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Standoff Over Greenland; Minnesota Protests Continue; At Least 39 Killed After Two Trains Crash in Spain; European Allies Unite Amid Trump's New Tariff Threats; 2025 Growth Goal Met As Birth Rate Hits Record Low; Zelenskyy: Work Underway On Documents Needed To End War. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired January 19, 2026 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

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BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Hello wherever you are in the world. You are now in the "CNN Newsroom" with me, Ben Hunte, in Atlanta. It is so good to have you with me.

Coming up on the show, a standoff over Greenland. President Trump's threats pitting the U.S. against European allies. We'll have the latest on the escalating tensions amid the potential impacts. Unrest in Minneapolis. U.S. troops are now on standby for possible deployments to Minnesota amid anti-ICE protests. Plus, investigators are on the scene of a deadly high-speed train collision in Spain. We'll have the latest for you.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom with Ben Hunte."

HUNTE: Welcome. Let's begin this hour on U.S. President Donald Trump's latest approach to claiming control of Greenland. His threats to impose tariffs on key European allies who stand in his way have sparked a flurry of activity across the continent. E.U. ambassadors held an emergency meeting on Sunday to formulate a response to the 10 percent tariffs. They are set to go into effect on February 1st.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he spoke to President Trump about the issue and will continue to work on it. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also spoke with Trump by phone. He expressed that wielding tariffs against allies who are pursuing the collective security of NATO is wrong.

Trump claims the U.S. needs Greenland for national security reasons. He posted on social media a short time ago -- quote -- "NATO has been telling Denmark for 20 years that you have to get the Russian threat away from Greenland. Unfortunately, Denmark has been unable to do anything about it. Now, it's time and it will be done."

But experts argue that undermining the transatlantic alliance will only weaken Arctic defense and is playing right into the hands of China and Russia. On Sunday, the Dutch foreign minister weighed in to condemn the mounting pressure from the U.S.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID VAN WEEL, MINISTER, FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE NETHERLANDS (through translator): This is not how allies should treat each other. And in that sense, I understand the word "blackmail." Yes, absolutely. We have until February 1st to really present a united front to make it clear that we do not find this acceptable. And we have also stated that, as far as we are concerned, the territorial integrity and self- determination of Greenland and Denmark are not up for discussion. But we also believe that the use of trade tariffs in this way is inappropriate and moreover unnecessary. So, that will be our message.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Even the prime minister of Italy, who is often aligned with President Trump politically, also views the tariff pressure as a misstep.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GIORGIA MELONI, PRIME MINISTER OF ITALY (through translator): I wanted to say that the prediction of an increase in tariffs against those nations that choose to contribute to the security of Greenland is, in my opinion, a mistake. And obviously, I don't agree with that. I agree with the attention that the American presidency gives, as I've told you many times, to Greenland, and in general to the Arctic, which is a strategic area.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: This comes as the E.U. weighs activating its so-called anti- coercion instrument, also referred to as a trade bazooka. The countermeasures could include blocking U.S. access to E.U. markets and imposing export controls, among other restrictions.

CNN's international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson is in Greenland's capital with more on the growing tensions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Nations within the European Union and the U.K. who have been affected by President Trump's threat of tariffs, that's the countries who have sent NATO troops here to nuke and elsewhere in Greenland as part of these ongoing military Arctic training exercises. That's Denmark, of course, along with Finland, along with France, along with Germany, along with the Netherlands, along with Norway, along with Sweden, along with the U.K. Those are the countries that are being targeted by these tariffs.

And the joint statement says that President Trump threatens to undermine the transatlantic security, risks putting the relationship on a downward spiral. And they say they stand squarely behind Denmark and the people of Greenland in determining their future, that they will continue and are willing to continue as they have done in conversations about Greenland, but based on its sovereignty or based on the respect of sovereignty and territorial integrity which, very clearly, they feel President Trump is not doing at the moment.

[02:05:05]

So, that pushback from those countries is very clear and that discussion with E.U. ambassadors was discussing some incredibly disruptive potential measures, stopping potentially the E.U.-U.S. trade deal, which would leave tariffs in place on U.S. goods coming into Europe, would damage trade and the economies of both Europe and the United States.

But at even bigger mechanism tool that has never been used before, the sort of so-called nuclear option, the anti-coercion measures that Europe, European Union, all those nations could bring to bear on the United States that would potentially put costs on any Amazon transaction, on any Visa or MasterCard transaction, incredibly wide ranging and economically damaging.

So, the Europeans reaching, as they say, to their toolbox of what they can do to talk economics and economic power, President Trump. And this is the biggest division, if you will, that I think that you have seen with the U.S. in recent history.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: There has been some mixed reaction among Republican lawmakers over Trump's recent threats. Some took to Sunday morning news shows to express their concern, while others say they're in favor of cutting a deal with Denmark in order to annex Greenland. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN CURTIS (R-UT): The president is the consummate dealmaker, and I think he's looking for a deal. Sometimes, he believes in strategic ambiguity and talks in terms that get people's attention. But ultimately, I think there's a deal to be made. And I'm glad that Secretary Rubio and the vice president have been engaging the Danes because this is something we should be able to do in the best interests of both countries.

REP. MICHAEL TURNER (R-OH): I think, certainly, Greenland and the Greenlanders need to decide their future and their outcome. I think this is more of an issue of asking them to join us as opposed to art of the deal.

SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY): On the war powers or on militarily invading Greenland, I've heard of no Republican support for that. Even the most hawkish members of our caucus have said they won't support that. So, I think it's going to be very difficult. I he keeps rattling the cage saying that. But as far as trying to buy it peacefully, you don't get purchasers to come around by berating them and telling them you'll take it anyway.

REP. MICHAEL MCCAUL (R-TX): Threats. So, if he wants to purchase Greenland, that's one thing. But for him to militarily invade would turn Article 5 of NATO on its very head. In essence, put us at war with NATO itself. (END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Let's discuss further now with CNN politics senior reporter Stephen Collinson. Stephen, thank you so much for joining me. How are you doing, sir?

STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Great. Thanks.

HUNTE: Good, good. It is good to see. This has moved well beyond Greenland now. We're seeing tariff threats against U.S. allies and talk that NATO could even break down. How serious is this moment, especially given it's being driven by the United States?

COLLINSON: I think it's potentially the most serious moment in NATO's history if this continues to escalate. There have been other crises throughout the 76 years of the alliance. But this is unprecedented. First, because nobody thought that there would be a crisis caused by a member of the alliance, that there was a possibility that one member could move against another.

The fact that that member who is thinking of going after Greenland is the United States, the most important member of NATO, the most important country in the founding of NATO, the guarantor of western security since the second world war, is absolutely extraordinary, and I think that is why this showdown is so serious.

At the same time, you can think of all the damage that it could do if the European Union responds to threatened U.S. tariffs with its own tariffs. You're going to see all sorts of economic reverberations across the transatlantic area and around the world. So, this is very significant, I think.

HUNTE: European leaders are responding with quite unusual unity. And we'll be watching the U.K. prime minister speak in just a few hours. But how far can Europe realistically push back without hurting itself in the process given how dependent it still is on the U.S.?

COLLINSON: Yes, that's a very good point. If you cast your mind back to last year, in the initial trade war showdown with the United States, Europe accepted, the European Union accepted quite a punitive trade deal that is advantageous to the United States. One of the reasons for that was that they knew that Donald Trump is very skeptical towards NATO from his first term and for what he was already saying in the first year of his second term.

[02:09:58]

They didn't want to push him too far, and then cause him to say, well, I'm going to start pulling out of NATO or I'm going be more hostile to the organization.

So, there's always this feeling in the background that without the United States, European nations, member nations of NATO were very exposed. That said, they do have economic weapons with which they can push back against the United States. This is a midterm election year. As you know, the United States for Congress in November. President Trump has got a lot of problems with the American economy. Many Americans are very angry about the still high cost of groceries, for example. If the European Union matches U.S. tariffs, that could have a significant impact in putting prices up in the United States, and that could cause some economic pain for Americans and would be painful politically for the president. So, it does have the tools.

The question is, do they believe that threatening sanctions can get Trump to back off or are they prepared to go the whole way and initiate a full-scale trade war with the United States which, of course, would very much hurt the European economies as much as it would hurt the American economy?

HUNTE: Yes. Indeed. And at the core of this, is this really about U.S. security, do you think, or something else is driving the president's approach here?

COLLINSON: It's very hard to believe it's about U.S. security because, of course, Greenland is already NATO territory. If Trump wanted to reinforce the U.S. base there, to send many more troops and ships, he could do that. There is a U.S. treaty with Denmark that allows that to happen.

If this is about rare earth minerals, of which there are many buried beneath the tundra in Greenland, Greenland and Denmark are open to doing commercial deals with the United States. In some cases, would actually welcome it.

So, the argument that the administration has put forward, that, well, China and Russia could invade and U.S. security would not be in a good place, it doesn't really make sense because, as I said, NATO is Greenland territory. If Russia invaded NATO, it would be effectively starting a war with every NATO state because of the Article 5 clause of self-defense that every NATO member signed up to.

So, I think this is much more about President Trump's legacy. He wants to pull off, which would be potentially the biggest real estate deal ever in the world in terms of territory. That is what he's pushing for. He wants to be remembered like Thomas Jefferson and William McKinley as presidents who enlarged the territory of the United States. I think that is a much more plausible argument for Trump's, you know, interest in Greenland.

Put it this way: Americans have shown no interest in wanting to acquire Greenland or to pay for Greenland. It was not a big issue in the last election. It's Trump's obsession. I don't think it's the obsession of many people in America apart from the president.

HUNTE: We are seeing some cracks in a president's support from Republicans. But is that meaningful resistance or does Trump's grip on the party still make his word final in moments like this?

COLLINSON: I think the president is still feared by many rank and file Republican lawmakers, especially those who are running in the midterm elections and need to win a primary election to get their party's nomination to run again for their seat. The president has significant leverage there.

That said, NATO is revered really in Washington. It is seen as one of the greatest U.S. foreign policy achievements, building the world's most successful alliance, which is projected American power across half the globe for 80 years almost. So, you know, it's going to be very interesting to see, especially in the Senate, how many Republican senators are willing to stand up to the president.

If it comes, for example, to Trump asking for hundreds of billions of dollars to buy Greenland, it's very hard to see how Republican senators who are really conscious about frustration among Americans, about the economy, are going to agree to spend that kind of money. And you've got a number of Republican senators who are pointing out that it's actually illegal for the United States to pull out of NATO, for a president to do so without consulting Congress.

So, I think there are things here that Congress can do symbolically with the law and with the power of the purse. And NATO runs very deep in Washington.

[02:14:58]

So, it's going to be very interesting to see the strength of opposition. I don't think we can gauge it accurately yet. But more and more Republican senators are speaking out. I don't think they want the NATO alliance to collapse.

HUNTE: Well, we shall see. For now, thank you so much, CNN's Stephen Collinson. I appreciate it.

COLLINSON: Thanks.

HUNTE: Frigid temperatures aren't keeping Minnesotans from conducting anti-ICE protests even late into the night. Demonstrations have continued through the weekend against the presence of thousands of federal officers who have been conducting immigration raids and arresting people throughout Minneapolis.

Now, the Pentagon has ordered about 1,500 active-duty soldiers to prepare for a possible deployment to the state, and that is umping the tension even higher.

In a statement, Minnesota's National Guard said it is staged and ready to support local law enforcement in protecting life, property, and -- quote -- "the right of all Minnesotans to assemble peacefully."

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is condemning the possible deployment of active-duty soldiers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR JACOB FREY, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: We've got many mechanisms to achieve safety. And the best way to get safety is not to have an influx of even more agents and in this case, military. This is -- well, it's ridiculous. But we will not be intimidated by the actions of this federal government.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CNN's Betsy Klein has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: What we know now is that the Pentagon has ordered 1,500 U.S. soldiers to prepare for a possible deployment to Minnesota. Those troops include two battalions from Alaska. What we don't know at this stage is what tasks those U.S. soldiers would be asked to perform. But according to one U.S. defense official, it could include crowd control and other efforts to assist in supporting law enforcement on the ground in the Minneapolis area.

President Trump has raised the possibility of invoking the Insurrection Act. I'll remind you, that is that centuries-old law that enables a president to deploy U.S. troops domestically.

And we heard on Sunday from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. He said that there may come a time when that is needed and President Trump has the full support of the Justice Department.

Multiple officials, however, stressed that this does not mean that a deployment is imminent or even guaranteed. But we do know that the White House and Trump administration more broadly is monitoring the protests in Minneapolis very, very closely, and they have a range of options prepared for President Trump, depending on how he decides to proceed.

Now, all of this comes as the Trump administration has surged federal resources to Minneapolis. That includes personnel from U.S. Customs and Border Protection as well as other federal personnel and a small number of FBI agents.

We are seeing this immigration crackdown at the same time that protests are intensifying in the Minneapolis area after an ICE officer fatally shot Renee Good. But I want you to listen to how Acting ICE director Todd Lyons described the role that these supplemental agents are playing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TODD LYONS, ACTING ICE DIRECTOR: You hear about the 3,000 federal officers and special agents that deployed to Minneapolis. Majority of those, if not most, are to protect the men and women that are out there trying to make those arrests. And that has definitely changed our tactics where we would go and have five to six officers on an arrest team. Now, you have to go with 10 to 15 just to protect those individuals that are trying to arrest a bad guy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KLEIN: Now, Lyons comments come after a federal judge ruled on Friday that agents cannot deploy certain crowd control measures against peaceful protesters or arrest them. Of course, the White House monitoring the situation very, very closely.

Betsy Klein, CNN, traveling with the president in West Palm Beach, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: Iran's president warns the U.S. that any aggression directed towards its supreme leader will be seen as a declaration of -- quote -- "all-out war against Iran." That warning comes after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested Iran look for new leadership, different from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The supreme leader called Mr. Trump a criminal over his support of recent anti-government protests in Iran. One human rights group reports that more than 3,600 demonstrators have been killed in the last three weeks. President Trump maintains the killing has stopped. But a spokesperson for Iran's judiciary suggested that many detained protesters could still face execution.

Still ahead, the number of dead is rising after two high-speed trains crash in Spain. The latest developments in a live report for you. Plus, deadly wildfires raging across Chile, forcing thousands of people from their homes. We'll have the latest on the situation there, too, just ahead.

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[02:20:00]

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HUNTE: Wildfires in Southern Chile have killed at least 18 people and forced more than 20,000 from their homes. Chile's president has declared a state of catastrophe in two regions where the largest fires are burning. About two dozen active fires were burning across the country as of Sunday morning. Authorities say strong winds and hot temperatures are fueling the flames, with highs expected to reach up to 38 degrees Celsius or 100 Fahrenheit today.

At least 39 people are dead and dozens more are injured after a high- speed train crash in Southern Spain. Authorities say a train travelling from Malaga to Madrid derailed, crossing onto an adjacent track where it crashed into the second train.

Journalist Atika Shubert joins us now from Spain. Atika, thank you so much for being with me. Have officials discussed what caused that first train to derail yet?

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN JOURNALIST (via telephone): No. And this is part of the mystery. It wasn't coming around the bend as much we know from state and from the Ministry of Transportation. And it seems to be on a straight track. So, what exactly caused it to derail? Investigators are still looking at. What made this even more disastrous, of course, is the fact that there was another high-speed train coming towards it. [02:25:02]

It was a head-on collision. So, all in all, there are nearly 500 passengers affected on both trains. And we're really talking about a horrific crash here. This head-on collision, twisted metal on both sides of the track. Big descriptions coming in from my witnesses and from the mayor of Adamuz, which is where this crash occurred.

So, trying to figure out what happened. It is likely going to take some time. But this is one of the worst train disasters Spain has had in years.

HUNTE: Do we know anything about the passengers that were on that train so far? Has anyone posted on social media?

SHUBERT (via telephone): There's a few things coming in. But mostly, it was -- what we know is that it was a train traveling from Malaga to Madrid. And these are high-speed trains. I should point out, Spain has a very -- has a very complex high-speed network that goes all across the country. Most of them are going towards Madrid. So, it would have been quite common for people to be commuting back and forth across the country. And Malaga, as you know, is a very popular tourist destination with people traveling back and forth from Madrid by train as well.

So, I think you're likely to see a lot of people being affected, not just Spanish nationals and residents, but probably also tourists who are visiting the country as well.

HUNTE: OK. Well, thank you for making your way there. We appreciate it. Thank you for the updates as well. And obviously, we'll continue to speak to you and get the latest as the hours roll on. Thank you, Atika Shubert.

OK, still to come, the U.S. has a long history of Greenland concerning national security as well as expanding its territories. How one presidential historian argues that this time, it is different when we come back. And new data shows China met its goal to grow their economy in 2025. But the country's low birth rate is giving officials concern for the fourth year in a row. More details after the break.

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[02:30:00]

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[02:30:13]

BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta.

European allies are uniting in the face of Donald Trump's latest tariff threats. NATO secretary general and the British prime minister both held calls with the U.S. president over his escalating pursuit of Greenland, and E.U. ambassadors held an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss how to respond to Trump's new 10 percent tariffs. They are set to take effect on February 1st.

On Sunday, the Norwegian foreign minister clarified his country's support for Greenland.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ESPEN BARTH EIDE, NORWEGIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: Norway's position remains. We will not allow us to be pressed and that kind of threat is unacceptable among close allies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: The Spanish prime minister also shared some strong words, saying if the U.S. took Greenland by force, it would be the death knell for the NATO alliance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PEDRO SANCHEZ, SPANISH PRIME MINISTER: An invasion of Greenland by the U.S. administration would make Putin the happiest man in the world. He would be the happiest man in the world. Why? First, because it would in some way legitimize his invasion and his unilateral action and questioning of Ukraine's territorial integrity. And second, because I very much fear that if such an invasion of Greenland by the United States were to occur, it was spelled the death certificate of NATO.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: As a U.S. ratchets up its threat to acquire Greenland, one important NATO ally to its north is yet to weigh in on whether to send troops to the Arctic island.

CNN's Paula Newton explains where Canada stands on the issue of Greenland.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Canada is treading cautiously when it comes to the issue of Greenland, but standing firm with its NATO and European allies. Important to keep in mind here that Canada shares one of the longest maritime borders in the world with Greenland, and it has continued to work with Denmark and Greenland on Arctic security.

Prime Minister Mark Carney was in Qatar when he spoke about his opinion about what he called this latest escalation by the Trump administration, and that he found it concerning. Listen.

MARK CARNEY, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: We always will support sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries wherever their geographic location. The future of Greenland, decisions about the future of Greenland are for Greenland and Denmark to decide. And the -- and the security of Greenland, security is first and foremost for them, but very much falls within the responsibilities of NATO. And there's a full commitment, not surprisingly, as is appropriate of NATO partners to the security of Greenland.

NEWTON: So, Carney saying there that it is about territorial integrity even at the same time as Canada is trying to bolster its own arctic security. It is something it has been working on for more than a year now, and something that the United States has seen as a clear priority.

Now, Canada is opening a consulate next month in Nuuk. It wants to expand relations with Greenland, and that was scheduled for months now. And yet there will be a lot of questions about where Canada stands and if Canada too, is thinking about sending troops to Greenland, given the escalation.

Paula Newton, CNN, Ottawa

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: Greenland's proximity to Russia has long been seen by the U.S. as having strategic importance for the military, especially during the cold war. The U.S. first signed an agreement with Denmark to station troops on the Arctic island back in 1951 under President Truman. That agreement continues to allow the U.S. to maintain a military presence there to whatever extent it thinks necessary. The U.S. has acquired new territories in the past, but some argue that this time is very different.

CNN presidential historian Tim Naftali explained how this moment breaks with previous expansion efforts by the U.S. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIM NAFTALI, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: On five occasions, we acquired substantial amounts of territory through purchase. Most of the time we purchase things from people who want to sell it to us. The Russians wanted to sell us Alaska. The French wanted to sell us Louisiana. The Danes wanted to sell us the Virgin Islands.

And a couple of cases, we forced people to sell things to us. But that was in the 19th century. We forced the Spanish to do a deal with us for west Florida. And we forced the Mexicans to sell us what would become southern Arizona and southern New Mexico.

We did that under force, but that we did that a long time ago. We did it before we became a great power. We did it before we became a superpower.

So, the kinds of activities that the president is engaging in are not unheard of in American history. It's just modern American leaders have never done it. And it strikes one as odd and disturbing that President Trump, who promised us to do certain things in the election and did them, is actually doing things now, he didn't say he would do when he was running for office.

[02:35:14] He doesn't have a mandate to break up NATO, to acquire the frozen wilderness of Greenland. The American people did not vote him in office to do that. And there is really no precedent in the modern era for a president engaging in an expedition for the sake of resources for which he does not have public support.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Survival gear has become a hot commodity in Greenland, as locals worry about the possibility of military action. Sales of items like camping stoves, freeze dried meals and dried foods are up. Protesters in Nuuk, Greenland's capital, expressed their frustrations with Donald Trump and the instability that he's brought to their lives.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAMUNA OLSEN, PROTESTER: I live in danger. I also don't get so much sleep because in all the news there, I see this about Donald Trump wants to buy Greenland and Greenland is not for sale and we will never be for sale.

JANE, PROTESTER: Stomachache, nervousness. What is this going to end? Because I know he wants revenge and he's -- I don't know any nice words about him.

MALIK DOLLERUK SEHEBEL, PROTESTER: I have completely lost for words for what he's doing now. It's just completely insane.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Renewed terror threats from the U.S. president to e European Union caused U.S. futures to sink on Sunday. Here's where they stand right now. We've seen all three major U.S. futures are down red across the board. Wall Street is closed for a bank holiday, so we won't know how it's hit the actual markets until Tuesday.

Meanwhile, those same threats to the E.U. sent the prices of gold and silver through the roof. E.U. ambassadors have tentatively reached an agreement to avoid new tariffs, seen as a pressure campaign to allow the U.S. to buy Greenland.

China's government reports the country met its economic growth target for 2025, and that's despite a trade war with the United States. The National Bureau of Statistics also revealed China's birth rate hit a new record low.

Let's head straight to Beijing, where CNN's Mike Valerio has more details.

Mr. Valerio, thank you for being with me again.

What's at stake for the world's largest or second largest economy as its population shrinks?

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, it's really, Benny, about how the second largest economy in the world is going to look like decades from now. And we all love talking about babies. They're very cute. This segment, though, they are so consequential to how China operates on the global stage, and they really affect these big picture numbers that we're looking at.

So the biggest number of them all, the top line that Beijing is talking about today, 5 percent GDP growth for 2025, thanks in large part to the $1.2 trillion trade surplus, the largest trade surplus the world has ever known. So great top line number.

But underneath that is what is China going to look like? What is the economic engine going to look like decades from now. And that leads us to the birth rate. China has recorded, Benny, this -- the lowest birth rate on record.

And why that matters is because if you have fewer babies today, that means slower growth tomorrow, weaker consumer demand and a shrinking workforce ahead. The numbers that we just got out of Beijing this morning, 7.92 million babies born last year. That is offset by 11.31 million deaths. The overall population here in this country falling by about 3.4 million.

So that is a shrinking population for China for the fourth year in a row. This now is not an aberration. This is a trend. And nearly one in four people in this country are over the age of 60. If we take that through to conclusion, by the end of this century, according to the United Nations, more than half the population of China will be over 60.

So, when you think of what does that look like for the workforce, if you have more population, more than half the population over the age of 60, that does not look great for an industrial workforce.

So then that leads to the question, what is this town doing? What is Beijing doing to address this problem? What are other local governments across China doing? Well, we're talking about cash bonus -- cash bonuses, free preschool, simplified marriage registration, tax breaks, housing subsidies, extended maternity leave.

But from our reporting, when we crisscrossed this country, from Shanghai to Chongqing, Harbin, there is so much job insecurity that is felt. The housing crisis continues to ripple across this country. It costs a lot of money to buy a home or to live in Beijing or Shanghai, any of these megacities.

[02:40:02]

Women feel a lot of the burden to care for children. So this leads to the question of, if this crisis cannot be addressed, if more babies can't be born, will this top number of 5 percent GDP growth, this huge trade surplus number, keep going into the future? It's a question that's going to have to be addressed for years to come, Benny.

HUNTE: All right. Love that.

Mike Valerio with the facts in Beijing. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

VALERIO: Yeah.

HUNTE: Ukraine is said to be facing its harshest winter since the war against Russia began. Still ahead, we'll get a firsthand account of what things are like in Ukrainian capital, as the government aims to shore up its battered energy infrastructure.

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HUNTE: Welcome back.

Members of Donald Trump's so-called board of peace for rebuilding Gaza will get permanent membership if they pay $1 billion. That is according to a U.S. official who says all money raised will go towards the reconstruction. We're told there's no requirement to contribute funds to the board and members who don't make the billion dollar payment will have three-year terms.

President Trump will chair the board and other members include former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The United States has completely withdrawn all of its forces from military facilities within Iraq's federal territory. Iraq's defense ministry announced the troop withdrawal on Sunday, noting the final contingent of U.S. advisers had departed Al Asad airbase in western Iraq after more than two decades. U.S. troops still remain in a Kurdish region in northern Iraq, Iraq's central government does not have full control over the region.

Ukraine's president says work is underway on documents needed to end the war against Russia. After the latest round of talks with the U.S., a Ukrainian diplomat says the negotiations have focused on economic development, security guarantees for Ukraine and how to implement and enforce them. But President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warns Moscow is showing no real interest in diplomacy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: If the Russians truly and seriously wanted to end the war, they would focus on diplomacy rather than missile attacks, blackouts and attempts to cause damage, even to our nuclear power plants. We have data on the facilities that Russia has conducted, reconnaissance on reconnaissance in preparation for strikes. Everything clearly shows that diplomacy is definitely not a priority for Russia. This must be acknowledged.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Donald Trump has suggested he may meet with President Zelenskyy at this week's World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Meanwhile, emergency workers in Kharkiv, Ukraine, say a Russian drone strike on a house killed at least one person and wounded three on Sunday. It comes as many Ukrainians are struggling with power outages and a lack of heating during the harsh winter, a product of relentless Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

President Zelenskyy is now working to speed up imports of electricity and power equipment.

Let's keep talking about it. We're going to go live now to the Ukrainian capital and to Terrell Jermaine Starr, an independent American journalist who has done some absolutely incredible work covering the war in Ukraine.

Terrell, it's been so long. How are you doing over there now?

TERRELL JERMAINE STARR, HOST, TERRELL J STARR OFFICIAL ON YOUTUBE: It's freezing here. It's been subzero temperatures for the past few weeks. And you've spoken at the top of the segment about the peace talks.

No one's really talking about that here at all. The main point of conversation is which cafe can I go to and get consistent heating, consistent water? There are dormitories, for example, that have gone three weeks, even a month roughly a month without running hot water there.

People have to go to their neighbors to take a shower. There are buildings here that are, you know, really, really old, decades old that people will have to figure out to fix themselves because municipal workers are not planning for enough to properly and efficiently serve everyone.

So, the main story here is cold right now, and I'm very lucky I live in the center and I'm in the area where I can get consistent running, fairly consistent running electricity and consistent in Ukraine means you can get about 18 or 20 hours a day going just four hours without electricity is a luxury. And it's one that I'm lucky that I have. But the majority of Ukrainians, no, they go days and even weeks.

HUNTE: Well, you say that things are allegedly so bad there that Kyiv's mayor has urged some residents to leave the capital. Are people listening to that, though? Are most people staying put despite the danger?

STARR: The -- you know, I spoke with people about that yesterday and they really are not happy with him saying that because a lot of people actually blame the mayor for not efficiently running the municipal services enough. They understand that the federal government has to deal with the military, and they need to focus on bullets. As far as people here in Kyiv are concerned, the primary job of the mayor is to focus on the electricity, making sure that making sure that the heating is functioning well and making sure that the people are properly deployed efficiently. So that's -- that was not met particularly well.

But another point when you say, going outside of the city, a lot of people legitimately have to do that because they're simply -- there are hundreds of buildings around here, residential buildings around here that simply don't have heat. And as I said earlier, there are people who are trying to figure out how to fix their cooling systems, et cetera., by themselves, which is technically illegal but people, when I asked them about that, they say, who's going to come and arrest me when the city -- when the country and the city has so many other things going on. So, people are, you know, playing Mr. Fix It and Mrs. Fix It on their own.

So while the mayor did receive a lot of backlash for saying what he said, it has some practical, you know, practical reasons behind why he did say it, though.

HUNTE: Talk to me about the morale there at the moment, because Russian officials say these attacks are about breaking Ukraine's will. But from the people that you've been speaking to in cafes, on trains and in shelters and so on, your social media, is that pressure actually working or is it backfiring?

STARR: It's actually backfiring. So, you know, speaking to people across the city, they're -- they're all telling me that they just figure out ways where they can stay warmer, because they would rather struggle for heat than be under Russian occupation. That's the number one resounding comment that I got from everyone.

And I spoke with a -- the bookstore owner, Alexei. He told me that his bookstore only offers Ukrainian language books. That tends to be the standard across the country writ large.

[02:50:02]

But something important about his store is that at the front of it, there's a message that says you can come for heating, you can come for warmth, you can come for conversation, but just don't speak the Russian language.

So, Alexei, who was born in Mykolaiv, which is, you know predominantly Russian speaking city, he says that he stopped speaking Russian in pure reaction to the terror that they're being -- that that they're being put under through Russia. So, the more that they attack, the more dug in that locals are to resist and despise and hate Russia.

HUNTE: Okay, Terrell, we are short on time, so I'm going to have to leave it there. But I do want to speak to you again in the future, so please keep us updated with your movements.

Terrell Jermaine Starr, thank you.

Okay. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HUNTE: Well, it appears the avatar franchise can't be beaten. "Variety" reports "Avatar: Fire and Ash" topped the U.S. box office for the fifth week. So far, the film has generated more than $1.3 billion globally.

[02:55:01]

But it still has some ground to cover. The first two installments earned more than $2 billion each.

Now to the NFL playoffs, and only four teams remain in the hunt for this year's Super Bowl title.

Let's start with the NFC and an absolute thriller between the Rams and Bears in snowy Chicago on Sunday. The Bears have made a living off fourth quarter comebacks this season, and they almost did it again, trailing 17 to 10 with the game finishing, quarterback Caleb Williams throws up a prayer and finds tight end Cole Kmet for this touchdown. The game went to overtime, but a costly Bears turnover gave Los Angeles the chance to drive for this game winning field goal. Rams win 20 to 17 and they'll face the Seattle Seahawks next Sunday for the conference championship.

And in the AFC, the Texans and Patriots battled in some tough conditions in New England. Rain and snow may have taken a toll on Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud, who threw four interceptions in the game. Houston's defense kept them in it for a while, but Patriots quarterback Drake Maye overcame three turnovers of his own, throwing three touchdown passes on the day. New England wins 28 to 16. They'll take on the Denver Broncos for the AFC crown next Sunday.

More sport the Olympic torch is making its way across northern Italy on the way to Verona this weekend. Torchbearers took the flame to historic sites, including a stop at the International Museum of the Red Cross. The relay began in Rome over a month ago. About 10,000 people will have carried the torch by the time it arrives in Milan early next month to kick off the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.

That's all I've got for you. Thanks for joining me and the team. I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta and I will see you next weekend.

CNN NEWSROOM continues after a quick break. And, Rosemary, over to you.