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Trump Talks to Zelensky, E.U. Leaders Ahead of Putin Summit; Trump: Russia Will Face "Severe Consequences" if War Doesn't Stop; WH: "Significantly" More National Guard Troops in D.C. Starting Tonight; ICE Detention of Teen at L.A. School Sparks Fear Among Students. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired August 13, 2025 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[15:00:48]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Just days before they meet one-on-one, President Trump is warning of, quote, "very severe consequences if Vladimir Putin doesn't agree to end the war in Ukraine." If things go well, he says a follow-up meeting between Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy could happen almost immediately.

Plus, a show of force on the streets of D.C., National Guard troops seen deployed near the Washington Monument, as President Trump says he plans to extend his control of the city's police past 30 days. While the city's mayor insists that local officials are still calling the shots.

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN HOST: And NASA plans to decommission satellites that gather crucial climate change data, leaving them to eventually burn up as they descend back to Earth.

We're following these major developing stories and many, many more, all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

SANCHEZ: We begin with breaking news this afternoon. President Trump setting the stage for a potential second meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin if the summit on Friday goes well. He's also issuing an urgent new warning as they prepare to meet face-to-face. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will Russia face any consequences if Vladimir Putin does not agree to stop the war after your meeting on Friday?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Yes, they will. Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What will the consequences be?

TRUMP: There will be consequences.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sanctions? Tariffs?

TRUMP: There will be - I don't have to say, there will be very severe consequences.

SANCHEZ: No specifics, but tough talk that comes just hours after speaking with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders this morning. Zelenskyy says he wants an immediate ceasefire before a peace deal can be negotiated. For Ukraine, peace cannot come soon enough. Russian forces have been launching a brutal offensive to claw territory away and the U.N. says that July saw the highest number of civilians killed in Ukraine since the first months of Russia's full- scale invasion back in 2022.

Let's take you now live to Kyiv with CNN's Nick Paton Walsh.

Nick, is there hope in Ukraine that this time somehow negotiations with Russia will be different?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: I think there's a desperate need for peace, but I think there's little hope that Russian President Vladimir Putin genuinely wants that. That has been the undertone of everything that Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been saying over the past days and borne out by Russian advances, Ukrainian intelligence about Russia preparing for further military maneuvers.

Look, we heard from Zelenskyy today reaffirming that if any deal is struck, they do not want to give up and they will not give up parts of Donetsk region that Russia is now fiercely fighting for, that it's not managed to occupy by force, even if it's in exchange for a ceasefire. They and their European allies want a ceasefire first.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who was the host of Zelenskyy today in Berlin, he was clear that the legal recognition of occupied parts of Ukraine as being Russian territory, as Russia's recently adjusted constitution suggests they are, that is not quote on the table. And Merz warned that there could be serious decisions made in Alaska in the meeting between Trump and Putin. Trump himself changing the tone of expectations ahead of that meeting, 24 hours of playing it down, while now he's suggesting, look, there could potentially very quickly afterwards be a trilateral summit between Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy.

If Trump likes what Putin says during that first meeting, I should point out that trilateral format is something that Putin has persistently rejected and indeed turned down directly the offer of a meeting like that from Zelenskyy backed by Trump in May in Istanbul. Has much changed since then? Not really, except he's got a bilateral with Trump and his forces are doing way better on the battlefield.

European leaders today desperately trying to shore up their position with President Trump. A European official I spoke to said that they felt after that call with Trump, the European leaders felt that the threat of sanctions, secondary sanctions against India or possibly China, the major customers of Russian oil, that that threat is quote on.

[15:05:00]

Remember, Indian sanctions kick in about two weeks from now unless Trump turns them off. That may be a threat hanging over this, but really real anxiety as to what Trump and Putin concocts together in Alaska. Their relationship so unpredictable, so impenetrable. Boris?

SANCHEZ: Nick Paton Walsh live for us in Kyiv. Thank you so much for the update.

Let's discuss all of this further. We have CNN Global Affairs Analyst Kim Dozier and former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst. He's now senior director of the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center. Thank you both for being with us. Kim, I want to start with you because you just noted that there was an announcement from Treasury, essentially a perfunctory step that would allow Vladimir Putin to enter U.S. territory given all the sanctions that are in place.

Beyond that, I also want to ask you about some new CNN reporting. President Trump appearing to say to European leaders that he would push for an unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine during the meeting, but also saying that Ukrainian territory is not his to negotiate. What do you make of all that?

KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, that's important because the worry inside Ukraine, I've been on a bunch of Ukrainian messaging channels, which is where I first saw that financial statement. The worry is that Trump will negotiate about Ukraine without Ukraine and cede territory in return for a ceasefire that no one thinks is going to last. Russia is on record as having broken multiple ceasefires since 2014 and again since 2022. So, no one wants to - Trump to put them into a position of agreeing to something that will give up Donetsk, the parts of Donetsk that Russia is asking for. It's about 3,500 square miles of territory that Russian troops haven't won on the battlefield.

Now, that statement that I was talking about, they temporarily lifted some of the sanctions, it looks like to me, according to this statement from Treasury, to allow the summit to take place. There are a lot of sanctions against Russian officials personally as well. So, it looks like it's a temporary lifting specifically to allow the two men to meet in Alaska. It says at the last line, this doesn't lift sanctions against Russia.

FREEMAN: Ambassador Herbst, I want to bring you to this conversation because one of the things that was pretty remarkable about today's meeting, or I should say press conference that the President held, was that this first meeting is expected to take place on Friday. But if it goes well, in his estimation, that the quote was, there - is the potential for a quick second meeting that would be trilateral, which would include both Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. What was your thought on that?

JOHN HERBST, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE: Well, it's clear that President Trump and his team have begun to readjust after the substantial departure in their policy last Friday, when they went from major pressure on Russia across the board, to Trump waiving the application of the sanctions following Putin failing to meet the August 8 deadline to stop shooting, and opting for a summit instead with painting a rather rosy scenario of what that summit could produce.

There's a realistic readjustment, lowering of expectations. And even Trump pointing out correctly that, you know, maybe you can't trust Putin. And if he's not going to suggest he's willing to make peace, we have to put pressure on him again.

SANCHEZ: Ambassador, I wonder what you make of Trump on one hand telling European leaders that Ukrainian territory is not his to negotiate, but then telling reporters as recently as yesterday or maybe the day before, I believe he repeated it yesterday, that there would have to be some land swapping in order to ensure peace, that Ukraine would have to give something up, that Russia might have to give something up, even though, if you hear from Kremlin officials, they are reluctant to say that they would give anything up.

HERBST: Look, this is this is a very good question. It cuts to the heart of - the whole matter. Trump has said for a long time that for there to be a peace, Ukraine needs to make concessions relating to territory. Russia needs to make concessions relating to Ukraine's security. Zelenskyy has made clear in his acceptance of several ceasefire proposals from Trump. He's willing to do that. Trump has rejected all of Putin - excuse me, Putin has rejected all of Trump's ceasefire proposals and has not given any indication of a willingness to compromise.

I think that President Trump got so excited last week when there was a misreporting about the Witkoff-Putin meeting, and they thought that maybe the Russian position was changing. But it became clear, as clarification was sought, that Russia continues to reject all efforts of compromise and simply wants Trump to do Putin's bidding.

FREEMAN: Kim, the other thing that was remarkable about this press conference that just took place with President Trump not too long ago was that he said there'd be severe consequences ...

DOZIER: Yes.

FREEMAN: ... right? If Putin doesn't essentially agree to end the war or get closer to that. Is that a statement that will intimidate Vladimir Putin in any way?

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DOZIER: Well, remember, he just got off the phone with the Ukrainian and European leaders.

FREEMAN: Right, moments before.

DOZIER: And whoever is last in his ear tends to be who sets the message in the coming hours. In the Russian media, they're also downplaying what Putin might get out of the summit, saying the best he could likely get is a promise not to impose new sanctions. So, at home in Moscow, they don't want new sanctions and they fear it.

But you see the Ukrainian president trying to get in his ear, saying this is what Putin's probably going to tell you. And by the way, he's going to tell you he's winning at the front lines because of the recent reporting of what's going on in Pokrovsk. Ukrainian officials, Zelenskyy chief among them, have been at pains to explain a number of small units of Russian soldiers, 20 to 30, have punched through, but not strong enough to hold that territory. And he says that Ukrainian troops are one by one mopping up those units.

That territory that they're trying to seize is sort of the high ground in part of the Donbass. It could lead to more territorial losses, so that's why Zelenskyy is pretty sensitive about it.

SANCHEZ: I'm curious Kim to get your thoughts on the setting for all of this. I mean, this was kind of put together pretty quickly, kind of at the last minute. They didn't really know where they were going to host this meeting. Now we're learning that it's likely to take part - likely to take place at a military base. What does it mean that Vladimir Putin is now going to be on U.S. soil in a military base? It's hard for me to say military base.

DOZIER: Yes. Yes. Hey, symbolically, it's a win. You know, it's getting invited back to U.S. territory proper and having a summit with the President, getting a chance to get in the room one-on-one, we're being told, to change his mind, to educate him on things that President Trump doesn't follow closely. The history of Russia and Ukraine and when the Soviet Union fell, et cetera.

It's also a symbol to Russians that, look, I can get this prestigious meeting. And last of all, a lot of Russian commentators are making a lot out of the fact that Alaska is territory that was bargained away by Russia to the U.S. in a negotiation, which is what they want Trump to do with Ukraine.

FREEMAN: So many moving parts. And again, as I said earlier, the stakes keep rising as we barrel towards Friday. Thank you, Kim, so much.

Kim Dozier and Ambassador John Herbst, appreciate both of your insight.

We want to turn now to more breaking news, though, from the White House. An administration official now telling CNN a significantly higher number of National Guard troops will begin patrolling the nation's capital starting tonight.

SANCHEZ: Yes, this comes after the President said he would be seeking to keep control over D.C.'s police a lot longer than 30 days, even potentially declaring a national emergency if he has to. Let's get right up to CNN's Gabe Cohen on the National Mall.

And Gabe, the National Guard, they're not supposed to arrest people, right?

GABE COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's correct. Most of them will not be armed and they won't be making arrests, although we also know FBI agents, DEA agents are going to be out collaborating with D.C. police as well. I will tell you, on this fairly quiet Wednesday afternoon, we have seen a U.S. Park Police helicopter circling the National Mall. And just a few minutes ago, we witnessed six federal law enforcement vehicles make a traffic stop on this road behind us, right by the Washington Monument and the African-American History Museum.

So, you can really get a sense of the increased presence of federal law enforcement out here. And it is only, as you mentioned, going to ramp up here tonight and in the days ahead, with the President saying they are going to indefinitely extend well beyond that initial 30 days. This order federalizing D.C.'s police department, adding that all of this may just be a testing ground for a broader initiative all across the country and cities nationwide. Take a listen. Here's what the President said a little while ago.

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TRUMP: We're going to need a crime bill that we're going to be putting in and it's going to pertain initially to D.C. It's almost - we're going to use it as a very positive example. And we're going to be asking for extensions on that, long-term extensions because you can't have 30 days. We're going to want extensions. I don't want to call a national emergency. If I have to, I will.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: The President also criticized the statistics that D.C.'s police department keeps, which show that violent crime has been declining pretty sharply over the past couple of years after it rose back in 2023. The President saying that data is inaccurate. In reality, violent crime is at an all-time high. Trump also criticizing D.C.'s mayor, Muriel Bowser, saying that the two have a good relationship, but that she's not really doing her job.

And guys, that is significant because the mayor was a fierce critic of the President's back in his first term. But since he took office in January, she really has tried to toe the line, tried to not publicly antagonize the President, knowing that Trump and Republicans in Congress really hold the cards when it comes to the fate of D.C., which is what we're seeing this week.

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Last night, we saw her tone change a little bit when she said during a town hall that what we're seeing right now is an authoritarian push. But just this morning, then, we heard the Mayor and the Police Chief say that maybe a surge in federal law enforcement resources will be a good thing for the district, adding that it doesn't really matter if this is about politics or not, that the President has a legal right to do what he is doing and that they will cooperate with those federal agencies. Guys.

SANCHEZ: Gabe Cohen live for us on the National Mall. Thank you so much.

Still to come, the Los Angeles Unified School District ramping up efforts to protect students and their families from immigration raids. We're going to discuss the measures with the district superintendent.

FREEMAN: Plus, the White House is ordering a review of Smithsonian exhibits to make sure they comply with Trump's directive about what should and should not be displayed.

Plus, later, we now know the list of honorees for this year's Kennedy Center Honors, first recipients since President Trump took control of the nation's cultural center. That and much more coming up on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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SANCHEZ: Tomorrow, more than half a million students in Los Angeles public schools head back to class. And there is a new component unrelated to curriculum that is creating some concern. ICE raids across the city. The superintendent of the L.A. Unified School District says federal agents detained a 15-year-old boy with disabilities outside Arleta High School on Monday morning. And what reportedly turned out to be a case of mistaken identity. Let's discuss with the L.A. U.S.D. superintendent, Alberto Carvalho.

Superintendent, thanks so much for being with us. We reached out to Customs and Border Patrol about the alleged incident and they told us, quote, "Allegations that Border Patrol targeted Arleta High School are FALSE. Agents were conducting a targeted operation on a Salvadoran national and suspected MS-13 pledge with prior criminal convictions." How do you respond?

ALBERTO CARVALHO, SUPERINTENDENT, LOS ANGELES UNITED SCHOOL DISTRICT: Number one, thank you for the opportunity, Boris. We don't dispute the fact that this may not necessarily have been an operation targeting Arleta High School. But it certainly exemplifies and denotes the concern associated with actions close enough to schools as being areas where students no doubt may be. And look what happened, a 15-year-old child with significant disabilities was confused for an adult and was handcuffed. An experience that he will never forget.

I had an opportunity of speaking with the mother of this student today, and I found it very disturbing what I heard from this mother. Here's what she said. She said, number one, the agents told this 15- year-old boy who has a difficult time decoding because of his disability, that at least you would have something exciting to tell his friends on the first day of school. There's nothing exciting about long guns in front of a school and a 15-year-old child with disabilities being handcuffed, nothing.

SANCHEZ: I know that tomorrow obviously is the first day of school and that you are taking certain steps to prepare specifically to prevent incidents like that one. I wonder what the coordination is like if there is any between your school officers and immigration enforcement.

CARVALHO: That would be ideal. And in fact, we are appealing to federal entities to develop those types of protocols so that a case, an incident like the one that happened at Arleta does not repeat itself. I believe it is common sense and reasonable to establish perimeters around schools, a couple of blocks beyond the schoolhouse, where an hour before the school day begins and an hour after the school day ends, no action would take place.

This would avoid mistaken identity. It would avoid the discomfort associated with three, four or five or six-year-olds walking to school and witnessing actions being taken involving individuals with guns, which are shocking to most adults. Just think about the mental health trauma that has caused upon young children, impressionable children.

So, we hope to get to that point. But what we have done is we've stood up a number of safeguards and protective measures, aggressive communication strategies, awareness to the families, collaboration with our cities to ensure that safe passage is provided as much as possible to our parents and our children. We've also expanded transportation at no cost to our families to ensure that as they go from home to school, that route is safe and devoid as much as possible of these types of incidents whose visuals are deeply impactful to children.

SANCHEZ: And we are hearing from families that are concerned after what happened there and other incidents that have troubled them about not just getting to school, but what might happen to their young ones when they're away from home. Do you have any concerns about getting accused of obstructing ICE operations if you are taking steps that may limit their access to certain parts around schools?

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CARVALHO: I want to be very clear about one thing. I support, you know, border control and improvements. I support immigration reform, but I also support reasonable and compassionate actions that do not hurt kids.

We are doing everything we're doing in accordance with current law, particularly the Equal Protection Clause under the Constitution that guarantees free access to all children across America as citizen or not. Independently of immigration status, we will not interfere with any action being taken by federal entities in our community. What we want to do at the same time, it is our professional and moral responsibility, is provide safe access to school, protect our children, protect their right to learn, protect their privacy and confidentiality.

We do not request nor do we maintain information about the immigration status of children and families. We have a moral responsibility and compelling interest in protecting all kids and teaching all kids. Secondly, short of an individual with a judicial warrant signed by a judge, we don't allow anyone access to our schools, whether they are a state entity or federal entity, precisely because of the legal protections that these kids have.

So, we believe everything we're doing is in accordance with law and with the end goal of protecting the rights of kids based on those very same laws. SANCHEZ: And Superintendent, what have you said to parents who have

perhaps shared with you that they are uncomfortable having their kids go to school in person right now?

CARVALHO: Look, over the past three weeks, we have made over 11,000 phone calls to parents who we believe have concerns. I, myself, have visited homes. We have knocked on over 900 doors across the community dealing with children who, towards the end of last school year, as these raids intensified, began to tell us about their concerns. And obviously, there is fear. There is palpable fear in the hearts and minds of both parents and kids, fear around the dinner table, conversations about who shall self-deport, sometimes parents with mixed immigration status, but their children may be citizens because they were born in this country.

What we are telling individuals is, number one, you have a right to an education. Secondly, schools are safe spaces. Thirdly, we follow the law in protecting your child. Lastly, there are additional options available to students, such as virtual academies that we have maintained in a post-pandemic era, but obviously we prefer face-to- face instruction as the most effective, most caring. And by the way, that's the way we provide food to kids. That's the way we conduct health screenings.

But obviously, the fear is elevated, and we try to be a calming provider of normalcy in the lives of kids. We're doing what we believe is legally required, but also compassionately, compassionately appropriate for children of all ages in our community.

SANCHEZ: Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, always appreciate the time, sir.

CARVALHO: Thank you, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Thanks so much.

So, the White House has announced a review of Smithsonian museums, including interviewing museum curators. We'll describe the plan to ensure exhibits align with President Trump's view of history with experts, next.

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