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Europe Rallies Behind Ukraine; Senator Murphy Calls the White House an "Arm of the Kremlin"; Anora Sweeps the Most Awards at 2025 Oscars. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired March 03, 2025 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEIR STARMER, PRIME MINISTER, UNITED KINGDOM: Europe must do the heavy-lifting. The U.K. is prepared to back this with boots on the ground and planes in the air. This effort must have strong U.S. backing.

SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): It is absolutely shameful what is happening right now. The White House has become an arm of the Kremlin. That State of the Union speech is going to be a farce. I think it's going to be a MAGA pep rally.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the Oscar goes to --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "Anora".

(CHEERS)

(CYNTHIA ERIVO & ARIANA GRANDE SINGING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAHEL SOLOMON, ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: Hello and a warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the U.S. and all around the world, I'm Rahel Solomon, it is Monday, March 3rd, 5:00 a.m. here in New York, 10:00 a.m. in London, where British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says that the West is now at a crossroads in history as European leaders move to take control of negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.

At a summit in London, Mr. Starmer said that leaders were working to craft a plan to stop the fighting, which would then be presented to the U.S. And French President Emmanuel Macron telling a French newspaper that France and the U.K. have proposed a month-long limited ceasefire in Ukraine. The message among leaders now clear, now is the time to act.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STARMER: Not every nation will feel able to contribute, but that can't mean that we sit back. Instead, those willing will intensify planning now with real urgency. The U.K. is prepared to back this with boots on the ground and planes in the air together with others. Europe must do the heavy lifting, but to support peace in our continent, and to succeed, this effort must have strong U.S. backing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: Now, this comes just days after Zelenskyy's explosive meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House. Ukrainian President said that his country is ready to sign a rare minerals deal with the U.S., a deal that Zelenskyy had been expected to sign on Friday. Now, despite the tensions, the Ukrainian leader called the U.S., a strategic partner.

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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT, UKRAINE (through translator): As regards to salvaging the relationship that you asked about, I think that our relationship will continue because this is more than relationships. However, everyone can see how Ukraine is fighting for its independence and freedom, and we are grateful to the people of the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: In the U.S., Volodymyr Zelenskyy is facing criticism from officials in the Trump administration after the tense exchange with President Trump in the Oval Office. And when it comes to the rare earth minerals deal, well, the U.S. Treasury Secretary says that that's not currently on the table.

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SCOTT BESSENT, SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY, UNITED STATES: I don't know what President Zelenskyy was thinking. We had President of France, Emmanuel Macron in on Monday, great meeting. We had Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday, fantastic meeting. They were all on board the ark of the peace agreement.

All President Zelenskyy had to do was come in and sign this economic agreement, and again, show no daylight, no daylight between Ukrainian people --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes --

BESSENT: And the American people. And he chose to blow that up.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, the deal is no longer on the table, just to be abundantly clear.

BESSENT: Not at present.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: Now, it doesn't stop there. Others in the White House are even indicating that U.S. support for new leadership in Ukraine. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL WALTZ, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: We need a leader that can deal with us, eventually deal with the Russians and end this war. And if it becomes apparent that President Zelenskyy's either personal motivations or political motivations are divergent from ending the fighting in his country, then I think we have a real issue on our hands.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: And CNN's Clare Sebastian joins me now from London. Clare, great to see you. So, quite the show of force among European leaders in the U.K. over the weekend. Talk to us about what Keir Starmer accomplished here.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think he went into this, Rahel, pretty clear. He even said so in the British media on Sunday morning, that this had to be about more than just nice words, more than just expressions of unity. And they did accomplish various elements.

[05:05:00]

Number one, from details that we got later via a French newspaper, "Le Figaro", speaking to Emmanuel Macron some sort of technical details of what an initial truce could look like. They're proposing that an initial truce cover, you know, the war in the air, at sea and critical energy infrastructure, perhaps sort of an early start that could then move to stopping the fighting on the frontlines.

And, of course, eventually a lasting peace which would involve security guarantees. So, this looks like it could take the shape of a sort of step-by-step process, although we are a long way, of course, I have to reiterate from getting to the point where both sides agree to something like that. He then got aid pledges, two key aid pledges from the U.K.

The second one on Sunday, some 2 billion of air defense missiles, and there were new announcements, according to the Secretary-General of NATO, Mark Rutte in private from countries about increasing defense- spending. So, there were concrete actions there. The bottom line, Europe is clearly committed to stepping into the breach, essentially picking up some of the slack for the U.S., while at the same time, really trying to keep the U.S. on side.

This is, of course, a plan that they're working on that they will present to the U.S., but of course, none of that solves the animosity that we see mounting in the United States towards President Zelenskyy, including, of course, calls for him to consider resigning. And he addressed that in comments on Sunday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENSKYY: If I am to be changed, and I'll hear, how can I put it with what's happening with the support, it will not be easy because it is not enough to simply hold elections. You would have to prevent me from participating in the elections, and it will be a bit more difficult. You will have to negotiate with me, and I said that I am exchanging it for NATO membership, and then it means I have fulfilled my mission.

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SEBASTIAN: I mean, take away the sensitivity of Ukraine, even sort of countenancing this kind of idea of being forced to hold elections by an external power in a war where they're fighting for their own right to choose their destiny. This is the reality President Zelenskyy now faces a situation where the mineral deal, according to the Treasury Secretary is off the table. So, perhaps, he is looking at his own position as to quote, President Trump, a card that he can play in this.

SOLOMON: Clare, also getting new reaction from the Kremlin now on Trump's meeting with Zelenskyy. What are you hearing on the -- on that?

SEBASTIAN: Yes, Dmitry Peskov; the Kremlin spokesman in a call this morning addressing events on Friday and over the weekend -- I think we learned two key things here, Rahel. We learned, number one, that Russia is clearly embracing this new world where its rhetoric aligns on various points quite closely with that of the U.S., undermining Zelenskyy being one of them.

The Kremlin saying that he demonstrated a complete lack of diplomatic skills in the Oval Office. The fact that he doesn't want to concede territory, said Dmitry Peskov, shows his reluctance to perceive the real state of affairs on the ground. We know that the U.S. has said openly that it thinks Ukraine should be prepared to give up territory.

And secondly, I think that Russia, you know, while claiming that Ukraine doesn't want peace as Peskov did in this call that Europe's peace plan is designed to keep the war going, I think that's revealing in the world of Russian rhetoric that Russia is not motivated to seek peace, and is perhaps laying the groundwork there to blame that situation on the other side.

So, nothing really has changed in the Russian position. They don't seem in any mood to make any concessions, and are really using the PR winds of this moment.

SOLOMON: OK, Clare Sebastian live for us there in London. Clare, thank you. And it was Hollywood's biggest night, with glitz and glamour on full display for the Oscars. "Wicked" stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande got the night started with a stunning performance of "Defying Gravity" from their blockbuster film.

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(CYNTHIA ERIVO & ARIANA GRANDE SINGING)

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SOLOMON: But in the end, it was the low budget independent movie "Anora", which took on Hollywood giants and won big. Mikey Madison claimed the award for best actress for the title role in the film. "Anora" also claimed the biggest prize for Best Picture and Best Director going to Sean Baker.

Other winners included Adrien Brody, who took home Best Actor in leading role for his work in "The Brutalist", in which he played a struggling immigrant architect in post-World War II America. He's getting a lot of attention for the passionate speech he gave in accepting the award. Here's a clip.

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ADRIEN BRODY, ACTOR: I'm here once again to represent the lingering traumas and the repercussions of war, and systematic oppression, and of anti-Semitism and racism and of othering.

[05:10:00]

And I believe that -- I pray for a healthier and a happier and a more inclusive world.

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SOLOMON: All right, I'm joined now by Segun Oduolowu in Los Angeles. He is an entertainment journalist and also host of "Boston Globe Today". So, Segun, I would say thanks for waking up early with us, but you were in L.A., so, thanks for staying up late to be with us. Great to see you per usual.

Let's just start with that performance from Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. A lot of people this morning when I woke up seemed to think that, that was one of the highlights of the night. What were some of the stand-outs to you and how did you receive the performance?

SEGUN ODUOLOWU, TV HOST & ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: Well, let's be honest, Rahel, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande can sing the phone book and it's going to sound fantastic. It was a way -- it was a wonderful way to open the Oscars. But honestly, for me, it felt kind of flat, not their voices.

Their voices soared to the rafters, but it didn't do anything for me. I mean, I've seen opening numbers from the Oscars that were fun. This really felt like Hollywood, you know, showing itself to be like, look at us, look at us, look at us. And these are stage actors and theatrically trained performers. But this is a night for the cinema.

And it didn't seem cinematic to me. It felt theatrical, and I think it missed -- it missed the point for me. I really wasn't moved. It's great -- look, I'll listen to Cynthia Erivo sing anything like I said, Ariana Grande as well. But for the Oscars --

SOLOMON: Yes --

ODUOLOWU: The whole night, it just felt kind of like, all right, kind of mid for me. SOLOMON: Fair enough, you can't -- you can't win everybody. But how

about Zoe Saldana's moving speech after winning Best Supporting Actress. And we have a clip of it here. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZOE SALDANA, AMERICAN ACTRESS: My grandmother came to this country in 1961, I am a proud child of immigrant parents.

(CHEERS)

(APPLAUSE)

SALDANA: With dreams and dignity and hard working hands, and I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award, and I know I will not be the last.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: Segun, your thoughts. I mean, this is one that seems to be making a lot of the rounds this morning.

ODUOLOWU: That was so moving. I mean, Zoe Saldana going up there -- tonight was -- tonight was a night of firsts for many people of color -- well, some people of color, I will say. And I love Zoe's speech. I love what she represented. I thought it was fantastic. And in a night where some things really missed the mark, I thought her speech was, word perfect.

She was not only respectful and reverent to the people that had come before her, the people that were in -- the great women that were in the category with her. But to stand up there and to stand out proud as a Latina and say, I will not be the last, though I am the first, I thought was fantastic.

SOLOMON: Yes, she always seems to be such a class act, at least from what I can see. These shows sometimes can also have some spectacular fails, including the performance of the host. Your thoughts about Conan O'Brien? How did he do last night?

ODUOLOWU: Yes, you know, Conan is dry. He's just dry. I found him to be boring. His comedy has never really been my style of comedy. I thought the Drake Kendrick line was actually kind of funny, but to be honest, with everything that's kind of going on in Hollywood, especially with the Ryan Reynolds or the Blake Lively lawsuit crawling out of Demi Moore and making Demi Moore as an object, that missed the mark completely for me.

I didn't find it interesting. I found it really kind of gross, and it set the tone for me for an Oscars that was up and down, missed the mark -- was, as I said, mid in a lot of areas. And Conan was Conan, and this is what you get. It was his brand of humor that really doesn't appeal to everyone.

SOLOMON: Well, great to have you always, appreciate the hot takes. That's Segun Oduolowu, thank you, we'll see you soon, I'm sure. All right, and stormy weather caused several flights to be diverted to a central Texas airport late Sunday evening. A Houston-bound plane was forced to land at Waco Regional Airport.

Five passengers on SkyWest flight 5690 from Springfield, Missouri, were taken to hospital -- taken to the hospital. Two American Airlines flights bound for Dallas also diverted to Waco briefly before continuing their journey. Across the Carolinas meantime, more than 175 wildfires are burning. The governor of South Carolina has declared a state of emergency.

Already, 4,200 acres have been torched. Now, people who were forced to evacuate from the biggest Carolina forest fire near Myrtle Beach were allowed to return to their homes on Sunday.

[05:15:00]

Meanwhile, a brush fire caused by a downed power line spread quickly in western North Carolina. One resident worries what this will do to her town still reeling from Hurricane Helene last Fall.

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BECKY OLIVER, TRYON, NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENT: It's devastating, absolutely devastating. I mean, it's bad enough from Helene, but now we've got this, and I mean, the forest, it's just -- it's going to be really bad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: And dry and windy conditions have been fanning the flames, but firefighters should get a bit of a break in the coming day as forecasts call for more humidity and lighter winds. Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is back on the campaign trail. He held his first campaign event on Sunday, one day after launching his bid to become New York City's mayor. A key issue for the Cuomo camp is increasing the police presence throughout America's largest city.

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ANDREW CUOMO, LAWYER & FORMER GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK CITY: We need more police in our subways, more police in our high crime areas, more police to stop the number of recidivists.

(APPLAUSE)

CUOMO: Because nothing works if people don't feel safe, and public safety is still job one.

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SOLOMON: Now Cuomo could face an uphill battle as he enters an already crowded race and attempts to stage a political comeback. You might recall he resigned as governor in 2021 after eleven women accused him of sexual misconduct. He has denied the allegations. As CNN previously reported, Cuomo's run was encouraged by the controversy surrounding the current mayor and his fellow Democrat Eric Adams. But Adams, who is facing and has been facing renewed scrutiny and

calls to step aside amid corruption charges remains undeterred.

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MAYOR ERIC ADAMS, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK STATE: I don't know what -- who said it, but it's a famous quote, come one, come all. You know, we all got to come out. We can't hide in the shadows. We have to come out and give our real positions, and so, I'm looking forward to it. This is campaign season.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: Meantime, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services who has a history of anti-vaccine comments is weighing in on the measles outbreak in Texas. There are at least 146 confirmed cases since late January. Most are among children and people who are unvaccinated. State officials say that 20 patients have been hospitalized so far, and one person has died.

On Sunday, "Fox News" published an opinion piece from Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and he wrote, "vaccines not only protect individual children from measles, but also contribute to community immunity, protecting those who are unable to be vaccinated due to medical reasons."

But he also wrote that the decision to vaccinate is a personal one. In the past, Kennedy said that no vaccine is safe and effective. However, studies show the MMR vaccine is 97 percent effective with no links to neurological disorders. And keeping an eye on Wall Street in the first trading day of March after all three major indexes closed out February in the red.

Checking the U.S. futures, now it's green across the board. It's early, it's 5:17 Eastern, but at least right now, all markets are set to open higher. Stocks did rise slightly in overnight trading as investors wait to see how the Trump administration is going to handle its planned 25 percent tariffs on Mexico and Canada set to go into effect on Tuesday.

But also a lot of data this week. We get earnings from major companies such as Best Buy, Costco and Kroger, perhaps another clue into the health of the all important U.S. consumer Friday, we also get the latest U.S. monthly jobs report. So, a lot to watch there. And a lot to watch here, more news when we come back, including swift condemnation for Israel as it keeps humanitarian aid out of Gaza.

We'll have the latest in the Middle East coming up next. Plus, we'll go live to Rome where there is cautious optimism on the condition of Pope Francis after another weekend in the hospital. And later, King Shaq is reigning supreme over New Orleans Mardi Gras celebrations. I want to show you how people all over the world are going big before lent. We'll be right back.

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[05:20:00]

SOLOMON: Welcome back. The Vatican says that Pope Francis is in stable condition, but still being watched closely at the hospital. Let's go live now to Rome where CNN's Ben Wedeman joins us now with the latest. Ben, what is the latest on the pope's condition? What are you hearing?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we got, Rahel, the usual one line statement from the Vatican this morning that the pope slept well throughout the night. Since then, we've heard from sources within the Vatican saying that he had breakfast, he continues to eat solids, but he is receiving high flows of oxygen through a tube, through his nose.

Certainly, after last Friday's incident where he had a respiratory crisis during which he vomited, there has been increased concern about his situation, even though Vatican officials continue to describe his current medical state as stable, but not out of danger quite yet. This is now day 18 that the 88-year-old pontiff has been here at Gemelli Hospital in Rome, and the prognosis continues to be described by doctors as guarded.

They basically don't know at this point when he's going to leave the hospital. They want to obviously keep him under very constant and close observation, given that he does have a history of respiratory problems in addition to mobility issues and sciatica.

[05:25:00]

So, clearly, they feel that he needs to stay in the hospital, continues to receive treatment for double pneumonia. And as I said that at this point, it's not clear at all when he is going to leave hospital. Nonetheless, yesterday, he did have somebody read a statement for the Angelus, the Sunday prayers that he normally gives above Saint Peter's Square, but obviously, in his current state, he's not able to do that. Rahel?

SOLOMON: Stable, but under close observation. Ben Wedeman live for us there in Rome. Ben, thank you. Now, to outrage in the Middle East as Israel stops the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza and ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas break down. Now, food trucks are just sitting at Egypt's border, but Israel says that there will be no relief for Gaza until Hamas agrees to extend the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, a move that the U.S. supports.

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BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER, ISRAEL (through translator): There will be no free lunches if Hamas thinks that the ceasefire can continue, or that it can benefit from the terms of phase A without us receiving hostages, it is deeply mistaken.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: Now, Hamas has rejected extending the first phase of the agreement, it wants to move to the ceasefire's second stage. But the stalled situation leaves many people facing uncertainty.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hope the truce lasts and that these wars finally end. Our children are terrified of the bombings. We want peace for ourselves and our kids. Enough destruction, we don't even have a place to live.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: All right, still ahead for us, dozens of people were killed when two busses collided head-on in Bolivia. We will have the latest on what investigators believe happened here. Plus, President Trump will soon address a Congress ruled by Republicans who support him nearly without reservation as we take a live look at Washington as Democrats meantime plot their response. We're going to take a short break and we'll be right back.

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