Return to Transcripts main page
Connect the World
Trump and Zelenskyy Meet to Meet at the White House; Renewed Ties with U.S. Give Russia Chance to Rebuild Spy Network; Imprisoned PKK Leader Calls on Followers to Disarm; Mexico Extradites Dozens of Cartel Members to the U.S.; Arab Officials Plan to Present Post-War Gaza Plan to Trump; Six Women to Crew Blue Origin Flight to Boundary of Space. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired February 28, 2025 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:18]
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Welcome to the second hour of the show. It is 7:00 p.m. here in Abu Dhabi, our Middle East programming
headquarters.
Presidents Trump and Zelenskyy are meeting next hour to finalize a deal to give the U.S. access to rare Ukrainian minerals. All the leaders coming
together after a checkered past, trading barbs as recently as last week when Mr. Trump called Mr. Zelenskyy a dictator without elections and
Zelenskyy said Trump lives in a disinformation space.
Also ahead, Arab officials plan to present a day-after plan for Gaza to President Trump within weeks. Regional leaders kick-starting the process at
a key meeting in Cairo on Tuesday. Plus, global superstar Katy Perry and CBS host Gayle King set to go to space with Blue Origin in the first all-
female crew since 1963.
Well, U.S. President Donald Trump promising Americans, quote, "a very big deal." Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy expected to use his time at the
White House today to try to hash out a security agreement in exchange for access to some of his country's mineral resources.
Well, this meeting coming barely a week after Mr. Trump berated Mr. Zelenskyy and repeated false claims that Ukraine, not Russia, started this
war. Well, he tried to walk some of that back yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Do you still think that Mr. Zelenskyy is a dictator?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Did I say that? I can't believe I said that. Next question.
A dictator without elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he's not going to have a country left. Got to move.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, here's the reality. Ukraine needs U.S. support. In true Donald Trump fashion, he's talking a big game about what he can extract out
of this natural resources deal. And it is a deal as far as he's concerned. But there are a lot of questions about the extent of Ukraine's resources.
The country does have some major mineral deposits, but as you can see on this map, many of those are in the war torn east of the country. And those
green deposits meant to show the rare earth metals that Mr. Trump has focused on. Analysts say those are estimates dating back to the Soviet era.
Well, look, there's an awful lot to unpack here. We've got a great lineup for you. CNN's chief international security correspondent, Nick Paton
Walsh, is in Kyiv. Our global affairs analyst, Kim Dozier, is in Washington for you. And Nigel Gould-Davies is a senior fellow on Russia and Eurasia at
the International Institute for Strategic Studies. He joins us from London today.
Thank you all.
Nick, let's start with you. You've been reporting this week from a titanium mine in Ukraine. Walk us through the realities of Ukraine's natural
resources on the ground as we understand them.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I mean, the first thing to point out, Becky, is that this deal that will be,
it seems, signed or at least part of a signing ceremony between President Zelenskyy and Trump in just about an hour later, it's pretty toothless. It
refers to the relevant resources and says that they will be further described in an agreement that will begin to be negotiated when this first
framework agreement is indeed signed, and it provides not the security guarantees Ukraine wanted either.
So neither side getting it seems the concrete numbers or promises that they wanted out of this document. It gets really Zelenskyy and Trump over the
first hurdle here, and the chance to meet face to face and try and repair that relationship, essentially getting Ukraine back to where it was six
weeks ago. But also Zelenskyy in a room with Trump before Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin head.
So, yes, now we have to deal with exactly what might there be in Ukraine that could potentially begin what the Trump administration calls repayments
and what the Kyiv team call a reconstruction investment fund for Ukraine.
Now, as you say, the estimates, the geological information being used is from 1946 to 1960 by Ukraine's own admission. And there are differing
numbers. Lithium is something that they've said to have had about 3 percent of global reserves by their estimation. They are bigger when it comes to
titanium, rare earth metals.
[10:05:03]
That's something that's become so part of Trump's lexicon around this, part really of a sales pitch back in November, a part of the victory plan that
Zelenskyy presented to the Biden administration back then was to point towards these. Bigger question marks over that. The USGS geological survey
has suggested there might be scandium in Ukraine, but other questions hang over the other extent of rare earth metals indeed that they have.
But there are larger questions really just simply about investment and the functionality of industry here. We were at one titanium mine yesterday
where sometimes they only operate for three hours a day because Russian airstrikes have taken out so much of the electricity grid. Here's what the
director of that plant had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DMYTRO HOLIK, DIRECTOR OF UKRAINIAN MINING PLANT (through text translation): Now we don't know how our work will go on even tomorrow
because every day we see how Ukraine's energy system is being destroyed. Our company is now very unstable and this leads to a very high net cost of
our products.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PATON WALSH: Some of the notions of what Ukraine could potentially put into this fund. However, it's divided fantastical really particularly President
Trump's notion of half a trillion dollars. They're going to need massive investment. Indeed that mine we just saw there would hugely welcome
American money to modernize its machinery. Huge investment, peace, stability, then infrastructure.
They need electricity, frankly, to get cheaper in that titanium mine to increase their profit margins. And of course, they're going to need to find
men demobilized and able to go back to the mines. It's an enormously complex road ahead just to get the industry back on its feet again after
the war. And then you have to work out global pricing, the cost of production, extraction, proven resources versus estimated resources.
It's a messy road ahead. And I think to some degree, what we're seeing now with this framework agreement is a bid to kind of gloss over all of that,
get Washington-Kyiv relationship back on track, let Zelenskyy simply ask Trump, are you going to support me like Biden did? That's the question he
really wants to have answered. And then they can deal with the complexity of what resources they're even talking about further down the line --
Becky.
ANDERSON: Stand by, Nick. I want to bring Kim in at this point.
Donald Trump himself, Kim, acknowledging uncertainty around all of this. Just have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: When it comes to that, you know, you dig and maybe things aren't there like you think they're there, but we'll be spending a lot of time
there. It'll be great for Ukraine. It's like a huge economic development project. So it will be good for both countries.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: This is all about a deal, isn't it, at this point? How much of this is politics for Donald Trump, something that he can sell as a big win,
Kim, to the American people?
KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Yes, it certainly is. Look, past Trump administration officials have told me the way they've gotten
Trump to fasten on to international relations is to explain them through the lens of business. So essentially, they've sold continuing support for
Ukraine through the lens of this is win-win for the U.S. We'll be able to exploit these rare earth minerals that currently China has the lock on
about 70 percent of all the world's rare earth minerals and the capacity for refining them.
So Trump wants to be able to tell his base, not only am I not spending your money needlessly, I'm making U.S. businesses money. And Zelenskyy has to
basically lump it. But here's the thing. Zelenskyy needs security guarantees and so do the U.S. businesses that Trump wants to do business
there. One of the main ways that the U.S. invests in mining and minerals overseas is through the Defense Finance Corporation, and that issues things
like risk insurance, debt loan guarantees.
And those things will be very costly unless the U.S. continues to provide intelligence support, like the location of Russian troops that's doing
right now for Ukraine and also continues to license Ukraine's use of things like the Patriot Missile System and provide some ammunition for those
systems, because even some of those systems that are being provided by European countries, that's only being done because the U.S. has said, yes,
you can use our systems that we gave to you for Ukraine.
So that's what Zelenskyy needs out of this deal eventually, possibly not today.
ANDERSON: Yes. That's fascinating. And it begins to sort of expose perhaps some of the thinking behind Zelenskyy's positioning on this.
Nigel, let me bring you in here. President Trump does seem to think that, or am I right in saying this, that Russia wouldn't act if American
companies are in Ukraine? At least let's have a listen.
[10:10:06]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: It's a great deal for Ukraine, too, because they get us over there and we're going to be working over there. We'll be on the land. And, you
know, in that way there's sort of automatic security because nobody is going to be messing around with our people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Right. What's your take on that, that nobody would be messing around with, quote, "our people"? Obviously Donald Trump speaking directly
there about the Russians. Your take on this. How would a deal like this go down in Moscow?
NIGEL GOULD-DAVIES, SENIOR FELLOW FOR RUSSIA AND EURASIA, INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES: Yes. I mean, there is a sense in which
America may be moving forward to a sort of implicit guarantee of Ukraine based on future economic interests.
Now, I mean, one problem with that argument is that there are certainly other times and places where Western, including American economic interest,
businesses and so on have suffered severe damage in wartime through invasion. There are lots of Western businesses, including American ones in
Ukraine before February 2022, for example. So if one is looking at precedent alone, it's clearly no guarantee at all.
Secondly, there's a long, long way between an agreement being signed in principle to develop and explore these mineral deposits, on the one hand,
and on the other, there being a tangible American mining presence and infrastructure and people of any significance and scale. So it's a slender
thread, I would say, to hope for a commercial foundation for an American military guarantee.
ANDERSON: Hmm. Nick, this has been a whirlwind week. I mean, all of you who I'm talking to now will have just witnessed this past, what, revolving
doors, weeks' worth of meetings in Washington alone. President Zelenskyy, though, Nick, does seem to be getting an understanding of how to navigate
Mr. Trump's politics. Let me put it that way. How do you think he is going to approach this next meeting, this next hour?
PATON WALSH: It's going to all be about interpersonal relations. It is simply he must have seen the effect that French President Emmanuel Macron
had on Trump in a matter of hours, bringing the United States back into European security orbit, and will be getting tips, frankly, from him and
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who seemed to be instrumental to getting Zelenskyy into that G7 meeting back on Monday.
Look, this is going to be about how the two men hit it off. They're going to be desperate, it seems, to put behind that acrimonious 10 days. Trump
almost seemed to act like he had. He said, I can't believe I said that when asked about calling Zelenskyy a dictator. Almost not cognizant of the
consequences of the words the United States president says. His way of doing business so different to what we've seen in recent living memory.
So Zelenskyy will need to make sure Trump likes him, frankly, will probably use some of the flattery that we saw from U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer,
who made sure that Trump got a second state visit invitation personally delivered by Starmer during their meeting. That will probably play into
this, too. We've heard Trump talk about the bravery of Ukrainians and how he has a great relationship with Zelenskyy.
We know going back to Trump's first term that there's been a rocky road between them, but there is potentially a moment here for him to get a bit
of a reset. He's going to be pleased to be in the room before Putin was, but he's going to have to ask some tough questions. Are you willing to
provide the backstop to European peacekeepers that they so urgently say they need to provide the reassurance force, that if there is a peace deal
that might keep Ukraine feeling it has the back of Europe and maybe NATO.
Trump suggested that they have Britain's back, which was kind of half going there, but he didn't commit directly to the kind of Article Five NATO
reassurances that I'm sure those European powers would want. And also, Zelenskyy has to flatly ask Trump, are you going to continue the same kind
of support we got from the Biden administration? Pretty much the answer to that is likely to be no, because we know that the rare earth deal is about
something different in Trump's mind, and that's being repaid for what he calls past debt and Zelenskyy calls that grants they've already got.
They've got to get past that ultimate big difference in how they perceive matters here. But we've seen Zelenskyy in the past be quite deft as a
politician, adequately charismatic to pull this off. But it is probably the most important moment of his presidency this meeting coming up here, apart
from when he stood in central Kyiv at the start of the war and apparently told the Biden administration he didn't need a ride out of here, he needed
ammo. This is a key moment for Ukraine fighting off Russian aggression.
One final fact, Becky, we mustn't forget. Since Trump called Zelenskyy a dictator, 47 Ukrainian civilians have died from Russian strikes and 222
have been injured, according to a count we've done -- Becky.
[10:15:16]
ANDERSON: Good to have you, Nick.
Nick is in Kyiv. Thank you.
Nigel, Kim, stand by, if you will. I want to dig in to the potential ramifications of renewed ties now between the U.S. and Russia. This is a
sort of, you know, the twin track here and the concerns that those -- that that rapprochement, if you will call it that, are raising within the U.S.
intelligence community.
A bit earlier on CNN, my colleague Natasha Bertrand explained how this sort of, you know, rekindling of the relationship could lead to Russia
rebuilding its spy network in the states. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: We talked to over half a dozen current and former U.S. officials who told us that Moscow
really sees these talks with the U.S. about reestablishing its diplomatic presence on U.S. soil as an opening to rebuild its spy network in the West,
which has been decimated over the last several years. Since 2016, over 100 Russian diplomats who the U.S. believed were actually intelligence
operatives working under a very thin diplomatic cover, have been expelled from the U.S. and of course, there was a mass expulsion of these so-called
diplomats.
The Europeans said that they were actually also intelligence operatives from European capitals following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. And
so this is now an opportunity for the Russians, who place an extremely high value on having intelligence operatives actually on U.S. soil to conduct
espionage and also to make contact with human intelligence sources to reestablish this network that they have really lost over the last several
years.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Nigel, do you think Donald Trump is prepared for how Moscow may try to take advantage of any rapprochement? You've actually described what
Trump is doing as a strategic surrender. Can you explain?
GOULD-DAVIES: Yes. And to emphasize that's not a bit of kind of polemic or rhetoric. There is in the study of foreign policy and negotiations a very
specific sort of term of strategic surrender, which is one what countries do when they are trying to stop an aggressor, trying to persuade an
aggressor to end a war and will give up more and more positions in order to achieve that. France did in 1940 or Japan in 1945.
Now America is doing something that looks to me very like that with the differences firstly that it's not America fighting the war, and secondly,
that America is in a vastly stronger position compared to Russia, rather than a weakened and nearly defeated power. So there is much mystery about
this. Why exactly is America doing this? What does it hope to achieve from the normalization of relations with Russia through a large number of
unilateral concessions and the abandonment of long held positions?
Secondly, just why exactly is this so urgent? And there is the real worry that, yes. Putin, who really understands, you know, by professional
background and training, understands how to work with, analyze, manipulate individuals, is using the momentum that America is giving him to raise and
raise and raise the price to extract from America for -- in return for agreeing an end to the war.
And if anyone has any doubt about just how important this is to Putin, draw attention to a very sinister warning that Putin gave yesterday. He was
speaking his big annual meeting to the FSB, the Russian domestic security service.
ANDERSON: Right.
GOULD-DAVIES: And he said, we are aware that some people in the West are trying to prevent this normalization of relations with America, and we need
the special services to do everything that they can do to disrupt those efforts. So that puts all of us worried about these developments on
warning, I'm afraid.
ANDERSON: Kim, your thoughts?
DOZIER: Well, to play counterpoint to Nigel, what the Trump administration would say is those long held positions were held by Biden, not by Trump. So
he feels free to do business with Putin and also thinks that one of the things you do in the art of the deal is you play nice with the opposition
and hopefully lull them into a false sense of security.
[10:20:08]
The other thing allowing Russians back here also means allowing U.S. intelligence officers back into Russia. So it is an intelligence
opportunity, both following those Russian officials inside the U.S. and seeing who they try to contact, and getting back in touch with human
intelligence sources in Russia because the embassy had been forced to draw down so much in this mutual destruction of both sides, an expulsion of
diplomats on both sides. So it is an opportunity.
What I'm looking for is when they sit down and start deal-making with Russia and ask Russia to make territorial sacrifices inside Ukraine, that's
when we're going to find out just how patient Trump is with Putin because if Putin takes a hard stance and refuses to budge or wants more of Ukraine
than Russian forces currently occupy, that's when you could see the worm turn in the White House and Trump's famous anger come out.
ANDERSON: It's good to have you both. Thank you very much indeed for joining us.
Busy times on that Ukraine file, not least for President Zelenskyy, who will be meeting with Donald Trump in about 40 minutes time. That's at least
the schedule in Washington at the White House. Thank you both.
Well, still to come with just hours until the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal ends, can negotiators extend the truce?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: The long imprisoned leader of Turkey's Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, is calling on his followers to disarm and dissolve the group.
Abdullah Ocalan's statement could end the group's decades long conflict with Turkey that has killed an estimated 40,000 people. Ocalan has been
jailed for the past quarter century.
So why has the group had such a fractious relationship with Turkey? Well, Kurds, an ethnic group without an official state, represent the biggest
minority in Turkey, making up about a fifth of the population. But they also have a significant presence in northern Syria, northern Iraq and Iran.
Apart from Iraq, Kurds have never achieved nation state status. In some places, they've struggled to maintain their identity at all and have faced
discrimination and policies of persecution.
[10:25:00]
Enter the PKK, a group bent on fighting the Turkish state for independence. Now Ocalan founded the group nearly five decades ago as a separatist group,
part of a larger movement by Kurds around the region. The PKK carried out an insurgency against the Turkish state, and he was sentenced to life in
prison, but still wielded significant power.
Well, the conflict ebbed and flowed over the years. To some, it was a battle by minority activists seeking rightful independence. For others, it
was a guerrilla war led by rebels, and now it may end.
Well, to help us break down where we are at, let's bring in Amberin Zaman, who's chief correspondent at Al-Monitor, who is an expert in Kurdish
politics, joins us now live from Paris.
Amberin, it's good to have you. Thank you very much indeed for joining us. This was an historic call. How did it happen and why? Why now?
AMBERIN ZAMAN, CHIEF CORRESPONDENT, AL-MONITOR: Well, the why now part is extremely important because this isn't the first time that the Turkish
state has engaged in peace talks with Ocalan. You had two previous rounds that failed for several reasons, the first being that Ocalan didn't go
along with Turkey's demands. This is back in 2013 that the Syrian Kurds, over whom he wields significant influence, refused to join the Syrian
opposition in helping to topple Assad.
So those talks broke down over his refusal to go along with that, and also for domestic political reasons related to Erdogan's desire to become
president, which he is now. But Turkey feels that this is an opportune moment. Why? Because it has gained significant military superiority over
the PKK with its drones. At the same time, the shift in regional balances that have seen, well, first of all, Iran recede in the region because of
Israel's attacks against it, and especially in Syria, where you saw the Assad regime fall, has allowed Turkey this new opening where it feels that
the PKK is much weaker and it can therefore impose its will on it, if you will, through Ocalan.
ANDERSON: Yes. Yes. And it's -- we are yet to see what sort of if any concessions that the Erdogan government is willing to make to the PKK or
Turkey's Kurds at this point in return for disarmament.
I do want to pick up on this wider story because this is not just a specifically domestic story in Turkey. This has got a regional
significance, which we must underscore here. And you've started to do that. Let's look at the potential impact in Syria. The American backed SDF
commander said that the call to lay down arms, quote, "was for the PKK guerrillas and not about us here in the north east."
How do you read that and how significant is that given where we are today, end of Feb. 2025, with a new interim government in Syria?
ZAMAN: It's extremely important. Why? Because, first of all, part of the reason that these talks had not really led anywhere is because, again,
Turkey was demanding of Ocalan that he basically tell this commander that you just mentioned, who used to be part of the PKK, by the way, to
basically pull the plug on that force, that's the United States top ally in the fight against ISIS to sort of end their autonomous administration
there.
And it seems the fact that Ocalan did not mention Syria at all in his statement suggests that Turkey has sort of dialed back that demand, and
this in turn creates an opportunity for Turkey to work with that administration, which is actually extremely important in the fight against
the Islamic State. As I said, it's the United States' top partner. And the fact that the United States partners with that group has created tremendous
problems between Turkey and the United States, because Turkey has long claimed that this group is actually the PKK terrorists and that they
shouldn't be working together.
So if this process leads towards a softening in Turkey's stance towards the Syrian Kurds, that has extremely important implications for the U.S.-
Turkish relationship, but also for the dynamics going forward in Syria, where you have an al Qaeda offshoot in charge, and the Syrian Kurdish
administration is extremely pro-Western.
[10:30:13]
It's pro-secular and has created a model that for many would seem far more appealing especially if we're looking at it from the Western world than the
one that is presented by the former -- I mean, I don't know if we can call them former, jihadis running Syria today.
ANDERSON: So it's good to have you. Let's continue this conversation in the weeks to come because this is news over the past 24 hours. It's
significant. You have pointed out the consequences are yet to play out. And I think it's important to stay in touch and continue to cover and report on
what happens next.
Thank you for joining us.
Still to come, Mexico extradited a notorious drug lord and 28 other wanted cartel members to the United States. A look at what's next for these men as
they face the U.S. justice system. And pop star Katy Perry in space? We've got the story and speak to one of her fellow crew members. That is coming
up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're with CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson here from our Middle East programing hub. Your headlines.
In just about 30 minutes, U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are set to meet at the White House. They are
expected to sign a deal for the U.S. to obtain Ukrainian natural resources. Now this meeting, coming after President Trump appeared to walk back a
social media post last week where he called his Ukrainian counterpart a dictator.
Talks under way in Egypt to discuss the next stages of the ceasefire in Gaza. The first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire is set to end on
Saturday. That was a temporary ceasefire. Negotiators in Cairo discussing potentially extending the current truce or moving on to what was organized
as a phase two permanent ceasefire.
Mexico has extradited dozens of cartel leaders and members to the U.S., including notorious drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero. He is expected to
appear in a New York courtroom this hour. U.S. attorney Pam Bondi says all of the alleged cartel members will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of
the law.
Well, CNN's Valeria Leon is following this story for us from Mexico City.
[10:35:00]
And what more do we know about Rafael Caro Quintero and his appearance in court in New York?
VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, Becky, Rafael Caro Quintero was long waiting for the U.S. extradition, and they were canceled like plenty of
times. And this was the moment where he was finally extradited to the United States.
And just a moment ago, the Mexican president, Claudia Sheinbaum, referred briefly to this recent slew of extraditions during her morning press
conference. She was asked if this extraditions were merely a bargaining chip used to put a further hold on the 25 percent tariffs on Mexican goods
that Trump has announced will come into effect just this Tuesday, and the Mexican government is still waiting to see if this unprecedented
extraditions might put a stop to the tariffs completely, or at least give them some time to suspend their coming into effect.
The Mexican president announced the attorney general, along with the security secretary, will be in charge of making public the details of the
historic extraditions of alleged drug traffickers to the U.S.
This will happen in about two hours in Mexico City, Becky, when we should have more details about this milestone in U.S.-Mexico relations. Both the
Mexican attorney general and the security secretary were in Washington yesterday to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to review the
efforts that Mexico has made to reduce the flow of fentanyl coming into the U.S.
So this surprise extraditions come as Mexico scrambles to seal a deal with Washington in order to avoid being hit with the trade duties that Trump has
linked to illegal immigration and drug trafficking among those named to be extradited. And between this extraditions is Rafael Caro Quintero, this
drug lord long sought after by the U.S. for his role in the 1985 murder of a U.S. DEA agent Kiki Camarena.
But in 2013, Caro Quintero was released from prison on a legal technicality, having served only 28 years of 40-year sentence. Once
released, he went into hiding in Sinaloa State for nearly a decade until he was recaptured in 2022.
So once handed over to U.S. authorities, each of the extradited prisoners will be arraigned in federal court. There are multiple locations where they
are going to be arraigned. Among the prisoners being extradited is Miguel Trevino, also known as Zeta-40, who, as the leader of the Zetas criminal
organization, participated in some of Mexico's most violent crimes -- Becky.
ANDERSON: It's good to get that update, and we will continue to report on what is coming out of Mexico in the hours to come. Thank you.
Well, negotiators in Cairo looking at what is next for the Gaza ceasefire, Arab countries looking to the future. Sources say they plan to present a
postwar proposal for Gaza to President Trump within weeks.
Well, CNN's Jomana Karadsheh is in Amman, Jordan with more.
We know that Arab leaders are expected to gather in Cairo on Tuesday. The UAE's diplomatic adviser to the president here, Anwar Gargash, laid out
their starting point to me when we spoke earlier this week. Let's have a listen.
OK, well, we haven't got that sound bite, but effectively what Anwar Gargash was telling me was no reconstruction without a pathway at least, a
viable pathway towards a Palestinian state. And he talked about a two-state solution.
Look, we have heard that before. He was doubling down on statements we've heard from here before. But actually placing the reconstruction, sort of,
you know, term within the body of that I thought was very important. What are you hearing about this Arab plan for Gaza to effectively counter the
proposal on the table from Donald Trump at the moment, which is this riviera of the Middle East, displacing all Palestinians and building Gaza
as a real estate project going forward?
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Becky, it would seem that Arab states, Arab leaders are taking that proposal by President Trump
very seriously and working really hard it seems to try and counter that plan with their own proposal. As I understand from official sources here in
Amman, you've had Arab officials, Arab leaders meeting.
[10:40:05]
You've had a number of significant meetings that have taken place over the past week, different top diplomats meeting and discussing this plan. You
also had that meeting that took place in Saudi Arabia a week ago hosted by the Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, hosting a number of Arab leaders
there, including King Abdullah II of Jordan, as well as President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
And my understanding, Becky, from these official sources, is that there was a real consensus, a real joint position by the Arab states in trying to
find a way forward and in rejecting the idea, as we've heard from these officials in the past, the displacement of Palestinians out of Gaza. So
they're taking it very seriously. They are now working towards that plan.
And as we understand what is going to happen in the coming days and weeks, according to the sources I've been speaking with, is you will have that
Arab summit in Cairo next week, and they are expected to come out with some sort of a roadmap for Gaza as well as the conflict overall. And within
weeks of that summit, within weeks of that roadmap being issued, you will be seeing officials, top diplomats, traveling to the United States to
present the Trump administration with the Arab proposal.
But I'm told it's got to be 100 percent solid before they present it to President Trump. And not only will it address the issue of reconstruction,
they will also address issues like who will govern Gaza in that day-after scenario, how, what kind of Palestinian Authority are we going to see this
reforming the PA, as we have been hearing a lot from Arab officials, and what sort of force are you going to be seeing on the ground in Gaza? Is it
going to be peacekeeping or peace enforcing force as I understand from the sources?
So this is all expected to happen within the coming weeks. They are taking this very seriously. And I can tell you, Becky, as you know very well,
while all eyes are, of course, on Gaza and understandably a lot of concern with President Trump's proposal to displace the population, in Jordan,
officials here are extremely concerned about the situation in the West Bank. They are very concerned about the escalating violence.
They are very worried that now, with the start of the Holy Month of Ramadan, that they are going to be seeing some sort of an explosion in
violence there. They are worried about far-right Israeli extremists, they say, exploiting the current tensions, because, of course, this is always a
very tense time. We have seen flare up of violence in the past. But this year in particular, Becky, they are extremely concerned and of course this
has serious repercussions for Jordan.
ANDERSON: Yes, absolutely. It's good to have you, Jomana, who is in Amman, Jordan today. Ramadan will start, of course, tomorrow. We've got that
officially now. And so the next month, you know, is a difficult one, and should be a holy one. It should be a peaceful one. But of course, concerns
about what will happen going forward are heightened. Thank you.
More news after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:45:54]
ANDERSON: I want to get you an extraordinary moment for space exploration now. An all-female crew will fly into space later this year featuring
global superstar Katy Perry and TV personality Gayle King. The Blue Origin mission is being touted as the first all-woman spaceflight in more than 60
years.
Well, Aisha Bowe is a superstar in her own right. A NASA rocket scientist, no less. Entrepreneur, a global advocate for STEM education, and she will
be on this flight. And Aisha Bowe is with us here this evening.
It's terrific to have you. (INAUDIBLE) as we would say from here. Congratulations. I'm sure you're -- this is a terrific opportunity. Tell us
about this mission, if you will. Tell us some of the details of what will happen.
AISHA BOWE, FORMER NASA ROCKET SCIENTIST: I'm absolutely thrilled to be on a trip to space with an incredible group of explorers. I mean, wow,
yesterday was like watching my dreams come true. I never could have dreamed from my first day at NASA that I would be here talking with you about this
trip.
ANDERSON: So how did it happen? Come on.
BOWE: Well, you know, I think that the first day when I was working at NASA, I had the opportunity of meeting some really interesting individuals
who I've kept in contact with throughout the duration of my career. And as you know, I really did not have the opportunity to go to space when I was
previously working at NASA because this company didn't even exist.
Over the past decade, there have been a lot of advances in commercial spaceflight, and being able to be here on the cusp of something so
extraordinary, with the ability to work with nonprofits and organizations to advance science is just absolutely thrilling.
ANDERSON: What do you think the nature -- well, I mean, you must be, you know, not only absolutely thrilled to get on, but also, like you say, this
group of incredible women. What do you believe that this all-female crew could accomplish within the realm of space exploration? Just explain sort
of how unique this is and what you think the sort of opportunities are.
BOWE: Not only is this a historic first, I can remember speaking to a women who approached me and said, Aisha, my daughter wants to be an astronaut.
And I had encouraged her to become a doctor. But seeing you, seeing this, I'm going to go and I'm going to buy her the astronaut costume because it's
not a costume, it is the dress for what she wants to be in the future.
You know, studies show that many times girls, if they don't see it, they won't think that they can achieve it. And early on, they pursue other
fields. And so to see six women who are all incredibly unique, who are very inspiring in their own right, come together and globally on a campaign, I
think what you're going to see is not only more women, but more people know that they can too become one of us, and that they also can reach and work
in these fields.
ANDERSON: As a rocket scientist yourself, what do you hope to achieve?
BOWE: Well, part of what I look to conduct on this mission is meaningful science. I'm working with universities and nonprofits in order to conduct
research, and I hope to share the research, as well as data on how I respond to spaceflight with the community, so that people can better
understand what happens when we fly to space.
ANDERSON: Look, I mean, I'm just listening to you and I feel so excited for you. Here's what one famous Blue Origin crew member had to say after his
trip. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM SHATNER, ACTOR AND FORMER BLUE ORIGIN CREW MEMBER: I hope I never recover from this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOWE: I'm so excited --
[10:50:07]
ANDERSON: I hope I never recover from this, says William Shatner. Go on.
BOWE: I'm so excited. I mean, the overview effect has been studied, and I can't wait to have the opportunity to look at the earth from space where
there's no boundaries, and I'll have a full appreciation for all of the things that people have worked over the last few decades to achieve to be
here.
Having been a community college student who once never knew what she wanted to do and didn't aspire to do anything more than to graduate and not have
to live with my parents, I'm absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to not only go to space, but to be surrounded by a phenomenal group of
explorers, to conduct research, and to be able to bring what it is that I've learned up there back home.
ANDERSON: I've got two little girls. You are an inspiration to me and you will be an inspiration to them. And I feel very privileged to have you on
this show this evening. Good luck. Come back and tell us all about it. Thank you.
Ahead on CONNECT THE WORLD, we are just minutes away from that high stakes meeting at the White House between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
We're going to preview the deal that they are set to sign up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: We are just minutes away from what is a highly anticipated, potentially critical White House meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr
Zelenskyy. The U.S. and Ukrainian president set to sign a deal for the U.S. to acquire Ukrainian natural resources. The specifics so are unclear and
looming over this meeting the question of how much support Mr. Trump will give President Zelenskyy and his European allies, who want to negotiate an
end to Russia's war on Ukraine from a position of strength.
Alex Marquardt back with us this hour.
I just want to get you, as we wait for this meeting to briefly take us inside this emerging deal, and what you are hearing from your sources.
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, I think we need to look at this as a deal that is essentially being struck in
order for the two countries to strike a deal. Both leaders will be able to walk away from this today, saying they agreed to something that is a win
for President Zelenskyy because he manages to keep the U.S. engaged. President Trump will say, we got a good deal. We're going to get billions
and billions of dollars' worth back for all the security assistance we've given to Ukraine.
But the devil will be in the details, Becky. There is nothing in this draft that says how the U.S. is essentially going to get that money back. And
from multiple conversations with current and former officials as well as experts, what they say about the actual mineral wealth in Ukraine is that
it's very vague at best, and there isn't a lot of it in comparison to other countries.
Most of the potential, they say, the most significant deposits are in the eastern part of the country, which of course is where all of the fighting
is taking place. It's in contested areas where there's a lot of unexploded ordnance and mines. There's a lot in the Russian occupied areas.
Now, Becky, you'll remember that this was a deal that was proposed last September by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He proposed it to both the
Trump and the Biden teams. And I spoke with numerous Biden officials who essentially dismissed this proposal.
[10:55:04]
They said that it was impractical. I want to read to you part of what some of these sources had to say. This is a senior Biden administration
official, said, it wasn't taken as something that was all that realistic. This was the part of the victory plan that we discussed the least. Let me
just say that I'm not aware of a single U.S. company that was clamoring to get into the mining business in Ukraine.
Now there are vast deposits of minerals that are a bit more common, but those, again, are quite small compared to other countries.
So this deal today, Becky, I really think is about striking an agreement between the two countries. That is a good thing diplomatically and
politically for both countries. But very few details here, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes, fascinating. Well, we will get more in the minutes to come. Thank you, Alex, as ever.
Folks, this weekend marks the beginning of the Holy Month of Ramadan for Muslims around the world. From the whole team here in Abu Dhabi and those
working with us around the world, we would like to wish you a Ramadan Mubarak and a peaceful month ahead.
That's it for CONNECT THE WORLD. Stay with CNN. "NEWSROOM" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
