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Trump Might Meet Putin Soon, Possibly in Saudi Arabia; Trump's Moves Hurt Programs That Could Cut Migration to U.S.; Indian PM Modi to Meet Trump at the White House; Kremlin Weighs on Trump-Putin Phone Call; Russia Indicates Talks Possible Over Ukraine War; Musk's 4-Year- Old Son by His Side for Trump Events. Aired 12-12:45a ET
Aired February 13, 2025 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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RAFAEL ROMO, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello. I'm Rafael Romo. Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think President Putin wants peace and President Zelenskyy wants peace, and I want peace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMO: Donald Trump tries to bring the art of the deal to Russia's war in Ukraine. Plus the U.S. president threatens a new round of tariffs that he warns could hit just about every country in the world. And we will also look at one of the reasons why the Trump administration's plan to gut foreign aid could backfire.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Is that many of the migrants who are coming here to learn a job and find work will need to go somewhere else to find it. Maybe to the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMO: The war in Ukraine did not end on Donald Trump's first day in office, as he promised, but the U.S. president is talking up his efforts to stop the fighting soon. He spoke by phone for 90 minutes on Wednesday with Vladimir Putin. Mr. Trump says the Russian president wants the war to end and predicted a ceasefire in the not-too-distant future.
A lengthy social media post outlined efforts for negotiations to start immediately at the Munich Security Conference, which begins on Friday. President Trump also spoke by phone with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelenskyy, who he said did not have great poll numbers and would have to make peace. He also echoed comments from his defense secretary that it's not practical for Ukraine to join NATO.
Mr. Trump says he hopes to meet with Russian President Putin soon, possibly in Saudi Arabia.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: One thing he was very strong about, he wants if it ends, he wants it to end. And that's President Putin said that. He wants it to end. He doesn't want to end it and then go back to fighting six months later. We talked about the possibility, I mentioned it, of a ceasefire so we can stop the killing. And I think we'll probably end up at some point getting a ceasefire in the not-too-distant future.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMO: More now from CNN's Jeff Zeleny reporting from the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: An extraordinary thaw in U.S.-Russian relations as President Trump saying Wednesday that negotiations will begin to end the Ukraine war. That is coming after the first phone call between the two leaders. Of course, Donald Trump here in the United States and Vladimir Putin in Moscow talking for about 90 minutes on Wednesday.
They called the conversation highly productive. Of course, the question from this is what of Vladimir Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, who's been at the center of so much diplomacy? President Trump had this to say about him on Wednesday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Are you freezing out President Zelenskyy in this process a bit? Isn't there a danger of that?
TRUMP: No, I don't think so. As long as he's there. But, you know, at some point you're going to have to have elections, too.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Do you view Ukraine as an equal member of this peace process?
TRUMP: Um, it's an interesting question. I think they have to make peace. Their people are being killed, and I think they have to make peace. I said that was not a good war to go into, and I think they have to make peace. That's what I think.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENSKYY: And President Trump said he would likely meet somewhat soon with Vladimir Putin to begin these discussions. He said the first meeting would likely take place in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi crown prince, he said, would play a key role in helping to bridge this gap. Asked if Vladimir Zelenskyy would be at this first meeting, President Trump said no.
Also went on to question his standing in the country even as the U.S. is trying to claw back some of the assistance that has been given over the last several years. There is no doubt as this develops -- as this relationship has indeed been frozen since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, President Biden not speaking to Vladimir Putin in at least three years, President Trump, making clear the relationship has now been reset. Of course, he met with him some five times during his first four years in office and said looks forward to doing so again.
Jeff Zeleny, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMO: For more, we're joined by Jill Dougherty. She's an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, a CNN contributor and a former CNN Moscow bureau chief.
Jill, thank you very much for being with us. President Trump said negotiations to end the Ukraine war will start, quote, "immediately." He also described his call with Putin as lengthy and highly productive. What do you read between the lines, and what can we expect from this conversation between these two leaders?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, the president himself, President Trump, said that this was the first of many conversations. We do expect that both leaders will be meeting in person.
[00:05:01]
President Trump said it would probably be in Saudi Arabia first, but there could be other meetings. We know that President Putin, for example, in that call, invited President Trump to come to Moscow. And president Trump wants each leader to see the other country. So we could have quite a few meetings. It would be very interesting to watch this.
ROMO: Yes. You raised a very good point there. And this was in the readout of the conversation on Truth Social. Trump said that Putin and him, quote, "agreed to work together very closely," he said, including visiting each other's nations. We've also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately, and we will begin, and here's a key, by calling President Zelenskyy of Ukraine. In other words, they're talking amongst themselves and they left Zelenskyy to the end.
What does that tell you, Jill?
DOUGHERTY: Well, to me that was pretty striking because, I mean, essentially what you have is the Russian president, the American president, beginning negotiations between themselves. And then they are informing Zelenskyy that the process is underway. And that, of course, raises the question of, you know, where does Zelenskyy fit into this?
There was a really telling moment, I think, when President Trump was asked a few questions by a journalist and he was asked, is Ukraine an equal partner? And he actually said, that's an interesting question. And he stopped. And then he didn't really answer it. But he said, they have to make peace. They have to make peace. So the way I would interpret that is it's quite a lot of pressure now on Zelenskyy. ROMO: Yes, not the best of days for Zelenskyy. In this environment,
Jill, what do you make of the prisoner releases. Is it only a gesture of goodwill from both sides, or is there something more there?
DOUGHERTY: Oh, I definitely think that what Putin is trying to do is ingratiate himself with Trump. There's no question in my mind. It's, you know, the release certainly of the American school teacher came just at the perfect moment. These are the things that look good for President Trump and President Putin can kind of, you know, engineer these things. In addition, by the way, to the comments that he's been making about Trump since the beginning, since the inauguration, praising him, saying that the election was stolen, that the war, the invasion never would have taken place if Trump had been president.
These are things that Trump himself is saying, and Putin is underscoring them. And again, to my mind, it's really to ingratiate, to pull Trump closer and make Trump like him more.
ROMO: Meanwhile, Jill, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth made some remarkable statement Wednesday in Brussels. Let's take a listen together to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY: We must start by recognizing that returning to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective. The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMO: Is this pretty much what you expected him to say, Jill?
DOUGHERTY: I think it was harder than I expected. You remember the Biden administration, essentially, and its allies said nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. That was the mantra. The mantra now seems to be realism or it's not realistic. And I think that's a kind of a sobering thought for Zelenskyy, that some of the things that he felt were important, for instance, at least in the beginning, membership in NATO, Hegseth is saying no, no way, any membership for Ukraine in NATO.
He's also saying it's unrealistic to expect that the borders that Ukraine had and that Russia violated would somehow be returned. Hegseth is saying that's not going to happen. So I think you can see the picture here already, that there is enormous pressure on Zelenskyy to come to the table and to pretty much give a lot. And I don't think Putin is being asked to give a lot at this point. He's made a lot of demands, but we haven't really heard you know, what he is supposed to be giving up.
ROMO: Jill Dougherty, thank you so very much.
A major win for President Trump with one of his most controversial cabinet picks now confirmed by the Senate. Tulsi Gabbard was sworn in as the new director of National Intelligence on Wednesday as the president looked on in the Oval Office.
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The Senate vote was mostly along party lines, except for Republican Mitch McConnell. The former Senate Republican leader said Gabbard has, quote, "a history of alarming lapses in judgment" after he joined Democrats to oppose her nomination.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): This endangers our security. And my guess is if a secret ballot were cast on Tulsi Gabbard, maybe shed get 10 votes. You all know how bad she is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMO: Gabbard's nomination had drawn early skepticism from some Republicans over her lack of support for Ukraine and her 2017 meeting with former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
On the campaign trail, Donald Trump vowed to slap eye for an eye tariffs on every country that puts its own levies on U.S. imports and his announcement about reciprocal tariffs could come at any time now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I may do it later on or I may do it tomorrow morning, but we'll be signing reciprocal tariffs. The world has taken advantage of the United States for many years. They've charged us massive tariffs that we haven't charged them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMO: This latest threat comes the same week the Trump administration announced 25 percent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports starting a month from now. These actions are raising fears of a wider trade war and making inflation worse.
Trump's latest round of tariffs comes as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit the White House on Thursday. The Trump administration has complained that India's high tariffs lock out U.S. imports. Modi's visit comes a week after Indian migrants were seen in shackles as they were deported from the U.S.
Let's get more from CNN's Kristie Lu Stout live from us in Hong Kong.
Kristie, good to see you. Narendra Modi is among the first heads of state to visit the White House during Trump's second term. What is he seeking?
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rafael, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is already in the United States for a two-day visit. He is there to meet with the U.S. President Donald Trump, a man who he has described as a, quote, "true friend." But it remains to be seen whether that true friendship will be able to overcome some serious challenges in the India-U.S. relationship, namely trade, tariffs and immigration.
So far, India has been able to avoid the wrath of the tariff man, Donald Trump, but Modi is not taking any chances. As reports from Reuters citing sources that Modi will present some tariff concessions to the U.S. president when they meet starting 4:00 p.m. local time Eastern Time on Thursday. Now, these are concessions that would boost exports from the U.S. to. India and potentially avert a trade war.
Now, in the past, the U.S. President Donald Trump has called India, quote, "a very big abuser on trade." But Modi is trying to keep the tone sweet and positive. In fact, a few hours ago, let's show up the tweet for you. He posted this on social media ahead of his visit and meeting with Donald Trump.
Narendra Modi saying this, quote, "Landed in Washington, D.C. a short while ago. Looking forward to meeting POTUS Donald Trump and building upon the India-USA Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. Our nations will keep working closely for the benefit of our people and for a better future for our planet," unquote.
But it is not clear what Modi can offer in terms of immigration. According to the United States, they have said that the number of Indian nationals crossing and entering the United States illegally has surged in the last couple of years, and this is a point that the United States and officials there have emphasized, most recently last week.
Let's bring up the video for you. This video that was shared on social media by the U.S. border patrol chief, which is showing Indian nationals, these were migrants who are being deported back to India in shackles. They have chains on their ankles, chains on their hands. This is video that was widely circulated and generate widespread outrage and anger and angry protests all across India. In fact, an effigy of Donald Trump was burned in India in response to these scenes here.
Now, during his trip to the United States, Narendra Modi will meet with the U.S. president. But there are some reports that he may meet with Elon Musk, the world's wealthiest man. The, quote, "special U.S. government adviser." This, again according to Reuters, citing sources there, and sources say that they will likely discuss plans for Starlink. This is Elon Musk's broadband satellite service, its fate and future in India, and perhaps maybe they would talk about Tesla, which has yet to formally enter the Indian market.
Look, there is a lot at stake here in the greater U.S.-India relationship. They are strategic partners. India is a strategic ally in the Indo-Pacific region. It is a member of the Quad alliance. It is a counter to China. But again, it remains to be seen whether these two individuals, these big power personalities and leaders, Modi and Trump, could put aside their differences and shore up their true friendship -- Rafael.
ROMO: That's right. It's going to be interesting to see if they can come to an agreement, given the circumstances.
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Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong, thank you very much.
Now we want to bring you live pictures from Dubai, where Elon Musk is speaking at the World Government Summit. The tech billionaire and key part of the Trump administration is appearing virtually before world leaders gathered for the third and final day of the summit. We'll continue to monitor and bring you any news that comes out of this.
Ahead, mass firings at government agencies in a major win for the Trump administration as it downsizes the federal workforce. Plus, how Mr. Trump's push to purge some U.S. government agencies could backfire on a key campaign promise to reduce migration to the U.S.
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ROMO: According to multiple sources, mass firings have begun at U.S. federal agencies as part of the Trump administration's plans to shrink the federal workforce. Until now employees across all agencies had only been placed on administrative leave at the same time, and their unions have taken the administration's so-called buyout offers to the courts. But on Wednesday a judge gave President Trump the green light to go ahead with those (INAUDIBLE) the nation offers. At least 65,000 workers had agreed to the exit package as of last week before the deadline to accept the buyout or risk being laid off was paused.
Mr. Trump's moves to gut government agencies and eliminate their staff could work against his pledge to cut illegal migration to the U.S.
Stefano Pozzebon reports from Cali, Colombia.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
POZZEBON (voice-over): It's lunch time in Alexandra's home. Today is chicken, but food is not always guaranteed for this family, where she is the only provider for her two children, a younger sister and her mother. In 2019, Alexandra left her native Venezuela alone, walking to Colombia with other migrants while her family stayed behind and joined a few months later. Now in Cali, she's looking to hit the road again.
ALEXANDRA GUERRA, VENEZUELAN MIGRANT (through translator): Other countries offer better opportunities. After six years, I still don't have a formal job here and now with these decisions, it will be even worse.
POZZEBON: These decisions are edicts from U.S. President Donald Trump that flipped Alexandra's life upside down 2400 miles south of Washington. She was applying to a safe mobility program to legally move to the U.S. After two interviews UNHCR told her by e-mail that the program was shut down. Ten days later, a tailoring course she was taking was also halted after a stop work order for USAID, the U.S. agency that was funding the course.
This is her classroom now. Sewing machines untouched. Nobody at these computers.
All of these machinery was purchased more than 20 years ago with funds from USAID. And since January 27th, it stays like this, still unused. Now, the worry is that many of the migrants who were coming here to learn a job and find work will need to go somewhere else to find it, maybe to the United States.
(Voice-over): The project director doesn't know if the courses will ever come back. The paradox, he says, is that these are the kind of projects the White House should fund if it really wants to reduce migration.
Alexandra's classmates were mostly Venezuelans who settled in Colombia, and here would gain qualifications to enter the job market. And now they're all weighing their options.
What's most interesting about listening to these stories is that this place had become a community center. They would not only receive an education, but also access to psychologists, a network of contacts, opportunities, social workers that in the process of migration is key. And that's why they feel that all of that effort has now gone in vain.
AYARITH OLIMPIO, VENEZUELAN MIGRANT (through translator): My whole family hangs on this decision. This is personal. Migrants are not just a face you see on social media. We are people.
POZZEBON (voice-over): Feeling betrayed by the White House, Ayarith sees no future here and no good options ahead.
Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, Cali, Colombia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMO: Still to come, the Kremlin is weighing in on President Vladimir Putin's phone call with Donald Trump. The report from Moscow is coming up after the break.
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ROMO: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rafael Romo.
The U.S. president is pushing ahead to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. President Trump says negotiations to end the war will start immediately. This comes after what he said was a productive call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday. The two leaders discussed Ukraine, the Middle East, artificial intelligence and other matters. President Trump told reporters their conversation is a step in the right direction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: And I think we're on the way to getting peace. I think President Putin wants peace and President Zelenskyy wants peace, and I want peace. I just want to see people stop getting killed. (END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMO: Moscow also believes the call between the two presidents went well. The Kremlin spokesperson tells CNN the conversation was, quote, "positive and constructive."
CNN's Fred Pleitgen has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Russians certainly seem pretty pleased with the way that the phone call between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Trump went down. The spokesman for the Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov, texting CNN afterwards and saying he believes that the call was both positive and constructive as far as the Russian side is concerned.
Though the Russians certainly confirming a lot of the things that President Trump posted on Truth Social account, saying that the atmosphere between the two leaders was very positive, that they had invited each other to each other's countries, the Russians also confirming that they did invite President Trump here to come to Moscow, but also that it was OK for the Russians, for administration officials from the Trump administration to come here to the Russian capital and negotiate for peace in Ukraine, that that's something that could be possible.
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Now, as far as the -- as ending the war in Ukraine is concerned, the Russians did acknowledge that that was a big topic in that phone call.
However, there is one interesting nuance that we did pick up on. The Russians saying in their readout, quote, "President Putin, in turn, mentioned the need to eliminate the root causes of the conflict and agreed with Trump that a long-term settlement can be achieved through peaceful negotiations."
PLEITGEN: Now, the root causes of the conflict, that's something that the Russians have been speaking about a lot over the past couple of days, sort of indicating that they believe that finding a solution to this conflict, leading to a ceasefire, that that could be a little more difficult than the U.S. president let on before taking office. And then, of course, also after taking office, as well.
The Russians have been speaking a lot over the past couple of days about their red line, especially pertaining to the territory that they hold inside Ukraine. But of course, also territory inside Russia that the Ukrainians still hold.
For instance, the spokesman for the Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov, coming out and saying that the Russians will absolutely not negotiate for the Kursk region, that they intend to oust the Ukrainian forces from that area.
One of the big issues for the Russians, of course, also is they are absolutely against any sort of NATO membership for the Ukrainians.
Now, the positive vibe after this phone call is something that was echoed also here in political Moscow, as well, with several members of parliament coming out and saying that they believe that diplomacy between the United States and Russia is back.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN ANCHOR: And Ukraine's president is responding to comments that joining NATO is unrealistic.
On Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete -- Pete Hegseth ruled out NATO membership for Ukraine, along with the expectation the country will return to its border -- borders before Russia's invasion in 2014. Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he isn't surprised.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I don't think that this door to NATO is ever truly open. I've always said that. We wanted it very much, and we were constantly told about the open-door policy. Nobody is inviting us to NATO yet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMO: On Wednesday, Mr. Zelenskyy met U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for talks that were expected to include Ukraine's rare earth minerals.
Mr. Trump has suggested that he wants access to them in return for continued U.S. military aid.
Still to come: is it endearing or calculated? Elon Musk takes "Bring Your Child To Work Day" to a whole new level. We'll have details on his young son's frequent presence in the halls of power.
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ROMO: Elon Musk, still speaking virtually to the world government summit in Dubai. He's been talking about his work with the White House and the future of A.I.
His 4-year-old isn't around today. But as CNN's Sunlen Serfaty reports, his son X has been a frequent presence.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: X, are you OK?
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From the Oval Office --
TRUMP: This is X, and he's a great guy. High I.Q.
SERFATY: -- to rally stages.
ELON MUSK, ADVISOR FOR DONALD TRUMP: Sorry, little X just followed me on the stage here. He's -- he's a very enthusiastic supporter, as you can see.
SERFATY (voice-over): Exclusive events at Mar-a-Lago and even in the halls of Congress.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Musk, what is DOGE?
SERFATY (voice-over): One of Elon Musk's sons, X, has made quite the political debut with his father.
MUSK: Yes. We're going to do great things here. Thank you.
SERFATY (voice-over): Eager to promenade him before cameras into some of the most powerful and high-level centers of Washington.
TRUMP: And his son's name, who's cute as a button, his son's name is X. He's the only guy who could get away with the name X.
SERFATY (voice-over): Musk's latest move bringing X into the Oval Office for an executive order signing this week, creating moments of levity.
MUSK: -- is to restore a democracy.
X MUSK, SON OF ELON MUSK: Please forgive me, I have to go pee.
SERFATY (voice-over): And Musk, all too happy to engage with his son for the cameras.
MUSK: Well, if you don't have a feedback loop --
X: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
MUSK: OK, we'll have to. If you -- It's all right. It's all right. I'll tell you, gravitas can be difficult sometimes.
SERFATY (voice-over): But X's mother, Canadian singer Grimes, making it clear she does not approve of how her former boyfriend is using their son, calling it, quote, "a personal tragedy," and directly responded to X's Oval Office appearance, saying on X that she was only made aware of it after seeing it on social media.
"He should not be in the public like this," she said. "But I'm glad he was polite." Sigh."
Even as Musk continues to elevate the high-profile moment, retweeting picture after picture, even one, making the comparison to the famous photo of JFK and his son around the Resolute Desk.
MUSK: -- States of America. SERFATY (voice-over): Musk shares two other children with Grimes and
12 in all, with two other women. Some of his other kids joining him in the spotlight, too.
MUSK: -- punishable (ph) with the agency heads. And -- and I checked previously with the president to make sure that -- you know, these --
SERFATY (voice-over): For Musk, these moments, while endearing, could also be seen as calculated.
MUSK: I'm sorry for this. I thought my son might -- might enjoy this, but he's sticking his fingers in my ears and stuff. So, it's been hard to hear sometimes. Hey, stop that!
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SERFATY (voice-over): Distractions from the realities of his political wake.
MUSK: The people voted for major government reform, and that's what the people are going to get.
SERFATY: And to that point, Elon Musk has called his son, X, his cuteness prop and his emotional support human.
Musk, of course, is known for being a man that's very intentional with his image, very controlling of every aspect of that image. And so, certainly, there is an awareness of how he is coming across with this.
Meantime, X's mom has also picked up on this pattern of Musk bringing their son into a lot of these public, powerful moments. She said she believes that Musk sees him as his protege.
Sunlen Serfaty, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMO: I'm Rafael Romo. We'll be back at the top of the hour with more CNN NEWSROOM, but first, WORLD SPORT starts right after the break.
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(WORLD SPORT)
