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J.D. Vance: Each of our Citizens has a Voice; Vance Remarks Reflect Trump Administration's Shifting Priorities; Caretaker Leader Muhammad Yunus Lays Out Vision for Reform; Trump Threatens New Tariffs on U.S. Trading Partners; Archaeologists Discover Lavish Roman Baths at Pompeii. Aired 9- 9:45a ET
Aired February 14, 2025 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[09:00:00]
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: All right. I'm Giokos in Abu Dhabi. You've been watching the U.S. Vice President, J.D. Vance at the
Munich Security Conference happening right now, as you can see, shaking hands there with his counter parts.
I want to bring in Salma Abdelaziz to break down some of what we've just heard. Salma, the Vice President, basically sounding like he's giving a
little bit of a lecture to his Europeans, European counter parts consequential for the future of Ukraine, as well as the peace negotiations
hopefully will be starting soon. Give me a sense of what this basically means about the U.S.'s position towards Ukraine and Russia?
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think he's really trying there to set a new era for relations with Europe. That's what he's laying out
there. He's saying this is our vision of what matters and what matters to J.D. Vance and to President Trump, is America First, and that's what we
understand is happening, is this push from the Trump Administration for Europe to be in charge of Europe's borders.
That's how President Trump puts it. They're no longer engaging in this global view that Europe's security is America's security, which is the way
it has been for generations now and trying to forge a different path. But what he's going to hear from his European partners, of course, is just how
dangerous this is when they're concerned about Russian expansionism, when they're concerned about Russian aggression in Ukraine, when they're
concerned about a Ukraine that's struggling to fight back against President Putin's aggression.
So very -- a very important speech in that moment that he's playing out there, but also, he has a lot of work to do if he's trying to change
everyone's mind and move everyone's viewpoint away from how things have been for so long. So absolutely there. J.D. Vance trying to declare a new
era to partners who might not be willing to listen to it.
GIOKOS: Yeah, really interesting. I mean, not only that, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also coming out with very strong words, saying that
this is a dose of realism with regards to returning to 2014 borders, with regards to NATO membership. And we've actually seen very different comments
from the Vice President versus what we heard from Pete Hegseth.
ABDELAZIZ: Absolutely. And I think this is the other part of the Trump equation, if you will, is that every time he speaks, everyone seems to be
trying to figure out, does he mean it? Does he intend to do it? Is it simply posturing? Is there miscommunication?
Perhaps no one is trying to figure that out more than President Zelenskyy himself, who yesterday witnessed a President Trump saying that peace
negotiations need to happen immediately. A President Trump who called President Putin before President Zelenskyy, when having those discussions
of President Trump, who quite simply seemed to move forward with the idea that Ukraine needs to accept where it's at.
You have to remember about 20 percent of Ukraine right now is occupied by Russian forces, and that it should just make a deal. J. D. Vance, in an
article just published a few hours ago, made a very different argument, saying that American troops could get involved potentially if Russia
doesn't act in good faith, that sanctions could be ramped up against President Putin's administration.
And that seems in direct contradiction to what I just laid out from President Trump. So, you have now Ukraine that's trying to find space in
the middle of this to be heard, of course, by President Trump, to be considered even in the peace process. The most telling part of President
Trump's conversation yesterday was the portion where a reporter said, do you think Ukraine or do you see Ukraine as an equal partner in the peace
process?
And Mr. Trump sort of -- and awed and said, that's an interesting question. That's direct contradiction to the policy, which is nothing about Ukraine
without Ukraine. That's what President Biden was saying. That's what the Europeans have been saying. So, a stark shift, but unclear how big a shift
this is, or how much of this is just posturing.
GIOKOS: Absolutely. Salma Abdelaziz, great to have you with us thank you so much. I want to welcome now Daniel Fried. He's a Distinguished Fellow at
the Atlantic Council, and also Former U.S. Ambassador to Poland, and he was the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs. He
joins us now live in Washington.
So great to have you with us. I'm sure you've heard from J.D. Vance, the Vice President, speaking there at the Munich Security Conference and really
setting out the tone of the United States. Right now, we've heard from the Defense Secretary as well, and also the major messaging is this dose of
realism about where the United States stands right now. How you characterizing the U.S.'s rhetoric around Ukraine?
DANIEL FRIED, WEISER FAMILY DISTINGUISHED FELLOW, ATLANTIC COUNCIL: Around Ukraine, the U.S. rhetoric is a bit confused, but it still is possible that
the United States will end up on the right side of the issue. And if you parse what J.D. Vance and Secretary Hegseth have said, there is still an
excellent chance for a good outcome that is a ceasefire in place, but not forcing Ukraine to recognize Russian conquests.
Security for Ukraine, with European troops on the ground, but essential American backup in the air, which Pete Hegseth said was open, or he left
open that possibility, and J.D. Vance said, maybe even American forces and the Europeans stepping up to do more.
I think that those three elements a ceasefire, security and better European burden sharing are possible even with the confusing signals coming from
Washington. I think the overall picture is has decent potential. Let's put it that way. I think that the -- that the Europeans are right to insist
that they be part of the talks.
GIOKOS: Right. I want you to take a listen to what the Vice President considers the biggest threat. Take a listen.
[09:05:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J.D. VANCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: The threat that I worry the most about vis-a-vis Europe is not Russia, it's not China, it's not any other external
actor. And what I worry about is the threat from within, the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the
United States of America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: What do you make of that Ambassador?
FRIED: I think that's a little too heavy on the culture wars. I think it under -- it underplays the actual Russian aggression against Ukraine, and
frankly, aggression against Europe. Russia is engaged in sabotage, in attacking infrastructure in the Baltic. So, it simply -- it simply
downplays reality to say that the biggest problem is our differences over foreign manipulate information, manipulation, disinformation or cultural
issues?
I understand that the Trump Administration is going to make that case. But let's be serious, the first Trump Administration talked about great power
rivalry in the world that was a cornerstone of their foreign policy, to then dismiss the threat from China and Russia at a time when you're about
to ask the Europeans to put troops on the ground in Ukraine. It strikes me as nuts.
GIOKOS: You know, it's interesting you say that. But it is the priority of the Trump Administration right now, and not these great powers. So, if
President Trump is prioritizing this as the biggest challenge, the biggest threat, what does that ultimately mean for Russia's expansionist ambitions.
FRIED: I wouldn't conclude from Vice President Vance's speech that the United States is pulling back from European security or ceding the field to
Russia in Ukraine. I think that that speech was that J.D. Vance's speech was unfortunate because it undercut Trump's own message of peace through
strength, a message that could work in dealing with Vladimir Putin.
I think the culture wars, part of J.D. Vance's speech was a distraction, but it is not dispositive. It is -- it's a projection of the Trump Vance
campaign rhetoric and part of their agenda, but it doesn't indicate that they're going to pull back from Europe at least not yet.
GIOKOS: So, Ambassador, at least not yet, indeed. Ambassador, there's -- I mean, one of the biggest messaging has been, look, Europeans need to do
more. They need to stay up -- step up. NATO need to stay up step up. They need to spend at least 5 percent of GDP.
And here's the reality, if it wasn't for U.S. military spending, I don't know, and I think many people don't know, what the fate of Ukraine would
have been. But it also seems that President Putin is testing red lines right now, and if it's not enforced by the U.S. or other NATO members, the
question is, how far would Putin go?
FRIED: Well, you're absolutely right that Europe needs to step up more for its own defense. They need to develop more military capability. They need
to spend more. Trump Administration is right, and the Europeans have acknowledged that. So that is not the problem.
The problem is that Putin is now not going to negotiate in good faith. He's looking for weakness. He's looking for division. He's flattering, trying to
flatter Trump. I don't think he will succeed, but he thinks he may succeed. We'll see. If the United States wants Europe to stand up more in its own
defense and do more for -- for Ukraine security, which is a perfectly valid U.S. request.
It's better not to wag your finger at the Europeans and call them names. It's better not to cut them out of the negotiations on Ukraine better to
include them if you're going to ask them to do something that is very hard. It's not easy to put troops on the ground in Ukraine.
The Europeans may be willing to do it. They're thinking about it, but they're going to insist on American backup. Secretary of Defense, Hegseth
left that possibility open. So, did J.D. Vance. So, that's good, but it is better to actually push the Europeans and embrace the Europeans, not just
lecture the Europeans on issues of culture wars or counter disinformation policy.
Russia and China really are threats, and I was surprised to hear J.D. Vance dismiss it, since the Trump Administration itself identifies China and
Russia as security threat.
[09:10:00]
GIOKOS: Ambassador Fried, great to have you with us. Thank you so much for your insights. Good to have you.
FRIED: All right.
GIOKOS: Well, the U.S. President's phone calls to the leaders of Ukraine and Russia this week have added an air of anxiety as well as uncertainty to
the Munich gathering. Global powers are trying to decide what to make of Donald Trump jumping in as mediator on Russia's war in Ukraine. In Munich
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying it's a positive start, but not enough to call a plan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: As for President Trump we had an hour-long conversation, a long conversation, enough conversation to talk
about some details, not enough to make a plan, definitely not enough. We hear each other. We talk very positively. It was a really good
conversation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Hours before those high-level talks in Munich, the Ukrainian President accused Russia of a drone attack on the radiation shield that's
covering the damage to noble nuclear reactor. Emergency services say radiation levels there remain normal. Chernobyl, near Ukraine's border with
Belarus, is the site of the world's worst nuclear accidents.
The 1986 disaster spread radiation through Europe and the former Soviet Union. The site was later encased in concrete and steel. The UN nuclear
watchdog confirms the overnight drone strike. Moscow is denying any claims it attacked Chernobyl.
I want to bring in Michael Bociurkiw he is a Former Spokesperson for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the Global Affairs
Analyst. He joins me now from Odessa in Ukraine. We're seeing these images, Michael of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, the casing that was struck Russia
is not -- you know, is denying it at this point.
But I wonder what message it is sending, because since the beginning of this war, we've been worried about nuclear assets being struck. This is an
old asset from 1986 a disaster there occurred already. You've covered this. You've been in Chernobyl many times, and it seems like a message is being
sent at this time, just before the conference.
MICHAEL BOCIURKIW, SENIOR FELLOW, ATLANTIC COUNCIL: Yeah, you're absolutely right. I mean, this is shockingly reckless. And I think if you're looking
for why they -- why Mr. Putin did it, I think he's testing for soft tissue right now, there are no visible red lines that are being enforced by the
United States.
It's a perfect time, absolutely perfect time for Mr. Putin to do what he does best and go to the limit and see what the response will be. Now you
know Chernobyl, as you pointed out, I've been there many times. I wrote about it, and there is no military strategic value there. I think this was
deliberate to set off the alarm bells in European capitals, as well as the ongoing Munich Security Conference.
And we have to also remember that Russia has been tinkering with fire, playing with fire at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the biggest in
Europe, which is on its own occupied, temporary occupied land. I mean, the IAEA has been shuttering with fear and anxiety at what the Russians are
doing. They're cutting power lines, draining the cooling ponds, that sort of thing.
GIOKOS: I want to talk about what's happening at the conference right now. Heard from Pete Hegseth, the Defense Secretary. We've heard from VP J.D.
Vance. The comments seem contradictory at times. We don't really know where the U.S. stands, but the undercurrent, the ultimate messaging here, is that
they're coming in aggressively.
They're telling the Europeans they need to step up. And it's interesting that President Zelenskyy is speaking more on the sidelines, as opposed to
being the focal point at the conference, which was the case in the previous meetings.
BOCIURKIW: Yeah, well, first of all about the Europeans. I mean, I just came back from a tour of European capitals, including Brussels, and you
don't come in there, no matter who you are, lecturing them on voter sentiment, on people like Greta Thunberg. It was, it was pretty nasty when
it comes to European protocol.
And I don't think that whether J.D. Vance or Mr. Hegseth -- you know, whatever, I think there's a realization that whatever they say, well, Mr.
Trump may overrule them or contradict them, because that's the way things work right now in Washington.
I mean, for heaven's sake, Elon Musk and his kids seem to spend more time in the Oval Office than the Vice President, having said that, Mr.
Zelenskyy, you know, I've covered him for a long, long time and I have never seen him so tired, looking so desperate. And, as you kind of
indicated, sidelined.
And I think this is an indication written on his face of how bad things are for Ukraine right now. If I could quickly use this analogy that I'm kind of
boring from another reporting colleague, but it seems that the United States and Russia have unilaterally bordered the express train.
[09:15:00]
You have Mr. Zelenskyy on the platform trying to run up to catch on to it, and then you have the Europeans still at the turn style trying to get onto
that platform. It's one big mess right now.
GIOKOS: Yeah. Michael, you're in Odessa right now, and you sent our team this screen grab. This is what you experienced last night. These are
warnings of air strikes. Tell me what you're experiencing, because you earlier said that Putin is testing red lines, and it seems that he's gotten
a lot more aggressive over the past week.
BOCIURKIW: Yeah, you would have thought that in the past two or three nights he would have calmed down and not sent as many rockets and drones
over. But it's been pretty bad overnight in various Oblasts of Ukraine, including Odessa, 133 drones, according to the defense forces, of which
only about half were shot down and some of those struck not too far from here at the Odessa port infrastructure.
There were also reports of two drones crashing on Moldovan soil, which certainly set off alarm bells in -- now, and also violations of air space
in NATO member Romania. But you know, if I could bring this down to a very personal level for everyone, it is Valentine's Day, after all, just moments
before I went on air with you, I walked to an area of Odessa where they have what's called the alley of heroes.
These are memorials to service men and women who have fallen, and it was so sad. You see families there. I didn't film them to respect their privacy,
but you see families there laying flowers for the departed, rather than giving flowers into the hands of the living. This is a story Eleni that is
being repeated at cemeteries, at memorials around Ukraine today. It's a very, very sad day.
GIOKOS: It is indeed. Michael Bociurkiw, always good to have you on and your insights so valuable to us. Thank you so much.
BOCIURKIW: Thank you.
GIOKOS: A program notes for you Christiane Amanpour, will interview Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Saturday at the Munich Security
Conference that's at 10:00 a.m. in Munich. See it right here on CNN.
Israel has announced the names of three hostages due to be released from Gaza on Saturday. Hamas is set to free the men you see here who are
Argentinian Israeli, Russian Israeli and American Israeli. Hamas says Israel is then expected to release more than 350 Palestinian prisoners in
exchange.
Hamas has been using those hostage releases as stage shows of force, and as CNN's Jeremy Diamond reports, the group's resilience has become a bitter
pill to swallow for an Israeli government aiming for total victory.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Week after week, Hamas has turned the spotlight of hostage releases into a choreographed
show of force, weapons brandish to the world these militants delivering one clear message, we are undefeated.
For 15 months, Israel has unleashed the full weight of its military might in Gaza, deploying tens of thousands of ground troops while dropping
millions of pounds of explosives from the air, and yet, amid the rubble, Hamas still standing, flaunting machine guns and rocket propelled grenades.
they said they defeated the resistance. Here is the resistance, the resistance doesn't dine, is always in the field and present, even if a far
greater war comes towards us, we are ready this man says. All these young children are ready. Give this child a rifle and he's ready to fight.
At the funeral of one of Hamas' top military commanders, hundreds of militant's parades through the streets, raising serious questions about
Israel's strategy in this war.
DIAMOND: What does it say that after 15 months of war, these are still the pictures that we're seeing.
AMI AYALON, FORMER DIRECTOR, SHIN BET: What it means is very, very simple. We refuse to understand it. We refuse to accept it, and we refuse to
understand that we are fighting a different type of war.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Ami Ayalon is the Former Director of the Shin Bet Israel's domestic security service.
DIAMOND: What you are saying is that these images of Hamas and Gaza should be a flashing red light --
AYALON: Yes.
DIAMOND: -- for the Israeli government to change strategy.
AYALON: It is.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Absolute victory over Hamas has been central to the Israeli Prime Minister's strategy since day one.
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: We will fight until we achieve victory, total victory. There is no substitute for it.
DIAMOND (voice-over): And he is showing no signs of changing course, still reluctant to discuss a day after plan for Gaza or to allow a Palestinian
alternative to Hamas to govern the strip.
[09:20:00]
AYALON: It's a wrong strategy. In order to win Hamas, you have to create a reality in which Palestinians will not support Hamas and Palestinians will
not support Hamas, and Palestinians will not support Hamas only when they will see a better future without Hamas.
DIAMOND (voice-over): While some hold up Hamas' show of force as proof of Israel's strategic failure, others calling on the Prime Minister to double
down.
ITAMAR BEN GVIR, FORMER ISRAELI NATIONAL SECURITY MINISTER: It's time for a massive war. It's time to stop their fuel, stop their humanitarian aid,
stop the aid trucks. It's time to destroy Hamas.
DIAMOND (voice-over): But there is mounting evidence that Israel's assault on Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of civilians, is backfiring,
driving more Palestinians to take up arms.
ANTONY BLINKEN, THEN-U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We assess that Hamas has recruited almost as many new militants as it is lost. That is a recipe for
an enduring insurgency and perpetual war.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Hamas has faced some anger in Gaza from a population drained by more than a year of war. The group now looking to build up its
popularity amid the ceasefire. We would like to salute the Palestinian people, our resilient people persevered under the fire of the Zionist
cowardly enemy. This militant says thank God for everyone's safety.
At a checkpoint until recently, manned by Israeli soldiers Hamas militants now stand guard police officers from the Hamas run government now back on
the streets, as Hamas officials seek to re-establish municipal services and show they can still govern Gaza.
Amid these shows of force, there is also a message to Palestinians in Gaza who would think to challenge Hamas, which has long silenced political
dissent with a brute force to them and the rest of the world, Hamas, making clear it remains in power and will not surrender. Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel
Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: The UN says possible crimes against humanity were committed in Bangladesh against student protesters who ousted the longtime prime
minister last summer. A new report estimates up to 1400 people were killed, mostly by Bangladesh's security forces in a brutal crack-down.
Our Becky Anderson sat down with Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus, the Country's Caretaker Leader. She asked him how he can bring down the anger
that's still simmering towards the Assad Regime and what the most pressing challenges are for rebuilding.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MUHAMMAD YUNUS, CHIEF ADVISER, BANGLADESH: The first challenge, obviously, is to bring law and order, because the whole country was up in flame, to
get her out of the country, so that they can take control of the country from her, because it's a devastated country.
She's never held an election for 15, 16, years, she was ruling the country without election. She had fake elections without any voters and so on.
Destroyed the economy, destroyed the banking system in the series of everything.
[09:25:00]
So, the people rebelled against it, and that's how they happened. So, our first job is to make sure the law and order is established, and then next
job is to rebuild the economy, rebuild the society, rebuild the institutions which completely fail.
So, this is the process we are going through. In order to do that, we have to go through a process of reforms. So, we have created 15 different
reforms, commission on law and order, police administration and question of constitutional reform, question of election procedure reforms and so on.
So, there are 15 of them. They are reporting back with the suggestions, their recommendations, what needs to be done. So now we have a -- what we
call consensus building commission, so that we go to the political parties and so on, see which are the recommendations all agree, so that we take
that as a charter and then implement that and hold an election. Election will be held as early as probably December of this year.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Any intention to continue in a leadership position through those elections and beyond you were called back
for the issue. Said it wasn't a role that you were looking at?
YUNUS: I still not the one to look at. I made it very clear, when my job is done, hand over the responsibility to the elected government. I go back to
what I enjoy doing most. This is what I have dedicated my life. I want to continue with that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Muhammad Yunus is known as the banker to the poor. He's renowned for his work Pioneering Micro Credits and Micro Finance. Becky asked him
whether his life's mission of business through altruism can survive in Donald Trump's isolationist world.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Do you believe that the world is on a path towards an economy that serves or better serves human needs at present?
YUNUS: I am totally convinced it's possible. It's possible because we want it, each one of us wanted. Since we want it, we have to bring it out from
us to make it happen. I said, we do business to make money. That's understood all over the world, maximization of profit.
I said, you do that, and then on the side you have the charity. You give away money. I said, there's a third boy. This was missing, so I wanted to
install the third one. I call it social business, business to solve human problems without any intention of making money.
If you can give away money, I said, why don't you just invest, make it as a business. Business to solve the problem like health care problem, health
care can problem, can be done in a way, sustainable way, so that you are not doing this health business to make money, but to solve the problem of
the people.
I raised this question Corona time, saying all the vaccines that are coming out, this should be done in pharmaceutical companies as a social business,
so that you cover your cost, but people get it cheap, so you if you want to make maximize your profit, even on the vaccine, then your attention is very
different. You make billions of dollars, but many people die on the way.
ANDERSON: This is altruistic. Is it also slightly naive?
YUNUS: It's not naive. People say, will people be interested in them? I said, of course, they will be interested. And how come? I said, yes, making
money may be happiness. Making other people happy is a super happiness. You do it, you feel happy. This happiness that is matters.
It's not about something else. So, I said, there's plenty of technology in the world, plenty of creative ideas in the world, but we're not using it
for solving the problems of the people. All kinds of problems people suffer. So why don't you create businesses like I mentioned, health care,
education, technology and many other things.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Well, still to come, U.S. President Donald Trump doubles down on his tariff threats despite the risk of a global trade war and higher prices
for consumers.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:30:00]
GIOKOS: Welcome back. I'm Eleni Giokos in Abu Dhabi, and you're watching "Connect the World". The markets in the United States have just started
trading day. Let's take a look to see how they're performing right now. You remember a hotter than expected inflation number was out earlier this week,
really spooking the markets in terms of what that would mean for interest rates going forward, and whether there will be room for the Federal Reserve
to drop rates at some point.
As you can see, we're sitting flat mostly today, and it's all got to do with the fact that we're not seeing an announcement on reciprocal tariffs
just yet, that it is imminent and U.S. President Donald Trump is following through on his threat to impose those tariffs on America's trading
partners, including long-time allies.
He's ordered his economic advisers to devise plans that would raise the tariffs the U.S. charges on imports to match what other countries charge on
American products. CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich is following the story for us from New York. Vanessa, great to have you with us. Honestly, trade and
tariffs, this has been the major theme, at least one of the major themes, since President Trump came into office. What are we hearing about this new
retaliation tariff plan?
VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: This plan, according to a lot of economists, was a lot of bark, but not a lot of bite,
because we had been hearing from President Trump that he was going to have a big announcement about reciprocal tariffs. But what we're seeing is
really a plan for a plan.
We do not know which countries are going to be targeted. We do not know at what rate they're going to be targeted? And so, there's a lot of questions
about what this is ultimately going to look like? But this was President Trump's attempt to essentially work out what he says is fair trade between
other countries.
He says that other countries are not treating us well when it comes to trade, but in the Oval Office yesterday, he was asked what this ultimately
means for U.S. consumers and voters, what this plan would mean. Take a listen to how he answered that question.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If prices go up Mr. President because of these tariffs, who do you think voters should hold responsible?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Oh, I think what's going to go up is jobs are going to go up and prices could go up somewhat
short term, but prices will also go down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
YURKEVICH: So, he talked about jobs, and one of the reasons he's pointing to jobs increasing here in the U.S. is he believes that tariffs will
basically generate revenue for the federal government, and then they'll be able to cut taxes for corporations and everyday Americans. And that, in
turn, will spur more job growth.
He also is hoping that, perhaps, and he said this, that many companies and businesses start to do business right here in America, set up shop here in.
America, and that may create more jobs, and hopefully American consumers will start to buy U.S. goods rather than foreign goods. But that's probably
not going to happen at the scale that he's hoping.
[09:35:00]
Instead, what is going to happen is American businesses are going to have to pay higher tariffs of imports coming in from other countries, and will
ultimately have to pass that cost down to the everyday consumer, and so American consumers will start to see higher prices eventually.
I also want to note that in that Oval Office exchange, he talked about farmers. He said that farmers are going to benefit from these reciprocal
tariffs. Well, in 2018 when President Trump ignited a trade war with China, China retaliated by putting tariffs on U.S. agricultural exports, basically
hitting U.S. farmers.
So much so Eleni that the federal government, over the course of several years, since that time, has had to basically subsidize the farmers
agricultural products in order for them to keep afloat in order for them to continue with their livelihoods. So ultimately, these reciprocal tariffs,
while President Trump believes they will generate economic boom here in the U.S., could have some significant consequences, especially for farmers that
we know that he banks on for their support Eleni.
GIOKOS: Yeah. Absolutely, Vanessa, and this is what happens tit for tat, tariffs result in a trade war, and it's just losing everywhere. There's no
winner in that scenario, Vanessa Yurkevich great to have you with us. Thank you. And talk about inflation. We know Valentine's Day can be expensive,
but apparently, it's even pricier for New York singles.
On this day of roses and romance, it might be worth having some sense and sensibility on the love front. Here's why? In the city that never sleeps,
singles pay, on average, more than $20,000 a year to live on their own in the Big Apple, and that's according to real estate platforms Street Easy
and Zillow, but they say couples who live together in a one-bedroom apartment, save a combined average of more than $40,000 a year on rent.
All right. Still ahead, the Roman City of Pompeii is still giving up its secrets, hundreds of years after it was buried in volcanic eruption. The
latest discovery by archaeologists that thought to the ancient city version of Mar-a-Lago. Let's take a look. It's going to be fun. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: Archaeologists in Pompeii, Italy have made an extraordinary new find. They've uncovered an opulent thermal spa complex, one of the largest
found to date at the world-renowned site. CNN's Ben Wedeman reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Around noon in AD 79 it's not clear whether it was the summer or the autumn. Mount Vesuvius
began to erupt within 48 hours, if they were lucky, residents of the City of Pompeii managed to flee. The rest were dead.
[09:40:00]
For centuries afterwards, Pompeii was largely forgotten, until the middle of the 1700s when digging began in earnest.
GABRIEL ZUCHTRIEGEL, DIRECTOR GENERAL, ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK OF POMPEII: Minerals coming through humidity --
WEDEMAN (voice-over): for Gabriel Zuchtriegel, Director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, the work here never ends.
ZUCHTRIEGEL: Yes, the site is so vast, and it's, you know, 30 -- 13,000 rooms excavated in 2.5 centuries.
WEDEMAN (voice-over): There are still new discoveries, the latest this lavish complex of baths, including a caldarium, hot room, a tepidarium, a
warm room and a frigidarium, a room with a pool of cold water and a banquet hall. Archaeologists presumed the owner was a wealthy businessman turned
politician, busy wining and dining, winning friends and influencing people. sound familiar?
ZUCHTRIEGEL: Think it's a bit like Mar-a-Lago, right? It's not really a public place, but at some points, people would invite stakeholders and
potential supporters and friends.
WEDEMAN (voice-over): This Roman Mar-a-Lago was under renovation with the eruption, the work came to an abrupt end.
WEDEMAN: This could be a modern construction site with tiles and bricks and gravel lying around, but these were the materials left behind by
construction workers 1946 years ago. Now, one of the reasons why Pompeii is so well preserved is that when the eruption of Vesuvius took place, it was
covered by this pumice, light weight solidified lava.
WEDEMAN (voice-over): Anna Honesty runs the dig site here, she says, archaeologists at Pompeii need to pace themselves as technology advances.
Pompeii still holds many surprises, she says, and that's why, at a certain point, excavations have to conclude, so that we can allow future
generations after 100, 200 years, to resume digging and uncover more data. Stay tuned. There's more to come. Ben Wedeman CNN Pompeii.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: A beautiful story there. We are going to go to a very short break. We'll be back with more "Connect the World" at the top of this hour. Stay
with CNN.
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[09:45:00]
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