Return to Transcripts main page
Connect the World
CNN Talks To Adviser To Qatari Prime Minister; U.S. Pushing To Resume Trilateral Talks With Moscow And Kyiv; AfD Wins Germany State Election But Falls Short Of Majority; Merz: AfD's Saxony-Anhalt Win Has International Repercussions; Volkswagen Signs Defense Deal With Israel Firm Amid Overhaul; Looking Back: Cuba's Abandoned Nuclear Ambitions. Aired 10- 11a ET
Aired September 07, 2026 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:00:35]
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: And Welcome to the second hour of the show from our Middle East programming headquarters, I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi
where the time just after 6:00 in the evening.
A new warning from Tehran, Iran's top security official says a restricted zone will be announced outside the Strait of Hormuz in the coming days,
raising the risk for ships trying to navigate one of the world's most critical waterways.
A major breakthrough for Germany's far-right AfD as the party wins an historic victory in Saxony-Anhalt, taking 44 percent of the vote but
falling just short of an outright majority in the state parliament. We'll talk about the significance of that victory.
And U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff says he is hopeful for new talks involving the U.S. Ukraine, and Russia, after meetings with leaders from both nations
over the weekend.
Well, we begin in this region with new risks, but so far no signs of any major Iranian retaliation. At least after the U.S. struck three Iranian oil
tankers over the weekend.
Now, the U.S. military says this comes after Tehran launched ballistic missiles towards two U.S. Navy warships, and we are now hearing Iran plans
to announce a new restricted or exclusion zone outside the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Reuters report, quoting Iran's top national security
official seen here on your screens.
Well, the UAE's presidential adviser has been speaking today, saying that Abu Dhabi is trying to find a way to deal with Iran productively, but it is
a big ask.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANWAR GARGASH, UAE PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER: Our energy exports will not be held hostage, nor will our trade and economic activity. It cannot become
acceptable for oil tankers and commercial vessels to be routinely threatened by mines, drones, or missiles. Collectively, we all pay a heavy
price for the disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, with consequences affecting the global economy and eroding international law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Majed al-Ansari is an adviser to the Qatari Prime Minister and the official spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry. He joins me here in our
Abu Dhabi studio, and it's nice to have you here. Thank you very much indeed.
I want to start with a Qatari delegation reportedly in Tehran yesterday, according to the Iranians. So, what can you tell us about that, and what is
the status of any talks at this point?
MAJED AL-ANSARI, ADVISER TO QATARI PRIME MINISTER: Well, Becky, as you know, since Qatar took the matter of mediation along with Pakistan and now
Oman, we've been working 24/7, working between the parties, doing our regional consultations to make sure that if there is any avenue to reach a
deal, that it is attempted and that our people are working on it as we speak.
As you know, these kind of shuttle diplomacy visits have been happening throughout the past couple of months. This is not, you know, something that
is extraordinary.
And if you remember, just a couple of days ago, his excellency the prime minister was in Tehran, had high-level meetings with all the high officials
over there. There was an Omani visit. There was a Pakistani visit. All the mediation is in full force in that sense.
ANDERSON: Yes, and I've seen a lot of statements about calls being made around the region. So, what you're telling me is the diplomacy track is
certainly alive, and it is active at this point. What can you tell us about where we are at?
I mean, the Iranians at this point threatening what they describe as an exclusion zone, for example, outside of the Strait of Hormuz. I mean,
what's the deal there? What's the deal between Iran and Oman? Any further detail at this point?
AL-ANSARI: Now, the important thing, Becky, here is not to take everything, all these announcements. We have to take them seriously, but we don't take
them literally. We have to be very careful in reading into them and making sure that the diplomatic track is actually working, and that the rest of us
are doing our job when it comes to communicating between both sides.
There is no development to report, I'm sorry to say, but as you said, we cannot afford to say that the diplomatic track is dead. It is alive, and we
are keeping it alive. And everybody in the region is working towards that. And everybody in the region, the consensus in the region is that this needs
to end now, and it will end with diplomatically.
[10:05:17]
ANDERSON: Both you and I were at what's known as the Hili Forum earlier today here in Abu Dhabi is where we heard Amar Gargash, the adviser to the
president speaking. And I heard you make it clear that while having a strategic alliance with the United States is important, self-sufficiency
when it comes to security is the only way forward.
I just want to touch on that before we talk about what we think might happen next. I mean, what can we expect from Qatar? And you know, was your
point that we should be expecting Qatar to be looking elsewhere when it comes to enhancing its security? What does regional stability and security
from Qatar's perspective look like going forward?
AL-ANSARI: Now, Becky, let me make it very clear: our strategic relationship with the United States will not be reduced or affected by the
war. Actually, the opposite. We are doubling down on the relationship with the United States, especially in the security front. But that doesn't mean
that we are not working on developing our own capacity., you know, that for more than a decade now, we've been working on upping our defense
capabilities, investments in the defense field, we've started even investing internationally when it comes to the international industrial
military complex.
All of this is part of burden sharing in the region, but also taking back having the strategic autonomy that is needed. And therefore, the
relationship with the United States is not something that we're going to compromise on. It's not something that will be a casualty of this war.
But as you have seen, every country in the region for the past years has been working very carefully to make sure that we have our air defenses in
place, and this is why, when we had this crisis, when missiles started falling on our cities, more than 95 to 97 percent of all projectiles were
deterred through our air forces in in the region and working together with the militaries of the region is a very important point in the future of how
we envision defense collective defense in our region.
ANDERSON: And the U.S. Navy taking a responsibility as far as it's concerned for getting the Strait of Hormuz open, which has become the clear
sort of, you know, real -- you know, the big daily problem for the region at this point. That is alongside its financial sanctions, its continued
escalation at times, and the fear of that going forward.
And the issue in the Strait and foremost, as far as the Americans are concerned, is of course getting the oil out. I've got to ask you about LNG.
Can you quantify the impact that this war has had on Qatar's LNG imports, which are a significant driver, of course?
AL-ANSARI: Yes, I mean, throughout the -- Becky, as you know, I mean, I don't need to tell the numbers. More than 90 percent of what used to come
out of the Strait of Hormuz, when it comes to LNG, stopped because of the of the current war. And we've taken a very responsible decision from day
one to basically stop the LNG production to protect the people who are working on these facilities, to protect the people who work on our ships.
And we are working with all our partners right now to make sure that our customers, our clients, are not deeply affected by the closure of the of
the Strait.
This cannot go on. It is the -- not only the security of the region, it's the security of -- you know, internationally when it comes to energy
security, food security, and even industrial companies around the world are facing the brunt of this reduced yields for crops coming out of countries,
you know, that are in need of them is deeply affected by what's happening here.
So, we're -- the important thing is, you know, in our priorities is making sure that we deal responsibly with those who are our partners and have been
our partners for many years, including of course, LNG.
ANDERSON: And I wanted to talk about LNG because there are reports of empty Qatari LNG tankers heading back towards the Persian Gulf, potentially
positioning for a return through the Strait at this point, I wonder whether you can confirm that. And does Qatar have guarantees from Iran that Qatari
vessels can make that passage?
AL-ANSARI: Now, first of all, I'd leave the technical commentary to Qatar Energy and those responsible for it. I obviously can't comment on that.
But what I'll tell you, generally speaking, is that Qatar has always prepared for every contingency, whether it be positive or negative, and
therefore we are ready to go back immediately to production and to sending the supply where it's needed as soon as there is some sort of an agreement
that would open the Strait of Hormuz.
Of course, we are hoping, we are working towards it to make it as soon as possible. We don't have any timeline for it, but we are getting ready for
it whenever it comes.
ANDERSON: And getting the Strait open, of course. And let's take a look at the bigger picture. It's got to be sort of step one in what, you know,
whatever this sort of broader solution looks like. Whether it's back to an MOU, whether it's more of a comprehensive solution, which I know the Gulf
region wants. We've seen now been in this conflict for six months, and you did say that there doesn't appear to be a sort of clear end game for either
Washington or Tehran.
[10:10:17]
So, where are we? Where are we actually trying to get to at this point? What does Iran ultimately want, to your mind, and what does the U.S. want?
I mean, Qatar's involved in this mediation. What's the what's the messaging here? Because we're a bit of a stalemate at this point.
AL-ANSARI: Now, first of all, Becky, I think to be realistic and to be pragmatic about it, we have to phase this crisis out rather than end it
immediately. What we need to do is make sure that the -- you know, the playing field is in a -- is in a place where we can have the right
negotiation for a sustainable solution.
We do not want to go from a high intensity conflict to a high intensity conflict, we don't want to freeze this conflict and be back here a couple
of months later. We've said always in Qatar, in in the region, the nucleus of this issue was what happened in Gaza, and we need to go back to that,
starting with recent developments in the state of Hormuz and ending with finding a solution to the Palestinian issue. This cannot be dealt with as
an afterthought, it has to be something that we work on carefully regionally and working with the international partners.
Right now, what we are doing, we have two main priorities. One is make sure that the state is open and that the economic pressure on all of us
collectively and the peoples in the region, including the people of Iran is lifted.
Second is to make sure that there are no military escalations in in the region, whether it be the missiles falling on our residential areas in the
Gulf, or the attacks on Iran. When we get to that point, this is the point we would we need to have a regional push, all of us collectively, to make
sure that dialog happens, and it is a comprehensive dialog that includes all of us, not just complain.
ANDERSON: How realistic is that first opportunity, getting the Strait of Hormuz open at this point, any time soon, and further, is there a risk that
Tehran escalates, particularly as we move further towards the U.S. midterms? Of course.
AL-ANSARI: Now, Becky, I'm a professional pessimist, but I can't afford to be a pessimist if we're going to be in this situation in the region. We
cannot afford to just sit around and, you know, weep over spilled milk when it comes to this crisis. This is why we are working day and night to come
up with any innovative solution that would bring us to that point.
The thing now, I mean, there are two main obstacles to reaching a resolution. One has to do with political will, and the other has -- another
is purely technical in finding technical solutions.
I think on the technical front we have put forth a lot of good ideas. Some of them were in the MOU. We are producing more ideas over there. Now it's
left to the political will.
And political will is also based on narrative, meaning that we find the right narrative for the parties of the conflict to get out of this crisis.
And it's juggling four or five balls at the same time in trying to find all the solutions needed.
ANDERSON: I'm just -- I'm just wondering, and again, it comes back to the need to get the Strait of Hormuz open, and what the sweetener would look
like with regard the Iranians. And we know they keep saying we want to get back to the MOU, and what the MOU had was money and the lifting of
sanctions, is that realistic? Is that a realistic option for the United States?
AL-ANSARI: Now, Becky, you know, me better than to expect a good answer for that question, for sure. We're working on a lot of scenarios, working on a
lot of solutions, and ideas are flying back and forth. I'm sure at the moment you hear the announcement, hopefully, at one point in in the future,
some of that some of these settlements will come to light. But right now, I'll leave it at. We're doing our best to make sure that both sides'
concerns are addressed in in the negotiations.
ANDERSON: That's not a no, Majed. It's a -- it's a -- but I mean, I understand where you're at. You know, at the end of the day, from your
perspective, how much pressure do you believe do you understand not just the Iranian economy to be under, but those who are in charge of greasing
the wheels for that economy? Members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard court, for example, who have been massively sanctioned by the United States
of late. I mean, has that been an exercise -- a successful exercise do you believe by the United States in trying to put the squeeze on the Iranians?
AL-ANSARI: I do believe, and we've said this before in Qatar, and I think in the region, sanctions have been a staple of diplomacy in this region for
a really long time. It hasn't yielded the results that have been expected. Of course, they have an effect. Of course, they affect the economy. They
affect the people. And unilateral sanctions have a lot of effect on the banking sector and on the needs of the state itself to survive.
But at the end, this issue will only be resolved through a deal. It will only be resolved on the negotiation table. Whatever leverage is used on
either side will end up as an item on agreement that is signed at the end. The sooner we get to that agreement, the less suffering that will be had on
the international economy, but also on the peoples of this region. And this is what we work on to make sure that the elements are there and that we are
able to put these elements before the leverage is needed.
[10:15:17]
ANDERSON: Very briefly, to those who say, you know, what they see going forward is no peace, no war, and that normalized. You say what? Because
that is a concern, and that does appear to be a risk.
AL-ANSARI: First of all, the world cannot afford for normalizing the idea of a Strait being used, a waterway being used, and weaponized in this way
in this kind of conflict. This could be replicated in other places, having even more damaging consequences. We need to kill this in its infancy. It
cannot become the new normal in war for countries to basically just close waterways in this way. The dependency of the world on these waterways.
You know, empires rose and fell on control of these kind of waterways. We've seen death and destruction at unbelievable levels as a result of
maritime security being affected.
The world today, with just one Strait being affected like this, is facing inflation problems, is facing energy security problems, food security
problems. We are facing an industrial catastrophe if this continue, and this is just one waterway. What happens if everybody, every adversary in
the world decides to use this method, we need to make it. We need for accountability and for international law to prevail. And for those who are
thinking that this can be normalized, I say to them very clearly, this will come to you door very soon.
ANDERSON: With that, we're going to leave it there. We thank you very much indeed. Thank you, Majed.
All right, you're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Still to come. U.S. negotiators back in Kyiv and Moscow over the weekend. What Steve Whitkoff
is saying about the prospects for renewed trilateral talks.
And cheers and jeers from across the globe after a far-right election victory, which the German Chancellor calls shocking.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff says he is hopeful for new talks involving the U.S. Ukraine, and Russia. Witkoff and President Donald
Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner sat down with the presidents of both nations over the weekend for talks. Witkoff described the goals of this
latest diplomatic push to reporters in Kyiv.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE WITKOFF, U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY TO THE MIDDLE EAST: We came to see President Putin first. We needed to hear where he stood. We had good,
concrete conversation with him, which we advised President Zelenskyy and his team about. Both sides have to come to a resolution here, and my job
with and Jared's job together is to bring the parties together, to narrow the issues between them, to create good communication channels, and
hopefully, we began that process constructively in the last 48 hours, and we're confident that there'll be a good resolution here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[10:20:03]
ANDERSON: Julia Benbrook joins me now from New Jersey, not far from President Trump's Bedminster Golf Club. I assume you are there because he
is there. Julia, no signs of any breakthroughs, but the U.S. negotiators, of course, did meet with both Putin and Zelenskyy over the weekend. I
wonder if there's any detail on why now for this latest diplomatic push, and why the White House thinks it could be more successful than previous
exercises.
JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think that part is still up for question. But it was a busy weekend of diplomacy for Special Envoys Steve
Whitkoff and Jared Kushner. The two say that they had substantive talks with officials from both countries.
And their visit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, that took place yesterday, and while it's still unclear if any significant progress
was made, Witkoff did say that he believes that there will be a good resolution here. Their visit to Kyiv came as the Ukrainian capital has been
seeing a barrage of Russian missiles in recent weeks, and as they've been asking the United States for more Patriot missiles to help intercept those
attacks.
A s far as next steps go, the U.S. delegation did express hope that there could be a new round of trilateral talks involving the United States,
Russia, and Ukraine. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JARED KUSHNER, DONALD TRUMP'S SON-IN-LAW: One thing Steve and I really thought would be productive is to go back to the trilateral format, which
we were able to do about six months ago, and we've spoken with both parties, and so hopefully we'll have progress on that very soon. I think
that's important to talk about the big issues, obviously, but also some of the some of the de-escalatory issues. That could be done as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BENBROOK: And while the details are still scarce, Zelenskyy did put out a statement this morning where he touched on some of the topics that were
discussed.
In part, he wrote this, we had substantive discussions about our air defense needs, the relevant technological cooperation, and the winter
package we need. Our partners know what can bear fruit and what must bear fruit ahead of the winter. Adding this, we are coordinating our next steps.
We are preparing for the next meetings and communications.
Now, that meeting it did take place the day after the U.S. delegation met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, those talks
lasted for roughly three hours. And before they all traveled, President Donald Trump, who, as you pointed out, he's spending his weekend here in
New Jersey at one of his properties nearby. He did say that he was sending over great negotiators to essentially see what they can get done here. He
did point, though, to the complicated nature of this push for peace, and that alone is significant because when he started his second term, he
repeatedly said that he believed that this conflict would be easy to bring to an end and that it would happen very quickly.
Previous attempts at a lasting agreement to end Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine stalled last winter. That was after multiple rounds of
talks mediated by the United States, and some of the key sticking points were very big ones, including talks about territory as well as security
guarantees.
We have reached out to the White House for more details on this weekend's events. They did say that next steps were discussed and would be revealed
in the coming weeks.
ANDERSON: Fascinating. All right, good to have you. Thank you very much indeed.
Meantime, in Europe, Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz is grappling with the implications today of a state election won decisively by the far right.
Mr. Merz says the alternative for Germany's victory in Saxony-Anhalt over the weekend was both unexpected and deeply significant.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRIEDRICH MERZ, GERMAN CHANCELLOR (through translator): We are all deeply shocked. This outcome was not expected in this form. We must, of course,
accept it. These are the rules of our democracy. But yesterday, something changed not only in Saxony-Anhalt but throughout Germany. This election
result will have repercussions. It also has repercussions on the international situation. Just look at who sent congratulations yesterday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, some of those congratulations coming from high-profile figures on the American right, including billionaire Elon Musk, who, on his
platform X, called the AfD the only hope for Germany. Well, the AfD came away with 44 percent of the vote, just short of an absolute majority, and
its main candidate says that shows his party has a mandate to lead.
Well, Frederik Pleitgen back with us this hour from Berlin. Let's first talk about the implications. This was a state election. It's being taken
very seriously both in Germany and on the international stage. Who are the AfD, and what do they stand for? What are they -- what were they -- what
are they convincing voters of at this point? What do they stand for?
[10:25:19]
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, they stand for being anti the political establishment here in Germany.
One of the things that Friedrich Math said is that the election results in Saxony-Anhalt, which is actually a very small state, nevertheless, of
course, the world was watching this election. That he was surprised at how bad the election results were for his governing party, for the Christian
Democratic Union, and that clearly meant that there were many people in Germany and in the states specifically, who felt that they were being left
behind by those reforms and who felt that they weren't being heard.
Now, if we look at the AfD and some of its programs, some of it is actually highly controversial among many people here in Germany. First and foremost,
the terminology that went around one of these policies, which is called remigration, which essentially means the mass deportation, which the AfD
wants, of undocumented immigrants and of immigrants who have been accused of crimes.
And the chairwoman for the AfD, Alice Weidel, she told me right after the election results came in that remigration is very much part of their
policy, and that she was in favor of mass deportations as fast as possible.
On the other hand, also the AfD also very much for improving relations with Russia. Aside from some MAGA figures, there are also some senior Russian
figures who congratulated the alternative for Germany as well, and they do believe that they have a mandate to govern. The main candidate of the AfD,
Ulrich Siegmund, he said exactly that earlier today, here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ULRICH SIEGMUND, AFD'S LEAD CANDIDATE IN SAXONY-ANHALT (through translator): This is the best result any party has achieved in Saxony-
Anhalt since 1990. You really have to stop and appreciate that fact. So, this result is, of course, a mandate to govern. But, and we emphasized this
yesterday too, only on the condition that we remain true to ourselves, that we don't compromise our principles, and that we don't become like those who
were heavily punished by the voters in Saxony-Anhalt yesterday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: And so, some of those main principles indeed are being tough on migration, also good relations with the Russian Federation, and cutting
both military and financial aid to Ukraine.
And, you know, we've been talking about the fact that this is a very small state. Only about 2.1 million people live here, but certainly the top brass
of the alternative for Germany does believe that this could be a stepping stone for them to take power in the entire country in the not too distant
future. Becky.
ANDERSON: Good to have you. Thank you, Fred. Frederik Pleitgen's in Berlin for you.
Well, let's do more on this with Rachel Tausendfreund. She is a senior research fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations.
So, you'll have heard what my colleague Fred was just discussing there from your sort of lens, what does this AfD win mean for Germany at both the
state and national level, and what happens now to your mind?
RACHEL TAUSENDFREUND, SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW, GERMAN COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: So, at the state level, I mean, there's first of all the
question, as we heard the quote from the leader of the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt Siegmund, they want to rule alone. He said he doesn't want to get into the
messes that the governing coalition is, from which they're getting punished by the voters, and that means, you know, spending, that means migration,
but frankly, it also means this sort of coalition back and forth and the inability to get anything big done, and this constant infighting, frankly.
So, at the state level, you know, they have a very specific program that they want to achieve. Some of it is deemed rather unachievable at the state
level because they also need money to do it. But first, they have to get the absolute majority. They're only three or so seats away, so it would be
achievable, and it's certainly worrying.
But then you have kind of the national and the international consequences. And nationally, as you know, as was mentioned before, and as was admitted
by Matts himself, this is first of all a very big rebuke of, in particular, the CDU, because the SPD, the other governing party, they held stable. It
was the CDU whose results got halved from the last election.
So, this is a kind of rebuke of the governing party, and that'll change the way they act in Berlin. This is going to change their tactics, and that's a
consequence.
ANDERSON: Yes, and Merz saying himself, I mean, from the horse's mouth, he said, you know, we cannot go back to business as usual. We've noted Elon
Musk's support for the AfD.
[10:29:55]
Vice President Vance also met the party's co-leader on the sidelines of the Munich Conference last year.
There does seem to be an alignment between AfD and MAGA, for example, at least in their sort of nationalist rhetoric. And this isn't the only sort
of nationalist party that we have seen rise across Europe at this point. European leaders will be watching this AfD win, with worry, of course.
France due to hold elections in the spring, then Spain in August, Italy by the end of next year. And what do you make of the far-right success in
those countries as incumbents struggle to deliver for their people?
TAUSENDFREUND: Yes, that's exactly right.
I mean, we are really having the problem of incumbents struggling under very difficult circumstances, and that being a boon for outside parties and
most often far right parties.
You mentioned the sort of connections between MAGA, which have been very clear and were explicit, also in the last national elections, where you
know Elon Musk's support for the AfD and even an event he did online with Alice Weidel was very, very controversial here in Germany.
And if you look at what the AfD wants to do in Saxony-Anhalt part of their program, it looks a little bit like Project 2025. At least there are some
rhyming there. They want to change migration policy, do be a lot harsher with deportations.
Some of which, I mean, these are actually federal policies. So, they are a little bit limited in how much they can do. But they also, for example,
want to look at education, and change historical education to be a little bit more focused on national pride and national achievements as opposed to
the Holocaust and the -- and the world wars.
This, is you know, very much rhyming with a lot of the things that are happening in MAGA and Republican-led states.
So, there is -- there is explicit cooperation and connections, and then, there is also kind of messaging and programmatic overlap.
And the same can be true -- the same is true across Europe. With a little bit of exception of France, where Marine Le Pen is not a big fan of the
AfD. But generally speaking, you know, there is kind of cross congratulations, and we do see the far-right in many countries in Europe,
and also in some upcoming elections, Sweden, France, you know, really threatening to be a main contender, if not a winner. For all of them, you
know, migration, anti-migration is an issue, but increasingly also the war in Ukraine.
ANDERSON: Yes, and let's just speak to that very specifically. What is the AFD's position? We see congratulations coming from a number of key Putin
allies in Russia today.
TAUSENDFREUND: Yes, exactly. So, I mean, there is a lot of kind of background cooperation with Russia, and a lot of sort of similar messaging
that you see coming out of Russian sources, and then, being picked up in the AfD and other right-wing parties that, you know, talk about wanting
peace.
So, you know we talk a lot about migration being a driving or immigration being a driving factor for AfD voters. But actually, polls that were taken
in the Saxony-Anhalt election said that, you know, the number one issue for the voters of the AfD was social welfare, social protections. The second
was peace in Europe, by which they mean an end to the Russian war in Ukraine.
And it's kind of being sold as something that they can achieve. It's being sold as something that would be achievable if only the elites were not so
interested in maintaining this war. They are much more Russia friendly than the mainstream parties in Germany are.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Yes.
TAUSENDFREUND: They tend to be pretty, you know, adopt a lot of Russian narratives about how so much of this is Ukraine's fault. And interestingly,
and you know, worryingly --
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Understood.
TAUSENDFREUND: And if you look at the results in Saxony, you have almost 60 percent of the vote. If you count the AfD with its almost 44 percent. And
the Sahra Wagenknecht, BSW, Bundnis Sahra Wagenknecht party with it -- with its five percent and Die Linke with nine percent who are all much more
pacifist when it comes to the war in Ukraine, who tend to be a little more Russia friendly and really have problems with the increased defense
spending in Germany.
And so, this makes that policy more and more controversial and difficult for -- The government, even though the government, again in the press
conference today, said, you know, we are sticking by it. We understand that this is what we need to do, but it's becoming -- it's becoming politically
a problem.
ANDERSON: Yes. It was. Yes, and it was a controversial decision at the outset to announce increases in defense spending, of course, in Germany.
(CROSSTALK)
TAUSENDFREUND: Yes.
ANDERSON: So, this isn't going to get easier for the -- for the chancellor at this. It's good to have you. Thank you very much indeed.
[10:35:01]
Germany's largest automaker, Volkswagen, has inked a deal with an Israeli investment firm to turn one of its car plants into a defense production
facility.
The move comes just days after the carmaker announced major restructuring plans, which doubled plan job cuts to 100,000 posts.
Now VW, grappling with growing pressure from Chinese competitors and from U.S. tariffs. The plant involved was set to phase out car production in the
summer of 2027. Now this deal could help save nearly 1,400 jobs at the site.
CNN's Anna Stewart with the details, and she is joining us from London.
This is fascinating. What do we know about this deal so far?
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, essentially, what we can see from this is it's not just about preserving jobs; it's also about bolstering security
for Germany, which is a core part of what the current government wants to do.
It was also a huge part of Volkswagen's plans. Now, for months now, we have known that they had this big restructure plan in the works, but they were
talking to unions in terms of their employees. They were talking to local government. They were talking to shareholders. And it wasn't until Friday
until we had a sort of idea of what this was going to look like.
And as you see, you know, huge amount of job cuts, and then also, what are they going to do with certain factories?
Now, four were put on notice on Friday. So, we know that the future of four of these factories looks very uncertain. They are reducing their portfolio
of how many cars they are going to make, and one of these factories is the one in Northwest Germany, Lower Saxony, Osnabruck, and as we have here, a
new plan for it, and they are saying this could save 1,400 out of 1,800 jobs at that factory, which, of course, will make local unions and the
local government very happy.
Now, it's being sold to the state of Lower Saxony and also an Israeli investment firm called Aurelius. They are going to work with Rafael
Advanced Defense Systems, which is one of the companies behind Israel's Iron Dome.
And the plan here is in this factory, therefore, in Germany, to make air defense systems and components, which definitely, you know, feeds into what
you were discussing there, Germany's plan to bolster its security.
Now, it's planning to increase spending by a third next year to $127 billion. So, this definitely feeds into that.
It will be interesting to see what happens to the other three factories that are likely to be mothballed, mothballed by Volkswagen's restructuring
plan. It's a really interesting transition. We are witnessing here the sort of decline of this huge powerhouse of car making in Europe, that was
Germany's big role in Europe, really, and perhaps, we will see a big shift into defense. Becky.
ANDERSON: Good to have you, Anna. Thank you. Anna Stewart, in the house for you. We are doing CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson from our Middle
East programming headquarters here in Abu Dhabi. Back with more after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:40:21]
ANDERSON: Welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi, and you are watching CONNECT THE WORLD from our Middle East programming headquarters.
These are your headlines this hour.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff expressing optimism. A new round of trilateral talks involving the U.S. Ukraine, and Russia will happen.
Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner met the leaders of both Ukraine and Russia in their respective capitals over the
weekend. Witkoff told reporters he's confident there will be a good resolution.
Germany's chancellor says he is deeply shocked at a far-right election victory in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. The Alternative for Germany
Party won 44 percent of the vote, just short of an absolute majority. It is the closest the far-right has come to holding power in a German state since
World War II.
Well, Iran plans to announce a new restricted zone or exclusion zone outside the Strait of Hormuz in the coming days, according to a Reuters
report, quoting the country's top national security official. Any ship entering the new zone would reportedly be added to a sanctions list.
Well, Cubans have been forced to come up with new ways to adapt to an ever- worsening energy crisis sparked by the U.S.-imposed oil blockade there. But could any of this have been avoided? Well, CNN's Juan Carlos Lopez takes a
look back at the collapse of Cuba's nuclear ambitions.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JUAN CARLOS LOPEZ, CNN EN ESPANOL CHIEF CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR (voice over): Blackouts are not new to Cuba. They have been a part of life since
at least the 1980s, although not at the scale of the current crisis triggered by the Trump administration's ban on the sale of oil to the Cuban
government.
In 1982, Fidel Castro made a bold move.
FIDEL CASTRO, FORMER PRESIDENT OF CUBA (text): The Juragua nuclear plant has been the largest and most complex construction project undertaken by
our country.
LOPEZ (voice over): The nuclear plant at Juragua would be the first step of a plant to wean the island off oil with the help of the Soviet Union, which
would build and finance the project.
Driving down the coast, we spot the concrete giant. Long abandoned, it was once expected to provide at least 15 percent of the island's electricity
needs.
LOPEZ: Now that was back at the end of the 80s, beginning of the 90s. It wasn't the best moment for this type of project so close to the United
States. A project that took too long, cost too much, and at the end, ended up just being what it is today, just ruins.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Cuban premier Fidel Castro in Russia for a visit with Big Brother.
LOPEZ (voice over): That's because Havana bet everything on being in the Soviet Union's sphere of influence during the Cold War and on Moscow's
assistance for ambitious projects like the Juragua power plant, which sat under 200 miles from the Florida Keys and sent Washington into a tailspin
over national security, even though the Turkey Point nuclear plant in Homestead, Florida had been operating 200 miles from Havana since 1972.
NICHOLAS BURNS, THEN-U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: We have had long standing concerns about the quality of the plant's construction and about
Cuba's ability to operate it safely.
LOPEZ (voice over): Fears of an accident stemmed largely from the world's worst nuclear disaster, in Chernobyl in 1986. But the U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission reported that same year to Congress that even though they had reservations about the project, Juragua resembled Western nuclear
plants and was not considered a threat.
In the end, when the Soviet Union collapsed, Havana came up dry and this now eerie monolith was left unfinished.
This is Ciudad Nuclear, built to house the plant's workers. That's where I meet Luis Vargas, an electrician who was involved in the project.
What do you feel when you see the structure? I asked him. I don't know, Luis says.
I feel a deep sorrow inside because many things were ruined. It's a shame that it ended up this way because unfortunately, millions were invested and
we were not able to finish it.
Francisco Perez, who also worked at the plant, remembers when Fidel Castro came to tell them it was over.
He told us the truth, Francisco tells me. He explained the situation, the problem they faced, and that they had to shut the plant down.
Juragua was the first of three nuclear plants that would help Cuba overcome a monumental challenge the island faces to this day, a growing demand for
electricity and a lack of capacity to produce it.
[10:45:00]
This fading sign in Russian and in Spanish reads, may the atom be a worker and not a soldier. In Juragua, it was neither.
Juan Carlos Lopez, CNN, Juragua, Cuba.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: CNN. Five people are dead after an Amazon cargo plane crashed in Miami. We are following the investigation into what caused that crash.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Right now, investigators are looking into what led to a deadly plane crash with an Amazon cargo jet in Miami that left five people dead.
This Boeing 767 was landing Sunday when it overran the runway, slamming into several vehicles and bursting into flames. Officials say five others
were injured in the incident.
CNN's Pete Muntean joined me last hour from Miami with more details on exactly what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: The early story, essentially, from the data and from the video that we are seeing, is that this plane
came in too high and too fast. Ultimately, going off the end of runway three-zero here at Miami International Airport. That's about a quarter mile
behind me.
This is Northwest 67th Avenue. The plane exited the runway, going essentially from left to right, here crossed the four lanes of road, and
then, came to rest off in the distance behind this large Amazon warehouse and logistics center here, just to the west of the Miami International
Airport.
Some big questions about why this runway did not have what's called engineered materials arresting system, a bed of crushable cement that could
have potentially slowed this airplane down to a stop as it careened off the end of the runway.
The early data shows that this plane touched down at about 200 miles an hour, at least at the halfway point, or barely touched down because the
video is showing that this -- during this attempted landing, as the plane sailed by, somebody taking video on the tarmac there at Miami International
Airport, that the left main landing gear was still airborne as this airplane was trying to decelerate.
Clearly, an attempted landing that went wrong. And now, investigators will want to know on their own from the black boxes, the cockpit voice recorder,
and the flight data recorder. What was the pilot -- what were the pilots talking about at the time of this incident? Did they talk about aborting
this landing, and what was the actual speed of this plane?
We know the plane was going about 200 miles an hour at the midway point, exited the runway going about 130 miles an hour. The last data point about
80 miles per hour. So, clearly a story of an airplane that came in too fast here. Some big questions about why that occurred.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: -- Muntean, reporting for you there.
Let's get you up to speed on some of the other stories that are on our radar right now, before I let you go this evening.
[10:50:05]
An Illinois mother who prosecutors says was "invested" in the Lindsay Clancy trial is facing first-degree murder charges over the death of her
two-year-old son.
Court documents show that Corie Walsh had been texting friends about the case of a former nurse accused of killing her three kids. Hours later, the
toddler was found unresponsive in her basement. Walsh's attorneys say she was going through a mental health crisis.
Well, the U.S. state of Hawaii is under a state of emergency, bracing for Hurricane Lowell. The center of the storm expected to pass just west of the
islands in the coming hours. Forecasters say it will bring dangerous surf, heavy rain, and the threat of flash flooding and mudslides.
You are watching CONNECT THE WORLD.
Up next, as boxing legend Katie Taylor hangs up her gloves for the last time. Look back at my conversation with her and the kids she inspired to
jump into the ring.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: An all-time boxing star is retiring from the ring in style. Ireland's Katie Taylor ended her career on Saturday as the most decorated
woman boxer, beating France's Flora Pili by unanimous decision, as the undisputed world super lightweight champion.
Taylor wraps up a 10-year professional career in a sport she transformed. She goes out aged 40 with a 26 and one record. I spoke to Katie back in
2019 to see how her journey was back then and still is inspiring the next boxing generation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She is now the undisputed lightweight champion of the world.
ANDERSON: Let's talk about your legacy, because you are a living legend. I mean, this is -- what you have achieved has been absolutely remarkable, and
the impact that you have had not just on women's boxing but women's sport as a whole is unbelievable.
KATIE TAYLOR, UNDISPUTED WORLD SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION: Yes.
ANDERSON: You are a real pioneer.
Do you feel that, and do you feel a responsibility?
TAYLOR: I love that responsibility. I love the fact I can have a positive influence on young girls coming up and be a great example to them. And I
really feel like, you know I has had a great influence on this nation as well, which is -- which is a great feeling to have.
Every single boxing club in the whole country is just packed with female boxers now. And when I started boxing, I seem -- I feel -- I felt like I
was the only kind of female boxer around. So, to see so much talent coming up is probably the most satisfying part about this journey.
ANDERSON (voice over): Down at the local boxing club, Katie's legacy is already paying dividends. Boys and girls putting in the hard yards,
inspired by Katie's journey. Champions in the making.
TAYLOR: How are you? Hi. How are you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi.
TAYLOR: Teagan (PH).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi.
TAYLOR: Are you Teagan (PH)? You are the Irish champion.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
TAYLOR: I know all about you. You are fantastic. You are amazing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, thank you.
TAYLOR: You keep it up. Can I take you on the pads?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
TAYLOR: Yes?
Can I take on the pads? Yes?
One, two, left hook.
[10:55:00]
Brilliant. Amazing. Brilliant.
Well, your speed is amazing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
TAYLOR: Your spars amazing. Your footwork is phenomenal.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thanks so much.
TAYLOR: All you have to do is just keep going, keep trying hard, and I think you are going to be one of the best ever.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, thank you so much.
TAYLOR: Really, absolutely. This year, one of the best sounds I've ever seen, and that's genuine. Don't ever give up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. I won't.
TAYLOR: Yes, yes, yes. Brilliant.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Thanks so much.
TAYLOR: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
TAYLOR: Yes, yes.
It's brilliant, doesn't she?
ANDERSON: Isn't she amazing? What does it feel like to be in a club like this, watching young girls as well as young boys? I mean, this didn't
happen when you were a kid. Right?
TAYLOR: This didn't happen. But this is just pure talent right here. The passion that they all have for this -- for the game is absolutely
phenomenal. And yes, just seeing so many girls here.
ANDERSON: Teagan (PH) bursts into tears when you meet him.
TAYLOR: Yes.
ANDERSON: I mean, you are the hero.
TAYLOR: Yes, yes, that's cool.
ANDERSON: We talked about, you know, that being responsibility to a certain extent, which I get. But when you walk into a club like this and you see
that raw emotion, that must make you feel good, doesn't it?
TAYLOR: That's more exactly what it's all about.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: An amazing boxer and a really, really nice woman to boot.
That is it for CONNECT THE WORLD.
Stay with CNN. "ONE WORLD" is up next. From the team working with me here in Abu Dhabi and those working with us around the world, it is a very food
evening.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
