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One World with Zain Asher
Zelenskyy To Send Delegation To Istanbul For Russia Talks; Trump Is In Abu Dhabi For Final Leg Of Mideast Trip; Some GOP Lawmakers Express Misgivings About Qatar Plane Gift; FEMA Internal Review: Agency "Not Ready" For Hurricane Season; Supreme Court Hears Arguments On Birthright Citizenship; Aired 12-1p ET
Aired May 15, 2025 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:00:25]
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga. Zain is off today. You are watching the second hour of
"ONE WORLD."
At this hour, we are following two opportunities for diplomacy. First, making deals and upending decades of American foreign policy in the Middle
East. It's eight o'clock P.M. in Abu Dhabi, where Donald Trump is, and he's getting ready to wrap up the first big international trip of his presidency
with a state dinner in the United Arab Emirates.
Now, the focus of Trump's three-nation tour, which also included Qatar and Saudi Arabia, to secure billions of dollars in investment. There you see
the president arriving at the National Palace in Abu Dhabi.
In addition to raising investment money, he's also been trying to strengthen ties in the region. A lot of fanfare for the president's arrival
at the palace. We'll continue to keep an eye on this, but we want to note these are live images of the president walking in.
This all comes as his administration is struggling to broker an end to the war in Gaza and stop Iran's advances towards becoming a nuclear power.
Hopes are not high, however, for a resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, where talks are supposed to get underway Friday in Turkey.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Ankara, where he met with Turkey's president earlier. He says he'll send a delegation to Istanbul, led by his defense
minister to attend peace talks with a team from Russia.
President Zelenskyy dropped plans to go to Istanbul himself after the Kremlin confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not attend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Number one point on the agenda is a ceasefire. And I still believe Russia is not being
serious about these meetings. It does not want to end the war, but we hope they demonstrate something during the meeting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: The U.S. president is also weighing in, saying he was not disappointed that President Putin isn't showing up in Turkey.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Nothing's going to happen until Putin and I get together, OK? And obviously he wasn't going to go. He
was going to go, but he thought I was going to go. He wasn't going if I wasn't there.
And I don't believe anything's going to happen, whether you like it or not, until he and I get together. But we're going to have to get it solved
because too many people have died.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CNN's Fred Pleitgen joins us now live from Moscow. I would imagine that is the type of response that the Kremlin would hope to hear, perhaps setting
the stage for another summit between these two leaders.
I would imagine that if it was just about details, who is going to go? They would have been able to arrange that themselves.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. They certainly wouldn't. I think for the Russians, it's about something
different, is that they want something completely different than the Ukrainians do.
But first of all, Bianna, this process that's going on there in Istanbul is definitely off to a really sluggish start. I mean, we were thinking that
these negotiations would be well underway by now. But right now, we have a situation where the Russian delegation is already on the ground in
Istanbul, saying that they're waiting for the Ukrainians to arrive.
However, the Russians not actually waiting in that palace where these negotiations are supposed to take place. And it's unclear whether or not
they are actually going to start today.
And, of course, one of the things that we heard from Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, whom we're seeing on our screen right now, is that
he's sending that delegation headed by the defense minister, but he's not going himself, because we, of course, know that Vladimir Putin is not going
either.
But one of the biggest differences and probably the biggest issue that these negotiations are going to have is that the aims of the two
negotiating sides are completely different.
We just heard from Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the run-up to our live report, that for him the main thing is an immediate ceasefire. Of course, that's
also what the U.S. wants as well. What President Trump has said in the past that he also wants is a fast ceasefire and to then work through the causes
of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
However, the chief negotiator for the Russian side, Vladimir Medinsky, who was a Kremlin aide, he came out earlier today and he said that what he got
from Vladimir Putin, the directive that he got from Vladimir Putin, is to try and negotiate a long-term peace solution that addresses as the Russians
put it, the root causes of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
And, of course, that's a pretty broad set of things to address and certainly something where negotiations could take a considerable amount of
time with no ceasefire in place.
But again, right now, we have a situation where the talks haven't even started yet. And it's unclear if they're going to start today, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. Minister Medinsky was part of the March 2022 aborted negotiations that essentially sought for Ukraine's surrender. Obviously, as
you had noted, not the direction that many had hoped these talks would go in, at least early now in this process.
[12:05:03]
President Zelenskyy had said he would be there. He lived up to that pledge. Vladimir Putin, though, sending lower-level delegations.
Fred Pleitgen for us. Thank you so much.
Let's go back to President Trump's trip to Abu Dhabi. CNN's Alayna Treene joins me now live from the White House.
And not to negate the seriousness of this $400 million plane scandal from the Qataris, which the president seems to still be hoping will come to
fruition, this has been a rather successful trip for the president.
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: It has. And he has -- really, he's going to be leaving now with having secured what his top priority was,
which is to have come home having struck these economic agreements with these different foreign partners.
It's now billions of dollars that he has secured from different leaders. And, you know, it started in Saudi Arabia, then, of course, yesterday in
Qatar. And today in Abu Dhabi.
He actually, as you see on the screen there, is just arriving now at the presidential palace in Abu Dhabi for that state visit.
But look, I mean, that was one of the key things, again, that his administration wanted him to walk away with, this big emphasis on foreign
investments in the United States.
But some of the other top priorities and goals of the president, we've kind of seen him discuss this publicly, particularly when he's been on Air Force
One with reporters, is this idea of wanting them to join the Abraham Accords, of trying to make progress on this trip, particularly when he was
in Saudi Arabia, to have them, you know, ultimately kind of convince them at some point to join those accords and normalize diplomatic relationships
between their country and Israel. He also mentioned wanting to do that with Syria.
I think one of the biggest takeaways from this week actually was having seen the president sit down, unexpectedly, it was a surprise, with Syria's
new president and also announced that he was going to be lifting sanctions on them.
But all of this to say, Bianna, what I've really found interesting is how others are reacting to this as well.
Again, to putting aside the gift that the president keeps referring to as of the Qatari playing the $400 million, you know, hotel in the sky. Apart
from that, we actually have heard people on both sides of the aisle say that they believe that this trip is good for the United States and that
what the Trump administration is doing there and the president really trying to strengthen ties with these different Arab nations is good for
Washington.
Yesterday, I spoke with Brett McGurk. He's someone who served on multiple national security councils. Most recently, he was former President Joe
Biden's Middle East coordinator. He said to me that he believed that what Trump is doing out there is good, that this is a smart move. And he also
talked about what he believed the president did with Syria and promising to lift sanctions on them is also good for Washington noting that, you know,
you kind of have to take cues from different leaders in the Middle East when it comes to Syria.
And so all to say, it has been a successful trip. The key questions though, of course, are what is going to happen, I think, with this Qatari plane? We
know a lot of people in Congress, Republicans and Democrats alike, are very much concerned about the ethical and legal questions that accepting a gift
at that price, one of the most expensive gifts that any president would have ever received from a foreign government.
That raises a lot of concerns. It also raises, you know, questions of whether it's even constitutional. And so I think we are going to continue
to hear a lot more about that after the president returns. Most likely something a lot of people, again, in Congress, are going to want to focus
on, and not exactly, you know, the type of rhetoric, I guess, or fallout that the president was hoping he would come back to following this trip and
all of the money that he secured for the United States.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. We just want to tell our viewers what you're seeing there live in - in the UAE and Abu Dhabi as president Trump. They're greeting and
receiving dignitaries as he's standing alongside Mohammed bin Zayed, the president of the UAE.
And to the point about that controversial plane, the gift that has been offered by the Qataris, our own Becky Anderson spoke with the prime
minister and the foreign minister. He wears two hats there yesterday and asked about this. And he said, look, this is a gift of love, not a quid pro
quo.
I'm just wondering how you even respond to a statement like that.
TREENE: No. Absolutely, Bianna. I mean, look, that is, of course, the key question that has so many people concerned about this, because even if the
Qataris were saying that it was a great line of questioning from our own Becky Anderson there with the prime minister and a foreign minister of
Qatar was, you know, they -- do you expect something in return?
And -- and that's always -- that's we -- the reason why that this is written into our laws that you should not be accepting such expensive gifts
from a foreign government. There's, you know, this concern that it could be a sign of corruption, of bribery.
[12:10:58]
The president has been pushing back on that very heavily. He's been arguing that it would be stupid, his own words, not to accept a gift like that.
But again, of course, it raises a lot of -- of concerns, particularly with the foreign government, that has been very publicly, you know, trying to
show that they are with the United States, trying to show that they support the United States and really doing a lot to curry favor with President
Donald Trump.
Again, something I believe that we are going to hear a lot more about a lot of lines of questioning, potentially, than a hearing who knows in Congress
after the President returns from the Middle East.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. And there you see, Mohammed bin Zayed, and MBZ, the President of the UAE, after meeting a number of the President's cabinet and
administration officials who traveled with him, really spending a lot of time with Stephen Miller, one of the President's top domestic advisors.
It's notable. It's also clear that Steve Witkoff, who hugged the President himself. I mean, these are known relationships. The President feels very
comfortable. His entourage's family feels very comfortable in this part of the world with these leaders.
But it is interesting to have seen Stephen Miller. They're sort of singled out. He was the last of the President's administration to walk that
receiving line. And the President of the UAE found -- found it important enough to keep him there, and they spent a few minutes.
I'd be so interested to know what they were talking about. Alayna, I know you're going to get on the phone and try to get to the bottom of that all.
Thank you so much.
TREENE: Thank you, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: So, how do Americans feel about this grand Qatari gift? CNN's Harry Enten is here with us to break down the reaction we've been seeing
around the plane.
Harry, good to see you, my friend.
HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Nice to see you.
GOLODRYGA: Zain sent her regards.
So given just that both Republicans and Democrats have expressed their concern, their outrage about this potential gift, how are Americans feeling
about it?
ENTEN: I think that this gift has overshadowed everything on this foreign trip, as well as everything that has been going on over the last week in
American politics. Why do I say that, Bianna?
Because take a look, one of the first signs we can see of anything is Google searches. What are people searching in association or relationship
to Donald Trump? You know what the number one search over the last five days is? It's Qatar.
What's number two? It's the airplane. It's the airplane. Qatar and airplane are the top two searches related to Donald Trump over the last five days.
It has not tariffs, which had been number one right out of the headlines just at a time in which tariffs were actually becoming good news for Donald
Trump as he was making those deals with China.
And so all of a sudden you get something that is far more negative for him in the headlines. Of course, there have been the charges that this might in
fact be corruption, right? I'll leave that to other folks to determine that.
But I will say that the idea that Donald Trump might be corrupt isn't something I think is foreign to American voters. Why do I say that? Because
take a look, has Trump behaved corruptly in the past. This is before this entire Qatari plane situation started to develop.
But take a look here. Has Trump behaved corruptly in the past? Get this. Sixty-one percent of Americans actually agreed on that. Agreed on that. And
remember, they agreed on that even during the election when Trump of course won.
So I think this idea that there might potentially be a quid quo pro wouldn't necessarily be that shocking to a lot of Americans.
But why I will tell you what I do think would be shocking to them, Bianna, is who this deal, this potential plane deal, might be taking place with.
That is Qatar. And I tell you why it's surprising because Donald Trump has done something very interesting. I would say rather silly when it comes to
American politics.
You'll notice I have Americans net favorability rating of Canada and Qatar. Canada, of course, is largely seen as an ally of the United States. Yet,
Trump has distanced himself from them, right? He has started a trade war with them. He's talked about, oh, it's going to be a 51st state, perturbing
Canadians and of course perturbing Americans because Americans like Canada with the new seat right here with a plus 53 net favorability rating.
And instead, who is he striking deals with? And who might he potentially accept the gift of a plane from? From Qatar. And guess what? Qatar, not
well liked by the American people. Minus 10 points underwater with the American people Qatar is as a country.
So this to me is just bizarre politics. It's just so bizarre. I almost can't even fathom the words for it because he's cutting deals with people
that the American people don't like. And then he's distancing himself from the countries that the American people do like.
I think that is a large reason why the American people, at this point, have given Donald Trump a thumbs down on his presidency. It is because simply
put he's doing things that Americans don't like, including potentially accepting a gift of a plane from Qatar, Bianna.
I -- if you can't notice the -- the words and the politics of this, you know, I think we spoke last time around, you know, I feel like on the sides
of my head, you know, it's just -- it's just so bizarre to me. I don't get it as a political scientist. I'm like, no, dude, don't do it. And yet, he
seems intent on doing it. It's just so bizarre.
[12:15:16]
GOLODRYGA: You were playing out the head exploding, the -- the --
ENTEN: Yes.
GOLODRYGA: -- mind-boggling emoji that we all use. And that's what you're demonstrating now.
But, Harry, I mean, put aside how Americans feel about Qatar. Think about what the president himself just play back his own words about how he viewed
this country during his first term and he described them as supporters of terrorism. So there's that factor.
But I would go a step further. I mean, there's something very symbolic about Air Force One.
ENTEN: Yes.
GOLODRYGA: The -- the corruption, the sort of, you know, that label had been associated with the president for better or worse for many years.
Perhaps it had been some other type of gift, it wouldn't be garnering this much attention.
But Air Force One is the symbol, really, of American power and of made in America. So whatever problems Boeing is having, that aside, it seems to be
this is at the core of the - of the issue.
ENTEN: Exactly right. And keep in mind, you know, Donald Trump came in, he hired Elon Musk, oh, we're going to save money. We're going to cut waste
from the government.
And we know that even if Donald Trump accepts this gift in order to retrofit it, in order to fit security standards, et cetera, it's going to
take potentially hundreds of millions of dollars to do. That's not saving government money. That is government waste. And I think it just adds on to
the factor here of why Americans are so interested in this story, why it is number one on Google right now and why you are getting folks from both
sides of the aisle saying, you know what, Donald, especially among Republicans, we may like you, but we don't like this idea, as I said, it is
just mind-boggling, I'm the emoji exploding my head.
GOLODRYGA: I will never be able to look at that emoji again the same way, Harry Enten.
ENTEN: I changed lives.
GOLODRYGA: Please come back tomorrow.
ENTEN: I changed lives.
GOLODRYGA: Come back tomorrow. We'll do more smiley face emojis --
ENTEN: I like those better.
GOLODRYGA: -- to end of the week on.
ENTEN: Sounds good.
GOLODRYGA: Bye, Harry.
ENTEN: Bye.
GOLODRYGA: All right. The Atlantic hurricane season is nearly upon us, but the U.S. federal emergency management agency is not ready for the season's
June 1st start date. Now that is according to an internal agency review obtained by CNN, which says hurricane preparations at the agency have
slowed to a crawl.
This comes amid a sudden leadership change at FEMA and a vow from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to eliminate the agency altogether.
Let's go to Gabe Cohen in Washington. This is quite alarming, Gabe, especially given the scale of hurricanes we've become accustomed to over
this past several years.
GABE COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And so, Bianna, we have been reporting about some of these concerns around hurricane preps for weeks now, but this
document that we have obtained is really the clearest internal assessment that we have seen really acknowledging and also laying out this long list
of red flags about hurricane season amid all of this turmoil at FEMA and the overhaul that's happening at the agency right now at the hands of the
Trump administration.
There's a quote in this document I want to read because I think it really sums it up. It says, "As FEMA transforms to a smaller footprint, the intent
for this hurricane season is not well understood. Thus, FEMA is not ready."
And what they're talking about there are several things, really. It's a general uncertainty about FEMA's mission moving forward among a rank and
file and even senior leadership at the agency. They don't know what storms they're going to actually respond to, what resources that they're going to
still have at the agency, what money is going to go out the door to some of the communities that are hit hardest.
Plus, we've learned that preparations, as this document says, have been derailed in recent months. Trainings have been paused. There has been very
little coordination between FEMA and its federal and state partners as what happened in a normal year.
And then there's the plummeting morale at the agency. They have been enduring non-stop attacks from the Trump administration for weeks and
months now.
Secretary Kristi Noem has vowed to eliminate the agency which Trump has backed. Roughly 30 percent of the permanent staff at FEMA have left. And
we're not just talking about rank and file. We are talking about senior leaders who play critical roles when disasters strike.
There's a quote in here that says, if an organization hears, it should be eliminated or abolished, the resources and cooperation are not there. The
intent cannot be wind down and be ready to support the nation in a major response.
And so the question then, Bianna, is, what is this going to mean for the communities that are going to be hit by these storms potentially in the
coming weeks?
Well, one FEMA official told me, I can't think of a more adverse way to be heading into hurricane season. We are all on edge and not seeing hope. We
are going in with no confidence that what decisions -- that when decisions have to be made in limited time that impacts saving lives that those
decisions will have support.
[12:20:14]
Now, to be clear, the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA, does not agree with this. After we publish this story this morning, they
sent a response to some of the questions we had sent them.
They sent a statement saying that this report that our story really takes this document out of context and that FEMA is actually, quote, fully
activated in preparation for hurricane season.
Remember, there's been a lot of turnover at FEMA. They just fired their Trump appointed Acting Administrator last week. They have a new person who
took the helm on Friday. So the big question is, will they be ready? And we're going to find out because the official 2025 hurricane season starts
in just a couple weeks.
GOLODRYGA: Yes, right around the corner. All right, Gabe Cohen. Thank you so much for the important report.
And we'll be right back with more news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: The U.S. Supreme Court is considering what has long been thought of as a fundamental right, if you're born here, you can stay here. Justices
are hearing arguments about Donald Trump's efforts to limit birthright citizenship.
As one of his first acts in office, Trump signed an executive order stripping citizenship rights from the children of undocumented immigrants
who were born on U.S. soil. But a series of federal judges have said that order was wrong and have issued injunctions blocking it.
The major issue before the Supreme Court today is whether those judges have the power to make rulings against the president that apply nationwide.
To help us understand the significance of today's case, we welcome in Daniel Epps. He is a law school professor at Washington University in St.
Louis. Professor, thank you so much for taking the time.
And I've just been reading some of our own reporting on how these hearings have been going in the opening arguments here. And it does seem as though
the court's conservative justices are open to siding with President Trump's argument that lower courts went too far in blocking his birthright
citizenship executive order.
Let me just read you from Chief Justice John Roberts who repeatedly suggested that the merits and constitutionality of Trump's order could get
back to the Supreme Court in short order. The Supreme Court, he said, would deal with the merits of Trump's order with quote, reasonable expedition.
What do you make of that?
[12:25:04]
DANIEL EPPS, LAW SCHOOL PROFESSOR, WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS: So, you know, I do think it is important to recognize that the justices today
really don't seem interested in deciding the merits for. They're much more interested in the procedural question.
And there is this long, you know, backstory where some of the conservative justices have been pushing back on this idea that federal courts can grant
so-called nationwide or universal injunctions.
And so the government here, the Trump administration is really trying to feed into that. I think it wouldn't be surprising to see five or even six
of the conservative justices stick with that principle and say, you know, there are narrow limits. There are limits on the ability of federal courts
to grant injunctive relief.
That said, I don't think it's been a -- a great day for the government. It does seem like some of the conservative justices really are on the fence
and this could go either way in the procedural question.
And the government's responses have been, I'd say, a little bit evasive to the extent the court is worried about gamesmanship, about the Trump
administration basically refusing to follow the law. I -- I can't say that the solicitor general's answers to some questions have given the court a
lot of confidence.
GOLODRYGA: And just in terms of the judges that did issue those nationwide injunctions, they include a judge in Washington states, Massachusetts and
Maryland.
That alone, if in fact the court rules in favor of the administration would be quite significant because that authority has been used quite -- quite a
lot, given the -- the number of executive orders the president has executed so far in his administration.
EPPS: Yes. It would be quite significant and would have far-reaching effects just beyond the birthright citizenship context. It would really
limit individual federal judges power to come in and declare a -- a policy that the administration is engaging in unconstitutional.
And there's different ways the court could rule. It could say states cannot sue at all in a case like this, which -- which would be a really dramatic
limitation and what that would mean would, you know, the state of Massachusetts couldn't come in and say, we want to enjoin this policy for
everyone that lives in our state.
If that's not possible, really the only thing that would be possible is individual people can come in and say, hey, this policy is unconstitutional
as applied to me, but anyone who doesn't have the resources to go into federal court can't get that relief.
And that would really enable the Trump administration to keep doing a lot of the things that it's doing that have been challenged, unless every
person affected by them has access to a lawyer.
GOLODRYGA: So when you hear Chief Justice Roberts say that in his view, the Supreme Court could deal with some of these cases, quote, with reasonable
expedition, what would reasonable expedition mean for the Supreme Court?
EPPS: Sure. We've seen the court is capable of moving really quickly when it wants to. Typically, you know, cases take, you know, a year or so for
the court to resolve, the court grants them, people file briefs. And eventually, the court hears argument, issues and decision. But we've seen
in cases where there really are meaningful stakes and they have to move quickly, they can move quickly. There was the TikTok case. Just late last
year, the court decided that in a matter of weeks.
So if the court really was interested in weighing in on the merits of this question soon, it could do so, I'd say within the next couple of months. It
does require a case to come up to the court in the right posture.
The government keeps losing. And so what that would mean is the government would have to come to the Supreme Court and say to the court, please
declare that our policy is constitutional.
Now the government may not choose to do that. That's the thing, Justice Kagan really pressed Solicitor General about in our argument is the
government knows it's losing. It may not want the court to resolve this issue quickly. And that might be part of their strategy in trying to limit
federal courts ability to grant broad injunctions.
GOLODRYGA: All right. We'll continue to pay close attention to these oral arguments. Again, really significant questions being raised thus far.
Law school professor, Daniel Elps (ph) -- Epps, thanks for helping break it down for us. We appreciate it.
EPPS: Thanks.
GOLODRYGA: A tragic story is playing out in the U.S. state of Georgia. And it's turned into a debate about the ethics that that state's abortion laws.
It involves a 30-year-old woman who was declared brain dead 90 days ago after suffering from blood clots.
But doctors are keeping her alive because she is pregnant and Georgia requires doctors to save her unborn baby.
Cody Alcorn (ph) has this story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[12:30:00]
CODY ALCORN, REPORTER (voice-over): 30-year-old, Adriana Smith, was about nine weeks pregnant when she started having bad headaches in February.
APRIL NEWKIRK, MOTHER: They're left to know that something was wrong.
ALCORN (voice-over): April Newkirk says her daughter went to Northside Hospital for help.
NEWKIRK: They gave us some medication, but they didn't do any tests. They didn't do any CT scans. If they did, they would have caught it.
ALCORN (voice-over): The next morning, Adriana's boyfriend noticed something was terribly wrong.
NEWKIRK: She was gasping for air in her sleep (INAUDIBLE). More than likely it was blood. She was taking to Emory Decatur, and then she was transferred
here.
ALCORN (voice-over): To Emory University Hospital where Adriana worked as an RN. Unfortunately, there was nothing doctors could do.
NEWKIRK: They did a CT scan and she had blood clots all in her head. So they had asked me if they could do a procedure to relieve them. And I'd say
yes. And they called me back and they said they couldn't do it.
ALCORN (voice-over): Doctors declared Adriana brain dead.
NEWKIRK: Doctors or somebody dropped the ball at the hospitals and her boyfriend asked, please keep her. If she was kept at the hospital, we
wouldn't be here.
ALCORN (voice-over): Because of Georgia's Heartbeat Bill, which bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, her family says they weren't
giving any say in what happens next.
NEWKIRK: It's torture for me. I come here and I see my daughter breathing. But a few later, but she's not there. And I'm touching her and she has a
son. I'm going to bring to see her.
ALCORN (voice-over): Now, 21 weeks pregnant, her baby's health uncertain.
NEWKIRK: She's pregnant with my grandson, but my grandson may be blind. May not be able to walk, wheelchair-bound. We don't know if he'll live once she
has him.
ALCORN (voice-over): A situation she says no one should be forced into.
NEWKIRK: It should have been left up to the family because I'm in my 50s, her dad is in his 50s. So we're going to have the responsibility with her
partner to raise her sons, you know. And I'm not saying that we would have chosen to terminate her pregnancy, but I'm saying is we should have had a
choice. We should have had a choice.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[12:35:48]
GOLODRYGA: Welcome back to "ONE WORLD." I'm Bianna Golodryga.
Potential peace talks between Russia and Ukraine may still happen Friday, even without the leaders of either country.
Meanwhile, the war rages on. Both sides accuse each other of launching drone strikes overnight. Ukrainian authorities say five people were killed
and 20 wounded by Russian shelling and other attacks.
Take a listen to what these medical workers said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SERHII RYZHENKO, GENERAL MANAGER, MECHNYKOV HOSPITAL (through translator): The war does not bring any good. Tens of thousands of people have passed
through our walls alone. I'm afraid to give a figure, but the number is of an average Ukrainian city, up to 50,000. This is a lot with such difficult
injuries.
And unfortunately, it is almost impossible to restore their health. All of them will need rehabilitation, lifelong or annual.
OLEKSANDR AIVARDZHI, EMERGENCY DOCTOR, MECHNYKOV HOSPITAL (through translator): It has been the fourth year of intensive work, 24/7 sometimes.
The whole team could stay awake for the entire day. This is the fourth year already.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: All right. Time now for "The Exchange." With still no end to the war in sight in Ukraine, let's break down today's events and what they tell
us about hopes for a resolution. I'm joined by former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, William Taylor. Ambassador Taylor, thanks so much for joining us.
So there we saw President Zelenskyy live up to his pledge that he would, in fact, show up in Turkey for these talks this week. His counterpart from
Russia was not there. I can't say that many are surprised by that outcome, but instead he sent a lower level delegation to which President Zelenskyy
described as just theatrical props.
Would you agree with that statement from President Zelenskyy?
WILLIAM TAYLOR, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE: Yes, I would agree. There was not -- it is not a serious delegation coming from the Kremlin,
from Moscow. And we remember where this came from with the idea for these discussions today in Turkey came from President Putin last weekend.
He felt pressure last weekend, coming from the British, French, German and Polish leaders and with American support that he was going to be sanctioned
if he didn't agree to a ceasefire.
So he said, well, okay, we'll have a conversation on Thursday in Turkey. And then he's -- he left it unclear as to whether he would attend until
last night, as you've reported. He finally decided he was going to not come and send this low-level delegation.
So that's disarray in the Kremlin and causing people to realize, I mean, this is very clear who's the problem in this negotiation, it's the
Russians.
GOLODRYGA: Well, President Trump had intimated at one point during this trip to the Gulf that he himself may travel to Turkey if President Putin
also was there.
And then today, when asked if he was disappointed about President Putin not showing up, he said, quote, nothing's going to happen until Putin and I get
together, which sort of suggests that -- that he may be willing to grant yet another summit between the two leaders, which is something that Putin
all along has wanted.
What do you make of that response from President Trump? Because as we noted, this 30-day ceasefire deal was something that he had initially put
on the table himself.
TAYLOR: You're exactly right. Bianna, you're exactly right. This idea for a 30-day ceasefire came from President Trump. And President Trump and
President Zelenskyy agreed on it. And President Trump took it to President Putin who said no, who said no.
Now, on the question of getting the three together, President Zelenskyy is there. He's in Turkey. President Trump is in the region. And he said he had
been willing to come today, might be willing to come tomorrow.
Again, the problem is the Russian president. Putin has not said he's going to come and that will not happen. That three-way conversation can't take
place until Putin decides he's going to come to Turkey. So that's where the problem is.
President Zelenskyy and President Trump are in the region and in the country, ready to meet, and Putin is not.
GOLODRYGA: It appears that -- that Putin, not only is trying to drag this out, but also be too cute by half. I mean, knowing that potential
additional sanctions are on the line. President Trump has at least a couple of times suggested that there would be tougher sanctions leveled against
Russia. Is that what should happen at this point in your view?
[12:40:13]
TAYLOR: Absolutely. That's exactly what the German, French, British, and Polish leader said last week. That is, if Putin doesn't come to the table,
that they would put on new sanctions and they coordinated that idea with President Trump.
So that's exactly what should happen because Putin has violated that agreement. That is, he's not agreed to the 30-day ceasefire. He hasn't
agreed to come and negotiate in his own -- at his -- at his own suggestion.
So, yes, the sanctions should be there. And President Trump has the backing of Senator Graham here in the United States, who has some 72 bipartisan co-
sponsors for a bill putting serious sanctions on Russia and those nations that buy oil from Russia.
So, yes, the answer -- short answer is yes. The sanctions are -- are -- are promised and -- and now they should be implemented.
GOLODRYGA: Are you seeing any sort of change in U.S. posture? I mean, it's pretty clear that President Trump, if he wanted to come down harder on
Vladimir Putin, he would. He had opportunity too. It's pretty obvious what Vladimir Putin is doing by dragging these ceasefire talks on and on and not
showing up himself.
But even from JD Vance who has been a pretty significant skeptic as it relates to this war earlier this week said that Russia is asking for too
much here. We saw the minerals deal finally get signed.
Are we seeing even a slight deviation from where things stood?
TAYLOR: Bianna, I don't think you're exactly right. There is a shift. There's more than a slight deviation. I think there's an actual shift in
U.S. policy. It may have started back in the Vatican meeting between President Trump and President Zelenskyy. A 15-minute meeting with no aides,
no vice president, no special envoys. They're just the two of them talking.
And since then, as you say, a lot of good things have happened. That is minerals deal signed. Talk about more sanctions. Talk about more weapons
for Ukraine. You've got the -- the Patriot missiles coming from Israel, as well as Germany and Greece.
So a lot of good things have happened that suggest it's more than just a shift. It's -- it's more than just a little bit of a change. It's actually
a shift in the direction of Ukraine.
And as you pointed out, irritation with Putin is frustration with Putin. He's clearly the one dragging this out. And this, as President Trump has
said -- I mean, the administration said, this is their top foreign policy priority. They want to get this war stopped and he's the problem.
GOLODRYGA: What's happening is our own Jim Sciutto's reporting that intelligence suggests Russia is amassing even more troops right now as we
speak.
Ambassador Bill Taylor, thank you so much.
TAYLOR: Thank you very much for having me.
GOLODRYGA: And still to come on "ONE WORLD."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR, U.S. HEALTH SECRETARY: I don't think people should be taking advice, medical advice from me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: A shocking comment from the country's own health secretary, "Don't take advice from me." We'll have more on what he said and the
protests that occurred at yesterday's Capitol Hill hearings.
Plus, the shocking death of a Mexican social media influencer, the 23-year- old shot dead during a TikTok livestream.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:45:56]
GOLODRYGA: OK. We're going to go now to the National Palace in Abu Dhabi where a bilateral meeting is happening now between President Trump and the
president of the UAE, Mohammed bin Zayed. Let's listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMMED BIN ZAYED, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (through translator): Under challenging conditions. At a time when up to one in two
infants and in four and one in four mothers died during childbirth.
They founded Oasis Hospital which played a pivotal role in the development of healthcare in the UAE.
A few months after their arrival, Mr. President, I was born in the same hospital that these two Americans doctors founded.
In recognition of their contributions, they were awarded the Abu Dhabi award in its first edition in 2005.
And in 2019, the hospital has -- was renamed Kanad Hospital in their honor. And their family was hosted in Abu Dhabi in gratitude for their service to
the -- to the people of the UAE.
Mr. President, the UAE and the United States share a strong development focused partnership. This partnership has taken a significant leap forward
since you assumed office, particularly in the areas of the new economy, energy, advanced technology, artificial intelligence and industry.
A testament to this is the UAE's plan to invest in the U.S. in these sectors through the UAE's investment bodies at a total value of $1.4
trillion over the next 10 years.
Additionally, major partnerships and projects are underway between private sector entities in both nations.
Beyond these areas, our countries maintain a strategic partnership in the field of space exploration and the astronaut program and the Asteroid Belt
mission.
In this context, I would like to share something that may not be widely known. The American spacecraft Apollo 17, the flu in 1973, had carried the
UAE flag on its journey to the moon. That same flag was later sent by NASA to our nation's founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed Mistleton al Nahyan
in 1973, along with a fragment of lunar rock.
[12:50:04]
Sheikh Zayed met with Apollo astronauts on several occasions. And he had a deep and enduring admission for the UAE to reach space.
Mr. President, in March of this year, you stated that the UAE and the United States have long been partners.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: All right. You have been listening to the President of the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi there sitting with President Trump at the
National Palace speaking, reiterating his country's commitment to the United States.
I want to bring in our Alayna Treene because he, like all of the two -- the two countries and their leaders who had also greeted President Trump
lavishly, had really expressed the friendship that has been, in their words, enhanced since President Trump took office.
Just talk about the investment that President Trump himself has made in the Gulf region.
TREENE: Yes. Look, I mean, one of the key things, points of this trip was for him to secure these economic agreements from these three different
countries. And it's been very clear to your point, Bianna, that they really have been giving him a very warm reception, you know, and the kind of
reception what we know the President likes. And I think it's very clear they understood that he would want that red carpet or in some places --
GOLODRYGA: Alayna, I'm so sorry to cut you off, because just as you started to speak, the President --
TREENE: We'll hear the president.
GOLODRYGA: -- Trump started to speak as well. So let's listen in and then we'll talk.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: You are considered a truly great warrior. And you've been through the wars. You're a great warrior, a very strong man, a brilliant man, a man
of vision, like few others, like few others, and highly respected.
When they know you, there's tremendous respect. And you're so respected in the Middle East. It's really amazing.
You know, we've done the tour with two of your very good friends, you know that. And we were talking about you. And I won't tell you everything they
said, but I can say it was all good. It was all good. Total admiration and respect for what you've done and who you are.
And they said, when he gives you a handshake, when he makes a deal, that's the deal. And your wonderful brother came to Washington a few weeks ago.
And he told us about your generous statement as to the 1.4 trillion.
And all I could say is, thank you very much. We will work very hard to deserve it. I have absolutely no doubt that the relationship will only get
bigger and better.
Your -- your relationship and mine can't get better, so I can't say it's going to get better because it's at the highest level it can be.
But our countries will work together. We're -- we've become a very hot country. We were not such a hot country six months ago.
And now I think we're the hottest country, if you want to know the truth. We had one little indication a year ago. We were having a hard time getting
people to join the military, enlistment, they call it in our country. We were getting very bad vibes, very unhappy. It was an unhappy country.
A lot of foolish things were happening, stupid things were happening. And we just got -- Pete, we just got the numbers. We had the highest enlistment
numbers. Just about that we've ever had, we think it's probably the highest, but they say have to be extremely opposite, be, you know, accurate
when it comes to the news because they check every word I say.
There's a little bit of an inaccuracy, but I will tell you, we had just about the best numbers for enlistment we've ever had. Every one of our --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: I want to get back to Alayna quickly before we close the show. And -- and the mutual admiration is going both ways here as the President
lavishing praise also on the President of the UAE, Alayna.
TREENE: That's exactly right. And it's really been on display all week, Bianna, just having seen the interactions that the President has had with
these different foreign leaders, particularly when you compare it to some of the rhetoric and kind of response that the President has had when he's
welcomed leaders here to the White House. Very different. You can tell that they really do have warm, friendly relationships.
And, of course, this is a huge moment because this is the President's first major foreign trip. The only other foreign trip he made as being in his
second term was when he very -- for a very brief time, went to the Vatican for the Pope's -- Pope Francis' funeral.
And so this has a lot of significance that he chose the Middle East, that he chose to go to these three specific countries. And, of course, they are
welcoming with the pageantry and the type of ceremony that they know the President wants.
[12:55:03]
I should also note, of course, that this was the same type of trip. He also went to the Middle East for his first foreign trip during his first foreign
trip during his first administration as well.
So it's very clear, one, that the president does really view these foreign leaders as partners for the United States and that he wants to, of course,
further those relationships looking forward.
And he's really made clear as well that he wants the United States to invest in the Middle East. And he's also used many of these countries,
specifically Saudi Arabia and Qatar, for help mediating on some of the President's top priorities and goals in this term. Of course, mainly when
it relates to conversations with foreign adversaries and trying to find an end to some of the wars. Bianna?
GOLODRYGA: Yes. Both Qatar playing a mediator role in the war in Gaza there in hostage-ceasefire negotiations. The UAE also stepping up and playing a
role --
TREENE: Right.
GOLODRYGA: -- in the Pakistan-India ceasefire, very fragile, but still in place.
Alayna Treene, what will be of question is what develops with that controversial $400 million plane that Qatar has gifted to the president. A
lot of bipartisan push for the president not to accept that. He still seems willing to take it. We will continue to follow that story as his trip comes
to an end.
Alayna Treene, thank you so much.
And that does it for "ONE WORLD." I'm Bianna Golodryga. "AMANPOUR" is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:00:00]
END
