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Hamas Announces Imminent Release Of U.S. Hostage Edan Alexander; Trump To Visit Three Countries In Middle East; Trump Comments Ease Pressure On Russia For 30-Day Ceasefire; Pope Leo XIV to Host First Meeting with Journalists; Ceasefire Appears to be Holding after Days of Fighting; Democrats Involved Say Trump Administration Trying to Intimidate Them; Remains of Red Army Soldiers from WWII Laid to Rest; Merchandise Marking Pope Leo XIV's Election Hits Shelves. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired May 12, 2025 - 01:00   ET

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

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[01:00:32]

BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, wherever you are in the world, you are now in the CNN Newsroom. I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta. And it is so good to have you with me.

Coming up on the show, President Trump is leaving for the Middle East in the coming hours as Hamas announces the imminent release of the last known living American hostage in Gaza.

A personal meeting of Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he is ready to meet Vladimir Putin in Turkey for direct talks on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

And a ceasefire between India and Pakistan appears to be holding. CNN is on both sides of the border with the details.

Welcome. As U.S. President Donald Trump prepares to head to the Middle East for the first state visit of his second term, the last known living American hostage held in Gaza could be coming home.

Hamas has announced the imminent release of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander. His parents are already en route to Israel. Mr. Trump called his expected release monumental news and a step taken in good faith toward bringing an end to the war in the region.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond has more from Tel Aviv.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: The last living American held hostage in Gaza is now set to be released. Hamas announcing on Sunday night that it will release Edan Alexander, an Israeli soldier who was taken captive on October 7th. I'm told by a source familiar with the matter that Alexander will be released either on Monday or Tuesday of this week in what is being described as a, quote, goodwill gesture on Hamas's part, one that is intended to try and jumpstart additional negotiations to ultimately end the war in Gaza and secure the release of all of the remaining hostages held in the Gaza Strip.

At least that is the intention. But for now, at least, this will mean the release of Edan Alexander, his parents who -- who live in the United States, have been waiting, of course, for 19 months now to see their son return home to them. Steve Witkoff, President Trump's special envoy for the Middle East who has been intimately involved in the negotiations that are now going to lead to Alexander's release, I'm told that he will be traveling to Israel on Monday morning in order to be on hand for Alexander's release, to be able to personally welcome him as he takes his first steps into newfound freedom.

This agreement comes days before President Trump is set to arrive in the region, and that certainly does seem to have been a major pressure point to get this deal to happen at this very moment, with one source familiar with the matter telling me that this simply would not have happened without President Trump and the pressure that his visit to the region is indeed bringing to bear. It also comes as Israel has threatened to escalate its military campaign in Gaza, and also as Israel's total blockade of Gaza now stretches more than two months with not a single truck of food or any other kind of aid entering the Gaza Strip.

And so the hope now is that Alexander's release can indeed trigger these broader negotiations to get aid into Gaza to perhaps lead to some kind of a ceasefire, and, of course, the release of additional hostages. The Israeli prime minister's office confirming that it was informed of this deal by the United States, also noting that it will not be releasing any Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Alexander. That is, of course, because this is a goodwill gesture and a deal with the United States, not a deal with Israel.

But the Israeli prime minister's office also confirming that the United States conveyed that this will lead or is expected to lead to additional negotiations for the release of additional hostages held in Gaza. We will see, of course, how that evolves in the coming days and weeks.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.

HUNTE: President Trump is set to depart in the coming hours for his visit to three of the world's richest nations. He'll arrive in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, followed by visits to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The three countries have pledged to invest heavily in the American economy and buy some U.S. weapons systems.

Well, you know I want to dig deep on this. We're going live to CNN's Becky Anderson in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Becky, thank you so much for being with me again. What can we expect out of the President's trip?

[01:05:09]

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR, CONNECT THE WORLD: Well, let's just consider this as a pivotal moment for U.S.-Gulf relations for a new era. Remember, during the Biden administration, there was a very fractured relationship, certainly between the U.S. and Saudi, the U.S. and the UAE, and to a degree with the Qataris as well. So this is a real opportunity to sort of reimagine things. And it is well on its way ahead of this trip.

As the editor-in-chief of Arab News, which is the main newspaper here, put it in an editorial today, quote, putting America first does not mean ignoring opportunities abroad, quite the opposite. It means seizing them. And Donald Trump sees the Arabian Gulf, and very specifically these three countries here, as -- as clear economic and security opportunities in this part of the world, the Arabian Gulf.

So what's he going to do while he's here? Well, in Saudi, he will attend a Saudi-U.S. investment forum full of U.S. and Saudi partners from the business world, looking at energy, looking at A.I. and tech, looking at minerals, which is a huge file here, multi-trillion dollar opportunity in minerals, rare earths, for example, here.

We should also expect to hear some news on a deal between the U.S. and Saudi to cooperate on Saudi's nuclear, civil nuclear file, and more on that as we move through this trip. But that is incredibly important. Saudi Arabia last year was on the cusp of -- of signing off on some trade and defense deals, which included cooperation on its nascent nuclear file. That never came off because the Biden administration had tied those deals to Saudi normalization with Israel.

Now, of course, we are aware, well aware at this stage, that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is taking a very principled approach to the Palestinians, saying they will not normalize or consider normalization, it's off the table, unless the Israelis provide a path to a Palestinian state.

Now, I was talking to a regional expert from the Eurasia group recently, Firas Maksad, and this is what he said about normalization.

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FIRAS MAKSAD, MANAGING DIRECTOR, MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA AT EURASIA GROUP: It is more than off the table. I think normalization is dead, having just come from Riyadh. And President Trump is going to proceed irrespective of where Bibi Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, is.

ANDERSON: Where does that leave, to your mind, Donald Trump's relationship with the Israeli Prime Minister?

MAKSAD: It is a very checkered relationship at best. I think Donald Trump never forgot that Netanyahu was the first foreign leader to congratulate Biden publicly on his win back when Trump was still disputing that election results. So the two have a checkered past at best. And we saw whether it was that Oval Office moment, I would say almost a Zelenskyy moment there for Netanyahu when he was told the U.S. will initiate direct negotiations with Iran or it's the ceasefire in Yemen that was announced and again caught the Israelis by surprise two days ago, or normalization as we're about to see with the GCC, that Trump will proceed in engaging this region, the Arab allies and partners, irrespective of any progress or lack thereof with Israel on normalization.

(END VIDEOTAPE) ANDERSON: And reports suggest that normalization with Israel is no longer tied to these enormous trade and defense deals that Saudi wants to sign with the United States. That is Saudi. He'll also meet with GCC leaders here. The regional conflicts and geopolitics will be in play, not least Israel-Gaza and importantly Syria on that file as well.

He then goes on to Doha, which is an effort, I think, to really just underscore the importance of Doha's relationship with Washington under this Trump administration. Qatar owns a number of key mediation files, not least that of the Israel-Hamas conflict, and we've seen that the Qataris along with the Egyptians have been involved in the announcement by Hamas that they will release Edan Alexander.

[01:10:08]

They also own a number of other really important files for the United States. Also, of course, Doha, home to the Al-Ubaid airbase, which is the biggest U.S. airbase in the region. And then on to, at the back end of this trip to the UAE, that is very clearly focused on business and investment. The UAE has pledged $1.4 trillion into the U.S. economy over the next decade.

They will extract as much as they can out of that investment for their own economy, which they are rapidly weaning off hydrocarbons, very much looking to be a global leader in A.I. and advanced tech going forward. And their investments stateside will help, the UAE hopes, their investments and growth of their economy in this new era of economic diversification.

So that is the trip as a whole, very much focused on business, investment, the economy, security, and all of this playing these Gulf states' hope to what Donald Trump is seeing as, which is very transactional, looking for his America first policy to work for the states and to bring along these Gulf partners for the ride, as it were. Ben?

HUNTE: Can't wait to see what happens next. And I know you'll be bringing us the latest. Becky Anderson, thank you so much for now.

Ukraine's president says he is ready for direct peace talks with Vladimir Putin. Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he is travelling to Turkey this week where he expects a personal meeting with Russia's president. It would be the first time the two leaders have talked since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

And it comes on the heels of Donald Trump's social media post urging immediate talks. The U.S. president is ignoring Ukrainian and European calls for a 30-day ceasefire and giving Putin cover to do the same. Nick Paton Walsh has the latest for us.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: All signs are that Russia has entirely ignored a very significant proposal on Saturday from four key European powers and Ukraine for an unconditional ceasefire to last 30 days. It should have started on the midnight between Sunday and Monday. At this point, there's been no public acknowledgement and instead there appears to be a change now to a Kremlin-led narrative as to how diplomacy might indeed proceed.

Vladimir Putin, in the early hours of Sunday morning, gave a press conference in which he didn't directly refer to the European ceasefire demand and instead proposed direct talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul on Thursday. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy still continued to expect a ceasefire and indeed the European leaders he stood alongside on Saturday in Kyiv echoed that demand for a ceasefire. But Zelenskyy tried to seize the initiative from Moscow and said he himself would be in Istanbul on Thursday hoping to meet Putin in person.

And so we're now into a remarkable moment where I think many European powers had felt they had U.S. support for this ceasefire proposal and indeed for sanctions and consequences for Russia if it didn't go along with it. And now we should be into a ceasefire and at this point the White House has taken a slightly different tone than perhaps many of its European allies had indeed expected.

After Putin originally spoke, Trump posted on social media a positive tone about talks and how he wanted to continue to work for peace between Ukraine and Russia. More recently though, as pressure grew on Russia he indeed said, potentially echoing what sounded like a Russian narrative here that Russian President Vladimir Putin didn't want a ceasefire but he was willing to meet Zelenskyy in Istanbul and he explicitly urged Zelenskyy to take that meeting sounding almost as if Zelenskyy was the obstacle to peace somehow and making no mention indeed of how Russia should uphold the ceasefire or sanctions indeed if it didn't.

So we are potentially seeing a softer tone here from Donald Trump than perhaps the European allies who were here in Kyiv on Saturday had indeed hoped to see. And that may result potentially in some complexity now in the U.S.-European relationship as they try and pursue a path towards a peace here yet see Putin dictate a narrative that the White House at times seems willing to go along with.

But it's a key moment now in Istanbul. Potentially on Thursday, will Putin attend? Will Zelenskyy indeed go if this ceasefire hasn't been ordered? It seems pretty likely he's going to go there either way. And indeed, President Donald Trump in the region roughly at that time might he try and influence that meeting? His Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be in Turkey at that time indeed.

[01:15:05]

So a lot moving very fast indeed. But ultimately, the Europeans have felt they had the backing of the White House to pressure Russia into this ceasefire. It seems that hasn't been enough. And the ceasefire simply hasn't come through.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Kyiv, Ukraine.

HUNTE: Let's dig deeper with Robert English. He is the Director of Central European Studies at the University of Southern California. Thank you so much for being with me. How are you doing?

ROBERT ENGLISH, DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL EUROPEAN STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: My pleasure. My pleasure.

HUNTE: I'm so glad you're here. Let's get straight into this. President Zelenskyy has agreed in principle to have his first direct talks with Putin, which he had refused until now. Can you tell me how big is that shift for him? And what do you think has changed?

ENGLISH: What's changed is he's under a lot of pressure. President Trump, not only privately, but publicly, as he often does with, you know, his announcements on Truth Social or other media, said, go. He said, Zelenskyy, you must go. Let's break this deadlock. And the Europeans are also pressuring Zelenskyy.

And I think Zelenskyy just reasoned that he can break his previous commitment not to meet with Putin as long as his country is under occupation, because he knows he's trusting that it'll be good, you know, it'll be good for his image. He'll be seen as reasonable. He's making an effort.

And if the talks don't work, it'll be Putin who's being obstinate and unreasonable. And he may be right about that.

HUNTE: Well, until now, Ukraine and its allies all agreed that there must be a ceasefire before any negotiations. But then President Trump urged the talks to go ahead regardless. So what position does this put Kyiv in?

ENGLISH: We don't know yet whether they will stick to that up -- up to the, you know, up to the bargaining table because the European allies, right, there was a meeting with the U.K. prime minister, the French, the German, and even the Polish leader. And they all took a united position. No talks until the guns fall silent. President Trump agrees there should be talks. He agrees there should be a ceasefire. But he also agrees with Putin that the talks should go ahead of the ceasefire. So it's kind of confusing.

And I guess in the end, Zelenskyy will have to decide whether he'd rather displease Trump or go back on the deal that he struck with his European allies. It's -- as far as I can tell, still all up in the air. And it will be up until the last moment next week.

HUNTE: Wow. President Donald Trump has given some real mixed signals as well, right? Appearing to back both Ukraine and Russia at different times. Do you think that that has potentially undermined the peace efforts of other leaders?

ENGLISH: I think it has. And I think it's even worse than what you just described. It's this practice of approaching deadly, serious, war-terminating negotiations. Like this was some small, you know, PR flap with a member of Congress in the United States.

Diplomacy is usually conducted in private, especially when you have high-stakes issues like this. You have the negotiating teams meeting over weeks. Maybe the foreign ministers and their deputies. And they try to bring the two sides closer. They hammer out some compromise. And they have an outlined agreement before anyone goes public and before they try to sit down at the table.

Trump has turned global diplomacy on its head. And now we're tweeting, and criticizing each other, and leaking, and undermining, and trying to outmaneuver. And it just doesn't seem like a serious process that can lead to a concrete result.

HUNTE: Yes, indeed. So you're saying that tweeting out plans for international war is not a good thing? OK. European leaders are threatening more sanctions if Russia doesn't agree to the ceasefire first plan. But Russia is already heavily sanctioned. So what does the West actually have in terms of leverage here?

ENGLISH: You know, it's hard to see what additional sanctions could be piled on Russia that would make a difference. Russia is so heavily sanctioned. The only thing that would make a material difference, that would rapidly and significantly increase the economic pain for Russia, would be secondary sanctions. Would be if the E.U., the United States, were now targeting third countries like India or Turkey and others who have acted as intermediaries.

HUNTE: Meanwhile, we're obviously seeing so many people being impacted by this, from people having to shift out of places, to people losing their lives in conflict. It seems almost more casual than this actually is, like how -- how this is so serious. But then if this round of talks does collapse, what next? Will the two sides be potentially too far apart to negotiate further? Or could this lay some foundations for a future deal? Where are we at?

[01:20:10]

ENGLISH: I don't think it will lay the foundations for a future deal. It will collapse in acrimony. If it even happens, it's very likely to go nowhere. And we'll have a meeting that ends prematurely. Somebody stomps out. They denounce each other in post-summit public statements. And then they freeze each other out. They don't even communicate for another two or three months until the Europeans and maybe the Trump team push them back together.

Again, three months from now. And that will be another 10,000, 20,000 dead, another 100,000 bombs and cruise missiles hitting refineries and hospitals. In other words, three more months of this brutal war and they'll be starting over again without making any real progress. I'm afraid that is a very possible outcome from this premature and overly public meeting that's scheduled for next week in Turkey if it even comes off.

HUNTE: If it even happens, my goodness, it's all going on. Really enjoyed that. I genuinely appreciate your time, Robert. That was a really, really good conversation. So thank you so much for being with me.

ENGLISH: Thank you. I appreciate it as well. Anytime you want to call.

HUNTE: Crucial trade talks between the U.S. and China end on a high note. We'll have the latest reaction from both countries just after the break. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:25:55]

HUNTE: Welcome back. The U.S. and China are expressing optimism after their trade talks in Geneva over the weekend. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called the negotiations productive and said more details will be released on Monday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT BESSENT, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: I'm happy to report that we made substantial progress between the United States and China in the very important trade talks.

JAMIESON GREER, U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE: The President declared a national emergency and imposed tariffs. And we're confident that the deal we struck with our Chinese partners will help us to resolve, work toward resolving that national emergency.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Stock futures are climbing after that reaction from U.S. officials. The outcome of the talks could bring much needed relief in a global trade war that has been triggered by President Trump's tariffs. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout reports from Hong Kong for us.

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The U.S.-China trade talks in Geneva ended on a positive note with U.S. officials touting substantial progress in a possible deal with China. Meanwhile, Chinese officials say they reached a, quote, important consensus. Now, after the talks, China's vice premier, He Lifeng, spoke to the media. He said that the trade talks with the U.S. were candid, they were in depth, they were constructive, and the U.S. and China also agreed to set up a new consultation mechanism for further talks.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HE LIFENG, CHINESE VICE PREMIER (through translator): The two sides agreed on establishing a consultation mechanism for trade and economic issues, identified the lead persons on each side and will carry on further consultations relating to trade and economic issues of their respective concerns.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: China's vice premier also said a joint statement will be released in Geneva later on Monday. This was the first face-to-face meeting between the U.S. and China since the latest trade war escalated in March.

Earlier this year, U.S. President Donald Trump raised tariffs on many Chinese goods to 145 percent. China hit back with retaliatory tariffs of 125 percent. It's also hit back by limiting U.S. film imports and curbing some rare earth exports. These, of course, are the critical ingredients for tech firms and defense companies. The trade war has upended global financial markets and supply chains. It has also increased the risk of a recession. The stakes here are high, and that's why observers believe there was a sense of urgency in the Geneva talks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSH LIPSKY, CHAIR, INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS AT THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL: The global economy is not a light switch. You can't just turn off and off the U.S.-China economic relationship and then expect there's not going to be some short-circuiting, and I think that's what's happening right now. So we need some stability, we need some certainty, and we need some clarity going forward, and we hope we get that within the next day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Investors have been welcoming news of progress, but the details of the touted deal remain to be seen.

Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.

HUNTE: Still ahead on CNN Newsroom, it was a weekend of firsts for newly elected Pope Leo. We'll share remarks from his first Sunday blessing at the Vatican, including a call for world peace.

[01:28:49]

And a ceasefire appears to be holding after the worst fighting in decades between India and Pakistan. We'll get the view from both countries just after the break.

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[01:34:13]

BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. President Donald Trump is set to depart in the coming hours for state visits in the Middle East. He'll arrive in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, followed by visits to Qatar and United Arab Emirates.

The president said on Sunday night that the Defense Department plans to accept a Boeing 747 as a gift from Qatar to replace the current Air Force One. On his Truth Social platform, Mr. Trump hit back at criticism from Democrats, who are calling it bribery. The president is calling it a very public and transparent transaction.

[01:34:48]

HUNTE: In the coming hours, Pope Leo XIV is set to host his first audience with journalists since his election. It comes after another first for the new pontiff, his Sunday blessing at the Vatican. Leo surprised crowds with his singing during part of "The Queen of Heavens" prayer. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(POPE LEO XIV SINGING "REGINA CAELI")

HUNTE: Pope Leo's first address drew massive crowds, and even larger crowds are expected for his installation mass next Sunday.

He notably invoked the words of his predecessor, Francis, by calling for an end to war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE LEO XIV, ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator): In today's dramatic scenario of a third world war being fought piecemeal, as Pope Francis said, I too, turn to the world's leaders with an ever-timely appeal. Never again war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Crowds were heard shouting "long live the pope" after he finished his address. Leo says his papacy will closely follow in the footsteps of Pope Francis and his caring for the least and the rejected.

A ceasefire between India and Pakistan appears to be holding, raising hopes that fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbors has ended.

Let's have a look at how both countries reacted to the ceasefire.

Nic Robertson has the view from Pakistan. But first, Matthew Chance brings us his report from India.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, after nearly four days of fighting the U.S.-brokered ceasefire between India and Pakistan does appear to be holding.

There were reports of violations by both sides in the hours just after it came into force. But Indian officials say the situation in the disputed region of Kashmir is now quiet, although troops remain vigilant.

This, amid a reluctance on the Indian side to acknowledge the significant U.S. role in the negotiations. India insisting that they did a deal directly with Pakistan.

One reason may be national pride. Indian officials unwilling to admit a truce in this brief but bruising conflict was imposed on them by the United States.

India also has a long-standing policy of refusing to allow foreign mediation when it comes to the status of Muslim majority Kashmir, which it regards as an internal matter.

Nevertheless, President Trump, congratulating the leaders of India and Pakistan on stepping back from the conflict, has now offered to help the two countries find a solution to the Kashmir issue, something that's been welcomed in Pakistan but is falling on deaf ears, to say the least, here in India.

Matthew Chance, CNN -- New Delhi.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: I think the picture we're getting is really reflecting what we're hearing coming from India as well that this ceasefire is holding. It's taken time to bed in. But it really does seem to be taking hold.

I think one indication of that was the fact that the military came out late in the evening, Pakistan time to hold a press conference. It was really an exercise in propaganda -- praising their techniques, their tactics, praising them and praising the sailors, praising the soldiers.

But this was no ordinary press conference by any stretch. They did something they haven't done or don't do very often at least. They requested that major venues throughout the country, big shopping malls, a lot of venues top to bottom of the country that they broadcast this live, that they put it up on big screens.

And we're seeing images of people sitting there watching this press conference. What we got was a sense of how the military had fought this campaign.

They said that they had hit 26 air base targets -- or 26 targets that India had been using to launch air strikes into Pakistan. That happened. Early Saturday morning.

And they said as a result of that, we don't know India's view on this of course, but as a result of that Pakistan said that limited India's ability to strike back with targets.

We got a sort of a blow by blow on how the Pakistani military was taking down drones. It was trying to neutralize them in the air, spoof their GPS, put them off course, then if they look like crashing into cities shooting them down. A hard -- soft kill, then a hard kill.

So a lot of military details coming out there. One detail we hadn't heard before and it struck me as interesting. That is they say that just one only, one only Pakistan jet -- fighter jet was damaged. And they say that was minor damage and it would soon be back in military service again.

The other thing that we didn't hear anything about -- military casualties. We heard about civilian casualties, but no mention at all about the number of military casualties praising bravery, valor, commitment, sacrifice, all of that. We still don't have a casualty toll on the Pakistan side yet.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[01:39:51]

HUNTE: Iran is calling nuclear talks with the U.S. over the weekend difficult. But both sides have agreed they will continue. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff held the fourth round of talks in Muscat through Omani mediators.

Araghchi repeated Iran's refusal to give up the right to enrich uranium. That's a position that Witkoff has said is a red line for the U.S.

But the Trump administration called the discussions encouraging and said they look forward to the next meeting.

Democratic lawmakers involved in a scuffle outside an ICE facility in New Jersey say the Trump administration is trying to intimidate them. Newark's mayor was detained after the tense encounter, and now a Department of Homeland Security official is suggesting more arrests could follow.

CNN's Gloria Pazmino has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right.

What we're seeing here is a pretty significant escalation, both by the Department of Homeland Security, but also the Congress members who are now saying that the Trump administration is trying to intimidate them.

The Department of Homeland Security has said that they are conducting an investigation. And they have said that they are -- that they could be arresting more members of Congress that were involved in this altercation on Friday.

Now, three members of Congress showed up to this ICE detention facility to try and gain access. They wanted to tour the site and they were going to be joined by Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. This is where the facility is located.

And the mayor there has been calling attention to this facility for several months now, saying that they are operating without the proper permits.

But the ICE officers on site did not let Baraka enter the facility, along with the Congress members, saying that the tour was only for them.

So after a brief back and forth, you can see that Baraka actually exits the facility. And once he's on the other side of the gates, the officers move in to arrest him.

One of the Congress members who was there said that it appeared that someone had received a call, and it wasn't until they received that call that they moved in to arrest him.

Congressmember Menendez suggested that the call to arrest Baraka came from some higher up at the Department of Homeland Security.

Take a listen to both of these members of Congress describing exactly what unfolded last Friday.

REP. BOB MENENDEZ JR. (D-NJ): The mayor was on the public side. Someone there from HSI got a call, and what happened next was they reengaged with the mayor. They went on to the public side, and that's where they arrested him.

So there were so many instances where this could have all been de- escalated. But it was squarely in HIS - ICE's court.

REP. LAMONICA MCIVER (D-NJ): I mean, I honestly do not know how to body slam anyone. Theres no video that supports me body slamming anyone.

We -- as Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman said we were simply there to do our job, therefore, oversight visit and what you watch -- what you're watching in the video and we don't have all of the body cam. And we hope that all of the body cam is released.

It was a very tense situation. It unfortunately did not have to be like that. They created that confrontation. They created that chaos. And then ultimately went to arrest the mayor of the largest city of New Jersey.

PAZMINO: So that was Congressmember McIver responding to an accusation by the press secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, saying that the video showed that she had body slammed an officer.

I've gone through the video that the Department of Homeland Security released, and it does not show that. It does show a lot of pushing and shoving, and you can see that it is a very tense situation.

Now, Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, has also weighed in on this incident, accusing the Congress members of just trying to stage a political stunt. Take a listen.

TOM HOMAN, TRUMP'S BORDER CZAR: This isn't about constitutional rights. This is about politics. They simply don't want these people removed from this country. They don't want immigration enforcement in this country. And that's what it's all about.

They can try to hide it all they want with these protests around the facility. But we can continue to do what we're doing. That facility has got some of the worst of the worst.

PAZMINO: Now, we've also gone back to the Department of Homeland Security to ask whether or not the arrest of Mayor Baraka was ordered by anyone in particular at the Department of Homeland Security, but we have not yet heard back.

Gloria Pazmino, CNN -- New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: Honoring the fallen. Just ahead, how Russian volunteers are laying to rest Red Army soldiers who died fighting the Nazis more than 80 years ago. [01:44:37]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HUNTE: Poland is blaming Russia for a massive fire that destroyed a Warsaw shopping center last year. In a post on X, Polish President Donald Tusk says the blaze was the result of arson ordered by Russian secret services last May. He added that some of the suspects were in custody and vowed to catch the others.

The fire gutted 1,400 shops and service points, many of which belong to Vietnamese vendors. Russia has in the past denied the allegations.

[01:49:52]

HUNTE: A solemn moment near Saint Petersburg, Russia as soldiers who died fighting Nazi troops during World War II were honored. Volunteers laid to rest the remains of the Red Army soldiers in a ceremony just ahead of the 80th anniversary of Victory Day.

CNN's Lynda Kinkade has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The subject of this search isn't just a matter of what, but who. These are the people looking for the Red Army soldiers of World War II, nearly forgotten if not for these volunteers.

The Soviet Union lost upwards of 24 million people during World War II. Soldiers and civilians, far more than any other nation.

80 years on, the bodies of soldiers past lie in the brush just outside Saint Petersburg, in the Leningrad region of Russia. Left unrecognized for their fight against Nazi troops but veterans all the same.

AYRAT FATYKHOV, LEADER OF "SNEZHNY DESANT" SEARCH TEAM (through translator): Everyone is being awarded. The veterans receive honors. The same veterans who had been killed during the war remain forgotten here in the forest.

KINKADE: Days before the Russian celebration of victory day, or the anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe, these volunteers set out in their search, fitted with metal detectors and shovels marking each site with remains.

But recovering the soldiers is only half of it. The real challenge comes with identifying these men. Some may have ID medallions still intact, but after 80 years it's not often that easy.

Many of these servicemen remain anonymous in death. But for these nameless heroes, this practice leads to the burial they deserve. And in the best cases, an identity uncovered.

FATYKHOV: We work in this forest not just to recover the fallen soldiers and rebury them with all the honors they rightly deserve. It is very important to identify a fighter's name and pass this information to his family.

KINKADE: A burial, at last an honorable goodbye for these fallen soldiers -- both the named and nameless.

Lynda Kinkade, CNN.

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HUNTE: Still to come, shops in Italy are working around the clock to stock new items bearing the likeness of Pope Leo. We'll take you to the streets of Italy for a look at the merch just after the break.

[01:52:27]

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HUNTE: It's been less than a week since Pope Leo XIV was elected, but new merchandise bearing his likeness has appeared seemingly overnight.

Atika Shubert explains the papal supply chain and the various goods that believers and tourists can now stock up on.

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ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Just days into his papacy and souvenir trinkets of Pope Leo XIV are already on display in some tourist shops across Italy. A quick turnover since it wasn't known until this past Thursday which of the 133 eligible cardinals would be elected pope.

But some people say they're glad to have a little something to commemorate the special occasion.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very beautiful. I'm surprised I've already found a statue with the face of the new Pope Leo XIV.

[01:54:52]

SHUBERT: Near the Vatican, the shops and stalls are well stocked with all sorts of religious wares like rosaries, posters and magnets and pope memorabilia is usually a bestseller. So it's no surprise that Pope Leo's image is already on some keepsakes.

Before the announcement of the new pope, one shop owner, who's been in business for the past 30 years, said sales ahead of the conclave were steady, with Pope Francis merchandise in high demand.

Items featuring Pope John Paul II were also another popular choice. And he says after witnessing three papal transitions he knows to expect a small lag time before his inventory is updated.

CESARE BISOCCHI, SOUVENIR SHOP OWNER (through translator): Afterwards we organized with the companies that produce gadgets, religious items, rosaries, and so to speak, within a week, we'll have a bit of everything. Gradually, all the articles will arrive.

SHUBERT: And as Pope Leo memorabilia continues to fill the stores, some shoppers say they're happy to have a memento but also want something greater that Pope Leo himself has asked for.

GIOVANNI SINISCALCHI, SHOPPER: His first declaration is that there should be a bit more peace in the world. I hope it will be so.

SHUBERT: Atika Shubert, for CNN -- in Rome.

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HUNTE: Hollywood heavy hitters and the world's most glamorous people will descend on the French Riviera this week. The Cannes Film Festival kicks off on Tuesday, and there's more than movies to watch.

Tom Cruise will be there to promote what's billed as the final "Mission Impossible" film. And Robert de Niro will be awarded an honorary Palme d'Or.

22 films are up for the top Palme d'Or prize. The winner will be announced on May 24th.

Thousands in Argentina have already dressed up for their own illustrious event. Bikers in elegant attire rode across Buenos Aires on Sunday to raise awareness of prostate cancer.

Called "The Distinguished Gentlemen's Ride", the event also seeks to spotlight men's mental health issues, especially suicides linked to depression. It began in Sydney, Australia in 2012 and has since gone global.

That's all we've got for you. Thanks for joining me and the team. I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta. It's been so real.

Lynda Kinkade picks up much -- with much more news after the break.

See you next weekend.

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