Return to Transcripts main page
Connect the World
U.S. and Ukraine in Paris for Highest Level Talks in Weeks; Trump to Meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni; Saudi Defense Minister Visits Iran as Nuclear Talks Proceed; Chinese Wholesale Market Grapples with U.S.-China Tariffs; Myanmar Earthquake Victims Still Living in the Streets; Pope's Holy Week Appearances Uncertain; French American Tourist Detained in Venezuela; Strongest Evidence Yet of Life on Exoplanet. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired April 17, 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]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD.
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome to our second Middle East programming headquarters. I'm Eleni Giokos.
Secretary of state Marco Rubio and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff are in France for high-level talks on Ukraine.
Later today, president Trump will meet with Italian prime minister Meloni in Washington.
Are we seeing the U.S.-Europe relationship rekindling?
More on that shortly.
The Saudi defense minister has arrived in Tehran for a rare visit by a senior Saudi royal. He will meet with Iran's armed forces chief as nuclear
talks with the U.S. progress.
And weeks after the deadly earthquake in Myanmar, the situation remains dire. Little aid is coming in and there is a serious concern of waterborne
diseases. We'll be speaking with International Red Cross.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
GIOKOS: After weeks of tensions, American and European officials are sitting down together today in Paris. The U.S. and Ukraine are holding
their highest-level talks in weeks.
French president Emmanuel Macron welcomed U.S. secretary of state Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff earlier. The U.S. State Department
says their trip aims to advance president Trump's goal to end the Russia- Ukraine war.
Mr. Macron has been one of the European leaders to provide Kyiv with security guarantees, as the U.S. has pulled away.
Meantime, president Trump hosts Italy's prime minister at the White House today. Giorgia Meloni, seeking to position herself as mediator between the
U.S. and Europe as tariff tensions soar. Let's stay on this with our international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson, as well as CNN Politics
senior reporter Stephen Collinson.
Welcome to both of you. A lot happening today.
Nic, I want to start off with you. This summit in Paris has been billed as Europe's chance to gauge the Trump administration's thinking on the war in
Ukraine and whether president Trump will be able to put pressure on Putin.
What are we expecting?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, and to be able to gauge how they're actually, you know, effecting their plans in this conversation
with President Putin, which doesn't seem to be going particularly well.
Of course, president Trump wanted unilateral ceasefires from both Ukraine and Putin so that they could find space to talk about a bigger ceasefire.
Ukraine signed up. President Putin didn't. We're many, many, many weeks beyond the moment when Steve Witkoff began those conversations with
President Putin about this.
So no doubt, Emmanuel Macron, who has his own track record with Putin, will want to not only listen to what Steve Witkoff has to say but maybe, you
know, try to give him some pointers about Putin, that he believes to be grounded in the reality that the French understand.
You know, one of the things that's caught my interest about the meetings there today, Witkoff and Rubio also meeting with what's been termed as, you
know, European counterparts.
And among those counterparts we'd understood to be British, French, German foreign ministers and as well, we understood that the Ukrainians were
sending their defense and foreign ministers to some meetings there in Paris.
But actually some of the names that are coming up, that are around the table with Rubio and Witkoff, include names like Jonathan Powell. Not many
people might have heard of him. He is Keir Starmer's national security advisor.
And he has really kind of a big status in the U.K. because he was the one that helped deliver the Good Friday peace agreement over 25 years ago in
Northern Ireland, historic, and is really seen as a sort of a very big diplomatic figure, a heavy hitter.
And, you know, I think we can say with quite strong surety that there are people within his department that don't believe Putin is serious about
peace.
So you know, for people like Jonathan Powell -- and there will be the German equivalent and the French equivalent in those meetings as well, we
understand -- you're really getting, you know, precise national security adviser-delivered intelligence assessments to the table.
And you get that sense, therefore, that the Europeans have got a pretty strong message here. They're not buying Putin. And while Putin's acolytes,
the, you know, his -- the Kremlin spokesman.
[10:05:00]
And one of his key negotiators as well are talking about, you know, the need to put pressure on the Europeans to get them to better align, to bring
peace in Ukraine.
The reality is, the Europeans really want to see the U.S. take a firmer line on Putin and cut these talks shorter to get a product out of Putin, a
product that can then deliver serious peace talks.
GIOKOS: Yes. I mean, it's such a good point. And we've actually seen these strikes increasing, particularly what we saw last night.
And Stephen, I want to go to you now. Trump hasn't been able to end this war quickly like he vowed. And in fact, at one point he said, you know, he
could end this in 24 hours. Last week, he said that Russia has to get moving.
Well, his growing irritation with Moscow, if he is perhaps becoming sort of, you know, becoming more angered at how Putin is dealing with this,
influence talks today, do you think?
Do you think the U.S. could be shifting its stance on the way that Putin is handling peace talks or the negotiations?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I suppose there could come a point when, if Trump is made to look weak and ineffective by Putin
and his stalling, that he turns against Russia more forcibly. I'm not completely convinced.
And that is something, by the way, that that Republicans, senators and people on Capitol Hill, really hope happens, that Trump starts to perhaps
see Putin's maneuverings a bit more realistically.
But I'm not completely convinced that the president is actually getting frustrated with Putin. The only time he betrays frustration or impatience
is when he's asked about this by reporters and, when he mildly criticizes Russia, says they have to get moving.
It's almost more of a self-defense mechanism for himself to deflect from his own position, his pro-Putin position, than a real assessment of what's
really going on in those peace talks. He often then corrects himself and says, well, I'm convinced that Putin wants peace, even though there isn't
any real evidence to that fact.
And then, as he did this week, he goes on to blame Ukraine for starting the war, which we all know is wrong. So I think these talks, you may have U.S.
delegations and people in that delegation who want to push Putin harder and perhaps, you know, open to what Nic is saying that the Europeans are trying
to do.
In the end, it all comes down as everything to Trump and what he thinks. And that is, as we know, a very volatile, moving target.
GIOKOS: Yes. It is.
He's very unpredictable, isn't he?
Nic, you know, we know that Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni is currently in Washington for talks with president Trump, hopefully to get
some kind of resolution or idea of what's going on the tariff front and perhaps even Ukraine.
Do you think she is the one that could perhaps settle things?
She has been called the Trump whisperer.
ROBERTSON: Yes. I think that the volume of whispering, is -- and not, I mean, I mean volume in terms of the amount of whispering rather than the
amplitude of it, the loudness of it, if you will -- you know, is not something that's going to be achieved in one meeting like this.
Meloni does have that reputation in Europe but she has also been, you know, a real big supporter of Ukraine within the European Union and getting the
money to Ukraine and getting the weapons to Ukraine, which is a million miles apart from where president Trump appears to be at the moment.
So you know, she might be able to talk to him on tariffs. But again, she can't really talk as Italy because, you know, Meloni and Italy are part of
the European Union.
It's a -- it's a big bloc. Everything happens together. You know, she can argue for points of interest, you know, that would be of interest to
Italian olive farmers, maybe, or their wine growers or other parts of the Italian export market to the United States.
Cheese would be another example. But she is still within the European Union, so it's not like she and Trump can come up with a deal there. It's
not the same position, let's say, as the U.K., who are outside the E.U. and are looking for this new trade deal with the United States.
And figuring that this may come more easily than how the European Union can deal with the trade tariffs with president Trump. So I think there are real
limits here. It's, as I say, it's going to take a lot more whispering, I think, from what we see so far, to move Trump from his positions.
GIOKOS: So Stephen, I want you to weigh in on this, because Meloni has been viewed as one of those leaders that sees more eye to eye with him and
his policies than perhaps most of the other European leaders.
[10:10:08]
She's also pretty close to the likes of Elon Musk. So take us through what we can expect on the diplomacy front.
COLLINSON: Yes, I agree with Nic. There's this idea in a lot of the coverage I've seen coming out of Europe that she could be this bridge
between the E.U. and the U.S. We've seen Macron try and perform that bridge; Keir Starmer from Britain, although Britain is no longer in the
E.U.
The issue here, I think, is that Donald Trump has a very hostile relationship toward Europe. As recently as this week, he talked about how
Europe and the E.U. was set up to somehow rip the United States off.
I think it's true that Meloni is seen in the White House and the people around Trump as a little bit more of a fellow traveler, if you like,
because she's a populist. She's a right winger. She's clashed with the judiciary in Italy.
But I think what the administration would like to do is not use her as a bridge to Europe but to divide Europe. It wants to see more Melonis, more
Viktor Orbans. You've seen in the rhetoric of JD Vance, who's going -- the vice president, who's going to Italy this week, that he is trying to push
populists in Europe.
So, you know, the Europeans might want a bridge to Trump but Trump generally doesn't cross bridges; he burns them down. And everything that
we've seen from this administration so far is they want to create divides in Europe, not to deal with the E.U. and European officials as a
collective.
GIOKOS: Stephen Collinson, Nic Robertson, good to have you both. Thank you.
Well, for more on the significance of these talks, I want to bring in Anthony Gardner, the former U.S. ambassador to the European Union.
Ambassador, great to have you with us. Thank you so much. You're seeing these talks on the go in Paris and we've just heard from our reporting
there's a lot at stake, obviously.
Is Europe at the table?
What is president Trump's stance and how much pressure can he apply on Putin?
That clearly doesn't seem to, you know, want to engage in peace talks that will create momentum to a lasting solution.
ANTHONY GARDNER, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE EUROPEAN UNION: Well, there's no evidence that he's actually applying any pressure on Russia
right now. He has said on a few occasions he's annoyed at Russia but that hasn't translated to anything concrete, to my knowledge.
Look, I read through the latest draft of the minerals agreement that was tabled. It was the most one-sided document I have ever read. I practiced
law for many years. It was legalized rape. I hate to put it that way. It's entirely one-sided.
So there's no indication that any pressure is being put on Russia. In fact, it's been bombing civilians over the last few days. So I'm waiting to see
whether that will change in any significant degree.
GIOKOS: So what do you think the message from the Europeans should be during this summit?
What is your sense?
I mean, I want to know if, you know, the United States is committed to Ukraine, will continue supporting Europe in its efforts to try and get to
some sort of resolution.
And you mentioned this minerals deal and I think this was one of the biggest points of contention, because Trump sees it as a negotiation. He
wants something in return for the support the United States has given.
GARDNER: Of course. Yes. Look, Trump is desperate for any deal, regardless of whether the deal is a false deal and a false peace that will sow the
seeds for future conflict and perhaps even for Russia taking over Ukraine. So he's desperate for any deal.
I think the Europeans are going to say yet again, because they've been saying this for a long time, the United States and Trump personally should
have an interest in a sovereign democratic and prosperous Ukraine.
By the way, remind him; the United States did sign the Budapest accords back in the late 1990s, which guaranteed Ukrainian independence and
recognized its borders. And Russia signed that document as well and the U.K. signed it as well.
So I mean, that's not a small point. And the Europeans will say, look, this is what we're willing to provide in a settlement. That's been going on for
many weeks now, in terms of troops and assistance going forward.
But you know, Trump needs to come up with a plan that is more balanced. You know, an important point here that is not always mentioned is that, even if
Zelenskyy were to be willing to sign the deal that was tabled, he could not, because it is contrary to the accession process that Ukraine is now on
for the E.U.
Because it's so one-sided and discriminatory against European interests and also it would completely destroy any ability of Ukraine to roll over, to
renew its tariff-free access to the European market.
[10:15:07]
So it's just a nonstarter.
GIOKOS: President Trump still has a very hostile view of Europe. And he was alluding to, you know, saying the Europeans have been set up to rip off
the United States.
And also the attack and frankly, his views on NATO, wanting to see an increase in military spending, which I think many European nations now
agree that this needs to happen.
But if the U.S. pulls out completely and doesn't give assurances to NATO and to the Europeans, can Europe go at this alone?
Could other NATO countries handle this?
GARDNER: Well, that's the big question.
What is Europe really willing and able to do?
Some countries have been quite clear, shockingly clear, in that they feel, like Spain, they're far away from the action. And frankly, they don't see
any type of Russian threat, which is shocking because there is such a thing as European solidarity.
And so even though some countries like Spain are indeed far away from Russian tanks, there is such a thing as European-wide solidarity. So the
Balts are not alone, the Poles are not alone. And those who are most exposed are not alone.
And beyond that, countries like Spain and Italy, by the way, both of whom benefited dramatically from E.U. stimulus post-COVID, should also feel,
yes, we need to be part of a pan-European effort to ensure that there is peace in Ukraine because it's so important.
What happens in Ukraine will determine the fate, I believe, of Europe. So if we let Ukraine indeed collapse, as Russia hopes it will and eventually
be controlled by Russia, that bodes very poorly for the future of Europe itself.
GIOKOS: Yes. It's either going to be a great unifier, this entire push by the United States, or perhaps create more divisions.
You're a former ambassador. The Trump administration now announcing that it's going to close 30 embassies as well as consulates, mostly in Africa
and a lot in Europe.
What is your sense?
Do you have concerns?
Because there have been a lot of criticism about what this could ultimately mean for U.S. presence in significant markets.
GARDNER: It's hugely significant. It's a great question. We often talk about soft power. It's much maligned and derided by this administration.
But let's remember, for 80 years or more, Republican and Democratic administrations invested in and believed in soft power.
Whether it's the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty and embassies and diplomatic outreach. You know, not everything can be solved
by military means. And in fact, you know, I was struck; when I was just starting off in my military mission at the E.U. under the second Obama
term, we flew down to Florida.
And we met with General McChrystal, who was leading one of the key parts of the U.S. military, SOCOM. And his point was quite striking. He said, look,
I would love to take $1 billion from my budget, he said, and give it to the State Department.
And I said, well, what do you mean?
And he says, because what happens upstream diplomatically could save a lot of lives. And avoid our -- my men from going into action. That's exactly
the way we need to look at it.
I mean, soft power actually is relevant and saves lives and prevents, by the way, pandemics and things like that.
Last point, you know, look, PEPFAR, which has been talked about a lot, is a program that was launched under George Bush with HIV/AIDS to combat
HIV/AIDS in Africa. It's been very successful and it's been supported by both parties. That's also being terminated. So more pandemics, more
upheavals, more migration and more damage to U.S. interests.
GIOKOS: We end on that important point. Ambassador Gardner, thank you so much for your insights today. Good to have you on the show.
And coming up on the program, the Saudis send a high-level delegation to Tehran ahead of the next round of nuclear talks with the United States.
We'll explain why that's significant right after this. Stay with CNN.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:20:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
GIOKOS: Overnight in Gaza, Israel bombed two separate displacement camps across the enclave. The airstrike on the camp in the al-Mawasi region
killed at least 15 people, most of them women and children, according to Gaza's civil defense ministry.
And you can see the fire engulfing the campsite as emergency responders try to contain the blaze. One Palestinian man lost his disabled nephew in the
attack.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): A 12-year-old disabled child was charred in his wheelchair. We carried him. Even his bones had melted as we
were pulling him out. This was the child's wheelchair. There is no safe place left.
Where are we supposed to go?
People ran into the sea last night, trying to save themselves, throwing themselves into the water.
Where are people supposed to go?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Meantime, we are following a series of high-level meetings leading up to the next round of U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations. The Iranian foreign
minister arrived in Moscow today to shore up support from the Kremlin.
And the Saudi defense minister is in Tehran for the highest-level visit in decades. The Iranians have warned that an attack on its territory could
trigger a wider regional war. And the United States has military bases across the Gulf countries that neighbor Iran.
And that includes Saudi Arabia. Ahead of the second round of talks this weekend, Iran is doubling down on its right to maintain a uranium
enrichment program. The foreign minister says that is non-negotiable. Those comments come as U.S. officials waffle on whether they will agree to Iran
maintaining a civil nuclear program.
Ali Shihabi is an author and commentator focused on the politics and economics of Saudi Arabia and he joins us now live from London for a little
bit more insight into the significance of this Saudi Arabian defense minister's visit to Iran.
So great to have you with us. The defense minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, who is the brother of the crown prince, it's really significant
this visit. And I wonder what message it is sending.
You know, for people who know the history between Saudi and Iran, the fact that they only normalized two years ago, they were in a proxy war in Yemen.
There's a lot of history there. But this is fascinating that we've got the defense minister going in at this juncture.
ALI SHIHABI, AUTHOR AND SAUDI POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: It's very significant because he's a very senior member of the government. This was a visit that
has been on the table for the last two years, since the signing in China of the Saudi-Iranian agreement.
But I think its timing, particularly now, is very relevant because of all the talk of potential warfare or attacks by Israel on Iran and or by the
United States. And I think the message from Saudi Arabia is that they want to the Iranians to understand that they will not be a party to any attack
on Iran.
And that they want a peaceful resolution to the nuclear issue and support very much president Trump's diplomatic efforts in that regard.
GIOKOS: You know, one thing we've also heard is that Israel was perhaps planning an attack on Iran as soon as the next two months. From what we
understand, the United States tried to stop this. Iran is saying any attack on its territory could have broader and wider implications.
[10:25:00]
I want you to take me through what this could ultimately mean. And now that Saudi Arabia is in these negotiations, what the potential outcome could be
and whether we could expect a more positive prognosis, given that they're involved.
SHIHABI: Well, to start with, one always worries about unintended consequences in warfare. So if the Israelis attacked the Americans, the
Iranians may retaliate against American air bases and military facilities across the Gulf.
And you have them in Saudi Arabia and you have them in other Gulf countries. And then you would have a regional war, really. So I think Saudi
Arabia is very eager to make sure that that doesn't happen. And they want to be very supportive.
And, you know, they are willing to be a conduit, should that be required, between Iran and the U.S. But Iran and the U.S. now are undertaking
indirect negotiations. And Saudi Arabia is fully supportive of that.
GIOKOS: The very big difference between the JCPOA negotiations and the fact that other Gulf countries weren't as involved, very different stance
that Iran is taking right now.
And I wonder what you make of this change and what trajectory we could be seeing given, I mean, the Omanis are involved. You've got Saudi involved.
But also what we're hearing is the key negotiators calling Gulf countries after the talks.
SHIHABI: Yes. I think America is avoiding the mistake that the Obama administration made, which was to have really negotiated that agreement
behind the backs of the Gulf countries, which created a lot of anxiety and lack of trust with the American administration.
This American administration is keeping its allies in the Gulf very much in the picture. Hence is -- has secured their support, really, for, you know,
a diplomatic agreement which would halt the Iranian enrichment and stop militarization of their nuclear project really.
GIOKOS: So let's talk about the nuclear enrichment, because we know that "The New York Times" reported that the Trump administration waved off an
Israeli attack, like we've said. But also on this moving back on the nuclear enrichment point, initially Steve Witkoff had said 3.67 percent
would be allowed for civil use.
And now they're saying absolutely no uranium enrichment.
How does that complicate things?
Do you think that will be a red line for Iran?
SHIHABI: Well, I think it is a big complicating factor. And both parties have taken a public position on it. So it might be difficult for them to
walk that back.
But ultimately they, you know, they will have to walk that back one way or another to reach an agreement. So either the U.S. will soften its
enrichment conditions or the Iranians will give up enrichment. We'll have to see how these talks develop over the next few weeks. But I think that,
you know, there's an element --
(CROSSTALK)
GIOKOS: It's so great to have you with us.
SHIHABI: -- I'm sure that America is willing to put, that, you know, gives America a stronger hand in agreement.
GIOKOS: Yes. Well, I mean, the negotiations are underway. Continuing talks on Saturday. We're watching very closely, as are you, sir, I'm sure. Thank
you so much for your insights. Good to have you on the show.
And coming up, we'll go live to Myanmar, where hundreds of thousands of people are still living on the streets following last month's deadly
earthquake. We'll bring you an update on that story right after this. Stick with CNN.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:30:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
GIOKOS (voice-over): Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Eleni Giokos. Here are your headlines.
The Trump administration is now threatening to revoke Harvard University's ability to enroll international students if it doesn't turn over student
disciplinary records to the Department of Homeland Security.
And sources tell CNN the IRS is making plans to revoke Harvard's tax exempt status. All of these moves coming after Harvard rejected a list of policy
changes demanded by the White House.
Israel has said it has turned roughly 30 percent of the Gaza Strip into what it calls a security buffer zone. The IDF has ramped up operations in
Gaza since breaking the ceasefire agreement last month, occupying more territory across the enclave.
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni is hoping to position herself as a power broker in U.S.-E.U. trade talks when she meets with Donald Trump in
the coming hours. The conservative leader's allegiance to the U.S. president is seen as a potentially pivotal in negotiations over tariffs.
GIOKOS: Let's get more on the impact of president Trump's trade war, particularly when it comes to China. The back-and-forth tariff retaliation
has left Chinese goods subject to a 145 percent U.S. tariff, driving up prices for Chinese-made products, from Christmas decorations to MAGA hats.
Marc Stewart has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's Christmas every day at this factory in eastern China.
But the holiday cheer has soured since the start of President Trump's trade war.
STEWART: This is all going to the U.S.
STEWART (voice-over): From Christmas lights to Santas, holiday decorations made here sell for just a few dollars in the U.S. But with tariffs, the
prices are so steep, it won't be worth it for American retailers to buy them.
STEWART: How much money have you lost because of canceled business?
RAN HONGYAN, BUSINESS OWNER (through translator): About more than 1 million yuan.
STEWART (voice-over): That's about $135,000. From the factory floor to her showroom, Ran Hongyan says she's lost revenue and relationships.
How does that make you feel?
HONGYAN (through translator): It makes me feel sad because we have been working together for a long time but our deals have stopped due to the
tariffs.
STEWART (voice-over): At first, she offered to slash prices for her longtime American customers, hoping to absorb some of the costs. Now the
tariffs are so high, most of her customers in the U.S. canceled orders completely.
STEWART: It's stories like this we're hearing from exporters. Here in Yiwu, one of the largest wholesale markets in the world, it's really ground
zero in this trade war that's tearing apart the world's two largest economies.
STEWART: So how long has your family had this business?
LI XINYAO, BUSINESS OWNER: It's about 30 -- more than 30 years. America's always impact the world. Yes, when they start the trade war, all the people
will worry about that.
STEWART (voice-over): But it's a two-way street. American consumers rely on places like this for the things they want at the price they want to pay,
including something that has become an unmistakable symbol.
STEWART: Look what we found in the middle of this market, Donald Trump's trademark hat made in China.
STEWART (voice-over): Last year, vendors here sold around $11 billion worth of products to the United States. But even before Trump 2.0, China
saw this trade war coming. To get ahead of it, exporters are already diversifying. Right now, half of Nie Zigin's business is with the U.S. She
tells me she's not worried.
NIE ZIGIN, WHOLESALE VENDOR (through translator): My next step is to transfer my U.S. sales routes to the E.U. Last year we also began designing
products we can sell to the Chinese domestic market.
[10:35:03]
STEWART (voice-over): American consumers have long been hooked on cheap Chinese products. Giving them up might not be easy.
STEWART: And just to be clear, according to the official Trump store, its hats are made in America. As far as the merchants here, they're very much
following China's playbook by not depending so much on the U.S. for business.
We have seen buyers here from all over the world as China tries to solidify itself in a very uncertain economic future -- Marc Stewart, CNN, Yiwu,
China.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: An official for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent says the situation in Myanmar remains extreme. Almost three weeks after a 7.7
magnitude earthquake rocked the country. The quake killed more than 3,600 people. Thousands remained without shelter, food and water following the
disaster.
Hundreds of aftershocks have left many residents frightened of further destruction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): My house completely collapsed. I'm now homeless and no aid comes to us. Not at all.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We don't have any support. We are waiting for individual donors to help us. We are still hoping aid
workers who can support us will reconstruct our house.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Alexander Matheou is regional director for Asia Pacific at the International Red Cross and Red Crescent and joins me now from Myanmar.
Alexander, really good to have you with us. It's a pivotal moment because we know Myanmar was already facing challenges before the earthquake. And
now this has exacerbated the reality for people in the communities.
We're hearing people living on the streets, there aren't enough resources. Take us through what you and your team are experiencing.
ALEXANDER MATHEOU, ASIA PACIFIC REGIONAL DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT: Well, it's not a disaster with a clear epicenter, where
you can walk to one place and see the full scale of the destruction. There is devastation along a long fault line of the Mandalay and Sagaing
provinces.
So you drive down streets and some one side of the street may be OK. The other side may be destroyed. Every fourth or fifth house may be destroyed.
But collectively it is a massive tragedy. There are hundreds of thousands of people on the street. Now as I talk to you this evening here in Myanmar,
who cannot go back home because it's not safe.
And tragically, thousands of them have lost loved ones in the earthquake as well. So the event is sharp and sudden and quick but the impact will last
for weeks, months and years, actually.
GIOKOS: I want to talk about funding for the work that you're doing. We know that funding is drying up. The United States pulled out of a lot of
its commitments. But tell me if you've been able to replace that with other sources from elsewhere.
MATHEOU: Well, there has been a lot of solidarity from within Southeast Asia and Asia Pacific itself. So a lot of the first responders that came
internationally came from neighboring countries.
It's also important whenever it comes to Myanmar, to emphasize there is a great tradition of mutual aid here. Everybody steps out to help each other.
Monks, monasteries, churches, mosques, neighbors, civil society organizations they're all involved in the search and rescue.
And they're all out tonight helping people with shelter, water, food, et cetera. But there is a need for an international effort because the cost of
bringing people safely back home, which is what everybody really wants, they don't want to spend one more night on the streets than they have to.
But to go home means clearing a lot of rubble to make the place safe and habitable again. That needs investment. So we really do need international
support. There is some -- there's generosity from many different countries.
There are many campaigns around the world supporting the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies and other organizations.
But is it enough, honestly, to bring thousands of people back to their homes?
It's not nearly enough at the moment.
GIOKOS: I mean, you've also experienced hundreds of aftershocks, I think, in the last 10 days. You've got monsoon season coming up as well. And
you're saying that people are afraid to go home and they don't have the resources to do so.
So describe to me what -- I mean, how are people dealing with this daily reality of this unknown and uncertain risk?
MATHEOU: Well, if you can imagine a street that looks relatively normal in some ways -- you've got traffic on it. People are going to the shops. But
every fourth house is just flattened concrete.
Now near that street there will be a number of not quite tents; tarpaulins, where people have tried to stay close to their homes so they can go back,
collect things, make sure nobody is looting the property. But they're sleeping outside because it's not safe now.
Outside, they need access to water. They need access to latrines. It's not a comfortable life at all. It's also very, very hot. So it's nearly plus 40
here today.
[10:40:02]
And very stuffy and hot at night. But when it rains, it's even worse because they're sleeping on the ground. So these shelters, they're not
adequate to keep people dry in intense monsoon rains. So that's going to create real difficulties.
Now in the past they would have gone to a local monastery, who would have kindly provided shelter to them. But many of the religious buildings have
been destroyed. Churches, monks, monasteries, these are places that we've lost a great cultural heritage here.
But there was also a great social function of providing hospitality to people, to millions of displaced people. Those places have now been
destroyed, making it doubly hard to find anywhere safe to be tonight.
GIOKOS: It's a tragedy all around. You've got cultural heritage destroyed, infrastructure destroyed and the impact on people's lives and the people
that lost their lives. And I wonder what you need right now is, you know, food, shelter, clean water.
We're hearing diseases, potential outbreak of diseases. You know, I want to understand the scale of this. And firstly, the stumbling blocks that you're
facing right now.
Is it access to funding?
Is it getting goods and resources inside Myanmar as quickly as possible?
MATHEOU: Well, there are hundreds of thousands of people on the streets and that means a big logistical operation to provide assistance.
So the last two days, as I've been visiting communities, I have seen the Myanmar Red Cross, supported by the International Federation of Red Cross
and Red Crescent Societies, provide shelter, water. We're producing around 40,000 litres of clean drinking water every day for people here.
We have mobile clinics providing assistance to hundreds of patients every day. We've brought in 200 tons of relief items to be delivered over the
coming days as well. But that is still not enough.
We've reached, for example, 45,000 people over the last week. But that's 45,000 out of over 200,000 who needs to be reached. So there's plenty more
to do.
But I would really underline that, critically, people need to get back home and restart their livelihoods. No one wants to be on the streets forever
and nobody wants to be dependent on aid.
And that's where the real effort needs to be from, really from today onwards. And that's what the IFRC will be placing a strong emphasis on in
the weeks and the months to come.
GIOKOS: All right. Matthew Alexander (sic), Matthew (sic), thank you so much for your time, your insights and for the work that you're doing on the
ground so important at this time of crisis. Thank you, sir.
MATHEOU: Thank you for having me.
GIOKOS: And still to come, a dream vacation that turned into a nightmare. The kite surfer who wound up in a Venezuelan jail and hasn't been heard
from in months. We'll update you on that story right after. This.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
GIOKOS: Catholics around the world are waiting to see how much of the Holy Week and Easter celebrations Pope Francis will be able to take part in
after battling life-threatening double pneumonia. The Vatican says his condition has gradually improved since leaving the hospital in late March.
[10:45:02]
But he's unable to speak for long periods of time in public and he continues to have a medical team close by. CNN's Vatican correspondent
Christopher Lamb joins me now from Rome.
Christopher, good to have you with us. It's a big question on so many Catholics' minds.
How involved is Pope Francis going to be?
Tell me about what you saw today. It is Holy Week. Today is very important as well on the Easter calendar. Give us a sense of what's going on.
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pope Francis, despite having the difficulties in speaking and obviously the health crisis that
he's undergone, has shown he is determined to at least participate in some way during this Holy Week and Easter services.
Of course, this would normally be a time when the pope would be leading a large number of services. But, of course, he has had to delegate those to
cardinals to take his place at.
But today, Holy Thursday, Francis went to a prison near the Vatican. He had a half an hour meeting with inmates there. He told them that he would
normally want to perform the footwashing ritual of Holy Thursday, which he does each year in different parts of Rome.
He would normally do that, with them, to wash their feet but unfortunately he can't because of his physical condition.
On the way into the prison, he spoke to a reporter who asked him how he was.
He said that -- he was joking with the reporter. And he said that he, whenever he goes to a prison he feels, you know, why?
Why them and not me?
So the pope still showing a determination to take part in Holy Week. He joked with the reporter that he, when she asked, how are you feeling?
He said, I'm sitting. He was sitting in the car. So he's still got a good sense of humor. He still got a strong spirit. But physically, it's
obviously very difficult for him. He can't give long speeches. He is not expected to lead the long liturgies that take place over Easter.
But we are expecting to see him at brief intervals during this period of Holy Week and Easter. And particularly on Easter Sunday, when the pope
would usually give a very important message to the world, the Urbi et Orbi blessing.
And we are expecting to see him to give that blessing, perhaps say a few words but no more than that.
Also, expecting vice president JD Vance to be in Rome over the Easter weekend. So perhaps there might be a brief meeting with the pope. We don't
know yet. So a busy time for Francis, who's trying his best, despite his health challenges, to take part in this high point of the church's year at
Easter.
GIOKOS: All right, Christopher Lamb, thanks so much for that update.
Concerns are growing for a French American tourist who has not been heard from for more than three months. Lucas Hunter had been vacationing in
Colombia to take part in kite surfing competitions. His family says he was abducted by Venezuelan troops and taken across the border. Isa Soares has
more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is how Sophie Hunter found out her brother had been arrested.
LUCAS HUNTER, DETAINED IN Venezuela (from captions): I don't want you to freak out. I was caught by the Venezuelans and four hours have passed.
SOARES (voice-over): With a voice message, a location pin placing him on Venezuelan soil.
Her 37-year-old brother, French American Lucas Hunter, had been traveling around Northern Colombia to kite surf along the coast, sending Sophie
regular updates about the places he was visiting.
But on January 7th, he told her something different.
SOPHIE HUNTER, BROTHER DETAINED IN VENEZUELA: "I was riding my scooter. I got a bit lost. I came close to a border checkpoint. I reversed and I got
grabbed" -- that's the word he used -- "by Venezuelan military forces. They took me across the border." I think maybe it's --
SOARES (voice-over): They continued to text for the next 24 hours. But then the messages stopped.
S. HUNTER: Since the 8th of January, 1 pm local time, we haven't heard from him. We have no idea where he is. The governments have no idea.
SOARES: Venezuelan authorities haven't responded to our request for information. For now, it is unclear where Hunter is. being held.
But the last group of Americans to be released from Venezuela were held here at this high-security prison on the outskirts of Caracas called Rodeo
Uno. Activists say that this is the prison where those who challenge the government are held but also dozens of foreigners.
DAVID ESTRELLA, FORMER PRISONER IN VENEZUELA: They could do anything they want.
[10:50:00]
Put it that way. And they did.
SOARES (voice-over): Until January, David Estrella was one of those Americans, accused by the government of wanting to bring down Maduro. He
says he was just a tourist. Inside, he says he was tortured and made to feel insignificant.
ESTRELLA: They said many times -- they say, we -- you know, we can disappear you, eliminate you. You don't exist in this country.
They were right. You didn't exist there. So like they said, they can make a hole in the ground and shoot you and disappear. And nobody knows.
SOARES (voice-over): Venezuela denies any allegations of torture but Estrella was only released on January 31st after President Donald Trump
sent special envoy Richard Grenell to negotiate directly with Maduro, the first U.S. official to do so in years.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't believe we're here.
SOARES (voice-over): Five other Americans went home with Estrella but Hunter wasn't among them.
S. HUNTER: Obviously, I was a bit sad. However, I was very happy that some of the Americans got out. Because for me, that meant maybe we can
understand more about the conditions.
SOARES (voice-over): The State Department says Hunter is unjustly detained and continues to seek the release of all Americans, 10 in total, arrested
by the regime in Venezuela.
Months after he was supposed to come home, Lucas' flat in Paris now bears the marks of his absence. His family have kept his things intact, certain
he'll be back.
S. HUNTER: He's, you know, strong and everything. I also know that he has a soft side inside. And that's why I'm a bit worried for his mental health,
for his asthma and -- and how he can keep his spirits up.
SOARES (voice-over): Isa Soares, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
GIOKOS: Welcome back.
Scientists studying the deep sea say they are very excited after finally catching the elusive colossal squid on camera in its natural environment
for the first time. And there it is. Now this is a juvenile. It is quite small but it can grow up to seven meters. And it's the only creature
they've managed to find underwater. CNN's Shama Nasinde has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. AARON EVANS, GLASS SQUID EXPERT: I started hyperventilating. I teared up. We have never seen this animal in the wild before.
SHAMA NASINDE, CNN CONTRIBUTOR (voice-over): We've known about the colossal squid for a century but this is our first confirmed footage of the
mysterious creature in its native habitat.
EVANS: We could think of this maybe as a teenager squid. It's not quite an adult. It hasn't fully matured yet, it's still got a lot of growing to do.
NASINDE (voice-over): The colossal squid will grow up to an estimated 23 feet long, weighing as much as half a ton, the largest squid species on
Earth. And it's not the only underwater animal the team of explorers and scientists working with the Schmidt Ocean Institute found during its last
two voyages to study the deeps near Antarctica.
THOM LINLEY, EXPEDITION MEMBER, MUSEUM OF NEW ZEALAND TE PAPA TONGAREWA: This is Galiteuthis glacialis. This is the first time it has been seen
alive. And again, it reiterates that a lot of the deep sea animals are actually really fragile and really beautiful.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Well, in what could be a landmark discovery, scientists have found what they say is the strongest evidence yet of possible life beyond Earth.
Using the James Webb space telescope, researchers detected two gases, which, on Earth, are only produced biologically by things like algae.
[10:55:05]
And they say the possible biosignature came from a large exoplanet about 124 light years from Earth in the constellation Leo. The study's lead
author calls it a transformational moment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIKKA MADHUSUDHAN, ASTROPHYSICIST, INSTITUTE OF ASTRONOMY, UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE: Not only that there is a chance that the planet can actually be
habitable.
But what we are finding is that we are demonstrating, that it is possible to detect biosignatures around in atmospheres of such planets, around
nearby stars with existing facilities. And that's a big breakthrough.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: While the findings are promising, scientists are not saying actual living organisms have been found. They say it's still a possibility and
they are stressing that more research is needed.
But I can tell you, a lot of people are going to be looking at this as a big probability for another life to be out there beyond our world.
Well, that's it for CONNECT THE WORLD. And thanks so much for joining us on the show today. Please stay with CNN. "ONE WORLD" is up next. From me,
Eleni Giokos, have a fantastic evening.
END
