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CNN International: Putin Welcomes "Friendly" U.S.-Russia Talks On Ukraine Conflict; France Hosts New Talks On Ukraine's Future; Zelenskyy Vows To Resist "Russia's Ultimatums". Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired February 19, 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, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that his country is not for sale, one day after U.S. and Russian officials met without Ukraine. We'll have the details and the reaction this hour. Plus, President Trump wielding executive power by taking the independent out of, well, independent. We'll take you to the White House. We'll look at the agencies he is trying to have authority over. And growing concerns about the health of the Pope. The Vatican confirming that he has pneumonia in both of his lungs. We are live in Rome with the very latest.
All right. We begin with U.S. President Donald Trump upending U.S. policy on Ukraine and also how European allies are preparing a coordinated response. Right now, French President Emmanuel Macron is hosting another high-stakes meeting on finding a path forward for Ukraine and Europe's overall security. Some leaders will take part via video conferences. This comes as Mr. Trump's Russia-Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg is in Kyiv. Now, on Tuesday, delegations from the U.S. and Russia held discussions in Saudi Arabia, but officials from Ukraine were not invited. Now, Kellogg says that his mission is to listen to Ukraine's concerns.
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KEITH KELLOGG, U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR RUSSIA AND UKRAINE: We understand the need for security guarantees. It's very clear to us the importance of the sovereignty of this nation, and independence of this nation as well. And we're going to -- and part of my mission is to sit and listen, and say, OK, what are your concerns? We can go back to the United States, talk to President Trump and with Secretary Rubio and the rest of the team, and just ensure that we get this one right.
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SOLOMON: Now, we expect Kellogg to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This meeting will be on the heels of Zelenskyy accusing Trump of repeating disinformation from Russia. Take a listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (Interpreted): Unfortunately, President Trump, I have great respect for him as a leader of a nation, that we have great respect for the American people who always support us, unfortunately lives in this disinformation space.
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SOLOMON: Now, on Tuesday, Mr. Trump falsely blamed Ukraine for starting the conflict with Russia, echoing Russian President Vladimir Putin's talking points.
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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I think I have the power to end this war, and I think it's going very well, but today I heard, oh, we weren't invited. Well, you've been there for three years. You should have ended it in three years. You should have never started it. You could have made a deal.
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SOLOMON: Now, Russian President Vladimir Putin has welcomed talks with the U.S. Putin says that he has been briefed on the meeting that took place in Riyadh on Tuesday, and that he heard that the talks had been friendly. Here is what else he told reporters in St. Petersburg a short time ago.
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VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (Interpreted): It's not just a question of drinking tea or coffee together, but that we have a team in place, not only about the Ukrainian business, but to try and get to a decision which is mutually acceptable for both sides. I have already spoken about this before for presidency, spoke about trying to put an end to the Ukrainian crisis as quickly as possible.
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SOLOMON: All right. CNN's Fred Pleitgen has been following all of this from Moscow and joins us now. So, Fred, we're getting a better sense now of what went down at these talks. Fair to say that the Russian side seems pleased, Fred?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I would say pleased is probably even an understatement in all of this. There is certainly a lot of optimism that we're hearing in political Moscow right now, Rahel, with politicians, in many cases, praising those negotiations that took place, praising also the stance of the Trump administration.
What we actually did today is we went on the streets of Moscow and talked to a lot of people there, and a lot of them also heaped praise on President Trump for seeing things the way that the Russians do, for trying to get relations back on track. There were some folks that we spoke to who also said they believed that U.S.-Russian relations were in an unnatural state, and that the two countries' people also understand each other as well.
So, right now, certainly, the Russians do believe that they have an in again once again with the United States. They are back on the diplomatic international scene, and there is a lot of optimism also on the ground here, Rahel, that sanctions could be lifted in the not too distant future, and there could be a general reset of U.S.-Russia relations. That's something that we heard, of course, also from Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister as well. Today, he gave a speech in the lower house of parliament where he said that the U.S. is trying to understand things the Russian way, and also understanding Russia's concerns as far as Ukraine is concerned.
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And then we had Putin, who today visited a factory in St. Petersburg, and he also spoke about the meeting and how well the Russians believe it went. Here is what he said.
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PUTIN (Interpreted): In general, as I was told, the atmosphere was very friendly. As our participants told me, there were completely different people on the American side who were open to the negotiation process without any bias, without any condemnation of what had been done in the past. In any case, there was nothing of this sort in the bilateral contacts, but they were set up for joint work, open to joint work.
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PLEITGEN: So, Vladimir Putin there saying that the U.S., once again, is open to joint work. So, the Russians definitely believe that a lot is possible. But, of course, those negotiations around a peace agreement -- possible peace agreement for the Ukraine conflict definitely is something that obviously looms everywhere. Vladimir Putin there also saying that he believes the Ukrainians will be part of that process, that those negotiations are going to take place. He called the stance of the Ukrainians "hysteria" also in some of the comments there as well.
But, one of the things that we also have to keep in mind, Rahel, is that over the past couple of days, the Russians have been saying that these negotiations are not going to be easy. They don't want to cede any of the territory that they've taken on the Ukrainian side of the border. They want to take back the territory that the Ukrainians currently hold on the Russian side of the border. And of course, one of the things that we've also heard from the Russians as well is any sort of talk about Ukraine becoming a member of NATO is a red line for them as well.
So, Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, yesterday, said that he believed that a peace agreement for the Ukraine conflict was prerequisite for all the other things that could happen, economic relations and sanctions relief, and certainly that is going to be something that the Russians say is going to be very difficult to negotiate, Rahel.
SOLOMON: Fred, any sign or sense of timing on the potential Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin meeting?
PLEITGEN: Yeah. It's difficult to say. I mean, we heard the President, Donald Trump, yesterday, saying that he believes that he will meet Vladimir Putin, or he should meet Vladimir Putin before the end of this month. Now, of course, there is only a couple of days left in this month. So, that definitely seems quite ambitious.
We heard Vladimir Putin himself today say that, yes, he was ready for such a meeting. He also feels that it should happen quickly, but he also said there is a lot of things that need to be prepared. And one of the things that Vladimir Putin mentioned is that, because the two countries haven't really had any contact with one another, that there is a lot of things that need to be ironed out. There is a lot of things that need to be set up, and obviously, process has also taken place -- put in place for such a meeting to happen, for such a meeting to be organized.
And then you had the spokesman for the Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov, who was actually on the flight with Vladimir Putin early this morning on the way to St. Petersburg to some of the events that the Russian President had there, and he was asked whether a meeting will take place before the end of the month, and all he said is maybe yes, maybe no.
So, right now, it's very difficult to say. It certainly seems as though this meeting will happen very soon. Whether it will happen before the end of the month still does appear to be up in the air, Rahel.
SOLOMON: All right. Stay tuned. Fred Pleitgen live for us there in Moscow. Fred, thank you.
And CNN's Melissa Bell joins us from Paris. That's where President Emmanuel Macron is holding another round of talks on Ukraine. Melissa, let's bring you in now. What's the latest where you are? What are you hearing?
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is part two of a meeting that had begun, you remember, on Monday. Then we'd seen the Secretary General of NATO, the presidents of the European Council and Commission, several European leaders. Today, Emmanuel Macron is continuing those conversations with some of those leaders who weren't invited on Monday. So, some of the Baltic states. We know also that Justin Trudeau is a part of that meeting that's happening virtually. For most, he has only the Romanian leader with him.
But, the idea of these talks, really, Rahel, as they began on Monday, was, first of all, for Europe to try and figure out how it can continue to weigh in on these conversations, and what kind of peacekeeping force might take shape once a peace deal has been found with several European countries, from France to the United Kingdom, saying that they would provide troops, not combat troops, put troops on the ground, should there be, as they're calling it, an American backstop. So, the idea is that the security guarantees might involve European peacekeepers, but they would involve the might of American backing, and that is a pre-requisite, for instance, for the Germans who have been involved these conversations as well.
As to the question of NATO's future shape, what the Secretary General of NATO did tell me on Monday night, Rahel, was the contrary to what Americans have been saying so far, the future of Ukraine is inside NATO. Those processes have begun. It is only a matter of time before Ukraine or what is left of it, once this peace deal has been signed, joins the NATO alliance. Simply what has changed, and what the Americans have indicated is that that question would not be a part of the negotiation.
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So, they're no longer using it as a sort of bargaining chip. But, that doesn't detract from the fact that, according to the Secretary General of NATO, a future NATO, once peace has been found in Ukraine, will include Ukraine. So, a lot of these conversations are having here -- happening here on the European continent, even as those talks are happening in Riyadh.
And I think an important message that's come from the French President, certainly speaking to some of the regional press here in France, is that, however -- whatever the proximity between Donald Trump and some of his pronouncements and Vladimir Putin, those Moscow talking points when it comes to Ukraine, how it was invaded, why and everything that's unfolded since, there are those saying here in Europe, Emmanuel Macron, first and foremost among them, remember, Russia represents an existential threat to Europe, and it is in that sense that they need to continue thinking about relationships and peace negotiations. And in fact, to that point, Europeans have just announced, Rahel, their 16th round of sanctions against Moscow, this time on things like aluminum and oil.
An important reminder that whatever the negotiations are happening in Riyadh and whatever proximity there is between those two tones coming from Washington and Moscow here in Europe, Europeans are very keen to continue showing their opposition to Russia and their support to Ukraine, even as they figure out what shape that's going to take, Rahel.
SOLOMON: Yeah. All right. Melissa Bell live for us there in Paris. Melissa, thank you.
My next guest is a former spokesperson for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Michael Bociurkiw is currently a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council on Global Affairs. He is also a Global Affairs Analyst. Great to have you, Michael. He joins us now from Odessa, Ukraine. Good to have you with us today.
MICHAEL BOCIURKIW, FMR. SPOKESPERSON, ORG. FOR SECURITY & COOPERATION IN EUROPE: Thank you for having me.
SOLOMON: Let me just ask, I mean, you are obviously there, what has the reaction been like to these recent comments from Trump, especially that Ukraine started this war? What are you hearing?
BOCIURKIW: Yeah. Well, my mouth is still gaping. I just read what Mr. Trump said, and it's becoming a real fire fight between what are supposed to be two allies. Now, being Canadian, we're a little bit used to this by now. After all, our Prime Minister is being called a governor and all sorts of other things by Trump. But, there is a difference here, of course, as Ukraine is a country at war, an existential war with Russia.
And like Melissa indicated, it seems like the U.S. President is almost trumpeting, parroting, rather, the Russian talking points when it comes to Mr. Zelenskyy, calling him an illegitimate leader, insisting that elections take place. There are two big fears here. One is that we will get many, many repeats of what happened last night here in Odessa and Kyiv, where there is basically a tsunami of Russian drones. A lot of damage here in Odessa, heating light, electricity gone in many areas, but also in his unpredictable kind of anger, Mr. Trump could flip the switch on U.S. intel to Kyiv, but also the Patriot air defense system, which would leave Ukraine very, very exposed.
SOLOMON: Yeah. And I mean, to that point, I mean, Zelenskyy has been pretty clear that no deal can be made about Ukraine without Ukraine. But, if Putin and if Trump are to make some sort of agreement, what leverage does Ukraine have? What options does it have?
BOCIURKIW: Well, not a heck of a lot because of what I've just said. I mean, if the U.S. were to kind of pull the plug suddenly on that intel, on the air defense systems, it could very much be a game over for Ukraine. I think and it really pains me to say this is that I think the best-case scenario right now for Ukraine is to somehow live with some of the Russian demands. We understand Crimea is probably gone for good.
But, the big question right now is whether Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Oblasts, two Oblasts which Russia only partially controls, will be kind of given away to them, and that's important, because a lot of Ukrainians are in western Ukraine now right now or overseas from those areas, and they're expecting to come back. And as one or two of them have already told me, are we going to be faced with a choice of coming back to our houses to visit our parents that could be in Russian territory? A lot of different factors in the air right now that are difficult to sort out.
SOLOMON: Yeah. And I mean, just to put a fine point on it, I mean, you are in Odessa, as these talks have been happening in Riyadh, and as these very sort of broad level conversations have been happening, Ukraine continues to be under assault from missiles, from drones. I mean, that hasn't stopped in the interim period here.
BOCIURKIW: Yeah. And just to give you some perspective, I mean, we're going down to minus seven Celsius tonight. We're in a long and prolonged cold stop. So, it's very, very difficult for people to survive, exposed as they are from those drone attacks. But, these have been going on for a long time.
[11:15:00] But, on the one hand, there is nervousness that how Zelenskyy is handling this. I mean, he has gone to Turkey and other places. Some people say, stay home and sort it out and figure out who our best allies are. But, on the other hand, Ukrainians have shown themselves to be fierce fighters, and there is no way they're going to voluntarily give up their territory to live under a Russian occupation. Most of them tell me that would be like living on hell on Earth.
SOLOMON: Let me just ask, because I know you've been in Ukraine for more than three years now, and so -- I mean, you have obviously been there since the start of this war.
BOCIURKIW: Yeah.
SOLOMON: Trump made the comment that Zelenskyy's approval rating has fallen to four percent. One estimate just released actually suggests that while his approval rating has fallen, it's fallen to about 57 percent. Just give us a sense, based on your conversations there, based on your interactions, I mean, how are Ukrainians feeling about Zelenskyy, especially in this moment of great uncertainty moving forward?
BOCIURKIW: Well, look, President Zelenskyy has approval ratings that Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada would be envious. It's in the mid- 50s. So, he is on pretty solid ground. He has a majority in parliament. There is martial law going on. But, I think a big question right now, and this points to kind of Ukraine's existential future, is there are millions and millions of Ukrainians overseas right now, and if conditions worsen here on the ground, they may not come back. After all, some of them are already about to qualify for citizenship elsewhere. And another big worry that I've been seeing here on the ground is movers and shakers, either leaving or thinking of leaving, selling their properties here. Those are not big numbers, but those are influential people, and if we lose them, that's going to be a real punch in the gut to Ukraine.
So, let's hope for the best, of course. But, as I said, Ukrainians will fight this to the end by themselves, if they have to.
SOLOMON: Yeah. It's an interesting point you make about the cost of war, not just the obviously most direct impact of all the human lives lost, but the impact to the culture and sort of the fabric of Ukraine moving forward, if so many Ukrainians choose to stay outside of the country.
We'll have to leave it here. But, great conversation. That's Michael Bociurkiw. Thank you for the time today.
BOCIURKIW: Thank you for having me.
SOLOMON: All right. U.S. President Donald Trump is defending Elon Musk's role in his administration. During a joint interview on Fox News, Mr. Trump said that the billionaire could be called an employee, a consultant, quote, "whatever you want". The White House in recent court filings said that Musk is not an employee or an administrator of the DOGE team. Now, in the same interview, the President insisted that there will not be any conflict of interest issues involving government contracts and Musk's SpaceX and Tesla.
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ELON MUSK, HEAD OF DOGE: I haven't asked the President for anything ever.
TRUMP: Sure.
SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: And if it comes up, how will you handle it?
MUSK: Well --
TRUMP: You won't be involved.
MUSK: Yeah. I'll recuse myself if it is a conflict.
TRUMP: If there is a conflict, you won't be involved.
MUSK: Yeah.
TRUMP: I mean, I wouldn't want that, and he won't want it.
MUSK: Right. And also, I also am getting a sort of a daily proctology exam here, stuff like I'll be getting away from something in the dead of night.
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SOLOMON: Now, in another effort to consolidate budgetary control over the federal government, President Trump signed an executive order giving him more direct authority over agencies created by Congress to be independent, like the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, and the Federal Trade Commission.
Let's bring in CNN's Alayna Treene, who joins us now from the White House. Alayna, we're going to get to all of that in just a moment. But first, you have some new reporting on these comments that Trump is making about President Zelenskyy. Pretty strong comments. What are you hearing? What are you learning?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That's right. I did speak with a White House official who told me that that post from the President on Truth Social is a direct response to some of the criticism we heard Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy kind of lob at the President this morning, arguing that he lives in a disinformation space, arguing that he wishes the Trump team could be more truthful.
I want to read you some of what Donald Trump posted. He said, quote, "A dictator without elections, Zelenskyy, better move fast, or he is not going to have a country left." He also went on to continue to claim that Zelenskyy is refusing to hold elections in Ukraine. He said, quote, "He refuses to have elections, is very low in Ukrainian polls, and the only thing he was good at was playing Biden like a fiddle." He said that without evidence.
Look, we actually did hear Zelenskyy address some of this, because the President said some of this yesterday when he was signing executive orders at his home at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. One is that martial -- Ukraine is under martial law right now. That is part of why they have not had election. Zelenskyy had previously said that he was open to elections, but did not believe the country was ready for that at the time. As it relates to his polling and standing in Ukraine, Zelenskyy tried to push back on that this morning as well.
But look, all of this comes at really a critical moment in this negotiation, this broader negotiation to try and find an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine.
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It also comes, as we know, that Zelenskyy, but also many of the United States' European allies, were a bit skeptical and also had growing concerns over whether or not they were going to be left out of these conversations and these negotiations, specifically the ones that took place in Riyadh earlier this week between a United States delegation and Russia's representatives from the Kremlin. All to say this is a continuing back and forth we're seeing, but this is really the sharpest criticism we have seen from Donald Trump of Zelenskyy, and one that I'm sure is raising some alarm bells on Capitol Hill, Rahel.
SOLOMON: Alayna, all right, let's circle back to those executive orders -- that executive order. What authority exactly does it give the Trump administration?
TREENE: Well, it's interesting, because a lot of these independent regulatory agencies, again, independent regulatory agencies, have operated separately from the White House. They are under the executive branch, but they have not been under the direct control of the White House. What this sweeping executive order would do that the President signed yesterday would bring these agencies under his control and under the control, again, of the Oval Office.
Some of these agencies include the Federal Communications Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Trade Commission. Clearly, just seeing how the country's major communications, trade, financial regulators are being impacted by this. And again, I emphasize this, but I can't emphasize enough. These were designed by Congress, established to be independent of the White House. So, keep that in mind here. But look, I think a lot of this is just another example of how the President and really many of his allies who are operating within his own administration, are really trying to push the boundaries of his executive power and really consolidate a lot of that power and make him kind of the central figure within Washington.
And one of the key players in all of this has been his -- Donald Trump's budget director, Russell Vought. He is the head of the Office of Management and Budget. He is actually someone, one, who has called for axing independent agencies and bringing them underneath the control of the White House. But, he is also a direct architect of Project 2025, which has called for some of that consolidation of power as well. This executive order would actually allow Vought to be the supervising authority over some of these agencies, which includes withholding power, or, excuse me, the power to withhold funding for any projects or initiatives that they believe did not align with the President's authority.
But, one key thing here to keep in mind, Rahel, is this, like many of the other orders we've seen the President sign since being sworn into office, is likely to face some significant legal challenges, and potentially even a challenge from the Supreme Court. When I talked to a lot of White House officials and Trump administration officials, this is actually one of those fights, I think, they would welcome at the Supreme Court, because that could be the place where they try to change the laws and really give him more authority here and more power than some of his predecessors have ever had. Rahel.
SOLOMON: All right. Alayna Treene reporting live from the White House. Alayna, thank you.
And still ahead, they have become symbols of the hostage crisis that has gripped Israel since October 7th. Now, Israelis are bracing for their final journey home. Plus, while the concern has risen over a new diagnosis for Pope Francis, the Vatican says that he is in good spirits. Coming up, we'll go live to Rome for the latest.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.
SOLOMON: Welcome back. And we're turning now to President Trump's latest comments about Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. Joining us now from Kyiv is CNN's Nick Paton Walsh. Nick, I think even in the tit for tat that we've seen in these most recent comments from Trump are, to some, eyebrow-raising. Your reaction. Your thoughts.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, certainly. I mean, the specific wording, Rahel, we've read the tweet out already, right, in terms of what Donald Trump has said. It is, at this point, I think, startling to see this open tit for tat rift between the presidents of Ukraine and United States escalate so much in just a matter of 24 hours. There has been sort of suspicions in the background that maybe there was some maybe lingering animosity towards Zelenskyy from Trump's first term, where their relationship was clouded by the phone call, the perfect phone call, which ultimately led to Trump's impeachment.
But, this is a whole new extra level of dislike, frankly, specifically from the U.S. President. He falsely suggests that half of the money sent to Zelenskyy is, quote, in block capitals, "MISSING", and that he refuses to have elections, and he is very low in the Ukrainian polls. Now, the issue of Zelenskyy's polling was raised last night by Donald Trump, who suggested his favorability ratings was about four percent. Zelenskyy today said, look, we think it's 57 percent. We'll do work in the two weeks ahead to try and prove that again.
The issue of quick elections here is an exceptionally fraught and complex one. Covering Ukraine for 22 years, every election they have, Russia really has tried to interfere in some way, often causing protests at the more sort of soft end of the scale. And I think the idea of trying to stage elections in the middle of wartime is a phenomenally fraught and dangerous one, according to many of the officials we have spoken to, who look at this for a living.
You would have to deal with the question of, how do frontline troops vote? How do the millions of Ukrainians abroad vote using consul departments around Europe where they currently are as refugees? How would you potentially get electoral reform and a system together in wartime fast enough to placate this? And then, how would you also deal with the disruption most likely of a war continuing? Or, as in some suggestions, if you had a ceasefire, you then have to potentially suspend martial law, which could significantly weaken the Ukrainian military at a time when they may well be needed to be at the highest readiness.
So, the idea of Zelenskyy facing an election is one that is exceptionally fraught for Ukraine's basic ability to fend Russia's military assault off, but it's really the change in tone that we've seen between the two presidents. Zelenskyy, months ago, talked about Trump as a man of strength who could bring peace through strength, and was very positive in his rhetoric towards an administration, frankly, that many here in Kyiv knew on the campaign trail had been very negative in the idea of continuing to support Ukraine.
And so, we've seen last night Trump suggesting Ukraine started the war falsely, Russia launched an unprovoked invasion in 2022, suggests Zelenskyy doesn't really have a mandate. These are two Kremlin talking points. Being no doubt about that, they're things that you normally hear coming out of Moscow, who have been very keen to see Zelenskyy replaced. The question is legitimacy, or have elections here that I am sure the Kremlin think they could tamper in quite significantly.
But, the issue, I think, here is one where Ukraine is now desperately in need of the United States to commit to its continued military and financial aid. It wants security guarantees, which I think the United States are not willing to give in the way that are required, and now overshadowing that is the animosity, it seems, certainly on social media and media comments between Trump and Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy today, for his part, said that Trump lived in a disinformation space, saying that he respected him and respected the American people, but saying he was sad to see the end in Russian isolation and Putin that the summit between the U.S. and Russia caused in Saudi Arabia, and also appealing directly to the United States for more air defenses. We see Ukraine under onslaught every single night, civilians killed in these Russian airstrikes.
So, a desperate situation in Kyiv, one that is now increasingly overshadowed by this animosity between Ukraine and United States' two presidents. Rahel.
[11:30:00] SOLOMON: Yeah. I mean, the animosity that is not only stunning in and of itself, but the fact that it has become so public, also remarkable.
Nick Paton Walsh live for us there in Kyiv. Nick, thank you.
All right. Let's turn now to the Vatican, where the Vatican is saying that Pope Francis has spent a quiet and peaceful night in the hospital and ate breakfast this morning. On Tuesday, it announced that he had developed pneumonia in both lungs, and the pontiff has been hospitalized since last week and has been plagued over his life by a string of lung-related struggles. The 88-year-old's latest diagnosis is now raising even more concerns about his health. The Vatican also says that the Pope is in good spirits and asks everyone to continue prayers for his recovery.
I want to now bring in CNN Vatican Correspondent Chris Lamb, who joins us live from Rome. Christopher, talk to us a little bit about what the latest update is. I mean, what are you hearing on the Pope's health right now?
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rahel, it is a concerning situation for Pope Francis, given the news from the Vatican last night that the Pope has pneumonia in both lungs. We're into the sixth day of his hospitalization here at the Gemelli hospital behind me. This is a complex respiratory infection that the Pope is dealing with.
However, there has been some more encouraging news this morning. As you mentioned, the Vatican said the Pope had a peaceful night, had breakfast. A Vatican source said the Pope has been sitting in a chair during his hospital stay. And we've also just learned recently that he had a visit today from the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, who described the Pope as alert and active, and that he was -- still had a sense of humor. So, I think that's an encouraging sign. We're also hoping to hear more about another visit, or the Pope might receive another visit from someone in the Vatican.
The people I speak to in the Vatican are concerned and worried, but are not seeing it as an alarmist situation, or they're not pulling the panic button, put it that way, but obviously it's something that needs to be monitored very closely, and we are expecting a further update from the Vatican later today. Rahel.
SOLOMON: All right. It's Christopher Lamb reporting live in Rome. Christopher, thank you.
And ahead on CNN Newsroom, will record high car prices in the U.S. be pushed even higher by Donald Trump's latest trade plan? Plus, we'll bring you the latest on the investigation into Monday's crash landing at Toronto's International Airport. Stay with us.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK) SOLOMON: Welcome back. You are 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.
The Trump administration's Russia-Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg is in Kyiv. He is there, he says, to listen to Ukraine's concerns. The visit follows Tuesday's talks in Riyadh with delegations from the U.S. and Russia. Officials from Ukraine were not invited to have a seat at those discussions on ending the war in Ukraine.
A major runway at Toronto International Airport is expected to remain closed through Thursday, as the investigation continues into the crash of a passenger plane on Monday. Investigators are reviewing the scorched and overturned aircraft which is still on the scene. All 80 people on board the Delta Airlines flight did survive, but 21 people were taken to hospitals with injuries, according to Delta. Most have now been released.
Wildlife officers had hoped to save more than 150 whales found stranded on a beach in Australia on Tuesday, but by Wednesday morning, only 90 whales were still alive. Rescuers tried to send some of them back out to sea, but rough ocean conditions made that impossible. Now, authorities have made the tough decision to euthanize the whales. They say they want to minimize their suffering.
U.S. President Donald Trump says he plans to impose tariffs of around 25 percent on auto imports as well as semiconductors and pharmaceuticals shipped to the U.S. That could happen in early April after a review period. The tariffs could add thousands of dollars to the price of cars in the U.S., where vehicle prices are already hovering near record highs.
All right. Let's get to CNN's Anna Stewart, who is watching all of this, and joins us live. So, Anna, tariffs have been flying pretty much left and right since the beginning of Trump's administration. What's the latest and what's the details on these?
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Or even before the administration and throughout the campaign, and here we have a round of tariffs that suggests it will target three sectors, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals and automobiles. And of course, that will have global ramifications, but it will also specifically hit some countries harder than others. So, for semiconductors, of course, it would be Taiwan with TSMC, a big chip maker, which actually is planning to build a factory in Arizona. In fact, it's building it right now. It's just not ready to go. The pharmaceuticals, it is Ireland.
But, autos, and we're not just talking about cars. We're talking about parts supplies as well. You're looking at Mexico and Canada and Japan. And of course, in Europe, Germany, German car stocks took a big hit. So did Japanese stocks. Interesting. Look at some of the U.S. car stocks. We have Ford. I believe we have General Motors too. They both opened the trading today, down, and that's an interesting thing to consider, because as you said, this will have implications for U.S. car makers as well. Ford is actually now up. But, simply because global supply chains are complex, many of the U.S. car makers use parts from Canada and Mexico. Often, car parts go across the borders multiple times before they end up in a finished car.
Of course, the President hopes this will lead to more manufacturers building plants in the U.S. Take a listen to what he had to say.
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TRUMP: I think momentous decisions are being made by companies all around the world, the biggest, and they want to come back into the U.S. Car plants are being canceled in other locations now because they want to build them here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Specifically what the auto tariff rate should be?
TRUMP: Yeah. I probably will tell you that in -- on April 2ns, but it will be in the neighborhood of 25 percent
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEWART: Of course, it will take a very long time for any companies to decide to build a plant and actually do so in the U.S. TSMC is actually a great example. They announced a plant in Trump's first administration. They're still building it. So, come April, when these are expected to actually have more detail and be properly announced. Of course, those sort of decisions are unlikely to have been made. Rahel.
SOLOMON: And I think the question too is the big question mark of April, and will it even happen by April, because we have seen already Trump threaten tariffs and then postpone tariffs. So, I mean, the sense that these tariffs will actually happen is what exactly.
STEWART: Yeah. How much of a negotiation is this? And I thought the timing of this announcement was very interesting, given the EU trade commissioner has arrived in the U.S. Trade talks are beginning today. We're actually going to hear from the EU trade commissioner in the next couple of hours. Is this all part of a big negotiating strategy? Of course, it could be. Some of the language used by the President, tariffs will be in the neighborhood of 25 percent. It will be at least that for pharmaceuticals and for semiconductors. They could be significantly higher through the year, and they will probably, come April 2nd.
So, there is a lot of wiggle room there, I feel, for negotiations to take place, perhaps at the 11th hour, as we saw with Canada and Mexico. Of course, those tariffs could come back. They were only paused.
SOLOMON: Yeah. Perhaps a little strategic ambiguity going on there.
[11:40:00]
Anna Stewart live for us from London. Anna, thank you.
All right. Still ahead a U.S. federal judge declines to temporarily block Elon Musk and his DOGE team from accessing highly sensitive data, despite raising flags about the unchecked authority of an unelected individual. Plus, we'll take a closer look at the first Supreme Court test for Trump's power to fire officials.
We will be right back.
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SOLOMON: Welcome back. In a legal win for Donald Trump and Elon Musk, a U.S. federal judge has denied a request from state attorneys general to block DOGE's access to sensitive federal data and prevent it from firing employees at multiple government agencies. Now, that's despite the judge saying that the lawsuit, quote, "legitimately calls into to question what appears to be the unchecked authority of an unelected individual". The state attorneys general had argued that Musk's role violates the Constitution. Critics say that they're alarmed about what they call the chaos Musk is creating in crucial government department. President Trump has nothing but freeze.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: You write a beautiful executive and you sign it and you assume it's going to be done, but it's not. What he does is he takes it, and with his 100 geniuses, he has got some very brilliant young people working for him that dress much worse than him actually.
MUSK: Yeah.
TRUMP: They dress in just t-shirt. You wouldn't know they have 180.
HANNITY: Wait, wait. So, he is your tech support --
MUSK: I actually -- I am tech support.
TRUMP: But he is much more than that. Yeah.
MUSK: I actually am tech support, though, but --
TRUMP: But, he gets it done. He is a leader.
HANNITY: Yeah.
TRUMP: He really is a -- he gets it --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: CNN's Katelyn Polantz takes a closer look now at why the judge declined to step in at this stage and stop Elon Musk.
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KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: A new ruling where this judge in Washington, D.C., is saying, there just isn't enough legally for the courts to step in at this early stage of these cases against DOGE to stop whatever Elon Musk is doing. One of the reasons there is because there is not enough evidence or even ability for the people who are suing to argue to the judge that they're facing some sort of irreparable harm, and that was what Judge Tanya Chutkan of the federal court in D.C. told the democratic attorneys general who had gone to her on an emergency basis and said, please stop DOGE and Elon Musk from getting access to computer systems at a whole host of different federal agencies across the government, and also have them stop being involved in personnel decisions.
One of the issues that Judge Chutkan pointed out was that there are some discrepancies in what DOGE is even saying about how involved they are in personnel decisions, where the lawyers in court are saying one thing and the executive order from Donald Trump is saying another. So, there are a lot of moving targets here, and Judge Chutkan is not the only judge to have to respond this way. There have been two other judges on the same bench in Washington, D.C., who have looked at these initial challenges against DOGE and said there is not enough here for me to step in, especially on data privacy issues.
[11:45:00]
The judge allowed Elon Musk and DOGE to continue using a large server to send email blasts out to the federal government, and then there are also ways that DOGE is accessing data across different agencies, where privacy lawsuits, where people are concerned about how they may get access to their personal data, that just isn't enough at this point in the suits.
But, the cases continue. There are more hearings, and there are many cases every day that are moving forward in different ways before different judges. So, we're watching it piece by piece by piece, and we're seeing new types of challenges come up every day to the types of policies that Donald Trump is putting in place, and also using his good friend Elon Musk to carry out with the Department of Government Efficiency.
Back to you.
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SOLOMON: Over the past month, the world has watched Donald Trump expand on his vision of presidential authority, relying on the Supreme Court's immunity decision of last year almost as a blank check. His personal lawyers and administration team have wielded a case in an array of filings, including in January's high-profile controversy over a ban on TikTok, and in a new Supreme Court submission to justify the President's power to fire top government officials. Now the latter case centers on Mr. Trump's removal of the head of a watchdog agency, and is pending before the nine justices on the court.
Joining us now to discuss is our Chief Supreme Court Analyst, Joan Biskupic. Joan, always a pleasure to see you. What are you finding? What are you hearing?
JOAN BISKUPIC, CNN SENIOR SUPREME COURT ANALYST: Same with you, Rahel. Good to see you today. What makes this case different from all the other ones we've been talking about today is that it's the first test at the Supreme Court of Donald Trump's new agenda. And as you said, it's over his firing of the head of a watchdog agency, and Donald Trump is coming back saying that the reason he can do this is in part because of that immunity ruling. You remember, it was last year when the justices gave him sweeping protection from criminal prosecution for his election subversion charges.
But here, what they have done is take part of that ruling and say it doesn't apply only to criminal cases involving the President. It would involve an expansion of his powers. And here is something they write in their filing on this watchdog agency case to say that Donald Trump has expanded powers, especially powers that would sideline Congress in federal courts. As this court observed just last term, Congress cannot act on and courts cannot examine the President's actions on subjects within the conclusive and preclusive constitutional authority, including the President's unrestricted power of removal with respect to the executive officers of the United States whom the President has appointed.
So, you see there, Rahel, what they're doing in this case and the TikTok case and others is taking the ruling in what was known as Trump v. U.S., and kind of inflating it to say this President can be all powerful, can only account to himself in the executive branch, not to the legislative or judicial branches, and it's part and parcel, I'd say, Rahel, with something else we've observed. Over the weekend, you probably saw that post he made on Truth Social where he said he who saves his country does not violate any law. It's just another example of Donald Trump trying to define the law in America through his own lens. Rahel.
SOLOMON: Joan, it's such an interesting point. I mean -- and you know the court certainly better than most, I mean, the institution itself, but even these nine justices. The immunity case was already, I think most people would say, an expansion of what we've seen with presidential powers thus far. Do you think the Supreme Court will be receptive to this now request of an even older use of the immunity case?
BISKUPIC: Rahel, that -- I can tell you that so far, in the TikTok case, they brushed aside his arguments, and in another case involving his federal sentencing in Manhattan, in that so-called hush money case, they brushed it aside. But, in this case, Rahel, I think it's going to be a very big test of just how much more life they want to breathe into something that, as you rightly said, was already an expansive notion of any, at that point, former President's ability to be shielded from criminal prosecution.
So, that ruling back on July 1st by the conservative Supreme Court here gave Donald Trump plenty and to now be able to get much more from it. I think there are some members of this court that would want to do help him out more in his agenda, especially those on the far right, of course, but I think they're going to be a bit stunned by how much he is asking for.
[11:50:00]
One final note I should make is that the Trump administration actually has some more relevant legal precedent for the case they're making right now on the President's ability to fire a Biden appointee over that watchdog agency, and the Supreme Court might just kind of fall back on those precedents rather than breathe new life into the immunity ruling. But, we're at an early stage here, and this is exactly what we'll be watching for, Rahel.
SOLOMON: Yeah, potentially one way to just sort of side step this issue altogether if they rely on that other ruling.
BISKUPIC: Right.
SOLOMON: Joan Biskupic, great to have you. Thank you.
BISKUPIC: Thank you.
SOLOMON: All right. And the jury has reached a verdict in the case against rapper A$AP Rocky. The hip-hop star was facing a gun assault charge on a former friend. We'll have the details on the verdict coming up.
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MARK S. ARNOLD, JUDGE, SUPERIOR COURT OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY IN CALIFORNIA: We, the jury in the above entitled action, find the defendant, Rakim Mayers, not guilty of crime.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: A California jury there announcing the verdict in the assault trial of rapper A$AP Rocky. He is the longtime partner and singer of Rihanna and father of her two children. She was in the courtroom to hear the verdict on Tuesday. Now, Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, was charged with assault with a semi-automatic firearm after a shooting incident in 2021 in Los Angeles.
Here is CNN Entertainment Correspondent Elizabeth Wagmeister with more on the verdict.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARNOLD: -- find the defendant, Rakim Mayers, not guilty of crime.
ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A not guilty verdict sent rapper A$AP Rocky leaping into the arms of super star Rihanna. It's the end of a case that began in 2021 with a confrontation in the middle of Hollywood. Shots fired, prosecutors say, near the famed Pantages Theatre. One of the men involved, the Grammy-nominated rapper A$AP Rocky.
His family is world famous. His partner is singer and billionaire businesswoman, Rihanna. The couple have two young children.
JOHN LEWIN, DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY, LOS ANGELES COUNTY: He doesn't get to be the big celebrity in a jury trial.
WAGMEISTER (voice-over): Prosecutors allege a deteriorating relationship between A$AP Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, and former friend Terell Ephron, known as A$AP Relli, led to the confrontation. Prosecutors say Rocky fired two shots, one grazing Relli's knuckles. The defense says Rocky merely had a prop gun that fired blanks, which she was known to carry for security. No weapon was recovered, and police found no shell casings until Relli says he returned to the scene to find two from a handgun.
JOE TACOPINA, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Impossible for them to miss seven officers, 20 minutes, searchlights, impossible.
LEWIN: If the defense position it was a prop gun, it's correct. There should have been casings there for the prop gun. They weren't.
WAGMEISTER (voice-over): The defense paints Relli as a jealous man out for money. He also filed a civil suit seeking millions of dollars.
TACOPINA: This isn't about justice for him. It's about a payout and payback.
WAGMEISTER (voice-over): Rihanna herself present in the courtroom several times with the couple's two children. Her name brought up during closing arguments. The defense pointing to an article the alleged victim sent to a friend.
[11:55:00]
TACOPINA: And titled "Rihanna fears 'heartbreaking consequences' of A$AP Rocky's trial", and he sent it with a smiley face, smiley face. This parasite is hacking if he can hurt that bad.
WAGMEISTER (voice-over): It's a classic Hollywood courtroom battle led by two high-profile lawyers, Prosecutor Lewin featured on HBO's The Jinx, and Joe Tacopina, a New York defense attorney who rapped (ph) President Trump for a time during his hush money trial, the pair creating plenty of courtroom theater.
LEWIN: He might want to stalk.
TACOPINA: Oh, I'm so threatened.
LEWIN: You should be, Joe.
WAGMEISTER (voice-over): But, the unforgettable drama of this trial came at the very end.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOLOMON: Our thanks to Elizabeth Wagmeister there, and our thanks to you for spending some time with us today. I'm Rahel Solomon live in New York. Stick with CNN. One World is coming up next.
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