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Putin and Kim John Un Sign Mutual Defense and Trade Pact; Putin in Vietnam; Chinese and Philippines Vessels Collide; U.S. Reacts to Netanyahu's "Withholding Weapons" Comment; Hezbollah Threatens Cyprus; Nationwide Power Blackout in Ecuador; Hot Weekend Ahead for the U.S.; Putin Gets Rock Star Treatment in North Korea; Strikes on Power Grid Put Ukrainian Civilians to the Test; Timberlake Back in Court on July 26 for Intoxicated Driving. Aired 12-12:45a ET

Aired June 20, 2024 - 00:00   ET

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

[00:00:00]

JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm John Vause. Ahead here on "CNN Newsroom."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIM JONG UN, NORTH KOREAN LEADER (through translator): I have no doubt this powerful treaty will be very constructive, strictly peace loving and defensive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: It could also see Russia supply key nuclear technology to North Korea, desperately wanted by Kim Jong un.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: It's inconceivable that in the past few months, the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Inconceivable because it is not true. So, why did the Israeli prime minister release a public statement in English, lying about the Biden administration?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was here where they say he had flurried speech, unsteady footing, and he failed a field sobriety test.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: He is Justin Timberlake, and what happens now to the Forget Tomorrow World Tour? The former Musketeer out on bail, charged with driving while intoxicating in the upscale Hamptons on New York's Long Island. ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom with John Vause.

VAUSE: After reviving old ties with North Korea, Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Vietnam, another communist country which once had close relations with the former Soviet Union. Putin's trip to Asia comes a week after the U.S. and other allies hit Moscow with new sanctions intended to isolate Russia for the war in Ukraine.

Before arriving in Hanoi, Vietnam's Communist Party newspaper published an op-ed by Putin in which he wrote of his gratitude for Vietnam's so-called balanced position on the conflict in Ukraine, as well as its search for a peaceful settlement. High level meetings with the Vietnamese president, prime minister and Communist Party chief are now set for the coming hours. It seems Putin arrives bearing gifts. He says Russia is ready to help develop Vietnam's nuclear power industry.

The Russian president earlier wrapped a two-day state visit to Pyongyang. by signing a new treaty with North Korea, which includes a mutual defense pact, similar to a Cold War agreement between the North and the former USSR. With relations between Moscow and Pyongyang now the closest they've been since the fall of the Soviet Union.

Let's bring in CNN's Beijing Bureau chief, Steven Jiang. Because, Steven, Russia and North Korea, both close allies of Beijing. But it seems this agreement means maybe China has lost some leverage over both countries.

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Well, John, I think you've heard a lot of analysts saying China, of course, is watching very closely of this visit by Putin to North Korea and we have seen some headlines use the word wary. But you know, when you look at this defense treaty, you just mentioned there is a language that some people say remind them of the 1961 defense treaty between North Korea and the former Soviet Union, because according to North Korea's state news agency, it did say in the event of either party coming under attack, the other is bound to deploy all means at its disposal without delay to provide military and other assistance.

That kind of language very Cold War like. And we know Beijing, of course, usually urges and the lectures the U.S. and its allies to "abandon" this Cold War mentality. So, it'd be interesting to see what they say in reaction to this latest agreement between North Korea and Russia.

But the other is, a lot of people have pointed out, because of Beijing's critically important role in providing an economic lifeline to Pyongyang for sure, but increasingly important in propping up the Russian economy to help Moscow dodge western sanctions. Both parties, when it comes to Russia and North Korea, understand the Chinese are just -- the role played by the Chinese are indisposable. They cannot replace China with any other party. That is something, I think, a lot of analysts say, that makes China confident about its own relationship with both North Korea and Russia.

Now, interestingly, of course, you mentioned how can -- Putin how he offers full support for Russia when it comes to its war in Ukraine. That's, again, putting China in a somewhat awkward position because, as you know, Beijing is publicly trying to maintain this position of neutrality or even trying to play this role of a potential peacemaker.

So, there are these divergences when it comes to different issues. But at the end of the day, I think all three leaders are very much bonded over their grievances against the U.S. A lot of the language you heard in Pyongyang in terms of calling the U.S. this hegemonic power trying to suppress other people and other countries' legitimate interests, I think Beijing very much shares that kind of mentality and sentiment as well. John.

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VAUSE: Steven, thank you. Steven Jiang live for us in Beijing.

Joining us this hour from Washington is Soo Kim, a former CIA analyst focusing on North Korea. Soo, thank you for being with us.

SOO KIM, FORMER CIA ANALYST ON NORTH KOREA AND PRINCIPAL ADVISER, DEFENSE ACQUISITION AND SUSTAINMENT, LMI: Thanks for having me.

VAUSE: So, the North Korean leaders seem to wax lyrical as he described this agreement. And it's important to note a little here before we listen to Kim Jong Un, our relations between Moscow and Pyongyang never really fully recovered after plummeting during the 1970s. So, with that in mind, here's Kim Jong Un.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIM JONG UN, NORTH KOREAN LEADER (through translator): The Great Democratic People's Republic of Korea Russia alliance, which will become a watershed moment in the development of this bilateral relations, finally raised its anchor in history and announced its solemn departure here today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: We don't have the text from this new agreement, but we do have the one from 1961, which was signed in Moscow between the USSR and North Korea, a treaty of friendship, cooperation, and mutual assistance, which seems to be similar to what both leaders are talking about in this instance.

So, judging all of this from a distance, I know, does this new agreement mean it's back to the Cold War era good old days for Moscow and Pyongyang?

KIM: That is how we're seeing it right now. And we have to remember that back in 2000, the two countries had actually modified this agreement to reflect the realities of geopolitics in 2000. Fast forward to 2024, we've got a different situation with the Ukraine more. We've got North Korea also looking to partner up with countries to buttress its own position geopolitically.

So, all in all, it is a -- I would say an unprecedented relationship that we're seeing right now in view of the fact that the two countries actually need each other in this form of mutual cooperation and symbiotic relationship.

VAUSE: Well, the Russian president wasn't quite so poetic as the North Korean leader as he talked about the defense of North Korea. Here's Vladimir Putin.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Pyongyang has the right to take reasonable measures to strengthen its own defense capability, ensure national security, and protect sovereignty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: So, that raises a lot of questions. Most importantly, does that mean sharing nuclear technology with the North, which in the past, Moscow has been reluctant to do? In fact, Vladimir Putin tried to stifle the North Korean nuclear program at one point. And is North Korea now under Russia's nuclear umbrella?

KIM: I think that's the fear that we're all kind of on edge because that is -- one would think that for North Korea's Kim Jong Un to actually help the Russians in the war against Ukraine, there's got to be something more than just economic or energy assistance. There has to be something that Kim really, really wants right now in view of his situation with South Korea, with the United States. And of course, the opportunity that he has amid two wars, one in Eastern Europe and one in the Middle East. So, that is the fear that we have.

And the fact that the two countries had signed this agreement, this comprehensive strategic partnership, suggests that there might be that possibility where Russia does provide or will provide North Korea with the technology to really buttress and to sophisticate its weapons capabilities.

And if you recall back in November, North Korea had actually conducted a very successful satellite launch two months after Kim Jong Un and Putin had actually met. There's no clear evidence that the Russians had provided the technology, but we're kind of speculating it. But there's a possibility that that might have happened.

VAUSE: For now, though, Beijing remains North Korea's most important ally, but gone are the days when Chairman Mao would describe the two countries as being as close as lips and teeth. Xi Jinping seems to sort of, I'm willing, if you like to be that close to Kim Jong Un. So, how does this treaty now between North Korea and Russia impact that relationship with Beijing?

KIM: I don't think that the three countries are ever going to pursue a bilateral relationship with each other to a point where it's going to weaken or undermine their relationship, the core, the link that connects, let's say, North Korea to China.

In the past, China had been North Korea's most influential partner, of course. Reality is different right now, and the two countries, Russia and North Korea, have something that each other wants. Where is China going to be at the end of all of this? China is in a position where it is kind of on edge with the fact that Putin and Kim Jong Un had met. It also has to think about how this might actually push the United States, South Korea, and Japan together and an even more closer trilateral partnership.

[00:10:00]

Where's that going to put China? And how is China going to be dealing with, you know, the trilateral as well as, of course, it's two, I would say, closer allies and partners, Beijing -- Pyongyang and Moscow, and how their relationship might actually undermine and weaken his own position in that region.

VAUSE: Soo Kim, thanks for being with us. We really appreciate your insights as well.

KIM: Thank you.

VAUSE: Well, the U.S., Canada, Australia have all spoken out in support of the Philippines and have been critical of China after a confrontation between Filipino forces and the Chinese Coast Guard. New details have emerged about the incident, which happened in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea Monday.

Ivan Watson is in Hong Kong with the very latest on this. So, Ivan, what do we know more about this confrontation?

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. Well, it took place on Monday in the vicinity of this contested shoal, where China and the Philippines have been sparring and engaged in high seas confrontations now for months. The images that were released by the Philippine Armed Forces overnight really do demonstrate a dramatic escalation of what we're already dangerous confrontations in the past.

In the videos that we've seen from the Philippine Armed Forces, you see helmeted uniformed Chinese personnel surrounding small boats manned by uniformed and helmeted Filipino personnel, presumably Navy sailors or Marines.

In these videos, you see that the Chinese, in some cases, are wielding axes, that they pull a bag off of one of the Philippine ships and that they have swarmed that small boat as well.

We had already heard from the top Philippine commander, the commander of the Armed Forces, that there were numerous Filipino personnel who were wounded here, including a seaman who lost a finger in this confrontation on Monday. But now, we're seeing images of just how close these both sides were here.

The Philippine Armed Forces are accusing the Chinese of piracy in this confrontation. This is what the spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry had to say while denying these accusations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LIN JIAN, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON (through translator): China urges the Philippines to immediately stop its infringing and provocative actions. China will continue to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and rights in accordance with the law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: Now, it's important to note that a couple of weeks ago, the president of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., I listened to him at a security conference in Singapore, and he made it very clear that if a Filipino is killed in one of these confrontations, it would be crossing the Rubicon, as he put it. It would be crossing a red line into an act of war. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FERDINAND MARCOS JR., PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT: If a Filipino citizen is killed by a willful act, that is, I think very, very close to what we define as an act of war. And therefore --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: No side is backing down so far in these confrontations. Meanwhile, the Philippines is a mutual defense treaty partner of the U.S. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with his Filipino counterpart about this specific incident and made it clear that the U.S. commitment to this treaty is ironclad.

So, let's see where it goes from here. John?

VAUSE: Ivan Watson there. Thank you, Ivan. In Hong Kong with the very latest.

Well, U.S. officials have publicly and privately hit back after the Israeli prime minister publicly and falsely accused the Biden administration of withholding weapons and ammunition. During a closed- door meeting, a senior U.S. envoy called out Benjamin Netanyahu, saying his comments were unproductive and completely untrue. CNN's MJ Lee reports in now from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Those comments from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu where he accused the U.S. of holding back weapons and ammunitions from Israel really not sitting well with U.S. officials. One senior official telling me that they were perplexing and simply wrong.

And what CNN is learning is that U.S. officials actually privately conveyed that sentiment to Prime Minister Netanyahu in a meeting. U.S. Envoy Amos Hochstein told the prime minister that those comments were unproductive and completely untrue. And meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Jack Lew, said in that same meeting, basically sort of walked through all of the arms that are being provided to Israel and have been delivered to Israel, basically to make the point that he believes the ambassador is wrong.

[00:15:00]

And what we've seen U.S. officials do, it's publicly emphasized that there is only one shipment of arms that the U.S. is currently holding, and that is the shipment that President Biden has talked about publicly.

Now, there is an Israeli delegation that is currently in Washington to have a series of meetings with their American counterparts. And we're told that a meeting that was slated for Thursday appears to have been postponed. Though one official said that that was actually a reaction to Prime Minister Netanyahu's comments in that video. Other officials told CNN that it was actually just a scheduling matter.

But either way, we are, of course, continuing to see those tensions between U.S. and Israeli officials continuing to mount as this war goes on.

MJ Lee, CNN at the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: An unprecedented threat to Cyprus from the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has warned Cyprus against opening its airport as well as bases to Israeli forces. Cyprus has held annual joint military exercises with Israel since 2014.

Hezbollah has never made a direct threat to the island until now. It comes after Israel threatened Hezbollah with all-out war. In response to that, Hezbollah has warned of a war without limits.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HASSAN NASRALLAH, HEZBOLLAH CHIEF (through translator): If war is imposed on Lebanon, the resistance will fight without restraints, without rules and without limits.

The enemy knows very well that we have prepared ourselves for the worst and most difficult days, and the enemy knows very well what awaits it, and that is why it was deterred for nine months.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Cross-border attacks between Israel and Hezbollah surge after October 7th and have escalated even further in recent weeks. Israel made that threat of all-out war after Hezbollah released this drone video on Tuesday showing -- or Wednesday rather, showing the city of Haifa in Northern Israel.

Joining me now is Hagar Chemali who served as the director for Syria and Lebanon on the National Security Council, advising President Barack Obama. She's also host of the "Oh My World" news show, which can be seen on YouTube. Thank you for being with us.

HAGAR CHEMALI, FORMER DIRECTOR FOR SYRIA AND LEBANON AT NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL UNDER OBAMA AND HOST, "OH MY WORLD": Thanks, John. Happy to be here.

VAUSE: OK. So, there's a lot of moving parts right now to all of this. So, accusations flying in public back and forth between the Israeli Prime Minister and senior U.S. officials like this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: It's inconceivable that in the past few months the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We generally do not know what he's talking about. We just don't.

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We have one case that the president's talked about publicly, about the 2,000-pound bombs and concerns that we have about them being used in densely populated areas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: At the same time, U.S. diplomats are working to try and prevent a second war from starting between Israel and Hezbollah militants based in Lebanon. So, the public spat and the diplomatic efforts don't happen in a vacuum. What impact do they have?

CHEMALI: I can tell you having been at the White House, when you have crises like this, you have your leaders on the phone with their counterparts all the time.

And so, when you're going to have tensions now increased between Biden and Netanyahu personally, and that's going to make -- crisis, period. But at the same time, it doesn't necessarily mean that it's going to change U.S. policy toward Israel or affect how the U.S. values Israel's security or prioritizes that.

The U.S. is very easily able to separate the two. When I was at the White House and I worked with Israelis very closely, we had often -- we often had disagreements. I even was there when Netanyahu went to Congress behind Obama's back and spoke about the nuclear deal, something that also outraged Obama officials at the time. And yet, the relationship between us and Israel continue to grow.

VAUSE: It's worth listening to what Netanyahu said one more time and then what he went on to say as well. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NETANYAHU: It's inconceivable that in the past few months, the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel. Israel, America's closest ally, fighting for its life, fighting against Iran and our other common enemies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: It's a dire situation. It's also a lie, which Netanyahu told before, immediately after the U.S. president warned that the offensive weapons like 2,000-pound bombs could be withheld. So, Netanyahu said Israel is being left defenseless. So, he knew then it was wrong. He knows now it's wrong as well. So, why continue to say this? CHEMALI: Yes, he's trying to play into U.S. politics. And you can tell because this video was clearly intended for an American audience. It's in English. He posted it on Twitter. And the thing is that -- what I assume is that he saw two weeks ago, three weeks ago, when you first had news leak about the fact that the United States this one shipment of heavy bombs to Israel.

You saw the fight break out in Washington, D.C., on Capitol Hill, Republicans and some Democrats were angry about that. In fact, they wanted to pass a law to force Biden's hand to send that shipment forward and not prevent any shipments in the future in general from being withheld. And so, when he saw that, he sees an opportunity to play on those divisions.

[00:20:00]

VAUSE: According to a U.N. investigation, Israel's use of U.S. provided weapons may have actually violated international law, those weapons being the GBU-31, which are the 2,000-pound bombs, GBU-32, 1,000 pounds, and the GBU-39, the 250-pound bombs, which they switched to try and minimize civilian casualties.

This is part of the report. They were used from 9 October to the 2nd of December, 2023, on residential buildings, a school, refugee camps, and a market. The U.N. Human Rights Office verified 218 deaths from six attacks in investigated and said information received indicated the number of fatalities could be much higher.

So, Israel has signed an agreement with the United States that U.S. supplied weapons will not be used in violation of international law. Violations like the ones outlined by the U.N. So, given that, isn't the Biden administration required to stop weapon shipments to Israel?

CHEMALI: Well, the way the by administration is going to pursue it is based on its own intelligence assessments and not the U.N.'s unfortunately. And I'm not trying to be (INAUDIBLE) when I say that or dismissive of the U.N. But the U.S. has different intelligence with regards to how said schools, camps, hospitals may have been used by Hamas.

Now, again, I don't want to justify a high toll of civilian deaths. I don't think that that's morally right. I certainly don't think it's strategically in Israel's interest. That said, the way the U.S. is going to take that is as one piece of a bigger picture or one piece of the pie and information as they themselves conduct their own assessments.

VAUSE: Just very quickly before we go, I want you to listen to a senior Hamas official being interviewed by a Lebanese news outlet. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): If we could go back in time to October 7 --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We would do it again.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): You would do it again. That was the question I was about to ask.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Yes, yuck it up boys. You know, the laugh and the smile make the statement so much worse than it could possibly be. And it seems to be reminded that Hamas has zero concerns for Palestinian civilians killed in a war they started.

CHEMALI: Absolutely. Unfortunately, I'm not very surprised by this statement, and you saw it somewhat last week when Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar, also reiterated that the Palestinian deaths were a necessary sacrifice and that that they had the Israelis right where they wanted them.

And this is unfortunately how Hamas operates. And by the way, many terrorist organizations. I worked in counterterrorism. Hamas was in my portfolio, as was Hezbollah. And they -- the whole effort is -- the whole goal is to invoke emotion and empathy across the world. And they're winning at that information war to support their own ideological and political goals. And their goals are very clear, which is to annihilate all of Israel and have the entire territory of West Bank, Gaza, and Israel to have an Islamic caliphate led by Hamas.

And so, I wouldn't be surprised if not only that they're happy that with what they did, but that they would do it again if they could.

VAUSE: Hagar Chemali, thank you so much for being with us. We appreciate your time. Good to see you.

CHEMALI: Thank you, John.

VAUSE: When we come back here on CNN, the lights are back on in Ecuador. But what caused a nationwide blackout which left 17 million people in the dark?

Also, ahead, the northern summer are on a warming planet, and in the United States, they're set to swelter.

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VAUSE: Electricity has been restored to 95 percent of Ecuador, the entire country, after a nationwide blackout Wednesday. Homes, businesses, hospitals, major subway system were all left without power for many hours. Residents in Guayquil were left without electricity during scorching heat. No power for air conditioners or fans.

In a press conference Wednesday night, the public infrastructure minister blamed the outage on faulty transmission lines and a lack of investment in the electrical system.

More than 2 million people in the U.S. State of Texas are under a tornado watch. The National Hurricane Center says Tropical Storm Alberto is expected to strengthen and will continue to bring heavy rains, coastal flooding and gusty winds on the coasts of Texas and northeastern Mexico until Thursday.

The center of the storm, about 135 miles east-southeast of Tampico in Mexico. The winds have knocked out power to more than 13,000 customers in Texas. And the governor there, Greg Abbott, has issued a disaster declaration for 51 counties impacted by the tropical storm so far.

Meantime, extreme heat is still posing a threat to parts of the United States. More than a dozen daily high temperature records were either brokered or tied in the northeast. CNN Meteorologist Chad Myers has a look at how hot the weekend could get.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It sure would be nice to get some of those rains here from parts of Texas into New Mexico where the fires are and yes, we will see a few scattered showers here, but really more we're going to get will be the wind. We're going to see winds 20 to 25 miles per hour in areas where the fires are.

Now, the wind is from an opposite direction that could put firefighters in some danger, but also could push the fires back onto areas that have already burned, but you never like to see 20 to 30 mile per hour winds over a fire zone.

I'd like to see some wind here in the east, maybe blowing this heat away for a change, or at least giving you a wind chill factor, which certainly won't be the case. Again, we're talking about heat index, about 260 million people or more going to see temperatures above 90 over the next few days. Maybe not every day, but certainly you will.

There's where the heat will be for today, a little bit farther toward the west tomorrow and really just expanding toward even D.C. by the weekend, where temperatures will be almost 100 degrees, and that's not heat index. That's thermometer.

We still have these excessive heat warnings and watches all the way across the U.S. where we're just now seeing just long duration days, where it's day after day over 90 degrees, over 95 degrees in some spots. Even New York City today all the way to 92. And if you are not in the wind or if you are in the sunshine or between buildings with the concrete it will feel warmer than that without a doubt.

Today's heat index in Syracuse, a lovely 99 this afternoon. And 99 not with heat index but with the air temperature for D.C. Saturday and for Sunday. A lot of folks going to be doing things out and about in D.C. Make sure you try to stay cool there. Lots of water for you, the pets, the kids and even the plants because they're going a little bit of water, please. Have a great day.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Thank you, Chad Myers. When we come back with a failing national power grid, Ukrainians are learning how to live with power blackouts, which may not end anytime soon. There's Russian missile strikes are no let up. That's ahead.

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[00:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: Welcome back, everyone. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

Vladimir Putin is scheduled to meet with Vietnamese leaders in Hanoi in the coming hours after a two-day state visit to North Korea.

The Russian president wrote an article for Vietnam's official Communist Party newspaper, thanking Hanoi for its balanced position on the conflict in Ukraine.

Putin is also offering to help Vietnam develop its nuclear power program; wants to expand tourism between both countries.

A new treaty between North Korea and Russia could see diplomatic relations heading back to their peak during the days of the Cold War. Before leaving Pyongyang, the Russian president and North Korean leader signed an agreement which includes a mutual defense pact, similar to one between North Korea and the former Soviet Union.

That's raising concerns that Russia could help develop Pyongyang's illicit nuclear program. And North Korea could increase supplies of munitions for Russia's war in Ukraine.

Details now from CNN's Matthew Chance, reporting in from Moscow.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (through translator): This was carefully choreographed pomp and ceremony. A lavish welcome in North Korea for the Russian president.

In Pyongyang's central square, tens of thousands cheered, waving flags and balloons as their own ruthless autocrat, Kim Jong-un, stood shoulder to shoulder with the Kremlin strongman.

It's been 24 years since Putin's last visit here. Now, international sanctions and war have driven him back.

Later, the two leaders signing a strategic alliance treaty. Unwavering, they called it, heralding a new and dangerous phase in cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.

"I've no doubt this powerful treaty will be very constructive," declared Kim Jong-un. "Strictly peace-loving and defensive," he said.

Putin clarified: "The partnership includes mutual assistance in the event of aggression."

That's similar to NATO's Article V, raising concerns Ukrainian attacks on Russia could invoke the clause.

Already, U.S. officials say Russia is using North Korean ammunition to sustain its barrage on the Ukrainian front lines. Moscow and Pyongyang deny arms transfers, which would be in violation of U.N. sanctions.

The Kremlin needs all the help it can get to win its conflict in Ukraine.

What North Korea may get in return is also concerning. Its space ballistic missile and nuclear programs, used to threaten the U.S. and its allies, would benefit from Russian technology. The Kremlin says Pyongyang hasn't even asked for help in the most sensitive areas.

Back in Pyongyang, the only tech being transferred so far seems to be automotive, the Kremlin gifting Kim a Russian-made limo in which Putin then drove him around during a brief interlude.

But then it was back to the business of state-sponsored flattery. Putin and Kim, stone-faced at times, sat as the captive audience clapped along to patriotic Russian and Korean songs.

Both leaders, opposed to the U.S. and its allies, are isolated and sanctioned by the West.

In Pyongyang, at least, neither looks like a pariah.

Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: A prominent critic of the Kazakhstan government is in serious condition after surviving an assassination attempt in broad daylight in Ukraine.

[00:35:07]

Police say journalist Aydos Sadykov was shot while in his car outside his home in Kyiv on Wednesday. Authorities are now trying to identify and find the gunman.

Sadykov is the head of an online media group opposed to Kazakhstan's autocratic president.

In a Facebook post, his wife blamed the president of Kazakhstan for the attempt on her husband's life.

Many Ukrainians describe repeated and unrelenting Russian attacks on the national power grid as being like a second front. And a recent surge in Russian airstrikes has left the grid so badly damaged that rolling blackouts are now in place for the first time during summer.

CNN's Claree Sebastian has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Blackouts turn simple daily activities, like taking a toddler out to play, into herculean tasks.

KATERYNA SERZHAN, KYIV RESIDENT: Because we live on the 15th floor, and sometimes when Nadya (ph) wants bicycle, it's kind of complicated.

SEBASTIAN: It's created a situation where it's -- it's actually hard for you to leave your house.

SERZHAN: Yes. Maybe it's easier to leave our house, but it's hard to come back. You know?

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Since mid-March, Russia has carried out six massive attacks, precision targeting Ukraine's power-generating facilities.

For the first time in summer, rolling blackouts are now almost a daily occurrence.

A gas camping stove, the only way to cook a hot dinner. And yet, Kateryna's resilience belies the scale of this crisis.

The recent attacks destroyed 40 percent of the country's electricity- generating capacity, says DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy company. And winter is too close for comfort.

DMYTRO SAKHARUK, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DTEK: We want 120 days left before the start of the heating season. One hundred twenty days. So it means that the speed in which we need to -- to (UNINTELLIGIBLE) should be extremely high. It may not be business as usual.

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): There's no quick fix. Rebuild where possible, in some cases, using parts from decommissioned power plants in Europe. Start building more, smaller power units to spread the risk. Import more from Europe.

SEBASTIAN: Are you worried that it won't get done in 120 days? That it's going to mean that there are still deficits going into the winter?

SAKHARUK: The deficits will be higher than today, and that will mean that people will not have light in their houses up to 20 hours.

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Even with scheduled blackouts, the unexpected still happens.

"We lost the lights. That's the reality we live in," says this Ukrainian news anchor.

SVETLANA GRYNCHUK, UKRAINIAN DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY: We called it the second frontline. Energy now is like second front line. We understand that the winter period will be difficult for us and -- but we are doing our best. And we try to be ready.

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): And that means being ready for more attacks.

GRYNCHUK: First priority is to protect our energy facilities, to protect our energy infrastructure. And the best way is air defense.

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): There is progress on air defense and funding, but it's not quick enough for Kateryna and her daughter, now looking to leave Kyiv for the winter and rent a house with a wood-burning stove.

SERZHAN: We have an apartment here, and we understand that it will be really cold over here.

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: When we come back, Justin Timberlake's Tuesday arrest will not stop the music, apparently. What his attorney had to say about his upcoming court date for DWI, just ahead.

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VAUSE: Well, according to his attorney, Justin Timberlake will have plenty to say at the appropriate time after his arrest and being charged with driving while intoxicated.

After his release on Tuesday, Timberlake is now scheduled to be back in court July 26.

CNN's Bryn Gingras explains details on how the former Mousketeer may have ended up on the wrong side of the law.

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BRYN GINGRAS, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Police allege the pop star blew through this stop sign before heading in this direction.

For six more blocks, police say Timberlake swerved lanes, and they pulled him over. It was here where they say he had slurred speech, unsteady footing, and he failed a field sobriety test.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Prosecutors say Timberlake will likely appear virtually.

The singer is currently in the middle of a world tour, the Forget Tomorrow Tour. He may want to do that. It continues until the end of the year. Tickets are still on sale.

So apparently wine gets better with age, but there are exceptions, like one which is 2,000 years old, believed to be the oldest ever found in liquid form.

It was unearthed five years ago from a tomb in Southern Spain. Researchers said it's a white wine found inside an urn, along with some human remains. OK, so that's why it's good (ph) with a good cheese.

They say it's an almost impossible discovery, because wine tends to evaporate quite quickly. But somehow, it was hermetically sealed, which kept it preserved all this time.

John Vause, back with more CNN NEWSROOM at the top of the hour. Please stay with us. WORLD SPORT is up next. See you in, what, 18 minutes.

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