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Israel Cuts Off Aid in Gaza; Zelenskyy to Meet with European Leaders; Next Steps for Ukraine; Republicans Sentiment Towards Ukraine; New Normal for Federal Workers; Pope Francis Resting; Growing Number of Measles Cases in West Texas Outbreak; Americans' Shifting Support for Ukraine; Pushback Against Zelenskyy's Treatment. Aired 4- 5a ET

Aired March 02, 2025 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

Israel says it will cut off all humanitarian aid to Gaza unless Hamas backs a U.S. plan to extend their ceasefire. After the D.C. diplomatic disaster, Ukraine's President Zelenskyy gets a much warmer welcome ahead of today's summit in the U.K. We'll go live to Downing Street with a preview. And polling gives us insight into how U.S. Republicans feel about Ukraine, and how much that sentiment differs from when the war began. And federal employees are again facing questions about the work they do. We'll have the latest on the new normal under Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: Israel says it's stopping all humanitarian aid from going into Gaza. Now, this comes as phase one of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has expired. CNN's Larry Madowo joins us live from Paris. So, Larry, take us through Israel's decision here, the reaction and the impact it could have on so many civilians.

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kim, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to stop any more release of aid into Gaza immediately. And this is because the last phase of the first stage of negotiations ended yesterday. And what the Israelis are saying is that they will not allow a ceasefire without the release of hostages. There are thought to be still 24 living hostages in Gaza that need to be released.

Now, the United States has recommended extending the current phase of the ceasefire to buy them about seven more weeks. Under this agreement and this proposal by Steve Witkoff, that is President Trump's envoy, the Hamas organization would release about half of the living and deceased hostages still in Gaza. And then, at the end of that negotiation period, the remaining hostages will be released.

In that proposal, this would go on for another seven weeks to cover the holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish holiday of Passover. So, this would end on April 20th. But Hamas is rejecting this, calling it cheap blackmail and a war crime and appealing to the International Community to force Israel to stop what it calls a moral act against the population, the 2 million people that live in Gaza.

What Hamas wants is to go to the second stage of negotiations. They're hoping for a comprehensive agreement that would end -- will lead to a permanent ceasefire, a pullout and an end to the war. And the Israelis are not keen to do that.

So, this is the immediate leverage that the Israelis have, which is stopping the aid and supplies going into Gaza, which is badly needed. The enclave of about 2 million people is essentially in ruins after this 15-month war. And Hamas is digging their heels in. They rejected the end -- at the end of that ceasefire that ended yesterday, the first phase of it, they rejected this extension of it. And this throws the negotiations into disarray. They've both made trips to Cairo, which is one of the countries Egypt has been negotiating in this alongside Qatar. We're still waiting for responses from Egypt, from Qatar, from their reactions to this. But Hamas has already declared that they will not be going ahead with this extension, this temporary extension that the U.S. has negotiated, has essentially put on the table for them.

They're in the first phase of this. About several dozen living hostages and eight bodies were released, as well as more than 1,500 Palestinian prisoners. So, this should be an extension of that, which came at this point does not appear to be going ahead, putting this entire operation into lots of questions. Does that mean that Israel will then ramp up again it's -- the war in Gaza, which something that Hamas is trying to avoid?

This ceasefire has allowed them to essentially regroup, but they're saying they won't agree to any kind of a temporary ceasefire, temporary extension, as the U.S. has put on the table, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. And again, so many civilians caught in the middle of this. Larry Modowo, thank you so much.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to receive a massive show of support today for more than a dozen European leaders. They're scheduled to attend a Ukraine summit in London. President Zelenskyy met Saturday with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London. The pair finalized loans from the U.K. for more than $2 billion. Zelenskyy said that money would be used for production of weapons in Ukraine.

[04:05:00]

The reception he received in London was quite different from the experience in Washington on Friday. Zelenskyy said the meeting in London was, quote, "significant and warm." And the prime minister's comments were a big change from President Trump's.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: You're very, very welcome here in Downing Street. And as you heard from the cheers on the street outside, you have full backing across the United Kingdom.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Now, compare that to this chaotic scene from Friday with President Trump shouting at President Zelenskyy. That meeting ended with White House officials asking the Ukrainian president to leave.

CNN's Clare Sebastian joins us now from London with more. So, Clare, as we said, President Zelenskyy, those two meetings in Washington and London, a study in contrast. Huge stakes today. Take us through them.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Kim, I think the stakes just got exponentially higher for this meeting after what we saw in the Oval Office on Friday. Look, this was supposed to be a meeting that took place at the end of the week where French President Emmanuel Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who both visited the White House last week, had secured some kind of warmer ties with the Trump administration, perhaps made progress towards persuading the Trump administration not to abandon Ukraine and Europe.

But of course -- and then, of course, we were expecting Ukraine to sign that minerals deal on Friday, which would have been a step towards perhaps U.S. involvement in post-war security guarantees. What we got, of course, was the sort of public implosion of that relationship, and that leaves Europe with these major existential questions.

So, this meeting this weekend, I think, there is symbolism. You saw Keir Starmer there, very warm reception for President Zelenskyy. He came out onto Downing Street here, he hugged him, he greeted him in person. We're also seeing more symbolism today where Zelenskyy will be meeting with King Charles. This was a hastily arranged meeting, which I think highly symbolic given the fanfare we saw on Thursday when Prime Minister Starmer presented President Trump with an invitation from King Charles for another state visit, which you described as unprecedented. So, a similar sort of honor being afforded today to President Zelenskyy, a sign of the U.K.'s solidarity.

But I think we're going to be seeing the European leaders and the U.K. prime minister, in particular, moving beyond that symbolism today into real concrete action. They now have to walk this tightrope, on the one hand, of trying to repair the relationship between the U.S. and Ukraine, trying to figure out if that can even be done. I think one important player in that we will see arriving here in Downing Street later is the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, a key ally of President Trump, also a supporter of Ukraine. She may be someone who can help build that bridge.

But at the same time, Europe now has to also, as it did even before, what we saw on Friday, figure out how it designs, how it comes up with some kind of post-war security guarantee for Ukraine that will actually deter Russian aggression. President Zelenskyy has made it clear all along, he thinks that security guarantees will not work without the U.S.

So, in some senses, we're back to square one here. This is an incredibly high stakes meeting and one where I think Europe will be facing questions well beyond the issue of Ukraine.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, absolutely. Well, on that, I mean, Ukraine, obviously, the item on their agenda, but in the end, for these European leaders, it is about more than just Ukraine, right?

SEBASTIAN: Right. They are facing a U.S. president, who in that Oval Office meeting, Kim said, I am not aligned with anyone. I think they cannot ignore that. Look, there were signs, very clear signs even before this, but we're now in a situation where this is extremely urgent. And you're certainly seeing countries like the U.K. and France try to lead the way on this.

Of course, the U.K. stepped up last week and pledged to increase defense spending to 2.6 percent by 2027. They're going to be looking, I think, for more pledges from other European countries. We're currently in a situation where within NATO, two-thirds of countries have hit that 2 percent spending target, but still, a number of countries haven't. And of course, we're hearing from the US and from NATO leadership in general, the secretary general, Mark Rutte, will be here today, that the 2 percent target in itself is outdated. That we need to be looking for countries to spend beyond that.

So, they will be facing also the longer-term issues of how they manage European security, perhaps with a much less committed United States.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Appreciate all that. Clare Sebastian live in London, thanks so much. Well, meanwhile, the White House is calling Friday's diplomatic disaster a win for Donald Trump. A number of White House officials have been praising President Trump's conduct during the chaotic meeting, and the U.S. national security adviser compared President Zelenskyy to a disgruntled ex-girlfriend. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE WALTZ, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: He's clearly solely focused on believing he needs to fact check and correct every nuance. You know, it's like a, you know, an ex-girlfriend that wants to argue, you know, everything that you said nine years ago, rather than moving the relationships forward.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[04:10:00]

BRUNHUBER: Now, among members of Congress, the opinions mostly fall along party lines with Democrats criticizing Trump's actions and most, but not all Republicans praising them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. SETH MOULTON (D-MA): It's a really sad place for America to be and for the freedom loving world to be. Because this is dangerous. It's not just dangerous for Ukrainians who've been fighting for freedom for years, it's dangerous for all of Europe, where our NATO allies are facing down Vladimir Putin, who's basically just getting a green light from the White House. It's dangerous for the world, because Xi Jinping might be actually the happiest person right now, because he's getting a green light to go ahead and potentially invade Taiwan, which could very well lead to World War III in the Pacific. The stakes are incredibly high.

REP. NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS (R-NY): He offered this type of economic partnership that would not only help the United States, because we are in desperate need of critical minerals to compete with China for the things that we need here, semiconductors and other things, but he was offering a way out for Ukraine. And that is so incredibly important, I think. I think it was a missed opportunity, quite frankly, from President Zelenskyy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The public falling out between Presidents Trump and Zelenskyy drew strong reactions from around the world. As Ben Hunte reports, most people were absolutely stunned by what they saw.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN HUNTE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (voice-over): It's the now infamous meeting that has many people taking sides. But there has been one almost universal reaction to the dust up between Trump, his vice president, and Zelenskyy, and that's shock.

In Ukraine, which Russia invaded three years ago, there's a wave of support for Zelenskyy, who Trump and Vance called disrespectful. But that's not how many people in Kyiv saw it.

ELLA KAZANTSEVA, KYIV, UKRAINE (through translator): The way they behave themselves. Of course, I support Zelenskyy. I don't know how he held himself in such conditions.

HUNTE (voice-over): But there are fears, too, about what will happen to Ukraine, as the country appears to be losing support from its biggest ally.

LIUDMYLA STETSEVYCH, KYIV, UKRAINE (through translator): I doubt that we could stand without the American help. They have helped us a lot with weapons and money. Maybe Europe will help us.

HUNTE (voice-over): In the northeastern city of Kharkiv, which was hit again by Russian drones on Saturday, one resident said the altercation felt more like a street brawl than a meeting at the White House.

IVAN, KHARKIV, UKRAINE (through translator): It was not on a level of international diplomacy. You know, it looked like fighting a hoodlum from the block, like in a "Godfather" movie. Kiss the ring. If you don't, get out.

HUNTE (voice-over): In Moscow, there were divided opinions, with some people calling it a spectacle, others saying they just want peace.

OLEG, MOSCOW (through translator): Well, I think Zelenskyy really doesn't have many cards up his sleeve, but it won't come to an end quickly, unfortunately.

DMITRY, MOSCOW (through translator): It's all part of the show, I think, of good American cinema. That's the first thing. And the second point is that really important things will be decided behind the scenes.

HUNTE (voice-over): Many Western countries have expressed their support for Ukraine after the disastrous meeting, but there was a sense of astonishment in the British media and on the streets in London about how it all went down.

RAY TA, LONDON: It was very unfair. I don't think anyone should be treated like that. It's very, kind of, bullish (ph) behaviour.

HUNTE (voice-over): And around the world, differing reactions to which world leader either lost or held his composure.

CHUN YONG-SUP, SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (through translator): I felt like Trump was a little bit rude to Zelenskyy, and he treats security issues as commercial ones. Then I felt, it shouldn't be done that way.

ERNEST BROWN, WASHINGTON, D.C.: I loved it because that's what I voted for. I'm glad that we finally got a president and vice president with a backbone.

HUNTE (voice-over): The public nature of the spat means there will be plenty of opinions of what went wrong and why, none of which gets Ukraine any closer to peace.

Ben Hunte, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency is once again breathing down the necks of government workers. A new e-mail says they have to submit a bulleted list of their accomplishments, and they have to do it every week. CNN's Arlette Saenz has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's round two for federal workers who once again received an e-mail asking them to detail their accomplishments of the past week. The e-mail started to go out on Friday night and told federal workers that they would need to submit a list of five bullet points of their accomplishments by 11 59 p.m. Eastern on Monday. It comes just one week after that initial e-mail caused a lot of chaos, confusion for federal workers and agencies, but also frustration with a lot of federal workers that they would have to justify their work to the Trump administration.

[04:15:00] Now, one thing that is different about the e-mail that was started to go out on Friday night from the first e-mail is that the new e-mail says that this will now be required each Monday with that same deadline of Monday night. But there are still questions about how exactly this might be enforced. The e-mails did not detail whether there would be any repercussions if people did not respond.

And some agencies are handling this in different manners. For instance, State Department employees did receive an e-mail on Friday night asking for this list. But then, the next morning, on Saturday, State Department leadership sent a follow up e-mail saying that they did not need to reply and that department leadership would be responding on behalf of employees and the workforce. The Department of Homeland Security were also told sent a follow up e-mail to their staff saying that any responses would be kept internally to DHS and not go to the Office of Personnel Management.

So, there's still a lot of questions about how exactly this will play out and whether there might be repercussions for workers who decide not to respond.

Arlette Saenz, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Demonstrators gathered at more than 50 Tesla showrooms around the U.S. on Saturday to protest Elon Musk's efforts as head of the Department of Government Efficiency. He's been working under Donald Trump to improve performance by cutting costs and by firing employees. The so-called Tesla takedown is meant to encourage company stockholders to, quote, "sell your Teslas, dump your stock and join the picket lines."

The movement's gathering traction internationally as well. Protests was held in Barcelona on Friday and three taking place over the weekend in London, Lisbon, and Reykjavik.

The Trump administration is deploying nearly 3,000 extra active-duty soldiers to the U.S.-Mexico border, as first reported by the Washington Post. It's part of the president's efforts to keep his campaign promise to crack down on undocumented immigrants.

The soldiers won't carry out deportations. Instead, they'll help operate machinery, do medical evacuations, and provide, quote, "administrative support." The department will increase the number of U.S. troops on the border to 9,000.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FMR. GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY): It won't be easy, but I know we can turn the city around, and I believe I can help. And that is why I announced my candidacy today for mayor of New York City.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: New York's former governor, Andrew Cuomo, is staging a political comeback bid, this time for mayor of the Big Apple. Cuomo announced his new campaign Saturday, nearly four years after he resigned from office. Eleven women accused him of sexual misconduct, allegations he still denies. Cuomo appears to be hoping the controversy surrounding current mayor Eric Adams could give him the opening he needs to unseat the incumbent.

Well, there are now more reported cases of measles in Western Texas. Most cases are in children ages five to 17. We'll bring you an update just ahead.

Plus, monitoring Pope Francis' health after a worrying respiratory episode. We'll have the latest from Rome on how the pontiff is doing. That and more coming up. Please stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:20:00]

BRUNHUBER: Pope Francis had a peaceful night, according to the Vatican, and is resting at Rome's Gemelli Hospital. On Friday, the pontiff suffered what was called an episode of respiratory difficulty. He required high flow oxygen therapy using non-invasive mechanical ventilation to treat his double pneumonia.

On Saturday, people gathered at the Vatican to pray for the pontiff's continued recovery. His mood and mobility brought encouragement to many.

Health officials say there are now 146 cases of measles in Western Texas. And for the first time in a decade, one person has died from measles. CNN's Jenn Sullivan reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENN SULLIVAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As the measles outbreak worsens in Texas, there's growing concerns over public safety.

DR. JENNIFER SHUFORD, COMMISSIONER, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES: We are seeing a worrying expanding outbreak of measles.

SULLIVAN (voice-over): In Western Texas, at least 146 cases of measles have been reported this year, but Dr. Jennifer Shuford says those numbers could be much higher.

DR. SHUFORD: This is actually larger than our confirmed count case and it continues to grow.

SULLIVAN (voice-over): The latest update from state health officials comes just days after the outbreak's first death, a school aged child who was not vaccinated and had been hospitalized in Lubbock.

Measles is a highly contagious disease that can cause a rash of red spots, fever, cough, and red watery eyes. Health officials say the best protection is to get the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's really only the unvaccinated that are at risk.

SULLIVAN (voice-over): The first dose of the vaccine is typically given to children ages 12 to 15 months and is 93 percent effective. The second dose given to kids between four and six years old is about 97 percent effective, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health officials warned that infants who are not yet eligible for the vaccine are at a high risk during an outbreak.

DR. SHUFORD: We know they can have really serious outcomes. And so, it is something that we're concerned about, that we're following closely, and trying to intervene on.

SULLIVAN (voice-over): While the majority of cases are emerging in Texas, at least eight other states have reported a total of 18 measles cases this year, according to the CDC.

I'm Jenn Sullivan reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: And the CDC says that last year a total of 285 cases were reported in the U.S. Well, this year, as of today, there are 146 in West Texas.

Next month, U.S. President Donald Trump will have his annual physical exam, the first of his second term. The president's doctor says he'll be examined at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

[04:25:00]

Trump is 78 years old. He's the second oldest to serve in office after Former President Joe Biden. And by the time his term is over, he'll be the oldest president in U.S. history.

American support for Ukraine's war has certainly shifted in the three years since Russia's invasion. Ahead, we'll run the numbers on just how much and how that may be influencing Donald Trump's action.

Plus. The U.S. vice president gets a taste of voter sentiment after he and President Trump clashed with Ukraine's leader in the White House. That and more coming up. Please stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

In the coming hours, European leaders plan to show their support for Ukraine. They're scheduled to attend a summit in London with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

On Saturday, the Ukrainian president met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The two signed an agreement to accelerate more than $2 billion in loans to Ukraine. They also discussed ending Russia's war on Ukraine in what President Zelenskyy described as reliable security guarantees. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STARMER: What we both want to achieve, which is a lasting peace. A lasting peace for Ukraine based on sovereignty and security for Ukraine. So important for Ukraine, so important for Europe, and so important for the United Kingdom.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: And while on the campaign trail, President Trump made a promise that he would end the war between Ukraine and Russia by his first day in office. Obviously, that time has come and gone, and Russia and Ukraine are still embroiled in war. CNN's Chief Data Analyst, Harry Enten, has more on where Trump's fellow Republicans stand on the conflict.

[04:30:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Republicans on the Russia- Ukraine war, look at this, want a quick end of the war, but Russia still keeps the captured land from Ukraine. Look at this, look at the majority of Republicans, 74 percent, three quarters of Republicans, near unanimity on that particular subject, compared to just 25 percent who say that they support Ukraine's fight, even if it means a longer lasting war.

The bottom line is this, is it's very clear, very, very clear that Republicans want an end to this war. They are willing for Ukraine to give up that land that Russia currently has. They do not want this war extended. And I think what we saw yesterday in the White House was a clear illustration of that Republican point of view. Donald Trump representing Republicans well on this issue.

So, Republicans who want the Russia Ukraine war to end, even if Russia keeps the capture of land. You go back to August of 2022, which is 46 percent of Republicans. You look by October of 2023, it was 55 percent of Republicans. But again, look at where we were, by the end of last year, 74 percent of Republicans. My goodness gracious. This is the type of trend line that leads to what we saw in the White House yesterday, whereby Republicans have changed their point of view on this war tremendously from where they were two years ago, let alone three years ago, back in August of 2022.

The bottom line is that Republicans want this war to end, even if it means that Russia keeps the captured land from Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stand with Ukraine.

CROWD: Stand with Ukraine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stand with Ukraine.

CROWD: Stand with Ukraine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stand with Ukraine.

CROWD: Stand with Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Now, some protesters in Washington made it clear they're not in step with Trump's treatment of President Zelenskyy. They demonstrated near the White House Saturday, saying they're appalled by what took place in the Oval Office the day before. They called Zelenskyy's treatment childish, embarrassing, and a disgrace. The protesters pushed for continued U.S. support for Ukraine.

Meanwhile, protesters in Vermont gave a reality check to U.S. Vice President J. D. Vance. Dozens lined the streets as his motorcade rolled through Waitsfield, Vermont on Saturday. Their banners called Vance a traitor while expressing support for Ukraine and calling Zelenskyy a hero.

The protesters also pushed back against cutbacks in the federal workforce and USAID while a group of trump supporters held a counter rally across the street. Vance is in Vermont on a family ski trip.

All right. For more analysis on all of this, we're joined by Maria Avdeeva, a security expert and senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, and she joins us from Kyiv. Thank you so much for being here with us.

So, right before that diplomatic disaster, I saw you sent out a video of the moment those two leaders met in Washington. You sent this on social media and you wrote -- where is it here, let's hope it brings us closer to just and lasting peace.

Unfortunately, I think it's fair to say peace seems further now than it did when Zelenskyy boarded that plane to Washington. So, as we've had a day or so to digest that diplomatic disaster in Washington, what are Ukrainians saying now about that confrontation and how their president handled the attacks by Donald Trump?

MARIA AVDEEVA, SENIOR FELLOW, FOREIGN POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE AND SECURITY EXPERT: This was a total shock for everyone in Ukraine because, indeed, here were expectations that this meeting will bring closer peace for Ukrainians because everyone here wants peace to come.

After three years of the war, people are tired and people were looking forward to, like, American support and American help to end this war. And after what we have seen, people really support President Zelenskyy because he was like representing Ukrainian people to his best because he is the national leader, for the three years he was standing with Ukrainians, and Ukrainians are enduring daily Russian attacks. Ukrainian soldiers on the frontline keeping the frontline, they are pushing back the Russian attacks. And Russia did not stop for a moment the attacks on Ukrainian territory.

So, like the assault on President Zelenskyy and the attacks on him in front of all these cameras and media, Ukrainians took very personal, like an attack for everyone here because he is the representative of Ukrainian people. He was invited to the White House. He was ready to sign a deal for minerals, and this deal would, like, bring peace closer, and the American help would have been provided further. But now, everyone is very anxious because U.S. support, and especially military support, is critical for us, so people are now, like, in a -- don't know what will happen next.

[04:35:00]

BRUNHUBER: Yes. So, let's talk about what happens next. Because as you say, it is so critical to get U.S. support here. Is priority number one to get the U.S., to get Trump back to the table? And if so, how?

AVDEEVA: Well, still there is a hope that the talks will resume in some form. And president Trump, after leaving White House, he has said that when Zelenskyy is ready to talk about peace, he is welcome. Not in that exact word, but the message was like that.

So, there is a hope that still the two countries who were very close partners and very close allies from the moment Russia invaded will be again in that -- you know, in that relationship. And people here are looking forward to it. Because otherwise, you know, the European countries and U.K. are the only hope for Ukraine in terms of military support and military help. And I think that Europeans have woke -- like this was a signal for them to wake up after actually the Munich conference and later after all the remarks from the Trump administration.

So, now, Ukrainians are looking with a great hope for European countries and the U.K., that they will be the suppliers of critical military aid for Ukraine. Because Russia did not put aside their goal to crush Ukraine. Their goal was not just territory they currently control. Putin says such country does not exist, and he wanted the whole of Ukraine, and he wanted completely to inoculate Ukraine, to destroy it. And people here are not fighting just for something, they are fighting for the survival of our country, of us as a people.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. And the -- you know, just the reminder of everything that's at stake here. I noticed behind you there's a photo exhibit of Mariupol and all the destruction that that city endured. A city absolutely devastated by Russian attacks. All of this still so much front of mind, as you say, because Russia still attacking as we speak.

AVDEEVA: Yes, exactly. This is the square in front of St. Michael's Cathedral in Kyiv, where all the foreign leaders, including the former president of the U.S. and all the U.S. officials come to put flowers to the fallen soldiers, because there are -- like the wall with the photos of the soldiers fallen in this war, and then there is an exhibit of photos of destroyed Ukrainian cities that Russia not only destroyed, but they committed hundreds of war crimes there like Mariupol, Bucha and others.

And this is a very symbolical place. And actually, when President Zelenskyy was talking about guarantees, he wanted to represent the urge of Ukrainians so that we want peace, but we want the peace to be lasting, we do not want, you know, to wait for -- when Russia becomes more developed military, when they concentrate more military capabilities and attack again. And probably, the next time they will be more successful and they will get further with the, you know, invasion.

And actually, present -- they already present a very big threat for our European partners, especially for the Baltic states because Russia is already carrying out hybrid operations in the Baltic Sea. And they openly say that this is the sphere how they call of Russian influence, which they want to restore.

If you look back at the Soviet -- the map of the Soviet Union and that sphere of (INAUDIBLE), this is the world Russia wants us to live in and this is why Ukraine is fighting. And we had the common values and common interest with the U.S. and people here want this to come back, because we're not the country that invaded, it's the Russians who are the aggressors here and who are attacking Ukrainians daily, day after day, hundreds of drones with warheads, like 50 kilos off explosives launched from Russia towards Ukrainian cities, killing civilians every day in all over Ukraine.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, and all of those larger threats posed by Russia, top of mind for those European leaders as they meet with President Zelenskyy today. We'll see what comes of that. Really appreciate your analysis, Maria Avdeeva, live in Kyiv. Thank you so much.

AVDEEVA: Thank you, Kim. Thank you. Bye-bye.

BRUNHUBER: All right. We'll be back with much more here on CNN Newsroom. Please do stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:40:00]

BRUNHUBER: We're just hours away from Hollywood's biggest night, the Academy Awards.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Netflix's drunk cartel musical "Emilia Perez" leads the pack with 13 nominations, including in the most coveted best picture category, but its chances of walking away with Oscar gold may have tanked. Offensive social media comments by the film's star and best actress nominee, Karla Sofia Gascon, have cast a shadow on the film. Trailing behind with 10 nominations each are "The Brutalist," which won big at the Golden Globes, and "Wicked," the long-awaited adaptation of the Broadway musical. Despite blockbuster numbers at the box office, the film has had problems converting nominations for various awards into red carpet wins.

Now, there is one performance everyone will watch. Comedian and longtime talk show host Conan O'Brien will make his debut as host of the Oscars.

We go live now to Los Angeles, where I'm joined by entertainment journalist Andrew Freund. Thank you so much for being here with us. So, I want to start where I left off there with the host, Conan O'Brien. I had to read that twice, that he'd never hosted the Oscars before. I could have sworn he'd done it before. It seems like just such a natural pairing. There's always such a so much pressure on that role there. What do you think about the choice and how he'll do tonight?

ANDREW FREUND, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: Yes, Kim. You know, I was just as shocked as you are because I thought Conan had hosted before, but this is in fact his first time hosting the Academy Awards. He is so excited. He's already making jokes. He said that he hasn't been attending the rehearsals, but he's been hanging out at the Cheesecake Factory instead.

So, I think that Hollywood is ready for Conan. He knows most of the people in the room. He's interviewed them before, and I think he is going to make a hilarious host and, you know, bring some light hearted laughing to the city right now, Kim, because, you know, we need to laugh, we need to laugh a little bit.

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BRUNHUBER: Yes, and you said the key word there, light hearted. I mean, he's not the edgiest choice, and that's one of the reasons I imagine they chose him. According to the CEO of the Academy Conan is fairly apolitical. And that's what they said they're hoping for and that's been the message as well to the artists. But at the end of the day, you know, some of them -- some of the movies themselves are political and then there's the wild card, the actors even never know what they're going to say when they actually get up there on stage. So, we're living in such polarizing times, keeping it apolitical easier said than done, right?

FREUND: Yes. You know, Kim, I think that all went out the window on Friday with what we saw at the White House. I think you're going to see that carry over at the awards. And we are going to see a lot of the actors stand with Ukraine. I think that they're going to talk about it. I think they're going to be loud and really, you know, talk about how. You know, the millions of Americans that stand with Ukraine, especially here in Hollywood, that tends to be a little bit more left leaning. I think this might be the most politically political Oscars ever, in fact.

BRUNHUBER: Interesting. All right. Well, that's certainly something to watch for. But of course, what we are really watching for is the movies themselves. So, let's get to that, maybe the hottest contests are best picture and best lead actor. What are your picks and will the voters in the academy see it the same way?

FREUND: So, I think that for best picture, "Anora" is going to take it. Now, I will say it was not my personal favorite film of the year. My personal favorite film of the year was "The Substance." However, "Anora" has won the Palme d'Or at Cannes. It won best director at the DGA won the PGA, it won the Critics Choice Award. So, I do think that "Anora" is going to take best picture.

Now, in terms of best actor, I think that Adrian Brody will take it for "The Brutalist." However, we saw last week Timothee Chalamet won the SAG Award for his film. So, it could be a tossup between Timothee Chalamet for "A Complete Unknown" and Adrian Brody for "The Brutalist."

BRUNHUBER: All right. and I left off the list their best actress because that's one of the most controversial nominees. Karla Sofia Gascon, the trans star, who's nabbed a historic Best Actress nomination. So, despite the controversy, she's supposed to be there actually in the room in person. She wasn't actually expected necessarily to win. But how much could her controversy impact the film's chances in other categories?

FREUND: You know, I think that her controversy, I don't think she's going to win best actress. I think that's going to go to Demi Moore. I think that "Emilia Perez" will win best international film. And I think that Zoe Saldana will win supporting actress. So, I'm not sure really it's going to affect it that much. I think the film will still walk home with some statues, but not all 13. That's for sure.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. All right. And finally, you know, it struck me when you were making your list of what you thought the best pictures would be not a lot of box office, you know, number ones there. So, there's always that debate around whether the Academy should reward more movies that people actually see, you know, blockbusters like "Dune," "Wicked" and so on, versus the more artistic films. Where do you think they'll go on that sliding scale this year?

FREUND: I think they're going to stick to the more cerebral films as they always have the past 97 years. I don't see "Dune" taking home a statue or "Wicked. But, you know, they were great films. It's a great year for Hollywood and you know, it's going to be a good night.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Listen, great to get your take on all this. Andrew Freund in Los Angeles. Thanks so much.

FREUND: Thanks, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right. We'll after the break, a car that can dominate on the ground and in the sky. That's one California startup. That's what they're promising. We'll have that story and much more straight ahead. Please stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Well, it's a big day for private and public space exploration. Blue Ghost has landed on the moon. Now, the uncrewed spacecraft successfully soft landed on the lunar surface about an hour ago, prompting cheers at mission control. You see there.

Success was far from guaranteed, about half of all landing attempts on the moon ended in failure. Nexus-based Firefly Aerospace, the developer of Blue Ghost, is only the second private sector company to accomplish the feat. The lunar lander is part of a NASA initiative aimed at sending astronauts back to the moon by the end of the decade.

Well, if you've ever been stuck in traffic and wished you could soar above the endless lines of cars, well, California startup is working on a vehicle you might be interested in if you can afford it.

Alef Aeronautics says its flying car prototype has recently completed a test drive. CNN's Lynda Kinkade has the details.

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LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): It's the stuff of movies, of science fiction, when we close our eyes and imagine the future.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roads, where we're going, we don't need roads.

KINKADE (voice-over): That futuristic technology, now a reality.

JIM DUKHOVNY, CEO, ALEF AERONAUTICS: The flying car works as the car and as an aircraft.

KINKADE (voice-over): California startup Alef Aeronautics is designing and developing what it considers to be the world's first real flying car. Last month, Alef successfully conducted and filmed a flight test in an urban environment, making it the first ever publicly released video of a car vertically taking off into flight, no runway necessary.

Alef CEO Jim Dukhovny says the test was done with thorough safety measures. The road was closed and cleared of people.

DUKHOVNY: There is innovation in aircraft safety in addition to the innovation aircraft itself. So, theoretically and on paper and probability wise and in practice, as we tested it for 10 years, it is actually the next level of safety of the aircraft.

KINKADE (voice-over): The idea for their flying car started in 2015 as a drawing on a napkin. Now, Alef Aeronautics has more than 3,000 pre-orders for the 100 percent electric vehicle which can drive and park like a standard car.

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So, what's the price tag? For now, $300,000. DUKHOVNY: The price should drop eventually. Again, it's not going to be in two, three, or four years, but eventually, the price of this car should drop below Ford Focus or Toyota Corolla because it is less complex.

KINKADE (voice-over): The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration certified the startup's flying car for testing back in 2023, but it'll take more than that for the vehicle to be cleared for the roads or the skies with stricter protocols in the States. Dukhovny says the flying car's commercial debut will most likely happen abroad.

DUKHOVNY: The long-term, it will need the full FAA type certification here in the United States and other types of certification outside the United States. We actually plan to deploy first outside the United States because there's like legal infrastructure, which allows us literally to fly this today commercially. And then, works through the way of the full-range was without any limitations in the United States also.

KINKADE (voice-over): If all stays on track, production could start as soon as late 2025. But with final tests and certification still needed Dukhovny says he doesn't want to over promise. One thing's clear, a world with flying cars is within view. And it won't be long before the first passenger can take a test flight.

DUKHOVNY: If we can figure out how to put you in a car and at the same time protect intellectual property, it can be next week.

KINKADE: Your secrets are safe with me.

Lynda Kinkade, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Well, that wraps this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more news in just a moment. Please do stay with us.

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