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A Warning from the U.S.; Zelenskyy Supports Elections If Ceasefire Reached; Carnival in Bolivia. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired February 15, 2026 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, wherever you are in the world. You are now in the CNN Newsroom with me, Ben Hunte, in Atlanta, and it is so good to have you with me.
Coming up on a show, a warning to Europe from the U.S., cooperate if you want to keep close ties with the United States.
The Ukrainian president says he supports elections in his country if the Russians agree to a ceasefire.
And it is carnival season. We'll visit Bolivia for the colorful sight and fabulous sounds of the celebration.
Welcome. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is heading to Slovakia and Hungary, two countries led by Trump allies after telling Europeans, my way or the highway, at the Munich Security Conference. The event wraps up in the coming hours. Rubio assured allies on Saturday that Washington will not walk away from the NATO alliance, but he also drove home a core America first-aligned agenda, warning the U.S. is ready to go it alone if Europe doesn't cooperate on a number of issues.
Germany's defense minister later said the transatlantic alliance can survive the strain ties with the Trump administration.
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BORIS PISTORIUS, GERMAN DEFENSE MINISTER: I think the tone was decisive to this morning because it made clear they want to face and face the challenge of the joint future together. And I think this is very important because in every marriage, you have crises. Either you fight or you flight. I mean -- and this is the point of in our relationship in which we fight for our relationship.
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HUNTE: CNN's Fred Pleitgen has more on Rubio's speech in Munich and reaction in Europe.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Certainly a sigh of relief among the U.S.'s European allies at the Munich Security Conference, after the speech of Secretary of State Marco Rubio. And Rubio did have a lot of criticism for America's European allies. He accused them of what he called possible civilizational erasure, saying that there were some severe mistakes he believed that European countries were making, among them, allowing what he called mass migration, de-industrialization, and also, as he put it, following a green climate cult as well.
At the same time though, the secretary of state seemed to be extending a hand towards the Europeans, saying that Europe and the United States belong together.
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MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE: We should be proud of what we achieved together in the last century, but now we must confront and embrace the opportunities of a new one, because yesterday is over. The future is inevitable. And our destiny together awaits.
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PLEITGEN: Now, one of the other major topics here at the Munich Security Conference was, of course, Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine. The U.S. secretary of state saying, the Russians say that they want peace, but that negotiations, while there has been a lot of progress, still remain difficult.
Another thing that certainly impacted the Munich Security Conference was new allegations by several European countries about the death of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny. He, of course, died in a Russian prison colony almost to the day two years ago. And now the European countries say that analysis of Alexey Navalny's body shows that there was traces of a toxin that is linked to an Ecuadorian poisonous dart frog, and they believe that he was poisoned in prison.
Now, I asked the European foreign relations chief about all of this, and here's what she had to say.
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KAJA KALLAS, E.U. HIGH REPRESENTATIVE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND SECURITY POLICY: Well, it's not really surprising, is it? I mean, he's working like regular dictators are working, I mean, eliminates all the competitors and, you know, keep the power structures and oligarchs happy. And you stay in power and you can do whatever you want even if you know the people are not pleased.
PLEITGEN: It's a long way to go though, to use dart frog poison, isn't it? That's on someone who's in a prison colony anyway.
KALLAS: Yes. But I think it also shows how the Russians are thinking. They're exploring new ways to actually use. So, this is the way they operate against their own people, against people in prison.
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PLEITGEN: It's a pretty strong words there from Kaja Kallas towards the Russians.
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We also did reach out to the Kremlin and ask them about these allegations. So far, we've gotten no response.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Munich, Germany.
HUNTE: The U.K., Sweden, France, Germany, and the Netherlands say, quote, only the Russian state had the combined means, motive and disregard for international law to poison Alexey Navalny. This is not the first time that Russia has been accused of attacking dissidents with toxins and nerve agents, but we don't usually hear of this particular poison from a South American tree frog.
Former CNN Moscow Bureau Chief Jill Dougherty explains why it is so significant.
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JILL DOUGHERTY, ADJUNCT PROFESSOR, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: There actually was some research done on that sub that substance, it's called epibatidine. And they were doing some research back in -- and there are some records on this in 2013, and looking at it as kind of an analgesic.
So, if you look at some of the substances that have been used by Russia to poison people who are in opposition to the Kremlin. Usually, it's a substance -- it is kind of rare can only be manufactured in certain places, and this is a rare substance and a lot of it is, it can't be traced.
So, I think it is significant. I am not a scientist, obviously, but I think it's significant that this was researched that had another side to it, but it could be used for this purpose.
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HUNTE: Ukraine's president says he is ready to hold new elections, but only if the fighting stops. He spoke at a round table moderated by CNN's Christiane Amanpour on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: I'm very honest. Give us two months of ceasefire. We will go to elections. That's it. Give us ceasefire. Give us security infrastructure.
Sometimes I heard, yes, we had elections in the United States during Lincoln's time and et cetera, how we can compare it. We have missiles, our people under missiles. It's not just Lent war, a lot of missiles. We are under ballistic attacks. So, give us ceasefire. President Trump can do it. Push Putin, make ceasefire, then our parliament will change the law and we will go to elections. If they need them, if Americans need elections in Ukraine and if Russians need elections in Ukraine, we are open for this.
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HUNTE: The U.S. and Russian president have pushed for new elections in Ukraine. Mr. Zelenskyy term expired in 2024, but Ukraine can't hold a new vote while martial law is in effect. The Ukrainian leader also said Russia is not offering any compromises in the ongoing peace talks, which are set to resume in Switzerland this week.
The U.S. and Iran are working on a potential nuclear deal. Sources tell CNN the next round of talks will take place on Tuesday in Geneva, Switzerland. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, are expected to attend, but President Trump is not convinced that talks will be successful. On Friday, he warned that if they want to avoid a potential military attack, Iran should, quote, give us a deal that they should have given us the first time.
Across the world, the drumbeat is growing louder for regime change in Iran. Massive rallies were held on Saturday as part of a global day of action called by the exiles son of Iran's last monarch. In Munich, police say around a quarter of million people gathered in one of the city's largest demonstrations in recent years.
In Toronto, up to 350,000 people came together in what authorities described as one of the biggest Iran-related demonstrations in recent months. And in Los Angeles, home to a large Iranian population, demonstrators carried huge banners showing the former shah's son and messages like, quote, help is on its way.
North Korea now, North Korea is marking the birthday of its former leader Kim Jong-il with celebrations in Pyongyang. As they honor his legacy, tThe future of the Kim regime is also front of mind. Attention is turning to Kim Jong-un's daughter, a possible successor who's been increasingly visible in recent years. We don't know much about her, but she may inherit North Korea's future.
CNN's Will Ripley has more for us.
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WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In North Korean state media, she's called Kim Jong-un's beloved dear daughter, spitting image of her dad, a fixture by his side at official events seeming to outrank the senior officials standing beside her. She even walks ahead of her own mother during major public appearances, and yet not once has state media ever mentioned her name.
It's believed to be Kim Ju Ae, a detail revealed by none other than Dennis Rodman, who says he held her as a baby when the U.S. basketball star made a controversial visit to Pyongyang in 2013.
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DENNIS RODMAN, FORMER NBA PLAYER: If we could just open the door just a little bit for people to come here. RIPLEY: North Korea has also never revealed Kim Ju Ae's age, thought to be around 13 or 14. This is the paradox of Pyongyang's princess growing up in front of a world that knows almost nothing about her, but now cannot stop talking about her, speculating about whether she's her father's chosen successor.
Rumors began swirling after her 2022 debut fittingly at a massive missile launch, a not so subtle signal to the world that the Kim Dynasty will carry on with a nuclear armed insurance policy.
We do know she joined her father on his armored green train for an official state visit to Beijing last year, meeting world leaders, like China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin. One reason why South Korea's spy agency, the National Intelligence Service told lawmakers behind closed doors Kim has now entered the stage of nominating his daughter as successor, and that she's no longer just showing up at big events but also weighing in on policy decisions.
LEE SEONG-KWEUN, SOUTH KOREAN PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE MEMBER: She's giving her direct opinions on some policies during her onsite inspections.
RIPLEY: But succession in North Korea is not just about age or even gender. It's about power. Who can command loyalty from the party, the military, the elite? And, of course, there's another powerful woman already inside the system, Kim's younger sister, Kim Yo Jung, a close aide and trusted confidant. She was also rumored to be a successor before Kim's daughter came on the scene.
Kim Jong-un is also believed to have other children. There's long been speculation about a possible older son. And if that son exists, the equation could change quickly if he ever steps forward.
Kim Jong-un himself had only a brief time in the public eye before his father died in 2011. He had been studying at a private boarding school in Switzerland before much of the world even knew he existed. His father, North Korea's second leader, Kim Jong-il, had decades in the spotlight before taking over from his father, the country's founding leader, Kim Il-sung
Seoul's latest intelligence assessment about Kim Ju Ae's future may be their strongest to-date. But in North Korea, nothing is official until it's official, raising the question, has North Korea's next leader already been decided, or are there others waiting in the wings?
Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.
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HUNTE: Okay. Day two of the partial U.S. government shutdown has begun. Ahead, what it would take for Congress to fund the agency in charge of immigration enforcement. See you in a moment.
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[03:15:00] HUNTE: The partial shutdown of the US Department of Homeland Security is now in its second day and it is unclear when it's going to end. The White House is still holding talks with Democrats to reach a deal that would fund DHS. Democrats are demanding reforms to immigration and enforcement operations after federal agents fatally shot two people in Minneapolis. Republicans have pushed back and some are calling for concessions from Democrats.
Despite the shutdown nearly, all Homeland Security workers remain on the job, but many won't get paid until the standoff ends.
In Arizona now, authorities made no arrests after searching a residence to investigate the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie. Investigators carried out the search in Tucson on Friday night after receiving a lead, and that's one of 30,000 in the past two weeks.
CNN's Leigh Waldman reports.
LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The search for Nancy Guthrie officially two weeks old now. There is desperation in this community to bring the 84-year-old grandmother safely back home and to find the people or persons responsible for her disappearance. We saw a lot of law enforcement activity at a home just the other day about two miles away from where we are right now. We've learned now that law enforcement was serving a federal warrant that resulted in no one being arrested. Another traffic stop led to a man being questioned, but subsequently released.
We heard from the sheriff who said people in this community can expect more of that in the days going forward as they continue to pursue all of the leads that are coming into their agency, that flurry of police activity.
Meanwhile, what we know about the person responsible, the FBI releasing that profile after the doorbell camera footage came out showing an armed and masked man. They say he's medium build, between 5'9" and 5'10". They're still asking this community to submit any surveillance video that they might have that could shed light on the days leading up to Nancy Guthrie's disappearance, or even the day afterwards to see if they can pinpoint this person's movements.
We know that they've collected DNA. They don't know who it belongs to at this point. They've also collected multiple pieces of evidence, including gloves in this area. But I spoke with neighbors today who are a bit skeptical about how this investigation is going.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely, I wish they were giving more information. I think the sheriff is a very experienced veteran of law enforcement, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he's experienced with what this case is all about. And, I mean, I feel like they got in, they invited the FBI in or the FBI came in pretty quickly, but maybe it wasn't quite quickly enough.
(END VIDEO CLIP) WALDMAN: People have stopped by Nancy Guthrie's home consistently, leaving yellow roses behind, messages of hope and support for the Guthrie family. We have to remind you, her children made a desperate plea to bring their mother back home reminding people that she's in fragile health. She needs medication to be comfortable to survive. We know from sources she has a pacemaker. That's why this search is reaching a desperate level at this point.
Leigh Waldman, CNN, the Catalina Foothills, Arizona,
HUNTE: Mexico is preparing to co-host the World Cup, which begins in about four months from now, but the country is dealing with an outbreak of measles, a disease declared eradicated decades ago. As Valeria Leon reports, officials are now scrambling to contain a disease before that tournament.
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VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Mexico now has the highest amount of measles cases in the Americas.
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In several Mexican cities, health workers are offering vaccinations on the streets as officials race to slow the spread of the virus ahead of the World Cup.
We are going to achieve full control of the outbreak before the World Cup starts.
Jalisco State is not only hosting the big event but it has the highest number of measles infections in Mexico.
Gerardo (ph), a Jalisco resident, says he never imagined missiles would come back, a disease Mexico declared eradicated decades ago.
90 percent of cases were in people who were not vaccinated, Mexico's Health Ministry says. That shows just how important vaccination is.
Mexican authorities have installed vaccination stands on Mexico City streets. But the city's resident rush to get a shot has led to long lines and vaccines run out quickly, often in a few hours.
How long have you been waiting in line?
YAHIR FUENTES, MEXICO CITY RESIDENT: I've been waiting about an hour and a half. I arrive at 11:00 in the morning. So, it's been like an hour and a half, and yet it's been very, very, very boring, to be honest.
HUNTE: Maricar (ph) is in charge of guiding patients as they wait in line answering questions and helping organize the flow of people.
She says she's encouraged by the strong interest from residents looking to get vaccinated.
With infections skyrocketing and fear rising, people are scrambling to get a shot.
Valeria Leon, CNN, Mexico.
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HUNTE: All right. Let's turn now to the Winter Olympics and a few of the highlights from an eighth day of action packed events. In men's ice hockey, Team USA top with Denmark during Saturday's matchup. While both teams attempted to distance themselves from geopolitical tensions, President Trump's pursuit of Greenland loomed over the contest.
The Danes jumped out to an early lead in the first period as the U.S. struggled to find its groove. But the Americans would rally to take control of the game in the second period, ultimately winning the match 6-3.
Team USA remains undefeated and is now set to face Germany on Sunday. A win there will allow the US to advance directly to the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, in men's Olympic skiing, Brazil made Winter Games history during the giant slalom event. CNN's Coy Wire is in the Italian Alps of a recap of the latest medals and a preview of what's to come on Sunday.
COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORT: History was made in the Italian Alps on Saturday. Skiing sensation Lucas Pinheiro Braathen putting up some stunning runs in the men's giant slalom, propelling the Brazilian to the top of the podium.
This was not just Brazil's first ever Winter Olympics medal. It's all of South America's first ever gold at a Winter Games. The 25-year-old retired in 2023 before returning a year later to represent his mother's country. A monumental medal for Brazil and a continental one for South America.
All eyes on American speed skating sensation Jordan Stolz. He had already won the thousand-meter Gold at these games, setting a new Olympic record now in the 500-meter, he's done it again, gold and a new Olympic record. With two more events, he has a chance to win four golds overall here. That's like some Katie Ledecky or Michael Phelps type of dominance. His name is Stolz, meaning proud. He's right now one of the pride and joys of team USA at these games.
In the new event, dual moguls where you see not one but two skiers plummeting down the slope side by side, Australia's Jakara Anthony made history. Her trademark tenacity and skill helping her fend off a packed field that featured all three medalists from the previous moguls event. Anthony takes the gold, becoming Australia's first ever two-time Winter Olympics gold medalist. Team USA's Jaelen Kauf, the defending world champ, took the silver team. USA's Liz Lemley claimed the bronze. Anthony had finished eight on the previous moguls event, so this was a sweet and historic redemption.
On Sunday, Mikaela Shiffrin will be hitting the slopes again this time in the giant slalom with a disappointing performance in the team competition where she failed to medal and now the winningest alpine skier of all time is going to be on a mission. The Olympic pressure likely at an all-time high, pressure something Mikaela's very aware of, and she says she will be ready to combat it. Listen.
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MIKAELA SHIFFRIN, U.S. ALPINE SKIER AND TWO-TIME OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST: I would like to go to Cortina with like an open mind. Excited, for sure, I'm a bit nervous.
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And I always have the question, what if it goes wrong? And I don't want to be embarrassed. I don't want to be -- I don't want it to go wrong. But at the same time, you can't really control the outcome but you can control what you bring to the hill. So, I've tried to focus on that.
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WIRE: Mikaela will look to add to her three career Olympic medals and help the U.S. chase Norway, who is leading the medal table for now. On Sunday, there will be nine gold medals up for grabs.
HUNTE: The carnival is underway all across Latin America with people celebrating with bright costumes and parades through the streets. The tradition marks the arrival of the rainy season, though. Here's how some describe the yearly events in Bolivia.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are always venerating the rainy season so that the products that nature gives us will be plenty, like potatoes, quinoa, oka (ph), barley. So, that is what we venerate in these carnival times.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In this February season, we completely change the instruments and dances. We dance and perform the sonata for the change for the rainy season, and that's why we play mosonata (ph), terkyata (ph). We dance all these dances because it's harvest time.
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HUNTE: A giant colorful rooster was the star of one of Brazil's most iconic carnivals. Visitors in vibrant costumes walked through this city center, viewing performances, live bands and floats. The event is called Dawn's Rooster in English and is held annually to honor diversity and environmental awareness.
The Guinness Book of World Records named it the largest carnival parade in the world in 1978, after 1.5 half million people showed up. Wow.
All right, that's all I've got for you. Thanks for joining me in the team. I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta. The Link is next. Then there's so much more CNN Newsroom in about 30 minutes time.
See you tomorrow.
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