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Putin Welcomes "Friendly" U.S.-Russia Talks on Ukraine; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Says Trump Lives in a "Disinformation Space"; Trump's Russia Envoy Arrives in Kyiv; Toronto Plane Crash; Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro Charged in Alleged Coup Plot; NASCAR Eyes Clean Energy with Push for EVs; Kayaker Has Intense Encounter with Great White Shark; Finding Unity after 2024 Anti-Migrant Riots in the U.K. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired February 19, 2025 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): Welcome to our second hour of the show. It's 7:00 pm here in Abu Dhabi.
Yes, all eyes are on the U.S.-Russia talks about Ukraine this week. There is shock in America and Europe as Donald Trump blames Kyiv for starting the
war with Russia.
While the Kremlin praises the U-turn in U.S. policy, Ukraine's President Zelenskyy voicing his clearest criticism yet of Mr. Trump, saying he lives
in a, quote, "disinformation space."
Meanwhile, in Paris, European leaders are scrambling to find a response to the new U.S. approach. French president Macron continuing to host European
allies for talks on Ukraine and on European security.
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ANDERSON: Well, let's start in Russia, where President Putin has welcomed talks with the United States. Vladimir Putin says he's been briefed on the
meeting and that he heard the talks had been friendly. Here's what else he told reporters in St. Petersburg a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translator): It's not just a question of drinking tea or coffee together but that we have a team in
place; not only about the Ukrainian business but to try and get to a decision which is mutually acceptable by both sides.
I've already spoken about this before for President Zelenskyy (ph). He spoke about trying to put an end to the Ukrainian crisis as quickly as
possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, CNN's Frederik Pleitgen has been following all of this from Moscow.
Good to have you. Fred. We're getting a better idea of what went down at these talks. Fair to say, Fred, I think that the Russian side seems
pleased.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I think pleased is probably an understatement. It's very difficult to actually
describe adequately the amount of optimism that we're seeing here in political Moscow.
You just saw Vladimir Putin there ,who seemed very optimistic about how those talks went down, also saying that there were completely different
people on the American side, obviously meaning than during the Biden administration and that the new people who are now leading these
negotiations are willing to listen to Russia.
That's what we hear from all spheres right now of Russian politics, is that they feel that they are being listened to and that the Trump administration
is trying to understand them and in many ways is understanding.
There was quite interesting, actually, to hear Vladimir Putin speak. He also said that, of course, Ukraine would be part of the negotiations once
they start and when they take place. He also, of course, said that a meeting with Donald Trump is something that's high on the agenda but it is
something that needs to be planned carefully.
One of the things that we did today, Becky, is actually just go on the streets here in Moscow and talk to people. And there also, we found a lot
of optimism. We found a lot of positive language toward president Donald Trump of the United States.
We found a lot of Russians who are saying, look, we believe that the Russian people and the American people understand each other. There were
some people who were saying that they believe that the Trump administration's views are actually closer to those of the Putin
administration than they are to the U.S.' own European allies.
And, of course, certainly also to the Ukrainians. So right now, as far as possible sanctions relief in the future is concerned, ending the war in
Ukraine is concerned, on the ground, on the streets here in Moscow, among people there certainly is a lot of optimism.
And that's transcended, of course, Russian politics as well. You had the foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, who spoke in the lower house of
parliament, the Duma, earlier today, where he also said that he believes that the West is now entering into dialogue with Russia.
And that the Trump administration specifically is trying to understand, as he put it, the root causes of the war in Ukraine, the issues that the
Russians have. One of the things, of course, that they keep talking about is possible NATO membership for Ukraine and that being a red line for them.
And the Russians, Becky, even going so far -- this was in the form of Kirill Dmitriev, who, of course, was one of the negotiators yesterday and
is the head of the Russian direct of the Russian investment fund.
He went out and said he believes that American businesses, some of them, could come back to Russia in the second quarter of 2025. So just a couple
of months ago (sic). So there you see, there is certainly right now a lot of momentum that the Russians are feeling.
And certainly a lot of optimism that all of this could lead to a very good situation for this country in the not too distant future. Becky.
ANDERSON: Fred Pleitgen is in Moscow.
Thank you, Fred.
In Kyiv, Volodymyr Zelenskyy sounding off after U.S. president Donald Trump falsely accused Ukraine of starting the war with Russia and claiming that
Mr. Zelenskyy only has a 4 percent approval rating in Ukraine.
[10:05:03]
Well, the Ukrainian president says Mr. Trump is simply repeating disinformation that is coming from Russia. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is in
Kyiv and he asked President Zelenskyy about security guarantees from the U.S. Here's what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WALSH: Mr. President, we've heard the idea of security guarantees again and again from the Americans but they don't want to put troops on the
grounds. They don't want to put you in part of NATO.
How would security guarantees potentially look given those restraints?
Can you explain what would work?
ZELENSKYY: What will work?
I think NATO will work really but --
WALSH: They won't let you in?
ZELENSKYY: Yes, it's true. It's true, the strongest. But when they said, for example, no boots on the ground, you know but they have ships but they
have air defense, they really have it, America. They have it. They have air defense. OK.
Can we have 20 systems of Patriot?
It's enough. And even we don't need the team to be at these systems. We have our teams. We will train our teams. And so for us, it's not boots on
the ground but it's real help.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, that's the view from Kyiv. CNN's Melissa Bell now joining us from Paris, where president Emmanuel Macron is set to hold another round
of talks on Ukraine and indeed on European security.
What more can you tell us about what has transpired there over the past, what, 48 hours and about this next meeting?
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, to the point that we were just hearing there from Fred about hopes in
Moscow of potential easing of sanctions, Washington now being on the same page as its own leaders.
Europe is very much showing today and this week that it does not share that proximity with Moscow or its views. Another round of sanctions against
Moscow, announced by European ambassadors only today but also this second meeting that's now being held in Paris, Becky.
The second -- the first was Monday. These are those who were not invited to the first meeting, many of them joining by video conference. They're going
to include Justin Trudeau but also the leaders of the Baltic states.
The idea of this second meeting is, again, to look at how Europe can continue to weigh on what is the future of its own security. To the
question of those security guarantees, we heard on Monday from a bunch of leaders. We know that Emmanuel Macron has been leading the charge for
troops on the ground for much of the last year.
We heard Keir Starmer join his calls, suggesting that some European countries could, as part of a post peace deal, peacekeeping force, send
some troops on the ground.
Now the Elysee has been rowing back on that, not quite troops who will be in front line positions but rather troops that would be there to help with
the training of Ukrainian troops.
But certainly some kind of European boots on the ground are now being considered, even if it is still relatively divisive here inside Europe. And
the point of that is Europe hoping to weigh on whatever emerges from these peace talks that have begun without it.
We've also, here in Paris, been speaking, Becky, to the secretary general of NATO, who's been telling us, first of all, that he wants, he believes
that these initial talks between the United States and Russia are useful. Clearly, any talks that will actually lead to peace negotiations will
involve not just the Ukrainians but the Europeans.
That is NATO's position. In order that some kind of peace can be found that functions for everyone. In the meantime, the concern of the Europeans is
very much that far too much is going to be given away even before they get to that table.
And that is a part of what leaders will be discussing today, how they can continue to weigh on those conversations going forward, even as the
outlines of a future peace deal is considered and how Europe could be made to feel safe within that context. Becky.
ANDERSON: Good to have you.
The Europeans, including Ursula von der Leyen, who is on the screen now, has said that the Europeans must take this all with a real sense of urgency
at present, keeping with Ukraine and Russia.
My next guest has taught political science -- thank you, Melissa -- for more than 40 years. John Mearsheimer believes that the great powers of the
world dominate the international system and they constantly engage in security competition with each other, which sometimes leads to war.
Well, joining me now from Chicago, is John.
And we have Lavrov praising Donald Trump for pointing a finger at NATO. We've had Donald Trump blaming Ukraine for the war in its country.
What is your perspective on where we are at and this newfound U.S.-Russia relationship, burgeoning relationship or rapprochement, if you will?
[10:10:06]
PROF. JOHN MEARSHEIMER, POLITICAL SCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO: Well, there's been a fundamental change in American policy, going from the Biden
administration to the Trump administration.
It's truly remarkable the extent to which the Trump administration has abandoned what has been the Biden administration's policy toward both
Russia and Ukraine and adopted a radically new approach.
And now what you have is a situation where it sounds like the Europeans, who talk like the Biden administration, are operating on a different planet
than the one that the Trump administration is operating on. And where all this leads doesn't appear to be good.
ANDERSON: Well, you could argue that the Biden approach wasn't working, that the conflict continues nearly three years in. And we were well aware
that Donald Trump was anxious to see an end to this war. In fact, he said he could finish it in the first 24 hours of his presidency.
Well, that clearly hasn't happened. But his U.S. envoy to Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, is in Kyiv today. This is what he said when he
arrived in Kyiv. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEITH KELLOGG, U.S. ENVOY TO UKRAINE: We understand the need for security guarantees. We are -- very clear to us that the importance of sovereignty
of this nation and independence of this nation as well. And we're going to -- and part of my mission is to sit and listen and say, OK, what are your
concerns?
Where are we at?
So we can go back to the United States, talk to president Trump and, with Secretary Rubio and the rest of the team and just ensure that we are --
that we get this one right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That is a very much less bombastic sort of attitude or atmosphere that Keith Kellogg brings to Kyiv from president Trump than that
which we've heard from the president himself.
Do you think the U.S. can get the Ukrainians on board with these talks, given what we understand to be, at least in principle, Donald Trump's
position at this point?
MEARSHEIMER: Just to be very clear, Keith Kellogg is not an important player. He's not reflecting what is the policy Pete Hegseth the Secretary
of Defense laid out;, what is NATO policy in Brussels on February 12th. That's last week.
And he made it very clear there's not going to be an American security guarantee. And if there's a security guarantee, it's going to come from the
Europeans. And Zelenskyy himself has said that a security guarantee without the United States is not a meaningful security guarantee.
All of this is to say there's going to be no security guarantee for Ukraine. What the Russians want is they want a truly neutral Ukraine. And
the only way you get a truly neutral Ukraine is where there is no NATO security guarantee, whether it's with or without the United States.
So that's the basic fact of life that the Ukrainians have to face up to.
Are they going to be happy about that?
Absolutely not.
The question is, can the Trump administration get the Ukrainians to accept the deal that they're now in the process of cutting with the Russians?
ANDERSON: And that is the question.
Do you believe at this point that that is likely?
MEARSHEIMER: Well, let me just tell you what I think the deal looks like. I think there are three key ingredients in the deal. There are a number of
other ingredients but the three key ones are, first of all, the West and Ukraine has to accept the fact that Russia has annexed four Ukrainian
oblasts plus Crimea.
The West and Ukraine have to accept that. That's number one.
Number two, Ukraine has to be a genuinely neutral country. There can be no security ties with the West.
And number three, Ukraine has to be substantially demilitarized so that it does not have much military capability because the Russians don't want
Ukraine to be a threat to Russia. Those are the three key ingredients, in my opinion, of the deal.
And it appears, from the body language and the language you hear coming out of Russia and coming out of the Trump administration, that we, the United
States, have basically agreed on those three parameters.
If that's true, then the question is, will the Ukrainians swallow this deal?
It's hard for me to believe that it's going to be easy for them to swallow the deal.
[10:15:03]
But the United States has a remarkable amount of coercive leverage and it may just put the Ukrainians in a situation where they have no choice. But
if it does happen that the Ukrainians accept the deal, that's how it will happen.
ANDERSON: Yes, leaving the European leaders, of course, scrambling to deal with what are perceived to be, if not, you know, frankly, Donald Trump's
major foreign policy pivots. It's good to have you, sir. Thank you very much indeed for joining us.
Well, moving on and Israeli forces have demolished more than a dozen residential buildings in the occupied West Bank. Palestinian authorities
say Tuesday's action at the Tulkarem refugee camp was part of a military operation, which has driven tens of thousands of Palestinians out of their
homes in recent weeks.
A little earlier, I spoke to CNN's Nic Robertson in Jerusalem, who gave us this update.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: What they have been doing previously in those West Bank towns and refugee camps like Tulkarem, where
the Israeli Defense Forces demolished some 14 apartment buildings, according to Palestinian officials.
And many Palestinian families living there, who weren't given a lot of time to get their possessions out before those properties were demolished.
ANDERSON: Right.
ROBERTSON: The narrative that's really become much stronger from Israeli officials, particularly, seeing as they're getting close -- the ceasefire
happened in Gaza, is that the threat from Iran is coming through and into the West Bank with financing that's bringing in weapons, that's bringing in
a threat.
And the way that manifests itself on the ground inside of the West Bank are tactics that the IDF says are like the same, like the tactics that they use
inside Gaza, which include literally digging up, gouging up streets, tarmac streets in these towns and refugee camps that the IDF says there may be
explosives under the road.
It is disruptive in the extreme; 40,000 people, according to Palestinian officials, have now been forced out of those areas over the past almost one
month now. It is a scenario that many in the West Bank fear will lead to potential annexation.
ANDERSON: Right.
ROBERTSON: And potentially, you know, an environment that looks much more like Gaza.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Nic Robertson reporting there.
Well, you're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson, time here in Abu Dhabi is just after 7:15 in the evening.
Still to come, the Vatican says Pope Francis is fighting pneumonia in both lungs. A closer look at his diagnosis and how it may impact the Catholic
Church.
And new video from that crash landing at Toronto's international airport, captured from multiple angles. We'll break down the harrowing moment for
everyone on board, second by second.
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ANDERSON: Well, the Vatican says that Pope Francis has developed bilateral pneumonia and remains hospitalized in Rome. The 88 year old pontiff has
been long plagued by a string of lung related medical struggles and this new diagnosis is raising even more concerns about his health and future as
the head of the Catholic Church.
CNN Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb joining us now from Rome.
And is it clear just how concerned his physicians are about this latest health diagnosis?
What do we know at this point?
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, the pope is suffering from pneumonia in both of his lungs. It's a complex respiratory
tract infection and he is receiving different types of treatment.
The news that the pope has pneumonia is something that many in the Vatican feared when they saw that he was struggling to breathe and that he had
bronchitis. But what started with bronchitis has become pneumonia. And that is very concerning.
However, the signs this morning are more encouraging. The Vatican says the pope had a peaceful night, that he had breakfast and we have just learned
that he received a visitor in the prime minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, who saw the pope at the Gemelli Hospital behind me a few moments ago.
She said that she found the pope "alert and reactive and we joked, as always. He hasn't lost his sense of humor."
We're also hearing about another possible visit by the Cardinal Secretary of State, Cardinal Parolin, to see the pope. So it is a very difficult
situation for Francis. As you say, he has suffered from respiratory infections in the past. He's 88 years old. He has part of a right of his
right lung missing.
Nevertheless, some encouraging signs this morning. The Vatican sources are also saying that the pope has been in a sitting in a chair for some time
during his hospital, during his hospitalization. So a mixed picture at the moment, Becky.
ANDERSON: How's the Vatican functioning at the moment while the pope recovers, Christopher?
LAMB: Well, it largely seems like business as usual in the Vatican. We've had, since the pope arrived in the Gemelli Hospital last Friday,
appointments of bishops made. We've seen Vatican officials go off on business in different countries around the world. So it largely seems as if
things are continuing.
However, when I speak to Vatican officials, the sense I get is certainly concern. This is a delicate and complex situation but not alarm yet. But it
seems as if the Vatican is continuing with its business but obviously following what is happening here at the Gemelli very closely.
And we are expecting a further update on the pope's condition later today.
ANDERSON: Good to have you, sir. Thank you.
Well, investigators say it is still far too early to say what caused a Delta Air Lines plane to crash over -- to crash -- sorry -- and flip over
at Toronto's airport on Monday. They're reviewing the scorched and overturned aircraft on the scene.
They can perhaps glean some answers from new videos of the incident, including a recording from the pilot of another plane on a nearby runway.
This report from Brian Todd.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dramatic new video of the fiery Delta plane crash outside Toronto showing the moment of impact, the
flames, the right wing tearing off and the left wing flipping the plane over. First the approach.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It does seem to be slightly right-wing low.
MARY SCHIAVO, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: There was no attempt to flare at all, which slows the plane down and put your back wheels on the runway first.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: Why was that?
Was there some sort of what we call wind shear?
TODD: The weather at the time?
Cold. Some blowing snow and wind gusts up to 38 miles per hour.
JOHN NELSON, PASSENGER: It was routine but like the winds were super gusty. The snow had kind of blown over the runways.
TODD: Then the impact.
PETE CARLSON, PASSENGER: It was just a very forceful event where all of a sudden everything just kind of went sideways. It sounded, I mean, it was
just cement and metal, you know.
NELSON: When we hit, it was just a super hard, like hit the ground and the plane went sideways. And I believe we skidded, like, on our side and then
flipped over on our back. Where we ended up, there was like a big fireball out this left side of the plane. We were being tossed around. I was just
trying to hold on to everything at that point.
PETE KOUKOV, PASSENGER: We were upside down, hanging like bats. Some people were kind of hanging and needed some help being helped down.
[10:25:04]
TODD: Passenger Pete Carlson got a gash on his scalp.
CARLSON: I took my seatbelt off and as I took it off, crashed down onto the ceiling, which had become the floor because we were upside down.
TODD: Even as passengers evacuated, the danger was not over.
CARLSON: You could smell the gas. There was just liquid pouring over the, you know, the small windows.
NELSON: There was another explosion but luckily the firefighters got out of there.
TODD: The fuselage doused in foam as passengers moved to safety.
DEBORAH FLINT, PRESIDENT & CEO, TORONTO PEARSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: I cannot commend enough the -- the crew, the flight attendants, pilots and
our emergency responders for their quick and effective response.
TODD (voice-over): The injuries?
CORY TKATCH, PEEL REGIONAL PARAMEDIC SERVICES: Back sprains, head injuries. Anxiety, some headaches, nausea and vomiting due to the fuel
exposure.
TODD (voice-over): Another angle showing the impact in this video obtained by TMZ.
O'BRIEN: It's extraordinary to see the collapse of that landing gear. That must have indicated a lot of impact or maybe some problem with the landing
gear itself.
TODD (voice-over): But officials not yet commenting on a possible cause.
KEN WEBSTER, SENIOR INVESTIGATOR, TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD OF CANADA: We've already removed the cockpit voice recorder, the flight data recorder
and we've sent them to our lab for further analysis.
At this point, it's far too early to say what the cause of this accident might be.
TODD: While officials are not saying at this point if weather was a factor in the crash, Deborah Flint, the president and CEO of Toronto Pearson
International Airport, did say that on Thursday and on Sunday, right before that crash on Monday, that this area was experiencing extreme weather.
She said two storms, one on Thursday and one on Sunday, brought more than 20 inches of snow to the area around the airport. More snow than they had
had all winter last year -- Brian Todd, CNN, Toronto.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Amazing stuff.
Seems to be clear that the friendship between Donald Trump and Elon Musk is solid, at least for now. In a joint interview, the two laid the praise on
thick, with the president singing Elon's praises and Elon giving it right back. A live report on that is just ahead.
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ANDERSON (voice-over): Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. Your headlines this hour:
Russia's president Vladimir Putin says reaction to U.S.-Russia talks on the war in Ukraine is, quote, "hysteria." He made the comments after Ukraine's
president accused president Donald Trump of repeating Russian disinformation. On Tuesday, Mr. Trump falsely accused Ukraine of starting
the war with Russia.
[10:30:00]
Hamas says it will release the dead bodies of four Israeli hostages on Thursday and then hand over six living hostages on Saturday. The group,
known as the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, has named the six people they are expecting to be freed. They say they are feeling, quote, "profound
joy" at the return of those six.
Well, the Vatican says Pope Francis has developed pneumonia in both lungs. It says the latest tests confirm what doctors have described as a complex
picture for the 88 year old pontiff, who has been hospitalized since last week.
Despite the diagnosis, the Vatican says he continues to be in good spirits and asks for continued prayers for his recovery.
Well, president Trump is in Miami this hour to attend a global gathering hosted by a Saudi nonprofit. He's scheduled to give a special address at
the Future Investment Institute's priority summit.
The institute is run by Saudi Arabia's public investment fund, with the stated goal of bringing together thought leaders, investors and policy
makers to encourage problem solving and progress. This event, promising a focus on investing with purpose.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELON MUSK, PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER: One of the biggest functions of the DOGE team is just making sure that the presidential executive orders are
actually carried out. And this is -- I just want to point out, this is a very important thing because the president is the elected representative of
the people. So he's representing the will of the people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: In a joint interview that aired on FOX News, President Trump making it clear that he loves what Elon Musk and DOGE are doing. The two
defended their plan to reshape the government by slashing agencies and firing thousands of federal workers.
Critics say they are causing chaos in crucial parts of government and even putting national security at risk.
Well, their efforts, though, got a boost from federal judge Tanya Chutkan on Tuesday, denying a request from a group of Democratic state attorney
generals (sic) to temporarily cut off DOGE's access to important government data systems. Well, for more, CNN's Katelyn Polantz joins me now.
And it is clear that Donald Trump is, you know, 100 percent supportive, it seems, at least of what Elon Musk is up to at DOGE.
Which do you think is more significant for Musk, the ruling from Judge Chutkan or the wholesale public backing from the president?
KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, they go hand in hand, Becky, in that Judge Chutkan is doing what a lot of judges
have done so far -- or at least three judges in the federal court in Washington, D.C.
They've said, we don't see these lawsuits having enough information before us to say that there is harm for a court to need to step in and block DOGE
for what it's doing.
Why do they not have enough information?
It's because they just don't know exactly what DOGE is at this point and what it's working on. So there are multiple legal challenges. The case
before Judge Chutkan was brought by Democratic attorneys general in multiple states. They wanted her to step in and tell DOGE, don't get
involved in personnel decisions.
Don't do anything with computer systems at multiple federal agencies -- the Department of Education, Health and Human Services, Department of Labor,
Energy.
And Judge Chutkan just said this is a very unpredictable agency and there just isn't enough in the legal standard for me to be stepping in as a
federal judge here. There were two other judges so far that have also said that they're not going to limit DOGE's use of a server to blast emails
government wide.
And they're also not going to be protecting data at other agencies that may be private, because they can't tell if there's harm done. And the Justice
Department keeps having to say in court or trying to define exactly what DOGE is, where Musk is. But that is a moving target.
And when Trump himself was asked about it yesterday, he said, "Call Elon Musk whatever you want. He's a patriot. That's it."
ANDERSON: Katelyn Polantz is on the story for you.
Katelyn, it's good to have you. Thank you very much indeed.
Well, Brazil's former president, Jair Bolsonaro, has been charged over an alleged coup plot to overturn the 2022 election there. That is according to
documents filed at the supreme court by prosecutors on Tuesday. Stefano Pozzebon with the details for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is a story we were monitoring for quite some time that just broke late on Tuesday out of
Brazil. The former president, Jair Bolsonaro, has been formally charged for his participation in an alleged coup d'etat around the beginning of 2023.
[10:35:00]
You might remember the images of Bolsonaro supporters storming the palaces of power in Brasilia on January 8th, 2023, to try to prevent the current
president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, from taking office. This was the immediate aftermath of the election in Brazil in 2022, which Bolsonaro lost
against Lula.
Now, the justice over the last -- the prosecutors in Brazil over the last two years have conducted their investigations, and they feel confident
enough to present charges against Bolsonaro in front of the Supreme Court.
Together with Bolsonaro, there are at least more than 30 other people have been charged, including the former defense minister, Walter Braga Netto.
And our colleagues at CNN Brazil are reporting that Bolsonaro is being accused of criminal association. The attempt to overthrow the rule of law
and, of course, the alleged coup d'etat for his participation in those criminal activities.
Now, this is not the first time that Bolsonaro gets in trouble with Brazilian justice. According to the CNN Brazil, our affiliates in Sao
Paulo, and the rest of the country, Bolsonaro has been facing at least five different investigations. But this is, of course, the most serious one due
to the nature of these charges.
We don't expect the supreme court to take on the matter and rule in a matter of days. It will probably take weeks, if not months, and it's a
story that is just developing now. We'll bring you the repercussions of what's happening in Brazil over the next few hours and days -- for CNN,
this is Stefano Pozzebon, Bogota.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: This is CNN and CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. Coming up, NASCAR envisions an electric future.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: This is so surreal. Normally, this event would come with a thunderous sound of that internal combustion
engine. But all you hear is this high pitched whine and then just the tires being shredded by those electric engines.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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ANDERSON (voice-over): So what's the future, though?
Will the fossil fuel fan in the White House force a rethink?
We'll take a look at that, up next.
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ANDERSON: Well, the fast-paced world of NASCAR is about to get an upgrade. New electric vehicles are said to be faster, quieter and cleaner than the
current gas burning cars.
But will racing fans buy into the change?
CNN's Bill Weir got an up close look at one of the prototypes at the Daytona 500.
[10:40:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WEIR: Just outside the cradle of American racing automobile history was made this weekend When Formula DRIFT superstar Ryan Tuerck swapped out his
rubber burning rig for a machine with twice the power, over 1,300 horses but with a fraction of the noise and not a whiff of exhaust.
Behold, the first electric NASCAR.
This is so surreal. Normally, this event would come with a thunderous sound of that internal combustion engine but all you hear Is this high-pitched
whine and then Just the tires being shredded by those electric engines.
RYAN TUERCK, FORMULA DRIFT DRIVER: The power is just out of this world. It's like nothing I've ever experienced before.
WEIR: It's like twice as much horses as one of the regular NASCAR.
TUERCK: Yes. Beyond that, you have the power on demand at all times, like a Power drill --
(CROSSTALK)
TUERCK: There isn't a power band, it's just -- there's just all the power at all times.
WEIR: This is one of three electric prototypes unveiled this year as NASCAR pledges to be net zero by 2035.
But while this Chevy Blazer was supposed to be the first electric pace car in Daytona 500 history, it was literally cut off by Donald Trump's armor-
plated motorcade, a fitting metaphor from a president who was vowing to destroy EV incentives, charging networks and tailpipe pollution standards
as he promised to fossil fuel executives.
Has the politics made your job harder these days?
RILEY NELSON, HEAD OF SUSTAINABILITY, NASCAR: We have very clear corporate goals around sustainability and so our job is to focus on getting those
done no matter who's in office or what's going on.
So our focus is on right now, again, energy. And right now the race track you have behind you, that keeps you up at night.
And how do we decarbonize that within the next 10 years?
And so that's everything from energy efficiency, LED lights, bringing in different ABD (ph) technologies, other partner technologies so that we can
reduce our own operating footprint as a sport.
And then bring that to the fan and educate the fan on how can we bring some of these technologies into our communities and help support the growth of
sustainability across the country.
DAVID RAGAN, FORMER NASCAR DRIVER: I guarantee you there's more EVs in the parking lot today than there was five years ago. And in another five years,
there's going to be a lot more.
WEIR: David Ragan is a third generation NASCAR racer who now drives an electric Ford Mustang in retirement simply because it's fast, fun and
cheaper to fuel and maintain.
He believes this fan base is destined to make that same discovery, so the market, not the president, will decide.
RAGAN: And I think the manufacturers really -- they've got their finger on the pulse. Chevrolet, Ford Motor Company, you know, Toyota, the big
partners here in NASCAR -- they've all got their different plans for how they're going to attack that.
And again I think NASCAR is just saying hey we want to be prepared when that evolution takes place.
JOHN STAHLBUSCH, EVP OF SALES, ABB: So Daytona, they just electrified their parking lot. So their -- whenever their employees pull up, they'll be
able to charge their vehicle.
Once charging becomes more ubiquitous and it sort of gets integrated into the fabric of the everyday American, I think it'll become more and more
accepted and it will be utilized more and more by everybody.
WEIR: You're telling me this is a conscious effort to win hearts and minds of folks who pay extra for the fumes and the noise of it.
CHRIS CHIGAS, VICE PRESIDENT, ABB: We're in The energy transition right now in this country. The energy transition isn't for some people, it's for
everyone.
So I think we need to have better conversations about how we use energy in the United States. And we welcome all the opinions and all the opinions out
here today, because these are important decisions to make our country stronger.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You guys are watching Ryan Tuerck right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, to another speedy getaway. This time at sea when one kayaker encountered a great white shark in open water off New Zealand. The
man was fishing when the shark began circling him. CNN's Ewen McKenna (sic) picks up the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATT WELLS, KAYAK FISHERMAN: What the -- great white -- great white -- great white shark cutting the live bait off this. I'm out of here.
MCKENNA EWEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Matt Wells inadvertently caught the attention of a great white shark off of New Zealand's northern coast.
WELLS: There's a huge great white behind me.
EWEN: The 19-year-old kayaker was fishing with live bait at the time.
WELLS: I just noticed a small swirl behind my kayak and I thought, oh, sweet; there's a kingfish feeding behind me -- as they typically do on the
surface.
The swirl had increased in size to maybe the width of three cars. It sent a bit of a shiver down my spine.
Leave me alone.
He just really seemed very, very curious in what I was doing.
He's still behind me.
Please don't attack me, bro.
I've got about an hour-long paddle before I can get anywhere on dry land.
And he's still behind me. Holy (INAUDIBLE).
EWEN: The shark followed Wells for several minutes until it eventually moved on.
[10:45:04]
WELLS: I don't know where he's gone but I don't want to be anywhere near him. That was one of the scariest things I've ever seen.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Wow.
Let's get you up to speed on some of the other stories that are on our radar right now.
And wildlife officers have been scrambling to save more than 150 whales found stranded on an Australian beach. But by Wednesday morning, only 90,
sadly, were alive. Now authorities have made the tough choice to euthanize them. They say the killer whales have become disoriented and distressed.
Blake Lively is claiming other women have raised concerns about Justin Baldoni. The Hollywood star's latest court filing adds details to her
initial allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation from her costar, Baldoni, on the set of the film, "It Ends with Us." Baldoni's
representatives have not responded to CNN's request for comment.
Italian authorities are warning of a dangerous situation on Mt. Etna, as thousands of people flock to see the volcano there erupting. They say
tourists are clogging the roads and slowing down rescue vehicles at a time when they are even more in demand to help hikers in difficulty.
ANDERSON: Argentine president Javier Milei is defending his promotion of a cryptocurrency, whose value collapsed within hours of its launch.
In a televised interview on Monday, he compared those who invested in the token to gamblers in a casino, adding he thought the crypto would encourage
economic growth by funding small businesses.
Well, the price of the little known token soared after Milei posted about it on X. Then its value quickly collapsed, leading to losses for thousands
of investors.
Well, coming up, a mosque, a synagogue and a church stand next to each other right here in Abu Dhabi at the Abrahamic Family House. And it had a
special visitor today. The U.S. secretary of state finding time to drop by while he was on the ground earlier seeing the UAE president.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ANDERSON: You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson.
U.S. secretary of state Marco Rubio just wrapped up a stop here in Abu Dhabi following those talks in Saudi Arabia that have drawn such shocked
reactions from many parts of the world. Well, Rubio today touring the Abrahamic Family House, where a mosque, a synagogue and a church stand side
by side.
I was there on Monday at a summit about diplomacy and cross-cultural dialogue. And there is perhaps no better model of that than Imam Adam
Kelwick, who helped cool tensions during last summer's anti-migrant riots in the U.K.
I spoke with him about how he converted hate and division into compassion and unity.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): The U.K. was hit by a series of riots over the weekend.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): Anti-immigration riots have been sweeping across the country.
ANDERSON (voice-over): The riots began after three young girls were killed in northwest England. Online disinformation fueling that violence and hate,
spreading baseless rumors that the killer was a Muslim migrant.
[10:50:05]
When far right rioters descended on Imam Adam Kelwick's mosque in Liverpool, Britain's oldest, he met them with a smile --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some of them are (INAUDIBLE).
ANDERSON (voice-over): -- and burgers and chips, transforming hostility to compassion. I sat down with Imam Kelwick at the Abrahamic Family House here
in Abu Dhabi and we talked about how he converted anger and fear into tolerance and unity.
IMAM ADAM KELWICK, BRITISH MUSLIM CHAPLAIN AND HUMANITARIAN AID WORKER: I did go over and I spoke to the spoke to the protesters after we broke ice
and smiled and started speaking with them. And I discovered that, much more important than talking to people like this is actually listening to them,
just let them get it off their chest.
There's this big idea and concept that, within the United Kingdom, the white British working class are severely, severely marginalized. Not only
are they marginalized but nobody's there to stand up for them or to listen to them and their problems.
On the advice of the police, we didn't invite people into the mosque on that night itself, with the exception of one person. He was the loudest
protester and I had to take him into the mosque.
I took him by the hand and we walked in together, gave him a tour around the mosque and he was thoroughly impressed. They call it contact theory,
you know, let them call it what they want. I call it being nice and friendly and it works. Just be nice. Just be friendly. And the guy was the
guy was transformed.
But this is the point as well, because many people see this image of one of the protesters, who I -- who I hugged, it went absolutely viral all around
the world. But what people don't realize is, number one, it takes two people to hug each other.
It wasn't just me hugging him. It was him who'd come to protest against my mosque, finding something deep down within his own heart, which allowed him
to hug me. And for me, that's really, really powerful.
ANDERSON: You've set out on a path to ensure that there is community engagement. But not everybody from your community is supporting you here.
KELWICK: Several people within the Muslim community, they didn't get the vision. But a lot of people did get the vision. And they had my back and we
did it together.
This is the thing. It's not just about me. It's not just about the Imam Adam doing his thing. It was a community effort. And on that night,
everybody pulled together. Don't forget. Don't forget the brother who was in the kitchen, cooking the burgers and cooking the chips.
And no, honestly, that role was pivotal. We all came together and amazing, amazing things really did happen.
So some wonderful things have happened tonight. We invited people into our mosque. Some of the people here were actually protesting outside our
mosque.
How are you?
And now we're drinking tea together.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now I am totally different.
KELWICK: Yes?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Different. I've learned a lot.
KELWICK: What I'm interested in is people's intentions. And I did a scan of potential intentions for people to be there because, again, it's the
middle of the summer.
Why are you not in the park, having a nice time with your family?
Why are you taking time out of your schedule to come down to my place of worship and throw stones and stones and cause trouble?
Why?
There must be something which is motivating them. And I realized that, OK, we have the small number again of people who are just nasty in their
nature. But I knew the majority of the people, they were worried. They were concerned. They were scared.
I'm not justifying what they did, that's all. But I'm saying, to take them from their sofas in the middle of the summer for a cause, that cause has
been beautified to them. That cause has been made to seem like it's a noble cause. They want to protect their country. They want to protect their
children. They want to protect their society.
ANDERSON: I've got family from Liverpool. It is known for its strong community spirit as well as its diverse -- and I have to say, sometimes
divided neighborhoods, right?
I mean, over the years and things have changed.
How do you then navigate?
How do you take what happened last year as a moment in time, the way that you decided to reach out and foster debate, foster inclusivity?
KELWICK: We were shocked as a country, as you remember. Everybody was intensely worried, not just the Muslim community. Everybody in the U.K. We
saw our city centers being smashed up. We saw our shops being robbed. We saw the police being attacked. And it was a horrible, horrible sight.
And so I realized at that point, you know, that the government is really struggling to maintain order here. And I actually thought back to time
spent in Yemen. So I got married in Yemen. I lived in Yemen for a few years.
And what happens in Yemen is, when somebody kills somebody or when there's an issue, the tribal heads get together and they sort out the problem.
[10:55:07]
And I kind of tried to take that model and implement it in Liverpool with the heads of the gangsters and the MMA fighters and all the big guys with
their followings.
And we sat down, we had coffee, we went for dinner, we had steak. And it really, really worked. We got our heads together. We reassured each other.
We all told each other that we have our communities behind us, who are ready to bring solutions, not problems. And amazing things have happened.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Imam Adam Kelwick, speaking to me this week at the Abrahamic Family House.
Well, that is it for CONNECT THE WORLD. Stay with CNN. "NEWSROOM" is up next.
END
