Vanderbilt Television News Archive

(Studio: Tom Brokaw) Report introduced.

(Moscow: Jim Maceda) Political turmoil in the USSR following this weekend's formation of a commonwealth of independent states by Russian President Boris Yeltsin, Byelorussian leader Stanislav Shushkevich and Ukraine President Leonid Kravchuk featured; scenes shown of pro-union demonstrators. [Pro-union leader Vladimir ZHIRINOVSKY - (thru translator) talks about impending economic crisis.] Increasing riots and food theft in urban centers such as Moscow and Saint Petersburg, Russia, low morale in the Soviet military reported; scenes shown. [Soviet deputy Colonel Viktor ALKSNIS - talks about potential military takeover.] Yeltsin's vice president Aleksandr Rutskoi said a likely candidate to step in if President Mikhail Gorbachev and Yeltsin fail; scenes shown of Rutskoi. [Center for Political Studies Lilya SHEVTSOVA - comments on Rutskoi.]

(Studio: Tom Brokaw) Report introduced.

(State Department: John Dancy) United States reaction to the USSR situation featured; scenes shown. [CIA director Robert GATES - comments on disorder in the USSR .] Results given of NBC News/"Wall Street Journal" poll on concern about central control of Soviet nuclear weapons. [US ambassador Robert STRAUSS - says we haven't heard from Soviet army.] [President BUSH - comments.]