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Russian General Killed In Moscow Car Bombing; U.S. In "Active Pursuit" Of Oil Tanker Off Venezuela's Coast; Outrage Grows After Heavily Redacted Jeffrey Epstein Files Release; Court Reveals New Details Of How Deadly Attack Unfolded; Gaza's Christmas Clinging To Hope This Christmas; United Nations Refugee Chief Speaks To CNN For Exit Interview. Trump Media Strikes $6 Billion Merge Deal With Fusion Energy Firm. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired December 22, 2025 - 10:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:00:28]
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Welcome to the second hour of the show. I'm Eleni Giokos in Dubai.
A Russian general has been killed in a car bombing in Moscow, a criminal case is now opened on the investigation.
Plus, we've got new details emerging from the Bondi Beach attack in Australia. Documents reveal the suspects undertook firearms training at an
undisclosed location.
And we take you then to a T.V. exclusive, CNN speaking to the Filippo Grandi, the outgoing U.N. Commissioner for Refugees on his 10-year career.
Right, we're following developments of a car bombing in Moscow. The Russian general who ran the armed forces operation department was killed in the
attack. A criminal case has been opened, and investigators are looking into whether Ukraine special services were involved.
We've got CNN's Frederik Pleitgen joining us from Moscow this hour. Fred, what more are we learning about this incident?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there, Eleni, well, this happened in the early hours of this morning, at around
7:00 a.m. as far as the Investigative Committee has said publicly. And they said, this happened in an area in the southeast of Moscow.
And essentially, the Investigative Committee saying that, as this general was inside his car, where we've seen that in some of the videos that we've
been showing, that an explosive device or a bomb went off that seemed to be stuck underneath that car.
And if we look at some of the videos that have come out from where all of this happened in Moscow earlier today, you can see that there is that car,
and there's substantial damage to the car, but that damage does appear to be coming from underneath. There's a lot of damage inside the car and
seemingly under the car, whereas the top of the car seems to be fairly intact.
Nevertheless, that general, Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov was killed and was pronounced dead a little bit later. The Russians are saying that
they're investigating into all sorts of directions. But of course, first and foremost, they are saying that they believe that Ukrainian special
services or Ukrainian intelligence might be behind this. It wouldn't be the first time that something like that had happened.
In fact, around a year ago, pretty much one year ago, there was a similar case where a senior Russian general was killed just outside his house by a
bomb that was also inside a vehicle and then remotely detonated.
Unclear whether or not that's the case this time, but certainly the Russians are saying that Vladimir Putin was informed about this shortly
after it happened, Eleni.
GIOKOS: All right, so Fred, I also want to talk about the peace negotiations and how those are progressing. We know that on the Russian
side, they're saying that the changes that were made were unconstructive.
PLEITGEN: Unconstructive, at least that's as far as a senior Kremlin aide is concerned. We're sort of hearing different voices coming out of Moscow
over the past couple of hours. In fact, the Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, he came out a little bit over an hour ago and said that he did
believe that there were certain things where progress had been achieved.
One of the things that he was talking about, which the Russians talk about very frequently, which is the root causes, as they put it, of the conflict
in Ukraine. One of them, of course, being NATO eastward expansion over the past couple of decades. And they say that that's one point where the U.S.
has apparently been making some headway to come to terms with both the Ukrainian demands for security guarantees and then also the Russian demands
that Ukraine not join NATO.
However, as far as the territorial question is concerned, that certainly appears to be one of the most difficult ones, and there indeed that senior
Kremlin aide did say that he believed that some of the things that had been talked about, especially things that were put forward by the Europeans and
the Ukrainians were indeed unconstructive. Here's what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YURI USHAKOV, KREMLIN AIDE (through translator): I think that the majority of offers will not work for us because we will stick to the plan that we
have decided on in anchorage and at the other meetings with the American representatives.
Yes, what was offered, in my opinion, is quite unconstructive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: That was Yuri Ushakov, senior Kremlin aide, speaking to Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin earlier today, and Ushakov there, as you said,
saying that he doesn't believe that all this is going to move the needle very much.
However, officially, the Russians really haven't commented. The Kremlin itself has not said whether or not they think that things are actually
moving forward or could move forward. One of the things that Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman for Vladimir Putin, said earlier today is he said that
Vladimir Putin is going to receive a briefing by the Russian negotiator, Kirill Dmitriev, who was in Miami this weekend to speak with Jared Kushner,
speak with Steve Witkoff, and that after that briefing happens, that then and Dmitriev is on his way back to Russia from the United States right now.
After that meeting happens, maybe the Russians will be able to say more, Eleni.
[10:05:14]
GIOKOS: All right, Frederik Pleitgen thank you so much for that update.
Right now, the U.S. forces are actively chasing another oil tanker off Venezuela's coast, a ship under sanctions for alleged ties to Iranian oil.
Officials say it was sailing towards Venezuela to pick up oil, but when the U.S. Coast Guard tried to board the ship, it refused to stop. The U.S. has
seized two other tankers this month, part of the Trump administration's complete blockade on Venezuela's oil industry. We expect to hear from
President Trump later today. More now from CNN's Kevin Liptak on the third tanker.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: The US says that it's under sanctions that there had been a warrant for its seizure, and that was
flying a false flag, but its crew essentially refused to submit to the U.S. Coast Guard personnel, turned around and fled into the Caribbean Sea,
leading to what one U.S. official described as an active pursuit that as of very late last evening, was still underway.
Now, this was the second vessel that the U.S. tried to seize this weekend, the first one they were more successful with. It was called the Centuries.
It was carrying what the U.S. called stolen oil. And the Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted video of a Coast Guard helicopter hovering
over its deck as a personnel boarded that ship.
It was the third ship altogether. You remember, about 11 days ago, the U.S. seized a ship called the Skipper that is now at anchor off of Texas as the
U.S. works to seize its oil.
And so, this is all a part of the campaign, really an escalation of Washington's crackdown on Venezuela's oil industry, really, looking to up
the pressure on President Nicolas Maduro and cut off that country's most economic -- important economic lifeline.
You're right to point out and raise these questions of legality. What the White House and what the Department of Homeland Security have said is that
there are warrants out for some of these ships, and that other ones are operating as part of this shadow fleet that transports illegal in the view
of Washington, oil from around the world, whether it's from Venezuela or Iran or Russia, and they say that this is all part of their attempts to
enforce the sanctions regime.
But it has raised a lot of questions, both among Democrats, but also among Republicans, and you heard Rand Paul earlier questioning what the end goal
in all of this was. It also has led to an escalation of rhetoric from Caracas. Nicolas Maduro saying that this was all psychological terrorism,
and he has ordered his navy to escort these oil tankers as they're leaving Venezuela, which obviously ups the risk of a potential armed confrontation
between the two Navy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: All right, that was Kevin Liptak for us.
Now, we're also following growing criticism over the U.S. Justice Department's handling of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey
Epstein.
On Friday, the Department released just a fraction of its Epstein files by the congressionally mandated deadline. Officials say they erred on the side
of, "Over redaction to protect victims of Epstein." You can see some of the pages that we're putting on screen right now, just covered in black. Some
critics accuse Trump's Justice Department of a cover up and are demanding more transparency.
And with the growing backlash, a photograph containing an image of Donald Trump was restored to the DOJ's Epstein files library on Sunday after
officials determined the photo did not show any victims.
For more on this, I want to bring in CNN's Stephen Collinson and former federal prosecutor Gene Rossi, great to have you both with us.
Gene, you know you and I spoke on Friday ahead of the release of these files, and we always knew that we're going to be walking a tightrope with
redactions. Were you surprised at the level of redactions? And do you believe that this is a cover up?
GENE ROSSI, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Well, I'm not there by saying there's a cover up yet, but I will say this before I get to my criticism,
the Department of Justice has pretty wide discretion on holding back documents and redactions in a normal investigation, but here we had a vote
of 427 to one in the House to disclose everything that is permissible, and they had guidelines, and we're getting close to not a cover up yet, but
we're getting close to showing that the Justice Department is very concerned about what they have.
I want to give some data to your viewers on this. There are 300 gigabytes of data, files, documents, photos. What they disclose over the last two or
three days is one percent around three gigabytes, so they have 99 percent of the file still to be turned over.
[10:10:15]
And even the one percent that they disclosed in the last couple of days, it reminds me of that phrase that they're shooting first, aiming later, and
even then they're missing. It's just a comedy of errors in the way they brought out the one percent. God help us how they're going to bring out the
other 99 percent.
But what's going to happen? Last point is, you now have antagonized not just Democrats but Republicans in the House. Once again, it was a vote of
427 to one to show and release and be transparent about the Epstein files.
GIOKOS: OK, so Stephen, I want to bring you in here. We know that they are planning to release more files, you know, more data over the next few
weeks, at least, that's what they've said.
If it looks like this, where you see this approach of maximum redactions, what is the political fallout here? Because criticism is coming from both
sides of the aisle.
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: I think the big question here politically is whether, if this is still the case, when lawmakers get
back after the Christmas and New Year break, the momentum that was behind the Republican rebellion against the president that led to the passage of
this law requiring the documents to be released. Can that be created -- recreated to hold the administration to account?
A lot of critics of the administration are talking about potentially censoring senior officials, even trying to impeach the Attorney General Pam
Bondi or the Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche over this. I think we have to see whether there is going to be sufficient Republican support to
hold the administration's feet to the fire. That is the big unanswered political question.
I think the administration is probably hoping that over the Christmas holidays, the anger dissipates somewhat, that I think would be a mistake,
because they were hoping for the same thing when the government was shut down earlier this year and lawmakers were out of town for six weeks, all
that did was create a pressure cooker of political pressure, which ended up backfiring against the administration.
GIOKOS: So, Gene, we know that, as Stephen mentioned, that you know, some lawmakers are considering holding the DOJ and Pam Bondi in contempt of
court. Do they have legal standing here on the approach of over redaction?
ROSSI: Yes, they do. And I was thinking about this before it came on. There are really three ways they can take action. One is to start impeachment
proceedings. That's not going to happen before the House possibly changes sides. That's not going to happen.
Second option is, they go the civil route. They'll file a civil lawsuit trying to get the court to declare that Ms. Bondi or Mr. Blanche are in
contempt, and that would be a civil fine of approximately 5,000 a day.
The third option would be a criminal referral to the Justice Department. But the problem is, if you make a referral to the Justice Department, the
top two people are the personal lawyers of Donald Trump and what are you doing? You're handing it back to them. There probably would have to be a
special counsel.
But I do want to say this, regarding the redactions, Congress could set up a select committee -- I'm guessing here, a select committee to look at the
basis and a justification for these widespread redactions in the mere one percent that they've already disclosed. You can't imagine what how much
redaction is going to occur in the other 99 percent, so those are options that the Congress could take.
GIOKOS: OK, so Stephen, I want you to take a listen to Vice President Vance at yesterday's Turning Point USA event.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J.D. VANCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: The United States of America, you don't have to apologize for being white anymore. Do you want more prosecutions?
Great. So do we. Donald Trump and I have a list of better judges and prosecutors to enact swifter justice. So, join us in the fight against the
stupid Senate rules to stand in their way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: What do you make of that, Stephen?
COLLINSON: Well, I think what Vice President Vance was trying to do this weekend was try and create some order in the rapidly fracturing MAGA
movement. A lot of people at that conference in Phoenix are starting to look to the future without Donald Trump being this unifying force on the
right.
In specific terms, what he was talking about was the administration has been very frustrated about trying to get more judges confirmed. What
happens is that there are various arcane rules in the Senate, some of which allow senators from specific states to block or delay judge nominations
that they don't wish to see go through. So, this is always a contentious process.
[10:15:23]
The administration has been quite successful in its first and second terms in reshaping the judiciary to get more conservative judges onto the bench,
which Donald Trump believes would help him in most policy situations. That's not always the case.
And of course, in the first time, he completely reshaped the Supreme Court, which has given him a conservative majority that has been quite deferential
towards his power in many cases.
So, Vance is both trying to work for the president and to create the glide path, I think, for him to become the Republican nominee for the
presidential election in 2028.
GIOKOS: So, Gene, I mean, I know over the last few days have been really interesting politically, and frankly, the past year, there's so much to
unpack, but it does seem from a judicial perspective, and specifically on legal front, is that President Trump and his team are trying to consolidate
power. And you know, many people are saying this is overreach with regards to the judiciary, what are you reading into it?
ROSSI: Well, I'm very disappointed in the Trump administration's attacks on judges, whether they're democratically appointed or Republicanly appointed
judges.
The judiciary, in my experience, I was a prosecutor for almost 30 years. I made a lot of mistakes, but I tried to correct them, but I always tried to
stay away from criticizing the judge or judges, and I also tried to stay away from criticizing any jury verdict or decision by a court, you don't
gain anything by attacking the judiciary.
We have three separate branches of government, and I firmly believe that the judiciary, it's not perfect. It's not perfect, but it's the best we
got, and we should be criticizing it every time a decision is adverse.
GIOKOS: All right, Stephen and Jean, thank you so very much. Gene, actually, I see you've got another holiday tie on. I see you're full on
holiday mode despite the news.
ROSSI: I thought you were going to mention that, I wore -- I wore this just for you. I wore this just for you.
GIOKOS: Well, thank you. Stephen, you should take you from Gene on holiday ties.
COLLINSON: Yes, I got to do better.
GIOKOS: Anyway, thanks to both of you. Yes, you got to do better. Thank you.
All right, so coming up next, new details.
ROSSI: Happy holiday.
GIOKOS: You too. All the best.
All right, I want to take you to a sad story. And of course, we're learning more details about the alleged gunman planning out and carrying out the
Bondi Beach massacre. We'll give you those details after this.
Plus, if you're traveling this holiday season, you're far from alone. We'll take a look at how airports are preparing to handle millions of travelers
in the United States set to fly over the festive period. Stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:20:09]
GIOKOS: Thousands of mourners gathered at Bondi Beach Sunday evening remembering the 15 people killed in the attack on a Jewish festival there
last week. We're learning about details on how the alleged perpetrators carried out this attack. CNN's Mike Valerio has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Police say the accused attackers had three pipe bombs and one tennis ball bomb thrown into the crowd before the
accused father and son started shooting.
Key here, according to investigators, all those bombs, all those explosive devices, were viable, but none of them detonated. So, in addition to those
four, we have the three pipe bombs, the tennis ball bomb. There was also another larger IED that was found in the trunk of the father and son's car,
bringing the total to five explosives.
And then, there's the level of alleged preparation, investigators looked at videos found on the cell phones of the father and son, and in October,
police say both appear to be practicing firing shotguns in the countryside of New South Wales, trying to move tactically.
And as we move closer to the attack on Friday, December 12th, there is a still from CCTV during the 9:00 p.m. hour in Sydney that appears to show
both of the accused going to the same foot bridge where the attack started, and on the day of the attack in the 2:00 a.m. hour, police say the father
and the son are seen moving large, long items believed to be the weapons and explosives brought to the attack, and they're wrapped in blankets,
putting them in their car.
Also, police shared a photo of an ISIS flag that they say the father and son made, and they added that in another October video, the father and son
made, "A number of statements regarding their motivation for the Bondi attack" and condemned, "The acts of Zionists."
Furthermore, worth noting, the surviving son was moved from his hospital bed today where he was receiving treatment, escorted by a police riot squad
to a penitentiary facility.
Mike Valerio, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: I want to get you up to speed on other stories that are on our radar right now, an update out of Nigeria, where more than 130 children
have been released after being kidnapped nearly a month ago by armed groups, that's according to a presidential spokesman. The release means all
303 students who were taken in November from Saint Mary's private Catholic school are now free, some as young as 10 years old.
Japan is set to restart the world's biggest nuclear power plants in an effort to move away from fossil fuels. The plant and all others in Japan
have sat dormant ever since the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011 despite nerves from nearby residents. Authorities have approved plans to restart
one of its reactors on January the 20th.
Powerful storms are sweeping Northern California, killing at least one person. Torrential rains are triggering flash floods with heavy snow in the
higher elevations, all of it creating dangerous conditions during a busy holiday season. The worst is yet to come, the region is expected to see its
heaviest rainfall in the next 24 hours.
It is the most wonderful time of the year and the busiest, especially if you're set to travel. AAA predicts that more than 120 million Americans --
120 million Americans will be on the move. That is a crazy number between now and the New Year, traveling at least 50 miles from home over the next
two weeks.
This year's forecast is up just over two percent from last December, breaking last year's record of 119 million travelers.
Our Pete Muntean is at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, just outside of T.V. -- D.C. rather, some of our international viewers may be
flying to the U.S. I'm confused.
Listen, it's close to Christmas. This number is crazy, 120 million people. Maybe I want to T.V. for Christmas, Pete, I'm sending a message out to the
universe. Tell me.
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Maybe it's better to sit at home and watch T.V. on all of this, Eleni. You know, the TSA says 2.8 million people at
TSA checkpoints on Friday, 2.8 million on Saturday, 2.8 million on Sunday. The numbers have already been huge.
This is a live look at the terminal two north checkpoint here at Reagan National Airport. The line right now we're at a bit of a lull. It's about
10:30 on the East Coast, so things will pick up. Was huge earlier this morning. The line was very, very long. And then as we go on in the day, of
course, a lot of people end up here at the airport. And this is where it sort of becomes an international story. So many people traveling by air.
[10:25:04]
Of course, a lot of people, according to AAA, will be traveling by car, and the gas prices here in the U.S. are relatively low. That's really bumping
that number up. The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline now below $3.00 a gallon, $2.85, some more good news for people. The number of
delays and cancelations, very low.
Here's the departures board at national airport right now. About a hundred flights on the board. I'm counting one, two, three delays, so that's pretty
good. I just checked FlightAware, there has only been one cancelation here in the entire last day, in the last 24 hours, one cancelation.
The big thing that AAA says is that folks are not accounting for, the traffic getting into the airport. We saw that big time over the
Thanksgiving holiday rush. And now things are a little bit more spread out, not as condensed, but they're warning folks to get to the airport ahead of
time. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AIXA DIAZ, AAA SPOKESPERSON: I think the two biggest concerns for air travelers are going to be the weather and traffic around the airport. I
think a lot of times, people just think about the long TSA lines as being the only line they're going to have to sit in. There's also traffic. We saw
it over Thanksgiving. Some people waiting half an hour, even an hour, trying to get to the airport itself. So, be mindful of that. Tack on an
extra 30 minutes to your trip to get to the airport.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MUNTEAN: Federal Aviation Administration is warning of delays because of weather, some pretty significant international hubs. Really, the West Coast
is an area of concern, San Francisco, Seattle, Tacoma, Southern California, those are all places where the Federal Aviation Administration is concerned
about clouds and low ceilings today.
Also, New York, Newark, LaGuardia, JFK, those airports on the list of concern by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration because of high winds
today, Boston also another international hub on that list.
So, maybe smooth sailing, at least for now, the weather on the East Coast relatively good, so a lot of people will be able to make connections today,
although, never say never. It's still pretty early in the day here on the U.S. East Coast, Eleni.
GIOKOS: Still pretty early. OK, so, there's been a two percent increase from last year. So, it's now to three million people. Are you part of that
three million? Are you traveling or you're just going to be in the airport covering the story for us?
MUNTEAN: I am traveling. I'm following my own good advice. The best kept secret is to travel on Christmas day itself, and that's when the numbers
are the lowest, and that's my plan.
So, hopefully, I'm going to the West Coast, so hopefully the weather will be better, things will be pretty smooth, and the numbers will be low.
GIOKOS: Listen, Pete, do me a favor, if you're going to cover the story again, I need to see you in a holiday jumper. I mean, you can't be wearing
black on a day like this. Come on, it's holiday week.
MUNTEAN: No, I'm wearing a black, good T.V. color. That's what I'm doing.
GIOKOS: All right, Pete Muntean, so good to see you. Take care.
All right. So, I want to take you to another story now, amid untold hardship, Gaza's tiny Christian community is gathering to celebrate hope
and new life is festive season. More on that right after this, stick with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:30:34]
GIOKOS: Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Eleni Giokos. These are your headlines.
A Russian general has been killed in a car bombing in Moscow. Investigators are pursuing various motives and are looking into whether Ukraine Special
Forces were behind the attack. The general ran Russia's Armed Forces operational training department.
Now, we expect to hear from President Trump later today, as the U.S. pursues a third oil tanker off Venezuela's coast, saying it has ties to
Iranian oil. Officials say the Coast Guard tried to board the vessel Sunday, but it refused to stop. Two other ships were seized this month,
part of the Trump administration's partial blockade of Venezuelan oil.
The U.S. Justice Department is facing intense criticism over its latest release of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Officials say the department erred on the side of "over redaction" to protect Epstein's victims. Critics accuse the DOJ of a cover up.
As temperatures drop and winter weather sets in, Palestinians in Gaza are facing an impossible choice, to live in flimsy tents, exposed to elements,
or risk sheltering in bombed out ruins which could collapse at any moment. It is a brutal reality which hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are
living every day.
In one corner of the enclave, Gaza's tiny Christian community is determined not to let this Christmas season go unmarked, despite the hardship that
they and their neighbors are facing. CNN's Paula Hancocks reports on how Gaza's Christians are still finding hope and reasons to celebrate this
December.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Christmas Mass in Gaza this year had many messages: hope, resilience, and a direct response to the
U.S. president's early plans for a post-war Gaza.
CARDINAL PIERBATTISTA PIZZABALLA, LATIN PATRIARCHATE OF JERUSALEM: I remembered during the war, especially at the beginning, there were plans to
transform Gaza into a resort. But we are here. We will not be a resort. We will rebuild our lives as we want.
HANCOCKS (voice over): The most senior Catholic cleric in the Holy Land traveled to Gaza to support the tiny Christian population. Just 1,000
people before the war started in 2023, living among a population of more than 2 million. He states, we are still here, highlighting the fight for
survival after two years of war.
PIZZABALLA: House, housing, schools, hospitals. The condition of life and poverty are catastrophic.
HANCOCKS (voice over): Bells rang out for the baptism of a new baby, Mario, marking new life and new hope, the patriarch said.
But memories are still fresh of a strike last July on the only Catholic Church in Gaza by the Israeli military, killing at least three people
sheltering in the building. Israel's prime minister's office said at the time that it deeply regretted that stray ammunition hit the church.
I was in there, this 11-year-old says, and I was hit by a glass shard in my foot. My wish for the New Year is to get out of here and meet my family
outside Gaza and for us all to be at peace.
We are trying to make this prayer more than just a celebration, this woman says. We decorated the tree and its simple decorations. We are trying to
make it a spiritual joy.
A rare moment of hope so desperately needed after more than two years of misery. Paula Hancocks, CNN, Abu Dhabi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Well, this year has been plagued by world crises from Gaza to Ukraine and Sudan. Millions of people have been caught in the crossfire of
these conflicts with devastating consequences. Filippo Grandi has spent the past decade leading global efforts to help refugees who have fled the war,
violence, and the threat of persecution.
Now, after 10 years, he is ending his tenure as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He spoke to my colleague, Becky Anderson about
the reality of the task and his hopes for the future.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (voice over): Across the world, we are seeing devastating images.
[10:35:00]
FILIPPO GRANDI, COMMISSIONER OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES: Moments of conflict that have upended the lives of millions this
year.
We have heard these stories before, but they simply don't stop murder, rape, robbery, separation of families, all sorts of abuse.
ANDERSON (voice over): I spoke with Filippo Grandi, the outgoing U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, at the end of his decade long tenure.
He took office in 2016, and in the 10 years since, his leadership has been tested by some of the most turbulent moments in modern history.
The exodus of migrants from Venezuela, Russia's war on Ukraine, and what many aid agencies now describe as the world's greatest humanitarian crisis
unfolding in Sudan.
This was a tenure shaped by crisis.
GRANDI: This year that is coming to a close has been pretty bad for the Ukrainians, because, of course, the Russian shelling, bombings, drones, you
name it, destruction has increased exponentially in the past 12 months, and we've seen more people killed, we've seen more civilian infrastructure
damaged or destroyed, the energy infrastructure, which is so vital for the country in winter, the main concern being that we see that these peace
talks are not advancing fast enough, and that we don't see around the corner, unfortunately, any peace coming, which is very much needed.
But my concern, more from my perspective, is that the discussion is a lot on politics, on security, as it should be, but there is a human dimension
of that war, a human cost that is being paid by the Ukrainians, which is incredibly hard.
You know, Becky, I've worked in crisis and conflict for 42 years. Very soon, 42 years. I've seen all sorts of peacemaking styles. To me, it's not
the style that matters, it's the result.
ANDERSON (voice over): Over the past decade, the number of refugees worldwide has almost doubled. This year alone, an estimated 117.3 million
people have been forcibly displaced by conflict and political upheaval.
GRANDI: There are two, three crises that have contributed mostly to it. If you take the displacement of Ukrainians, of Sudanese, and of Venezuelans,
that was not really an issue in 2016, these three crises alone account for the vast majority of that increase. So, use -- it's easy to see where the
displacement comes from.
ANDERSON (voice over): But even as needs surge, U.N. funding is being cut by donor nations. Around 11 million people worldwide are losing vital aid
due to the lack of budget.
These are refugees stranded in border areas waiting for relocation to safety. Families unable to afford food, medicine or shelter, and students
deprived of education.
GRANDI: This year, we lost anything between one and $1-1/2 billion in contributions during the year. So, we had to shrink the organization by
one-third.
The bigger issue here is that this is not just UNHCR. In the past, maybe one agency was had difficulties, and others could step in. This is not
possible anymore. We are all across the board. The big agencies like UNICEF, but also smaller ones, and the NGOs were all hit by this cut scene
in humanitarian budgets.
I've been saying, you know, you are putting a lot of money into defense spending, fair enough, that's your prerogative. But by diminishing aid,
humanitarian aid, even development aid, you are creating instability in places very close to you, very strategic to you. So, I've always said it:
cutting aid is a huge strategic mistake.
ANDERSON: Earlier this year, President Trump froze U.S. foreign aid, a move that sent shockwaves through the agency.
The United States, which accounted for around 40 percent of global donations last year, has also tightened immigration policies, leaving
countless asylum seekers stranded at the border.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We may have short term, some little pain, and people understand that. But long term, the United States
has been ripped-off by virtually every country in the world.
We have been helping everybody for years, and to be honest, I don't think they appreciate it.
[10:40:01]
So, we are going to change that. We are going to change it fast. We are going to make America great again.
GRANDI: The -- my country first approach is expanding. And to that, I say, much as I understand that, you know, governments have a responsibility to
their own citizens. That's very clear. A duty, I would say. Don't forget the nature of the beast, or the beasts, I should say,
The challenges we are facing today and that I've been facing with my colleagues throughout these past 10 years, insecurity, growing terrorism,
climate impact, disasters, conflict, and the mass movement of people, the growing human mobility. These are challenges that no country, not even the
most powerful, can address by itself.
In a breakthrough move, Barham Salih, a former Iraqi president who fled persecution under Saddam Hussein, has been appointed the next U.N. High
Commissioner for Refugees, pending UNHCR committee approval.
GRANDI: The key message, whoever is going to be my successor, is, don't give up. It's very tough, but don't give up.
The moment in which President Duque of Colombia, asked me to stand next to him in Bogota, in his capital. And he said, all the Venezuelans in this
country, and there were more than 2 million -- more than two millions, a big number, will have what they call temporary protection. That was an
amazing gesture. Very courageous, politically.
I remember the moment in which I stood on a barge in a little -- on a little river between Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire, accompanying the last
Ivorian refugees to back to their countries.
And ending a repatriation that had followed the terrible conflict. Now, people have forgotten that impacted Cote d'Ivoire 20 years ago. That
brought an end, after 20 years, to a huge refugee crisis, and it was the result of a lot of political work, humanitarian work, patiently putting the
pieces together.
ANDERSON (voice over): Becky Anderson, CNN, Abu Dhabi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: And still to come, a huge $6 billion nuclear deal involving U.S. President Donald Trump is raising eyebrows and ethical questions.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: New today, a $6 billion merger deal between Trump media and a nuclear fusion firm is raising a slew of ethical questions. The planned
merger between Truth Social's parent company and TAE Technologies would give U.S. President Donald Trump a major financial stake in the nuclear
fusion industry, and the success of the firm itself would be heavily influenced by the actions and funding of the U.S. government, creating a
what experts warn could be a classic conflict of interest.
[10:45:15]
We have got senior reporter Matt Egan, with us, live in New York. I mean fast, just so that everyone understands. Trump Media Technology Group is
arranging a $6 billion marriage with TAE Technologies. And of course, it needs to get approved and it needs government approval.
So, break this down for us, Matt.
MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Yes. Well, Eleni, can I just start with, I didn't have this on my 2025 bingo card, right?
(CROSSTALK)
GIOKOS: Yes.
EGAN: You have the president's social media company merging with a fusion energy company. Now, TAE technology, it's not a household name, but it's
been around for about 30 years. It's got the backing of Google, Chevron, Goldman Sachs, and others, and next year, they are aiming to develop and
start building their first -- the first ever utility scale fusion power plant, the first in world history.
And look, this deal really set off shock waves on Wall Street. Fusion, it's often looked at as the holy grail of clean energy. It has the potential to
create almost limitless clean energy by harnessing this seen process that powers the sun and the stars.
And as soon as this came out, we saw Trump media share price, which had been tumbling all year, having a terrible year, it went straight up by over
40 percent on the day last week that the merger was announced. You can see the share price going up.
Now, what's important to remember is that fusion, it does -- it's not looked at as commercially viable, at least not at this point, right? Like
it's likely going to require the deep pockets of the federal government. And yes, regulatory approval for both the transaction, but also to make
sure that this technology is being developed in a safe and responsible way.
Now, the fact that, that share price went up as dramatically as it did, it dramatically lifted the president's own net worth because he owns a
significant number of shares through a trust. So, his net worth went up by $500 million in one day alone. Now, this is obviously raising all kinds of
concerns among ethics Watchdogs.
I talked to Richard Painter, the former top ethics official in the George W. Bush administration. He said, look, this is a clear conflict of
interest. He said, anyone other than the president or the vice president would be risking, running afoul of criminal conflict of interest laws if
they were weighing in, in federal matters where they actually have a financial interest.
But the issue is that the president nor the vice president are actually exposed to those criminal conflict of interest laws. Painter said, look,
every single president since the Civil War has divested themselves from anything that could be appear to be a conflict of interest. But he noted
that this president is doing the exact opposite. Eleni?
GIOKOS: Yes. I mean, the really interesting, because usually you see divestment from presidents. But I want to find out what the White House, in
particular, is saying and their response to the concerns about conflicts of interest.
EGAN: Yes. Well, Eleni, Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, she criticized the news media's focus on this, and she said that neither
the president nor his family have ever engaged or will ever engage in conflicts of interest.
Now, one of the concerns here is the risk that this merger is going to cause the federal government to play favorites, right? In this really
critical industry, by putting more focus and more help for Trump media and its nuclear and energy business instead of some of the others.
(CROSSTALK)
GIOKOS: Yes.
And I talked to Don Beyer. He is the congressman, a Democrat from Virginia, and co-chair of the House Fusion Energy Caucus. And he told me, I hate the
thought of a president who puts his name on the Kennedy Center, putting his foot on the scale of who the winners and losers are in fusion energy.
And just one last point for you, Eleni, Richard Painter, he told me that, look, there is an easy solution here. He said that would be divesting not
just from nuclear fusion, but also from social media and artificial intelligence and everything else the Trump media is getting into. But as
you know, Eleni, that does not look imminent. In fact, this is a business empire that appears to be expanding, not shrinking.
GIOKOS: Yes. Yes, I mean, this is story that's evolving, and we'll definitely be watching this merger very closely.
But importantly, Matt, few days away from Christmas, have you written a letter to Santa Claus? Or your kids?
EGAN: My kids have written plenty of letters, and they are -- they are even telling us to text Santa when they have kind of last-minute updates to
their Christmas list as well.
GIOKOS: Great.
EGAN: So, yes, we've got plenty of messages, in the center.
GIOKOS: Well, so, you keep your earpiece in, because right after the short break, I'm going to tell you and our audience, where the letters end up
every time you write a letter to Santa Claus.
[10:50:05]
This is where it goes. I'll take you to that place, right after this. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
In Norway, Santa has an official address, and every year, thousands of letters arrive for him, from around the world, the people who live and work
there take their jobs as Santa's helpers, very seriously. CNN's Richard Quest has more for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (voice over): In Norway, this is the official address of Santa.
Located in the charming little town of Drobak, it is a Christmas-themed shop and post office which receives thousands of letters each year from
around the world.
EVA JOHANSEN, CO-FOUNDER, TREGAARDENS CHRISTMAS HOUSE: From Taiwan.
QUEST (voice over): And all of them addressed to Santa.
JOHANSEN: 10,000 to 15,000 letters.
QUEST (voice over): 10,000 to 15,000. Right.
JOHANSEN: Yes.
QUEST: Now, here we go.
JOHANSEN: Yes.
QUEST: Let's have a look what we have got.
JOHANSEN: Oh.
QUEST: So, these oak of Lord to come from everywhere.
JOHANSEN: Oh, is from Taiwan.
QUEST: Taiwan, yes.
QUEST (voice over): The shop is run by Eva Johansen, who is part post mistress and part elf. I just not.
The Santa in this part of Norway is a little bit different to the one with which we're all familiar.
QUEST: Santa Claus is a big, fat, jolly, man or woman these days. Yours is small, short, and with a weird face.
JOHANSEN: It is different. From all -- you see. She knitted sweaters, knickers, boots, and looks different.
QUEST: Why?
JOHANSEN: Because it is belongs to our culture over history, from all time.
QUEST (voice over): Eva the elf agreed to let me open and read a few of the letters that have been sent to Santa.
QUEST: Wants an MP3 player.
QUEST (voice over): Some of the content is a little surprising, but more of that in a moment.
In Norway, they take Christmas very seriously. After all, so many Christmas trees have grown here. And in December, everywhere is filled with twinkly
lights, trees and markets. This is one of the biggest and it's run by one of the country's most successful business leaders.
CARL OTTO LOVENSKIOLD, OWNER, BAERUMS VERK: We like the summers, with the long light and bright days. But then, we had the pressure also enjoying the
four seasons, strong season, wonderful fall, the winter is now coming where we can go skiing and live a completely different lifestyle before summer
comes again.
Yes, we have adjust to the -- to the seasons and enjoy them.
QUEST: Enjoy them.
LOVENSKIOLD: That is very important.
QUEST: Right. Let's go have a look.
QUEST (voice over): Browsing for this.
QUEST: Look at that.
QUEST (voice over): Looking for that, enjoying the other. I could have spent many hours here filling stockings.
But back in Drobak, there were still letters to Santa.
QUEST: Oh, look at this. It had to be opened and read. Heartwarming messages the lot.
Dear Santa Claus, my favorite holiday Christmas, is coming soon, which we - -
Oh, look at that nice little hat. Oh, Uzbekisan.
Dear Santa Claus, Merry Christmas. Can I have a froggy toy from Hong Kong.
[10:55:01]
My daughter, dear, will turn five in December. She is kind to friends. She loves practicing K-Pop dancing.
QUEST (voice over): Before I left, there was one last letter thrust in front of me, and I was in for a shock.
QUEST: This year, our brother has been a very good boy, much like you, he is been traveling the world. It's highly likely he'll be working on
December. Is there any chance you could give him a small present in advance? Anything chocolate-related would, in our experience, work well.
Thank you very much. Beverly, Larae (PH), and Caroline (PH), my three sisters.
JOHANSEN: What?
QUEST: Yes, what a coincidence.
Well done. Thank you. I'll take that. Sorry, I'm taking this one with me.
Now, I just have to wait and see whether Santa thinks I deserve that gold chocolate bar.
Richard Quest, CNN, at Santa's village in Norway.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: What a great story.
Listen, if you haven't seen your letters in yet, I hear that they also accept e-mails. So, we are in the digital age.
Well, that's it for CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Eleni Giokos. Stay with CNN. "ONE WORLD" is coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
