUPPORT HAS STRENGTHENED, THE WEAPONS UKRAINE IS GETTING NOW ARE BETTER THAN THE WEAPONS THEY GOT LAST YEAR.

SO, IT'S FOR SURE THAT PUTIN MAY WELL BE TRYING TO HOLD ON, THAT THIS IS SOMETHING TO AIM FOR, LIKE HE WAS TRYING TO HOLD ON FOR THE MIDTERMS, DIDN'T REALLY WORK OUT FOR HIM, EITHER.

SO -- HE MAY BE, BUT IT'S A LONG WAY TO GO.

AND IF THE PRESSURES ARE A BIT MORE IMMEDIATE, MAYBE NOT IMMINENT, BUT THEY'RE NOT -- BUT YOU KNOW, A YEAR AND A HALF TO GO IS STILL QUITE A LOT.

>> YEAH, WHAT THE UKRAINIANS SAY OVER AND OVER AGAIN, MORE ARTILLERY AMMUNITION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

LAWRENCE FREEMAN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND PERSPECTIVE.

>>> AS WE CLOSE OUT JULY, WE ARE ON THE CUSP OF WHAT IS ALL BUT CERTAIN TO GO DOWN AS THE HOTTEST MONTH OF OUR PLANET, EVER.

THE U.N. CHIEF SAYS, FORGET GLOBAL WARMING, WE ARE NOW LIVING IN AN ERA OF GLOBAL BOILING.

AND THE EVIDENCE IS ALL AROUND US.

JUST WALK OUTSIDE.

TEMPERATURES IN THE U.S. RISE ABOVE 120 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, THAT IS 50 DEGREES CELSIUS, AND DEATHS RELATED TO SEARING HEAT ARE MOUNTING.

PEOPLE ARE EVEN SUFFERING FROM LIFE-THREATENING BURNS JUST FROM FALLING ONTO SCORCHING HOT GROUND.

IN EUROPE, AT LEAST 40 PEOPLE ARE DEAD, AS WILDFIRES RIP ACROSS THE REGION.

IN ASIA, WHERE HEAT WAVES HAVE ALREADY CLAIMED MANY LIVES, REPORTS OF FARM ANIMALS AND CROPS SUFFERING FROM EXTREME WEATHER IN CHINA ARE RAISING CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD SECURITY IN THE WORLD'S SECOND-LARGEST ECONOMY.

JOINING US ON THE SHOW NOW IS SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

SO, AS WE NOTED, THIS IS THE HOTTEST MONTH ON RECORD THE NOW REPORT FROM WMO SAID THE HOTTEST THREE-WEEK PERIOD EVER RECORDED.

LAST SUMMER, WE SAW NEARLY 62,000 DEATHS RELATED TO HEAT.

WHAT ARE YOUR ESTIMATES IN TERMS OF WHAT WE CAN EXPECT THIS SUMMER?

>> SO, WITHOUT THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE, WE WOULDN'T SEE THESE KINDS OF EXTREMES AND WE ARE ALSO HAVING VERY HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE NORTHERN ATLANTIC AND ALSO WE HAVE IN THE PACIFIC, WE HAVE JUST LA NINA PHASE BEHIND AND GONE TO EL NINO PHASE.

THERE IS LIKELIHOOD THIS YEAR, THE WHOLE YEAR, MAY BE THE WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD.

>> AND IN TERMS OF CASUALTIES, HEAT-RELATED DEATHS, IS THERE AN ESTIMATE THAT THE ORGANIZATION IS PROVIDING, GIVEN THAT WE ALREADY SAW A RECORD 62,000 LAST YEAR?

>> SO, LAST YEAR, WE SAW THE 61,000 CASUALTIES IN EUROPE AND THE LAST WEEKS HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY WARM IN SOUTHERN EUROPE, SO, IT'S VERY LIKELY THAT THE NUMBERS WILL BE AGAIN FAIRLY HIGH.

AND BESIDES THAT, WE HAVE SEEN VERY HIGH TEMPERATURES IN CHINA AND ALSO IN PARTS OF NORTH AMERICA, SO THIS IS LIKELY TO BE THE SECOND FAIRLY DRAMATIC SUMMER, AS WAS THE CASE A YEAR AGO.

>> YEAH, THOSE NUMBERS, WE SHOULD NOTE, 62,000, REFLECT ALONE, NOT GLOBALLY.

WE'VE MENTIONED SEEING ALL KINDS OF WEATHER THROUGHOUT THE WORLD THAT WE HAD JUST HAVEN'T SEEN ON RECORD, WHETHER IT'S FROM HAILSTORMS, RAINSTORMS, HEAT WAVES, DROUGHT, WILDFIRES IN GREECE, IS THIS ALL CONNECTED TO CLIMATE CHANGE?

>> THIS EXPLAINS EVERYTHING THAT WE SEE IN THE CLIS MA CLIMATE, THE MATTER OF CLIMATE CHANGE, BUT WITHOUT THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE, WE WOULDN'T SEE SUCH EVENTS.

SO, UNFORTUNATELY, THIS NEGATIVE TREND THAT WE HAVE ALREADY SEEN WILL CONTINUE ON AND WE COULD FACE OUT THE NEGATIVE TREND UNTIL THEN, BUT UNTIL THEN, WE EXPECT TO SEE INCREASING AMOUNT OF SUCH EVENTS.

>> CLIMATE SCIENTISTS AT THE WORLD WEATHER ATTRIBUTION NETWORK SAY HEAT WAVES BEAR FOOTPRINTS FROM CLIMATE CHANGE.

AND WITHOUT HUMAN-INDUCED CLIMATE CHANGE, THESE HEAT EVENTS WOULD HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY RARE.

MAXIMUM HEAT LIKE IN JULY 2023 WOULD HAVE BEEN VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO OCCUR IN THE U.S./MEXICO REGION AND SOUTHERN EUROPE IF HUMANS HAD NOT WARMED THE PLANET BY BURNING FOSSIL FUELS.

AS SOMEBODY WHO HAS BEEN SOUNDING THE ALARM AS LONG AS YOU HAVE, I'M CURIOUS TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS WHEN YOU GET CONFIRMATION LIKE THIS AS TO SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE BEEN WARNING ABOUT FOR YEARS.

>> SO, WE KNEW ABOUT THIS IN THE '80s, AND NOW WE HAVE -- WE ARE SEEING WITH OUR OWN EYES, AND BECAUSE WE COULD STILL PHASE OUT THE MOST DRAMATIC THINGS BY CUTTING THE CONSUMPTION OF FOSSIL FUELS, COAL, OIL, AND NATURAL GAS, AND WE HAVE BETTER BOTH ECONOMIC AND TECHNICAL MEANS TO DO SO, BUT SO FAR, WE ARE MOVING TOWARDS 2.5 DEGREES WARMING, WHICH WOULD BE THE -- MANKIND, AND -- >> SO, YOU SAY WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGICAL MEANS, IN TERMS OF WILL, FROM THE TWO BIGGEST EMITTERS, THE UNITED STATES AND CHINA, LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION PLANS TO TACKLE THIS CLIMATE CRISIS.

THEY SAY THEY WILL REDUCE GREENHOUSE GASES BELOW 2005 LEVELS IN 2030, REACH 100% CARBON POLLUTION FREE ELECTRICITY IN 2050.

IT IS 2023 NOW.

AND THE REASON I'M FOCUSING ON THIS YEAR, IN PARTICULAR, IS BECAUSE I'VE JUST OVER THE WEEKEND WAS LISTENING TO AN EXPERT SAY IT IS ALL ABOUT ZERO CARBON EMISSIONS AS TO JUST LEVELING WHERE WE STAND RIGHT NOW.

THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEE THE CLIMATE CHANGE AND BECOME HOTTER AND HOTTER AND TEMPERATURES RISE, UNTIL WE ARE AT ZERO CARBON EMISSIONS.

THAT IS A GOOD 15-PLUS YEARS FROM NOW.

SO, WHAT CAN WE EXPECT IN THAT INTERIM PERIOD?

>> SO, UNTIL 2060, WE WILL SEE YEAR BY YEAR INCREASE OF HEAT WAVES, INCREASE OF FLOODING PROBLEMS, INCREASE OF DROUGHT PROBLEMS IN SOME PARTS OF THE WORLD, AND ALSO MORE OFTEN MORE SEVERE TROPICAL STORMS, HURRICANES, CYCLONES, AND TYPHOONS, AND THE ECONOMIC LOSSES WILL INCREASE AND ALSO THE IMPACTS ON HUMAN BEINGS AND WILL INCREASE.

BUT WE HAVE TO REDUCE OUR CONSUMPTION OF FOSSIL FUELS.

THE PRICES OF SOLAR HAVE BEEN DROPPING UNDER THE PRICES OF FOSSIL ENERGY, FOR EXAMPLE.

>> YEAH, WE'VE SEEN SOLAR AND WIND ENERGY REALLY STEP UP IN TEXAS, OF ALL PLACES, DURING THIS MASSIVE HEAT WAVE, ABOUT 20% TO 30% OF THEIR ENERGY IS NOW REUSED BY SOLAR AND WIND, AND THEIR ELECTRICAL GRID WAS SUPPORTED IN PART BECAUSE OF THAT.

THE SAME EXPERT THAT I WAS LISTENING TO OVER THE WEEKEND SAID THIS QUOTE, AND I WONDER IF IT'S SOMETHING YOU AGREE WITH, HE SAID, IT LOOKS LIKELY THAT 2023 WILL GO DOWN AS THE HOTTEST ON RECORD.

YOU COULD ALSO SAY THAT 2023 WILL BE ONE OF THE COOLER YEARS OF THE 21st CENTURY LOOKING FORWARD.

DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT?

>> SO, WE ARE MOVING TOWARDS WARMER TEMPERATURES YEAR BY YEAR, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CANNOT AVOID AND WE HAVE ALREADY LOST THE MELTING OF GLACIER GAME, THAT MAY CONTINUE EVEN FOR THE COMING THOUSANDS YEARS.

WE'VE SEEN THE INCREASE OF THE SEA LEVEL RISE.

SO, THAT -- THAT PROBLEM WE HAVE ALREADY LOST, BUT WE COULD STILL PHASE OUT THIS NEGATIVE TREND.

>> WHAT SHOULD BE SOME OF THE TOP PRIORITIES OF THE WORLD'S BIGGEST ECONOMIES GOING INTO THE COP28 SUM MILT IN THE UAE IN NOVEMBER?

>> SO, WE SHOULD SPEED UP OUR CLIMATE MITIGATION EFFORTS, AND ESPECIALLY EXPECT THE BIG ECONOMIES TO HAVE MORE AVERAGE GOALS TO KEEP US EVEN ON THIS 1.5 DEGREES TRACK.

WE ARE NOT AT THE MOMENT AT ALL, AND ALSO WE SHOULD ALSO INVEST SOME MONEY TO CLIMATE ADAPTATION, BECAUSE OF THIS CONTINUE NEGATIVE TREND FOR THE COMING DECADES.

>> YOU SAID IN A RECENT INTERVIEW THAT THE PLANET HAS, QUOTE, LOST THIS GLACIER MELTING GAME.

WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT?

>> WE WILL HAVING SUCH HIGH CONCENTRATION OF CARBON DIOXIDE IN THE ATMOSPHERE THAT WE CANNOT REVERSE THIS MELTING OF GLACIERS.

THE MOST OF THE MELTING GLACIERS WILL BE GONE BY THE END OF THIS CENTURY, AND THEN WE HAVE BIG MESSES IN GREENLAND AND ANTARCTICA, AND WE EXPECT TO SEE SEA LEVEL RISE BECAUSE OF THAT, AND EVEN TEN-METER SEA LEVEL RISE BY 2300 IS THE WORST CASE SCENARIO, SO THAT MAY EVEN HAPPEN IF EVERYTHING TOTALLY FADES.

>> IN THE FINAL MINUTE WE HAVE WITH YOU, I'M JUST WONDERING, IN THIS NEW CLIMATE REGIME THAT WE'RE ENTERING AND LIVING IN RIGHT NOW AND EXPERIENCING, IS THERE ONE COUNTRY THAT IS PLAYING OUT TO BE THE MODEL TO WHO IS GETTING RIGHT AND WHO WE SHOULD E EWE LATE MOVING FORWARD?

>> AT LEAST THE EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REDUCE THEIR EMISSIONS THE MOST GLOBALLY, AND UK, DENMARK, AND FINLAND HAVE BEEN THE THREE-MOST COUNTRIES WHICH HAVE REDUCED THEIR EMISSIONS MOST, AND THE WHOLE PLANET SHOULD FOLLOW THIS KIND OF EXAMPLES, AND LUCKILY, WE HAVE BETTER MEANS TO DO SO.

>> WELL, THESE ARE IMPORTANT COUNTRIES AND MODELS TO FOLLOW, AS LITERALLY THE WORLD APPEARS TO BE ON FIRE, AND NEW RECORDS ARE BEING SET ON A DAILY BASIS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING TO HANDLE AND TACKLE THIS CRITICAL ISSUE FOR US.

WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

>> THANK YOU.

>>> WELL, AS WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING, OFTEN THE WORST AFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ARE EXPERIENCED BY THOSE WHO CONTRIBUTE TO IT THE LEAST.

NO ONE FEELS THIS MORE DEEPLY THAN THE WOMEN OF AN ISLAND OFF SOUTH KOREA.

THESE WOMEN HAVE BEEN DIVING FOR GENERATIONS AND WITNESSING FIRST-HAND HOW THE CLIMATE CRISIS IS DESTROYING THEIR ECOSYSTEM.

IT'S PUTTING EVERYTHING THEY KNOW AND LOVE AT GREAT RISK.

HARI DISCOVERED THAT WHEN HE WENT TO SPEAK TO THEM.

THIS IS PART OF THE ONGOING PUBLIC MEDIA MISSION "PERIL AND PROMISE," ON THE CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.

>> FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DO, CAN YOU EXPLAIN?

>> SO MANY WOMEN IN YOUR FAMILY WERE THIS.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOUR FAMILY?

>> THEY DON'T DIVE EVERY DAY, THEY DON'T DIVE IN THE SAME LOCATION ALL THE TIME.

THERE SEEMS TO BE A METHOD AND A SUSTAINABILITY BUILT INTO THE HAENYEO CULTURE.

>> YESTERDAY, I HEARD FROM AN 87-YEAR-OLD HAENYEO, SHE RODE UP ON HER SCOOTER AND ONE OF THE THINGS SHE SAID WAS THAT SHE'S BEEN DIVING SINCE SHE WAS 15 YEARS OLD.

AND WHAT SHE SAW IN THE SEA IS NOT THERE ANYMORE.

>> RIGHT NOW, YOU SPEND TIME INSIDE AND OUTSIDE A SHIPPING CONTAINER ON A ROAD, YOU'RE PROTESTING SETTING UP A BARRICADE.

WHAT IS THAT FOR?

>> YOU CAN PROTEST RAPID DEVELOPMENT, YOU CAN PROTEST A NAVY BASE, YOU CAN ATTEMPT TO MAKE CHANGE WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE ON THE GROUND.

HOW DO YOU CHANGE WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THE SEA BECAUSE OF CLIMATE CHANGE?

FORCES THAT WE'RE ALL CONTRIBUTING TO?

>> THE NUMBER OF HAENYEO IS DECREASING EVERY YEAR.

THE OLDER GENERATION ARE PASSING ON, THE YOUNGER GENERATION ARE NOT DOING THIS.

SO, MY QUESTION IS, WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

WE'RE SITTING IN A MUSEUM TO PRESERVE THIS CULTURE, TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THIS, BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO THIS ISLAND AND MAYBE TO THE WORLD IF THIS IS GONE?

>> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS SAID YESTERDAY WAS THAT IF THE SEA DIES, WE ALL DIE.

♪♪ >> SHE SANG A SONG YESTERDAY THAT WAS WRITTEN IN A PRISON DURING IMPERIALIST JAPANESE TIMES.

WHY IS IT STILL RELEVANT TODAY TO THE PLIGHT OF HAENYEO, TO THE PLIGHT OF THIS ISLAND, AND THE STRUGGLES?

>> WHAT FASCINATING WOMEN.

I AM SO GLAD THAT HARI WAS ABLE TO SPEAK WITH THEM.

>>> WELL, FINALLY, MORE FASCINATING WOMEN.

FEMALE ATHLETES ARE SMASHING RECORDS AND CREATING HISTORY.

AMERICAN SWIMMER KATIE LEDECKY HAS OVERTAKEN MICHAEL PHELPS FOR THE MOST INDIVIDUAL WORLD TITLES.

GET THIS.

SHE WON HER 16th GOLD MEDAL AT THE WORLD AQUATIC CHAMPIONSHIPS IN JAPAN ON SATURDAY DURING HER 800-METER FREESTYLE RACE.

>>> MEANWHILE, DOWN UNDER, THE MOROCCANS MADE HISTORY.

THEIR DEFENDER BECAME THE FIRST PLAYER TO WEAR A HIJAB AT THE FIFA WORLD CUP.

THEY STUNNED SOUTH KOREA IN A 1-0 VICTORY FOR THE COUNTRY'S FIRST EVER WIN.

TEAM USA PLAYING TOMORROW.

>>> WELL, THAT'S IT FOR US AT THIS HOUR.

BUT BEFORE WE LEAVE YOU, WE HAVE THIS NEWS TO BRING YOU.

PAUL REUBENS, THE ACTOR BEST KNOWN FOR HIS PORTRAYAL OF THE CHARACTER PEE-WEE HERMAN, HAS DIED AFTER A PRIVATE BATTLE WITH CANCER.

THIS, ACCORDING TO A POST ON HIS VERIFIED INSTAGRAM PAGE.

IT READS IN PART, QUOTE, LAST NIGHT, WE SAID FAREWELL TO PAUL REUBENS.

HIS BELOVED CHARACTER PEE-WEE HERMAN DELIGHTED GENERATIONS OF CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH HIS POSITIVITY, WHIMSY, AND BELIEVE IN THE IMPORTANCE OF KINDNESS.

REUBENS LEFT A STATEMENT TO SHARE WITH THE PUBLIC AFTER HIS DEATH.

HE WROTE, "I HAVE LOVED YOU ALL VERY MUCH."

HE WAS 70 YEARS OLD.

>>> AND THAT'S IT FOR OUR PROGRAM TONIGHT.

IF YOU WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT'S COMING UP ON THE SHOW EACH NIGHT, SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER AT PBS.ORG/AMANPOUR.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WATCHING "AMANPOUR AND COMPANY" ON PBS.

JOIN US AGAIN TOMORROW NIGHT.