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G-7 Leaders Agree on More Support for Ukraine; Biden Signs 10- Year Security Pact with Ukraine; Biden Not Confident Gaza Cease will Happen Soon But Has Hope; Trump Meets GOP Leaders in 1st Visit to Capitol Since January 6; Some Trump Supporters Say U.S. Isn't a Democracy; Argentine Senate Passes Milei's Sweeping Reform Package; Russian Navy Pounded Near Home While Flexing Muscle Abroad; K-Pop Star Hugs 1,000 Fans after Completing Military Service. Aired 12-12:45a ET
Aired June 14, 2024 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LAURA COATES, CNN ANCHOR: Was the last of "The Golden Girls." She was the star, OK? She was. The star.
[00:00:01]
MO ROCCA, AUTHOR/JOURNALIST: And by the way, by law, we had to increase at least one "Golden Girl." You can't write a book with this title and not have a "Golden Girl." Sixty-two when she made her television debut.
And for all of you down in Houston, Mr. Pickles, the Houston Zoo tortoise, became a first-time father at 90. You thought Al Pacino was impressive.
COATES: I mean, with a name like Mr. Pickles, what are you going to do, kid?
Mo Rocca, thank you so much.
ROCCA: Thank you, Laura.
COATES: The book, again, is called "Roctogenarians." Really, really fascinating. What else would you expect from Mo Rocca?
Thanks for watching. "ANDERSON COOPER 360" starts now.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm John Vause, live from Studio H in Atlanta.
Ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Would we stand with Ukraine? Yes, we will.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Promises of long-term support for Ukraine from world leaders who, in the short term, could be out of office.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm with them 1,000 percent. There was me, 1,000 percent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Back to the scene of the crime. Republican lawmakers fawning over Donald Trump on his first visit to Capitol Hill since losing office.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAVIER MILEI, ARGENTINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The battle is being fought in the street.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: But for how long? Protests as opposed to economic reforms approved by Argentina's Congress, facing charges of sedition, described by the president as terrorists who tried to stage a coup.
ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with John Vause.
VAUSE: At the annual G-7 summit, leaders of the world's most powerful democratic economies have agreed on a flurry of new measures to support Ukraine and to punish Russia, from bilateral defense agreements with Kyiv to new punitive sanctions on Moscow.
The message was one of unity. But with many G-7 leaders facing political uncertainties at home, the question of for how long went unanswered.
For the first time, frozen Russian assets will be used to help pay for part of Ukraine's reconstruction, with approval by the G-7 for a $50 billion loan to Kyiv, secured by earnings from Russian bonds, securities, gold, cash, and other assets being held mostly in European banks.
And on the sidelines of the summit, U.S. President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a ten-year-long security agreement, which includes training, as well as supplying weapons and military equipment and greater intelligence sharing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: Our goal is to tend (ph) to Ukraine's credible defense and deterrence capabilities for the long term. A lasting peace for Ukraine must be underwritten by Ukraine's own ability to defend itself now and to deter future aggression.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: President Zelenskyy described the security agreement as a bridge to NATO. But because it's not ratified by the U.S. Congress, the deal is not binding and could be canceled by Donald Trump if he wins office in November.
More details on the summit from CNN's international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): Brisk handshakes, hugs, even a kiss or two. Italy's P.M., Giorgia Meloni, welcomes G-7 leaders.
Then, they all wait for the top guest, Meloni finding the time to take a selfie.
Eventually, Joe Biden arrives more than half an hour behind the carefully choreographed schedule. Like Biden, many here, six total, facing electoral challenges. The U.K. P.M. almost certainly his last G-7 as leader for a while.
Meloni, on the other hand, buoyed by a bounce in recent European elections.
"I'm very proud to have the double honor of being Italy's prime minister and G-7 president," she told the other leaders.
Hosting not just the G-7 leaders, Ukraine's Zelenskyy joining them at the symbolic olive wood table. A $50 billion loan, unprecedentedly structured from $300 billion of frozen Russian assets, getting political agreement at the highest levels.
Later, bilaterally with Biden, signing a 10-year security agreement with the United States.
BIDEN: While providing weapons and ammunition; expanded intelligence sharing; continuing to train brave Ukrainian troops at bases in Europe and the United States; enhancing interoperability between our militaries in line with NATO standards.
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE: This is an agreement on steps to guarantee sustainable peace, and therefore, it benefits everyone in the world. Because the Russian the war against Ukraine is a real, real global threat.
[00:05:12]
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Ukraine, not the only G-7 focus Thursday. Africa, climate, development in the Mideast also dominating leaders' conversations.
BIDEN: Democracies can deliver.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Biden taking the lead on infrastructure and development to help farming and agri-business in Africa and beyond.
BIDEN: Just look at the progress we've made over the past -- over the last year to Lobito, Carter and Sub-Saharan Africa, we mobilize $33 million for clean energy projects, which will bring electricity, clean electricity to 1.5 million families that had no access to it before.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): More back-to-back meetings planned Friday. And another G-7 first: the pope expected at the sumptuous Puglia resort to help lead conversations about A.I.
ROBERTSON: But after a long day, and not for the first time in recent years, President Biden baling early on the others, skipping the leaders' dinner with Italy's president.
Nic Robertson, CNN, Monopoly, Italy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: With us now this hour is Steve Hall, CNN national security analyst and former chief of Russia operations for the CIA. Good to see you, Steve. Thanks for being with us.
STEVE HALL, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Sure, great to be here.
VAUSE: OK. I want you to listen a little more from the U.S. president speaking at the G-7 summit. And he's talking here about Vladimir Putin.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: We cannot -- he cannot wait us out. He cannot divide us. And we'll be with Ukraine until they prevail in this war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Does that statement come with an asterisk, providing Ukraine wins within the next 143 days before the election? After that, all bets are off?
HALL: Well, there are, of course, some -- some domestic political complications, not just in the United States, but in a lot of the allied countries.
But nevertheless, I'm cautiously optimistic. I mean, the way that this is set up, at least from the American perspective, is that this isn't a treaty. It's not something that Congress has ratified.
But it is, you know, a presidential White House agreement with Ukraine. And that is something that, although it might seem easy if Donald Trump were to be elected in the United States in November, for him with a, you know, signature from his pen to annul, he could do that. But there are going to be political ramifications for that.
So it's going to be really interesting to see, first of all, if Trump wins. But then second -- Secondly, what he does with what he will inherit from the Biden administration.
VAUSE: Well, President Zelenskyy was asked specifically if Ukraine was preparing for that day for a possible Trump win come November and an end to U.S. assistance. This is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENSKYY (through translator): It seems to be that, no matter who the nation chooses, first and foremost, it seems to me that everything depends on the unity within this or that state. And if the people are with us, any leader will be with us in this struggle for freedom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: This gets to your point of, you know, the political ramifications, should Trump decide to revoke that defense -- or security agreement.
But if the battle of the U.S. Congress over $60 billion in aid for Ukraine is an example, does Zelenskyy maybe need to think again?
HALL: Well, you know, I think one of the things that Vladimir Putin, I think, is going to make a mistake on, because it's so psychologically difficult for him to understand just how things work in non- authoritarian countries.
I mean, intellectually, he understands it, but psychologically, it's different. And that is, in an open society, you see how the sausage is made. You see all the disagreements and all the fighting and all the-- and all the stuff that happens, not just in the United States, but throughout the Western democracies and even inside the NATO alliance itself.
But that is not necessary to be confused with a lack of -- a lack of intention, I suppose is the best way to put it, to do as much as the West can for Ukraine.
So again, I think Zelenskyy is right. He knows that the majority of Americans, if you believe the polls, do support Ukraine. Indeed, many Republicans actually support Ukraine. It's only the hardest, right, Trump acolytes that sometimes, for political reasons, will make noises in the other direction.
VAUSE: Well, also the G-7, there was agreement to loan Ukraine $50 billion from future interest earned on frozen Russian assets, which seems to be a kind of unique way of, you know, setting up this financial arrangement.
Still, here's the response from the Kremlin.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIA ZAKHAROVA, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON (through translator): There's enough European property and money in Russia, as you know. And inevitable retaliatory measures will be extremely painful for Brussels.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: So is that why the Europeans rejected an earlier proposal to take, what, the whole $300 billion in potentially frozen assets or Russian assets and use it for reconstruction in Ukraine? [00:10:04]
HALL: Well, first of all, I wish I knew more about the economics and the very technical international law that goes behind a lot of these different things.
I think the Kremlin is wrong. You know, Russia's economy is actually relatively small. It's smaller than Italy's. So, you know, the idea that there's going to be worldwide pain or, you know, pain in Brussels because of these actions.
Yes, I'm not sure that's -- that's actually true. But, you know, just for -- from a layman's perspective, you know, and I consider myself a layman when it comes to these international law and economics issues.
You know, if another car rams your car, it seems reasonable to say that guy ought to help pay for it. The guy who rammed me ought to be responsible for taking care of the damage.
And that, I think, you know, is one of the very basic commonsensical approaches that the -- that the West is saying, you know, look, if Russia invaded, which they did and is doing all this damage and killing all of these people, they've got to pay.
And I think they've finally figured out a very creative way to do it as far as I can tell.
VAUSE: I feel like the Colin Powell rule, you break it, you own it. The Pottery Barn rule. But also just as a -- you know, a number here, $50 billion seems way short of what's going to be needed.
HALL: Oh, yes. No, that's -- that's -- you know, that's kind of a drop in the bucket. And again, I don't know what the general numbers are in terms of what it's going to take to, I suppose, for lack of a better phrase, make Ukraine whole.
But I think what we're talking about at this point is just getting him further down the road, getting them some of the military support that they need, the economic support that they need. And I think that's all -- that's all coming. It's going to to take time, and it's going to take a lot of effort on the -- on the Western democracy side.
But again, I'm cautiously optimistic. I mean, it is a bad day for Vladimir Putin when he sees these countries sit down in Italy and basically, every single one of them say we are sticking with Ukraine, and some of them signing bilateral agreements to that effect, you know, for the period of ten years.
VAUSE: Good note to end on. See? Some optimism.
Thanks for being with us.
HALL: My pleasure.
VAUSE: G-7 leaders also declared their support for the U.S.-backed ceasefire in Gaza, urging Hamas to accept the deal. Although a breakthrough in negotiations appears to be increasingly
unlikely, U.S. President Joe Biden says he has not lost hope. CNN's Paula Hancocks has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: With talks on a potential hostage ceasefire deal seeming to be in limbo, the Biden administration at this point is blaming Hamas.
We have heard from the U.S. secretary of state, Antony Blinken, who was just in the region that -- he's questioning whether Hamas is negotiating in good faith.
This after they came back with their official response on Tuesday, which U.S. officials say did have a number of amendments, including on issues that had previously been agreed by Hamas.
Now, the U.S. president, Joe Biden, was asked about whether he was confident of a ceasefire. He was asked this in Italy for the G-7 meeting, and he said, no.
But he also pointed out that he still has hope, but the Biden administration really putting pressure publicly on Hamas, saying it is now up to them to come back to the table and say yes.
Secretary Blinken saying it's really up to one man.
ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: And you have one man who's probably somewhere deep underground in Gaza, for Hamas, Mr. Sinwar who's making all these decisions. Well, he's relatively safe underground.
The people that he purports to represent, they're suffering every day. So if he has their interests at heart, he will come to a conclusion to bring this to a conclusion.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, you've said that --
BLINKEN: It needs to happen, and it needs to happen now.
HANCOCKS: Hamas, for its part, though, has rejected the criticism, say that they believe they are showing the necessary positivity. We have also heard from Hamas, saying that the amendments that they have suggested are in the interests of the Palestinian people.
Paula Hancocks, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: In Northern Israel, Hezbollah militants and the Israeli military continued to exchange fire in the wake of the Israeli assassination of a senior Hezbollah commander earlier this week.
One person was killed, ten others hurt after a strike in Southern Lebanon, according to local media reports. Well, 40 rockets were fired from Lebanon across the border Thursday, igniting at least ten fires in Northern Israel and the occupied Golan Heights.
And Israeli troops are using a unique medieval type of weapon to set fires in Southern Lebanon. Images of this catapult, known as a trebuchet, were widely circulated on social media, showing a ball of fire being hurled just across the border, an area filled with boulders, thickets, and dense thorned vegetation.
According to Israeli reports, the goal is to burn the local foliage and expose Hezbollah militants.
The IDF confirms just one catapult is in use. The creation, they say, of just one unit based in the North.
We'll take a short break. When we come back, the last time Donald Trump is on Capitol Hill, he sparked an uprising. Three and a half years later, he was greeted by Republican lawmakers, eager, it seems, to kiss the ring of the new king of the GOP.
[00:15:01]
Also ahead, the warning from the most dedicated of Trump supporters on what they will do if Trump does not win in November.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Are you concerned if Trump loses --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes
O'SULLIVAN: -- that there'll be another January 6?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. I think there will be a civil war. That's what I think will happen.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:17:27]
VAUSE: The last time Donald Trump was on Capitol Hill, he was the disgruntled loser, refusing to concede defeat. Three and a half years later, he returned as the unchallenged leader of the GOP, fawned over by Republican lawmakers, eager to show their loyalty.
And while he -- this meeting, rather was meant to focus on policy, sources say Trump spent most of the time ranting about his legal troubles and other issues.
CNN's Kristen Holmes, he still has more now, reporting in.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TRUMP: We have to take this this beautiful place, and we have to make it really something very special again. Right now, it's not special.
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Former President Donald Trump returning to Capitol Hill as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee and a convicted felon.
TRUMP: This is an outstanding group of people. I'm with them 1,000 percent. There was me -- 1,000 percent.
HOLMES (voice-over): Hoping to rally congressional Republicans and streamline the messaging ahead of the presidential election. House Republican leadership, unsurprisingly, giving the meeting positive reviews.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This morning, we just concluded a very successful special political conference with our special guest, President Donald J. Trump. We are 100 percent unified behind his candidacy.
HOLMES (voice-over): The Trump team said his meetings were expected to focus on policy, but sources inside the House meeting told CNN Trump tore through a list of complaints, lamenting about his legal woes, calling the Justice Department, quote, "dirty, no-good bastards"; wondering about Taylor Swift's endorsement of President Joe Biden, quote, "Why would she endorse this dope?"; calling Milwaukee, the site of the upcoming Republican convention, quote, "horrible," a comment allies said was in reference to crime in the city.
But Republicans said Trump did also talk about some policy, offering guidance on how Republicans should discuss abortion rights.
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): He said, Make sure that you exercise your own conscience. Talk about it, share your conviction. And do that in a way that makes sense to people.
And I think he had made a good point. He has said that, after the Dobbs decision, that the states are handling the issue right now. And that's where he's comfortable keeping it.
HOLMES (voice-over): And Trump addressed intraparty politics after a year of infighting over the speakership.
REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): He saw me in there, and he was like, Hello, Marjorie.
He's always so sweet and recognizes me.
And he said, Are you being nice? He was joking: Are you being nice to Speaker Johnson?
And I said, Ehh.
And he said, OK, be nice to him. And I nodded my head.
HOLMES (voice-over): After the meeting with House allies, Trump moved on to the National Republican Senatorial Committee for another closed- door meeting.
TRUMP: Everybody here, you're all either elected or you're going to be elected again and reelected. And I'm with every one of you, and you know that. HOLMES (voice-over): Ahead of Trump's return to Capitol Hill, the Biden campaign releasing a new television ad, seeking to remind voters about Trump's role leading up to the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol.
[00:20:10]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is nothing more sacred than our democracy, but Donald Trump, ready to burn it all down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: A few hours after the House meeting, Trump held a closed-door meeting with Senate Republicans.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has had a distant and icy relationship with the former president. But during this meeting, McConnell shook hands with Trump and later said it was entirely positive.
One of the ten Republicans who voted to impeach Trump over the January 6 insurrection, former Congresswoman Liz Cheney, called out McConnell on social media, saying this: "Mitch McConnell knows Trump provoked the violent attack on our Capitol and then watched television happily as his mob brutally beat police officers and hunted the vice president."
"Hang Mike Pence, hang Mike Pence."
She added this: "Trump and his collaborators will be defeated, and history will remember the shame of people like Leader McConnell, who enabled him."
While the Biden campaign is pushing this election as a fight to preserve American democracy, not surprisingly, that doesn't seem to resonate with Trump's supporters. Many say the United States of America is not now, and never was, a democracy.
A little fact check, that: it's not true. But as is often the case with MAGA -- with the MAGA base, reality is now not going to get in the way of a message from Donald Trump, as our CNN's Donie O'Sullivan reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
O'SULLIVAN: What happens if Trump loses?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't see him losing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I didn't think he lost the last election, to be honest.
O'SULLIVAN: Do you think he's going to win?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Without a doubt.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No doubt.
O'SULLIVAN: What if he doesn't this time? What happens to the country?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're done, we're done. Biden talks about democracy, you know, saving democracy. They're the ones that are killing democracy.
O'SULLIVAN: Obviously, there's a lot of criticisms of Trump, that he is bad for democracy, that he's bad for American democracy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can I say something? We are a republic.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're a republic.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're not a democracy. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're a representative republic. We're not a democracy.
O'SULLIVAN: One thing we've been hearing at Trump rallies like this over the past few months is that America isn't really a democracy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: America's not a democracy; it's a republic.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not a democracy, OK? Democracy is actually not as good as you think it is.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): But for centuries, America has celebrated its democracy.
RONALD REAGAN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE U.S.: Democracy is worth dying for.
GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE U.S.: Democracy remains the definition of political legitimacy.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): But some Republicans and pro-Trump media are pushing the idea that America is not a democracy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The United States of America is not a democracy. We are a constitutional republic.
JOHNSON: The United States of America is not a democracy. You don't want to be in a democracy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are not a democracy. We are a republic.
O'SULLIVAN: Is America a democracy?
ANNE APPLEBAUM, AUTHOR, "AUTOCRACY, INC.": America is a democracy. It was founded as a democracy.
O'SULLIVAN: I've heard a lot of conspiracy theories. I hear a lot of things out on the road, but to hear Americans, people who describe themselves as patriots, say that America is not a democracy. That stopped me in my tracks.
APPLEBAUM: You are hearing people say America is not a democracy, because there are people around Trump who want them to be saying that, who've been planting that narrative.
O'SULLIVAN: Is America a democracy?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't -- I think --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, not right now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But yes, we're a republic.
O'SULLIVAN: What's the difference?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel like democracy -- think this through. It's government. I don't see freedom in democracy. I see freedom in the republic.
APPLEBAUM: Honestly, the word "democracy" and the word "republic" have often been used interchangeably. There isn't a meaningful difference between them.
O'SULLIVAN: So much of the warnings and criticism about Trump is that he is a threat to democracy, that he is anti-democratic.
APPLEBAUM: Absolutely. If they can convince people that we don't have a democracy, then it's OK that Trump is attacking democracy, because it doesn't really matter.
O'SULLIVAN: So why, like why has democracy become a bad word?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because it's being used in a way to change the flavor of our country, which is a republic.
APPLEBAUM: These words were used in different ways in the 18th Century, and it's true the founders didn't want direct democracy, by which they meant people gathering on the town square. They wanted representative democracy.
But I think the reason why this conversation about language has risen now is because there is a part of the Republican Party that would like to rule as a minority. And they need an excuse for why that's OK.
And so they have begun to say, we're not a democracy. We're a Republic. And it's not 100 percent clear what that means. But I think they mean we want Donald Trump to be able to do whatever he wants.
O'SULLIVAN: Some people I've been speaking to at Trump events recently.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. O'SULLIVAN: Have been saying America is not a democracy; it's a
republic.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've always been in a democracy. First of all, I mean, we have -- we used to have freedom of speech, freedom of religion. We used to have that, too. Now they're picking on the Christians and the Jewish people.
I mean, how much more can we take?
[00:25:05]
O'SULLIVAN: Are you concerned if Trump loses --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
O'SULLIVAN: -- that there'll be another January 6th?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I think there will be a civil war. That's what I think will happen.
O'SULLIVAN: And look, of course, there is a legitimate discussion and debate to have about what form of democracy there is here in the United States. Indeed, a constitutional republic is a form of democracy, but that is not what is happening here.
What's happening here is that, because Trump has been described, has been criticized as a threat to democracy, these folks are being convinced that America isn't a democracy in the first place. And if it's not a democracy in the first place, then Trump is no threat.
That's what we're seeing being pushed.
Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Thanks to Donie O'Sullivan for that. We'll take a short break. When we come back, a crackdown on protesters in Argentina as the president celebrates his first legislative victory in six months since winning office, which could bring an economic overhaul. Details in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:28:32]
VAUSE: Welcome back, everyone. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
Argentina's president has described protesters opposed to his economic reforms as terrorists who tried to stage a coup. And they could be charged with sedition.
Demonstrations turn violent Wednesday during Senate debate over President Javier Milei's economic overhaul. Dozens have been detained with the security ministry anticipating more arrests as more demonstrators are identified.
The Argentinian Senate narrowly approved Milei's key reform bill and fiscal package on Wednesday, but not without significant concessions. Now it heads back to the lower chamber of deputies for another review.
Brett Bruen is president of the Global Situation Room, an international consulting firm is also the former director of global engagement for the Obama administration.
Brett, welcome back. It's good to see you.
BRETT BRUEN, PRESIDENT, GLOBAL SITUATION ROOM: And you.
VAUSE: Well, Congress in Argentina proved a much watered-down version of Milei's original package of tough economic reforms. Yet there were still protests and anger, especially among lower- and middle-income earners.
You know, it seems there is no disagreement about the need for economic reforms for Argentina, but rather, precisely, are these measures the right ones?
BRUEN: Well, look, Milei desperately needed this after six months without any legislation to his name.
And so the fact that he was able, with only 15 seats in the legislature, to get some sort of compromise with members of the opposition is an important step, albeit as you raised, John, there's obviously a lot of consternation, especially on the streets of Buenos Aires.
[00:30:04]
In terms of what's involved here, even if these aren't the far- reaching economic forums that Milei and his government sought, it is going to still be a very rocky road forward as they try to put it forward in the lower House of Parliament.
Well, he -- the president waited until the Senate voted before he left for the G-7 summit. I want you to listen to him speaking. Here he is on Wednesday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MILEI (through translator): Today as a country and a society, we are facing the choice between the path of decadence, or we rise to walk the path of freedom. The battle is being fought in the street.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Well, on social media, he also denounced the protesters, calling them "the terrorist groups that, with sticks and stones and even grenades, try to perpetrate a coup d'etat."
The security minister reportedly plans to charge protesters with sedition. Does this raise a few red flags? BRUEN: Well, look, this is a challenging situation, because we've had
instances including here in Washington, where protesters have turned violent, where they have tried to upset legislative processes and procedures.
And yet at the same time, John, as you know, this is a well-trodden path when it comes to authoritarian -- quasi-authoritarian leaders who try to crack down on dissent.
I think the key thing here is that we didn't see the peaceful protests that really are the hallmark of that dissent in a democratic fashion. It's going to be important, if there is opposition, continued opposition to some of this legislation, that it stays within the boundaries of peace and civil disagreements, rather than resorting to some of those violent measures that we saw in the images today.
VAUSE: Well, beyond what happened over the last couple of days in Buenos Aires, when Milei won office, we should note, he was warmly congratulated by former U.S. President Donald Trump. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: A very special congratulations to Javier Milei on a great race for president of Argentina. The whole world was watching, and I am very proud of you. You will turn your country around and truly make Argentina great again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And much like Trump, Milei has lashed out at journalists, with the Committee to Protect Journalists calling for an end to attacks, while a human rights group, the Washington Office on Latin America, says this:
"The government is moving towards squashing dissent through repression and criminalizing protests. Criminal and administrative tools are being used against social leaders and organizations, including hefty fines. measures that previously regulated the use of police force in protests have been repealed."
It does seem President Milei has a lot more on his agenda than just simple economic reforms.
BRUEN: Without question. Milei is a radical leader and not just on economic issues, but indeed, on political and social fronts. And he is not following the traditions or even, in some in cases, John, the rules when it comes to how governments are supposed to protect the rights of journalists, civil society groups.
We've seen this play out elsewhere, notably to the North in Brazil under Jair Bolsonaro.
So I think it's important at this stage that Argentinians are able to continue, whether it's in the press, in the protests to exercise their rights, and that Milei is given a lesson in how you govern democratically. And obviously, the United States, European Union, other world leaders are going to impress upon him in Italy, at the G-7, that he has to abide by certainly international norms or face both economic as well as political isolation.
VAUSE: We'll see how this plays out. It's still early days, very much there for the president of Argentina, as you say.
Brett, good to say you. Thank you very much.
BRUEN: You bet.
VAUSE: "Wall Street Journal" reporter Evan Gershkovich will stand trial for espionage in Russia.
More than a year after he was detained, Russian prosecutors formally approved his indictment Thursday, claiming to have evidence that, before he was arrested, Gershkovich was spying for the CIA on a factory making tanks.
"The Journal" called the accusations baseless and the upcoming trial a sham.
Well, Vladimir Putin is trying to project his naval power around the world, in particular with military exercises in the Atlantic and sending warships to Cuba.
Closer to home, the Kremlin's mighty fleet not doing so well. Fred Pleitgen explains.
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FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ukrainian sea drones racing to attack a Russian warship near Crimea in the Black Sea.
That cheap, unmanned vessels have allowed Ukraine to decimate Vladimir Putin's Black Sea fleet.
"Their weapons are not designed to deal with such small sea drones," the soldier says. "In most cases, they use anti-ship guns."
It's a far cry from the power Moscow was trying to project, not far from the U.S.'s shores, sending some of their most advanced warships to Cuba.
[00:35:09]
Russia's Ministry of Defense saying that the frigate and a nuclear- powered sub, quote, "practiced the use of high-precision missile weapons by computer-based maritime simulation at the ship-based groupings of a mock enemy."
Vladimir Putin has invested heavily in Russia's navy, which now has a permanent base in Syria and boasts hypersonic missiles. It's no paper tiger but also not an invincible force, as Ukraine has shown. Ukraine's sea drones, as well as sabotage and air-launched missiles, have destroyed about one-third of Russia's Black Sea fleet since the spring of 2022, Ukraine says.
(EXPLOSION)
PLEITGEN (voice-over): Including large landing ships like this one, blown up in Crimea at the end of last year. And submarines destroyed in a dock.
The Russians have even lost the flagship of the Black Sea fleet, the Moskva, to what Kyiv says was an attack by Ukrainian-made missiles.
And the fleet's headquarters in Sevastopol was struck by missiles last year. The repeated humiliations pushing Russian ships further and further away from Ukraine and eventually leading to the dismissal of Russia's navy chief in March.
Not so long ago, Russian state media would celebrate the navy's single aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, the jewel in the crown. But the ship has long been plagued by mechanical problems and has been in dock for years in Murmansk.
Some Western analysts predict it will never set sail again.
Despite Putin's glorification of Russia's naval prowess, many of its warships appear vulnerable to both air and sea attacks and lack the technology to compete with Western navies or even cheap maritime drones made in Ukraine.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Munich, Germany.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Ever dream of hugging one of your favorite singers? Well, that became a reality for thousands of fans of the K-pop group BTS. More in a moment.
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VAUSE: Elon Musk back on top of the world's richest persons list, edging out Jeff Bezos of Amazon, according to "Forbes."
Now, Musk is about to get a lot richer, with the largest CEO compensation paycheck in U.S. corporate history.
As of market close Thursday, Tesla shareholders voted Musk a compensation package worth about $49 billion.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our stockholders have approved the ratification of the 100 percent performance-based stock option award to Elon Musk that was approved by stockholders in 2018.
(END VIDEO CLIP) VAUSE: When it was first approved, it did include large stock options, but a judge in January struck it down.
Objections this time focus on the size of the package and concerns Musk is distracted by other business interests. Others seem to believe that it's all necessary, describing Musk as the ultimate he-man without whose relentless drive there would be no Tesla.
[00:40:07]
One thousand lucky fans of the K-pop super group BTS got up close and personal with one of their idols. Jin, the oldest of the group, gave each a warm hug after finishing his mandatory military service in South Korea on Wednesday.
Every one of them. Big, long hug.
CNN's Mike Valerio has more now, reporting in from Seoul.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They are quite possibly the luckiest super fans in the world. A once-in-a-lifetime hug from BTS superstar Jin.
It's just a day after Jin finished his compulsory military service with the Korean army. The pop icon's BTS Army, as fans are known, are now filled with Jin jubilation.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: BTS!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: BTS!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: BTS!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you for everything. Thank you for the music. Thank you for giving me this beautiful community, this beautiful family full of love.
VALERIO (voice-over): They came to Seoul by the thousands. Nan (ph) from Southern California is still in shock. She and BTS bestie Michelle (ph) won coveted tickets to Jin's welcome back concert.
NAN (ph), BTS FAN: It was -- I'm still having a bit of an out-of-body experience. It was completely unreal. My daughter was with me, and she told me, oh, that's fake. That's not true, because I've entered these things several times.
MICHELLE PEDRAZA, BTS FAN: Yes, yes, yes.
NAN (ph): And they've never -- I mean, what are the chances, right?
PEDRAZA: Right!
NAN (ph): Yes, it was amazing, and I'm still sort of floating.
VALERIO (voice-over): But the golden ticket truly is a chance to hug Jin.
VALERIO: That's the golden ticket.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
VALERIO: Whoa!
VALERIO (voice-over): Minh Chin Chania (ph) from Bangkok is one of those fantastically fortunate fans. She won a ticket from an online raffle to hug Jin.
Yoon-jeong painted these gorgeous portraits of Jin and the rest of BTS. But there's still a bit of sorrow that she didn't win one of the hug raffle tickets.
KIM YOON-JEONG, BTS FAN (through translator): I stayed the night up crying. Yes, for real. I stayed the night up. I couldn't even do my makeup.
VALERIO (voice-over): The man himself also grateful for his new army family.
JIM, BTS MEMBER (through translator): It was so fun for the last year and six months. It's such a relief. I met so many good people.
VALERIO (voice-over): These fans are now ready for J-hope the next of BTS's seven members to finish compulsory military service. The BTS Army now ready for a new beginning.
PEDRAZA: It's the start of the next --
NAN (ph): Yes, the next phase.
PEDRAZA: The next phase.
NAN (ph): Yes.
VALERIO: And when you finish a day like today, it's truly amazing all the things that will be traded with you. A woman from Florida making this photo card of her favorite headshots of Jin.
The superfan from Thailand we showed you earlier, she baked these cookies in the shape of a cartoon character that Jin made.
A truly global experience, thanks to one of K-pop's biggest names.
Mike Valerio, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Might be time for a gin and tonic at this point. I'm John Vause. WORLD SPORT starts after the break, and then Michael Holmes will be in at the top of the hour for more CNN NEWSROOM.
Have a great weekend. See you next week.
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(WORLD SPORT)
