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CNN International: U.S. And Russia Wrap Up Ukraine Talks In Saudi Arabia; European Leaders Hold Emergency Talks Over Ukraine; Delta: At Least 21 Injured As Plane Flips After Landing. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired February 18, 2025 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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RAHEL SOLOMON, HOST, "CNN NEWSROOM": Good morning or good evening, depending on where you're watching. I'm Rahel Solomon live in New York. And ahead on CNN Newsroom --
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MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: The goal is to bring an end to this conflict in a way that's fair, enduring, sustainable, and acceptable to all parties involved.
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SOLOMON: Talks to end Russia's invasion in Ukraine just wrapped up in Saudi Arabia. But, can these talks be successful without Ukraine even at the table? We'll go live to Riyadh and Kyiv for the latest here. Plus, upside down and burning, we have new reporting and images coming out of the Toronto plane crash, including incredible accounts of how everyone got out alive. And stepping down, the acting Head of the Social Security Administration is resigning after DOGE staffers tried to access sensitive information.
We begin with that high-stakes meeting in Saudi Arabia over how to end Russia's war in Ukraine. U.S. and Russian officials talked for more than four hours earlier today in Riyadh, but Ukraine did not have a seat at the table. Here you see U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his delegation seated across from Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov's team. Now, America's top diplomat reflected on the long journey to get to this moment and the work that still remains. Take a listen.
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RUBIO: But, we have to understand that it's been three and a half years since there has been any sort of regularized contact between the United States and Russia, and in some cases, between any of the participants in this conflict and Russia. So, the goal of today's meeting was to follow up on the phone call the President had a week ago, and begin to establish those lines of communication. The work remains. Today is the first step of a long and difficult journey. (END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: Lavrov also sharing a mostly positive reaction to the meeting.
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SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (Interpreted): I think that the meeting was very useful. We didn't just listen to each other. We heard each other, and I think the American side certainly started to understand our side of the argument, which has been many times expanded by President Putin.
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SOLOMON: Meantime, European leaders were left scrambling for a coordinated response after Ukrainian officials and European allies were excluded from today's talks.
Let's get right to our Chief National Security Correspondent Alex Marquardt, who is tracking today's crucial talks, and he joins us live now from Riyadh. Alex, talk to us more about what Secretary Rubio is now saying, were the tangible outcomes of this meeting. What exactly was accomplished?
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, what was accomplished is essentially broad strokes and a commitment to continue these conversations. I don't think there was any real expectation that the two sides were going to emerge today with any kind of concrete plans for a path forward, certainly not on Ukraine, where there has been acknowledgement from the highest levels everywhere, that this is going to be a long, arduous process to try to find some settlement to this war after three years.
So, as you played in that soundbite, Secretary Rubio was thinking about this as the first step to essentially talk more about the discussions, to follow on, on a wide range of subjects. I think it's quite interesting that going into these talks that the Americans have been focusing specifically on Ukraine primarily, and the Russians have been talking about essentially the whole host, the whole catalog of Russian-U.S. relations.
And so, what we heard today from the American side is that they do want to see a permanent solution to the war in Ukraine, a permanent end, that there will be discussions about security guarantees. There will be discussions about sanctions, and whether to end those. But, those are for conversations down the line. Here is a little bit more of what the National Security Advisor Mike Waltz had to say.
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MIKE WALTZ, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: This needs to be a permanent end to the war and not a temporary end, as we've seen in the past. We know just the practical reality is that there is going to be some discussion of territory, and there is going to be discussion of security guarantees. (END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUARDT: Now, in terms of what actually came out of this, the Secretary of State laid out four points for what had been discussed and what will continue to be discussed. The first is diplomatic relations, the reestablishment of what they called functioning of the two embassies in Moscow and Washington, which have been pretty bare bones for the past few years, not operating at full capacity.
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The second, perhaps most importantly, immediately, is the two sides will create high-level delegations, high-level official teams, who will be negotiating on Ukraine. And then, third, they are thinking longer term. They are thinking about what they call the historic potential for economic and investment opportunities, and that's where you really see the fact that they are looking at this on a wider level. The scope of issues goes well beyond just Ukraine. And then they committed, the five men who were at the table in that room, to continue talking to each other.
Rahel, there has been a lot of discussion about when presidents Putin and Trump might meet. They committed to that in their phone call. They said that they would visit each other's capitals. There has been some speculation that might happen as early as next week, right here in Riyadh. What we are hearing from the two sides today is that it is unlikely and that no date has been set. Rahel.
SOLOMON: And Alex, also we heard from Rubio that, in his estimation, only President Trump can end the war in Ukraine. Obviously, what's notable is that Ukraine wasn't even at the meeting, at least in these early stages. What more are you hearing there?
MARQUARDT: Well, what Rubio saying is essentially Trump is going to bring everyone together and force them to a solution. He actually called President Trump rather impatient when it comes to trying to find a solution. So, he believes that Trump can bring all the different sides together. Obviously, there have been some questions about where are the Ukrainians in all this, where are the Europeans in all this.
The approach by the U.S. has essentially been on two different tracks. The first one is with the Russians that we saw play out today. The other one is with the Ukrainians. They're having separate discussions there before they try to bring the two sides together. We do know that the Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg is going to be in Kyiv for the next few days, meeting with President Zelenskyy and others.
But, we did hear an angry reaction from President Zelenskyy earlier today, who called off his trip to Saudi Arabia. He was supposed to be coming here tomorrow on a previously planned, completely separate bilateral trip, but it sounds like he didn't want any confusion. He didn't want it to appear like he was coming here for further negotiations. He has been vocally frustrated about the fact that these conversations have been going on without him, and he has said he will not agree to anything about Ukraine that isn't decided with their participation. Rahel.
SOLOMON: All right. Alex Marquardt reporting live for us from Riyadh. Alex, thank you.
And as we mentioned, Ukraine and other European leaders were noticeably absent from the closed-door talks, which are crucial and critical to the future of the deadly conflict and the future hopes of a democratic Ukraine. Just hours before the meeting, Russia launched an extensive drone attack on Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying that his country will not give in to what he calls Russia's ultimatums.
Now, while all of this is happening, the U.S. Special Envoy to Ukraine and Russia is in Brussels, meeting EU leaders. This comes after European leaders held an emergency meeting in Paris on Monday, where they vowed to stand by Ukraine.
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PEDRO SANCHEZ, SPANISH PRIME MINISTER (Interpreted): In order for peace to be fair and enduring, peace talks must have the active implication of Ukraine, which is the assaulted country, and from the political project which feels threatened, which is the European Union. If we want a fair and enduring peace, and we don't want a false closure, we demand an active participation from the European Union and from Ukraine.
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SOLOMON: All right. Let's now bring in our Chief International Security Correspondent Nick Paton Walsh, who is joining us live from Kyiv. Nick, Alex was just sort of touching on there at the end of his reporting that the strong vocal reaction and frustration we're hearing from the Ukrainian side. You also have new reaction coming in from Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. Give us a sense of what he said.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. I mean, look, ultimately what Zelenskyy said today is not a reflection, I think, of some startling new development, but he had been expected in Riyadh tomorrow, as Alex was saying. And I think there was some sort of feeling that even though this meeting, this trip, had been preplanned, was supposed to be bilateral, that maybe Zelenskyy was hoping that he will catch the entrails of this U.S.- Russia summit that might possibly involve an extension to Kyiv as part of the talks.
But, it turns out that this U.S.-Russia summit has been much more about Washington and Moscow and getting their relations back on track, and he may possibly, Zelenskyy, have been offended by the notion that diplomatic presences in both the embassies in Washington and Moscow for both countries will begin to improve.
There has obviously been discomfort here in Ukraine about the fact that Trump and Putin appear set upon trying to improve their relationship, the increasing rehabilitation of Russia's image from the release of American prisoner Marc Fogel at the beginning of last week, and also too, the stark words we've heard from Trump administration officials in Europe, the Secretary of Defense saying how America could no longer be the guarantor of security in Europe, J.D. Vance, the Vice President, telling the Munich Security Conference that America's own Western allies were basically totalitarians, afraid of their own voters.
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It's been a really shocking week, frankly, for Europe, who still, despite the assurances from National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and not in the U.S.-Russia talks, and Ukrainian -- Ukraine and Russia envoy for the Trump administration, General Keith Kellogg, indeed said at the weekend that they weren't going to be involved in peace talks either.
And so, Zelenskyy's reaction today, I think, is him again standing Kyiv's ground and saying, we won't permit deals to be made about us without us. I think also trying to be sure that he can put distance between himself and what's happened in Saudi Arabia, and trying, I think, to focus minds on Waltz and Rubio, if indeed they are real about saying Ukraine has to be part of this, that they have to follow that up with actions, but still very fierce words in a matter of minutes after we heard Rubio, Waltz and Witkoff speaking in Riyadh there.
SOLOMON: Yeah. And that trip your postponed until March 10th.
Nick Paton Walsh live for us there from Kyiv. Nick, thank you.
And later this hour, we will continue our live coverage of the crucial talks in Saudi Arabia. I'm going to speak with Oleksandr Merezhko, who is the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee on the Ukrainian parliament. That interview is coming up in about 20 minutes from now. Stay with us.
All right. Now let's turn to the crash of that Delta Airlines plane in Toronto on Monday. CNN has obtained this new video from TMZ, and it shows the moment the plane approaches the tarmac at Toronto's airport. As it hits the ground, the rear landing gear buckles. Let's show it to now from a different angle. The plane comes in for landing, then briefly skids on its belly before flipping over, sending smoke into the air. Now, incredibly, all 80 people on board survived, but according to Delta, 21 people were injured, and right now, two remain in the hospital.
Inside the plane, passengers were suspended upside down with their seat belts still on before being able to escape.
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JOHN NELSON, SURVIVED DELTA PLANE CRASH IN TORONTO: It was mass chaos. I was upside down. The lady next to me was upside down. We kind of let ourselves go and fell to hit the ceiling, which is surreal feeling. And then everybody was just like, get out, get out, get out.
PETE KOUKOV, SURVIVED DELTA PLANE CRASH IN TORONTO: We didn't really know anything was the matter, or at least I didn't, until like the second we hit the ground. There was no like real indication of anything. And then, yeah, we hit the ground, and we were sideways, and then we were upside down, hanging like bats.
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SOLOMON: Hanging like bats.
Let's bring in now Paula Newton for the latest. Paula, what more are we learning about the crash today?
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the good news here, Rahel, is the fact that we have 21 people who had injuries, but all of them now out of hospital, except for two that remain there, and we don't have an update on how those people are doing, but we do know that the injuries sustained were non-life-threatening.
At issue here, though, now is what happened. We were looking at so much video there, and in fact, as you said, that the landing gear apparently buckled, but there is also this issue about whether or not the wing may have touched the runway as well. Did weather play a role or not? Now, I've said before, Rahel, I was at the airport, inside of an hour from when this incident happened. I saw a lot of blowing snow, a lot of ice. That doesn't necessarily mean that that caused any of this to happen. I want you to listen now, though, to the conversation, chilling words really, coming from the control tower. Listen.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where is the crash?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's our runway 2-3, right at threshold, right at this intersection there, 2-3 and 15 left.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: LifeFlight 1, Medevac, just so you are aware, there are people outside walking around the aircraft there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah. We've got it. The aircraft upside down and burning.
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NEWTON: Upside down and burning, as disconcerting as that is to hear, when we piece together all of the video that we've seen, investigators will be doing that as well. They'll have the flight data recorder. And when we talk about that, that has to do with the exact precision notes that they have on how the altitude of this airplane when it was coming in for landing, what the speed was, and where it exactly hit that runway and what the conditions were. They will be looking at all of this. The Canadian Transportation Safety Board taking the lead with the NTSB, the body here in the United States, obviously also assisting in this investigation. They should have a preliminary report inside of a month.
I will say, Rahel, as well, we are waiting for an airport update in about 45 minutes from now. We are unlikely to get anything more on the investigation in that press conference. What we're likely to get is just more detail on the response and obviously how the airport is coping with everything right now. Rahel.
SOLOMON: All right. That's Paula Newton live in New York for us, actually. Paula, good to have you.
And just for our viewers, we will, of course, take that press conference once it begins at about 11:30 Eastern. We will bring that to you at home.
Let's now get to CNN Transportation Analyst Mary Schiavo, who joins us now. She is also the former Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Mary, always a pleasure to see you. Fortunately, in this circumstance, everyone survived. Just give me a sense of your first reactions.
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You see the video. You hear the audio. It's all just incredible. What do you see in the video?
MARY SCHIAVO, CNN AVIATION ANALYST, & FMR. INSPECTOR GENERAL, U.S. TRANSPORTATION DEPT.: It is -- it's all very incredible, and what's important to note is that the video is very helpful. The video shows us what happened, and of course, the investigators will be looking at all the reasons therefore. So, the plane was landing at a high speed. I think the plane was landing very fast, and you could see that in the video, and then you could see from radar that's publicly available, there were fluctuations in the vertical speed. There were fluctuations in the ground speed. So, we know there were wind gusts.
And then, looking closely at the video, and the investigators will know the answer to this, because they will have the flight data recorders, were the flaps extended? And those are little winglets that help the plane basically hang in the air better when it's landing. Were the thrust reversers deployed, or were they deployed when they touched down? And so, there are so many things that the investigators will look at beyond what we see in these videos, but these videos give us a lot of clues, just so many. And it did appear to be coming in very fast and pancaked.
SOLOMON: Yeah. Let me play for you, Mary, a clip from one of the passengers on that flight. I want to get your reaction to something that they say. Take a listen.
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NELSON: We were coming in, and I did notice that, like, the winds were super gusty. The snow had kind of blown over the runways. And when we hit, it was just a super hard light, like, it hit the ground and the plane went sideways, and I believe we skidded, like, on our side, and then flipped over on our back. Where we ended up, there was like a big fireball out this left side of the plane.
(END VIDEO CLIP) SOLOMON: So, Mary, specifically about the weather, I mean, this was a
flight that traveled from Minneapolis to Toronto, obviously, both very cold weather cities, very accustomed to cold weather. Just give me your sense of what we're hearing about the weather conditions on the road, even our previous correspondent, Paula Newton, saying something similar, and how that might have played into a contributing factor here.
SCHIAVO: Well, the investigators will be very intent on looking at the limitations of this plane. Every plane has limits on its crosswinds, what its operational limits are in crosswinds, and even winds for takeoff and landing, and this plane has a limit of about, oh, I think about 35 knots for landing. But, a crosswind presents an additional problem, and if the runway is at all foul, slippery, snowy, icy, and we had reports that there was de-icing residue, etc., on the runway, then that crosswind limit can go down to as little as 15 knots. So, the investigators will want to look at the exact weather conditions right as it's coming in to land.
And you do have a point at which you can abort the landing and go around. You do have a missed approach, and there are procedures that you go over before you land to get out of there and take another try again. But, of course, there could have been a problem in deploying the flaps. There could have been a problem with the air speed. It was coming in very fast, but the gusts change your instruments. They can -- in a minute, it could be showing something else, if in a second, rather, with the gusts. So, that is probably where it will end up. And they'll be looking at what weather played, how it played havoc on this aircraft, and whether this was a stabilized landing, if they were ready to go and land. It doesn't look like it, but there could have been an awful lot going on in that cockpit.
SOLOMON: Yeah. Mary, I mean, you follow these incidents closer than most, and yet it feels like from an outside observer's point of view, these seem like they're happening a lot. Is there any factual basis to that, or are we just covering it more? Because maybe we're all collectively on edge when we see stories like this.
SCHIAVO: No. Actually, there have been a lot in a very short period of time, and only two seem to be similar, the fatal crash in Alaska, and of course, this one were clearly weather-related, icing, bad weather conditions, an aircraft that that -- they just don't have the same flight capabilities, for example, as a large air bus or a wide body plane or a big Boeing. I mean, these planes, smaller planes, have more limits for bad weather.
But, what's encouraging is core (ph). So, it's hard to say anything is encouraging after crashes is each one other than that had unique characteristics. The D.C. -- the Washington, D.C. crash, there had been reports of incursions and loss of separation between helicopters and commercial aircraft for years. I mean, I think they said there is something like 100 prior reports. So, that -- looking back, we're -- in retrospect, I mean, that wasn't a surprise, but that's very different from this.
[11:20:00] So, the important thing that safety investigators and safety planners always look at is, is there a trend? Can we clearly see that something is heading the wrong direction? And so, all the recent crashes, other than the Alaska one and this one, they had different causes, different situations, different weather. So, there doesn't seem to be an overall pattern. But, yes, in the space of a month, we've had a lot of accidents, more than we've had in probably 20 years in the United States.
SOLOMON: Yeah. And then obviously, the silver lining, if you can call it that, in this situation, is that everyone miraculously walked away from this with their lives.
Mary Schiavo, always appreciate your insight. Thank you.
SCHIAVO: Thank you.
SOLOMON: All right. And still to come, an update on the health of Pope Francis. We're going to have a live report from Rome coming up next. Plus, a stark warning from Lebanon, as Israel defies the latest deadline to fully withdraw troops after last year's war with Hezbollah. We'll be right back.
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SOLOMON: Welcome back. Pope Francis spent a peaceful fortnight in a Rome hospital. That's according to Vatican officials. Doctors are treating him for a serious respiratory lung infection. Yesterday, the Vatican said that the 88-year-old would remain in the hospital until his condition improves. All public events on the Pope's calendar have been canceled through Sunday, meaning that a Jubilee audience scheduled for that day will no longer take place.
For more now, let's bring in CNN Vatican Correspondent Christopher Lamb, who is outside the hospital in Rome. Christopher, talk to us about what more you're hearing on the latest with the Pope's help today.
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rahel, the Vatican spokesman this morning told reporters that the Pope had breakfast. He has read some newspapers. But, we are now into the fifth day of the Pope's hospitalization here at the Gemelli hospital behind me. The people I have spoken to in the Vatican are clearly worried and concerned for the Pope, but there isn't a sense of alarm or panic yet. We just don't know how long the Pope is going to be in hospital. There is no timetable that's been given.
As you mentioned, audience -- public events and audiences have been canceled. One that was scheduled for Saturday is no longer going to take place. It all really depends on how well the Pope responds to treatment. Francis has been told by doctors that he must rest, that he must slow down and try to recover, as he fights this respiratory infection. Rahel.
SOLOMON: To that end, how much more is the Vatican saying about this infection? LAMB: Well, the Vatican explained that the Pope has a polymicrobial infection, which means that there are a number of factors behind it. It could be viral, bacterial, fungal.
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The Vatican haven't said exactly what are the precise factors that the Pope has with this infection. We are expecting a further update from the Vatican later today. We hope to have more details then. But, clearly, this is a serious infection, and this is one of the longest stays that the Pope has had in hospital since his election as Pope in 2013, and I would say the most serious health crisis that he has faced as Pope. Rahel.
SOLOMON: Christopher Lamb reporting there from Rome. Keep us posted. Christopher, thank you.
And we are getting new details about the expected release of hostages this week from Gaza. Hamas says that it will return the dead bodies for Israelis on Thursday, including the youngest hostages, Kfir and Ariel Bibas. They were just nine-months-old and four-years-old when they were kidnapped on October 7. Now, Israel has not publicly confirmed their deaths. Hamas says it will also release six living hostages on Saturday in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Israel's Foreign Minister says that Israel could begin delayed negotiations on the second phase of the ceasefire deal this week. After discussions with U.S. officials, Gideon Sa'ar did not rule out a return to war if negotiations are not, quote, "effective".
And new developments today involving the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire as well. Lebanon says that it reserves the right to use, quote, "all means necessary to ensure Israeli troops leave the country", warning that it considers any remaining Israeli presence an occupation. Today marks the latest deadline for Israel to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon, but it's leaving its troops in five posts, saying that Hezbollah activists are still present south of the Litani River. The truce calls for both Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters to leave the area, which would then be patrolled by the Lebanese army. The UN says that the delay violates a key UN Security Council resolution.
And coming up for us, Ukraine's President says that no one decides anything behind our backs after U.S. and Russian officials exclude Kyiv from a critical meeting. We'll get reaction from a Ukrainian parliament member straight ahead. Plus, the President of Mexico threatening to sue Google over its Gulf of Mexico name change. We'll the details straight ahead.
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SOLOMON: Welcome back. You're watching CNN Newsroom. I'm Rahel Solomon live in New York, and here are some of the international headlines we're watching for you today.
All right. Now we are standing by for an update from Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday's Delta plane crash. At last check, that has since been moved to about 30 minutes from now. So, about 12:00 p.m. Eastern.
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Meantime, CNN has gained this new video of the moment the jet approaches the tarmac. You can see it as it hits the ground there. The rear landing gear crumbles and the right wing shears away. It briefly skids across the runway on its belly before flipping over, sending smoke up into the air. All 80 people on board survived. Delta says that 21 people were injured, two right now still remain in the hospital. And outside the plane, the passengers were suspended upside down in their seats with their seat belts still on, before being able to escape. One passenger saying that we were upside down, hanging like bats.
The President of Mexico is threatening to sue Google. The warning comes after Google Maps changed Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America for U.S.-based users only. The President of Mexico says that Google's new label is simply incorrect. She argues that Trump's decree to rename the gulf is not applicable to the entire body of water. Rather, it should only cover the continental shelf under U.S. control.
At least 14 people are dead in the wake of raging floods across parts of the Eastern U.S., with some rivers still rising. One of those killed was in West Virginia, where the governor says that a second person is still missing. And more than a month's worth of rain completely overwhelming the state of Kentucky in less than 24 hours, emergency crews with the Kentucky National Guard and state police performed more than 1,000 rescues since the flooding started.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that he will not give in to Moscow's "ultimatums" after U.S. and Russian talks in Riyadh today. He says that it was, quote, "a surprise that Ukraine wasn't invited", insisting that no one can decide anything, quote, "behind our backs". Mr. Zelenskyy is now postponing a visit to Saudi Arabia. Russia's Foreign Minister, meantime, says that today's talks were, quote, "useful". U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says that Moscow and Washington will create teams to work toward ending the war.
And for more reaction now from Ukraine, we are joined by Oleksandr Merezhko, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Ukrainian parliament. Wonderful to have you, Oleksandr. Let me just first get your reaction to the comments a few hours ago from the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, when he said, and I'm quoting here, "We're going to help negotiate and work through the end of the conflict in Ukraine in a way that is enduring and acceptable to all the parties engaged." Your reaction to that, considering Ukraine wasn't invited?
OLEKSANDR MEREZHKO, FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE CHAIR, UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT: Well, first of all, of course, it is disturbing for us, because we firmly believe that the United States and the administration of the new President will continue to follow crucial principle nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. And of course, we treat the United States as our closest ally and friend, which have saved us several times, and we trust the United States in this respect. And I believe that if we have any kinds of misunderstandings, they should be settled in direct contact between President Trump and President Zelenskyy.
SOLOMON: Do you still trust the United States after this morning's meeting in Riyadh?
MEREZHKO: I still trust the United States, but at the same time, we are concerned about the prospects, because the thing is that any contact with the Putin's regime leads to a break in his political and diplomatic isolation, and we see danger in this.
SOLOMON: So, let me ask, you've said before that Ukraine won't take no for an answer when it comes to NATO membership, and that's really the only deterrent, in your opinion, for Russia. That clearly seems to be a sticking point for Russia. So, what happens next from Ukraine's perspective? How do you see this going?
MEREZHKO: Well, we continue to insist on NATO membership for a very simple reason, because when we're talking about deterring a new invasion, new acts of aggression on the part of Putin, on the part of Russia, we should take into consideration what Putin in his mind use as reliable deterrent, and at present moment, the only reliable deterrent for him, for his actions, is NATO membership for Ukraine.
SOLOMON: Let me ask, there is an old expression, and I hope I'm not sort of butchering it here, but that a sign of a good negotiation is when both parties walk away, not getting everything they want. And so, I'm curious, this is obviously, for Ukraine, a matter of life and death, a matter, in your words, of sovereignty, what concessions might Ukraine be willing to make?
MEREZHKO: Well, as I have said before many times, that we have certain red lines. For example, we cannot make concessions on our territorial integrity, and we cannot put concession with regard of our security. So, these are top priorities, and there will be no consent. But, honestly, I don't believe in success of this negotiations for a very simple reason. Putin doesn't want any compromise. He doesn't want any concessions from Ukraine. He wants to destroy us. He wants total surrender from Ukraine.
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SOLOMON: Does the fact that Sergey Lavrov is even now physically meeting with his American counterparts, does that give you any optimism at all? It's the first time since before Russia invaded Ukraine. Does it give you any sense that at the very least, they are now willing to sit down with American officials? How do you see it?
MEREZHKO: Well, first of all, for us, Lavrov, not only for us, from the perspective of international law, he is like Ribbentrop. He is war criminal, and I doubt that the United States, democratic state, should have any official contacts with war criminals and terrorists like Lavrov, Putin and so on.
On the other hand, I understand that President Trump is trying to deliver on his promise made on the campaign trail, or to show that he is trying to deliver on his promise with regard to bringing peace to Ukraine. But, we should talk only about just peace based on international law, not appeasement. I hope appeasement is out of question for President Trump.
SOLOMON: Yeah. Where does Europe stand at this point? I mean, what can they do, if anything, to try to get this conversation back on track in a way that involves both of the sides here, both Russia and Ukraine?
MEREZHKO: Well, first of all, it would be better for the United States, for Ukraine and for Europe, first to get together and come up with joint plan, with join peace plan, or plan of actions. And Russia is afraid of such solidarity between democratic states, and it would put pressure on Putin and made, in this case, the chances are that he might agree to negotiate honestly.
SOLOMON: OK. Well, we'll leave it here, but we certainly do appreciate your insights there in Kyiv. That's Oleksandr Merezhko. Thank you very much.
MEREZHKO: Thank you.
SOLOMON: All right. Still ahead, a judge allows Elon Musk's DOGE to access sensitive information as the head of a U.S. government agency steps down. Plus, new covert tactics along the U.S. southern border in the fight against Mexican drug cartels. We will be right back.
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SOLOMON: Welcome back. The CIA has been flying drones over Mexico to spy on drug cartels. That's what CNN is hearing from officials who are familiar with covert missions -- with the covert missions. Those missions come amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Mexican government. Observers say that the Trump administration is moving to treat transnational drug cartels as terrorist organizations, although that designation has yet to be made official.
Let's go to our Washington bureau, and CNN's Natasha Bertrand. Natasha, what were you hearing about this?
NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Rahel. So, current and former officials, they told us that the CIA under President Trump has been covertly flying these MQ-9 Reaper drones over Mexico to spy on drug cartels, and this is all part of Trump's dramatic kind of reorientation of national security assets to the U.S. southern border that we've been seeing in recent weeks.
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Now, CNN has previously reported that as part of that as well, the U.S. military was actually flying spy planes in international airspace to monitor cartels, but these drones are actually flying over Mexico and inside Mexican air space, which is a significant development. These more recent flights by these drones were also communicated to Congress by the Trump administration, using a particular notification that is reserved for new or updated covert programs that the CIA intends either to conceal or deny.
So, this is all part of a broader strategy to shift those intelligence community resources towards combating drug cartels, which the administration is also preparing to designate as foreign terrorist organizations. And we did obtain a 30-page Trump transition planning document that called for treating this counter drug cartel work as a form of, quote, "counter terrorism", and used those authorities and unique resources appropriately, including by moving those resources from other regions if necessary. So, really kind of an all-hands-on- deck approach here.
Now, we should note that these MQ-9 drones, they're not currently armed, but they can be equipped with payloads to carry out precision strikes, and the U.S. actually does do that pretty regularly to target suspected terrorists in Syria, Iraq and Somalia. And when we asked the CIA for comment, a spokesperson declined to comment specifically about these drone missions, but did acknowledge that broadly, quote, "countering drug cartels in Mexico and regionally is a priority for CIA, as part of the Trump administration's broader efforts to end the grave threat from narco trafficking. Director Ratcliffe is determined to put CIA's unique expertise to work against this multi-faceted challenge."
Now, of course, these drone missions, they also come amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and the Mexican government, especially as Mexican officials have already, of course, been fielding questions about why those military spy planes have flown missions near their border in recent weeks, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and other senior Mexican officials have emphasized in recent days the importance of sovereignty and intelligence sharing, and have noted that the U.S. spy planes are occurring in international airspace. But, obviously, these drone missions that the CIA is conducting are taking place in Mexican airspace itself. So, Mexican officials, they did not respond to our request for comment about this, or whether they're even aware that these drone flights are happening, Rahel.
SOLOMON: OK. Keep us posted. Natasha Bertrand reporting live there. Natasha, thank you.
And criticism is still swirling on Capitol Hill over the recent firings at the National Nuclear Security Administration. More than 300 workers were initially let go at the agency that manages the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal. Then the Trump administration tried to hire them back after Congress petitioned for a reversal, citing national security concerns. Sources say all but 25 staffers have returned to work, but it is unclear how many will be back on the job today.
There has been a legal setback in the effort to stop Elon Musk's cost cutting DOGE agency from accessing sensitive data. A federal judge in Washington, D.C., will allow DOGE to check data from the U.S. Department of Education. A group of financial aid students had asked for protection of their personal information, but the judge said that their lawsuit couldn't show, at least at this time, how they could be harmed or if there would be violations of privacy laws.
The battle over DOGE access has prompted the resignation, meantime, of another agency's leader. Sources say Michelle King has stepped down as acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration. She had been there several decades. Let's get to Alayna Treene now, who is at the White House. Alayna,
what more are you hearing? What's the latest with the latest with the Social Security head stepping down now?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Rahel, this is just the latest of several different agencies where DOGE employees have been attempting to access their highly sensitive data systems, but this is one of them where we've actually seen a high-ranking official actually resign over that. So, the acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, Michelle King, resigned from her role on Sunday, I'm told, over these DOGE employees attempting to access these government records. Now, King, as you mentioned, had worked at the Social Security Administration for decades. She was just named last month as its acting Commissioner.
But really, her departure comes as we have seen a lot of skepticism and criticism, really, from all corners of Washington, from Capitol Hill to the courts over whether DOGE and the employees working under DOGE should be given the authority to access some of these highly sensitive systems. We know just yesterday, we were discussing how one DOGE employee, a software engineer, who is temporarily based at the IRS, was attempting to gain access to their very sensitive tax payer data system, causing a lot of questions to arise from Democrats on Capitol Hill. So, this is just the latest as part of that.
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Now, just to give you a sense of how important Social Security is and how much it impacts Americans, and just to also give you a sense of how many people's data are included in some of these systems, about 72.5 million people, including retirees, disabled people and children receive Social Security benefits. It's also an issue that we know has really become more and more a flash point in American politics. I know, during the 2024 campaign, this is one of the key issues about what would happen to the future of Social Security. President Trump, for his part, has vowed to protect Social Security. However, he also offered very few details on how he would solve for its looming insolvency.
Now, I do want to read for you a statement from the White House. This is from their spokesperson Harrison Fields. They told me, quote, "President Trump is committed to appointing the best and most qualified individuals who are dedicated to working on behalf of the American people, not to appease the bureaucracy that has failed them for far too long." So, clearly there, Rahel, having the White House kind of push back and continue to argue that what DOGE is trying to do is gain access to these systems so they can hunt down what they are referring to as waste, fraud and abuse. But, at the same time, doing that and the actions of having this happen are causing a lot of consternation among those who are currently at the agencies.
SOLOMON: Yeah. And Alayna, the White House is saying that Elon Musk apparently does not have formal authority to make decisions and is not an employee of DOGE. So, what are they saying about his role?
TREENE: Yeah. There has been a lot of questions, Rahel, about exactly what Elon Musk's role at the White House and within the Trump administration would be. First of all, I would note that, one, he has his own office on the White House complex in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, just steps away from the West Wing. We also know that he meets with President Donald Trump regularly. We just saw him last week take questions from the Oval Office, beside the President.
However, the White House says that he is a special government employee, which is kind of like a senior advisor. They're supposed to be working part-time. They argue he is not getting paid. But, part of being a special government employee means that you're not supposed to formally make decisions, and that's what we saw in this court filing from the Trump administration last night, which was, he has no formal authority to actually make decisions here. Part of his role is to be making recommendations.
I just want to go through one thing that is included in this court filing. It says, "Like other senior White House advisors, Mr. Musk has no actual or formal authority to make government decisions himself." So, again, just kind of repeating that line that they are trying to argue that even though he has a lot of this influence, he is able to make recommendations, he is not solely able to make formal decisions himself, of course, again, questions over the accuracy of that, knowing just how important and influential Musk has been, and a lot of what DOGE is doing. He has kind of been the representative of DOGE. You see him posting on his social media platform X a lot about the work that DOGE is doing.
So, this is going to continue, I think, to be a question moving forward about how much access he has, what authority he has, and again, just to remind you as well, he is not an elected official. That has been the heart of a lot of this criticism as well, Rahel.
SOLOMON: Yeah, because he is not an elected official, he obviously doesn't have the same level of accountability that elected officials do have.
Alayna Treene at the White House. Alayna, thank you.
All right. And the judge overseeing the corruption case against New York City's mayor is set to hold a hearing on Wednesday. He will consider the U.S. Justice Department's controversial request to stop or halt the case against Eric Adams. This comes after numerous resignations were filed in the mayor's office. Four top deputies to Mayor Adams stepped down from their rules on Monday, and there are growing calls for Adams himself to resign.
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ERIC ADAMS, MAYOR, NEW YORK CITY: They're dancing on my grave right now, every news headline, every report, every calling, it is over for him. And I want to be clear, you're going to hear so many rumors, so many things, you're going to read so much. I am going nowhere. Nowhere.
(END VIDEO CLIP) SOLOMON: And the outgoing U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of
New York and several other prosecutors resigned over the order to drop charges against Adams. Adams has pleaded not guilty to all charges and denies any quid pro quo.
Well, still to come, no doubt, perhaps, that these will be hanging on the royal fridge. The Princess and Prince of Wales revealed some of their family art work on social media, hoping that it will inspire others to get creative. We'll be right back.
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SOLOMON: China's government appears to be opening its arms to the private sector after years of regulatory crackdowns and stagnant economic growth. On Monday, Chinese leader Xi Jinping hosted a symposium of the country's top tech and business leaders, where a meeting comes as China faces a new trade war with the U.S. and the economic uncertainty that comes along with it.
Steven Jiang has the details.
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STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: While there had been recent signs of the government trying to put on a more business-friendly face by placing those top executives in the same room with the country's most powerful leader in decades, having this face-to-face conversation really sends the clearest to get message, not only to those tycoons, but also to the whole Communist Party power structure, and by extension, the whole nation, that the government now relies and values the private sector to drive innovation and growth after a years-long crackdown.
Now, of all the industry titans in attendance on Monday, one name perhaps most notable is Jack Ma, founder of tech giant Alibaba, because many still consider a speech, a skating speech he delivered more than four years ago trigger this whole harsh crackdown on the private sector, wiping out billions and billions of dollars of multiple companies' market values, including his own personal fortune, because he criticized the country's financial regulators ahead of his company's highly anticipated IPO. Now, if there is one thing the government here would never tolerate, that is open descent and challenge to its monopoly on power.
More than four years later, those concerns seem to have largely resolved. That's why the government seems ready to renew its public support for the private sector, especially at a time when the economy still faces strong headwinds, both domestically, but also externally, with this new trade war looming with the U.S. under a second Trump presidency, the continued U.S. export controls targeting China's tech sector also really instills this urgency here. All of that may explain the timing of this meeting on Monday. But, at the end of the day, many analysts have also pointed out all
these people present in that room on Monday have already gotten the message from the crackdown that no matter how rich and powerful you get in this country, only one man's words truly matter.
Steven Jiang, CNN, Beijing.
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SOLOMON: All right. An update now to a messy court battle that has rocked Hollywood. We are expecting an attorney for actress Blake Lively to file an amended complaint today. It stems from her claims that her "It Ends with Us" co-star Justin Baldoni sexually harassed her during the film's production. Lively filed a complaint in December accusing Baldoni and others of a smear campaign after she made the allegations, while Baldoni denied the harassment and then he countersued. The two have since been caught up in a complicated legal saga. A trial date has been set for March 2026.
And more legal battles in Hollywood. Next hour, the felony assault trial of hip-hop star A$AP Rocky is set to resume in Los Angeles, with jury delay deliberations expected today. Rocky is accused of firing two shots at a former friend on a Hollywood street corner in 2021. His attorneys argue that he only fired blanks from a prop gun that he had picked up for security on a music video shoot. Now, it convicted, he faces up to 24 years in prison.
Prince Harry's wife Meghan has re-launched her lifestyle brand, naming it "As Ever". A rare photo of their daughter, Lilibet, is featured on the brand's website. The "As Ever" news comes two weeks before the launch of Megan's new Netflix series "With love, Meghan".
And before we go, one more thing. Family time for the British Royals can apparently get quite artsy on X Monday. Kensington Palace shared portraits drawn by Princess Catherine herself and the Royal couple's three children, George, Charlotte, and Louis.
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The Royals highlighted, quote, "a moment of connection that drawing portraits with children can bring", as well as quote, "lots of fun". Earlier this month, Princess Catherine inaugurated a new exhibit at London's National Portrait Gallery that encourages children to draw self-portraits.
All right. Appreciate you being with us today. I'm Rahel Solomon live in New York. Stick with CNN. One World is coming up next.
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