Return to Transcripts main page
Connect the World
Ukraine Front and Center as Global Powers Meet in Germany; Hamas' Release of Hostages to Proceed as Planned; U.S. Intelligence Believes Israel Will Try to Strike Iran Nuclear Facilities This Year; Prosecutors Resign Over Order to Drop Case Against NYC Mayor; Pope Francis Hospitalized for Bronchitis: U.S. VP Vance Compares Today's European Leaders to Cold War Tyrants; Philadelphia Eagles Fans Flock to Super Bowl Victory Parade; UNESCO's Global Cooperation Restored Spirit of Mosul. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired February 14, 2025 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:40]
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD.
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Welcome to our second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Eleni Giokos live in Abu Dhabi. It is 4:00 p.m.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance is set to meet with Ukrainian president as leaders convene at the Munich Security Council. In Warsaw, U.S. Secretary
of State -- U.S. Secretary of Defense, rather, Pete Hegseth, is wrapping up his first overseas trip. Ukraine and Russia also at center stage of the
conversations between the U.S. and Poland.
And it is 5:00 p.m. in Gaza, where earlier Hamas released the names of three hostages set to be freed Saturday in exchange for Israel releasing
Palestinian prisoners.
Ukraine reeling. Europe on edge. The high level Munich Security Conference convening today with the war in Ukraine front and center. European leaders
left shaken by U.S. president Donald Trump's bombshell announcement that he held what he calls highly productive phone call with his Russian
counterpart about ending the war with seeming advantages to Moscow.
And today, they're facing stinging criticism from the U.S. vice president. In a speech in Munich a short time ago, JD Vance scolded America's European
allies for what he depicts as problems that are self-created and self- inflicted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JD VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: 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: Why this messaging from Donald Trump's vice president is distracting from what we've heard out of the administration this week about
talks to end the war currently happening on European soil, we've got Jill Dougherty, a CNN contributor and former CNN Moscow bureau chief, and is an
adjunct professor at Georgetown University in Washington.
Jill, great to have you with us. And really important moment where we're hearing rhetoric coming out of the United States. What is your response to
JD Vance's views that Russia and China are not the big threats, but actually the threat in Europe is coming from within?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTING: I think it's interesting because that is a big debate in the United States. There are people like Vice President
Vance who believe that the, quote, "deep state," in other words, the U.S. government previously, is trying to suppress the voices of conservative
people. And so Vance is taking that to Europe and saying this is basically the same thing that's happening there that you, Europeans, are like the
deep state in our country, and you're trying to suppress voices that, you know, are -- let's say, to the right.
Now, I think for the Europeans, the problem is they are right on the line of interference by Russia, which actually is happening. And their problem
is that they are dealing with also more overt extreme right groups. So the way these comments are going to land, I think would be quite disturbing to
the Europeans. And also, as you pointed out, it's very interesting that this really directly doesn't have anything to do with Ukraine. That is a
subject that everybody is seized with right now and that JD Vance is going in that direction. It is quite interesting and disturbing for the
Europeans.
GIOKOS: Absolutely. I mean, the big question is, is it a distraction from Ukraine? In the meantime, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said today
that he's bringing a dose of realism to the conversation. I want you to take a listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE HEGSETH, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: That's why our message is so stark to our European allies.
[10:05:03]
Now is the time to invest because you can't make an assumption that America's presence will last forever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: All right. We also heard from Russian foreign minister that said something very similar, Jill. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIA ZAKHAROVA, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON (through translator): I believe this is about them being realistic. You have heard
from the statement from the Pentagon. You might have heard President Trump's statement. He believes that the whole story began after Biden's
team had started to speculate on the topic of NATO, on including Ukraine in NATO. He elaborated on that thought. I believe that this speaks to his
realism, and the realistic approach should not be underestimated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Jill, eerily similar. What do you make of that messaging?
DOUGHERTY: Well, it is. I mean, they're using the same words. So, realism from Moscow, realism from the Trump administration, essentially what I
think the United States is saying is that you have to come to terms with what's on the ground and what on is on the ground right now is that Russia
so far has and holds territory and has been making some advances. So if you come to a negotiation over Ukraine, we already know that the Trump
administration at least is going to recognize what Russia holds.
Now, Russia is very happy to hear all of this, of course, because it falls exactly in line with what they are talking about. They want the land that
they have, and probably more. Ultimately they would like more. They like to control Ukraine completely.
But I think also, Eleni, it's really important to stress that the messages coming out of the administration, especially today at Munich, is very
confused. I mean, there are mixed signals back and forth, and it's very hard to figure out exactly. Is there a policy? I talked to some Ukrainians
who believe there is no policy. They are very confused. They think, you know, it's being made up at this point by President Trump on one side who
says something, and then some other officials who change it.
I mean, look at Secretary Hegseth, the defense secretary, saying, no NATO. And then changing that to everything is on the table. So right now,
confusion, and that helps Vladimir Putin in terms of putting the allies to the United States off balance.
GIOKOS: And it certainly feels like they have been put off balance. Where is President Zelenskyy in all of this? In some ways, it seems like he's
been ostracized, speaking only on the sidelines of the Munich conference. I want you to listen to some of what he said today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): 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: You know, global analyst Michael Bociurkiw says he hasn't seen President Zelenskyy looking this worried. What do you making of this, Jill?
DOUGHERTY: Well, I think he should be actually because what's happening right now is if you look at the past couple of days, President Trump talked
with President Putin and then informed Zelenskyy about that conversation. Then about a day later, President Trump said, no, no, Ukraine is definitely
part of these negotiations. But I think what Zelenskyy is very worried about is that some type of agreement will be reached either over his head
or over the head of Ukraine, or at the very best, they'll be at the table under extraordinary pressure from the United States to do a deal.
So today you have Zelenskyy warning about the future that it will not end with Ukraine. He is warning, and citing some intelligence that he's seen
that we cannot confirm, but he is saying that he's seen intelligence that Russia might attack another, well, a NATO country next year. These are all
warnings about the future. Nobody knows what will happen at this point. But he's saying if Ukraine goes and is taken over essentially by Russia, then
Europe, you know, is at risk.
GIOKOS: Jill Dougherty, always great to have you on. Thank you so much for breaking this down.
Well, 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 damaged Chernobyl nuclear reactor.
[10:10:08]
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 U.N. nuclear watchdog confirms the overnight drone strike. Moscow is denying any claims it attacked Chernobyl.
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. It
would mark the sixth exchange under the ceasefire deal that came into effect last month. And it comes after days of fears over the future of that
agreement.
Our international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson is live in Jerusalem for us.
Nic, great to have you with us. What do we know about the three hostages that are due to be freed? One of them missed the birth of his daughter
while he was being held.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes. Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36 years old, Israeli American, lived in Nir Oz, the kibbutz very close to
the border, as actually all three of these hostages who are expected to be released tomorrow all live there.
He was a man in the kibbutz who spent his time, according to his father, repairing old buses so that they could go out into the community, into
Israeli communities, into Arab communities, to sort of provide education for disadvantaged children. But he was taken hostage. And I met with his
father early last year. His father, Jonathan, who spoke to me when we met early last year, was cradling his, Sagui's daughter, who he may get to meet
now for the first time tomorrow.
This is what happened in the first few minutes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Bittersweet grandfather and granddaughter born while her father Sagui, an American, held hostage.
JONATHAN DEKEL-CHEN, FATHER OF HOSTAGE: For me the birth of his third daughter just multiplies my desire and my absolute commitment to getting
Sagui reunited with them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON (on-camera): So Jonathan has been a huge advocate for his son's release, for release of all the hostages traveling to the United States
many times, many, many meetings, like all the hostage families and the other families of the other men, Sasha Troufanov, now his grandmother, his
own mother, his girlfriend were all taken hostage October 7th. They were released back in 2003. His father October 7th, 2023. His father was killed.
He gets released. Russian American, 29 years old.
And the other you mentioned there, Argentinian -- I said Russian Israeli, Argentinian-Israeli Iair Horn, 46 years old. His brother Itan is still
being held hostage. A moment for them to look forward to. But part of the exchange deal 333 prisoners who were taken in Gaza are due to be released
as well, as well as 36 Palestinian life sentence prisoners who are in Israeli jails, also expected to be released as part of that exchange.
And it does appear as if that is on track and the threats of it all collapsing over the weekend. Those appear to be falling by the wayside.
Maybe not 100 percent, but that's where it seems to be right now.
GIOKOS: Yes, exactly. I mean, Hamas did say earlier this week that it was going to delay the release of hostages because it said that Israel violated
the ceasefire. Then we had that incident where Israel delayed the release of more Palestinian prisoners by several hours. How delicate is the
ceasefire right now where you're seeing both sides digging their heels every time, every single week that we're meant to see the release of
hostages?
ROBERTSON: Yes, I think it is incredibly fragile. You know, President Trump, who's had an incredible bearing on this whole process, I mean, so
many people, Jonathan Siegel, Keith Siegel, rather, a hostage who was released just a week ago, an American-Israeli hostage released from Hamas
captivity a week ago, spoke today and praised President Trump for everything that he'd put into this.
And people see President Trump as a real architect of these releases that are going on, although a lot of work was done under the Biden
administration. But when in the last week or so, you have President Trump weighing in on the fact that he's saying that all Gazans should leave Gaza,
when he said that if all hostages weren't handed over by noon tomorrow, Saturday, local time, then all hell would break loose.
[10:15:11]
Those sorts of comments really add to the delicate nature of the situation. And you have members, right-wing people in the governing coalition, Itamar
Ben-Gvir today saying that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shouldn't settle for just three prisoners being released tomorrow. He should bring
hell to bear on Hamas in Gaza for this. So that -- those pressures make this a delicate situation.
And, of course, Hamas, through the Egyptians have articulated what they say were 19 ceasefire agreement violations, 105 overflights of drones shouldn't
have been flying. 22 people killed, 59 injured by the IDF, according to Hamas and the Egyptians close to the outside rather of the buffer zone
around Gaza. There are so many contentious points, heavy lifting gear not allowed, they say, into Gaza in the proportions agreed.
Mobile homes ready prepared, prefabricated homes for people to move into. All of those being withheld according to Hamas in Gaza. It all makes it
very sensitive. But the fact the names were announced today, the Israeli government says they've got the names, we know the numbers of Palestinian
prisoners to be released, it appears for the moment that it's on track for the moment.
GIOKOS: For the moment, Nic.
Nic Robertson, good to have you on the ground in Jerusalem. Thank you.
Well, sources tell CNN U.S. intelligence agencies believe Israel will try to strike Iranian nuclear facilities this year. The sources say both the
Biden and Trump administrations were recently warned both Israel and Tehran struck military targets inside of each other's territory in a tit-for-tat
following the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
This reporting coming in from CNN's Zachary Cohen. He joins us now live from Washington, D.C.
Zachary, tell us what you've heard. We also know that President Trump has said pretty clearly he prefers to negotiate a deal with Iran. How could
these assessments of Israel's intentions complicate this plan?
ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Any plans by Israel to strike Iran's nuclear facilities would not align with President
Donald Trump's current stated desire for a negotiated peace agreement of some kind with Tehran. And look, while that seems to have been a factor and
continues to be a factor in the Israeli strategic thinking in how to engage with the U.S., and the reason, in part, why they're willing to push off
these strikes, at least for now, it raises the question of just how long is Israel willing to wait before it does try to move forward with conducting
some sort of additional military action against Iran, which would, based on U.S. assessments, would be a major escalation given the targets that Israel
is believed to be going after in these additional strikes.
And look, these intelligence assessments do make very clear that Israel intends, likely intends to strike these nuclear facilities and go after
Iran's ballistic missile capability sometime in the year of 2025, this year. And while they're willing to give Trump some room to pursue
negotiations, they are looking ahead at the opportunity to take advantage of what they believe is Iran's degraded air defense capability, right.
From those strikes in October, the U.S. and Israel both believe that Iran is in a highly weakened state, and that there could be an opportunity to
significantly impact its nuclear ambitions. But at the same time, these assessments raise the question of just how effective would additional
military strikes be. Ultimately, we're going to have to wait and see. Obviously, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump maintain a
very close relationship. We saw Netanyahu here in D.C. just earlier this month.
But for now, it doesn't look like he's really pushing the issue of additional military strikes. I think these intelligence assessments and our
reporting and what we've heard from U.S. officials, though, is that this is definitely top of mind for the Israeli, for the Israelis. And it's also
something that contributes to their broader goal, which remains to be regime change in Iran. So all these factors are really going to come down
to Donald Trump.
At the end of the day, this is something that puts him squarely in the middle and raises the will he-won't he question, risking potentially what
these assessments say precipitating a broader war in the Middle East. So a major, major delicate situation happening in the Middle East right now, as
has been for months. But looking ahead to 2025, it looks like that's only going to become more complicated.
GIOKOS: Absolutely. And could further change the architecture of the Middle East as we know it.
Thank you so much for that, Zachary Cohen.
And still to come, Pope Francis has been admitted to a Roman hospital for bronchitis and has canceled all scheduled events for the next three days.
We're following this developing story. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:22:01]
GIOKOS: A wave of resignations has hit the U.S. Department of Justice. Danielle Sassoon, Manhattan's top federal prosecutor, quit along with
several other DOJ officials after they were ordered to drop the corruption case against this man, New York City Mayor Eric Adams. The order to drop
the case came from the Trump administration's acting deputy attorney general, who said prosecuting Adams prevented the mayor from being able to
devote his full attention to illegal immigration and violent crime in the city.
CNN's Kara Scannell is following the details for us from New York.
Kara, what more can you tell us about these resignations?
KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Eleni. I mean, a real stunning fallout from this directive by the acting deputy attorney general to order
the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, which is known for an office for its independence, to dismiss these corruption charges against
the New York City mayor.
Now, in her resignation letter, the acting U.S. attorney Danielle Sassoon said that this was amounting to, which she was being asked to do, was a
quid pro quo because the acting deputy attorney general was asking her to dismiss the corruption charges, not on the basis of the evidence in the
case, but because they said that they needed Adams to fulfill President Donald Trump's immigration agenda in New York City, which is one of those
sanctuary cities.
So she said she couldn't do it. It was more like a quid pro quo. And both the attorney -- the deputy attorney general and lawyers for Adams both
denied that. But this has resulted in this fallout. She resigned. Two lawyers who worked directly on the case and for her also would not signed
this motion to dismiss so they were put on administrative leave. Then the deputy attorney general moved the case to Washington, D.C., to the Public
Integrity Section, which handles these corruption cases.
That's when the dominoes started to fall. And five prosecutors there all resigned because they would not agree to dismiss the case on this basis. So
the big question is now, will the acting deputy attorney general Emil Bove sign this motion to dismiss himself? Will he have someone else sign it? And
then what happens there? Because ultimately it has to be signed off on by a judge.
The judge could make this very uncomfortable for the Department of Justice by bringing them in, having them answer additional questions about the
basis for reasons why they wanted to dismiss this indictment. It's all highly unusual to have DOJ walk away from a corruption case. The acting
U.S. attorney in Manhattan had said that they were ready to bring additional charges involving obstruction, conspiracy against the mayor
because they say he was trying to interfere in this investigation.
And then at the same time, having headquarters say that they think they should walk away from the case, so definitely a lot of fallout already
happening. Big question is, does it continue? But it certainly is one of the biggest and most shocking moments in the Trump's takeover of the
Justice Department, where they have already seen them take other actions, including firing other officials and wanting to let go of some of the
prosecutors who worked on these January 6th cases and the investigations into Donald Trump -- Eleni.
[10:25:07]
GIOKOS: Kara Scannell, thank you so much.
And ahead on CONNECT THE WORLD, some of the most powerful leaders in Europe just got told off by the new U.S. vice president. A former NATO chief much
will weigh in on what went down at the high level security conference in Munich. That's coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Eleni Giokos live in Abu Dhabi, and these are your headlines.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance scolded America's European allies in a speech at the Munich Security Conference, saying the continent's biggest threat is
from within. He's set to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's phone call with Russian president
Vladimir Putin on ending the war in Ukraine.
Israel has released the names of three hostages set to be freed by Hamas Saturday in exchange for the release of more than 350 Palestinian
prisoners. The three male hostages are Israelis with dual citizenship. Earlier this week, Hamas accused Israel of violating the ceasefire deal and
temporarily said it would postpone planned releases.
Sources inside the U.S. intelligence community tell CNN they believe Israel will try to strike Iranian nuclear sites this year and say the Trump
administration has been briefed on this assessment. President Trump has said he prefers a diplomatic agreement over military action against Iran.
More now on the U.S. vice president's fierce speech at that high stakes security conference in Munich. As we've been reporting just a short time
ago, JD Vance compared current European leaders to Cold War tyrants. He then went on to slam Europe for what he sees as attacks on free speech.
And we've just heard from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about this week's rapid developments. I want you to listen to this. It's just in
to CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump have spoken on the phone. You were briefed on the conversation. Is this a risk for yourself,
of course, but also the U.S.?
ZELENSKYY: Phone calls between Putin and Trump would risk for the United States. I think not risk for the United States. I think for Trump, because
he's stronger than Putin, I think so. I think risks for all the world because the priority is, I mean, we have much more risks than risks for the
United States, with all respect, for all of us, with all the big guys.
[10:30:01]
And I think it's very necessary, as I said at the very beginning, I had a good conversation with the President Trump. We had some phone calls and he
had phone call with Putin. And he said to me, I think that he, Putin, that he wants to solve the war. I said to him that he is a liar. And you can,
you can, yes, you can count on it. I hope that you will pressure him because I don't trust him. We had such conversations with Putin, direct
conversation about ceasefire. So just ceasefire. We don't need just ceasefire. This is global problem. Worry.
So we had ceasefire. It was my direct decision. And we made a decision that it will be cease fire and exchange of the prisoners. And he didn't exchange
all the prisoners. Yes. We have been very happy that was first step when we brought home more than 100 guys to their family. It was very necessary
between us, even because of this one reason I had to come to the France in 2019 and bring back a people.
But he will not just, you know, ceasefire and that's all. That's why I said to president, yes, but I think phone calls are phone calls. Let's forget
about it. I think what is very important, the meeting, not to make any decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine. This is principle position. We
will never accept it. And when I said that we will not accept. I'm not speaking just about me. I'm speaking about all our people, all our nation.
People will not stop.
We will give him pause without real security guarantees. We will give him pause. I don't want to, you know, be those person in the history who helped
Putin to occupy my country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Christiane Amanpour will be interviewing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Saturday at the Munich Security Conference. That will
be at 10:00 a.m. in Munich. You can see it right here on CNN.
The Vatican says Pope Francis has been admitted to a hospital in Rome to undergo treatment for bronchitis and receive medical exams. The 88-year-old
pontiff has made a number of visits to the hospital in recent years, raising concerns about his health and future as the head of the Catholic
Church.
CNN's Christopher Lamb reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: He has a special suite of rooms on the 10th floor and will undergo treatment and tests for
bronchitis, which he's been suffering from for several days. Now despite having this bronchitis, the Pope has been keeping up a relentless pace of
meetings and events. And this morning in the Vatican, he was meeting with people. I was actually among those who saw Francis, because the Pope had a
private audience with Mark Thompson, the chief executive of CNN.
And I saw the Pope, it was clear that he mentally is alert but is struggling to speak for significant periods because of the breathing
difficulties that he is experiencing. And he had a -- it was brief audiences this morning and then he was admitted to the hospital. So clearly
it is a concern. And the next three days, the Vatican says the Pope has canceled all his meetings to ensure he can get the right treatment and
undergo the tests that he needs.
GIOKOS: All right. I want to get you up to speed now on some other stories that are on our radar right now.
An 18-year-old is behind bars accused of plotting a Valentine's Day School shooting in Indiana. Police say the teenager was inspired by the parkland
school massacre in Florida where 17 people were gunned down seven years ago today. According to a report, a tipster said their friend had access to an
AR-15, ordered a bulletproof vest and admired the Parkland school shooter.
Mudslide fears from heavy rains appear to be easing in Southern California as the region recovers from last month's devastating wildfires. Officials
are lifting flood warnings in the Los Angeles area, but there's still lingering concern over the potential for rockslides. Authorities fear the
soil on the hills could become unstable.
Now picture this, a man kayaks in icy waters when suddenly a humpback whale comes from below with its mouth wide open. Take a look at this. The man who
was kayaking with his father in Southern Chile was swallowed, dragged under the water, and then, thankfully, a few seconds later, the whale let him go.
The 24-year-old told CNN the life vest he was wearing saved his life.
We'll be back right after this short break. Stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:36:57]
GIOKOS: Welcome back. Now, one of the world's largest facilities producing solar thermal power is about to shut down. The project, which opened in the
Mojave Desert in 2014, was billed as the future of clean energy. But 11 years later, the field of mirrors known as the Ivanpah Solar Plant is set
to close due to what some are calling finicky technology and poor design. Environmental groups have long criticized the plant for its impact on
desert wildlife, but others argue failures like this are a natural part of the race to find the winning solutions for the clean energy transition.
From hurricanes to tsunamis, weather disasters are picking up in force and frequency as the climate emergency intensifies. Small island nations are on
the front lines of an existential threat. That's how the prime minister of Dominica described his island to me in a panel at the World Governments
Summit on how nations can prepare for and respond to weather disasters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROOSEVELT SKERRIT, PRIME MINISTER, DOMINICA: The reality is this is an existential threat to our nation. In 2017, we were affected by a hurricane,
which caused damage totaling 226 percent of our GDP. We are at the front line of this global war, a war which we did not start, but a war that we
have to respond to. And the reality is, the developed world are -- they do express empathy. But empathy is not enough.
What we need is practical action, fulfillment of pledged commitments. And until this is done, then we are on our own.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Well, I was also joined by the prime minister of the Solomon Islands, who urged for more access to renewable energy for his small island
rural communities.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEREMIAH MANELE, PRIME MINISTER, SOLOMON ISLANDS: A good number of the sustainable development goals and targets will require communities,
especially rural communities, in many small island developing states or least developed countries, to have access to reliable and affordable
energy. So that's critical. But also adaptation in terms of enhancing the capacity of our atoll communities to be able to withstand sea level rise,
coastal erosion. So there are adaptation measures that are also critical.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: And I want to take you now to our top story. And of course, we've been covering the Munich Security Conference. We've been hearing from
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as well as the U.S. Vice President JD Vance. A lot coming through there. And to give us some analysis, we've got
Anders Rasmussen serving as Denmark's prime minister from 2001 to 2009. After that, he ran NATO until October 2014. And he joins us live from the
Munich Security Conference.
Really good to see you, sir. Thank you for taking the time and we've heard so much.
[10:40:02]
And I want to start off by those comments by JD Vance basically lecturing Europeans about its internal affairs, comparing today's European leaders to
Cold War tyrants. You're at the conference. How are delegates responding to this? What are people saying?
ANDERS FOGH RASMUSSEN, FORMER DANISH PRIME MINISTER: Well, I think we are all disappointed that we didn't hear anything about the Trump
administration's plans for peace in Ukraine. We consider the external threat much, much more important than the internal threat that Vice
President Vance talked about. So I hope we will be enlightened in the future about the plans for Ukraine.
GIOKOS: Well, we also know that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth saying that he's bringing a big dose of reality that's needed in this war. So he's
saying unattainable Ukraine NATO membership. He's saying pre-2014 borders are not possible. What do you make of these comments? And it sounds like
Ukraine is going to have to make major concessions from what we've heard.
RASMUSSEN: I don't understand the wisdom in those statements. Everybody knows if you have to get a good outcome of any negotiation, then you need
some leverage. But if you weaken your own position even before starting negotiations with taking things off the table, then you are doomed to get -
- to be a loser. So, in my opinion, everything should remain on the table, including the possibility of Ukrainian membership of NATO, which, by the
way, is the most efficient and least expensive way to guarantee security of Ukraine in the future.
GIOKOS: You've got -- we've seen strikes this week in Kyiv. We've seen strikes in Odessa. We saw the strike in Chernobyl, which, of course, the
Russians are denying. But it seems that President Putin is testing red lines, and it seems that perhaps these red lines are not being enforced.
Are you concerned that President Putin is going to test these further? How far do you think he's going to go?
RASMUSSEN: Well, I think he doesn't have any limits. I mean, President Putin's aim was right from the beginning to conquer the whole of Ukraine.
But thanks to the bravery of the Ukrainian people, he didn't succeed in that. So his plan B is to freeze the conflict, to get as much territory as
he can in Ukraine and then freeze the conflict.
The problem is, if Putin gets any success in Ukraine, he won't stop in Ukraine. He will continue to Moldova, Georgia, put pressure on the Baltic
States. So we have to ensure that Putin doesn't get any success in Ukraine.
GIOKOS: Do you think that the U.S. will be part of that, to stop President Putin? If you look at the numbers, if it wasn't for U.S. military
assistance to Ukraine, other NATO members didn't offer as much, and that is the big question. So if we start to see Putin becoming even more
expansionist, if the U.S. is out of that calculation, what does it mean for Europe?
RASMUSSEN: Well, I think it's time that the Europeans learned to stand on their own feet. For too long we have relied on security guarantees from the
United States. If we cannot count automatically on those security guarantees in the future, we will really have to invest much more in our
own security. I think we should double the defense investments in Europe and we should create a new security architecture in Europe in which Ukraine
belongs as a member of NATO, as a bulwark against a still aggressive Russia. So the lesson learned from this conference is Europe must stand on
its own feet.
GIOKOS: OK, here's the other question. And, you know, the U.S. has been very critical of the fact that Europe needs to stand up to its
responsibilities, which seems -- it seems that you're reiterating in terms of strengthening security.
[10:45:10]
I want to take us back to 2014. You were NATO's secretary-general until October 2014. Earlier that year, in around February, March, that's when
Russia had drove in tanks, rolled in tanks into Crimea and annexed it. Would you have done something differently then? Because the big question
is, has Europe allowed Putin to cross red lines way too often?
RASMUSSEN: Yes, I've seen retrospectively we should have reacted much, much more determinedly and firmly back in 2014. We reacted, but much too mildly.
So Putin misinterpreted that hesitation as almost an invitation to try and outright and full scale invasion in 2022. So the lesson learned is
appeasement with dictators does not lead to peace. On the contrary, it leads to war and conflict.
GIOKOS: And that is a very scary prospect. Do you think other European countries are targets right now imminently, perhaps? Are you worried?
RASMUSSEN: There's a helicopter right now. Yes, I'm concerned about what might emerge as a new world order where big countries act over the heads of
smaller and weaker countries. It will be a new world order not based on the rule of law, but the rule of the ruthless. I'm concerned about that. So I
think Europe must take its destiny in its own hands.
GIOKOS: Mr. Rasmussen, great to have you with us. I appreciate you taking the time and giving us your insights.
All right. We're going to a very short break. We'll be back after this. Stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: Welcome back. And Valentine's Day, which is today of course is the perfect day for the city of Brotherly Love to throw a Super Bowl victory
parade. It is a sea of green along the streets of Philadelphia right now. A million fans are expected to be there as Philly fans celebrate a second
Super Bowl title.
The blowout win against the Chiefs, the two-time defending Super Bowl champs, was just what the Eagles and their fans ordered.
CNN's Danny Freeman is there, a guy who knows Philly very well, and I'm sure knows where to get the best Philly cheesesteak.
Danny, it looks like an absolutely beautiful day. Happy Valentine's Day, by the way. You're not wearing red. Come on.
DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I'm not wearing red because I'm wearing green. It's Philadelphia green for the Eagles. That's what we're
celebrating here in the city of Brotherly Love.
And you know, Eleni, I'll tell you, they say that it's always sunny in Philadelphia. That is especially true today because we are Super Bowl
champions.
[10:50:02]
It is an incredible party out here on the Parkway. We're at the base of the art museum steps here in Philadelphia, where Rocky ran up in that movie.
But we have probably close to a million people that are coming out here to celebrate the Birds on their huge victory. They annihilated the Chiefs, as
you noted, back on Sunday, 40 to 22, in Super Bowl LIX.
Schools are canceled today. It's a Friday afternoon. People are drinking beers. They're throwing footballs. It is truly a festive environment. There
is no shortage of love out here in Philadelphia. And the parade is about to kick off in just a matter of minutes. For those of you who might know
Philadelphia, it's going to start in the sports complex where all the arenas are, including Lincoln Financial Field. That's where the Eagles
play. They're going to go straight up Philadelphia's famous Broad Street to city hall and then end right here.
Eleni, we're going to see Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts. Saquon Barkley who is our outstanding running back who has been breaking records all year, AJ
Brown, DeVonta Smith. We have a star studded cast and I just can't emphasize enough, you know, this city has been through a lot over the past
couple of years. They had a horrific plane crash frankly just a couple of weeks ago. They needed this win. They're so excited to be out here.
It is a joyous place in Philadelphia. Come on down and then I'll get you a cheesesteak, Eleni.
GIOKOS: Yes, it's true. And actually scrap the red. Forget about that being the color of love. Green is now the official new color of love. I've been
turned, Danny.
FREEMAN: Yes.
GIOKOS: I've been converted. All right. Good to see you. Good to see you, my friend. Thank you so much.
All right. I want to revisit a story we followed closely on CONNECT THE WORLD. This is the Al-Tahera Church in Mosul, Iraq after the Islamic
State's brutal occupation of the ancient city. It was just one of the many cultural sites that were destroyed. But also all of that ugliness and
destruction is now turning into a story of resilience. This is what the church looks like now.
The restoration of Mosul is one of UNESCO's most ambitious projects. With the help of key partners like the UAE, it was completed in just seven
years.
Becky Anderson, the regular host of this show, sat down with the UNESCO director general as well as the UAE's minister of culture at the World
Government Summit, and she asked if the Mosul initiative could be used as a model for the future.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AUDREY AZOULAY, UNESCO DIRECTOR-GENERAL: There are a lot of uncertainty, a lot of questions, some of them very legitimate, about how multilateralism
work. What are these institutions that were born just after World War Two, are they still relevant?
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Purpose.
AZOULAY: Yes. Do they still produce something with added value for the international community? And this is one answer. This is one, I think, very
credible strong answer. If I take the example of UNESCO, you have 194 member states. You have the credibility of the expertise of the
organization in terms of education standards, in terms of cultural heritage. And this allows us as an institution from the U.N. system to put
on the table a project and to bring together so that countries from all over the world for this Revive the Spirit of Mosul Project.
The main and first sponsor was the UAE. The second main very big sponsor was the European Union. But you also had 13 countries from all over the
world, including in Asia or Canada or whatever, supporting this and this would not be possible without the convening power of institutions like us
and the expertise.
ANDERSON: And Minister, I talk about the disruption, layer on top of that, the fact that we are living in an age of A.I. Young people increasingly
online, virtual meta universes at present in this disrupted world, as we talk about how the organization and the project very specifically can be a
blueprint for others, how do we ensure that this new generation cares about these heritage sites, cares about, you know, protecting them makes them
attractive as an idea for survival and revival?
SALEM BIN KHALID AL QASSIMI, UAE MINISTER OF CULTURE: Becky, if I can just answer the question previously on multilateralism. We're living in a very
polarized world at the moment, and I still have faith in multilateralism because I was in this project working in it specifically. It all stems from
action. Once there was a call from UNESCO and the Revive the Spirit of Mosul initiative, the UAE was the first funder. The UAE was the most
insignificant funder.
And always within multilateralism, there is a ripple effect. So once the UAE committed to this, we saw a ripple effect of the E.U. and the other 13
countries that joined this initiative. So I have faith in multilateralism, but it needs to be more action and less talk.
[10:55:09]
When it comes to A.I. and engaging with the youth, I think the most interesting thing, again, is the capacity building, training the youth to
have ownership of those important sites.
ANDERSON: It's an opportunity, isn't it?
AL QASSIMI: Absolutely, absolutely. And a very interesting point that we need to discuss here is during the restoration of Al-Nuri Mosque, there was
a new discovery of the ablution rooms that was under the mosque. And I can only picture what A.I. can do in the future within the reconstruction of
and restoration of sites because archeologists themselves are finding sites. So the integration of A.I. with that, I think would be amazing for
the future generation and future archeologists.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Well, that's it for CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Eleni Giokos in Abu Dhabi. I wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day and of course a great
weekend. Stay with CNN. NEWSROOM is coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
