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Isa Soares Tonight
Trump Hosts Zelenskyy and European Leaders at WH; Russia attacks Ukraine again as Zelenskyy heads to WH. Aired 2:00-3p ET
Aired August 18, 2025 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
LYNDA KINKADE, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: Hello and welcome, I'm Lynda Kinkade in for Isa Soares. Tonight, we begin with breaking news out of
Washington D.C., where President Trump is meeting with the Ukrainian President and European leaders. We're going to take you straight to the
White House, the site of those pivotal meetings that could decide Ukraine's survival and the impact of Europe's security.
Well, minutes ago, Mr. Trump held talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT, UKRAINE: Because during the war, you can't have elections.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You need a ceasefire. You know, if you look at the six deals that I settled this year, they were all
at war. I didn't do any ceasefires. And I know that it might be good to have, but I can also understand strategically why -- well, you know, one
country or the other wouldn't want it.
You have a ceasefire, and they rebuild and rebuild and rebuild. And you know, maybe they don't want that. But if you look at the six deals that we
made, peace, and you know, long term, long running wars, I didn't do any ceasefires. Would I like -- I like the concept, you know, I like the
concept of a ceasefire for one reason.
Because you'd stop killing people immediately as opposed to in two weeks or one week or whatever it takes. But we can work a deal where we're working
on a peace deal while they're fighting. They have to fight. I wish they could stop. I'd like them to stop. But strategically, that could be a
disadvantage for one side or the other. But all of these deals I made without even the mention of the words, ceasefire.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Zelenskyy, are you disappointed --
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Weighing the decision to offer Ukraine Article 5-like security guarantees, but stopped short of pushing for their full
membership?
TRUMP: Yes, well, we haven't done anything on that yet. If you look back and you go back long before President Putin, it was always a statement that
they would never allow Ukraine into NATO. So, that was a statement that was made. But we haven't discussed any of that yet. We're going to be
discussing it today, but we will give them very good protection, very good security.
That's part of it. And the people that are waiting for us, they are -- I think they're very like-minded. They want to -- they want to help out also.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, U.S. President Donald Trump is meeting this hour with top European leaders who flew in last minute for this gathering. President
Trump has now dropped his threat of very serious consequences that he made earlier this month if Russia didn't agree to end the fighting.
The U.S. President is now putting the pressure directly on Mr. Zelenskyy, saying the Ukrainian President could end the war almost immediately by
giving up any claims on Crimea, along with any hope of joining NATO. Well, on the ground, far from the White House, nothing has changed.
Ukrainian officials say at least ten people were killed, including an infant and two teenagers in a series of Russian attacks. We are covering
developments from all angles, Washington, Kyiv, Moscow and western Europe. Right now, I want to begin with CNN Politics senior reporter Stephen
Collinson, who joins us live from Washington, and Fabrice Pothier; a former NATO director of Policy Planning and CEO of the Rasmussen Global, he joins
us from Toulouse, France.
Good to have you both with us. I want to start with you first, Stephen. And the optics of this meeting at the White House, we understand that President
Zelenskyy was asked to don a suit and a tie for this gathering, while on the other hand, we saw the Foreign Minister of Russia turn up to the summit
in Alaska wearing what appeared to be the abbreviation for a Soviet Union. So, Soviet Union slang on his -- on his -- on his sweater. Just talk us
through the optics of this high stakes diplomacy.
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, I think that Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, is a well-known troll. So, I think that's
what that was all about. The fact that Zelenskyy didn't wear a -- you know, a traditional western suit, I suppose is a sign of independence and honor
to the soldiers that are fighting as he conducts negotiations, and that he won't be browbeaten by sectors of the conservative American media.
[14:05:00]
I think what was interesting in that Oval Office session there was that the President largely tried to avoid confrontation, to avoid a repeat of what
happened in February, Zelenskyy was very complimentary towards the President and praised the first lady, Melania Trump, for sending a letter
to Putin, asking him to shield Ukrainian children.
So, I guess that's a good sign. But I think there's a lot of substance between the two sides that is still questionable. And the fact is that it's
going to be very hard to make -- draw this circle between Ukrainian interests, Russian interests, European interests, and President Trump's
primary interest, which is getting some peace deal of any sort as quickly as possible.
KINKADE: And I want to bring Fabrice Poitier into the conversation. Last time we saw President Zelenskyy and Donald Trump meet in the White House,
we saw canceled deals, we saw a pause to the aid, and of course, we saw shaken relations. What does this last-minute show of solidarity from
European leaders in Washington reveal about Europe's role in ensuring that there is this western commitment to Ukraine?
FABRICE POTHIER, CEO, RASMUSSEN GLOBAL: Well, I think it's a double mission for the European leaders. On one hand, they are trying to play the
role of a shock absorber between President Trump and Zelenskyy in case there is a repeat of the past meeting in the Oval Office. Clearly, looking
at the optics of this latest meeting, this is not what's happening right now.
But I think it helped to temper tempers. And the second part of the mission is to lean on President Trump to avoid rushing into a deal which can be
basically Russia victory and a Ukraine and Europe capitulation. So, I think they're on this double mission. And the fact that you have a mix of the
European political spectrum from the liberal Macron to the labor, social Democrat, Starmer to the conservative far-right, Meloni, is a good -- is a
good mix to kind of show that Europe is not just liberal Europe. It's also the friends of MAGA like Meloni.
KINKADE: And Stephen, you have referred to the European leaders of their - - in support of Zelenskyy as bodyguards, especially after the showdown we saw in February. Does he really need that kind of visible protection?
COLLINSON: Well, I think Fabrice is right. What they're trying to do is give him that backstop to make it less likely that Trump prevails upon him
on his own to accept a deal that would be less advantageous to Ukraine. But also, this is not just the European leaders trying to support Zelenskyy.
They are coming here to safeguard their own security.
This is potentially one of the most important moments in European history since the end of the Cold War. If Ukraine -- if either Ukraine war ends in
a way that gives validation to President Putin's invasion and establishes the principle that bigger nations can just bite off territory from smaller
nations, that is very dangerous to Europe, and it sends a signal to Putin.
It raises questions about the periphery of Europe and the security of countries on Russia's borders. So, this is very important for European
security. They are supporting Zelenskyy, but their primary goals are much deeper than that singular mission.
KINKADE: And Fabrice, prior to today's summit, in the hours leading up to this, Russia launched a wave of attacks, killing civilians, including
children. What does that suggest about Putin? Is he deliberately using brutality to potentially sabotage these peace talks?
POTHIER: Well, quite frankly, it suggests that President Trump has failed in deterring President Putin from carrying on his war of aggression against
Ukraine. So, you can look at it in many different ways, but the fact that, you know, the world's top power, the United States, just, you know, hosted
Russia, the major aggressor.
And whiles hosting, and right after Russia carries on killing Ukrainian people is the way for Putin to say, I don't feel deterred here. I don't
feel there's a cost of my action which will make me stop, and I feel I can carry on, on my mission. So, this is sadly a very sad -- I would say,
conclusion of this past few weeks and months of negotiations that Vladimir Putin is still very much undeterred in his action.
KINKADE: And Stephen, of course, before today's meeting, Donald Trump outlined conditions that could end the war, essentially putting this back
on the country that has been invaded, saying that Ukrainian leader could end this war. Now, he seems to acknowledge that it's far more complicated
than what he had initially thought. What's actually on the table?
[14:10:00]
COLLINSON: I think that's a good question. I'm not sure that the U.S. side has a constructive written proposal that is on the table. Are they really
clear in their own eyes what supposedly that Putin offered them in that summit or the meeting with Steve Witkoff, the U.S. envoy before that, which
led to the summit.
It seems to be what Putin wants to do is to take areas of the Donbas region in Ukraine, in the east that he doesn't control already, and then swap some
land with Ukraine in the southeast of Ukraine, which is less strategic land. But Zelenskyy really can't for political constitutional and
diplomatic reasons give up some of these areas of the Donbas because they represent the fortified defenses of Ukraine.
And if he were to do so, he would make an invasion of Ukraine again in the future much more likely, not to mention the fact that thousands of
Ukrainians have died trying to defend that land. So, I don't think it's realistic that Zelenskyy can go ahead with that. I don't really know if the
White House believes that or recognizes that either.
So, this is why it's so difficult. I think it was significant that President Trump said today he was interested in helping the Europeans with
some sort of security guarantees after any peace. But even today, the Russians have come out and said, well, there's going to be no NATO troops
on Ukrainian soil.
Is the President ready? President Trump to push back against that? Is he going to create any leverage that would improve Ukraine's position? Or is
he going to be now representing a U.S. and Russian position on this against the Ukrainians and the Europeans? So, I think we're going to have to watch
what comes out of this meeting. But there's no consistency in the U.S. position from one day to the next.
KINKADE: Yes, you make a good point. And on that NATO security point, I want to ask Fabrice, because Trump did flag the possibility of a NATO-style
security guarantee for Ukraine, effectively Article 5-like protection. So, if one member state is attacked, it's an attack on all member states, but
it's without NATO membership, outside any sort of, like formal framework of NATO. How credible and durable would an agreement like that be?
POTHIER: Well, as credible as the commitment of the guarantors, in this case the United States and the Europeans would be. My firm has worked --
has had the privilege of working closely with President Zelenskyy and his team on fleshing out what would some security guarantees look like so that
Ukraine can guarantee its future as a sovereign, independent nation.
And quite frankly, it takes three layers. One, first and foremost, Ukraine needs to have the means to defend itself. So, we need to help the
Ukrainians build a formidable army, have the capabilities to defend its cities and its population. We are almost there, but still some way to go.
Second, you need the Europeans to be willing to put some skin in the game, to put possibly some Ukraine -- some sorry, European soldiers on Ukrainian
soil.
And thirdly, you need the United States to be willing to, A, give the unique capabilities that only the U.S. has, mostly Intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance, but also air defense as well as give some guarantees to the Europeans that if a major contingency were to happen, the
United States will be there.
So, it's a kind of slightly different to Article 5, but it's a three- layered-type of guarantee. And it's possible. The question is, is there the will in Washington, but also in Europe and capitals to go all that way?
KINKADE: Fabrice Pothier and Stephen Collinson, great to have you both with us. Thank you. I want to get the view now from Kyiv and the very
tricky dilemma facing Ukraine's leader. Does Volodymyr Zelenskyy accept a quick peace deal and end Russia's war by giving up land in exchange for
vague security guarantees announced by the U.S. that Moscow hasn't even confirmed?
Well, it's hard to forget his last visit to the Oval Office, memorable for all the wrong reasons. And it ended in disaster after President Trump and
Vice President J.D. Vance berated Mr. Zelenskyy. That led to an early exit by Ukraine's delegation. We're covering the perspective from Kyiv as our
Ben Wedeman, good to have you with us, Ben.
So, in the lead up to this summit, to today's meeting, we saw Russia escalate its attacks across Ukraine, leading to the deaths of at least ten
people, including children. Of course, we heard from President Zelenskyy, who described Putin's efforts for peace as cynical. Just give us the
perspective on the ground there in Kyiv.
[14:15:00]
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, just to give you an idea of the reaction so far to this Oval Office meeting, we did see
one member of parliament here saying there is some good news. They didn't fight. That's good. So, there's a certain amount of relief that there was
not a repeat of that October, or rather February 28th confrontation in the White House, in the Oval Office, that really left people in a state of
shock and really threw relations between Washington and Kyiv into crisis.
So, it appears that from the words we heard from the Oval Office, from the friendly greeting that President Trump gave at the front doors of the White
House to the leader of Ukraine, that perhaps relations are back on track. Although, we did see one Ukrainian journalist commenting on this, saying
that everything is going to go great between Zelenskyy and Trump, between later, the leaders of Europe, Zelenskyy and Trump, and then Trump will call
Putin and everything will change a 100 times again.
Which underscores the fact that many Ukrainians just don't have confidence in the long-term stability of the relationship between the United States
and Ukraine as long as President Trump is in power. And we really heard those doubts, those concerns when we went to a funeral here in Kyiv this
morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WEDEMAN (voice-over): The young widow tries to keep a brave face at a funeral like so many funerals before. Friends and loved ones come to mourn
yet another life cut down in its prime. David Chichkan, a popular Kyiv artist, joined the army last year. Earlier this month, he was killed by a
Russian drone on the eastern front. His mother gets one last look at her son. Dmytro(ph) was in David's unit.
"He always wanted Ukraine to have agency", he tells me. "For it to be free, independent, for it to choose its own path, to decide where to go and what
to be." This funeral comes on the day when Zelenskyy goes to the White House under pressure from Trump, who overnight posted on social media that
the Ukrainian leader can end the war almost immediately if he wants to.
"It's just some kind of fatal coincidence", Oleksandra says. "That today, there is this great farewell and at the same time, our President is clearly
being pressured into something in Washington." The very land David died defending may now be on the negotiating table. A cold reality not lost on
filmmaker, Sashko.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can't trade, you know, lives of Ukrainian people, our lands and our values just for the Donald Trump's desire to make
business as usual with the Russians.
WEDEMAN: For now, the business as usual is more death and destruction. Overnight drone and missile strikes killed at least ten people.
(on camera): And so, yet, another funeral comes to an end. And despite all the diplomacy that is perhaps going on, there is no end in sight to this
war.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WEDEMAN: And indeed, people here are bracing again for another night of possible Russian drone and missile attacks. They've never really stopped
for months and months. Just the worry is that perhaps in reaction to this friendly reception to the Ukrainian leader in the White House, President
Putin might have a response of his own. Lynda?
KINKADE: All right, Ben Wedeman for us in Kyiv, our thanks to you. Well, later in the show, I'll be speaking with a former Ukrainian Defense
Minister, Andriy Zagorodnyuk, to get his perspective on this historic day. He's also a current adviser to the Ukrainian government, so stay tuned for
that. Well, still to come tonight, maps show the key regions in Ukraine that Russia wants.
We're going to analyze the Ukrainian territory at stake. Also, Hamas says it's accepted a new ceasefire and hostage release proposal for Gaza. But
will Israel get on board? We'll have that story next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(14:20:00]
KINKADE: Well, in just a few hours, Hamas announced that it has accepted a new ceasefire and hostage proposal for Gaza. According to a diplomat
briefed on negotiations, Qatar and Egypt secured a breakthrough that preserves 98 percent of the last ceasefire deal brokered by U.S. envoy
Steve Witkoff.
Israel agreed to that deal, but we don't know yet if it will accept the current one. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he's heard the reports,
and they show that Hamas is under immense pressure. But his government is also under immense pressure. Yesterday, Israeli protesters blocked highways
and marched on the military headquarters in Tel Aviv, demanding an immediate ceasefire.
They want the government to agree to a comprehensive deal that would free all the remaining hostages. One protester says time is running out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TAMAR MERIN, ISRAELI PROTESTER: I'm here today because this is our last chance to stop the insanity. Stop the war. Stop the government from
sacrificing our hostages, sacrificing many more soldiers, sacrificing basically us and the Palestinian people for its own political gain.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: With no end to the war in sight, Amnesty International warns that Israel is carrying out a deliberate campaign of starvation in Gaza,
systematically destroying Palestinian life. The human rights watchdog published a report today that includes new testimonies from displaced
civilians haunted by hunger.
It accuses Israel of inflicting unbearable suffering on an entire population, and says Palestinian children are being left to waste away,
forcing families to either helplessly hear their cries or risk death trying to get them food. Gaza's Health Ministry says 263 people have now starved
to death, including 112 children.
Israel has denied that there is any starvation in Gaza at all. Well, this report coming as thousands of Palestinians begin fleeing Gaza city ahead of
a threatened Israeli siege. Israel has vowed to take over the city and militarily defeat Hamas. Well, if Israel does launch an all out assault on
Gaza's main population center, the already staggering death toll could reach unimaginable levels.
[14:25:00]
A former head of the Israeli military Intelligence says mass death in Gaza is, quote, "necessary". Aharon Haliva was heard on leaked audio saying
every now and then, Palestinians, quote, "need a Nakba in order to feel the price". He says it doesn't matter if children are among the dead. The Nakba
refers to the killing and mass displacement of Palestinians by Jewish militia in 1948, the year that Israel was founded. Oren Liebermann has more
from Jerusalem.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF (on camera): These are striking remarks coming from the former head of Israel's military
Intelligence, Major General Aharon Haliva was the first senior Israeli officer to resign over his responsibility for the failures that led to and
allowed October 7th. But in these lengthy audio recordings published by Israel's "Channel 12" news, he also cast blame on others, saying it wasn't
only the military, it was other Intelligence and security agencies that were responsible for the failures that led to October 7th.
But in these lengthy audio recordings, he makes, frankly, stunning remarks about the number of Palestinians who have been killed by the Israeli
military throughout nearly two years of war in Gaza. He says in these recordings, "for everything that happened on October 7th, for every one
person on October 7th, 50 Palestinians must die. It doesn't matter now if they are children.
The fact that there are already 50,000 dead in Gaza is necessary and required for future generations." And these leaked recordings are published
as Israel faces increased condemnation and accusations over the conduct of the war in Gaza. The Israeli military facing accusations of intentional
starvation, war crimes and genocide, accusations that Israel has vehemently denied.
Now, it's unclear exactly when these recordings were made. He refers to 50,000 dead in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, that
milestone was passed some months ago. The Ministry says there are more than 61,000 Palestinians who have been killed by the Israeli military in Gaza
since the war began.
Still, though, that number indicates these are fairly recent recordings. And we have seen the condemnation of the war in Gaza come even within the
last few days. The Danish Prime Minister saying that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has become a problem within himself. And the New Zealand
Prime Minister saying just days ago that Israel has lost the plot in Gaza and calling the planned escalation with the takeover and occupation of Gaza
city utterly unacceptable.
Hamas also condemned the remarks, saying it confirms that crimes against our people are high level decisions and official policy from the enemy's
political and security leadership. Oren Liebermann, CNN in Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, the Trump administration is suspending visitor visas for Palestinians from Gaza, including children in urgent need of medical care.
The State Department says it's reviewing the process that allows Palestinians to temporarily enter the U.S. for medical and humanitarian
reasons.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio claims the administration received evidence that some organizations facilitating the visas have, quote, "strong links
to terrorist groups like Hamas", but he didn't provide any specifics. Well, still to come tonight, a high stakes meeting at the White House. What might
Ukraine have to give up to end Russia's invasion?
We'll have a closer look at the maps next. And these are live pictures coming to us from the White House, where we are expecting to see President
Trump, President Zelenskyy and the European leaders at any moment now. Stay with us, we'll have much more in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:00]
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. You are looking at a live shot right now of the podium where President Trump, President Zelenskyy, and
European leaders will stage a family photo. This is a historic meeting they're having right now to try to find an end to Russia's war in Ukraine.
It comes, of course, after the Alaska summit involving Trump and Putin on Friday.
Well, this is the breaking news we are covering this hour. President Trump hosting President Zelenskyy, and of course multiple European leaders for
these peace talks at the White House. At stake, of course, is the future of Ukraine's territory.
Now, President Trump has signaled Mr. Zelenskyy must agree to some of Russia's conditions, that includes that Ukraine's cede Crimea, and agree to
never join NATO in order for the water to end. Our Clare Sebastian takes a closer look at the regions that Russia wants.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ending this war will ultimately mean complex and probably painful discussions over territory. So, here's what's
on the table. Now, Crimea, which Trump said Monday, Ukraine should not expect to get back, has been under def facto Russian control for over 11
years. Russian troops took the territory in 2014 holding a sham referendum and illegally annexing it. But still only a small handful of countries,
including Belarus and North Korea actually recognize it as Russian.
Now, also in 2014, fighting broke out up here in the Donbas region, made up of two Ukrainian regions, Donetsk and Luhansk, Russian-backed separatists
battling Ukrainian forces for control in this area. Now, if we take a closer look at this part, the peace agreements that were signed here, Minsk
1 and 2, the last in 2015, essentially gave this shaded area, this striped harrier here, a special status. Now, where Russia denied direct military
involvement in that conflict. It launched its full-scale war in 2022 on a pretext of protecting Russians and Russian speakers in this region. That is
crucial. It even recognized these two self-styled people's republics in this area as independent just three days before invading.
Now, a reminder, of course, according to international law, this is still Ukraine, but that did not stop Russia from illegally annexing in September
22 not only Donetsk and Luhansk, but also Kherson and Zaporizhzhia down here where they were starting to take territory.
Now, here, you can see these regional in white there. And this is where it gets complicated, because Russia doesn't actually have full control here.
It's only the red section they -- which they actually occupy. When it comes to the Donbas, which is of course part of the core justification for this
war, Russia isn't backing down.
Trump telling his European allies that Moscow wants all of these regions, including this part that Ukraine still occupies. Just highlight that part
there for you. Just here. Now by contrast down here in Kherson Zaporizhzhia, it is apparently willing to accept just the parts it's
occupied in militarily.
[14:35:00]
Now, of course, for Ukraine, a permanent loss of territory is unacceptable, as is withdrawing from key territory that it still controls, but halting
the conflict where it is accepting, perhaps temporary de facto Russian control in the occupied regions, a frozen conflict. Well, that could be a
starting point.
Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: And joining us now is Clare Sebastian from London. Good to have you break that down for us in terms of the regions. But the other key point
of discussion today is of course the security guarantees. And we have heard that Trump has put on the table the fact that there could be some sort of
Article 5 guarantee, security guarantee, but not full NATO membership. Just explain how credible that sort of a guarantee could be.
SEBASTIAN: Well, look, we really don't have much detail on this issue of security guarantees, Lynda, but I think, look, that map really showed why
it's so important. President Zelenskyy has been pretty clear, I think, at least since the end of last year, that Ukraine cannot retake the occupied
territory by force. Ukraine, in fact, has not actually been on the attack for about a year and a half or even longer than that since the failed
counter offensive of 2023, it's only been defending. So, I think that is pretty clear, and that's why that starting point is potentially halting the
fighting along the current line of contact.
But security guarantees, look, Ukraine has been burned by this in the past. Memories are still pretty fresh of the Budapest Memorandum where Ukraine
gave up it nuclear weapons in return. It thought for concrete, watertight western security guarantees. Of course, that did not come to pass. But this
is, I think, the mention by the U.S. the open embrace now of potentially being involved as security guarantees for Ukraine in the future the one key
chink of light for Ukraine that came out of the Alaska summit.
Of course, the idea of a ceasefire first now appears to be off the table. Trump reiterated that in that Oval office exchange that we just saw. But
when it comes to security guarantees, he does seem open to the idea. So, I think that's what those European allies are really going to be hammering
out.
Obviously, this is somewhat upside down. We live in a world where Russia is essentially being able to sign off on the deterrent that will be directed
against it. So, you know, it's an extraordinary situation really. But ultimately, for Ukraine, what matters most is U.S. involvement, the size of
its military, the fact that it will be able to continue to keep up this sort of what the European Commission president calls a steel porcupine,
making Ukraine so well armed that it wouldn't be digestible, as she put it, to an invader. All of that is absolutely critical as we move forward
towards some kind of perhaps trilateral meeting as Trump has trailed.
KINKADE: Yes. And of course, I want to ask you a big picture, Clare, about Europe's support for Ukraine. Because this meeting we're seeing today is
the first time we've ever had a European leaders physically standing shoulder to shoulder alongside Zelenskyy in a U.S.-led summit under Trump's
spotlight. How far are they willing to go in their support for Ukraine?
SEBASTIAN: So, different countries are willing to go different ways. That's why they have this coalition of the willing, it's supposed to bring
together countries to be able to do essentially what they're willing to do, not all of them perhaps would be willing to put boots on the ground. We
know that the U.K. has stood up and said it will, along with a couple of other countries, but different countries would be willing to provide
different kinds of support.
But it remains the case that there are certain key assets, key issues where the U.S. is essential, be it intelligence sharing, perhaps logistics. And
that is why I think partly they have chosen to turn up in person to make this case, to make sure that they can push through, what I -- as I said,
seems to be the key hopeful piece of news coming out of the Alaska summit for Ukraine.
KINKADE: Yes, exactly. And they obviously don't want Ukraine to feel pressured into a accepting a deal that is not suitable for the Ukrainian
people. Clare Sebastian, for us in London, thanks so much.
And we will return back to D.C. shortly for that family photo of President Zelenskyy, President Trump, and the European leaders as they prepare to
take part in what could be their most consequential meeting since Russia's full-scale invasion.
Coming up, I'm going to speak to Ukraine's former defense minister. Stay with us. You're watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:40:00]
KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade. I want to go back to our breaking news where all eyes are on the White House as Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and top European and NATO leaders prepare to meet with Donald Trump. They're going to take to this podium in just the next few
minutes for their family photo. This is a historic meeting at the White House and the consequential peace talks coming as Russia continues to bomb
its neighbor, launching a series of attacks across Ukraine overnight.
This footage was shared by the mayor of Kharkiv, which shows the moment Russian drone struck a building in the northeast part of that city. Well,
the stakes for today's talks could not be higher. Ukrainian territory may be used as a bargaining chip to negotiate an end to the war that Russia
started more than three years ago. Earlier, President Zelenskyy reiterated what his country needs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What security guarantees do you need from President Trump to be able to make a deal? Is it American troops, intelligent
equipment? What is it?
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Everything. And really, we -- it's includes two part. First, strong Ukrainian army that I began to
discuss with your colleagues and it's a lot about weapon and then people and training missions and intelligence. And second, it'll -- we will
discuss with our partners. It depends on big countries, on the United States, on a lot of our friends.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President, are you willing to commit American troops to that NATO like protection in order to get President Zelenskyy to
a deal today?
TRUMP: Well, I don't know if you define it that way, but NATO like, I mean, we are going to give -- we have people waiting in another room right
now. They're all here from Europe, biggest people in Europe, and they want to give protection. They feel very strongly about it, and we'll help them
out with that. I think it's very important. I think it's very important to get the deal done.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, let's get more perspective from former Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Zagorodnyuk. He is a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic
Council's Eurasia Center and chairman of the Center for Defense Strategies in Kyiv. Great to have you on the program. Thanks for your time.
ANDRIY ZAGORODNYUK, FORMER UKRAINIAN DEFENSE MINISTER AND CHAIRMAN, CENTER FOR DEFENSE STRATEGIES: Thank you. Thank you.
KINKADE: So, as these peace talks unfold, Russia has intensified its military aggression striking cities across Ukraine, leading to the deaths
of at least 10 people, including children. We heard the Ukrainian president describe this as a cynical way to sabotage the peace effort. From a
military perspective, what do you make of the timing of this escalation?
ZAGORODNYUK: Russians always escalate before anything can change in the course of the war. They always want to show that they're acting from
position of strength. They always want to have the -- you know, visible sort of dominance in the operational environment. And as long as they
cannot achieve that in conventional manner, they act something, which we basically consider as an act of terrorism because they're throwing these
two on people.
[14:45:00]
Also, they know that President Zelenskyy is extremely negative about ceding the territories, and it's not only because he cannot do it by law, as any
other leader of the democratic nation, you know, the president cannot just give out the territory. It's just like -- it doesn't happen like that. But
also, because this war is not about the territory. This war is about the existence of Ukraine, and Russia is trying to eradicate the whole country.
So, what he wants to do, what Putin wants to do is those strikes. He wants to break the will of Ukrainian people and make sure that they kind of try
to push president to, you know, wrong moves and -- you know, and accepting whatever the Russia demands.
KINKADE: And going into these talks, President Trump said Ukraine could easily end this war by giving up two key things, Crimea and hopes of a NATO
membership. Are those demands acceptable?
ZAGORODNYUK: I don't think they will end the war, frankly speaking. I think if we would be in a position of absolutely clearly securing the
Ukraine's future, we could discuss all kinds of unconventional solutions. But the point is that we don't believe that the -- any cessations of
territory would actually lead to peace, because they would lead to the situation when Russia would show that it's gaining something that Russia
would see that there is a -- you know, a barrier, an unstoppable barrier, an unbreakable barrier for Ukraine to join the NATO community. And in this
case, they would keep on going eventually. Because if Ukraine ditches all the hopes to NATO, then it means that it's on its own.
Question, of course, then there are like about the what about the security guarantees which are currently on the table? But it's very difficult
outside of NATO provide something which is practical and which actually can stop such large army as Russian. So, if we cannot enforce Russian promises
in any way, these promises simply become empty and then whatever they want in return, frankly, is speaking is irrelevant.
KINKADE: Andriy, just as you speak, we're just looking at some live pictures from the White House now, which is the leaders of the U.S.
President Trump, President Zelenskyy of Ukraine, along with other European leaders, including the leaders of NATO and the European Commission standing
for their family photo.
Just talk to us about how crucial this European support is for Ukraine going into this meeting, especially considering the dressing down that
President Zelenskyy got back in February?
ZAGORODNYUK: It's absolutely crucial. We extremely appreciate the European support and NATO leadership support because that brings -- first of all,
that brings objective common sense. So, these are no longer discussions between the two sides, meaning United States administration and President
Zelenskyy. It's a discussion about the western community as a whole, including NATO. And so, we are absolutely certain that there will be a very
-- a proper discussion there.
So, it cannot become personal and it cannot become like pushing Ukraine to do something which would be disastrous at the end. Because all European
nations, leaders, which are currently present, they all know the situation extremely well. They have very good understanding, strategic position and
so on. So, that brings us a huge confidence.
KINKADE: And President Trump has, of course, suggested that should this meeting go well today, he's going to push for a trilateral between the
Russian leader, the Ukrainian leader, and of course President Trump. What in your view would make such a meeting a success and do you actually think
it'll happen?
ZAGORODNYUK: I am very skeptical personally about that. I don't think Putin will accept that because he's -- he clearly understands what he's
doing. He understands that he's committing enormous amount of war crimes every day, well, every day, but an enormous in a totality. And so, what
he's going exactly to discuss Zelenskyy, I mean, this is -- Zelenskyy knows what he wants and it would be very tough to -- you know, for him to stand
on -- for Putin to stand on his position.
So, frankly speaking, Putin avoids situations like that, as we have seen before. And I guess, he would try to avoid this time as well. But we'll
see. Trump can be very convincing sometimes. So, we'll see how that goes.
KINKADE: Andriy Zagorodnyuk, great to get your perspective from Kyiv. Thanks so much for your time.
ZAGORODNYUK: Thank you.
KINKADE: We are going to have much more on this story still to come. Stick around with us. You're watching CNN.
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[14:50:00]
KINKADE: Hello. I'm Lynda Kinkade. We're going back to the White House. President Trump is speaking. Let's listen in.
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Thank you so much and it really is beautiful. And thank you for all of the wonderful things that took place
today. We've had a very successful day thus far. Important discussions as we work to end the killing and stop the war in Ukraine. We're all working
for the same goal, very simple goal, we want to stop the killing, get this settled.
I've just had the honor of being with President Zelenskyy and all of the discussions that we've had. We covered a lot of territory. And I spoke
indirectly with President Putin today. We're going to call President Putin right after this meeting. I'm sure we're going to have a solid meeting,
good meeting, maybe a great meeting, and we're going to try and work out a trilat after that and see if we can get it finished. Put this to sleep
because this is -- not since the Second World War has there been anything like this.
So, I'm honored to welcome NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who's a great gentleman, great political leader in Europe generally, but now he's the
NATO secretary general. And you're doing a fantastic job. Thank you very much, Mark.
Prime Minister Starmer of the United Kingdom, our friend and my friend and doing really well, and people like him a lot. We all like him. Everyone
knows President Macron of France, who's been with me from the beginning. One of the first people I met as a foreign dignitary, and I liked him from
day one. And I like him even more now. That's pretty good. That's unusual. That's a pretty unusual thing.
Prime Minister Meloni of Italy, who's really a great leader and an inspiration over there. She's served now -- even though she's a very young
person, she's served there for a long period of time relative to others. They don't last very long. You've lasted a long time. You're going to be
there a long time. Chancellor Merz of Germany, who is a very strong person and a very strong leader, and very highly respected in Germany. And he's my
friend and it's an honor to have him as my friend. Thank you very much. Very good. You look great with your tan. What'd you get that tan? I want to
get a tan like that.
[14:55:00]
President Stubb of Finland. And he's somebody that -- where are we here? Where --
ALEXANDER STUBB, FINNISH PRESIDENT: I'm right here.
TRUMP: Oh, you look better than I've ever seen you look. But you've done a great job and we wanted to have you here because you're somebody that we
all respect. And you've had a lot to do with the success, I think, and the potential success. And thank you very much for being here. We appreciate
it.
And the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who's somebody that we just made a big deal with all of those countries, I don't
know, I think you might be more powerful than all these guys at this table. I don't know. But you -- we had a great negotiation. And you're respected
all over the world. So, I want to thank you very much for being here. It's a great honor to have you.
The Alaska summit reinforced my belief that while difficult pieces within reach, and I believe that in a very significant step, President Putin
agreed that Russia would accept security guarantees for Ukraine, and this is one of the key points that we need to consider. And we're going to be
considering that at the table also. Like who will do what, essentially. I'm optimistic that collectively we can reach an agreement that would deter any
future aggression against Ukraine. And I actually think there won't be. I think that's even overrated, largely overrated, but we're going to find
out. And I think that the European nations are going to take a lot of the burden. We're going to help them and we're going to make it very secure.
We also need to discuss the possible exchanges of territory taken into consideration the current line of contact, that means the war zone, the war
lines that are pretty obvious, very sad actually to look at them, and negotiating positions of President Putin.
Also, you have president of Ukraine who is -- you just met a little while ago and we're going to try and get a three-party meeting, maybe as soon as
we can. And I have a feeling you and President Putin are going to work something out.
Ultimately, this is a decision that can only be made by President Zelenskyy and by the people of Ukraine working also together in agreement with
President Putin. And I just think that's -- very good things are going to come of it. So, I hope we have a good meeting and if we can have a good
meeting, I'll set up a meeting with President Putin. And if you'd like, I'll go to that meeting. And not that I want to do that, but I will do that
because we want to save a lot of people from dying. A lot of people are dying and we got to save them. We got to save it. 5,000, 6,000, 7,000
people sometimes a week.
All of us would obviously prefer an immediate ceasefire while we work on a lasting peace, and maybe something like that could happen. As of this
moment, it's not happening. But President Zelenskyy and President Putin can talk a little bit more about that.
You know, in the six or so wars that we stopped, we haven't had a ceasefire. And so, I don't know that it's necessary. You can do it through
the war. But it would be -- I like the ceasefire from another standpoint, you immediately stop the killing. But I believe a peace agreement at the
end of all of this is something that's very attainable and it can be done in the near future.
With all of the wars that I got involved in we only have this one left. Of course, as I walk out the door, there'll probably be a new one starting,
and I'll get that stopped too. But I thought this was going to be one of the easier ones. It's actually one of the most difficult, very complex.
The next step would be for a trilateral meeting, and that will be worked out. And I just look forward to working and having a great result. We're
going to spend a lot of time today talking about, and we're really honored you guys came over. I mean, these are the heads of major countries and
respected all over Europe and they speak for largely, I think, I should say, but pretty much for the other countries of Europe. And we will come to
a resolution today, I think, on almost everything, including probably the security. And that's pretty much the story.
I'd like to say, Mr. President, would you like to say something? You have the media if you want, you could come over and you could stand -- you could
use mine or you could just turn around, whichever you feel comfortable with.
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Thank you so much. I can speak without microphone. Thank you so much. I think that we had very good
conversation with President Trump.
TRUMP: Very good.
ZELENSKYY: And it really was the best one -- or sorry, maybe the best one will be in the future, but it was really good. And we spoke about very
sensitive points. The first one is security guarantees, and we are very happy with president that all the leaders are here and the security in
Ukraine depends on the --
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[15:00:00]
END
