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Early Start with Rahel Solomon

Zelenskyy to Meet Trump Today in Washington D.C.; U.S. Suspends Visas for Palestinians from Gaza; Israelis Hold Nationwide Strike to Demand a Hostage Deal. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired August 18, 2025 - 05:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[05:00:00]

DANNY FREEMAN, ANCHOR, EARLY START: Good morning and welcome to our viewers joining us from the United States and all around the world, I'm Danny Freeman, Rahel Solomon has the morning off. It is Monday, August 18th, just about 5:00 a.m. here in Atlanta. And straight ahead on EARLY START.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE WITKOFF, U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY TO THE MIDDLE EAST: We had some really good specific granular conversation with President Zelenskyy.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT, UKRAINE: We have to stop the killings. Putin has many demands, but we do not know all of them.

MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE, UNITED STATES: Some of the organizations bragging about and involved in acquiring these visas have strong links to terrorist groups like Hamas.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Son of Jor-el(ph), we were beginning to think you were a coward.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not a coward, Zod(ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Then die, you deserve to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREEMAN: Our top story this morning, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is gearing up for a return visit to the White House today, where he'll meet with President Donald Trump amid a renewed push to end the war with Russia. The two leaders will sit down in the Oval Office just days after the U.S. President met with Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

Security guarantees for Ukraine and Russia's demands on land concessions will be among the key topics. Now, President Trump appeared to preview the message he'll deliver in the coming hours. In a social media post, he said Zelenskyy can, quote, "end the war with Russia almost immediately if he wants to, or he can continue to fight". Before making clear in that post, the Ukrainian President will have to give up Crimea and agree to never join NATO. Well, Zelenskyy had his own message ahead of the talks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENSKYY: We have to stop the killings. Putin has many demands, but we do not know all of them. And if there are really as many as we heard, then it will take time to go through them all. So, it's necessary to cease fire and work quickly on a final deal. We'll talk about it in Washington.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREEMAN: Now, the Ukrainian President will not be alone. He'll be joined in Washington by key European allies you see on your screen right there, including the leaders of France, Germany, the U.K., Finland and Italy. Trump's foreign envoy spoke with CNN about what they hope to see ahead in the coming hours.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WITKOFF: What we're trying to accomplish on Monday is get some consensus from President Zelenskyy and his team. We had some really good specific, granular conversation on the plane ride home with President Zelenskyy about what he would be seeking, and we don't think that there are any obstacles in that -- in that -- in that conversation that we heard.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREEMAN: CNN's Clare Sebastian is following all of this for us from London, and is joining us now live. Clare, break it down for us. What should we expect to see in this incredibly high stakes meeting in D.C.?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Danny, it's very unpredictable. We don't know exactly what's going to happen when these leaders get in a room together. I think everyone wants to avoid the kind of meltdown that we saw when Zelenskyy and Trump met in the Oval Office in February.

We're going to see, according to the President's schedule, a bilateral meeting first between him and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, and then the seven European leaders that are slated to join will essentially be brought in. I think look, on the one hand, as you heard from Steve Witkoff there, the U.S. side is presenting this as a logical continuation of the fact that there was significant progress they feel at Alaska.

I think from the perspective of Ukraine and Europe, this looks very different. They spent most of last week trying to influence the talks in Alaska, trying to get their position across to Trump, that a ceasefire needed to happen first. Not only did that not happen, there was no agreement on that in Alaska. There was then no enforcement of the pressure that Trump said that he would ramp up on Russia if that didn't happen.

But he also seems to have shifted his position on whether a ceasefire first is necessary at all, now seeming to be pushing for a full peace settlement, which is the sequence in which Russia would like things to go. Not only that, but of course, we heard then in his Truth Social post a few hours ago that he thinks Zelenskyy is the one who could end the war if he wants.

He, of course, did not start it. So, the odds in many ways, I think are stacked against Zelenskyy. But on the other hand, he does have this collection of allies with him in a sort of show of solidarity.

[05:05:00]

And I think ahead of this, he was trying to make the point that Russia is actually not this formidable military force that it would like you to believe. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENSKYY: Russia is still unsuccessful in Donetsk region. Putin has been unable to take it for 12 years, and the constitution of Ukraine makes it impossible, impossible to give up territory or trade land. Since the territorial issue is so important, it should be discussed only by the leaders of Ukraine and Russia, and the trilateral Ukraine, United States, Russia so far, Russia gives no sign that trilateral will happen. And if Russia refuses, then new sanctions must follow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: So, an acknowledgment that the Russians have been putting up certain road blocks, setting conditions for any kind of meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy to happen. And another push, as we've heard so many times from Zelenskyy, for more sanctions, if that doesn't happen. I think the one key thing that they are really looking for clarity from, though, Danny, is these security guarantees.

Steve Witkoff saying that the U.S. may get involved now in security guarantees that Russia seems open to that idea. So, certainly, that is something that the Europeans and Ukraine have been pushing from since the very beginning of these diplomatic efforts to end the war. And they will certainly be looking for more concrete details on that.

FREEMAN: Right, because, crucially, details still lights on. I think Steve Witkoff called them NATO-style security guarantees. So again, a lot of questions that we're waiting for as we're moving towards this meeting. Clare, I want to pick your brain on one more thing, if that's all right. Do you -- when you're looking at this meeting and all of the European leaders who are going to be perhaps not at the table, but certainly at the White House today.

Is there one European leader in particular that you think President Trump might be more swayed by than others? Who should we be watching for, potentially to have the last word in President Trump's ear?

SEBASTIAN: Yes, it's a good question, Danny. I was thinking back to the European leaders that have had success in Oval Office meetings with Trump, and the two, I think that stand out are French President Macron and the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in some ways an unlikely ally of Trump, given that they come from opposite sides of the political spectrum.

But they have managed to play Oval Office meetings in the past to their favor. Macron has this sort of natural charisma about him, this rapport with Trump. They were joking and laughing in the Oval Office meeting, which I believe happened in February, right before the meltdown with President Zelenskyy and Keir Starmer was able to sort of flatter Trump and offer, for example, a state visit that's coming up in a few weeks to the U.K.

So, I think those two may perhaps have the sort of greatest rapport with Trump going into this, and certainly will be looking to, perhaps give advice to Zelenskyy ahead of time and certainly have his back in those meetings today.

FREEMAN: One last thing clear if I can just pick your brain here, I think one of the biggest things that was striking to so many observers on Friday with the meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin was the literal rolling out of the red carpet for Putin. Do we think we're going to see a similar -- I guess embrace might be the wrong word, but just a rolling out of the red carpet for Ukraine's Zelenskyy when he arrives at the White House today.

SEBASTIAN: Yes, look, I think that's the big question here. Certainly, the optics of the meeting on Friday, this grand welcome of President Putin back to the top table, essentially of international diplomacy, the final slamming of the door on this era of isolation of Russia at the hands of the west was extremely striking.

Certainly, it's been playing very heavily across Russian media. They are banking this as a political win, essentially, that Russia and the U.S. are now more or less aligned on issues related to the Ukraine war. So, I think the optics today will really matter. We don't have any evidence as of yet that it will be anything other than a sort of standard Oval Office meeting.

But I do think the optics of having these many European leaders all together coming to the U.S. to these talks -- look, it plays to both sides, right? President Trump will like the fact that he's in the international spotlight. And for Zelenskyy, it will be a powerful reminder of European solidarity that has, frankly, been ramping up as they've pulled together around these U.S. efforts to try to end the war.

FREEMAN: Clare Sebastian in London, always appreciate your insights and reporting. Thank you so much for joining us this morning. Appreciate it. All right, let's now head to the Ukrainian capital now, and Tymofiy Mylovanov; President of the Kyiv School of Economics and former Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine.

He's joining us over the phone, thank you so much for being with us today and giving us your insight. Let's start here where we left off with Clare. From your perspective, what does the presence of all of these European leaders at the side of Zelenskyy mean heading into this conversation at the White House?

[05:10:00]

TYMOFIY MYLOVANOV, PRESIDENT, KYIV SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS: It's a sign of -- everyone showing up there. I think that's the most important message. And the meaning of this message is that no.

FREEMAN: And I think we're having a little bit of technical difficulty, of course, as we are transporting all over to Ukraine. Tymofiy Mylovanov, we'll see if we can get back to you a little later on. But for now, we'll move on with our program. It's one of the largest demonstrations Israel has seen since the beginning of the war in Gaza.

We'll get a live report on Sunday's nationwide strike after the break. Plus, the U.S. is suspending visitor visas for Palestinians from Gaza. We'll tell you why Secretary of State Marco Rubio says it's a necessary move.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:15:00]

FREEMAN: Israeli protesters held widespread rallies across the country on Sunday, blocking major roads and closing businesses. They were calling on Israel's government to secure the release of all 50 hostages still held in Gaza. Organizers say hundreds of thousands of people joined the nationwide strike, and polls have repeatedly shown a large majority of Israelis support a deal to free the hostages in exchange for an end to the war.

But some Israeli officials including the Prime Minister blasted Sunday's demonstration. Now, this all comes as the U.S. is suspending visitor visas for Palestinians from Gaza. In a post on X, the State Department said it would review the process that allows them to temporarily enter the U.S. for medical and humanitarian reasons.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the move, saying he's seeing evidence linking visa recipients to terrorist groups in the region.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUBIO: There is evidence been presented to us by numerous congressional offices that some of the organizations bragging about and involved in acquiring these visas have strong links to terrorist groups like Hamas. And so, we are not going to be in partnership with groups that are friendly with Hamas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREEMAN: Now, the group Heal Palestine, an American nonprofit that provides critical aid to Palestinian families and children from Gaza, criticized the visa move, saying this is a medical treatment program, not a refugee resettlement program. Joining me live for more on this is CNN's Nada Bashir, she is in London. Nada, thank you for being with us. What more can you tell us about this visa situation? NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, Danny, the Trump

administration has not offered any clear details with regards to the evidence that they say indicates that some of these organizations which have been facilitating these temporary visitations for Palestinian patients to receive medical treatment, are, in fact, linked to terrorist organizations in Gaza like Hamas.

We know that thousands of these visas have been issued in 2025 by the U.S. government for those holding Palestinian authority passports, that includes patients from both Gaza and from the occupied West Bank. But again, no details as to what these links are, what that so-called evidence that Marco Rubio says was presented by some congressional offices actually entailed.

What we do know is that they are temporary halting -- temporarily halting these visas for Palestinian patients. This includes parents and guardians who would be traveling with children who require that urgent medical care. And you mentioned the U.S. nonprofit, Heal Palestine, which has played a key role in facilitating the treatment of Palestinian patients, including more than 60 children in over 100 Palestinians overall.

This organization, as you mentioned, has criticized the move. They highlighted that this is not a refugee resettlement program. This is a temporary program to allow patients to receive treatment in the U.S. before then being returned to countries in the Middle East by the organization. And of course, as we know, the need for medical aid and support is dire.

There are few functioning medical facilities left in the Gaza Strip. Many of the children and adults, of course, traveling abroad to receive treatment, are suffering from severe physical injuries as well as psychological trauma. And of course, severe malnourishment, which, as we know, is an increasingly and deepening crisis in the Gaza Strip.

And of course, we ourselves have visited a number of these camps and field hospitals that they have been established outside of Gaza to provide treatment. So, these are very much important organizations and opportunities for Palestinians to receive treatment. But at this stage, no clarity on the timeline as to how long that review process might take by the Trump administration.

FREEMAN: Nada, going back for a moment to those protests calling for Israel to secure the release of the remaining hostages, I want to get your perspective on that. Are those massive protests having an impact?

BASHIR: Well, look, we've already heard criticism from the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who has slammed these protests and strikes. He has said that the only way to bring back the hostages to secure the security of the state of Israel is, in fact, to fully defeat Hamas. But of course, what we've seen over the last 22 months are these continued protests, Israelis taking to the streets, demanding that their government do more to secure the release of those hostages, primarily through achieving a ceasefire.

And that's certainly what we've been hearing over the weekend from the family members and representatives of hostages still held captive in the Gaza Strip by Hamas, calling for Israel for the Israeli government, rather to put forward an Israeli proposal that would secure the release of hostages and bring an end to the war.

And what we saw over the weekend are these huge rallies and protests. Organizers say some 400,000 people overall taking to the streets, according to their estimates.

[05:20:00]

We've seen businesses going on strike, roads being blocked. There have been some arrests, although they have been primarily peaceful protests. But again, a huge show of opposition to the current plan being put forward by the Israeli government. And of course, these strikes were announced off the back of the announcement by the Israeli government that they would plan with the Israeli military to double down on their offensive in central Gaza, that they aim to take control of Gaza city.

And of course, there is concern for many of these family members and representatives around the safety and security of those hostages held captive in the Gaza Strip. And of course, we have seen international backlash against these plans by the Israeli military, given the dire situation that we are seeing in the Gaza Strip, given the lack of security and safe spaces for Palestinians who have almost entirely now been displaced from their homes across Gaza.

So, again, these protests are still picking up whether we see any movement from the Israeli government remains to be seen. But at this stage, we are only hearing criticism from the Israeli Prime Minister. Although we have heard words of support from the Israeli President who actually has voiced his support or solidarity rather, with those protesters rallying over the weekend. Danny?

FREEMAN: Nada Bashir from London, thank you so much for that reporting. Appreciate it. Coming up, President Trump's redistricting push in Texas has California Democrats scrambling to respond with their own plan. We have the latest on the redistricting battle that's coming up next. Plus, three states are sending National Guard troops to Washington D.C. to support President Trump's so-called crime crackdown. We'll tell you what people who live there think about it all. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:25:00]

FREEMAN: The redistricting battle in the United States is heating up. The California legislature is set to convene today to begin the process around their proposed redistricting map. Now, their plan aims to produce up to five additional Democratic seats in the U.S. house. This, of course, comes after Texas Governor Greg Abbott called a special session to push through redrawing their state's congressional maps.

Now, Republicans hope to secure up to five more GOP seats in the 2026 midterm elections. Now, a source says Texas House Democrats who fled the state to stall the Republican plan are expected to return to Austin in the coming hours. Meantime, demonstrators across the country protested the Trump-backed Texas redistricting plan over this weekend.

Three Republican-led states are escalating President Trump's effort to take over local law enforcement meanwhile, in Washington D.C. South Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia are sending hundreds of their own National Guard troops to help patrol the nation's capital streets. Crowds opposed to the President's moves gathered over the weekend.

But not everyone in the U.S. capitol feels the same way. CNN's Camilla DeChalus spoke with D.C. residents about the impact on their community as children prepare to head back to school.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAMILLA DECHALUS, CNN REPORTER (on camera): Several D.C. residents and youth activists told me that their biggest concern is that young black and Latino teens are going to be the most impacted by the larger police presence in the city. And while some D.C. residents have acknowledged that youth violence is a big issue in the city, they believe that Trump's actions are only going to do more harm than good. Take a listen to what some D.C. residents had to say.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's doing nothing at all. It's not just doing absolutely nothing. It's theater. It's political theater. And the only people that fall for it are people that don't live here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm out here to protest. The idea of having someone that isn't even familiar with D.C., in charge of the police here is terrifying to me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have never lived in a city where there's military outside my door.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now, during my conversation with several D.C. residents, some parents with children in the D.C. public school system did express that they think that Trump's latest move of deploying more federal law enforcement to the city, is actually a step in the right direction to combat youth violence.

DECHALUS: Do you have any reservations or concerns sending your kids to school with the fact that the DEA and the national troops are all deployed into the city?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, to me, it actually makes the street to me more safer.

DECHALUS: Now, the Trump administration on their end says that their main objective in sending more troops to D.C. is to really make D.C. safe again. And they say that they really want to combat youth crime. But when you look at the data of youth arrests for violent offenses from 2018 to 2024, it paints a bit of a complicated picture.

You see that there was a little bit of a decline from 2019 to 2020, and then there was a little bit of an uptick after 2022 to 2024. But youth activists say that more funding from the federal government should really be going towards more resources and programs that help and target inner city youth, not to increase law enforcement presence in the city.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREEMAN: Some other headlines today. Police are conducting an urgent manhunt in New York. They're looking for multiple suspects from a deadly shooting at a lounge in Brooklyn on Sunday. Officials say three people were killed and nine others were injured when as many as four shooters opened fire inside the crowded building.

It happened around 3:30 in the morning after a gang-related dispute. So far, there have been no arrests in the case. And in the coming hours, former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr is expected to appear before the House Oversight Committee. He was subpoenaed earlier this month to testify about his time leading the Justice Department and overlap into the criminal investigation into late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Barr is just one of six attorneys general and two former FBI directors summoned to discuss the issue with the Republican-led panel. In multiple subpoena letters, the committee told former officials they have knowledge and information related to the current investigation. All right, coming up, a critical meeting in Washington. Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump.