'Alliance of tyrants' do not believe in international order: Hugh Hewitt
'Special Report' All-Star panel discusses the ramifications of Russia-Ukraine war spinning out of control.
This is a rush transcript from "Special Report All-Star Panel," March 13, 2022. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VITALI KLITSCHKO, MAYOR OF KYIV, UKRAINE: People don't want to leave. There are old men over 60 told me, I don't want to leave. It's my hometown. Give me weapons please. I want to defend my city. The Russian soldier, actually right now, have a bad mood, and so many people understand this senseless war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: With that, let's bring in our panel, Ben Domenech, publisher of "The Federalist," syndicated radio host Hugh Hewitt, and Juan Williams is a FOX News analyst. Hugh, where do you think we are in this stage of this invasion? And what the international community is doing to try to stop Putin doesn't seem to be making a dent.
HUGH HEWITT, SYNDICATED RADIO HOST: It doesn't, Bret. I think we are getting very close to harmony. We have a trio of tyrants, and they're working together -- Khamenei in Iran, Xi in China, and Putin in Russia. Putin dropped eight missiles 10 miles from Poland's border this weekend. President Biden has right said that he would defend every inch of NATO. If one of those missiles had gone awry, we would be knocking on the door of World War III.
Khamenei dropped missiles on Erbil, we talked about that today on the radio show. And you and I both know this alliance of tyrants don't believe in the international rules-based order that Wendy Sherman was talking to you about yesterday. So we need clarity, Bret. We need to get it now. We need to get it fast. They are not our friends. There is no international order. And the west has to be clear about these three bad actors who are working together.
BAIER: Ben, your thoughts about where we are right now?
BEN DOMENECH, PUBLISHER, "THE FEDERALIST": I think that this meeting in Rome with Jake Sullivan and the Chinese leader was very significant and a sign of what awaits the world if we don't start sending the message now about the lessons that China could be taking from this experience. The idea of a major power invading a neighboring nation in order to achieve their ends is one that obviously resulted in major sanctions and economic damaging that is already hurting and impacting the Russian people.
China can no more decouple from the west than Russia can. It sells us their goods. It relies on us for educating their students, and it takes our knowledge and steals it and uses it, has done so to further their own economy. If they take the lesson from this Ukrainian experience that the rest of the world will not respond should they find it fit to seek Taiwan, that will be a very dangerous lesson. It will be go far beyond eradicating the rules based order that Hugh made mention of, and would really throw the whole world into an array of challenges unlike anything that we have ever seen before.
BAIER: Yes. So, as you look at that story about Russia asking China for help, take a listen to reaction to that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NED PRICE, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: We have communicated very clearly to Beijing that we won't stand by. If -- we will not allow any country to compensate Russia for its losses.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, (R-SC): We have to recalculate who we are in terms of our trading relationships. If Russia is able to dismember the democracy in the Ukraine, that's a death sentence for Taiwan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: The meeting, Juan, was said to be tense and long, hours long in Rome between Jake Sullivan and his counterpart. What about China helping Russia?
JUAN WILLIAMS, FOX NEWS POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, if the United States can prevent Russia from sort of back-filling both in terms of the economy and potentially even military equipment, that means that there is a potential here for a faster resolution to this awful conflict. We want -- the United States definitely does not want China to pick sides here and pick the wrong side, pick the side of repression and communism. That's clearly not in the U.S. interest. And I think that's why Jake Sullivan was over there.
Right now everybody involved is looking for the cliche off ramp. And right now, there are three that are glaring. One is that this thing escalates, and we are already seeing that kind of brutality taking place. But, number two, you have the opportunity for Russia to simply say oh, you know what, we will declare victory, we'll take what we have in Crimea, Belarus, some of the eastern Ukraine, and walk away and stop the violence.
But there's also the chance for diplomacy and negotiations. Zelenskyy asking to meet with Putin. The ongoing talks between the Ukrainian foreign minister and the Russians. And, of course, the United States standing by and saying we want -- we want a negotiated settlement. We are not saying no to negotiations. And I think if China is willing to get in there as a supporter of democracy, we would appreciate it.
BAIER: Yes, that's doubtful according to many foreign policy experts especially after, Hugh, the weekend this statement on Saturday from China about Taiwan in which they write, "Any country supporting Taiwan militarily would face," quote, "the worst consequences, they warned Saturday, adding "no one and no force" would be able to stop the Communist Party if it took action against the island country," according to a report.
Now, you could read that one of two ways. They are getting defensive about this moment in time, they have recalculated based on what Russia is doing in Ukraine, or this is really an aggressive posture talking about Taiwan. How do you read it, Hugh?
HEWITT: Door number C -- door letter C, Bret. There is no reason, there is no evidence on the table anywhere that China is other than allied with Russia and Iran. I call up national security, former national security advisor O'Brien today after the seven hour meeting that Jake Sullivan had that Ben referenced. I said, did you ever had a seven-hour meeting with anyone? He said, no, I had a four-hour meeting once with one person and that didn't go well. Seven hours, I guess they spent congratulating us for coming to the Olympics and not boycotting and making sure New York and Wall Street money came in and supported the games.
There is no reason, no evidence at all to believe that China is other than hostile to us. Russia sends missiles 10 miles from Poland border in Iran, bombs Erbil. It was a bad weekend for people who want to believe in unicorns and off ramps. There isn't any. What we need to do is build weapons systems and peace through strength, and we've got to do it now.
BAIER: And Ben, final word. You've got the president of Ukraine, Zelenskyy, addressing Congress virtually tomorrow. Really, he is going to steer the train if there is any diplomatic solution with Putin.
DOMENECH: Absolutely. And I think as much as the White House would like to be able to pivot to talking about domestic issues, we all know that the ramifications of this are being felt not just economically here in America, but in terms of what people are seeing play out on the world stage. The idea that the west is not going to stand together in this moment would be a very dangerous one, and I don't think the White House should back away from this or try to pivot in any short sided domestic political way. People care about this story for a reason, and they should understand that.
BAIER: It's tomorrow Ukraine time, it's actually Wednesday in the U.S. that he will be addressing Congress. Panel, as always. Thank you.
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