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Europeans Show Solidarity With Kyiv In G7 Conference; Donald Trump Again Refuses To Call Vladimir Putin A Dictator; China's Xi Jinping And Russia's Vladimir Putin Navigate New U.S. Foreign Policy; Confusion Over Elon Musk's Supposed Ultimatum To Government Workers; Catholics Around The World Offer Prayers For Pope Francis; Colorado Trump Voters Weigh in on President's New Term; Cabin Haze Forces Passengers to Evacuate Delta Flight; Blue Ghost Lunar Lander Takes Spectacular Pictures of Moon. Aired 2-2:45a ET

Aired February 25, 2025 - 02:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:00:18]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world, and to everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead, the U.S. and French President smiled for the cameras, but behind the scenes, a growing rift between Washington and Europe as Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine passes its three year mark.

Ultimatums and contradictory messages, Elon Musk's demand that federal workers explain what they're doing or risk termination gets even more confusing.

And the Vatican's update on the Pope's condition is cautiously optimistic.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Good to have you with us. Well, for every step, Donald Trump takes away from Ukraine and towards Russia, European leaders are trying to inject a dose of reality.

Later this week, it will be British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House. On Monday, it was French President Emmanuel Macron telling Mr. Trump he must deal with Russia from a position of strength. He said, while all sides might want peace, it can't be a surrender of Ukraine.

Mr. Trump, once again, blamed former U.S. President Joe Biden for the war and refused to call Vladimir Putin a dictator.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President, you called Zelenskyy a dictator. Would you use the same words regarding Putin?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't use those words lightly. I think that we're going to see how it all works out. Let's see what happens. I think we have a chance of a really good settlement between various countries.

And you know, you're talking about Europe, and you're talking about Ukraine as part of that whole situation, the other side has a lot of -- a lot of support also.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: President Macron took a bold step in correcting President Trump, who again exaggerated U.S. military and financial assistance to Ukraine. And later Monday, the French leader said a truce between Russia and Ukraine could be reached within weeks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT: I think it's feasible to have a truce at least and start negotiating for sustainable peace, but we need something substantial for Ukraine, for the Europeans and security for the U.S. and its credibility.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: There was a significant shift at the U.N. where the general assembly approved a resolution condemning Russia's war on Ukraine, with the U.S. and Russia voting against it. The Security Council passed a U.S. led resolution that failed to mention Russian aggression or Ukraine's territorial integrity.

In Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed world leaders marking the third anniversary of Russia's invasion. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh was there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They came to honor, mourn, in unity with the hope the war could stop in this, its fourth year. But in truth, the past week has elevated Ukraine's bitter conflict, where Russia is still advancing into an unprecedented crisis for all of them, Europe and beyond.

ALEXANDER STUBB, PRESIDENT OF FINLAND: It's also about having skin in the game.

WALSH (voice-over): The words, the pledges of aid and sanctions were familiar.

JUSTIN TRUDEAU, PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA: We need to make sure that might no longer makes right.

KEIR STARMER, PRIME MINISTER OF THE UNITED KINGDOM: The U.K. is ready and willing to support this with troops on the ground. WALSH: A show of solidarity, but really key here is the absence of senior figures in the Trump administration, the change in that alliance hanging over this key show of unity.

WALSH (voice-over): But then the whiplash that's left U.S.-Ukraine relations in free fall suddenly got a reprieve. Perhaps due to this man siding up to President Donald Trump during a G7 video call.

TRUDEAU: There he is, Emmanuel is on --

WALSH (voice-over): French President Emmanuel Macron seeking to bring Trump onto Ukraine's side.

TRUDEAU: Olaf, good to have you here. I know it was a tough day yesterday.

WALSH (voice-over): A lot of change here. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau leaving Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz voted out too. But this is day by day for Ukraine who welcomed a chance.

VOLODOMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE: I mean that's -- well, with Donald Trump, now we had a conversation, it was a very good conversation. Thank you very much, Justin, for organizing this meeting.

WALSH (voice-over): Some minutes later, the world seemed to change again. The key U.S.-Ukraine resources deal close to done.

[02:05:01]

TRUMP: I think we're very close. Do you have something to say about that, Scott?

SCOTT BESSENT, TREASURY SECRETARY: We are very close. One yard line.

TRUMP: I will be meeting with President Zelenskyy. In fact, he may come in this week or next week to sign the agreement.

WALSH (voice-over): Just add Macron to Trump, results in minutes.

TRUMP: He's a smart customer, I will tell you that.

WALSH (voice-over): Ukraine urgently needed good news and a brutal fight. A source telling CNN a final draft of the resources deal left the tough stuff to later talks, removed the worst parts for Kyiv, but also the security guarantees they needed. That might be something for the presidents to discuss later.

Yet, the madness has one winner. The Kremlin head surely seeing a telenovela plot of a week, leaving the West in panic, trading dictator insults, but not at him, and then suddenly healed. Next week could well be different again.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Kyiv, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: The Ukrainian president is hailing his country's absolute heroism on this somber anniversary. And in Russia, there were rare acts of dissent. Independent media shared images of people laying flowers at Ukrainian monuments in Moscow that were removed throughout the day.

Elsewhere, there was a demonstration dedicated to the peaceful resolution of conflicts. Activists took to the streets with signs referencing the war. One read, we want to live in peace and harmony with our neighbors.

To Los Angeles and CNN's European Affairs Commentator Dominic Thomas, good to have you with us.

DOMINIC THOMAS, CNN EUROPEAN AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Thank you so much, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So, Dominic, in a stunning moment, President Trump refused to call Russia's Vladimir Putin a dictator while hosting French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House Monday. Why is Trump calling Ukraine's president a dictator, but not Putin?

THOMAS: I think, Rosemary, that's a very difficult question to answer. Ultimately, I think that, really, it just points to the volatility of the situation, the unpredictability of President Trump's shifting positions on all of these questions that go from one day, either him or his surrogates talking about the sort of the end of an Atlantic, European, United States relationship, and then the next day talking about a solution that might involve the United States and Europe in reaching some kind of peaceful agreement in Ukraine, and I think that that unpredictability is precisely what is making this situation so difficult to read moving forward.

CHURCH: Yes, because President Trump suggested the war in Ukraine could end within weeks. But Putin undercut that message, didn't he? How possible is an imminent end to the war if Putin doesn't think they're actually engaging in serious talks to end it?

THOMAS: I think at this moment, Rosemary, we're moving into a just a completely new era of, essentially, of American foreign policy, and what we're seeing here is the purely transactional nature of it.

In other words, it is the United States offering protection for pay. In the case of Ukraine, it involves minerals. In the case of the relationship with Russia, deals that President Trump is negotiating with Vladimir Putin.

And then when it comes to Europe, there is this complex relationship that I think that which Europe we're talking about is, of course, the big question here. But there are many in Europe, many European leaders who believe that they cannot solve the Ukrainian situation alone, and then they need the United States.

That is putting them in a situation of vulnerability vis-a-vis President Trump, because it's creating a kind of dependency and legitimizing his actions. And it's very difficult to disentangle all of this from the actions of Russia in Ukraine, and what President Trump is proposing moving forward in terms of establishing a hold over land, over minerals, over territorial spaces in exchange for military protection.

And I think that that inconsistency in the message and the lack of unity in Europe when it comes to thinking about these particular questions is the problem moving forward, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes, and of course, there was that other stunning moment, wasn't it? The U.S. opposed a U.N. resolution condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the third anniversary of that war, siding with Russia, Belarus and North Korea in that vote. Did you ever think you would see that day?

THOMAS: Well, absolutely, based on what happened in Munich just a week or so ago, and I think that this is precisely the situation is that I'm not sure President Trump automatically has a way of solving this problem. He wants to take responsibility and credit for achieving peace in the region. The question is, what are those negotiating terms going to be, and what are the red lines going to be for Ukraine, for the different constituencies in Europe, and what will Putin tolerate in this.

[02:10:05]

And it's not that easy looking forward to see how it's possible to satisfy all of those sides in that, and to achieve a sustainable solution moving forward that doesn't somehow reward Russia for its intrusions in Ukraine and leave Europe vulnerable moving forward, in a situation in which there is a dependency on the United States and an expectation from the United States that a struggling Europe economically is going to be able to find the financial resources, let alone support from its electorate, moving forward to fund an ongoing situation of protecting Ukraine.

CHURCH: And on Europe. I mean, after winning Germany's snap elections, the country's likely next chancellor, conservative Friedrich Merz said that Europe needs to achieve independence from the U.S. And the optics of the G7 meeting Monday showed Trump very much the outsider. Where do all the recent developments leave that transatlantic relationship do you think?

THOMAS: Well, I think when it comes to the G7 there's a -- there's a dramatic shift that's taking place in there. If we just look at the lineup from June and then the number of political leaders that are on their way out, Schultz being the latest, President Biden, Trudeau, Canada. There's a lot of changes taking place, and a lot of those are moving the G7 towards the right or the far right when you think of Trump and Italy and the profile of Merz.

But it is extraordinary that within Europe here, you not only have countries like Hungary, Slovakia and so on that are tend to be pro- Russia in their -- in their alignment, but here at a definite break between two of the biggest countries, France and Germany, when it comes to Merz's words on disentangling themselves from United States dependent militarily.

Now, we'll have to see how that plays out in Germany as they go forward trying to build a coalition in an increasingly volatile and complicated political environment in which the previous members of the coalition were all just punished (ph) up the polls, and Germany has its own issues here moving forward, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Dominic Thomas, many thanks for joining us and sharing your analysis. Always appreciate it.

THOMAS: Thank you.

CHURCH: Well, meanwhile, Russia's and China's presidents held their first phone call since the U.S. began warming toward the Kremlin and Xi Jinping wants the West to know that China's relationship with Russia cannot be shaken. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged long term strategic ties in a phone call on Monday, their first phone call since U.S. President Donald Trump made his significant pivot toward Russia as he pushes for peace in Ukraine.

The call took place on Monday, on the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and it underscored the durability and long term nature of the Sino-Russia Alliance.

Now, according to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs readout of the call, Xi Jinping, the Chinese president said this, "Our bilateral relationship has a strong internal driving force and unique strategic value. It is neither targeted at any third party, nor affected by any third party." The Chinese readout noted that the call was initiated by Putin.

Now, the Kremlin described the call as, quote, warm and friendly. While adding this, "The two leaders emphasized that the Russian- Chinese political ties are an essential stabilizing factor in global affairs. This relationship is strategic in nature, not subject to political bias, and not aimed against anyone."

Now, the call comes as both China and Russia navigate a new American foreign policy. On Monday, in a stunning shift, the U.S. joined Russia to vote against the U.N. General Assembly Resolution to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine, China abstained.

Now, China may have declared neutrality in the conflict, but it has supported Russia during its campaign economically by buying Russian energy, the softening of impact of Western sanctions, and politically by repeating Kremlin talking points and refusing to condemn the invasion.

Now, Trump's courting of Putin has raised questions whether the U.S. could be a wedge between China and Russia. Now, the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has attempted to put that to

rest at a recent G20 gathering, he told his counterparts this that, "China supports all efforts dedicated to peace, including the recent consensus reached between the U.S. and Russia." And he added that the "A window for peace is opening."

Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Elon Musk is doubling down on an ultimatum to U.S. federal employees, demanding they submit detailed logs of their work or face termination.

On Monday, the Office of Personnel Management claimed it would be voluntary for government workers to respond to that mass e-mail about justifying their jobs, but a short time later, Musk tweeted a failure to respond to a second inquiry would result in termination as well. CNN's Rene Marsh has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[02:15:08]

RENE MARSH, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The Office of Personnel Management formally notified agencies Monday afternoon that the so called, what did you do last week e-mail sent over the weekend is voluntary, and failure to respond will not equate to a resignation.

Now, that guidance runs counter to what Elon Musk said over the weekend. On X he posted, "Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation."

And the president on Monday afternoon said that anyone who didn't respond to the e-mail was, "semi-fired or fired."

All of this creating a lot of confusion within federal agencies. A Department of Veterans Affairs employee putting it this way. "No one knows who is in charge or who to listen to."

Now, this e-mail also appeared to reveal a rift between Trump appointed agency heads and Elon Musk. Now, keep in mind, Musk is unelected and not Senate confirmed to run any federal agency, and he was essentially telling employees to report outside of their chain of command to him.

We did see that seven agencies, including the Department of Defense, the State Department and FBI, told employees not to comply.

But Trump is downplaying any rift between his Cabinet Secretaries and Elon Musk and the power that Musk is wielding in his capacity outside of government, but leading this effort to shrink the federal workforce.

Rene Marsh, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: The Trump administration is halting its plan to house up to 30,000 undocumented migrants in tents at the military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Sources tell CNN, the tents don't meet the standards set by Immigration and Customs Enforcement because they have no air conditioning or electricity, but migrants are still being placed in other facilities on the base. This comes as the new U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will be making his first trip to Guantanamo Bay in the coming hours. The Pentagon says he will receive briefings on all mission operations, including the transfer of migrants to the base.

Still to come, a slight improvement for Pope Francis, who remains in hospital fighting a serious illness for 11 days, we will have an update on his condition.

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[02:21:56]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Hope he gets better. He's the only one who can speak for the poor at this moment, he cannot leave us alone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I am very worried with anguish, praying every day for the holy father to pull through. I know he will pull through. He will pull through. I have a lot of faith.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: From Pope Francis' birthplace in Argentina to St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Catholics around the world are praying for the 88-year-old pontiff as he fights double pneumonia in hospital.

The Vatican says the Pope is showing slight improvement. He's still able to move around. Is eating well and is in good humor. CNN Vatican Correspondent Christopher Lamb brings us the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, reports of an improvement in Pope Francis' condition tonight from the Vatican. They say that the pope has been doing better. He has been able to call the parish in Gaza and also to do some work activities. We're told that the potential kidney failure that the pope might have had is now no longer a concern. He's still receiving oxygen, but at a slightly lower rate.

Clearly, it's a complex medical picture for Francis, and we are told he is still in a critical condition. It could go either way. Francis has been in hospital since February the 14th. It's the longest hospital stay of his pontificate. And there is obviously concern here in Rome and at the Vatican, behind

me in St. Peter's Square, there was a prayer service this evening led by Cardinal Pietro Parolin and other cardinals from Rome were gathered in the square to pray for Pope Francis. There's been an outpouring of prayer and well wishes for the pontiff, as he struggles with this health condition, this health crisis, he has pneumonia in both lungs. We're hearing of prayers being said for the pope across the globe and by non-Catholics. The Grand Imam of Al Azhar, the leader of Sunni Islam in Egypt, has been praying for the pope. We are expecting further updates from the Vatican in the coming hours.

Christopher Lamb, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: We are following a developing story from South Korea, where at least four workers have been killed after a highway overpass collapsed at a construction site, at least six others were injured. Broadcaster YTN aired this stunning dash cam footage showing the moment the towering deck of the overpass fell and slammed onto the road below. The road network is still being built, and no passenger cars were on or around the site.

Well, voters who cast their ballots for Donald Trump are now speaking with CNN about how they feel after his first month back in office, our John King has that report just ahead.

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[02:29:53]

CHURCH: Donald Trump kicked off a tumultuous second term just over a month ago, and in the last few days, federal employees have been left confused by contradictory directives from Elon Musk and the Trump administration over a push to have them justify their jobs in writing. Trump voters are paying attention to all of this. CNN's John King traveled to Colorado to speak with some of them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Spomer Ranch spans more than 100 acres, home to 60 horses and one last bison.

DAVID HAYES, COLORADO VOTER: This little guy down here, his name is Trouble.

KING (voice-over): A bit ornery at times. Yes, Trouble.

HAYES: You know, it's like Trump. I really don't like him as a person. I think he's arrogant, kind of a jerk. But --

KING (voice-over): David Hayes is a funny man.

HAYES: I tried farming for a while and I would rather get run over by a bison, you know. (LAUGH)

KING (voice-over): The Northern Colorado Ranch has been in his family since the 1880s. The White House and Washington are far away.

HAYES: We got like hot dogs.

KING (voice-over): Yes, Hayes wants the government shrunk, but he doesn't see a coherent plan and he doesn't trust Elon Musk, doesn't believe what he says, doesn't want Trump letting Musk poke around social security or tax files.

HAYES: I don't know how many people he has fired. And you know, Musk keeps saying, well, I found $1 billion of waste here. And social security, there's hundreds of -- hundreds and hundreds of people that are collecting it that are between a hundred years old and 150. Can you believe any of that crap?

KING: No.

HAYES: You can't substantiate it, but you can't believe it.

KING: Right.

HAYES: So that's a trust issue.

KING (voice-over): A blue collar rural guy in one of the nation's most competitive congressional districts, a three-time Trump voter who calls the president unfocused and arrogant. But Democrats should hold the celebration. But if you had a do over tomorrow and you had to pick again between Trump and Harris, what would you do?

HAYES: I would still do Trump.

KING: So a conservative independent, is that fair?

ESMERALDA RAMIREZ-RAY, COLORADO VOTER: Very conservative independent, yes.

KING (voice-over): So would Esmeralda Ramirez-Ray. She smiles when asked about Trump's frenetic first month.

RAMIREZ-RAY: Voted for that. I love it.

KING: What did you vote for?

RAMIREZ-RAY: I voted for a president that was going to put America first. I voted for a president that was going to secure our borders, and I voted for a president that was going to make sure that we were respected throughout the world. And I believe I'm getting that.

KING (voice-over): Greeley is the northern edge of Colorado's Eighth, a congressional district that is 40 percent Hispanic and has a significant undocumented population. Ramirez-Ray is a court interpreter for defendants who don't speak English. She agrees with Trump that some who cross the border illegally are violent criminals. But she wishes he would add that the overwhelming majority are good people.

RAMIREZ-RAY: I was raised as a migrant worker working in the fields. Those are the people that are out there picking their crops. So even though I support Trump, I don't believe that he's the end all, be all savior of humanity. Nobody is.

TODD WAUFLE, COLORADO VOTER: Now this one, we've had Canadian hoser for a long time before all this stuff came up.

KING: Right.

WAUFLE: All the fights with American and Canadian hockey players and everything --

KING (voice-over): Like Hayes, Todd Waufle says Trump can be arrogant and pompous. But like Ramirez-Ray, he's a fan of the early pace.

WAUFLE: I like him going full speed. Let's get -- let's get things done. Let's find out if the policies work. They don't work. But yeah, this is the baby brewing system. Boil it up there.

KING (voice-over): Waufle started Satire Brewing seven years ago. Business is good and he constantly debates expanding. But a plan to boost sales by adding canning machines is on hold because of Trump tariffs on aluminum.

WAUFLE: When you fly enough, you understand, you know, buckle your seatbelt, turbulence ahead.

KING (voice-over): Waufle's approach is a trademark of many Trump voters. Accept the things that make you cringe to get the things you want, like a better economy and a stronger border.

WAUFLE: Trump's going to say what he's going to say, and yeah, some is going to be exaggerated. Some are not going to be true. But at the end of the day, I think you got to, you know, sift through all that. Is he going to get things done? Is he going to get the country moving the right way?

AUSTIN JENKINS, COLORADO VOTER: Let go right in front of your eyes, just like that.

KING (voice-over): Austin Jenkins voted for lower taxes and less regulation. That would help his small businesses, including this cocktail bar and the Greeley Hatchet House.

JENKINS: He seemed like the lesser of two evils in my opinion.

KING: But Jenkins finds the first month unsettling, not a fan of tariffs or executive orders by the dozens, or Musk popping from agency to agency.

JENKINS: I thought there's supposed to be checks and balances somewhere.

KING: So where do I want to let go? Shoulder height? JENKINS: Right in front of your eyes. So --

KING (voice-over): Plus, he sees fear in the Latino community, wishes Trump would find a more compassionate way to improve border security.

JENKINS: I think there's a better way to go about it. I don't know if it's necessarily just force them out.

KING (voice-over): Trump of course, won't be on the ballot next election, but this district will help decide whether Republicans keep their tiny House majority.

JENKINS: The cost of living's getting crazy here in Colorado. And I hope that they would have a -- some kind of an impact on helping that.

KING (voice-over): The new Republican congressman won by just 2000 votes. His 2026 reelection prospects will likely hinge on Trump's performance, on whether swing voters here see the president is focused on the big issues or veering too far off target.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[02:35:00]

CHURCH: And that was CNN's John King reporting from Colorado. We'll be right back.

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CHURCH: A Delta flight departing from Atlanta, Georgia was forced to turnaround shortly after takeoff on Sunday as the Boeing 717 made its initial ascent, a haze filled the cabin, making it hard for passengers to breathe. The crew reported possible smoke in the flight deck shortly afterwards, according to federal aviation investigators. After the plane returned to the runway, all 97 people aboard followed emergency evacuation procedures with the assistance of Atlanta Fire Rescue.

[02:40:00]

Delta Airlines says it's still trying to determine what caused the haze.

And finally, it's the moon as you've never seen it before. These pictures were taken by the Blue Ghost lunar lander. It is a private U.S. spacecraft that's orbiting the moon right now. It will attempt to land on the lunar surface this weekend. The new footage features close-ups of the moon's far side, an area that's not visible from earth. The spacecraft also captured images of the lunar South Pole. A Blue Ghost engineer calls the quality of the pictures surreal.

I want to thank you so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. "World Sport" is coming up next. Then I'll be back in about 15 minutes with more "CNN newsroom." Do stick around.

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(WORLD SPORT)