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Trump Sends Top Officials Around Globe To End Wars In Ukraine, Gaza; Israeli Negotiators Heading To Cairo For Talks In Gaza; At Least Nine Killed As Powerful Overnight Storm Races East. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired February 16, 2025 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: It was the deadliest terror attack targeting the United States before 9/11 and a new CNN Original Series: "Lockerbie: The Bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 delves into the mysterious circumstances behind it.
The first two episodes premier tonight at 9:00 only on CNN.
[15:01:04]
WHITFIELD: Hello again, and thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
We begin this hour with the Trump administration dispatching top US officials across the globe to end the wars in Gaza and Ukraine.
Today, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is meeting with Israel's prime minister in Jerusalem, as he makes clear that the Trump administration's Middle East strategy is focused on Iran. The president is also sending Steve Witkoff, his Special Envoy to the Middle East and National Security adviser, Mike Waltz to Saudi Arabia to meet -- begin talks rather aimed at ending a Russia's war with Ukraine.
A Ukrainian official told CNN this morning that they were not informed about the talks in Saudi Arabia.
Trump's decision to not include Europe in the Ukraine peace negotiations has European leaders feeling isolated and uneasy, and they are holding an Emergency Summit on Ukraine tomorrow in Paris.
CNN's Steve Contorno is joining us now from Daytona Motor Speedway, where the president is attending today's race. So, Steve, help us understand Trump's strategy here for peace in Ukraine.
STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Well, so far, sources are telling us that Witkoff and Waltz and Rubio intend to meet some time in the coming days with senior Russian officials in the country of Saudi Arabia, a Middle East country that has really emerged as a key middle man in some of these talks between the US and Russia.
They were involved in the recent prisoner release as well and the expectation is that in these initial waves of talks, Ukraine will not be involved. In fact, there will not be any European presence in these initial talks. And when Witkoff was asked why that is, here is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE WITKOFF, US SPECIAL ENVOY TO THE MIDDLE EAST: The president had there President Zelenskyy on the phone this past week. I am pretty sure that, you know, a lot of our Cabinet people, including Treasury Secretary Bessent, the vice president, Mike Waltz, John Ratcliffe, our Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have been meeting with various Ukrainian people at the Munich Security Conference. So I don't think this is about excluding anybody. In fact, it is about including everybody.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CONTORNO: Now, European allies were already alarmed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggesting this week that Ukraine will not get entrance into NATO and may not recover its borders, and that was seen as a concession to Russia before talks even began.
Now, Hegseth did walk back those remarks, but nevertheless, Europe is on edge certainly from those remarks from Donald Trump having a phone call with Putin already, as well as from JD Vance, the vice president. His address in Munich last week as well, sending shockwaves throughout Europe -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: Okay. And then, Steve, you're there at Daytona because the president is there at Daytona and also took a lap, you know, in The Beast around the track there. Tell us more about why he decided to do this a week after attending the Super Bowl and what the reception was like.
CONTORNO: Well, he is clearly putting out a visible presence, especially in front of crowds that he believes will be friendly to him. As you said, at the Super Bowl, now, he is at the Daytona 500, very Trump friendly crowd here in Florida.
They watched him in Air Force One do a flyby. He did that lap in The Beast, as you said. Unfortunately for the people here so far, they have seen very little of actual race car driving because a weather delay that kicked in about an hour ago, shortly after the race began.
[15:05:11]
In fact, I think we are only about 11 laps in. You can see the people behind me here gathering under some weather protection, trying to avoid the rain here.
We've been in in a rain delay for about 45 minutes, and Donald Trump actually has since left the speedway and is heading back to West Palm Beach any minute now.
WHITFIELD: Okay, and I understand. Yes, he has boarded the plane or at least the plane has started to take off. Steve Contorno, thank you so much.
All right, meantime, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the conversations with top Russian officials in the days and weeks ahead will determine whether Putin is serious about ending the conflict in Ukraine.
For more on what the Russians are saying about these peace talks, let's bring in CNN's Fred Pleitgen in Moscow.
So, Fred, what are you learning?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Russians certainly remain very hopeful and that's something you can really feel here in political Moscow, especially after that call, of course, between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
And really, throughout the course of this day, there were several comments by the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, who gave a very lengthy interview about all of this, saying that the US and Russia are essentially entering into a new era of dialogue, as he puts it, that the two countries with President Trump now in office are going to be speaking about peace rather than about confrontation.
And also, he believes that anyone, as he put it, with a sound mind, would induce the views of Donald Trump, of course, especially as far as Russia is concerned.
So right now, the Russians are feeling that there is a good deal of momentum going for them, and as far as these talks in Saudi Arabia are concerned, we know that they are putting together a high level delegation that is ready -- getting ready to go to Saudi Arabia. It is not exactly clear who is going to be members of that delegation, but the Russians seem to be eyeing something broader than just an end to the fighting in Ukraine on terms favorable to Russia.
It was quite interesting because yesterday, the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the readout that the Russians put out afterwards didn't only speak about finding an end to the war in Ukraine, but also about possible sanctions relief, economic development, economic cooperation between the United States and Russia in the future, as well as improving diplomatic ties between the two nations.
So the Russians clearly believe that right now with the Trump administration in office, they have an administration that is favorable to Russia's views, not just as far as Ukraine is concerned, and certainly one that could really change the dynamic in the relations of these two countries -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Fred Pleitgen, thanks so much.
All right, earlier today, Secretary of State Marco Rubio gave joint statements in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The two saying they are united in confronting one main threat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCO RUBIO, US SECRETARY OF STATE: The common theme in all of these challenges is Iran. It is the single greatest source of instability in the region. Behind every terrorist group, behind every act of violence, behind every destabilizing activity, behind everything that threatens peace and stability for the millions of people who call this region home.
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: We agree that the Ayatollahs must not have nuclear weapons and we also agree that Iran's aggression in the region has to be rolled back.
Over the last 16 months, Israel has dealt a mighty blow to Iran's terror axis. Under the strong leadership of President Trump and with your unflinching support, I have no doubt that we can and will finish the job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Rubio also warning Hamas against -- we are quoting him now -- "playing with fire" as the ceasefire agreement remains fragile.
An Israeli delegation is expected in Cairo this week for talks on Gaza. CNN's international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson, is in Jerusalem.
Nic, this appears to be a real show of unified messaging between Netanyahu and Rubio, the White House.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, sure. I mean, Prime Minister Netanyahu describes it as a coordinated and combined effort, a common strategy. He described it, in lockstep. They are really giving that signaling and you kind of got a sense of it, the parallel messaging, the joined up messaging in that press conference where they stood side by side.
But I think you also get a sense here that there is something of a bit of a full court diplomatic press going on with Prime Minister Netanyahu. Look, here is the bottom line. He is under a lot of pressure to move to phase two negotiations for the ceasefire hostage deal and that's tricky for him, because it could bring about an end of the war, and there are members of his government that are telling him to double down and keep the war going, so this is politically difficult for him. But he is positioning himself with President Trump very, very clearly on this issue.
So he has spoken about -- Prime Minister Netanyahu has spoken about a delegation going to Cairo to discuss the future of the hostage ceasefire deal.
[15:10:10]
But for phase one only.
He is having a Security Cabinet meeting tomorrow, Monday, to discuss for phase one and after that, he will instruct those negotiators about what their steps are on phase two, that much trickier part of the negotiations. But it has come about not just through the conversations with Marco Rubio, but he also took a call from President Trump's Middle East Envoy, Steve Witkoff, you know, having two powerful messages coming from the administration on the same day tells you something, right? Just one of them isn't enough to push it across the line.
So you do get that sense that the United States, President Trump really wants to get to the phase two negotiations. He says he wants an end to the war, and that end to the war is something that is difficult for Netanyahu, and although they say this is a joined up strategy, et cetera, effectively there is daylight in the middle of it.
Neither would say that, but on this issue, this is going to be a tough one.
WHITFIELD: All right, Nic Robertson in Jerusalem, thank you so much.
All right, coming up, a powerful storm causes multiple deaths in the southeast of the US, Kentucky being one of the hardest hit states. Governor Andy Beshear joins us next to discuss the latest conditions.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:16:09]
WHITFIELD: All right, rescue crews are working nonstop this weekend to reach people trapped by flood waters, as a deadly storm makes its way East. These images are just coming in from responders in Tennessee. At least eight people have died in Kentucky and one in Georgia. More than 10 million people are still under Flood Alerts from Mississippi to Ohio.
Several Tornado Warnings went out across Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee late Saturday, pushing into Georgia early this morning. And hundreds of thousands of people across the region are now without power.
This weekend's storm brought an extremely rare level of high risk flooding to Northwestern Tennessee and Western Kentucky on Saturday, prompting evacuations of some facilities, including a nursing home and hospital.
Joining me right now is Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.
Governor, glad you being with us.
This afternoon, you said eight people were killed in your state from that storm, and that the number was likely to grow. Has that figure changed?
GOV. ANDY BESHEAR (D-KY): Yes, we know that we've lost eight. We believe that number will at least climb to nine. We've experienced significant flash flooding all across our state and are now having significant river bank flooding.
So for us, we are in an emergency search and rescue mode. We will be throughout the rest of today and probably through at least tomorrow. But thankfully, our first responders, our National Guard, our Kentucky State Police have now rescued more than a thousand people and they're out there doing a great job. We are grateful for them.
WHITFIELD: So what are the state's priorities right now at this stage, since rescues are still ongoing?
BESHEAR: It is saving as many lives as we can. It is positioning our assets, our swift water boat teams, not just where flooding is happening, but where we know it is coming.
We are going to be experiencing widespread flooding for at least another 24 hours, if not more, and we will move from the rescues themselves to going door-to-door in the flooded areas to make sure that everyone is okay.
We have shelters set up and then we are out there trying to reopen our roads. More than 300 Kentucky roads are currently closed because of flooding or mudslides. We think that's at least close to a record.
WHITFIELD: That is incredible.
So what about federal assistance?
BESHEAR: They are here. FEMA actually drove through the night last night. Secretary Noem called me personally last night, and when we submitted our request for a federal declaration, got turned around almost immediately by President Trump.
So only compliments for how FEMA is working with us. They are doing a great job.
WHITFIELD: And that is good news. I mean, because the White House has said out loud already that it is entertaining getting rid of FEMA altogether, that states can handle their own natural disasters.
So without FEMA, could Kentucky have all the resources to handle this kind of flooding or perhaps even upcoming tornado season, or anything else possibly on the horizon?
BESHEAR: In Kentucky, we've gotten hit by more natural disasters than we can count. Worst tornadoes in my lifetime happened in 2021. We lost 81 people. Worst flooding in my lifetime happened in 2022. We lost 45 people.
Billions of dollars' worth of damages and FEMA was there to help. Was the process difficult? Sure. But they were there bringing money, and during the emergency phase, surging resources.
So they brought in some conservation officers from Indiana. They brought in their own search and rescue teams.
We need FEMA. They are very good at this emergency response. Do we need to work on some of the reimbursements? Sure. But they are here doing a great job and I don't see any of the concerns that that I have on the future of FEMA present with us today. [15:20:05]
You know, I've spoken out about the importance of FEMA. I've spoken out about any plans to undo them, but they are right here operating well pursuant to the instructions of Secretary Noem. So all we are seeing in Kentucky is a really good coordinated response.
WHITFIELD: Are you hoping then that FEMA remains?
BESHEAR: Oh, absolutely. FEMA is needed.
If you just think about even some of the problem areas of individual assistance and state assistance, they have to process all of those requests pursuant to what Congress sets up.
If they weren't there, all 50 states would have to do it on their own. It would eat through all of those dollars that need to go to our families that are building and to our local communities.
So FEMA brings in efficiency in how we do some of the rebuilding, but they also bring in great knowledge about the emergency response and the ability to bring in teams from all over the country.
So yes, we need a strong, well-funded FEMA, and I am seeing how good they operate when they are funded right here today.
WHITFIELD: And while you said you have spoken out about the continued need for FEMA and preparedness for any other natural disasters that are upcoming, are you also preparing for the what ifs? If there is no FEMA, how you're able -- what your contingency plans are? How you're able to tackle whatever other natural disasters come your way, if there was the dismantling of FEMA.
BESHEAR: Yes, sadly, we've gotten good through practice at responding to natural disasters. So my job as governor is to help with the response now, but then to take everything we learned from the tornadoes from the last flooding, from multiple polar plunges we had where it got negative 20 degrees here in Kentucky and make sure we are more prepared next time.
If you take intermediate housing, we established a travel trailer program with Louisiana's help after tornadoes wiped out at least three towns in Kentucky. It took us two months to get it up and running.
After flooding, six months later, it took us two weeks. I, in the future want to be able to do it in two days and so that's working with my General Assembly. It is working with the federal government or what resources would come to us to make sure we take every lesson, to make sure we rebuild with more resiliency and sustainability, to make sure my people are safer, you know, every single time one of these things happens, based on what we've learned, and that's hard for at least those eight families today that have lost loved ones.
And so we are going to spend a lot of time over the next week making sure that we aren't just praying for those families, but we are lifting them up, providing them help, and showing them that they are loved.
WHITFIELD: Governor Andy Beshear, we are wishing you the best of all Kentuckians, of course, as they continue to really try to endure what is an ongoing flooding situation there. Thank you so much.
BESHEAR: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: All right, the severe weather threat is not over as the storm makes its way East now and then pushes North with more dangerous conditions expected.
CNN meteorologist, Allison Chinchar has details.
ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: The cold front that brought all of the flooding rains across portions of the Ohio and Tennessee Valley is now pushing out. But behind it, you've got some pretty significant cold air that's going to infiltrate portions of the Central and the Eastern US, and with that cold air in place as our next system begins to arrive, it is going to bring snow to some places that are pretty far south.
Here, you can see by Tuesday morning, you've already got snow and even some ice developing across portions of Texas and even Oklahoma. This system itself will continue to slide East so that by Wednesday morning, as many folks are headed out on their commute in Nashville, Louisville, even around Huntsville, Alabama, looking at some snow showers into the mix.
Further South, its mostly going to be rain for places like Atlanta, Montgomery stretching down towards New Orleans. The system continues to spread eastward, eventually impacting portions of the Mid-Atlantic like Washington, DC, Baltimore, and even into the Northeast like New York and Boston, bringing some additional snow there as well.
Here you can see some of these spots. You are looking at pretty substantial amounts of snow. Lots of these locations across the central US and even perhaps over the Carolinas and Virginia, could be looking at least half a foot of snow before this finally pushes back out of the area.
The cold air we talked about is also going to spread. So even for the areas that don't necessarily get the snow per se, your temperatures are certainly going to drop.
Look at Dallas for example, 57 for the high on Monday, looking at a high of only 28 on Wednesday.
Their normal high would be in the 60s. They won't get there till the end of the week. Similar scenario for Omaha. The average high is 39 degrees. They are looking at barely getting just into positive numbers. By the time we get to the middle portion of the week, they finally rebound once we head into next weekend.
WHITFIELD: Allison Chinchar, thanks so much.
All right, coming up, did the Justice Department drop corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams in exchange for migrant concessions? You'll hear what the White House border czar had to say on CNN today.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:29:35]
WHITFIELD: All right, we are following the latest fallout from the Trump administration's slashing of federal jobs. Among the agencies impacted is the National Labor Relations Board. This independent federal agency protects the rights of private sector employees.
It has been essentially left paralyzed due to the recent firings of Gwynne Wilcox, its former chair. Wilcox is the first woman and the first Black member of the board to serve in that role.
Joining me right now is CNN national correspondent Rafael Romo. So tell us more about what Wilcox's firing means.
[15:30:08]
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, essentially, Fred, it is like the NLRB is like a car that ran out of gas because it is still there, but it cannot do much.
And the board normally has five members, but with the firing of Board Member Gwynne Wilcox late last month by the Trump administration, the National Labor Relations Board now lacks a quorum to make any decision at all.
Among the main objectives of the NLRB are overseeing elections to form unions, investigating complaints about unfair labor practices, encouraging businesses and employers to reach settlements to avoid litigation, and enforcing judicial orders that have to do with labor practices.
The terms of two board members had expired, but the board could still make decisions with the other three that remained. When Wilcox was fired, the number of active board members fell to two, which means that even if the board still exists in practice, there aren't enough members to have a majority on any decision.
As for why she was fired, Wilcox said the e-mail she received late one night specifically said that the Trump administration wanted someone more aligned with the president's policies, that's what she told CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GWYNNE WILCOX, FORMER NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD MEMBER: He wanted people who were more -- who are loyal to him and would issue decisions more consistent with his views, and that is actually in violation of the National Labor Relations Act, which is an independent agency that is to be free of influence, both presidential and other political influence.
(END VIDEO CLIP) ROMO: Now, Fred, it is important to mention that Wilcox's term would have expired in 2028. Her firing makes her the first person to be removed from the board -- listen to this -- in its 90-year history.
Elon Musk's SpaceX brought a case to federal court last year, arguing two points that the NLRB's structure was unconstitutional and that it shouldn't be allowed to act on unfair labor practice complaints.
Apparently, that suit was an attempt to block the agency from moving against SpaceX for firing some employees, who complained in a letter about Musk's behavior on social media. Neither SpaceX nor Tesla responded to a request for comment.
SpaceX is not the only major company that has fought the NLRB in court. Amazon in recent years has also sued over the existence of the NLRB, with the e-commerce giant still fighting the results of a union representation vote it lost in 2022. That was the first time workers at one of Amazon's facilities had voted to join a union. Amazon did not respond to a request for comment either.
But again, the NLRB is still there. There is not a whole lot of people.
WHITFIELD: It is nonfunctional right now.
ROMO: No.
WHITFIELD: Wow. Quite the web that is being woven here. All right, Rafael Romo, thank you so much.
All right, coming up, was a quid pro quo deal cut between the Justice Department and New York City Mayor Eric Adams in exchange for migrant concessions? You'll hear the White House border czar, Tom Homan answer these questions when pressed on CNN today.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:37:51]
WHITFIELD: The White House is slamming accusations of an alleged quid pro quo with New York's mayor.
On Friday, the Justice Department filed a Motion to Dismiss federal corruption charges against Mayor Eric Adams. The move came after several prosecutors resigned in protest, and only a day after Mayor Adams held a second meeting with immigration officials, including White House border czar, Tom Homan.
Earlier today, CNN's Dana Bash spoke with Homan on CNN's "State of the Union."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR AND POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: It sounds like the DOJ dropped the case against Adams in an exchange, he let you into Rikers. Is that what happened? THOMAS HOMAN, US BORDER CZAR: No. I think that's ridiculous. Me and Mayor Adams meant a couple of months ago, I think -- I think it was probably eight, nine weeks ago we met and we had the same discussion, and we talked about getting a prisoners in Rikers Island.
We talked about how we can collaborate on public safety threats. And we came out Thursday with a plan in how we can get Rikers Island and the Criminal Intelligence Division, so we get an understanding of who is in there, who is foreign born in Rikers Island that is a significant public safety threat.
We also talked about how we can collaborate on the missing children, many of them are going missing in New York City and that's what we talked about.
I really don't think it had anything to do with whatever was going on in Justice Department. We never talked about that. It is kind of out of my lane.
I've been talking to the mayor for months about getting in Rikers Island and that's what we talked about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Homan is also blaming sanctuary cities for impeding efforts in the nationwide immigration crackdown that began last month. So far, roughly 14,000 migrants have been arrested in the first month of the Trump administration, far below the president's goal of 1,500 daily arrests.
All right, the Trump administration's aggressive actions to curb immigration are also having an impact on refugees, hoping the US will provide a safe place to live their lives.
CNN's Isabel Rosales went to Kentucky to find out how President Trump's orders are already having a significant impact on communities.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When you arrived in Louisville, how did you arrive?
SEMSUDIN HASELJIC, PROGRAM LEADER, KENTUCKY REFUGEE MINISTRIES: Imagine me without prosthetics, on a stretcher, and in wheelchair.
[15:40:07]
ROSALES (voice over): A war injured refugee for two decades now, Semsudin Haseljic's life work has been to help others like him at Kentucky Refugee Ministries.
A flurry of executive orders targeting immigration signed in one of Donald Trump's first acts as president. One of them indefinitely suspending refugee admissions, a legal and vigorously vetted pathway and cancelling flights that were already booked.
HASELJIC: We did not imagine a hard stop on a refugee arrivals.
ROSALES (voice over): A whiplash moment for resettlement agencies nationwide. And especially heartfelt in Kentucky, which ranks top five in the nation per capita in refugee arrivals. The order claims the US can't absorb large numbers of refugees without compromising the resources, safety, and security of Americans.
HASELJIC: The administration's claim that refugees, you know, are putting burden on the communities and everything, that's --
ROSALES: What do you say to that?
HASELJIC: That's totally not true because our refugees are becoming self-sufficient.
ROSALES: Trump says it's also a matter of National Security.
HASELJIC: Refugees are the most vetted population that comes to the United States.
ROSALES (voice over): And the order doesn't stop there. Federal funding to aid refugees already here is frozen. Money that would cover costs for food, rent, English classes, and employment services until refugees could stand on their own.
Janvier Ndagijimana family barely made the cut. Arriving just six days before Trump took office. Through a translator, he tells me he spent 30 years living in refugee camps, forced to escape his homeland of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he insists, he would have died from war and violence.
ROSALES: When you heard about these executive orders, did you cry as a family?
(JANVIER NDAGIJIMANA speaking in foreign language.)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He said he felt so much pain in him when he came to learn that.
ROSALES (voice over): It's the pain of a father separated from his children. Two of them adults, had their tickets booked for this month, abruptly cancelled.
(JACK speaking in foreign language.)
ROSALES (voice over): His son, Jack says without that critical money coming into support refugee settlement, he's fearful his family won't make it.
ROSALES: You're worried you could end up homeless.
(JACK speaking in foreign language.)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
ROSALES (voice over): If the suspension continues. KRM projects it will lose almost $1.5 million this fiscal year.
ROSALES (on camera): But the money's not there right now.
HASELJIC: They say temporarily stopped.
ROSALES: Are you worried that that could be extended?
HASELJIC: Nobody has crystal ball right now because the administration seems to be doing whatever they want to be doing.
ROSALES: What's next for the family?
(JANVIER NDAGIJIMANA speaking in foreign language.)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The only thing they can do is just to pray to God to change in the heart of the president so he can do the right thing.
ROSALES (voice over): Isabel Rosales, Louisville, Kentucky, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:47:53]
WHITFIELD: A new CNN Original Series tracks the circumstances behind the deadliest terror attack targeting the United States before 9/11, the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988 and tracks the complex web of theories that emerged during the years' long global investigation that followed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHIL REID, FORMER FBI SPECIAL AGENT: My acting supervisor told me they had already made arrangements for me to be assigned over to the Scotland Yard.
I had worked murder investigations, but not of this scale. I mean, you're talking about 270 people murdered at the same time. Nothing can prepare you for that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Joining us now is a former FBI special agent who spent years investigating the bombing, Phil Reid, you just saw him in there.
All right, so when you say -- I mean, there was nothing of this scale, nothing could prepare you for this. How did you end up armoring yourself to prepare yourself to handle a crime scene that spanned over 800 square?
REID: It was daunting. It was a challenge. Fortunately, working with Scottish investigators knew Scotland Yard, the London Metropolitan Police, we were able to overcome those challenges, gathered the evidence from that 840 square mile crime scene that led us from Lockerbie to the island of Malta, where, together with the Scottish detectives, the Maltese Police, Maltese Intelligence officers and the CIA, we were able to put together sufficient information that identified the two Libyan nationals and Intelligence officers that eventually were indicted for the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103.
[15:50:09]
WHITFIELD: So, together with the British, Scottish, Maltese law enforcement and you all working together, help us understand how you were able to gather intelligence, gather data, evidence in this incredible crime scene. You know, I guess customarily when you get to a crime scene, your focus may be one thing, but was the focus different when you were getting to a plane crash and treating it as a murder scene, how did you prioritize what it was that you were looking for in order to lead you to the suspects?
REID: Yes. Initially, we weren't sure whether or not it was a bomb that actually brought the plane down over Lockerbie and so the first thing we had to do was establish that it was an explosive device that brought the plane down. And so we found evidence of Semtex, which is a plastic explosive on one of the luggage carriers. And that told us initially that, okay, now we have a criminal terrorism investigation ahead of us.
Then it was a matter of continually going through the crime scene, and we're talking again, 845 square miles of crime scene looking for pieces of evidence that would help us identify who may be responsible, whether it was state sponsored, whether it was an individual. Initially, we didn't know whether it was a suicide bombing. We didn't know whether it was an unwitting carrier of a bomb.
But as the investigation progressed, we were able to come up with evidence again that led us to Malta and being able to identify how that bomb got on into the airline system that ended up on Pan Am 103.
WHITFIELD: Incredible investigative work on your part and that of your many colleagues.
Phil Reid, so glad to be with us. And of course, we all look forward to this two-part premiere of "Lockerbie: The Bombing of Pan Am 103," airing tonight at 9:00 PM only on CNN.
Coming up, Trump officials will meet with senior Russian officials in Saudi Arabia for talks on ending the war in Ukraine. A live report on the latest developments straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:57:31]
WHITFIELD: All right now to the latest on Ukraine, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying today that top Trump officials are set to meet with their Russian counterparts in the coming days. They are expected to begin talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, but there is growing concern among Ukrainians that any Trump brokered ceasefire will be full of concessions and false promises.
CNN's Nick Paton Walsh traveled to the war torn frontline to speak with Ukrainians fighting to contain any Russian advance.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Hundreds of dead or injured daily but this drone war can feel here like high-stakes gaming.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (translated text): It seems they're in the trench. Got it "Lucky Strike." Let's strike it one more time. Fly, check it and strike the dugouts. One wounded (bleep) is crawling.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (translated text): Was the strike successful?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (translated text): We struck the enemy. There are bushes, he will try one more time.
WALSH (voice over): For those below a petrifying scramble in the frozen mud, the tiny buzz of death above.
WALSH: This very remote world of chat groups and drone cameras so removed from the absolute horror of what's going down on the ground there. Both sides torn apart, entrenched warfare not been seen for a century in some places.
VOLODYMYR SABLYN, BATTALION COMMANDER, 66TH MECHANIZED BRIGADE (translated text): The enemy is beyond the river.
WALSH (voice over): Volodymyr is a week or so shy of his decade anniversary fighting Russia, joining in 2015 when Moscow seized the nearby town of Debaltseve literally during a ceasefire. You better really mean it if you talk peace here.
SABLYN (translated text): The conflict was frozen, and it only led to a full-scale war.
I think if there is a ceasefire now, it will only get worse for us. Because the enemy will restore itself form new military units again, regroup and attack again.
WALSH (voice over): One certainty as we head out to see the front is this same drone setup and carnage is being mimicked by the Russians not far away. Dusk can bring a brief break in Russian drones in the skies but this red dot means there's one above us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sky is just dirty. We have to go.
WALSH (voice over): So much changes fast in this war but the shelling seems like it could go on forever.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (translated text): Fire.
WALSH (on camera): Massive guns hiding from tiny $500.00 machines here. Extraordinary change.
WALSH (voice over): Little geopolitics here, just practical skepticism and hard numbers. WALSH: Do you think there could be a ceasefire here that could last?
VIKTOR, 66TH MECHANIZED BRIGADE (translated text): What percentage for the implementation of a ceasefire? About 30 percent.
Because of the situation on the front, it doesn't look like there will be a truce. It's very hard.
ANDRIY, 66TH MECHANIZED BRIGADE (translated text): It's about 40 percent. The other side is winning, taking territory. And we, by and large, have nothing to say.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[16:01:06]
