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One World with Zain Asher

Zelenskyy Expecting Full Report on Geneva Talks; U.S. Indicates Timeline of Talks Fluid; Trump Softens Deadline; Marjorie Taylor Greene Shuts Down Presidency Rumors; What Greene's Resignation Signals for the Future of Republicans; U.S., Ukraine Say Progress Made in Peace Plan Talks; World Leaders Meet in South Africa Without U.S. Present. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired November 24, 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, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: Progress on a peace plan between Russia and Ukraine. "One World" starts right now. There is optimism at a critical

moment in Russia's war in Ukraine, as President Trump is suggesting big progress is being made in Geneva.

We'll see what Kyiv and Moscow have to say. Plus 50 students in Nigeria have been reunited with their families after hundreds of students and

teachers were kidnapped from their school this past weekend. And "Wicked" continues to defy gravity, with the sequel soaring to record highs at the

box office over the weekend.

Right, coming to you live from New York. I'm Zain Asher. This is "One World". Ukrainian delegation is now on its way home after peace talks with

American representatives in Geneva. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he's expecting a full report on negotiations in the coming hours.

And then he'll determine the next steps. It comes a day after teams from both Washington and Kyiv met to discuss Donald Trump's controversial 28-

point plan for ending Russia's war in Ukraine, viewed as largely favorable to Moscow. Marco Rubio says the discussions were productive and meaningful

after revisions and clarifications were made to the proposal, but he didn't offer any specifics.

And when asked if Trump's Thursday deadline to Kyiv still applies, here's what the Secretary of State had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The deadline is, we want to get this done as soon as possible. Obviously, you

know, we'd love it to be Thursday. We'd love to be ultimately the important point today is that we have made substantial progress.

We've really moved forward. So, I feel very optimistic that we're going to get there in a very reasonable period of time, very soon. Our goal is to

end this war as soon as possible, but we need a little more time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: The U.S. President also hinted at big progress in a post on social media hours after he lashed out at Ukraine's leadership for showing zero

gratitude towards the United States. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meantime, speaking remotely to the Swedish parliament, said Ukraine will continue

working with its partners to strengthen not weaken his country.

He had early expressed dismay at the White House proposal, which required Ukraine to cede territory, to shrink its military, and shrink its military

as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE: Putin wants legal recognition for what he has stolen, to break the principle of territorial integrity and

sovereignty, and that's the main problem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: CNN's Alayna Treene joins us live now from the White House. So, Alayna, this idea that Ukraine that Zelenskyy is going to have to see

territory and also shrink its military is going to be a tough pill for the Ukrainians to swallow, especially given how much has been lost in this many

years of fighting, three years of fighting and counting.

Just in terms of how this peace plan came about. Another tough pill to swallow for Zelenskyy, of course, the idea that Vladimir Putin and

President Donald Trump sort of secretly colluded on this peace plan without Ukraine's involvement. Just explain to us and give us more detail how this

all came about.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah, well, a lot of this came together from the President's Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff. He has been

quietly, I'm told, from Trump Administration officials working on this plan with the Russians and Russian officials.

Now the idea, and we heard the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, emphasize this repeatedly in recent days, was that this was just one sort of plan to

try and then workshop with the Ukrainians, essentially getting the Russian side so that they could then go to the Ukrainians and have the negotiations

that they did in Geneva yesterday.

But of course, there was a ton of skepticism, particularly on behalf of Ukraine, but also Ukraine and the United States, European allies, over

whether or not this was just essentially selling the Ukraine down the river to the Russians. It barely -- it very heavily favored Russia.

Had a lot of concessions for Russia that they have were looking at. And so that's where some of this skepticism came in. This 20-point plan was leaked

last week. That's how the Trump Administration is framing this.

And so, they were very quick to try and make sure they were reading out and having these negotiations with the Europeans and the Ukrainians. And then,

of course, we saw really the rhetoric around this change significantly in the last 24 hours. And all of that, I'm told, is really thanks to Rubio,

who was in Geneva having these talks.

[11:05:00]

He was calling the president, getting him to change. You know, I would argue, if you look at the last 48 hours, you had the president at one point

saying Ukraine is not expressing enough gratitude for the U.S. involvement in these talks and trying to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.

And then you have him then saying that something good may just be happening. And so very much. A bit of whiplash from the president there

with his rhetoric, but in a much more positive, optimistic tone today as they look at all of these talks and what this could mean for the end of the

war.

ASHER: Right, Alayna Treene, live for us there the White House. Thank you so much. For more on what Ukraine wants from the talks, let's bring in

Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Former Ukrainian Defense Minister. He's also an advisor to the Ukrainian government. Ukrainian government and a Distinguished

Fellow at the Atlantic Council.

He joins us live now from Kyiv. Andriy, thank you so much for being with us.

ANDRIY ZAGORODNYUK, FORMER UKRAINIAN DEFENSE MINISTER: Thank you.

ASHER: So, one of the things that Zelenskyy said, but I think is really crucial here, is that Ukraine, Zelenskyy himself is essentially facing a

choice between losing its dignity and also losing a key ally in the form of President Trump. How does Zelenskyy walk this tight rope right now?

ZAGORODNYUK: Frankly speaking, from Ukraine, it's seen quite like, quite clear, because Ukrainian people don't support that plan at all. I mean,

there is like zero support, even according to basic polls, which been done right now.

But generally, you know, there's no trust that this plan, can deliver a piece, and that's the only thing which matters. So essentially, there is an

enormous request for peace in this country. People, of course, are enormously tired, you know, from the war, and there's absolutely no need to

describe why peace is better than the war here in this country, where people suffer.

At the same time, and that's the key, like, key indicator whether the plan will deliver peace or not. And Ukrainian people don't believe that this

plan will deliver peace, and then everything else doesn't matter because then everything else is considered as a Russian attempt to increase Russian

positions and to decrease Ukrainian positions in expectation of the future escalation, essentially.

So, for Zelenskyy to explain this to Ukrainian people wasn't that difficult. And so, of course, Ukrainian people all read these 28 points,

and they have seen these claims about the recognition, about the -- again, some Nazism was written, and about the decreasing of the Ukrainian forces,

and no decrees for the Russian forces.

And so and so, it's very clear that this is not have nothing to do about this. So that's the situation at the moment.

ASHER: And in terms of how, I mean, obviously, yes, of course, this peace plan is going to be very difficult for the Ukrainians to get on board with.

We know that. But just in terms of how the Ukrainians view President Trump, I am curious, because obviously, you know, we occasionally see Donald Trump

lashing out against Zelenskyy.

Sometimes we see him lashing out publicly against Putin. One minute, he seems to be working alongside Zelenskyy and a willing and cooperative

partner, but the next minute, he's devising a sort of secretive peace plan with the Russians. Is he viewed as somebody who is just purely neutral,

purely on the side of peace, someone who is in cahoots with the Russians, or someone who is actually a genuine and reliable partner to Ukraine.

ZAGORODNYUK: At the moment, Ukraine receives intelligence from United States. The moment, Ukraine through using NATO money, which basically

provided by Europe buying weapons from the United States, we know that most of the other assistance was cut. We see this very contradictive statement.

So, it's a very bipolar attitude, to be honest at the moment. I mean, some people here look at this as still an opportunity to put Russia at the

negotiation stable when there were claims that United States' new administration would bring Russia to the war to the end, it was extremely

well received again, because people are very tired from the war.

But at the same time, we don't see a pressure, and enough pressure even close. But and at the same time, we see that Russia is not changing their

position at all. So, there is, you know, the suggestions to remove the sanctions, like positive motivating factors are not working, because in

Alaska, for instance, Russia was given an opportunity to get out of this war within incredibly generous offering, perhaps at the expense of Ukraine,

but still, and they refused.

And that coincides with Ukrainian position that Russia actually, it does not look at this war as a war of territories. Russia looks at this war of

existential for Ukraine. So, they want to get rid of Ukraine. And we know that. I mean, we've been living with this for years now.

[11:10:00]

And all these offerings of some you know, line of contact, or Donbas or something. This is not about what Putin looks at this war. And

unfortunately, when some people from U.S. Administration don't, still don't look at it this way. I mean, for us, it's difficult, because it seems like,

despite of years, it's still a different opinion of the nature of this war.

So, we still hope that, you know, United States will put Russia at the table. We still hope that they would apply some pressure, but we're still

waiting for that.

ASHER: Yeah, that brings me to the next point. Essentially, what you're saying is that the Americans are somewhat naive in how much they trust

Vladimir Putin, even with a favorable, sort of 28-point peace plan. One of the things that Marco Rubio, Secretary State said over the weekend, he

said, I think we all recognize that part of getting a final end to this war will require for Ukraine to feel as though it is safe and is never going to

be invaded or attacked again.

That is the problem. That is what you're saying is this idea that even if you give Vladimir Putin, this 28-point plan that gives away territory,

gives away the Donbas region, shrinks Ukrainian army. You still cannot trust that at a later date, Putin isn't going to sort of change his mind

and re invade again.

So how do you convince the Americans? I know that Zelenskyy has tried time and time again. We saw what happened in the White House in February when he

brought this up. But how does Zelenskyy convince the Americans that Putin cannot be trusted.

ZAGORODNYUK: Well, first of all, we don't say Americans are naive, because we know that the U.S., United States has an enormous number of experts,

enormous amount of people who understand this extremely deep --

ASHER: That Trump Administration, I should say. The Trump Administration --

ZAGORODNYUK: Yeah, the Trump Administration.

ASHER: OK.

ZAGORODNYUK: We need to convince that, despite of all offerings from administration, unless Putin feels that the future brings him like more

negativity than positivity, he would not choose the peace today. So, he needs to understand that unless he stops the war today, tomorrow will be

worse, and that perspective is still not brought to him very distinctively.

It's actually not brought at all. So, there are discussions about the sanctions, but there's still always, like a self-restraint about the

sanctions. And so, he's still moving on. So that prospect, he needs to understand that unless he stops the war, tomorrow is going to be a failure,

a serious failure, which will put his regime into the serious struggle, and possibly his position in Russia to serious struggle.

That's the only thing which can actually stop the war, and that could be done through military assistance, that could be done through sanctions,

through the freezing assets and so on. There. There is enough expertise in U.S. which know exactly what must be done, but these steps I still haven't

been taken, because people are still expecting him to provide some goodwill.

And frankly speaking, I think that we passed that time. He had enough opportunities to provide to express goodwill. He still doesn't do that.

It's time to apply a pressure.

ASHER: Right. So, the only language that Vladimir Putin understands is that of self-interest, is what you're saying. Andriy --

ZAGORODNYUK: -- self-interest, yes, and the force to be honest, I mean, and frankly, this is not the news for most people who studied Russia. So yes,

that's a reality which we live in, and we need to be acting accordingly.

ASHER: Andriy Zagorodnyuk, we have to leave it there. Thank you so much. Appreciate you coming on the program.

ZAGORODNYUK: Thank you.

ASHER: All right, Lebanon's President is urging the international community to intervene forcefully. His words after Israel says it killed a key

Hezbollah member in a strike on Beirut on Sunday, despite a U.S. broker truce a year ago. It marks the first IDF attack on the Lebanese capital in

months.

You can actually see here at the aftermath of the strike on an apartment building in a crowded part of Southern Beirut. Lebanese officials, or

health officials say five people were killed and 28 wounded. The Israeli Prime Minister's Office says the IDF targeted Hezbollah's Chief of Staff

because he was leading a buildup of the militant group.

CNN's Nic Robertson joins us live in Jerusalem with more. Nic, what more can you tell us?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, this call from the Lebanese President for the international community to put pressure on

Israel. If it is manifesting itself. It's certainly not happening in a public domain. And I think as well, you know, it's a ceasefire that was

agreed a year ago.

It's a ceasefire that has come under increasing strain recently. It's a ceasefire the terms of which the Lebanese government always felt that they

were going to be under pressure, because the terms were that Hezbollah would pull out of the border area near Israel's northern border.

And the Lebanese army would be responsible for moving into those areas and ensuring that Hezbollah didn't come back. But the Lebanese army has been

woefully underfunded, under equipped, and fundamentally under ready for this task when it was first handed to it.

[11:15:00]

So, I think Lebanon has always felt on the back foot in trying to sort of meet Israel's expectations. And sources I've talked to in Lebanon and said

that they think Israel's expectations are disproportionately high. Nevertheless, the view in Israel is that Hezbollah shouldn't be allowed to

regroup.

And over recent weeks, we've seen an increasing number of strikes, Israeli strikes into Southern Lebanon, targeting what they say are locations where

Hezbollah is either storing weapons or regrouping where it shouldn't be, per the peace agreement. You know, I think if you look at the dynamic

moving forward, it just tells you the level of stress and strain that the ceasefire is under.

And Israel also, you know, on its own side of the border, has been having drills, military drills in the north as well as elsewhere, to prepare for a

possible Hezbollah counter maneuver. These are drills, by the way, that have been planned for some time, but it's definitely in Israel's mind that

there could be a retaliation from Hezbollah, but play into that dynamic, if you will, that the pope is visiting Lebanon next weekend.

I don't think anyone would expect a massive crescendo, an escalation of force in the intervening period. But after that, you know the question of

the ceasefire and the question, and if you will, demand from the Prime Minister of Lebanon and the President of Lebanon rather, for this

international move to sort of put some diplomatic shoulders to it behind the scenes.

I think that will the need for that may well come into play more as we get deeper into December.

ASHER: Right. Nic Robertson, live for us. Thank you so much. All right, new details about what Zohran Mamdani spoke to Donald Trump about during their

hour-long oval office visit. We'll have more on that for you. Plus, once a staunch supporter of the president, a Georgia lawmakers exit from Congress

sends a ripple through Trump's MAGA base. What this means for the future, the Grand Isle party, just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: We're learning more right now about what went on behind closed doors when New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani met with President Donald Trump at

the White House last week. The pair, well known for their extremely fractious relationship and diametrically opposed views, are understood to

have talked New York housing zoning codes and crime rates.

[11:20:00]

Mamdani later said he also raised the issue of immigration. And questions over whether Trump plans to ramp up his immigration crackdown in New York

as he has in other democratic cities. Afterwards, Trump praised Mamdani, saying the pair had some similar ideas.

Mamdani told CNN, he thought the meeting had been productive, though, as he told NBC, some fundamental differences of opinion still clearly remain.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just to be very clear, do you think that President Trump is a fascist?

REP. ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D-NY): And after President Trump said that, I said, yes, and --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, you do?

MAMDANI: And that's something that I've said in the past, I say today, and I think what I appreciated about the conversation that I had with the

president was that we were not shy about the places of disagreement, about the politics that has brought us to this moment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Outgoing Republican Lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene is shutting down speculation that she has plans to make a run for the U.S. presidency. The

Georgia lawmaker posted on social media saying, quote, I'm not running for president, and never said I wanted to, and I've only laughed about it when

anyone would mention it.

She goes on to say, I'm not motivated by power and titles. Once a fierce Donald Trump supporter, Greene announced last week that she was resigning

from U.S. Congress in January after clashing with the U.S. President over the release of the Epstein files and the future of the party heading into

the midterms.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): Republicans will likely lose the midterms, and in turn, be expected to defend the president against

impeachment after he hatefully dumped tens of millions of dollars against me and tried to destroy me.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Once I left her, she resigned because she wouldn't -- she would never have survived the

primary, but I think she's a nice person.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Marjorie Taylor Greene's exit shows that Trump still rules the GOP or Republican Party, but it's a warning that he should not ignore. Here

with his latest analysis, is CNN's Politics Senior Reporter Stephen Collinson. I mean, Stephen, you and I both know what happens even when

you're a sort of fierce loyalist for Donald Trump.

You know what happens when you go up against him? We've seen what happened to Elon Musk. The list goes on. Marjorie Taylor Greene has actually broken

with her party in the past on several topics, including H-1B visas, 50-year mortgages, ending foreign wars, demanding the full release, obviously, more

recently of the Epstein files.

Is this something I mean, is this the end that you would have anticipated based on Donald Trump's history of going against people who turn against

him?

STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Yeah, and I think for all the talk that Donald Trump is now a lame duck, this does show that he still

is a formidable force in his own party. Marjorie Taylor Greene clearly didn't want to run in a primary for her own seat against a candidate that

Trump supported.

So yes, Trump still controls the Republican Party. But what I think is interesting about all of those differences that you listed is that Marjorie

Taylor Greene is basically arguing that she is now far closer to the values of MAGA and America first than Trump is himself. And I think that points to

an evolving debate that's only just starting in the Republican Party about where it goes after President Trump has left the stage.

And I think it will be accelerated if Republicans do lose the house, as she predicted. You know, in many ways, Marjorie Taylor Greene has become a

victim of the kind of circus Trumpian politics that she once espoused and has been burnt by it, but it seems that she is arguing that she should have

a voice in the way the party goes in the future.

ASHER: Yeah. I mean, she's talked about this idea that what America First means to her, is actually quite different for from what America First

actually means to Donald Trump. I want to talk about this meeting between Zohran Mamdani, and President Trump in the Oval Office.

Mamdani came back afterwards and said, listen, he still believes that Donald Trump is a fascist. But that meeting, and the way it went surprised

a lot of people, these two men seem to get along better than I think you were, and I would have anticipated, Stephen.

COLLINSON: Yeah, I think you know, some of this is not that surprising, because the key point with Donald Trump is not to be surprised about

anything, because he changes his mind and his perspective. So often, everybody was expecting a massive showdown in the Oval Office.

So, you know, he does go against type. I don't think it was necessarily in the interest either of Trump or Mamdani to have a massive clash right now.

You know, he doesn't want the mayor-elect to be his first act to be getting the President United States against New York.

Mamdani addressed these issues of affordability, of prices and housing, which Trump really needs to start talking about in a more authentic way in

the run up to the midterm elections.

[11:25:00]

He's not done very well so far. So, you know, that was just one Oval Office meeting. I think we will come to a point on issues like immigration and

policing, perhaps some economic issues where there is a reason for both of them to have a clash with each other politically, and that their various

bases force them to come into that confrontation.

So, I don't think this is necessarily the end of this between Trump and Mamdani. What Trump really did do was complicate the position for

Republicans heading into 2026. They were hoping to use Mamdani as the unacceptable communist face of the Democratic Party.

He's not a communist, he's a Democratic socialist. But that's the attack they want to run. Notably Elise Stefanik, the Republican representative and

pro Trump lawmaker, who's running for governor in New York.

That's going to be more difficult for them now, given that there's this TV footage of Trump and Mamdani being very friendly in the Oval Office.

ASHER: Yeah, but as you point out also how long that lasts. Stephen Collinson, live for us there. Thank you so much. All right, as the U.S.

says, this weekends, peace talks with Ukraine were productive and meaningful. Up next, we look at how Europe and Ukraine are feeling about

the framework the perspectives from Geneva and Kyiv, after the short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: Hi, welcome back to "One World". I'm Zain Asher in New York.

[11:30:00]

Here are some of the headlines we are following for you today. The Kremlin says one version of the U.S. proposal to end the war in Ukraine could, in

principle, form the basis for a final peace settlement. Russian President Vladimir Putin is referring to the original version of the 28-point plan

put forward by Donald Trump last week, which observers say heavily favors Moscow.

The Kremlin says it has not been informed. On the weekend, Geneva talks to modify the proposal. Israel says its military has killed Hezbollah's second

most senior official in a strike in Southern Beirut. Sunday's attack in Lebanon Capitol comes despite a years' long ceasefire.

Health officials say that five people were killed and 28 were wounded in the strike. Taking effect today, the U.S. designation of Nicholas Maduro as

a member of a foreign terrorist organization. It also covers Venezuela's President's allies in his government as well.

The Trump White House accuses Maduro of running a drug trafficking cartel, which he denies. The top U.S. military officer, General Dan Caine is

visiting the Caribbean the same time the terror designation means U.S. President Donald Trump can impose fresh sanctions.

Brazil's Former President Jair Bolsonaro denies that he was trying to escape house arrest on Saturday. The former right-wing leader says

hallucinations because of a medicine change led him to tamper with his ankle tag. This comes just before he was to start serving a 27-year prison

sentence for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election.

All right, let's get back to our top story this hour, a flurry of diplomatic activity around the U.S. proposed plan to end Russia's war in

Ukraine. Top EU leaders are blending optimism with caution after this weekend's talks in Geneva between U.S. and Ukrainian officials.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

URSULA VON DER LEYEN, EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT: While work remains to be done, there is now a solid basis for moving forward. As we do, we must

remain united and keep placing Ukraine's best interest at the center of our efforts. This is about the security of our entire continent now and in

future.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: President Zelenskyy says that Kyiv is working closely with the U.S. and Europe to suggest revisions to the framework. And EU leaders are

continuing to meet on Monday on the sidelines of a summit in Angola. Talks at a technical level are continuing in Geneva today.

And Matthew Chance joins us live now from there. So, one of the things that the Europeans have said Matthew, is of course, that the current proposal is

far too favorable to Moscow. Just walk us through some of the possible changes that are being discussed at this point in time.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: -- I mean, Zain, that was certainly the position before the day of intensive negotiations

here in Geneva yesterday. But I mean, you get the sense from the public statements that have been made, both by the U.S. Secretary of State, Marco

Rubio, the Ukrainians.

And certain figures from Europe as well, that situation may have changed because, for instance, the German Foreign Minister came out on local German

radio saying that the negotiations here in Geneva were a, quote, decisive success for Europe. He said that all of the issues concerning Europe and

the NATO military alliance had been addressed in the negotiations here in Geneva.

Alexander Stubb is the Finnish President. He spoke to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian President, yesterday, and shortly afterwards, tweeted that

there was progress, but there are still major issues that remain. I think that's key, because you know what hasn't been forthcoming from any of the

parties, from the Americans, the Europeans or the Ukrainians, is what exactly is, that has been put into this new draft of the peace proposal.

Or what has been taken out of it that would make it more palatable to the Ukrainians and to their European backers. Obviously, there are big issues

that are outstanding, in terms of territorial concessions, in terms of the limitations that have been put on the being proposed to be put on Ukraine's

military.

And in terms of, you know, what kind of state in the future of the Ukrainian state post war, the U.S. Secretary of State sort of characterized

these issues as not insurmountable, something that could be dealt with over an extended period of time. But obviously they are, you know, extremely

big, and if they are dealt with, in terms of forging a common position with the United States, with Europe and Ukraine.

[11:35:00]

There's still another mass problem, which is that, will Russia accept that new draft of peace proposals that may be agreed between the Western powers

and Ukraine? Because the Kremlin is, up until now, as you well know, been absolutely categorically refusing to compromise at all on any of its sort

of big, big, you know, demands in this Ukraine war.

And we've had no indication from Moscow that they would be prepared to do so this time, Zain.

ASHER: All right, Matthew Chance, live for us there. Thank you so much. Appreciate it. Right, let's stay on this story. Luke Harding is Foreign

Correspondent for "The Guardian". He joins us live now from Kyiv. So, Luke, I just want to get your reaction you're in Kyiv about this 28-point plan

that the Russians and the Americans have sort of devised secretly.

And this idea that obviously a lot of people are saying that it is far too favorable to Moscow, because some of the conditions would, of course, be

territorial concessions, especially giving up some of the land in the Donbas, the fact that the Ukrainian military would shrink and also no NATO

membership for Ukraine.

Obviously, this is the initial 28-point police plan that, of course, could be revised. But just give us your initial reaction to this.

LUKE HARDING, FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT FOR THE GUARDIAN: Well, then I've been talking to people here in Kyiv today and to other sources. They say the 28-

point plan, after the negotiations in Geneva that Matthew was just talking about, is now a 19-point plan.

And some of the more kind of outrageous, or you might call maximalist demands from Russia have been smoothed or dropped. Now, I mean, I think the

most significant ones over ceding land to Russia in the Eastern Donbas region, over whether Ukraine should join NATO, the European Union, which

the Kremlin is basically trying to stop.

I mean, I think those have not been resolved, but what I'm also hearing is that there's a strong possibility that later this week, Zelenskyy may

actually travel to Washington to meet Donald Trump. And certainly today, there have been a flurry of phone calls between Kyiv and Washington.

And meanwhile, the Ukrainian delegation that was in the room with Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State is now currently briefing the president

on where they reached.

ASHER: And just in terms of the background to this, the fact that it initially came about because of the Trump Administration essentially

negotiating with the Russians secretly without the Ukrainians. What has been the reaction to that side of all of this in Kyiv, where you are?

HARDING: Well, basically, people are furious. So, I mean, I've been on the streets over the weekend getting reaction from ordinary Ukrainians to this

and they say that Russia has for years, been trying to control Ukraine territorially and politically. And obviously, the war started with a covert

takeover of Eastern Ukraine by Russian forces in 2014 and then we had the full-scale evasion in 2022.

So, there's an enormous skepticism in a city that's regularly smashed by Russian drones and missiles that the Kremlin is ready to negotiate. And

there's also, I have to say, real suspicion of the Trump Administration, not least because this document. I speak Russian, by the way, appears to

have been written in Russian, translated into rather bad English.

And then represented by the Trump Administration as a kind of U.S. plan, as a Trump plan. Essentially, this is a Russian plan authored, I think, by

Kirill Dmitriev, Vladimir Putin's special envoy. So, so nobody really thinks that this planet's original form is going to go anywhere.

But what you have to understand is that Zelenskyy is extremely keen not to antagonize Donald Trump, to engage diplomatically constructively, so that

he can't be blamed if and when this whole process collapses.

ASHER: That's a really interesting point that you bring up, this idea that, based on your reporting, this plan might have been devised, actually by the

Russians, because it was written Russian and then translated into bad English. As you point out, though, Zelenskyy is walking this very fine line

where he doesn't, obviously want to give up territory.

But at the same time, he has to, sort of not to use the word appease, but he has to sort of be very careful how he navigates and manages Donald

Trump, especially given the temperament of the U.S. President. How does he do that?

HARDING: Yeah, I mean, that's absolutely right. I mean, you really wouldn't want to be in Zelenskyy shoes this week going into the Oval Office for

another meeting with Donald Trump. But everyone remembers what happens in February when he was basically berated by President Trump and JD Vance and

tossed out of the White House.

[11:40:00]

Subsequently, they've been better meetings, but even two days ago, Trump was saying that there had been zero gratitude from Zelenskyy and the

Ukrainian leadership, even though every time he opens his mouth, Zelenskyy praises Trump and his peacemaking efforts. So, it's a very high wire act.

I actually asked Zelenskyy myself this. I met him for an interview a couple of weeks ago in the presidential palace, and he said one interesting thing,

and he said, I am not afraid of Donald Trump. I am not afraid of Donald Trump. He is the leader of America. I am the leader of Ukraine, and I

represent my people.

We're both elected representatives and so and so, I think he wants to hold his own and he'll make clear what Ukraine's red lines are. But I also think

going to Washington this week is a very high-risk strategy.

ASHER: Yeah, as you point out, it is a high wire act. Luke Harding, live for us there. Thank you so much. Appreciate it. All right, still to come,

fears spread across the Nigeria after hundreds were kidnapped from a private Catholic school, and now the pope is actually weighing in as well

on the abductions.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: Right, 50 students who were abducted from their Catholic school in Nigeria are now home with their families, but 250 others are still being

held by their captors. The students, along with a dozen teachers, were taken by armed bandits on Friday. CNN's Larry Madowo has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Anxious parents scramble to pick up their children from a boarding school in Nigeria. The nightmare

scenario of armed gangs kidnapping students has once again set the country on edge. This school in Kaduna state told parents the school was closing

because of unspecified security threats.

GLORIA SAMUEL, MATRON, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GIRLS COLLEGE ZARIA: They have to let children go for their safety, their life is important that their

education, as far as now is concerned. So, I think it's the best.

MADOWO (voice-over): Meanwhile, a mass abduction from a Catholic school in the neighboring Nigerian state of Niger is terrifying parents. More than

300 children and 12 teachers were kidnapped on Friday, though dozens have since escaped, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria.

All schools in the State of Niger have been closed. and people across the country are demanding that the government provide more security at schools

and churches.

IFEOMA ANEKE, BUSINESSWOMAN: I don't think anybody feels safe. What is happening in Nigeria presently, because the kidnapping, the bandits

everywhere, the killing, everybody is so scared, even to sleep, if you are sleeping, I don't think people are sleeping with their eyes closed.

[11:45:00]

MADOWO (voice-over): So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the abductions. And authorities say tactical squads and local hunters are

looking for the children.

MOHAMMED UMARU BAGO, NIGER STATE GOVERNOR: It is not a time for blame game, our mission today is to see how we can rescue these children, and all those

that have been kidnapped in the incident.

MADOWO (voice-over): But there, is a growing fear and anger across Nigeria about security concerns, especially after several brazen attacks in the

past week. In Western Nigeria's Kwara state, gunmen raided a church service, killing at least two people. Dozens of worshippers were kidnapped,

but have since been freed.

And 25 female students were taken after armed men stormed a government boarding school in the northwestern Kebbi state. The violence once again,

putting Nigeria in the international spotlight. Just over a decade ago, there was a global outcry after 276 girls from a school in Chibok were

kidnapped by the terror group Boko Haram.

Many of those girls never returned home. U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed outrage over the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria,

and has even threatened military action to protect Christians from Islamist insurgents, the radical groups in the area attacks both Christians and

Muslims.

POPE LEO, HEAD OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND SOVEREIGN OF VATICAN CITY: Student -- Nigeria --

MADOWO (voice-over): Pope Leo also weighing in on Sunday, saying he is saddened by the incidents and appeals for the immediate release of the

captives. Larry Madowo, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: All right, the first G20 summit to take place in Africa came to a close over the weekend in Johannesburg. Most notable was the absence of

next year's host, the United States. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the symbolic gavel handover to the U.S. will take place at a

later time.

U.S. boycotted the event over Trump Administrations claims that South Africa is persecuting its white minority population. South Africa has

strongly rejected these allegations, of course. Right coming up, Glinda and Elphaba, "Wicked", enchanting duo are back casting a magic spell on the box

office.

A report on the much-awaited sequels opening weekend. We'll have that after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:50:00]

ASHER: All right, "Wicked: For Good " cast a spell on the box office this weekend, earning a whopping $150 million after hitting the big screen

across the U.S. and 226 million worldwide, that far outperforms the first chapter of the musical saga.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's more important than ever that you lift everyone's spirits.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: The Hollywood fantasy film, the adaptation of the timeless children's novel "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" became the second highest

domestic opener of the year, just behind live action "A Minecraft Movie". More on this, let's bring in CNN's Lisa Respers France.

It's so funny. I'm just talking to my producers saying, didn't the first week, it literally just come out. It feels like last week, but it's

actually a year ago. I just looked it up. So, they obviously must have filmed them back-to-back. $150 million that is fantastic for this film, and

a welcome news for movie theaters across the country, of course.

LISA RESPERS FRANCE, CNN REPORTER: It really is, Zain, it they actually film the movies at the same time, and I believe the box office opening for

the first one was something like 112.5 million. So, you're absolutely right that this one far outpaced that one. But if you think about it, it makes

sense.

It already has a built-in audience for people who were eagerly awaiting this sequel, and people were very excited to see Cynthia Erivo really step

into her power as it be in the character of Elphaba. And a lot of people are already buzzing, Zain, about, you know, does this mean that she will

once again get nominated for an Academy Award?

And for some of the fans, their fingers across that she could win. So, people have fallen in love with her character and fallen in love with

Ariana Grande's character as Glinda, the good witch. And, you know, the world just loves "The Wizard of Oz". There's just something about it.

And so having this origin story just feels right on time. And people need a little bit of joy right now, Zain.

ASHER: They definitely do. And what I love is really their relationship. When you think about, you know, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, they,

mean, look at them there. They seem like their best, like sisters, you know, they feel like they get along really well.

FRANCE: Yes. They do. You know, there's been a little bit of mocking on social media, because when they do -- they've been doing their press for

this, and when they did press for the original "Wicked" film, you could tell how incredibly close they are. And when you do these two movies back-

to-back, you're spending an awful lot of time together, and they both really threw themselves into this role.

So, it makes perfect sense to me that they are incredibly close and really love each other. And of course, Cynthia just famously protected Ariana when

somebody ran up on her on the red carpet for this movie. And so, you know, I just got to say, they just appear to love each other.

And people love this movie, and I'll try not to sing this when I say it, but it's popular. We knew it was going to be popular.

ASHER: Right. Lisa Respers France, live for us. Thank you so much, my dear. Appreciate it.

FRANCE: Thank you.

ASHER: All right. Award winning actor and musician Donald Glover is making public a health care that forced him to cancel his 2024 Childish Gambino

tour. The time he announced it was because of an ailment. This past weekend, he told an audience in LA his ailment was actually a stroke.

Glover also says his doctors found a hole in his heart and that he's had two surgeries to repair it, but he appeared positive, telling fans, quote,

you've got one life, and the life I've lived you guys, has been such a blessing. Also, some of the news we are following as well. Dharmendra, one

of India's most iconic cinema stars has died at the age of 89 often called Bollywood's He-Man.

He defined Indian cinema in the 70s and the 80s, earning enduring popularity for his performance in "Sholay ", one of India's greatest films.

Right, Dharmendra's career spanned six decades, accumulating roles in more than 300 films. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his

condolences, saying the actor's death marks the end of an era in Indian cinema.

Jimmy Cliff, the smooth voice singer who helped popularize reggae, has died aged 81. A star since the 60s, he helped bring the sound of Jamaica to a

global audience through hits like wonderful world, and "You can get it if you really want". Who doesn't love that song, a Grammy Award winning

artist, Cliff was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.

The only Jamaican, apart from Bob Marley, to achieve that honor. All right, stay with CNN. There is more "One World" after this quick break with me and

my colleague, Bianna Golodryga.

[11:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END