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One World with Zain Asher
CNN International: EU Leaders Holding Special Summit On Ukraine & Defense; EU Leaders Meet On Ukraine As Trump Suspends Military Aid; Sources: Trump To Direct Education Secy. To Shut Down Dept. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired March 06, 2025 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ZAIN ASHER, HOST, "ONE WORLD": All right. European leaders gather at a crucial summit with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy this hour.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, HOST, "ONE WORLD": One World starts right now. Can EU leaders fill the gap left by President Trump after his decision to suspend
U.S. military aid to Ukraine? We'll take you live to Brussels and Kyiv for all the latest.
ASHER: Plus, President Trump expected to issue an executive order seeking to dismantle the entire Department of Education.
GOLODRYGA: And President Trump's tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada are already starting to have a real-world impact. We'll tell you which
items are getting more expensive at the grocery store.
All right. Hello, everyone. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher. You're watching One World. We're expected to hear from European leaders this hour, as they hold this emergency summit
taking place in Brussels right now, really focused on bolstering the security for Ukraine as the U.S. appears to have stepped back while
strengthening their own defenses as well.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. It comes amid a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape and a heightened sense of urgency. This after U.S. President Donald Trump
paused military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv this week, while seeming to pivot towards Russia.
Now, speaking from London, the Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK accused America of destroying the current world order and warned that Moscow's next
target could be Europe. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is at the summit, struck a different tone. He thanked the EU for its
strong support.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: During all this period and last week, you stay with us, and of course, from all the Ukrainians, from all
our nations, big appreciation. We are very thankful that we are not alone, and these are not just words. We feel it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: France, meantime, is promising to accelerate aid to Ukraine to make up for the U.S. shortfall, while the European Commission President Ursula
von der Leyen underscored the magnitude of the moment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
URSULA VON DER LEYEN, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN COMMISSION: This is a watershed moment for Europe, and Ukraine, as part of our European family, it's also a
watershed moment for Ukraine. Europe faces a clear and present danger, and therefore, Europe has to be able to protect itself, to defend itself, as we
have to put Ukraine in a position to protect itself and to push for lasting and just peace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is live for us in Kyiv. But first, let's go to Nic Robertson, who joins us from Brussels, and the world is still
responding, Nic, to comments from French President Macron yesterday, suggesting that his country is ready to extend its nuclear deterrent for
all of the protection of Europe. A reminder that only France and the UK have nuclear weapons. Just talk to us about the reverberations being felt
from those statements and what you're hearing today.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah. I mean, I think there is a couple of key things here. One, the fact that Emmanuel Macron
felt that it was necessary to say something like that underscores the worry European nations have looking at how quickly President Trump is cutting
military support of all manner to Ukraine, and the concern grows from that, that this could be support and President Trump's commitment to NATO and
NATO Article 5 at the core of which, one country has attacked, the others, all the others, including the United States, would come to their defense,
and at the core of that defense is nuclear deterrent, and the principal protagonist on that as well, you mentioned the UK and France, is, of
course, the United States.
So, what Macron is in effect saying here is we're extending our cover because we're afraid by implication that that cover may not come from the
United States. Now, this is really the first time we've heard a European leader on -- and for that matter, didn't hear it from the White House
either, talking about the use of nuclear weapons in the theater of -- or in the context of the conflict in Ukraine. Normally, it's the Kremlin that is
rattling the nuclear saber testing weapons, saying they got new, faster, stronger, better, higher, more deadly of these types of weapons they might
use a sort of a battlefield variant, a less, lower yield variant.
[11:05:00]
All these sorts of things come up in the sort of Russian arsenal of, I suppose, words that are fired into the ether over the war in Ukraine. And
so, it is sort of slightly surprising to hear from the Kremlin today, or at least from the Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, criticizing France for using
this sort of language when normally it's Russia doing that.
But, in the context of the meeting here to raise money for the defense of Europe and therefore Ukraine, a massive generational step shift in funding,
an additional $861 billion is what is being discussed, how to raise it, how to spend it. That comes further down the line. Its necessity, I think,
underscored by Roberta Metsola, the European Parliament President. Remember one thing about her? She was the first leader to go to Ukraine in the very
early stages of the war in 2022 after Russia's illegal invasion. This is what she said today about that defense fund.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTA METSOLA, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: It is about damn time. This is something that we have been asking for a long time, that the
European Union, that Europe is capable of standing up on its own two feet, for Europe to say that we are ready to put finally our money where our
mouth is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: And this is what we're hearing here in Brussels, behind closed doors, on background, from diplomats, this concern that the United States
is not where it was, not only -- in not supporting Ukraine, but not supporting Europe. Now, we've yet to see that formalized and articulated,
and there is a real hope here that United States stays engaged in Ukraine, supports European efforts to continue to give security support assistance,
guarantees in the short and longer term to Ukraine. But that reality is creeping in, and you got a sense of that from what President Macron said
about the nuclear deterrent and as well from Roberta Metsola. This is about time. This is something that Europe perhaps should have addressed a long
time ago, but now it's doing it. It's becoming real and that is super significant.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. The honest answer is that no one really knows where the U.S. stands in terms of its defense of Ukraine at this point, and that is a
sobering reality, especially for Ukraine's neighbors there in Europe.
Nic Robertson, thank you.
ASHER: Yeah. Nick Paton Walsh, let me bring you in now, because it was just a few days ago that the UK and France floated the potential idea of some
kind of one-month partial ceasefire with Russia essentially saying no to that. Why would we agree to that? That's only going to benefit Ukraine. It
will give them the pause that they're looking for. We're not going to agree to that, which really underscores the limits of the power of the European
leaders to have any kind of influence on the outcome of this war without the help from the United States, even if several EU members end up raising
how -- increasing the amount of money they're spending on defense. What difference can it make, or how much of a difference can it make without the
assistance from the Americans going forward, do you think, Nick?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: I mean, the Europeans clearly scrambling to put together their own peace
initiative, their own reassurance force. That has been roundly rejected by Moscow, certainly, and of course, obviously, I could see the complexities
of inserting European troops into the battlefield in Ukraine, and it's one, I think, that shared by many European leaders who have been clear from the
outset planning this. And I had one European official suggesting the bulk of the force may end up being British, French and Turkish, although it's
clearly still under discussion. Even that -- the European official said is impossible, really, or certainly very high risk, without the U.S.'s
psychological and practical assistance, and that is clearly at the stage in doubt.
When Starmer met President Trump, he said he would always have the UK's back, but it didn't really offer the full throated assistance that is
essentially part of what you would normally construe to be the NATO alliance. And that seismic change is what I think is leaving many,
certainly in Ukraine, but across Europe, deeply concerned.
It's important when we see this second show in five days of European solidarity alongside President Zelenskyy to not lose sight of the fact of
how the ground has dramatically changed in the last two and a half weeks. It's clear from the comments of Keith Kellogg, Trump's envoy to Ukraine and
Russia, that the United States sees itself as an interlocutor between Ukraine and Russia, possibly between Europe and Ukraine and Russia and no
longer the backer of Ukraine.
[11:10:00]
Now, in a war, that is a significant decision to make. It's less so potentially if you're trying to close a business deal. But, the new
thinking of the Trump administration is having a seismic impact here, and rightly, it leaves Ukrainians wondering really if the U.S. is still their
ally, if its goal is that it seems to put pressure on Ukraine to agree to an as yet unspecified peace deal.
Remember, we still have a pause in U.S. military aid. It is 48-hours-old. The intelligence sharing may be as old, but was announced publicly hours
after President Trump stood up in his speech to Congress and said he'd received a letter from President Zelenskyy, part of a series of moves from
Zelenskyy, who, after the Oval Office scene, which many Ukrainians consider a public drubbing for their wartime commander, that Zelenskyy clearly
reached down and found the capacity to say that that meeting was regrettable, in his perspective, offered to sign the rare earth mineral
deal, which currently contains no security guarantees.
The broader point here is that Ukraine's situation is significantly more perilous than it was two and a half weeks ago. They're struggling to get
back to where they were 45 days ago, before Trump took office, and that is something will not be lost on people who heard air raid sirens here in the
last hours or so, or on the families of the four people who died in the ballistic missile strike, including Rih overnight, one of the kind of
Russian strikes that they so desperately need U.S. s Patriot missiles to defend themselves from.
GOLODRYGA: That city Kryvyi Rih is significant for the President, specifically given that that is his own hometown.
Nick Paton Walsh, thank you so much.
ASHER: All right. Let's bring in Nigel Gould-Davies, who is a Senior Fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic
Studies. He joins us live now from London. Nigel, I'm curious, from your perspective, how much harmony is there among the 27 EU leaders gathered
about the best way to proceed when it comes to defending Ukraine? I mean, you have the likes of Macron and, of course, Keir Starmer, on one end of
the spectrum, but you also have the likes of the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who many in the past have referred to as Vladimir Putin's
pawn. So, are they all singing from the same hymn sheet here?
NIGEL GOULD-DAVIES, SENIOR FELLOW FOR RUSSIA & EURASIA, IISS, & INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STRATEGIC STUDIES: They're not all singing from
the same hymn sheet, and some people also worry about the Slovakian President --
ASHER: Fico (ph).
GOULD-DAVIES: -- Fico. The most important countries and leaders are of one mind and one voice, and share a profound concern along with what's going on
now, and were sort of moving on a spectrum of responses to the messages coming from the White House in recent weeks that started with disconcerted.
It's moving towards being alarmed, and now very, very worried indeed, because, as your reporters there were saying a moment ago, we've reached a
point now where what is being called fundamentally into question is not only the future of America's support for Ukraine, but indeed for Europe as
a whole, and that is a completely new situation.
GOLODRYGA: Nigel, Europe finds itself in a number of precarious situations now, not only in its support for Ukraine and having to sort of foot more of
the bill here, not even knowing where the U.S. stands, but also maintaining relations at the same time with the United States, not only as part of NATO
for their own physical security, but also economically, as these tariffs have just been announced by the White House that would have significant
impacts on all of these countries' economies, and then, of course, would apply to the amount of funding they can provide for their own defense. Can
you talk about that fine line that all of these European company -- countries, excuse me, are having to walk, trying to maintain a foothold
into the White House and in the Trump administration?
GOULD-DAVIES: Yes. It's a complex, and as you suggest, a sort of very gated picture with different sort of strands pulling in different directions.
But, I think what's clear already is that Europe no longer has the confidence that it can speak to the United States as a friend in the same
way that did before. I think what's really disconcerting is that the hard edge of malice that's begun to seep into the ways that the White House is
dealing with Ukraine, and there is lots to worry about there, and that's sort of hint of something really very difficult.
But, to your point, yes, the United States describes the world still has the dominant, economic and military power, and Europe will be finding ways
to keep those doors open.
[11:15:00]
Diplomacy is both at its most difficult and most important when you're engaging not with your friends, which is easy, but with parties that you're
not quite sure you can trust anymore. There is a fundamental potential misalignment. There is work of persuasion and influence to do here, and we
really have seen a roller coaster, even in the past few weeks, moments in which the relationship has been -- appeared very difficult, and then that
brief recovery, recall the visits of President Macron and Prime Minister Starmer, those went very well, and it seemed that Europe was sort of
pulling back, recovering some of the ground that it had lost. And then, once again, things become difficult.
So, there will be a sense in Europe that, no, we can't close the door to the United States for all of these fundamental reasons, but the diplomacy
is just becoming more delicate and complex, and I think Europeans will know as well that they will have implicit allies around Donald Trump. There will
be, to your point about markets and tariffs, business interests in the United States that do not want to see America's relationship with the most
important trade and investment partner harmed. There will be people, the likes of Marco Rubio and Waltz and Kellogg and so on, who quietly
understand the dangers that Donald Trump has sort of navigated the United States into. So, it will be diplomacy with the White House and diplomacy
around the White House as well.
ASHER: All right. Nigel Gould-Davies live for us there. Thank you so much for being on the program.
GOLODRYGA: And we'll have more insight on what's happening at that Brussels summit and its potential wider impact with CNN Political and National
Security Analyst David Sanger, who will be joining us live in the next hour of One World.
ASHER: All right. Still to come here, the next target in Donald Trump's quest to shrink the federal government, the Department of Education. And
also, high grocery prices were a common complaint during Trump's campaign, but now his tariffs are sending food prices even higher. That story coming
up for us.
GOLODRYGA: Plus --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIKKI JONES, AUTO WORKER: We might not see it maybe right away, but it's going to hurt down the line.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: If you're looking for a new car, you might want to buy one now. President Trump is pressing pause on auto tariffs, but not for long.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:20:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: Sources tell CNN that Donald Trump is almost ready to take the first steps to shut down the U.S. Department of Education. The department
finances programs from early childhood education through graduate school, and it also helps identify best teaching practices and education reform.
Now, an executive order has been drafted to begin dismantling the department, a long-time Republican goal. It remains unclear when that order
will be signed.
CNN's Kevin Liptak at the White House with the latest for us. And we have a bit of text, I believe, that's been reported as to what this executive
order could look like. Give us more sense, Kevin, into what we may be hearing from the President in the hours or days to come.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah. And Trump has been talking about doing this for quite a long time. Actually, a lot of
Republicans have been talking about this for quite some time. And what this order that has been drafted would do is direct the Education Secretary,
Linda McMahon, to begin taking the steps to facilitate the closure of the agency, acting to the extent that it is, quote, "permitted by law", which I
think is an acknowledgement by the White House that in order to fully shut down the Department of Education, they would require an act of Congress.
Actually, they would require 60 votes in the Senate to break a filibuster, which they do not have. At the moment, there is only 53 Republicans.
So, what the plan seems to be is to dismantle the Department of Education, essentially piece by piece, to move some of its essential functions to
other departments across the federal government, whether it is the billions of dollars in grants that they send to schools in high poverty areas,
whether it's enforcing civil rights laws, $1.6 trillion in student loan programs, including Pell Grants. The plan essentially seems to be to move
those to other parts of the federal government, but certainly no President has ever tried to unilaterally shut down an element of the federal
government. So, you can be certain that this will all get caught up in court, like so much of the rest of what President Trump has been doing
since he took office.
But, Linda McMahon, who I should say was just confirmed earlier this week, has signaled that this is sort of her overarching goal for the department.
She calls it a momentous final mission for the people who worked there. Soon after he was sworn in, Trump sort of dispatched her to do exactly
this. Listen to how he described her task.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I told Linda, Linda, I hope you do a great job and put yourself out of a job. I want her to put
herself out of a job. I want the states to run schools, and I want Linda to put herself out of a job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIPTAK: So, there are already scores of Department of Education employees who have been laid off. They have been told to prepare for significant
further layoffs to come. They call them reductions in force in the federal government.
So, this is all sort of the plan by President Trump and by Elon Musk to dramatically reduce the size of the federal bureaucracy. It has caused some
concern, certainly among Democrats, but also some Republicans, just this broader mission. That's part of why you saw Musk up on Capitol Hill meeting
with Senate and House Republicans.
They wanted to talk to him about the communication channels. They wanted to be able to raise with him concerns about some things that have been cut in
their own constituencies. He gave them his own cell phone number and said that they would set up a hotline, but I don't think that they are
necessarily concerned about the Department of Education. This is something that you've heard Republicans promise to cut dramatically, really going
back decades. Now, Trump seems to be putting the first step towards that goal during his administration.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. It's just a matter of whether or not it's even likely, given that it will need a 60-vote majority in the Senate, which we know
where Democrats stand on this already. We'll be following this. Kevin Liptak at the White House for us. Thank you.
ASHER: All right. A dramatic turnaround for Donald Trump's new tariffs. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick tells CNBC that President Trump will
likely announce a one-month tariff pause on all products covered by the free trade treaty with Mexico and Canada. They were actually scheduled to
kick in on April 2nd.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and investors, I mean, talk about whiplash, they were not so reassured. U.S. stocks opened lower this morning on tariff uncertainty
and recent layoffs after opening 400 points down. The Dow has rebounded just a bit, but there you see it, down nearly half a percentage point
still.
ASHER: And fresh produce is already showing the impact of tariffs.
Natasha Chen joins us live now with the story. She is in California. I mean, here is the thing. We've been talking about the fact that fresh
produce is one of the areas that would be impacted right away by these tariffs.
[11:25:00]
I mean, there are other areas, like cars, laptops, toys, etc., that might take some time, but it really is fresh produce, especially when you think
about the fact that almost 90 percent or so of avocados come from Mexico. Take us through it, Natasha.
NATASHA CHEN, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. Well, I'm standing in the wholesale produce area of Downtown Los Angeles. This particular
business right here gets about 80 percent of its products from Mexico. I just spoke with the owner about the fact that there might be a delay in
these tariffs until April 2nd, the news that you just mentioned. He calls that a relief. But, it is quite a roller coaster, waking up every morning,
not knowing what news is going to hit. Right now, they are already seeing the effects of higher cost because of the tariffs starting Tuesday. For
example, the limes right there in those boxes, as well as the jalapenos over on your right hand side, those are all several dollars more per box,
as well as the tomatoes. So, they're already seeing this immediate effect.
Now, they are getting the pallets in the boxes of limes and avocados from the distributor, the importer across the street right there, Perez &
Larios. We spoke to them early this morning about the boxes they're bringing in. They're the ones actually negotiating the sale to get the
trucks in from Mexico. They have to pay that extra 25 percent right at the border. Here is what he told me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAIME HERRERA, PEREZ & LARIOS, AVOCADO IMPORTER & DISTRIBUTOR: It is hard to sleep at night because you're thinking, OK, how are we going to do this?
I go, are we going to have enough customers? A citizen like, you mentioned earlier, I see certainly on the streets. People are not buying. Consumers
are limiting themselves. And we're bringing in all these products, not knowing whether we're going to be able to sell it or not. And we're -- not
only that, but the savings that we have on the side, we're now bringing it out, because we have to pay those tariffs that we have to. It is to
capitalize in a little bit. And so, that's what's the concern is. Are we're going to get the capitalized really quick?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHEN: And the point there is that all of this is highly unpredictable, and I have not even discussed with him yet the latest news that these tariffs
might get put on hold until April. Right now, he is just trying to plan with the knowledge that the tariffs are currently existing. In fact, on
Monday, but before the weekend, he had known that the tariffs would hit on Tuesday. Tried to get in a lot of avocados before Tuesday. That's what's
currently sitting across the street.
So, all of these business owners are really just trying to deal with the information that they have. Of course, the people coming here to buy are
restaurant owners, catering truck owners, a food truck owner that we talked to, who said he gets his ingredients from here, and this means his tacos
have already gone up in price this week.
ASHER: Just so much uncertainty. I mean, the markets are feeling it as well. Business owners, grocery stores feeling it as well. Certain items are
going to go into effect right away. But, as Natasha mentioned, I mean, she didn't even get to talk to him about the fact that these tariffs are going
to get delayed. But still, all of that uncertainty is having effect on business companies.
GOLODRYGA: And even more head scratching that this is an administration, a President that ran on lowering prices at the grocery store.
Natasha Chen, we're not seeing that happen now. Thank you so much.
Well, President Trump's tariffs have taken a detour, at least for U.S. automakers. Now, he has granted a one-month reprieve from the new 25
percent tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports.
ASHER: Yeah. This officer executives from Ford, GM and Stellantis held a call with the President to make their case over how painful that 25 percent
tariff would actually be.
GOLODRYGA: Our Jason Carroll went to Detroit, Michigan, the heart of America's auto industry, to gage the impact of the President's tariffs.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When it comes to the auto industry, Sterling Heights just might be the economic engine
driving the Motor City. There are three major automakers in this Detroit suburb alone, and city officials say some 40 percent of residents here have
jobs in or related to the auto industry. So, no surprise, the topic on the minds of many here are the what ifs when it comes to tariffs.
LORENZO CASTELLANO, AUTO WORKER: I think terrors will hurt.
CARROLL (on camera): Oh, you think they're going to hurt?
CASTELLANO: Yeah. I do. I personally do, because if it's too high, they're not going to want to deal with us, right?
JONES: We might not see it maybe right away, but it's going to hurt down the line.
CARROLL (voice-over): Nikki Jones has been an auto worker for more than a decade. She worries about what tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico
would mean for consumers and jobs.
CARROLL (on camera): Are there any concerns that eventually those in your industry could lose jobs?
JONES: Possibly, because if no one is buying cars, we're going to get laid off. It's a trickle effect.
[11:30:00]
LORENZO CASTELLANO, AUTO WORKER: It might get worse at first.
CARROLL (voice-over): But, that's where the agreement ends for Jordan Wladischkin. He says tariffs might trigger what he called short-term
economic struggles for consumers. In the long run, he is betting it will help U.S. autoworkers and the economy.
CASTELLANO: It's definitely going to help. I feel like it just didn't bring jobs, I feel like, to the American people.
CARROLL (voice-over): Workers here divided on how potential tariffs would impact their lives, much of that division drawn on political lines, so says
recently retired auto worker Chris Vitale, who also supports the tariffs.
CHRIS VITALE, "AUTO WORKERS FOR TRUMP 2024": Trust me, other countries, the reason they fear tariffs is because they know what tariffs do to their
competitors. They destroy them, because they've been using them against us for 40 years.
CARROLL (voice-over): Sterling Heights Mayor Michael Taylor says he hears it all, and despite his own political leanings, years before Trump became
President, he called himself a Republican, though now aligns more with Democrats. He worries what would happen if tariffs are imposed and last.
MICHAEL TAYLOR, STERLING HEIGHTS, MICHIGAN MAYOR: Even when I tell folks this is what's going to happen to the auto industry in Sterling Heights,
they still say, no, it'll be fine. Believe me. President Trump has our best interest at heart. He is going to get -- he is going to make it work. So,
it's frustrating because the facts and the reality are different than what they're saying.
CARROLL (voice-over): Politics aside, an advocacy group representing the auto industry warn this on again, off again with tariffs could be damaging.
GLENN STEVENS JR., EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MICHIGAN AUTO: The industry thrives on stability, and instability or disruption or short-term problems like
this is not something that the industry does well.
CARROLL (voice-over): Jason Carroll, CNN, Detroit, Michigan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: All right. And ahead for us on One World, we're watching for a news conference by European leaders meeting at a special summit in
Brussels, trying to boost support for Ukraine. And we've got more guest insight on this meeting after the break.
ASHER: Plus, the White House says it's negotiating directly with Hamas. Why this shift in past practice? We'll have details for you on that too, ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:35:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. Welcome back to One World. I'm Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. Here are some of the international headlines we are watching today.
ASHER: The Vatican says Pope Francis is resting after another peaceful night. The 88-year-old pontiff has been in Rome hospital now for nearly
three weeks, getting treatment for complications because of double pneumonia. His condition has been described as stable but complex.
GOLODRYGA: South Korea's military suspends all live fire drills after an accident caused more than a dozen injuries. In this video, you see the
damage after South Korean fighter jets accidentally bombed homes during a live fire exercise with U.S. forces. South Korea says initial findings
suggest a pilot error.
ASHER: With China's National People's Congress in full swing, Beijing is calling Washington a hypocrite, and says the U.S. is, quote, "the number
one hacking empire in the world". This comes after U.S. crack down on a group of Chinese hackers who allegedly caused millions of dollars in
damages to U.S. companies and government agencies.
GOLODRYGA: We're live in Brussels, Belgium, watching for a news conference, after the European Union's special summit on defense. The gathering is
seeking to boost support for Ukraine after the U.S. suspended military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
is at the Brussels summit, where he has been expressing gratitude to Europe's leaders.
And Matthew Karnitschnig is the Editor-in-Chief of Euractiv, the media company which specializes in EU affairs, and he joins us live from
Brussels. Matthew, thank you so much for joining us. What specifically will you be watching for coming out of the summit? This is about the second or
third meeting we've seen now over the course of the last few weeks, with European leaders scrambling to step in and respond to what seems to be the
United States really taking a back seat role here in mediating an end to this war. What will you be looking for?
MATTHEW KARNITSCHNIG, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, EURACTIV: Well, thank you for having me. The main thing we're really waiting to see is pretty basic, which is,
if the Europeans can agree on a plan here, and at the moment, it looks like they're having great difficulty in getting all 27 members of the European
Union to agree on a concrete plan to both help Ukraine and also to pool their resources to raise funds to invest in defense, and these are both
very contentious issues.
The one big obstacle here on the Ukrainian front is Viktor Orban, the Prime Minister of Ukraine -- sorry, the Prime Minister of Hungary, of course, who
is close friends with President Trump. He opposes giving more military aid to Ukraine, and also doesn't want to fast track their application to join
the European Union, which Ukraine is obviously pushing for, and many other European countries are too.
And the second question about the financing is always quite difficult in Europe, because nobody wants to sort of pay the piper when it really comes
down to it, and there are some countries who would like to have what they call euro bonds. These would be special bonds issued by the European Union,
backed by big countries like Germany, that would make a lot cheaper for everybody to raise money on defense. There is opposition for that on other
fronts.
So, despite the kind of crisis in the transatlantic relationship that we're experiencing now, and as you said, with the United States appearing to pull
back from Europe somewhat, or at least pull back from the commitments it has made in NATO and so forth, there is still not a clear agreement on the
European side about what to do.
ASHER: Yeah. I mean, you mentioned Viktor Orban. There is also Robert Fico as well, the Slovakian leader, just in terms of leaders who have a soft
spot for Russia, so to speak. Just -- in terms of the financing aspect of it, you mentioned that, of course, nobody wants to pay the pipe, but when
it really comes down to it, there is obviously an ongoing debate happening in the summit right now as to how much these various member states will
have to increase their defense spending by, but there is also roughly around $200 billion of Russian assets in Europe right now. How can that
money be mobilized here? I mean, obviously there were some legal questions in terms of seizing it outright, but surely there is a way to mobilize that
money for Ukraine's benefit as it pertains to defense and of course, rebuilding.
KARNITSCHNIG: That's right. And in fact, much of that money is parked here in Belgium, where I am.
[11:40:00]
It is a contentious issue for a lot of complicated legal reasons, but there are many countries who would like to unfreeze that money and make it
available to Ukraine, or at least make the proceeds from this money, because it does accrue interest every year, and give that money to Ukraine
so that it can invest in the war effort. That is something, for example, that is not going to be discussed here today, at least not officially. It
will be discussed on the fringes. And this is very frustrating, I think, to a lot of countries that are pushing the EU to go further here.
And this is sort of the dominant theme here, unfortunately, is that they don't really -- they haven't really managed to make much progress even on
the basic questions of, will they voice their strong support for Ukraine going forward? That has been taken out of the text, as we understand it,
the concluding communique because of the Hungarian objections. It does look like they've brought Slovakia on side here, Robert Fico. But, Hungary, for
now, is maintaining its opposition to more open support, more strong support for Ukraine here.
GOLODRYGA: In terms of intelligence sharing, we know that the U.S. surprised the world and Ukraine with a pause for now, not only in its
military aid, which experts say Ukraine can withstand for another few months before they start running out of missiles and shells and things of
those sorts, but the intelligence sharing is a completely different aspect here, because they have relied on that for a number of targeted strikes,
precision strikes from satellite intel and other resources that has kept Ukraine sort of abreast of Russian targets and activity.
Do the Europeans step up here? Is their ability to provide intel sharing, is it somewhat comparable, if at least more beneficial to Ukraine than they
are finding themselves right now without the help of the U.S.?
KARNITSCHNIG: The short answer, unfortunately, is no. There is a report out today that France has decided that it is going to expand its intelligence
sharing with Ukraine, but it cannot replicate what the United States can provide, because the Europeans just don't have the satellite network that
the United States has. They don't have the intelligence apparatus that that the U.S. has with the NSA, the National Security Agency. So, this is a real
problem for the Europeans. Obviously, for Ukraine, they're going to be flying blind as it were, as they take on the Russians here.
The interesting thing that's come out today as well, though, is that the -- because this relationship, this transatlantic relationship, is sort of
melting before our eyes, has deteriorated to such a degree, we're hearing that some European allies of the United States, particularly Norway, is
thinking of suspending its own cooperation with the United States because they're worried that the intelligence that they're providing the United
States, this is according to a Norwegian newspaper today, that that intelligence is ending up with the Russians, and they're worried that if
they continue to supply information from their intelligence sources, that it could end up undermining their own security. So, this intelligence
sharing issue really seems to be heating up quite dramatically on both sides here.
GOLODRYGA: And only benefiting one country, and that is Russia, which has been trying to drive a wedge between the United States and its European
allies for years now.
Matthew Karnitschnig, thank you so much. Appreciate the time.
ASHER: Thank you, Matthew.
GOLODRYGA: And breaking news into CNN just now President Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum have just spoken on the phone about the trade
war, and they've agreed to avoid tariffs on any goods that fall under the free trade agreement between the two countries. Now, this pause is only in
effect for another month until April 2nd.
ASHER: Yeah. It's really worth noting that Claudia Sheinbaum, the Mexican President, has won so much praise, actually, for her diplomatic and really
measured approach when it comes to dealing with President Trump. Just in terms of defending Mexico's interest, she has been very firm, but also
diplomatic. And of course, this news coming in, very good news for supplies in Mexico and buyers in the United States. Mexico, obviously, relies
heavily on the U.S. on this front. We just heard moments ago from Natasha Chen, our reporter in Los Angeles, she was at a wholesale market, and
really just talking about the uncertainty, right? There has been so much in terms of the wild swings, really sort of roller coaster ride for grocery
store owners, is not knowing from one day to the next what the headlines are going to be.
[11:45:00]
Of course, we'll have much more on this.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. And important to note, not in this agreement. It's Canada.
ASHER: Right.
GOLODRYGA: They are signatories for the USMCA.
ASHER: We saw that news conference --
GOLODRYGA: Yeah.
A: -- with Justin Trudeau.
GOLODRYGA: Well, the U.S. President issued what he calls a last warning to Hamas to release all hostages in Gaza immediately.
ASHER: In a post on Truth Social Wednesday, Donald Trump said not a single Hamas member would be safe if that doesn't happen, adding he would send
Israel everything it needs to, quote, "finish the job".
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. This comes just hours after the U.S. confirmed that it is negotiating directly with Hamas. The move goes against Washington's
established stance of not talking to groups it deems to be terrorists. The White House says Israel was consulted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The Special Envoy who is engaged in those negotiations does have the authority to talk to anyone and
Israel was consulted on this matter. And look, dialog and talking to people around the world to do what is in the best interest of the American people
is something that the President has proven, is what he believes is good faith effort to do what's right for the American people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Hamas says President Trump's comments threaten to undermine the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal.
ASHER: Yeah. This comes as humanitarian groups warning Israel's cut off fuel and aid into Gaza will have dire consequences for the people living
there.
All right. Up next on One World, the quest to fund the U.S. government, what our Speaker is doing, as the clock ticks towards a shutdown.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: One week and one day, that is how long Congress has to pass a new spending bill or the U.S. government is going to shut down. I mean, with
Republicans in control of the House, and the White House, you think it would be easy?
GOLODRYGA: Well, that would mean that all Republicans have to agree on what this bill would look like, and they're not all united on the budget.
ASHER: Let's bring in Manu Raju, joining us live now from Capitol Hill. So, an impossible situation again for House Speaker Mike Johnson, just in terms
of who wants what here. Democrats are wanting President Trump -- wanting to make sure that President Trump appropriates the funds in the way that they
have been deemed or determined to be appropriated by Congress. Republicans don't want that kind of restriction. Just take us through it, Manu.
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. Look, I mean, remember, the federal government is supposed to be funded in September of
every year for the entire fiscal year through the following September, and we're several months past September, of course.
[11:50:00]
And what they had done is just improve a short-term stop-gap measure to keep the government open, and that stop-gap measure expires next Friday at
midnight, March 14th. That is the deadline which Congress, both chambers, need to agree. But, there are lots of complicating factors here. One is the
fact, in the House of Representatives, yes, the Republicans have a majority, but they have the narrowest of majorities. Mike Johnson wants to
move legislation along straight party lines, can only afford to lose one Republican vote, and for any stop-gap measure, he is going to have more
than one Republican, almost certainly will vote against it. At least one certainly has announced his opposition.
Then it comes to the Senate, and that's where, yes, Republicans control the Senate, but they have a 53-47 majority in the United States Senate. That
means they need to get 60 votes. The rule in the Senate is to overcome any efforts to block legislation, you need 60 votes. That means seven Democrats
need to agree. So, Democrats have leverage here on what they want, and what they want is try to go after Elon Musk's DOGE efforts, trying to force the
administration to spend money on this -- on -- that is appropriated by Congress. As we've seen, Trump tried to freeze federal funding. Now, that
issue, it seems like the Democrats may be willing to relent on that issue. We'll see how that ultimately plays out.
But, there is also another issue. How long to extend government funding? What Donald Trump is behind is to extend government funding for the rest of
this fiscal year, do a straight extension of existing dollars, fight on the DOGE issue into the -- in next fiscal year. Democrats are not convinced
that that is what the way they want to go. They want a shorter-term agreement, just maybe a few months, maybe a few weeks, really, until they
can fight this out in a few more weeks' time.
So, there is a disagreement about the timeframe, but that could mean that this disagreement can lead Congress to stumble into a government shutdown
next week. But, we'll see how this ultimately plays out. Republicans in the House believe they can keep their party in line and force Democrats to cave
and accept their demands. There is still a lot of questions about whether there will be a crisis in Washington yet again.
ASHER: We'll see whether the Democrats give in.
Manu Raju live for us there. Thank you so much.
And we'll have much more news on the other side of this quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: And finally, there is an old adage that says an item is only worth what someone is willing to pay for.
ASHER: And we just found out that someone is willing to pay nearly $90,000, nearly $90,000 for this.
[11:55:00]
It is a flaming hot Cheeto shaped like a Pokemon character. That is odd. The auction house Golden says it sold the crunchy snack to an unnamed buyer
for $87,840. I just hope Bianna brings it to us tomorrow.
GOLODRYGA: I mean, listen, it was worth every penny. Look at that thing.
ASHER: And actually, it comes on a National Cheeto Day, which apparently is today. There is a day for everything, literally.
GOLODRYGA: The thing of beauty. I've got a whole bag of Cheetos waiting for you at your desk too, Zain. That's so much I love you.
All right. To eat their own, I guess.
Stay with us. We'll have another hour of One World right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
