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One World with Zain Asher
Israel And Lebanon Holding Direct Talks In Washington; How The U.S. Might Enforce Blockade Of Iranian Ports; Source: U.S. Eyes potential Second Round Of Talks With Iran; Study: Not All Lose Weight On GLP-1 Drugs, But Benefit From Them; Swalwell: Plans To Resign From Congress Amid Sex Assault Allegations; Sunday's Rejection Of Hungary's Pro-Russian Orban Could Mean Hope For Ukraine; Eighteen Artists Are Being Inducted Across Four Categories; Aired 12-1p ET
Aired April 14, 2026 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:00:36]
ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Right now, diplomats from Lebanon and Israel are holding direct talks for the first time in 40 years.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: The second hour of "One World" starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: The real question is, how much pressure is Trump willing to put on Israel to get to an agreement? How much
pressure is the U.S. willing to put on Lebanon?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Talks between Israel and Lebanon are officially underway. What are the sticking points and where do they go from here?
ASHER: Also ahead, the latest on the blockade of Iranian ports. The U.S. military says they've turned around six ships so far, plus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): It's how these guys keep doing this over and over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Also, I had meet the California congressman at the center of a scandal. One fellow lawmaker says he was living a double life.
ASHER: And later, the coolest club in music will soon have some new members. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fames newest inductees, just ahead. Lots
of Brits apparently --
GOLODRYGA: How are they not in already?
ASHER: All right. Coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. You are watching the second hour of "One World."
And we begin with high-stakes diplomatic efforts to push for peace. This as the U.S. and Iran are eyeing a second round of talks.
In Washington, Israel and Lebanon are holding their country's first direct talks in four decades. The U.S. Secretary of State calls it a historic
opportunity to create a framework to move forward.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: It was all over the next six hours, but we can begin to move forward and create the framework where something
can have something very positive, something very permanent, so that the people of Lebanon have a kind of feature they deserve, and so that the
people of Israel can live without fear, should it struck by rocket attacks from the terrorist proxy of Iran."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: The meeting comes as Israel presses on with its war on Hezbollah, Iran-backed militia in Lebanon. The Lebanese president says that Israel
must withdraw from southern Lebanon.
Israel's foreign minister says, the disarmament of Hezbollah is key.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GIDEON SA'AR, ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER: But always remember, the problem for Israel's security is the problem for Lebanon's sovereignty, it's
Hezbollah. It's the same problem. And this problem need to be addressed in order to move to a different phase. We want to reach peace and
normalization with the state of Lebanon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Israeli strikes are having devastating consequences in Lebanon. The country's health ministry says that more than 2,000 people have been killed
in Lebanon since early last month.
GOLODRYGA: CNN's Jeremy Diamond joins us from Tel Aviv, Israel. A historic moment, no doubt, Jeremy, and potential opportunity here for these two
sides to reach some sort of diplomatic agreement and inroads after so many years.
But just talk to us about the impediments still in their way because there's a lengthy list of them.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes, without a doubt. And that's going to begin at the beginning of this meeting between the
ambassadors from Israel and Lebanon to the United States, is going to be this issue of a ceasefire in Lebanon. Because Lebanese officials have said
that they will only engage in the substance of these negotiations over disarming Hezbollah and proceeding towards trying to build normalized
relations between Israel and Lebanon if Israel agrees to ceasefire in -- the inside of Lebanon.
And today, we have already seen that Israeli strikes have continued inside of Southern Lebanon. We've also seen Hezbollah rocket fire from Lebanon
into Northern Israel that has been continuing over the course of the last hour, even as these negotiators have now sit down in Washington to actually
discuss all of this.
The Israeli prime minister has been adamant that he is not agreeing to a ceasefire that any negotiations with Lebanon will be held under fire. And
so that's going to be the first test of what are effectively preliminary negotiations about the negotiations, basically the framework for what these
talks will actually entail and the conditions that are needed in order for them to proceed.
So, we've also seen the United States already exert quite a bit of pressure on Israel to, first of all, engage in these discussions in the first place,
and also to scale back its strikes in Lebanon in order for them to proceed.
[12:05:10]
And we have seen some of that take place. As I said, while strikes are still ongoing in Southern Lebanon. We haven't seen any Israeli strikes in
the Lebanese capital of Beirut since late last week and that is notable.
And so we'll see whether Israel and Lebanon can agree to some kind of accommodation here, where Israel doesn't agree to a full-on ceasefire, but
somehow says that it is going to significantly reduce the number of strikes that it is carrying out in Lebanon.
But these are historic negotiations. The highest level talks between Israel and Lebanon in more than 40 years now taking place. How much they can
accomplish, though, still very much an open question.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Jeremy Diamond, live for us in Tel Aviv. Thank you.
ASHER: Thanks, Jeremy.
All right. The U.S. military says that six ships have turned around because of its blockade of Iranian ports. That blockade is now in its second day.
GOLODRYGA: Our Nick Paton Walsh has a closer look at how the U.S. might be enforcing the blockade.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: This naval blockade of Iran even work. It may sound simple, but it is potentially a hugely
dangerous and complex undertaking.
U.S. naval vessels are going to have to sit off the coast of Iran, watch with satellites and drones, and then warn, stop, and potentially board with
Special Forces every ship that tries to go into or come out of Iran's ports.
That's particularly challenging if you are a U.S. Special Forces team that are being asked to board and stop a fully loaded all-tanker that's been
ignoring American warnings.
The Strait could potentially open up, but Iran does have a say in this. The theory is you open a gap in the waterway, as thin as it is, only four miles
used for shipping through which ordinary trade and oil traffic could resume.
But Iran has attack drones, missiles, and mines. And the Americans in these tiny spaces, in shipping terms, are going to have a lot less time in which
to respond and defend themselves.
Theoretically, this cuts off Iran in oil from the outside world. But remember, they loaded a lot onto tankers before the war even began that's
still afloat. It is a big deal for China, a major customer, and it takes over a million barrels of Iranian oil off the market, which will probably
cause prices to rise.
And remember too, that oil tankers floating around a war zone is a potential ecological disaster.
There are big risks to here for American personnel. They'll be within range of a very angry Iran, and it only takes one tiny attack boat to get through
to cause devastating consequences.
We saw that 26 years ago when one-al-Qaeda tiny boat got through and hit the USS Cole nearby off the coast of Yemen, killing 17 American sailors.
Similar risks are going to return here.
Now, this is something that the U.S. could do, but it's big, it's complex, and it's going to take a lot of time to prove effective.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: That was a Nick Paton Walsh reporting there.
Let's bring in CNN political analyst David Sanger. David, what happens if we get to next week and there's been no new agreements between the U.S. and
Iran? What options do the Americans actually have?
I mean, I think that one of the things that I imagine must have caught the Americans by surprise is just how militarily capable Iran still is after
six weeks of this war.
I mean, they still apparently have thousands of ballistic missiles. They still have rocket launchers underground that they could retrieve. I don't
know how easily they could retrieve them, but they still could obviously retrieve them. That is a massive problem.
What options does President Trump have beyond imposing an additional blockade or continuing blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, which, of course,
backfires economically on the Americans? What are his options?
DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, one option, obviously, is he could resume the bombing and the war. I don't
think he'll do that. I think that the reaction was bad enough among the -- his own party.
It's shattered his own MAGA base, as you've seen. He promised a four to six-week war, so reopening that now, I think, would be extremely difficult
politically.
And yet, as you've sensed from his statements about gas prices, he knows that the longer he continues this blockade, it might, over time, change
minds in Iran about negotiating, because they would presumably be unable to reach markets with their own oil. And that oil is something like 57 percent
of their -- their export revenue. But it would obviously increase the pain here in the United States.
And when the President said the other day, just almost casually, well, gas prices might stay where they are now, or a little higher, by election day
in November, I think it was a bit of a shock to his own party, because he had previously said, as soon as the fighting stops, the prices will go
down.
[12:10:20]
GOLODRYGA: David, how closely is Iran following these negotiations, these historic negotiations going on in Washington right now between Israel and
Lebanon?
Really an opportunity for the two sides in the midst of all this war and bloodshed and humanitarian disaster to potentially make inroads on
diplomatic ties. This would be a big setback for Iran, given that Hezbollah is its strongest and most vital proxy. So, what does this mean for them?
SANGER: So, the Iranians, if they look around the world, compared to, say, two years ago or certainly prior to October 7th and the attacks, they've
got almost no friends left, right? Hamas' remnants of it are living in tunnels under Gaza. Hezbollah has been beaten back tremendously. If Lebanon
ends up actually putting together a relationship with Israel, that would be a huge setback for them.
They no longer have a benevolent or a -- a -- a sympathetic ally in Syria, right, ever since the fall of the Assad regime.
So, they really have no help around the region. And, of course, it was that perceived weakness that led the U.S. and Israel to determine this was a --
a particularly good moment to strike Iran. And that was the decision made on -- on February 28 or implemented on February 28.
I think that, you know, now that reality is colliding with the discovery, as we were just discussing before, that the Iranians have held on to more
asymmetric strength than we expected even after they lost their air force and their navy and much of their missile capability.
ASHER: I want to talk about one country that has emerged, you know, well, I don't want to say the big winner in all of this, but actually relatively
strong is China. And we've got that potential summit. Who knows if it's actually going to move forward, that potential summit between Trump and Xi
Jinping?
And I'm wondering if you're Trump, do you still go? I mean, obviously, at this point, the calculus in terms of which leader has the upper hand has
changed.
I mean, things are so different, David, compared to this time last year when we were talking about Liberation Day. Liberation Day was sort of April
2025. Trump was sort of implementing these exorbitant tariffs on China.
Now, we're seeing a very different power dynamic with Xi Jinping, especially given what's happening with the Strait of Hormuz and Iran, and
also just how much China has heavily invested in green energy.
SANGER: So, the Chinese obviously have some advantages, and you mentioned at the end there, they're biggest, which is they now have a much larger
fleet of electric cars running around and -- and so forth.
But their dependence on imported oil is still high. And they get about 13 percent of their oil from Iran.
So, I think the Chinese are of two views here. I mean, on the one hand, as you point out, they have some elements of strength here and the opportunity
to look like the more benevolent power operating in the Middle East, that they would come in offering maybe to rebuild Iran without any of the -- the
-- the history and baggage that Western countries and particularly the United States would have.
On the other hand, the -- the Chinese have seen some things that have worried them. The speed at which the United States managed to arrest Maduro
and with Israel's help decapitate the Iranian regime.
I think they have to be concerned about the speed at which the U.S. managed to use its unique intel capabilities to identify Iranian weapons stores and
so forth.
And most of all, I think what they're worried about right now, is that you could have Chinese crude and Chinese flagged ships running into this
blockade.
I think the biggest possible impediment to the trip might be what happens if there's a confrontation between a Chinese tanker trying to get through
and an American naval ship.
ASHER: All right. David Sanger, we're actually hoping to delve in on the China element of all of this. So, that particular angle, later on this
week, I think it's fascinating.
[12:15:09]
David Sanger, live thank you so much.
GOLODRYGA: Thanks, David.
The U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance is telling the pope that he should, quote, "stick to matters of morality." He was speaking to Fox News in
response to an exchange of views between the pope and President Trump on the Iran War.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality, to stick to matters of -- of, you
know, what's going on in the Catholic Church and let the president of the United States stick to dictating American public policy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: When Trump was asked about this image that he posted on social media, and that, by the way, he later deleted, he said it was a joke and
that it showed him as a doctor, not as Jesus Christ, even though there's light emanating from his hands.
It didn't seem that a lot of Catholics appreciated the joke, though.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOANNE WILLIAMS, CATHOLIC: It was very unusual. You know, I think it's very important to respect our religion, our culture, not only the Catholic
religion, but our religions.
JENNIFER NEPOMUCENO, CATHOLIC: I'm kind of disappointed of how he reciprocated that position to our God, but that's his opinion. And I will
pray for him. That's all I can say.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: A friend and former colleague of Pope Leo's tell CNN the pontiff, quote, "will not back down."
GOLODRYGA: All right. Still to come on "One World." If you're taking a GLP- 1 medicine for weight loss and can't seem to shed more than a few pounds, you're not alone. What a new study is suggesting, that -- that's ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. New studies of popular weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound suggest that genetics may play a role in why some patients are not
losing weight.
GOLODRYGA: At -- at the same time, new research shows that GLP-1 drugs are offering other health benefits, even without weight loss.
For more on this, let's bring in CNN medical correspondent Meg Tirrell. So, Meg, what more are we learning about who actually stands to lose weight and
who finds it more difficult?
MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. You know, we seem to be learning more and more about these medicines almost by the day.
We know that there are millions of people taking medicines like Ozempic and Wegovy, often to try to lose weight. But as many as five to 15 percent of
people in clinical trials and in real-world practice are what doctors referred to as weight non-responders, meaning, they don't actually lose
significant amounts of weight while they're on GLP-1 medicines.
[12:20:13]
But increasingly, we are seeing that there may be benefits to taking these drugs that are completely independent of weight loss.
Now, we have seen in clinical trials of things like Wegovy for cardiovascular outcomes, things like trying to prevent a second heart
attack or a stroke if you've already had one.
There's a 20 percent reduction with Wegovy on those outcomes. And a lot of folks thought, well, that's just because people are losing weight, that
drives down those risks.
But what they saw in that clinical trial is that completely independent of how much weight people lost, there was still a benefit in reducing that
risk. We've seen this in trials also of things like heart failure and kidney disease.
And we just got a new study out today from one of the pioneers of GLP-1 research. A researcher named Dr. Daniel Drucker at the University of
Toronto. And his lab looked at liver disease in mice, and they identified a pathway that it seems like these drugs tamp down on inflammation,
completely independent of how much weight a mouse or a person might lose and found that there is still a real benefit from these medications.
And so, the implications here, guys, are should we think about tailoring these medicines to maybe a lower dose, if your goal is to improve something
like liver health rather than just to maximize weight loss. There could also be implications for insurance coverage, which can still be difficult
for these medicines.
Doctors are suggesting that perhaps insurers should look at paying for these drugs, even if folks aren't successful in losing weight, because they
still could have major benefits for other serious conditions. Guys.
GOLODRYGA: It is fascinating to learn more -- more about these unexpected benefits of GLP-1s. And, Meg, I know you'll stay on this story for us.
Thank you.
Democrat Eric Swalwell says that he plans to resign from Congress after explosive sexual assault allegations came out this week.
Now, he's denied the accusations, but he's facing a House ethics investigation and has already suspended his campaign for California
governor.
ASHER: Not long after Swalwell's announcement, Republican, Tony Gonzales facing an ethics probe related to a romantic relationship with a former
staffer said that he too would resign from Congress.
Some of their colleagues have been speaking about this week's revelations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. RUBEN GALLEGO (D-AZ): The man led a double life for many -- I mean, more than 20 congressmen. People that served there for a long time, we had
no clue.
WARREN: What surprises me is how these guys keep doing this over and over. He's not the first and he probably won't be the last. That they get into
positions of authority, and they think they can have whatever they want.
And ultimately, it's good to see a little accountability here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: CNN's Elex Michaelson explains how it all began, and ultimately, how it will all end.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Eric Swalwell is resigning from Congress, saying, "I must take responsibility and ownership for the
mistakes I did make," and, quote, "It's wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties."
It represents one of the fastest and most dramatic falls from grace in recent political history.
REP. ERIC SWALWELL (D-CA): These allegations of sexual assault are flat false.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): On Friday night, Swalwell posted this while facing sexual assault allegations.
SWALWELL: I have certainly made mistakes and judgment in my past, but those mistakes are between me and my wife.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): By Sunday night, Swalwell suspended his campaign for California governor after a former Capitol Hill intern and junior
staffer spoke to CNN's Pamela Brown about interactions with the congressman in 2019. She was interviewed in shadow out of fear, she says, of
professional consequences.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He pulls out his penis and instructs me to give him oral sex.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): In September 2019, after a night of heavy drinking, she says she woke up naked with Swalwell in a hotel room with no
memory of what happened.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know that we -- there was sexual contact because when I woke up in the morning, I could feel that there was.
MICHAELSON: Why do you want to be governor of California?
MICHAELSON (voice-over): Last November, Swalwell gave me the first T.V. news interview of his campaign for governor.
SWALWELL: I want to be its fighter protector.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): The former presidential candidate, House impeachment manager, and frequent online troller of President Trump.
SWALWELL: Dumb, dumb, Donnie's got it wrong again.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): Quickly became a favorite on betting markets like Kalshi and Polymarket.
SEN. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): Well, let me say how proud I am to support you, Eric.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): Senator Adam Schiff and nearly two dozen members of Congress endorsed his campaign, all of them swiftly and publicly asked
for Swalwell to drop out after allegations came to light on Friday.
ELIAS DABAIE, ERIC SWALWELL'S ATTORNEY: The congressman categorically denies any misconduct took place.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): Swalwell's lawyer joined me exclusively Friday night to respond.
Is he saying that he cheated on his wife but didn't do anything illegal?
DABAIE: I'm not going to get into the details of that.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): Over the weekend, Swalwell's own staffers urged him to drop out of the race, some urging him to resign. He did both.
[12:25:00]
This is a look at polling in the California governor's race before the Swalwell scandal broke. The race to lead the nation's most populous state
is now upended. And the previously lower polling candidates hope voters will give them a second look.
Super PAC supporting San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan says, it raised $10 million this weekend.
MAYOR MATT MAHAN, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA: The Democratic Party has got to lift up people of high integrity who have a track record of results.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right. Still to come, the European Council chief says that puts Lebanon as the Lebanese negotiations that are underway in Washington. He
also talked to CNN about Israel as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: Is Israel flouting international law at present in Lebanon?
ANTONIO COSTA, PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL: Yes.
ANDERSON: As they -- did you say in Gaza?
COSTA: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Ahead, we'll have more on what Antonio Costa told CNN.
GOLODRYGA: Plus, hoarding more aid from its biggest European supporters, Ukraine's wartime president receives a very warm welcome in Berlin. Why a
top Ukraine watcher says that's a big deal.
All that's coming up after the break.
ASHER: Later, who was included and who was snubbed? We'll tell you about the new inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: Well, in Washington, officials from Israel and Lebanon are holding their first direct talks in decades. U.S. Secretary of State Marco
Rubio is hosting those talks. This is Israel insists the current U.S.-Iran ceasefire does not apply to the Hezbollah targets. It's bombing in Lebanon.
ASHER: Yes. E.U. Council Chief Antonio Costa is in the UAE where he's been talking to our colleague Becky Anderson about Europe's efforts to support
the Lebanese Israeli talks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: What can Europe do to ensure the success of these direct Israeli- Lebanese peace talks brokered by the U.S. in Washington this week?
[12:30:02]
COSTA: Well, we are cross-fingers, but at the same time, we are doing two important things.
First, we are supporting the Lebanese army to give them to build capabilities, to do what they need to do.
ANDERSON: Sufficiently?
COSTA: To have the effective control of the territory, to disarm Hezbollah.
And on the other side, we are giving 100 million euros in humanitarian support for the Lebanese people.
ANDERSON: Is Israel flouting international law at present in Lebanon?
COSTA: Yes.
ANDERSON: As they -- did you say in Gaza?
COSTA: Yes. Unfortunately.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: All right. Germany is reinforcing its support for Kyiv as Volodymyr Zelenskyy works hard to keep the Ukrainian frontlines on the front pages.
Ukraine's wartime president was in Berlin earlier where he signed a defense deal with the German Chancellor. Friedrich Merz says that Berlin will work
with Kyiv on drones and the battlefield technology.
GOLODRYGA: On top of that, changes in Hungary could spell a big win for Ukraine with pro-Russian leader Viktor Orban voted out of office.
CNN's Clare Sebastian looks at reasons for Kyiv to be hopeful today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Russians go home. That was what supporters of Hungary's newly elected leader Peter Magyar were chanting at
his victory rally in Budapest.
Now, all of this offering some hope to Ukraine. The selection marks a rejection of Hungary's long-time pro-Russian leader Viktor Orban, Russia's
closest ally, one of its closest allies in the European Union.
His campaign had literally depicted Ukraine's President Zelenskyy as an enemy. And crucially, he had been blocking over $100 billion worth of E.U.
funding for Ukraine. Money desperately needed so that Kyiv can continue to defend itself.
Optimism has so far been cautious in Ukraine. The country's foreign minister saying that painstaking, pragmatic work lies ahead to find common
ground.
And, of course, this doesn't mean that peace is suddenly closer. But what it does mean is that if this E.U. funding is released quickly, Ukraine has
a better chance of fending off Russian attacks going into a fifth winter at war.
And for Moscow, the list of global allies may have just gotten a little bit shorter.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: Matthew Karnitschnig is the editor-in-chief of Euractiv. And before that, he was chief Europe correspondent at "POLITICO," and he joins
us live from Brussels. It's good to have you back on the program, Matthew.
So you noted that Germany has gone from offering helmets to essentially being all-in in helping Ukraine defend itself against this war with Russia
now entering its fifth year.
Is this actually something you view as a change in policy, this $4 billion euro -- or four billion -- is it four billion dollars, I think? Or -- or
four billion euro arrangement that they've just made? Is this a change in policy, you think, from Germany?
And if so, can they stand in place of the United States offering aid?
MATTHEW KARNITSCHNIG, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, EURACTIV: Well, thanks for having me. I -- I believe it's an additional four billion euros, but this is just
the latest (INAUDIBLE) that we've seen from Germany. And it is really part of a larger European story here.
But in Germany's case, it really has been an evolution since the beginning of the all-out invasion in 2022, as you noted when they first extended help
to Ukraine by offering those helmets. Since then, they've offered a lot more, but they were quite slow to react.
And I think it has really been under Chancellor Merz over the last year that we've really seen Germany kick into high gear in terms of showing its
willingness to do everything that it can to help Ukraine, mainly because they've seen what has happened in the United States under President Trump,
and they've seen his reluctance to help.
So, the Germans are also playing a central role in Europe as the largest country in Europe to rally support around Ukraine and to ensure that the
other European nations don't forget how important this fight is for European security.
And as we heard before, this shift in Hungary is really key to that because Hungary has been blocking this 90 billion euro aid package, loan package,
rather, for Ukraine, something that Viktor Orban didn't want to see.
And now under the new leadership, there's hope that this can be unblocked and this will provide really crucial resources for Ukraine to continue to
defend itself to invest in its military in the years to come.
[12:35:03]
ASHER: Yes. Peter -- Matthew, sorry. Talk to us a bit about that. Because how much of a thorn in Ukraine's side was Viktor Orban?
You know, you mentioned this $90 billion E.U. loan. And also, the -- the headaches surrounding the Druzhba pipeline and sort of all the arguments
wrangling over that because Viktor Orban essentially accused Ukraine of attacking it and that pipeline is crucial for Hungary's oil transportation
flows.
With Peter Magyar in place now, just how much of the game changer is that for Zelenskyy?
KARNITSCHNIG: I think that's going to play out in the coming weeks and months, but clearly for Magyar, you know, the -- the -- the E.U. is a very
important resource as well and he doesn't want to get on their bad side, I would expect, right off the bat.
He is on the record also expressing reservations about Ukraine joining the E.U. and in fact about this loan, but he does seem to be someone that the
bureaucrats in Brussels will have an easier time dealing with since he now has a mandate.
He's come into office. He wants something from the E.U. And they want him to clear the way for this loan. So, I would be surprised if that doesn't
happen.
And, you know, the relationship with Ukraine and Hungary is a difficult one and has been for many decades. There's a Hungarian minority in Ukraine, for
example, and Orban tried to use that really to instrumentalize these historic problems to, you know, raise a lot of anger within Hungary about
Ukraine and this issue of the pipeline.
We still don't really know what happened there. And maybe Zelenskyy will be more open now to allowing European inspectors in to investigate what
happened with that pipeline and possibly opening it again for oil deliveries to -- to Hungary and Slovakia.
These are two of the poorest countries in -- in the E.U. where they're really suffering under the pressures of high energy costs. So, I think we
could see movement on all fronts here potentially.
GOLODRYGA: And, Matthew, going back to this agreement with Germany, it's not just about weapons, it's about A.I. battlefield data sharing as well
including Ukraine's Avenger system. It was interesting that Chancellor Merz hinted at this giving Europe a, quote, greater degree of independence. What
should we read into that?
KARNITSCHNIG: Well, I think it's clear in terms of all the rhetoric that we've heard from various European capitals over the past couple of months
that they've seen the course that Donald Trump has taken vis-a-vis NATO.
They're looking to become more autonomous from the United States. And at the same time, they've seen how successful Ukraine has been in defending
itself in, you know, against -- against the Russian attacks, especially in terms of drones.
And, you know, one of the things that Chancellor Merz repeated today, again and again, was this resilience that Ukraine has shown. And I think this is
something that is really genuine in Germany and beyond Germany and something that has surprised a lot of people, and especially the ingenuity
that they've seen in terms of the technologies that the Ukrainians have managed to develop here.
And for his part, Zelenskyy, President Zelenskyy has sort of reached out to the Germans and stressed that, you know, he needs more help from them. He
needs more investment from them. And one of the things they talked about today was this joint venture that the two countries have -- have set up,
that companies in the two countries have set up to develop various drone systems.
And I think you're going to see that continue, because part of the effort here and strategy on the part of Chancellor Merz, I think, is to show the
rest of Germany that Germany can also benefit from this partnership that Ukraine is a trusted partner, that they're not just there with their
handout, that they have something to offer Germany as well as people, more and more, become, you know, tuned and aware of the security threats that
they also face in Germany if Russia succeeds in -- in Ukraine.
GOLODRYGA: Matthew Karnitschnig, editor-in-chief of Euractiv, thank you. Appreciate the time.
KARNITSCHNIG: Thank you.
ASHER: Every year, it sparks music's biggest debate, who is getting inducted -- inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and who has gotten
overlooked. This year, they actually may have gotten it right.
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GOLODRYGA: Phil Collins is among -- I keep listening to that song.
ASHER: Can you sing along, please?
GOLODRYGA: No, not today.
ASHER: Sing along.
GOLODRYGA: Not today. I can drum along. Phil Collins is among 18 inductees. I'm singing in my head. In the class of 2026 along with fellow British
rockers Billy Idol, Oasis and Iron Maiden. And legendary soul artists are in the class as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
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[12:40:25]
ASHER: Listen. Another Nigerian. Sade is Nigerian. Nigerian-British. And Luther Vandross are both being inducted this year as well.
Lisa Respers France joins us live now with all the details.
So, Lisa, Bianna is actually going to sing for us, aren't you?
GOLODRYGA: Did you not? If you -- if you weren't talking, you would have heard me singing to Sade. Did you hear me, Lisa?
LISA RESPERS FRANCE, CNN REPORTER: I heard you. You sounded amazing.
GOLODRYGA: There -- there we go.
ASHER: We had -- we had the Brits. We had Oasis, right?
FRANCE: Yes.
ASHER: Childhood band that I grew up with. We had Phil Collins. And then we had a Nigerian-Brit, Sade. I mean, it was just -- we won across the board.
FRANCE: Yes. And, you know, and let's not forget Wu-Tang Clan. They also.
GOLODRYGA: We got some Americans in there.
FRANCE: Exactly. Exactly. So those names you just mentioned, they were part of the performer category.
And, yes, a lot of people feel like they really got it right this year. But we also, with the Early Influencer Award, we have wonderful names like
Celia Cruz and M.C. Lyte and Queen Latifah, Fela Kuti. I mean, just Gram Parsons.
And they also are going to give an award to the -- what they're called the musical, you know, people who really have been made music what it is today.
So, you know, people like Rick Rubin and Linda Creed for the Musical Excellence Award.
And then the big award for an Ahmet Ertegun Award, which, you know, honors some of the -- the -- some of the historical people, Ed Sullivan, who, of
course, we lost many decades ago.
But, you know, people remember his show because that's where the Beatles were discovered, right, for America at least.
And so it -- it's one of those things where people every year argue about who's included on the list and who's not. This year, I think it was really
interesting that Luther Vandross and Wu-Tang Clan, it was their first time being nominated and they are going to get inducted, which, of course, does
not go over well ladies with some of the people who feel like there are some other folks who should have made it on.
So, the snubs is also a big conversation. And for some people, the biggest snub, believe it or not, was New Edition because they ran away with the fan
vote, because they allow the fans to also vote and they get a small portion of particularly possibly getting inducted in.
And so it's like a very small percentage that they weigh that. And so many people wanted to see New Edition, but also INXS.
Black Crowes. A lot of people were surprised -- were surprised. The Black Crowes has had a great comeback and they weren't, you know. Nor was Mariah
Carey, the diva.
But I feel like maybe she doesn't even really need the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at this point, right? She's Mariah Carey.
ASHER: WELL, I WAS CERTAINLY HAPPY ABOUT FELA KUTI. FRANCE: Yes.
ASHER: This is another Nigerian. You see, I have a one track mind.
FRANCE: Right.
(CROSSTALK)
GOLODRYGA: Thank you so much for being objective. I now have a playlist to listen to on my way home today, Lisa. Thank you for reminding --
ASHER: Thank you, Lisa.
GOLODRYGA: -- us of all of these great artists.
FRANCE: Thank you.
ASHER: You can see the full list of inductees at cnn.com.
GOLODRYGA: All right. That does it for "One World." I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: Zain Asher. Thank you for -- she's going to sing.
GOLODRYGA: Start singing?
ASHER: "African Voices" is up next. And Bianna's going to be back with "Amanpour" shortly.
GOLODRYGA: I'm not singing.
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