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One World with Zain Asher

Zelenskyy: Ukraine Needs Funds to "Stand Tall Economically"; EU Considers Using Russia's Frozen Assets to help Ukraine; Trump Addresses Nation as Polls Show Low Economic Marks; Search for the Person who Crossed Paths with Person of Interest; Sydney Holds Funerals for Victims of Deadly Hanukkah Attacks; Pulitzer-Prize Winning Correspondent Peter Arnett has Died. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired December 18, 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]

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LYNDA KINKADE, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: Live from CNN's World Headquarters here in Atlanta. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Good to have you with us. This is "One

World". And we begin in Brussels, where European Leaders are discussing how to keep money flowing to Ukraine in its battle against Russia. They're

debating whether to use billions of dollars in Frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine.

Now these assets are currently being held in financial institutions in Europe. Critics argue using the money to secure loans for Kyiv could raise

legal questions and risk potential retaliation from Moscow regardless, the EU has committed to funding Ukraine for the next two years, which means if

the proposal does not pass, European governments will need to find the money elsewhere.

Well earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke on why Ukraine desperately needs those funds.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: All these questions are intertwined. Money is needed so that Russia and other countries in the

world does not use these assets as leverage against us. We are more confident at the negotiating table if we have these assets.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Zelenskyy says a new high stakes meeting is being planned for Friday between a Ukrainian delegation and their U.S. counterparts. Well,

for more, I want to go straight to Clare Sebastian, who is tracking this story live from Brussels. Great to have you there first, Clare.

So, most of the frozen Russian assets are held in Brussels, and Belgium, of course, is insisting on legal guarantees before approving the plan. So

which EU countries are pushing to use the assets and which are resisting?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, look Lynda, I think what's clear is that as the negotiations go on, more practical concerns have come to the

fore. But going into this meeting, it was also clear that the majority of EU countries do seem to be in favor of this plan. They are sort of

coalescing around this idea after months, if not years, of talking about it.

And so, I think, look, obviously there's the traditional holdouts. Hungary, Prime Minister Orban came into the meeting today calling it a stupid idea

that would drag Europe into war Slovakia, the Czech Republic. We've had some reservations from Italy. They haven't said that they oppose it, but

they said that more clarification is needed.

But overall, we are seeing strong rhetoric around why this is not just an important financial decision for Ukraine, but a strategic decision for

Europe. Take a listen to the Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TUSK, POLISH PRIME MINISTER: Now we have a simple choice either money today or blood tomorrow. And I'm not talking about Ukraine only. I'm

talking about Europe, and this is our decision to make, and only ours. I think all European Leaders have to finally rise to this occasion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: So, it is a decision of enormous magnitude. As you say, Belgium is the main hold out. They are looking for more guarantees that would cover

not only the sort of the loan that would be provided based on the cash balances linked to these foreign assets, but any costs associated with any

future legal claims saying that they are basically vulnerable, disproportionately vulnerable to financial and legal risk around this.

They also want other countries, and there are other countries in Europe that hold some of these assets, the UK, France, Switzerland, that they

should jump if Belgium jumps, those are the words of the prime minister in parliament this morning.

So, look, we don't know how this how long this debate is going to go on in Brussels. It could be a long night, but the European Council President has

said that they will not leave without a decision. And frankly, for Ukraine, which walks into a new stage of talks tomorrow, Friday, with the U.S., this

is especially critical, Lynda.

KINKADE: Yeah, I am wondering about the Ukraine President, obviously being there in Brussels, how his presence is influencing the tone or urgency of

these discussions?

SEBASTIAN: I think he has come with a very serious pitch, and I think it can be sort of put into two categories. Number one is that he said that he

would have more confidence, as he put it in the talks. He played that clip, if he has these assets, they otherwise would have to go in without a clear

plan for how to fund their defense.

He said he wouldn't be able to produce enough drones next year without this. So, the sort of the in terms of the leverage and the talks that one

part, but the clear financial urgency of this is here as well, and we are now at a crunch point for Ukraine.

[11:05:00]

The consensus from experts is that by the end of the first quarter of next year, Ukraine is going to be facing some really tough choices when it comes

to spending. So, he came, he made this pitch. He said he spoke to the Belgian Prime Minister this morning and understood his concerns.

But ultimately, in the words of Zelenskyy, yes, we can have these fears, these legal fears, but what's worse is having Russian troops at your

border. So, it's a powerful pitch, but I think we still have a number of hours, very likely of debate ahead of us here.

KINKADE: OK. Clare Sebastian, for us in Brussels, good to have you with us. Thanks so much. We're just hours after the U.S. President gave a combative

Prime Time speech trying to convince Americans that his economic policies are working, but getting a first look at some of the economic data released

since the government shutdown, and it appears to be welcome news.

The latest reading of the Consumer Price Index shows that annual inflation unexpectedly fell in November to its lowest level in months, even as the

labor market cools considerably. Well, that report follows Wednesday's 18- minute address from Donald Trump at the White House that was often delivered in an angry tone.

And it was filled with data that was exaggerated or out why -- outright wrong. The president's first false claim came inside just the opening

minute of his speech.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When I took office, inflation was the worst in 48 years, and some would say in the history of our

country, the price of eggs is down 82 percent since March, and everything else is falling rapidly.

I negotiated directly with the drug companies and foreign nations, which were taken advantage of our country for many decades to slash prices on

drugs and pharmaceuticals by as much as 400, 500 and even 600 percent. Our border is secured. Inflation has stopped, wages are up, prices are down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: It's worth noting that before today's report, the year-over-year, inflation rate was the same as when Trump took office. Grocery prices are

not down across the board, and the unemployment rate just hit a four year high.

Well, CNN's Betsy Klein, joins me now from Washington. Good to see you, Betsy. So, polls shall all approval of Trump's handling of the economy,

particularly on affordability, and he certainly made wild false statements throughout this speech. What were the key takeaways?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Lynda, I think the president gave the speech that many of his advisers wanted him to give.

There were no major foreign policy rollouts, domestic policy rollouts. But he did offer a message and framing on the economy and on affordability

issues, and that is going to be so critical as we head into this mid-term election year.

Even then, the polling is showing that voters lived experience does diverge from the president's highlight reel. There were really three key things

that stood out to me. Number one, to your point, the lack of factual evidence in the president's remarks.

I want to take through some of his exaggerations here. He said inflation was the worst in history when he took office. That is not true. He said

it's dropped significantly since he took office also, not true. He claimed that President Joe Biden led 12,000 murderers cross the border. That is

inaccurate.

He claimed that he reduced drug prices by 400, 500, 600 percent that is just mathematically impossible. He exaggerated foreign investment in the

United States. He also overstated crime and illegal immigration under the Biden Administration.

And that brings me to the second point, which is that Former President Biden loomed large over this address. He mentioned him several times by

name. And the question really now is that whether voter's patience is running out because the president has now been in office for 11 months, and

finding a foil in a former president might run a little thin to voters.

And third the president's delivery, it was incredibly rushed. He read from a teleprompter very closely, but at a very abnormally rapid pace for him.

That really level added this level of intensity to what he was trying to say.

Now the president's approval rating stands at about 39 percent. And separately, one of the problems that Former President Biden ran into was

this gap between the -- what he says is going well with the economy and what people actually feel.

The president previewed what he said would be aggressive housing reform plans coming next year, but didn't provide any immediate details. And short

of some tangible steps, the president has a lot of work to do heading into this midterm election season, Lynda.

KINKADE: Yeah, you make a good point. As I know, so long you can blame the predecessor when you've been in the job for almost a year. The president

announced a so-called warrior dividend for military personnel, a holiday bonus, if you like.

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What's the basis for that payment? And how is it being funded?

KLEIN: Right. Well, this $1,776 payment is going to U.S. service members. This is, as you mentioned, a holiday bonus, and it is in reference the 1776

to the nation's founding. The president signaled that revenue from tariffs is going to be funding this, but did not directly say how it would be

funded.

However, we have learned, our understanding is that this is redirected funds as a housing supplement allowance for U.S. service members that was

passed through the president's domestic policy agenda that passed over the summer.

KINKADE: All right. Betsy Klein for us in DC, great to have you with us. Thank you. Well, the U.S. government says it's to blame for a deadly mid-

air collision in January. The crash between a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Eagle flight over the Potomac River in Washington, DC killed 67

people new admission people.

That new admission is part of a court document that has been filed by the DOJ in response to a civil lawsuit brought by the family of a passenger

killed in that accident. Well, the documents the government cite what it says were failures by the chopper pilots and the air traffic controller.

Well, for the second time this week, the U.S. military has conducted a strike against an alleged drug trafficking boat. The U.S. Southern Command

says four people were killed in Wednesday's strike in international waters in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. At least 99 people have now been killed in

such strikes in the Caribbean and the Pacific since early September.

Many experts say the strikes are illegal, and they come as the Trump Administration escalates its military pressure on Venezuelan President

Nicolas Maduro's government. The U.S. and Taiwan have announced an $11.1 billion arms package, if completed, the deal would be one of Washington's

biggest ever military sales to the island.

The weapons include HIMARS rocket systems, anti-tank and anti-armor, missiles, howitzers and much more. It comes as Taiwan is under growing

pressure from Beijing, which claims sovereignty over self-ruled Taiwan. Beijing says it, quote, firmly opposes and strongly condemns the arms sale.

The package must still be approved by U.S. Congress.

In the U.S. still, the manhunt goes on for the gunman behind the deadly shooting at Brown University. Police are reviewing security camera footage

from before the shooting, looking for a person of interest. They're also seeking the public's help in locating another person who may have crossed

paths with him.

The gunman opened fire Saturday on the campus in Providence, Rhode Island, killing two students and wounding nine others. CNN's Michael Yoshida joins

us now from Providence. And Michael, it's five days now since the gunman opened fire, killing those two students, wounding nine others, the shooter

still remains at large. Have police developed any new leads in the investigation?

MICHAEL YOSHIDA, CNN REPORTER: Hi, there, Lynda. You mentioned we are still out and looking for that shooter. According to investigators, they are now

expanding outward from the campus here at Brown University. And as they're going through those efforts, the main message continues to be one of

patients.

But also asking for the assistance of the public. Investigators, saying in their last update that they have recovered physical and DNA evidence at the

scene. And while they haven't been able to match that to anyone yet, that could be crucial in connecting someone, whether it's that person of

interest or someone else, to the scene where this deadly shooting took place.

We also know that the police, they're asking the public to try and identify someone they think who may have been in close proximity may have walked by

that person of interest, so the hope there that they may have seen something, noticed something.

And we also know, curiously from school officials, that they're still working through, still days after this shooting took place, the process of

who exactly was in the school classroom where this deadly shooting happened.

We're told it was a study session, and as a result, there was no registry, no list of the students who were going to be there. So, they're still

talking to witness trying to figure out exactly who was there, who wasn't there. All of this part of this ongoing investigation, this manhunt, where,

again, police asking for patience and really for the public's help as they try and track down this gunman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OSCAR L. PEREZ JR., PROVIDENCE POLICE CHIEF: We have video footage of the determines to us and the detectives that can tell that this person was in

the vicinity where the subject of interest was that we wanted, that we actually have an interest on. Close enough that we feel that we need to

speak with them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOSHIDA: And that's the police chief there talking about, that new individual who they think may have walked by, maybe possibly seen something

relating to this person of interest.

[11:15:00]

So again, these memorials grow, the questions grow, and the main one being how close police actually are to trying to track down that shooter.

KINKADE: And Michael, do we have any update on the nine people who were wounded and what sort of support they and others directly impacted are

getting?

YOSHIDA: Yeah so, when it comes to those nine students who were injured, some good news here. We know that three of those injured students, they've

now been released from the hospital, six remain in the hospital, receiving care related to gunshot injuries.

As for the broader community, obviously impacted deeply by this deadly violence. We know throughout the last few days, there have been different

faith services, prayer services held here on campus, also support services being provided to those students, those faculty that still remain here on

campus again, classes were canceled, exams canceled.

But that doesn't mean that everyone has the ability to actually go home to leave campus. So, support being provided by the University. As again, just

so many questions left and still a sense of anxiousness among those who live in this community while they wait for answers and for someone to be

brought to justice.

KINKADE: Yeah, let's hope they track down that gunman soon. Michael Yoshida thanks so much. Well, still to come, grief on Sydney's most famous beach,

hundreds gather at Bondi for a candle lit vigil honoring victims of the deadly attack that shocked Australia and reignited fears of rising anti-

Seminist.

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KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Hundreds of mourners gathered at Sydney's Bondi Beach for a candlelight vigil to honor the 15 victims of

last weekend's deadly shooting at the Hanukkah by the Sea Festival.

Mourners sang Jewish songs, as well as that Australian Ballad, Walt Seng Matilda waving phone lights in the air in a powerful show of unity. The

youngest victim was 10-year-old, Matilda. She was honored with a tribute to her life that was tragically cut short.

Officials have charged the surviving suspect with multiple murder and terrorism offenses, while the nation calls for tougher hate crime laws. And

for the first time since the massacre, the iconic Bondi Beach is now reopened to the public.

[11:20:00]

The community returning to a place marked by grief but also resilience. CNN's Will Ripley has a closer look.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Just moments ago, police reopened a bridge that was sort of the epicenter of the Bondi Beach

massacre, because that's where the two gunmen, the father and son, were standing as they were firing rounds at the Hanukkah festival, killing 15

people.

The oldest victim, an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor the youngest, a 10- year-old girl named Matilda, who leaves behind heart-broken parents and a younger sister named Summer. You know, they may have chosen this spot

because they actually have a lot of cover from the trees here, so it was really difficult for the police to fire back.

And they had these huge rifles that they kept reloading as they gun down innocent people simply for being Jewish. It's really haunting to be

standing here, frankly, because this is the bridge that we have. We've seen from almost every angle. Everybody had their phones out on the day of the

massacre, filming this is what the gunman would have been seeing as they carried out their brutal act.

And then one of them, the father, died here. The son was shot. He was hospitalized in a coma for several days. He's now been awake. He's been

charged. And this iconic Australian beach may never feel the same, certainly for the people whose lives were changed forever on that awful

day.

KINKADE: Thanks to Will Ripley there. Well, the police officer being hailed a hero in the Bondi Beach massacre has now been identified. Detective

Senior Constable Sisa Barraza is being named as the cop who fatally shot and killed one of the gunmen during Sunday's attack.

Footage shows a man believed to be Barraza using a tree for cover as suspects fired indiscriminately from a foot bridge. It's believed that his

shot killed one gun man and injured the other. Ballistics are reviewing evidence to confirm.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAL LANYON, COMMISSIONER OF THE NSW POLICE FORCE: I am incredibly proud of the officer who's been identified as I am of every police officer who was

there on that day. The bravery they went through to approach and resolve that situation is incredible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, new details are coming to light about the deaths of Rob and Michelle Reiner. Records released Wednesday by the Los Angeles County

Medical Examiner show their manner of death has been determined to be homicide. The couple died of, quote, multiple sharp force injuries.

Now their son, Nick Reiner is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the fatal stabbing of his parents. He briefly

appeared in court on Wednesday. CNN's Nick Watt has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK WATT, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Around 08:20 p.m. Sunday that's Nick Reiner wandering into and out of a gas station. This

footage was just obtained by CNN moments after he leaves surveillance cameras in the parking lot pick up police activity, and right there is

where Reiner was arrested, as we see in these LAPD photographs, arrested on suspicion of murdering his parents.

They were last seen together Saturday night at Conan O'Brien's Holiday Party, where Robin Nick Reiner reportedly argued.

CASEY JORDAN, CRIMINOLOGIST AND BEHAVIORAL ANALYST: By all accounts, Rob and Michelle asked Conan if they could bring their son, Nick to this party.

He was not originally on the invitation list, which shows that they were trying to work with him. They were being inclusive.

WATT (voice-over): Homicide detectives would like to speak to party goers, according to a source.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your Honor, if we could, I would like to ask for a continuance.

WATT (voice-over): Nick Reiner, now charged with two counts of first-degree murder, made his first appearance in court. CNN's Stephanie Elon was in the

room.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Nick Reiner appeared very calm in the court. He was seated behind glass, and he appeared to be wearing a long

blue vest and his hands were shackled. The only thing that we heard Nick Reiner say was yes, Your Honor.

WATT (voice-over): When asked by the judge if he was OK with his arraignment being pushed to January 7th, here's his lawyer.

ALAN JACKSON, NICK REINER'S ATTORNEY: This is a devastating tragedy that has befallen the Reiner Family. We all recognize that. Our hearts go out to

the entire Reiner Family. There are very, very complex and serious issues that are associated with this case. These need to be thoroughly but very

carefully dealt with.

WATT (voice-over): Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day. Reads a statement today

from Romney Reiner, who found her parents Sunday afternoon and Jake, the eldest of the three siblings.

[11:25:00]

We now ask for respect and privacy, for speculation to be tempered with compassion and humanity.

WATT (on camera): Now, according to the LAPD, the Reiners were found in the master bedroom area of the house that is right behind me. Detectives,

officers, looked for anybody else in the house, victims, suspects, they did not find anybody else. And we've also heard from the medical examiner's

office.

According to the records, both the Reiners died from, quote, multiple sharp force injuries, stabbed to death. Nick Watt, CNN, Brentwood, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, Peter Arnett, who spent decades reporting from dangerous combat zones, has passed away. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 1966 for his

Vietnam War coverage for "The Associated Press". He also worked here at CNN, covering the first Gulf War.

Arnett entered hospice last weekend while battling prostate cancer. His son says he died Wednesday in Newport Beach, surrounded by friends and family.

Peter Arnett was 91 years old. I'm Lynda Kinkade. There is much more "One World" in about 30 minutes, but first CNN Creatives is next.

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