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Macron Insists Peace Deal Must Come with Security Guarantees; Trump Says U.S. Is Very Close to Minerals Deal with Ukraine; Germany's Likely Next Chancellor Promises to Strengthen Europe; Syria's Interim Government Holds National Dialogue, Kurdish SDF Not Invited; Colorado's Trump Voters Weigh In; Palestinians Desperate for Ceasefire to Hold; U.S. Teen Arrested after Baby Found in Trash. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired February 25, 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): And welcome to the second hour of the show. It is 7 pm here in Abu Dhabi.
Beneath the smiles, a tense meeting in D.C. between Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump, highlighting the growing rift between Washington and Europe
over the war in Ukraine.
Escalating military activity in the occupied West Bank as Israel sends in tanks while a source says it's also looking to extend phase one of the Gaza
ceasefire.
Pope Francis, still in critical condition despite the Vatican's optimism.
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ANDERSON: Well, Emmanuel Macron calls his meeting with Donald Trump a turning point in the search for a unified approach in ending Russia's war
on Ukraine.
But how much of an impact the French president's White House visit will have on forging that peace deal?
Highly uncertain today, after what appeared to be a mostly friendly meeting with his American counterpart. Here's what Mr. Macron says must happen to
reach any peace deal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMMANUEL MACRON, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE (through translator): This peace must not mean a surrender of Ukraine. It must not mean a ceasefire without
guarantees. This peace must allow for Ukraine's sovereignty and allow Ukraine to negotiate with other stakeholders regarding the issues it
affects.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, president Trump appearing to shrug off the idea of security guarantees as he focused on what he says is Russia's desire for a
peace deal. He again refused to blame Russia for starting the war or call Vladimir Putin a dictator, a word he used to falsely describe Ukraine's
president last week.
Well, Nick Paton Walsh back with us this hour from Kyiv.
And Nick, some decidedly mixed signals coming out of this meeting in what is the first visit by a European leader to the White House in Donald
Trump's second term.
What did you make of what we heard?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: I think it was a remarkably transformative moment and it's really the mood of
Donald Trump and his transactional nature that makes, it seems, the warm embrace he had for Macron and even tolerating the French president
correcting him about Ukrainian aid in a relatively good natured fashion.
It seems so much about what this White House depends really, on the momentary mood of the president, the head of it.
And we saw that really on display yesterday, where the third anniversary of the war here in Ukraine, started by Russia, began with Europe trying to
show solidarity with a backdrop of, I think, real anxiety and ended with this extraordinary move by Macron.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALSH (voice-over): They came to honor, mourn, in unity, with the hope the war could stop in this, its fourth year.
But in truth, the past week has elevated Ukraine's bitter conflict, where Russia is still advancing into an unprecedented crisis for all of them.
Europe and beyond.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's also about having skin in the game.
WALSH: The words, the pledges of aid and sanctions were familiar.
JUSTIN TRUDEAU, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: We need to make sure that might no longer makes right.
KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: The U.K. is ready and willing to support this with troops on the ground.
WALSH: A show of solidarity but really key here is the absence of senior figures in the Trump administration. The change in that alliance hanging
over this key show of unity.
WALSH (voice-over): But then the whiplash that's left U.S.-Ukraine relations in freefall suddenly got a reprieve. Perhaps due to this man,
siding up to President Donald Trump during a G7 video call.
TRUDEAU: There he is. Emmanuel is on his --
WALSH: French President Emmanuel Macron seeking to bring Trump onto Ukraine's side.
TRUDEAU: Olaf, good to have you here. I know it was a tough day yesterday.
WALSH: A lot of change here. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau leaving Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz voted out, too. But this is day-
by-day for Ukraine, who welcomed the chance.
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: I mean, that's what Donald Trump, now we had a conversation, it was a very good conversation. Thank
you very much, Justin, for organizing this meeting.
WALSH: Some minutes later, the world seemed to change again. The key U.S.- Ukraine resources deal close to done.
TRUMP: I think we're very close.
[10:05:00]
Do you have something to say about that, Scott?
SCOTT: We are very close. One yard run.
TRUMP: I will be meeting with President Zelenskyy. In fact, he may come in this week or next week to sign the agreement.
WALSH: Just add Macron to Trump, results in minutes.
TRUMP: He's a smart customer, I will tell you that.
WALSH: Ukraine urgently needed good news in a brutal fight. A source telling CNN a final draft of the resources deal left the tough stuff to
later talks, removed the worst parts for Kyiv but also the security guarantees they needed. That might be something for the presidents to
discuss later.
Yet, the madness has one winner, the Kremlin head surely seeing a telenovela plot of a week, leaving the West in panic, trading dictator
insults but not at him and then suddenly healed. Next week could well be different again.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALSH: That's the ultimate issue here, that we have a lot still to happen after that extraordinary moment of rapprochement between Europe, in the
guise of Macron, who, you know, Europe had been through a horrific two weeks of the entire security alliance, transatlantic being questioned.
JD Vance, the vice president, who was in that G7 Zoom call to the other side of Trump, sitting there drinking a cup of coffee, it seemed. He called
Western democracies basically tyrants afraid of their own voters. It had been a horrific couple of weeks.
Now we seem to be something closer to back on track. But even what Macron said during that meeting was mostly in French. In fact, Trump was at pains
to mention how, in a previous meeting, Macron had spoken a lot in French and said a bunch of stuff about the meeting, which he didn't necessarily
agree with, in a very good natured way.
Trump, his position explained by Macron as U.S. providing solidarity for a potential peacekeeping force. It was a key moment. But what has to happen
next is this rare earth deal has to get signed, if really -- if the Trump administration to be comfortable even thinking about more aid going
forward.
We have, I think, to see Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy make that trip to Washington, to do the signing like Trump said he would do.
Remember, previously, Trump has said he was going to meet with Zelenskyy in the coming days, about two or three weeks ago now.
And that didn't actually happen. Left Kyiv in a bit of a scramble to try and make the meeting happen. This time it feels different because both
sides seem to have potentially more of an understanding after that Macron visit.
We have the U.K. prime minister, Keir Starmer, in Washington on Thursday. He's just announced an increase in defense spending in the United Kingdom.
That's what the Trump administration wants to see.
Whether or not Starmer continues the roll forward of this assessment by the Trump administration, that perhaps they want to stay closer to Europe when
it comes to Ukraine.
Macron made the point that they can't convince the Russians to make a deal if there's no deterrence for the Russians at all. It's unclear, really, if
that is something that Trump has grasped, whether he shares that opinion.
Many assess his sort of warmer rhetoric toward Moscow as being his assessment that you can't antagonize somebody you want to get to agree to a
deal. And then there are others, too, who point to how the Obama administration tried to do a reset with Russia well over nearly two decades
ago now and that led them basically nowhere.
So much moving here. But I think it is fair to say yesterday we went from a pretty despondent beginning of the day to the idea that maybe Zelenskyy and
Trump's relationship can be healed. And we can start feeling that aid to Ukraine from the United States is no longer with a big question mark over
it. Becky.
ANDERSON: Nick, we saw the outgoing German chancellor at G7 in your report. The incoming leader of Germany had this to say. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRIEDRICH MERZ, GERMAN CHANCELLOR-ELECT (through translator): My absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that, step
by step, we can really achieve independence from the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Less good natured than the exchanges between the French leader and Donald Trump. Certainly a more serious tone from what will be an
influential leader for Europe.
Just briefly, what did you make of what you heard from the chancellor in waiting?
WALSH: Look, I think it's a very dangerous moment for Europe, really, in that they heard from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth that the sort of
U.S. having their back, that era is over. So it would be highly unwise for Europe not to take that at face value and not to start to work out how to
secure its own future.
And, look, this isn't the most inopportune time for that. To some degree, Russia is significantly weakened by its war. And so there are a lot of
questions as to, you know, quite what real, realistic threat it's able to pose to, still, the largest economy group on Earth of the European Union.
[10:10:00]
So big questions there. But there's also some who suggest that the notion of, let's go it alone, being pushed by the Germans, increases the arguments
inside the Trump administration, that Europe is no longer their business.
We simply don't know, Becky. Everything is changing every 24 hours. And it's been, I think, a week in which that total lack of continuity or
reliability on pretty much all these alliances that have been in place, some of them for decades, will leave one individual slightly relieved and
that's the head of the Kremlin.
He's not in a particularly good place in terms of his own economy, his own resources. He is slowly winning on the front lines here. But I think he'll
have seen, the past few weeks, the rapprochement that Washington seeking and the disunity that we've seen in Europe and the chaos around Ukraine's
allies and certainly taking comfort in that. Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes, as we enter, what is the fourth year of Russia's war on Ukraine. Nick, your analysis and insight from the ground there in Kyiv
extremely important. Thank you very much indeed.
Well, turning now to the Israeli occupied West Bank, where the weekend marked a new escalation in Israel's operations, the IDF deploying tanks to
the area for the first time in two decades.
Israel is one month into what is known as Operation Iron Wall in the West Bank, which has seen dozens of Palestinians killed, hundreds arrested and
thousands displaced. CNN's Jeremy Diamond has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: For the first time in more than two decades, the Israeli military deploying tanks into the Occupied
West Bank.
This video taken from Jenin in the West Bank shows several of those tanks that entered that refugee camp, which has been the focus of a major Israeli
military operation over the course of the last 1.5 months.
But now, the Israeli military is further expanding those military operations in the West Bank which have already resulted in the displacement
of some 40,000 Palestinians, not only from Jenin refugee camp but also from Tulkarm and Nur Shams.
The expansion of Israeli military activity in the West Bank comes following those three bombs that exploded on buses in the suburbs of Tel Aviv.
While no one was aboard those buses, they were parked at depots in the suburbs of Tel Aviv, it certainly jolted the Israeli public, taking them
back to the bus bombings of the second intifada and prompting calls including from the Israeli Prime Minister for an expansion of military
operations in the West Bank.
And now Israel Katz, the defense minister of Israel saying that Israeli troops should be preparing for a quote, "prolonged presence" in those
Palestinian refugee camps for the coming year.
And saying that those 40,000 Palestinians who have been displaced from those very same areas will not be allowed to return until the conclusion of
those military operations.
We know, of course, that the Israeli military says they are going after Palestinian militants in these three refugee camps and the surrounding area
but already we know that at least 27 people have been killed in Jenin, 70 across the West Bank, many of whom are not militants but rather civilians.
As all of this is happening, still questions over whether or not the ceasefire in Gaza will be extended. Israel has been delaying the release of
some 620 prisoners, who were set to be released on Saturday, following the last release of living hostages from Gaza.
Four bodies of hostages are scheduled to be released on Thursday but Hamas for now says that it will not engage in negotiations over the second phase
nor release those bodies until Israel releases those 620 prisoners, calling it a violation of the deal so far.
We know that Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy for the Middle East, he is set to arrive in Israel on Wednesday and travel throughout the region to
see whether or not a deal can be reached to extend phase one and get into phase two of this fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas -- Jeremy
Diamond, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, staying in region, in Damascus today, Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa hosted a one-day summit, what he is calling a
national dialogue, aimed at establishing principles for a new governing body. Now at least one key party appears to have been sidelined.
While some Kurdish representatives were invited to the summit, the Kurdish led Syrian Democratic Forces were not. Now that group controls much of
northeastern Syria.
The interim government demanded the SDF disarm and join a unified force as a precondition for participating. Today, we will take a deep dive on this
later in the hour. It's important to stick around for my conversation with Ibrahim Al-Assil.
[10:15:00]
He is a senior fellow at the Middle East institute.
Well, Pope Francis condition is slightly improved but he is still listed as critical. Vatican officials say they tell CNN the pope is able to move
around and is eating normally while getting treatment for double pneumonia and mild kidney failure.
The Vatican says the pope had visits from an archbishop and a cardinal on Monday, his first known visitors from the church's central administration
since he was admitted. Well, another prayer service for the pope, like this one, is scheduled for Tuesday night at St. Peter's Basilica.
Well, I'm joined now by CNN's Vatican correspondent, Christopher Lamb.
And he is still listed as critical.
What more do we know about his illness and how it progressed into double pneumonia?
What are the details at this point from the from the clinicians?
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, the pope was admitted to hospital on February the 14th with bronchitis that turned into
pneumonia. We were told last night that there has been some slight improvement.
On last Saturday, he had a severe asthmatic respiratory crisis that has now subsided, we're told, as was the concern about kidney failure that's also
been brought under control. The Vatican saying last night that the pope rested well throughout the night.
But clearly he is still in a critical condition. Nevertheless, as you mentioned about the pope meeting senior Vatican officials, I think today
was the pope sending a message that he still running things in the Catholic Church. He met with, those two officials, signed off some decrees for
future saints. He also appointed bishops today and sent a message for Lent.
Francis a very determined individual. I think that's an important part of his recovery, the psychological element. But as the pope has also said in
the past that, whenever the pope gets ill, the winds of a conclave start to blow.
There's a lot of speculation in the Vatican about the future. The pope himself has made some decisions looking to the future, planning that
eventuality; for example, appointing new cardinals and changing the papal funeral rites.
There's a lot of speculation, as I say. Some people talk about papal resignation. Those close to Francis say that's not going to happen. A lot
depends on the pope's response to his treatment. The prognosis is still too soon to tell. And we are expecting a further update from the Vatican later
this evening. Becky.
ANDERSON: Good to have you, sir. Thank you.
You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky, Anderson. Time here in Abu Dhabi is just after 7:15.
Still to come, confusion and chaos. U.S. federal workers not sure how to respond to Elon Musk's ultimatum that they justify their jobs or face
termination. More on that is coming up.
Plus, they voted for Donald Trump.
But would they do it again?
CNN's speaks to voters in Colorado about the U.S. president's first month in office.
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ANDERSON: DOGE's Elon Musk told U.S. federal workers on Monday that they had another chance to justify their work or risk losing their jobs.
Musk's first deadline came and went with much confusion since several federal agencies told staffers not to immediately respond to Musk's initial
email blast, whilst others were told that a response was only voluntary.
Meantime, House Republican Rich McCormick tells CNN that the Trump administration's actions to slash the federal government needs to be
approached with more compassion.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. RICH MCCORMICK (R-GA): I want to have compassion. I think Elon Musk talked to us about that long time ago, a couple of years ago. He said,
before he was politically involved, he said, look, the Republican Party could do better by coming across as more compassionate. I think that's
really important.
QUESTION: Do you think they've gone too far, too fast here?
MCCORMICK: I think it needs to be reviewed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: CNN has reached out to the White House and the Office of Personnel Management for comment. And as we get that, as and when, if
indeed, we will bring it to you. CNN's Alayna Treene following this story for us from the White House.
To say that this is unleashed chaos is a huge understatement, of course.
What are we learning this hour about Musk's order giving federal workers another chance to justify their jobs?
An edict that he, of course, delivered over the weekend to federal employees' emails.
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I mean, there's been so much confusion about this, Becky. And also, you know, a lot of federal workers have been
telling CNN that they don't exactly know who they should be listening to.
Because, on one hand, you had, initially over the weekend, Elon Musk posting on X, that those who did not respond to this email by Monday at
midnight would face or would be forced to resign.
And then you heard different agencies, the secretaries at the top of agencies, like DHS, the Pentagon, the FBI, the Department of Justice -- the
list continues -- telling their workers, actually do not listen to that. Do not respond to this. Some of that, of course, is because the work that they
do and the nature of that work is confidential.
But then you had, you know, even people within the Office of Personnel Management, that is the office that was sending out the these emails to
federal workers, even though they didn't really know what to expect and how to message on this, what guidance to follow, a guidance actually came to
them at 6 pm on Monday.
Telling them essentially that a response was voluntary but strongly encouraged. And then you had Musk post this last night.
He said, quote, "Subject to the discretion of the president, they will be given another chance. Failure to respond a second time will result in
termination."
And so there you have them again, saying that people who do not respond to this will be terminated.
Now look, when I talked to Trump administration officials, White House officials, they actually say similar things to some of the Republicans you
hear on Capitol Hill criticizing some of these efforts, which is, one, sure, they recognize. And they think that there could be bloat in the
government.
There could be waste, fraud and abuse, as DOGE keeps saying they're trying to hunt down and root out but it's the way in which they are doing it that
is causing some concern.
Specifically, you know that chainsaw, swift approach and really quickly moving to gut these agencies, to tell agencies that they might be
terminated; whereas, you know, a lot of these people, for example, some of these people who were hand-selected by Donald Trump to be at the top of
these different agencies, they were just sworn into office.
They are still conducting reviews of what they believe is necessary. They think there needs to be more time to really go through this in a more
thorough way. And so all of that is kind of percolating behind the scenes here.
Of course, another question is really the authority that Musk has. We know that he's a special government employee. He is not elected. He was also not
Senate confirmed. And so he only has so much power to actually tell these agencies what to do.
And so I think, moving forward, you know, we are still hearing from a lot of workers who want to get more clarification on this and be told how to
respond. But I'm told, you know, it's really these agency heads that are making the decisions here. Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes. It's good to have you. Thank you.
Well, a couple of thousand kilometers from the center of the U.S. government, Trump voters in Colorado are paying attention to the
president's early weeks in office. CNN's John King traveled to Colorado to speak with some of them.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR & CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Spomer Ranch spans more than 100 acres, home to 60 horses.
[10:25:00]
And one last bison.
DAVID HAYES, COLORADO VOTER: This little guy down here, his name is Trouble.
KING (voice-over): A bit ornery at times. Yes, Trouble.
HAYES: You know, it's like Trump. I really don't like him as a person. I think he's arrogant, kind of a jerk.
KING (voice-over): David Hayes is a funny man.
HAYES: I tried farming for a while and I would rather get run over by a bison, you know.
KING (voice-over): The northern Colorado ranch has been in his family since the 1880s. The White House and Washington are far away.
HAYES: We got like hot dogs.
KING (voice-over): Yes, Hayes wants the government shrunk. But he doesn't see a coherent plan. And he doesn't trust Elon Musk. Doesn't believe what
he says. Doesn't want Trump letting Musk poke around Social Security or tax files.
HAYES: I don't know how many people he's fired. And, you know, Musk keeps saying, well, I found $1 billion of waste here. And Social Security,
there's hundreds and hundreds of people that are collecting it that are between 100 years old and 150. Can you believe any of that crap?
He can't substantiate it but you can't believe it.
KING: Right.
HAYES: So that's a trust issue.
KING (voice-over): A blue-collar rural guy in one of the nation's most competitive congressional districts. A three-time Trump voter who calls the
president unfocused and arrogant. But Democrats should hold the celebration.
KING: But if you had to do over tomorrow and you had to pick again between Trump and Harris, what would you do?
HAYES: I would still do Trump.
KING: Conservative, independent, is that fair?
ESMERALDA RAMIREZ-RAY, COLORADO VOTER: Very conservative, independent, yes.
KING (voice-over): So would Esmeralda Ramirez-Ray. She smiles when asked about Trump's frenetic first month.
RAMIREZ-RAY: I voted for that. I love it.
KING: What did you vote for?
RAMIREZ-RAY: I voted for a president that was going to put America first. I voted for a president that was going to secure our borders. And I voted
for a president that was going to make sure that we were respected throughout the world. And I believe I'm getting that.
KING (voice-over): Greeley is the northern edge of Colorado's 8th, a congressional district that is 40 percent Hispanic and has a significant
undocumented population. Ramirez-Ray is a court interpreter for defendants who don't speak English.
She agrees with Trump that some who cross the border illegally are violent criminals. But she wishes he would add that the overwhelming majority are
good people.
RAMIREZ-RAY: I was raised as a migrant worker working in the fields. Those are the people that are out there picking their crops. So even though I
support Trump, I don't believe that he's the end-all be-all savior of humanity. Nobody is.
TODD WAUFLE, COLORADO VOTER: Now this one, we've had Canadian hosers for a long time before all this stuff came up.
KING: Right.
TODD: All the fights with American and Canadian hockey players and everything.
KING (voice-over): Like Hayes, Todd Waufle says Trump can be arrogant and pompous. But like Ramirez-Ray, he's a fan of the early pace. WAUFLE: I
like him going full speed. Let's get things done. Let's find out if the policies work, they don't work. But yes, this is the baby brewing system.
Boil it up there.
KING (voice-over): Waufle started Satire Brewing seven years ago. Business is good and he constantly debates expanding. But a plan to boost sales by
adding canning machines is on hold because of Trump tariffs on aluminum.
WAUFLE: When you fly enough, you understand, you know. Buckle your seatbelt, turbulence ahead.
KING (voice-over): Waufle's approach is a trademark of many Trump voters. Accept the things that make you cringe to get the things you want, like a
better economy and a stronger border.
WAUFLE: Trump's going to say what he's going to say. And, yes, some of it's going to be exaggerated, some are not going to be true. But at the end
of the day, I think you've got, you know, sift through all that. Is he going to get things done?
Is he going to get the country moving the right way?
AUSTIN JENKINS, COLORADO VOTER: Let go right in front of your eyes. Just like that.
KING (voice-over): Austin Jenkins voted for lower taxes and less regulation. That would help his small businesses, including this cocktail
bar and the Greeley Hatchet House.
JENKINS: He seemed like the lesser of two evils in my opinion.
KING (voice-over): But Jenkins finds the first month unsettling. Not a fan of tariffs or executive orders by the dozens or Musk popping from agency to
agency.
JENKINS: I thought there's supposed to be checks and balances somewhere.
KING: So where do I want to let go, shoulder height?
JENKINS: Right in front of your eyes.
KING: Right from my eyes, OK.
KING (voice-over): Plus, he sees fear in the Latino community. Wishes Trump would find a more compassionate way to improve border security.
JENKINS: I think there's a better way to go about it. I don't know if it's necessarily just force them out.
KING (voice-over): Trump, of course, won't be on the ballot next election. But this district will help decide whether Republicans keep their tiny
House majority.
JENKINS: The cost of living is getting crazy here in Colorado. And I hope that they would have some kind of an impact of helping that. KING (voice-
over): The new Republican congressman won by just 2,000 votes.
His 2026 reelection prospects will likely hinge on Trump's performance. On whether swing voters here see the president as focused on the big issues or
veering too far off target.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: John King reporting for you.
While a ceasefire has largely been holding in Gaza these past 40 odd days, people's lives there have not noticeably improved.
[10:30:00]
I spoke with the humanitarian official who has just returned from the enclave and painted yet another dire picture, I'm afraid. My interview with
the director of the International Organization for Migration or IOM is next.
And also ahead, an historic move in Syria. Leaders from many different communities coming together to discuss the country's future.
What exactly will come out of that?
Well, I will ask our Middle East expert, Ibrahim Al-Assil. Up next.
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ANDERSON (voice-over): Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. Here are your headlines.
Uncertainty remains over the prospects for a Ukraine-Russia peace deal after the presidents of France and the U.S. met at the White House on
Monday. Emmanuel Macron stressed the need for security guarantees for Ukraine.
Donald Trump glossing over that, focusing on his hopes for the U.S. to clinch a deal to acquire rare earth minerals from Ukraine.
An Israeli source tells CNN that Israel is trying to prolong the first phase of the ceasefire and hostage release deal, which expires on Saturday.
That's in the hope of getting more hostages released.
Israeli and Arab media are also reporting that Hamas could release the remains of four deceased hostages into Egypt over the next couple of days
in exchange for more than 600 Palestinian prisoners, who Israel was due to release three days ago.
Vatican officials say Pope Francis' health has improved slightly, although his condition is described as critical. A source says the 88 year old is
managing at times to get out of his hospital bed and is eating well. The pope has been diagnosed with double pneumonia and mild kidney issues.
Well, that 42 day truce between Israel and Hamas is set to expire this weekend in Gaza, unless an agreement is struck; that is, to extend it. Now
for the people of Gaza, whose lives have been destroyed, all they can do is hope that that ceasefire does last.
So far, they've been denied the opportunity to start to rebuild their homes as equipment and mobile shelters have yet to be let in any great quantity.
I spoke to Amy Pope, the head of the U.N.'s International Organization for Migration, who has just returned from Gaza. Have a listen to what she told
me.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AMY POPE, DIRECTOR GENERAL, INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION: The ceasefire has been essential for the first time since the conflict began.
[10:35:00]
We're able to now get in trucks of aid that were not -- we were not able to get in before. We still have a lot more that's ready to go in. For example,
we have two warehouses full of shelter equipment on the -- in Jordan that is ready to go as the trucks become available.
But this is a notable improvement from where we were just a couple of months ago.
ANDERSON: One crucial element of aid, that there hasn't been enough of as of yet, is mobile shelters and tents.
Can you just give us a sense of the capacity at present that is needed and that you have standing by but you can't get in?
POPE: So shelter was the number one ask that I received from every single person I spoke to, which is not surprising. You go into Gaza and you see
that 90 percent of the population has been displaced; many, many people displaced over and over again.
And the villages, the communities are completely destroyed. You know, you see kids playing on top of rubble. You see houses that are completely
uninhabitable. So it's not surprising that people need shelter.
What we've been doing is getting in as many tents as possible. Now tents are in many cases a necessary but unsatisfactory bridge.
What we do -- what we do know, what I did hear from so many people I spoke to is that they want more durable housing, right, a caravan, sort of a
trailer. something that we would give to a community after a flood, for example, when they no longer have a house to live in.
So in the absence of having approval to bring in those caravans, tents are the are the most available equipment we can now bring. And we, as I said,
have thousands of them available, ready to go as soon as we have the trucks and the capacity to get them.
ANDERSON: From those you spoke to, just how hopeful are they that this ceasefire, albeit temporary, will hold at this point?
I mean, we do know that we haven't yet seen any indication or evidence that there are talks for the second phase of what was this process, which was
meant to ensure a permanent ceasefire at this point.
What did people tell you on the ground?
POPE: They're desperate for the ceasefire to hold. I mean, we all know that, when the fighting was ongoing, getting access to people in need was
oftentimes impossible. We know that humanitarian actors often got caught in the crossfire and themselves were either killed or injured.
Having the ceasefire in place is absolutely critical to even beginning to meet the needs of people who are on the ground. And the communities know
that, across the board, a ceasefire, is the number one ask, whether you're a person who's living in Gaza or someone who's trying to support them
through humanitarian aid.
ANDERSON: I mean, I have to ask you, I mean, Donald Trump says the place is demolished and is uninhabitable. We talk about the importance of a
ceasefire, a permanent ceasefire, a phase two of this.
What you are hearing on the ground from Palestinians who are living through this?
Again, to those you spoke to, do they believe that this is an area that can be rebuilt with Gazans there, living and helping to support that rebuild
and reconstruction?
POPE: Absolutely. And they want to live in their homeland. I heard that over and over again. But they need help to do so. So for example, they need
the equipment to remove the rubble. They need to have flat land where they can erect more permanent stable shelter. They need support financially in
order to have the resources.
Now this is a very educated population. You have engineers, you have doctors, you have school teachers. You have a community that is invested in
the future of Gaza that has the capacity to rebuild. So this is really about getting them the tools that they need so that they can be part of the
rebuilding of their homeland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: The view from the IOM, Amy, just in Gaza some days ago.
Well, Syria's interim government is hosting a national dialogue summit today aimed at creating a framework, they say, for the country's political
future. Transitional president Ahmed al-Sharaa calling for unity after years of sectarian fighting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AHMED AL-SHARAA, SYRIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The unity of arms and its monopoly by the state is not a luxury but a duty and an obligation.
Syria does not accept division.
[10:40:00]
It is an integrated whole and its strength lies in its unity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, Ibrahim Al-Assil is a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and joins me now to discuss this.
And for the proponents of this conference or this summit, this is a watershed moment, where Syrians are chartering their own future for the
first time in their lives.
For critics, it's a hastily planned event, falling short on inclusivity.
You were in Syria at some weeks ago.
To your mind, just how significant is this summit and what are the key takeaways so far?
DR. IBRAHIM AL-ASSIL, SENIOR FELLOW, MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE: It's absolutely significant and Syrians have been waiting for this moment.
For a long time before the fall of the Assad regime and after the fall of the Assad regime for them to be able to participate in how their government
and their country looks like, what kind of social contract Syria will have.
And who is going to govern Syria and how?
However, there is also lots of criticism about how this conference or this dialogue was prepared, how the invitations were sent out, only within one
day to many participants. Many of them were not able to be to make it to the dialogue.
Some people think that was on purpose because the authorities wanted to exclude some of those voices, while others say this is because of how the
situation is on the ground, because also it's very complicated and there is different competing priorities inside Syria that motivated or pushed the
authorities to try to reach this dialogue.
And at the end, within a few hours, probably to reach a statement for this dialogue, that it's very necessary to generate more legitimacy for this
authority.
ANDERSON: Yes. And this summit also, of course, geared toward Arab and Western leaders, who want to see moderate and inclusive leadership, they
say, from this government going forward, in order to financially support it.
Now on Monday, the European Union suspending some key sanctions against Syria's energy and banking sector, keeping others in place. The U.S. still
to provide any sanctions relief. This is how Syria's foreign minister described it today. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ASSAD HASSAN AL-SHAIBANI, SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): We were clear in our positions that these sanctions are illegitimate and are
not based on any legal or moral foundations but they are being used as a means of pressure on the will of the Syrian people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I wonder whether you see what has happened at the summit and the narrative from Syria today as in any way moving the needle toward potential
further sanctions relief?
AL-ASSIL: I think this is a great question, because the domestic dimension inside Syria is pretty much related and connected to the regional and
global ones, especially when we talk about legitimacy and also the issue of sanctions.
And I think that was one of the reasons why there was a race against time to have this dialogue. And unfortunately, it also produced criticism
against it. But there is a need also to generate more legitimacy, for this Syrian authority to conduct more meetings regionally and globally, to push
toward lifting sanctions.
And the time window is very narrow for that, because, if there is no some economic rehabilitation inside Syria and if the economy doesn't get better
inside Syria, things might lead to more fragmentation.
And here I want to highlight that sanctions are designed in a way to make every day worse than the day before. So while the Assad regime failed,
things in Syria are still getting worse, economically speaking, because sanctions are designed to do so.
We see that there are more steps from the European side to lift or at least to waive many of those sanctions. The United States is still very hesitant
to do that and actually might lead to exacerbating the problem inside Syria. Becky.
ANDERSON: While you and I talk, I'm showing some images of the interim leader of Syria with regional leaders, Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia
and, importantly -- perhaps both are important -- the leader of Turkiye, Mr. Erdogan.
Turkiye, of course, to the northern border. Some Kurds were invited to the national dialogue but the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, that
control most of that north east of the country of Syria, were not.
[10:45:03]
Explain why and whether that undermines this notion of inclusivity, if you will.
AL-ASSIL: It absolutely undermines that, the issue of inclusivity. And that's one of the major challenges inside Syria today.
The Kurds, the Syrian Kurds in the northeast of Syria -- and we have the major armed group, the Syrian Democratic Forces, supported by the United
States. And it conducted the fight against -- or a major fight against ISIS in the northeast. This is a complex issue because the Kurds faced major
grievances from the Assad regime.
But also there is distrust when we talk about political cleavages inside Syria between Arabs and Kurds. And this issue is further complicated by the
Turkish dimension, because the outcome here to reach a sustainable outcome -- we need an agreement between Damascus or the Arabs with the Kurds and
the Turks at the same time.
Or at least to be accepted by the Turks and their national security or we might reach a point where there is a Turkish incursion inside Syria.
However, I don't think the dialogue today checks that box. I don't think it answers that issue. It's going -- it's taking small steps. They are
positive steps but still they are not enough.
And I think that's also part of the cleavage between the center and the periphery inside Syria that Damascus inherited from the previous regime.
And it still hasn't been able to solve it or to reach a point that actually satisfies different actors inside Syria.
ANDERSON: Important insight. I know you were in Turkiye just a couple of days ago and, as I say, on the ground in Syria just some weeks ago. To get
your insight and analysis is extremely useful. Thank you very much indeed, Ibrahim.
Well, French police are investigating a gruesome case of a baby allegedly thrown from a hotel window. An American teenager is now in custody. We will
have the latest from the scene. Up next.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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ANDERSON: An American teenager is being held by French police under suspicion of homicide. Now prosecutors say the young woman's newborn baby
was thrown from a second story hotel window and died. Our Saskya Vandoorne is following developments outside the hotel where it happened.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: So the young woman was arrested Monday after she allegedly threw her newborn baby from the second-floor
window of this hotel here.
And Becky, we've just been getting harrowing details from local officials, who say that the baby was then taken and placed in a trash can before being
discovered by the authorities.
[10:50:03]
Now the baby was then rushed to an emergency room at Hopital Necker. That's the children's hospital here. But the baby died shortly after being
admitted.
Now meanwhile, the young mother, she was taken to a different hospital, where she underwent surgery after giving birth and then she was put in
police custody.
Now the Paris prosecutor's office has opened an investigation for homicide and we know, because we were speaking to the spokeswoman this morning, that
they believe the woman may have been in denial about her pregnancy.
Now what else do we know about the woman?
Very little, Becky. We know that, of course, she's American, that she's 18 years old and that, apparently, she had been staying at this hotel for
about a week with a group of young friends. They were traveling throughout Europe.
Now Becky, we are in the 20th Arrondissement here, it's east of Paris. It's not a very touristy neighborhood and when we were speaking to the neighbors
this morning, they said they were woken up very early Monday morning, at around 06:30 am, by the sound of sirens, police vans, ambulances.
And when they discovered what had happened, they were deeply shocked.
Now a few hours ago, the U.S. embassy released a statement, saying that they were very saddened by the loss of this young life, Becky.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Saskya Vandoorne reporting. We will be back after this quick break.
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ANDERSON: Elon Musk's electric vehicle company, Tesla, is off to a rough start this year, particularly in Europe. Sales across the continent were
down 45 percent in January from last year. And it's not for lack of demand in the market. Overall, European sales of electric vehicles surged 37
percent last month. Anna Stewart in London for you.
What do you make of this drop in Tesla sales?
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know what?
I'm not that surprised actually, Becky. I was filming in a second hand dealership just a few months ago. And the owner of that actually said to me
they weren't stocking Teslas anymore for fear of the sort of brand damage to Tesla due to Elon Musk weighing in on U.K. politics.
And, of course, more recently, he's weighed in in German politics. He's called the E.U. undemocratic. And analyst Dan Ives puts the impact of the
brand damage in Europe at about maybe 10 percent to 15 percent in terms of the sales that we have seen drop. That's overall out of 45 percent.
So what else is playing in there?
You could point to the fact that the Y model of Tesla is due for an upgrade this year. So perhaps some customers were just sort of holding off for
that.
And then let's look at the competition, because some of the performances from other car brands has been really quite impressive. You've got Cooper
up more than 50 percent. This is a Spanish brand owned by Volkswagen.
And then this is a really interesting one for me. SAIC Motors, which is a Chinese state backed firm, you can see it's up 36.8 percent. And this is
actually biting into the big, traditional European automakers as well in the U.K.
Actually BYD is one of the biggest competitors for Tesla. Actually overtook them in January in terms of sales. So a few elements playing in here,
Becky, but certainly there is maybe a downside to the sort of Musk Midas touch that we've talked about on, I think, every other show so far.
[10:55:00]
ANDERSON: You're absolutely right. Thank you.
Well, for our "Parting Shots" today, groundbreaking new data, supporting the belief that Mars was once covered in something other than hard red
rock. China's Zhurong rover used radar to find evidence beneath the Martian surface that, at one time, there wasn't just water but sandy beaches on the
coast.
It is the latest sign that a large ocean existed on Mars more than 3 billion years ago, when the planet had a warmer climate. Well, scientists'
understanding of Mars is expanding in other ways, too.
A new study is upending theories about why our neighbor planet is red, suggesting that the hue is due to a keratin material mineral that forms in
the presence of cold water. There you have it.
And that's it for CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson. From the team working with me here, it is a very good evening. Stay with CNN. "NEWSROOM"
is up next.
END
