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The Brief with Jim Sciutto
CNN International: Trump Meets National Security Team; Trump Holds Oval Office Meeting on Venezuela; Trump Threatens Action on Land in Venezuela; Airbus A320 Problems; Zelenskyy Meets with Marcon; Witkoff Heads to Moscow; Russia Claims to Have Captured City of Pokrovsk; More than 1,100 Dead in Asia After Heavy Storms. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired December 01, 2025 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR, "THE BRIEF": Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington, and
you're watching "The Brief."
Just ahead this hour, President Trump meets with his national security team about Venezuela as the White House confirms a deliberate strike to take out
survivors on an alleged drug boat. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff heads to Moscow after talks with Ukraine about attempts to end Russia's ongoing
invasion. And more than 1,000 people have died in floods and landslides across Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
We begin at the White House, where President Trump is evaluating what, if any, military action to take against Venezuela. In the background, growing
concern among both Republicans and Democrats about a follow-up strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean, which killed all survivors. Multiple
lawmakers now raising the possibility the strike constituted a war crime.
Today, the White House confirmed that the follow-up strike on survivors back in September was deliberate, stating that an admiral ordered it and
that the order was within the law.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: President Trump and Secretary Hegseth have made it clear that presidentially designated narco-
terrorist groups are subject to lethal targeting in accordance with the laws of war. With respect to the strikes in question, on September 2nd,
Secretary Hegseth authorized Admiral Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes. Admiral Bradley worked well within his authority and the law,
directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Of course, Leavitt did not explain what threat the survivors of that first strike posed to the United States. Over the weekend, Republican
Congressman Don Bacon and Mike Turner both demanded the facts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. DON BACON (R-NE): It is a big concern. Now, Secretary of Defense Hegseth denies it. We should get to the truth. I don't think he would be
foolish enough to make this decision to say kill everybody, kill the survivors, because that's a clear violation of the law of war.
REP. MIKE TURNER (R-OH): This is completely outside of anything that has been discussed with Congress. Obviously, if that occurred, that would be
very serious, and I agree that that would be an illegal act.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Now, the Republican-led House and Senate Armed Services Committees have launched investigation. The Senate Armed Services
Committee's Republican chair, Senator Roger Wicker, and top Democrat Senator Jack Reed write that they, quote, "will be conducting vigorous
oversight to determine the facts related to these circumstances. As for the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth accused "the fake news of delivering more
fabricated inflammatory and derogatory reporting," end quote. Though the White House today confirmed the details of the strike as first reported by
The Washington Post were, in fact, true.
Alayna Treene joins me now from the White House. Alayna, I wonder, has the White House explained why it initially accused reporters of making this up
but now confirmed the details of the strike today?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: They haven't. I mean, look, we did hear, I would argue most of the questions, Jim, have been from the
briefing today were about Venezuela and specifically on what you're discussing, this double tap strike on September 2nd. And who ordered it?
Because I think one of the key questions here, there was a lot of confusion over did it even happen and also who ordered it, of course.
And that's what Karoline Leavitt was trying to answer today in defending some of these attacks. I know you played some of that sound. But she
essentially said that this was a lawful order, that it was a part of the law of armed conflict.
I would note some of the pushback I've been hearing from Republicans included has been that the United States actually isn't even at war with
Venezuela. So, that doesn't technically apply here. But the confusion has been over exactly what you're saying, them pointing out that this was
fabricated, that this was made up.
[18:05:00]
And then today hearing from the White House that, no, it did happen, but it wasn't Hegseth who directly -- directed these strikes, that he was given --
he gave the authorization to Admiral Frank Bradley. And then from there, Bradley was the one who directed that second strike to take place.
But I want you to listen, because I think a lot of the confusion that you're alluding to is because of what we've heard from the president
himself. Yesterday, he was talking about this, and he was -- he came out and said, you know, Hegseth, he referred to him by his first name, Pete. He
said he did not -- he told me that this didn't happen. He denied it. And then he said that if it were up to him, no, he wouldn't have wanted another
strike. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Number one, I don't know that that happened. And Pete said he did not want them. He didn't even know what people were
talking about. So, we'll look at -- we'll look into it. But no, I wouldn't have wanted that. Not a second strike.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TREENE: So, clearly, just not even 24 hours later, a very different tune now we are hearing from the White House. Now, that statement -- repeated
statements from Karoline Leavitt really defending what had been carried out and trying to argue that the administration was within their legal and
lawful authority to do this.
Again, this is something that is not going to go away because many of the lawmakers on the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue are saying that they have
a lot of concerns with what took place there. Some even bringing it as far to say that it might have been a war crime. People like the independent
Senator Angus King.
But, Jim, I do think it's also important to note that, of course, Hegseth has been at the center of all of this. He is going to be in that meeting or
in that meeting that we know is happening right now at the White House in the Oval Office with the president on next steps regarding Venezuela.
Others in the room are also the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Dan Caine, secretary of state Marco Rubio. But a lot of this is on next steps. I was
told alongside my colleague -- our colleague Natasha Bertrand.
But a lot of this, I assume as well, is going to be handling some of this, just given the intense criticism and concern we have seen regarding these
strikes and specifically that September 2nd strike that has really been the focus of a lot of attention here at the White House today.
SCIUTTO: No question. Of course, there were questions about the legality of these strikes even before this alleged second tap strike. So, many more
questions to be answered. Alayna Treene, thanks so much.
Well, joining me now is Democratic Congressman Eugene Vindman. He's a member of the House Armed Services Committee. Congressman, thanks so much
for taking the time.
REP. EUGENE VINDMAN (D-VA): Thanks for having me, Jim.
SCIUTTO: So, first, on the basics of this, is a strike on survivors as described in the September strike, is that a war crime?
VINDMAN: Look, I think there are a couple of takeaways here is that the White House, the Department of Defense can't get their story straight. And
so, anything -- my personal opinion is that anything you hear from the administration and the Department of Defense should be treated with extreme
skepticism. And the second thing is that we should be treating this as a criminal investigation.
And so, as a former prosecutor, a JAG prosecutor, a law war adviser, including in Iraq and in the White House, what I'm hearing right now raises
some pretty serious alarm bells and should be investigated as a crime.
SCIUTTO: Let me ask you this, because the attention to Admiral Bradley is new. And it's interesting because at first there were denials, straight up
denials that this took place. And they said, well, actually, it did take place, but the order came from Admiral Bradley, not Hegseth and not,
crucially, the president. Do you see an attempt here potentially to throw Bradley under the bus?
VINDMAN: Look, if I were Admiral Bradley, I would be looking around for a bus because something's about to smack him. I had a conversation with
senior officials at the Department of Defense, including uniform officials, when these strikes were first reported, even before they provided a
briefing to Congress about these strikes in particular, and I warned those officials that I am very concerned about the prospect that a U.S. uniform
service member and senior U.S. officials, civilian officials, may be held accountable for committing war crimes.
And this is something between murder, because I want to take a step back. This rationale that the president is saying these are designated narco-
terrorist organizations, that is not a pretext to actually engage in armed conflict. So, it's somewhere between a murder and war crimes, because a
double tap strike, if it is true that it was executed as described, that would be a violation of the law of armed conflict, war crimes, because you
cannot attack either wounded or stranded sailors or folks that are not in combat, and certainly not without providing them quarter.
[18:10:00]
SCIUTTO: As you know, the question of the possibility of refusing to follow illegal orders raised by six sitting lawmakers, some of whom you
serve with and several of whom are veterans, in your view, given that you served in uniform, but also in a legal capacity, is this an order that a
service member could at least be justified in refusing to follow?
VINDMAN: Yes. Simply. In fact, according to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, a uniformed service member is obligated to disobey an order like
this, otherwise they find themselves in a position where potentially Admiral Bradley and other uniformed service members may find themselves in
coming days where they are the ones that are held accountable for violation of the law of war.
And obviously, the order coming from the secretary who holds -- who had ultimate authority to authorize these strikes, he's also held accountable,
can be held accountable as well.
SCIUTTO: You co-sponsored the No Unauthorized Force in Venezuela Act, which essentially prohibits the executive from spending any federal funds
on the use of military force inside of Venezuela. The administration, of course, is claiming not just legal authority to carry out these strikes on
these drug boats, but also conceivably, if the president were to order it, to carry out military attacks on Venezuela. Explain why, in your view,
that's against the law.
VINDMAN: Because right now, we're obviously involved in a campaign. This is not a one-off strike. It's not based on self-defense. It's not based on
really typical Article 2 criteria, the president's inherent authority as the commander-in-chief, chief executive. This is now a military campaign,
certainly under war powers. The president should be coming to Congress for authorization to use military force. And also, under the Constitution,
Congress is the body that declares war.
And so, I disagree very strongly with what this administration is doing with these strikes, and it looks like they're about to double down on their
inappropriate, likely illegal conduct. And they're driving not only themselves, but this country into a direction where we're going to be
considered a global pariah for engaging in war crimes and aggressive war, things that we've accused Russia of -- in the past, of things we've accused
of terrorist organizations like Hamas in the past.
SCIUTTO: Let me ask you this, though, because the president has had this enormous force massed off the coast of Venezuela for some time, I believe
more than a fifth of the largest navy in the world, but has not yet pulled the trigger, at least for military action inside Venezuela. And has
acknowledged that he's speaking to the president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro.
You served in President Trump's first administration. Do you believe that President Trump is actually going to order military strikes on Venezuela?
Do you believe that he's simply hoping that the show of force does the job for him?
VINDMAN: Well, I hope that this is a negotiating tactic and applying pressure, turning the screws on Nicolas Maduro. Obviously, not going to be
an apologist for his regime that has caused suffering to millions of Venezuelans and people throughout Central and South America. But to go in
and attack and engage in an aggressive conflict with Venezuela, certainly without a U.N. Security Council resolution or authorization from Congress,
would be very inappropriate and for a very thin justification, which they're using.
I mean, this president -- on the one hand, if you think about it, he wants to pardon a leader of Honduras, a leader accused of being a drug smuggler,
facilitating drugs into the United States. And here he wants to attack Maduro for the very same thing. Make it make sense.
SCIUTTO: Congressman Eugene Vindman, always a pleasure to have you.
VINDMAN: Thanks, Jim.
SCIUTTO: Well, in just the past few hours, Venezuela's president has issued a defiant message to his supporters in Caracas. Nicolas Maduro says
this military buildup in the region has tested his country for months, saying Venezuela has endured 22 weeks of aggression. Maduro says Venezuela
wants peace, but not what he called a peace of slaves, his words, but not to surrendering Venezuela's sovereignty.
[18:15:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICOLAS MADURO, VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT (through translator): They have not taken us out with their psychological terrorism, not even one centimeter
off the correct path, so we will always continue walking. You understand me, right? Never, no matter the circumstances that we have to go through,
can they ever take us off the path of building the homeland that our people deserve.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: With me now is David Smolansky, a Venezuelan opposition politician and advisor to the opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado.
Thanks so much for joining.
DAVID SMOLANSKY, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION POLITICIAN AND ADVISER TO OPPOSITION LEADER MARIA CORINA MACHADO: Thank you so much for having me.
SCIUTTO: So, last time we spoke, you said you support pressure on Venezuela from the U.S., not war. Since then, we've seen that U.S. pressure
be demonstrated in drone strikes, naval blockades, closed airspace, and a strike, which the administration is acknowledging, on the survivors of a
first strike on an alleged drug boat. Do you support the full range of pressure that the U.S. is applying right now?
SMOLANSKY: I fully support the pressure that not only comes from the U.S., but from the entire International Community. We have a very solid bloc of
Latin American countries that have designated Sons Cartel as a terrorist organization. I know that drug trafficking coming from Venezuela, it might
be new for media in the U.S. and other parts of the world, but we've been suffering this over two decades.
Maduro stole the election last year after we won, and we proved we won, and he had used brutal force to stay in power. And we want to restore our
democracy. We want to have freedom. We want to have access to justice. We want to have free press, strong institutions, and create the conditions to
have millions of Venezuelans going back to my country and be reunited with our families.
SCIUTTO: But you have both Republican and Democratic lawmakers in this country accusing the administration of a possible war crime in these drug
boat strikes. I understand your aspiration to have a free Venezuela, but some of this is being conducted in the name of Venezuela. Do you accept
those attacks?
SMOLANSKY: I speak on behalf of the Venezuelan Democratic Movement and on behalf of Maria Corina Machado and President-elect Edmundo Gonzalez
Urrutia. What I can't describe what is war crimes.
Over the last decade, Nicolas Maduro has ordered 19,000 extra usually killings in my country, including people close to me, friends, colleagues.
During the last decade, over 25,000 innocent Venezuelans have been illegally detained, disappeared, kidnapped, tortured. As we speak, Jim, and
I'm not exaggerating when I say this, as we speak, there are agents of the regime that are sexually abusing women who are illegally detained. They are
implementing electric shocks to political dissidents, and they are beating teenagers or even children. So, that needs to stop. Those are the war
crimes --
SCIUTTO: I understand. I'm not questioning the accusations against this regime, which are quite well-documented. I'm asking if you support the
methods being used by this country to attempt to remove Nicolas Maduro, right up to and including the threat, at least, of military action?
SMOLANSKY: Well, I have to say that Maduro was already removed by the people when we voted.
SCIUTTO: But he's still president, and there's now a fifth of the U.S. Navy off the coast.
SMOLANSKY: I know. What we're trying to restore is the will of the people. So, Venezuelans have been taken as hostages. That's the situation in my
country right now. It has been taken by hostages. And Maduro runs a drug cartel. He has an indictment in this nation, in the U.S., from the South
Edition of New York, in 2020. By the way, it's not only him, it's also Padrino Lopez, the minister of defense, Gustavo Cabello, the minister of
justice.
And even though they were offered a route of abandoned power before the election last year, during the election, and after the election, they have
remaining power using brutal force. So, in that situation, we need to build a very important alliance internationally to finally restore the will of
the people.
SCIUTTO: Right now, as you know, the president is meeting with his advisers about possible next steps in Venezuela. If they were to order, if
the president were to order military action against the Maduro regime, military strikes on Venezuela, on Venezuelan soil, would the opposition
support that?
SMOLANSKY: I will not speculate on that. I think just a small group of people, probably the ones who are meeting right now.
SCIUTTO: It's not speculation. I mean, the forces are deployed. The question is, does he use them?
SMOLANSKY: But they have been deployed for three months, and there has not been any military operation yet in my country. But where we are focused is
having an orderly transition, a peaceful transition, a democratic transition, and again, creating the conditions to have millions of
Venezuelans back.
SCIUTTO: Last time we spoke, you said you support military pressure, not war.
SMOLANSKY: Yes.
SCIUTTO: Would you -- do you oppose if the U.S. were to launch a war?
SMOLANSKY: The war has been declared from Maduro to Venezuela.
[18:20:00]
SCIUTTO: I'm talking about the U.S. carrying out a war against Venezuela.
SMOLANSKY: I know. Well, it won't be a war against Venezuela. It's --
SCIUTTO: Against the Maduro regime.
SMOLANSKY: It's a drug cartel that has taken Venezuela as a hostage.
SCIUTTO: So, you would support a U.S. war against the Maduro regime?
SMOLANSKY: I think that the pressure that has been implemented right now in the Caribbean, cutting the money flows that come from drug trafficking,
it is very important because it's weakening the regime, it's creating fractures in the regime, it's creating tensions in the regime, and
hopefully this will end in a negotiation that Maduro will exit. We'll see. We'll see. They already spoke.
SCIUTTO: You've said that you, the opposition maintains close communication with the Trump administration. Has the Trump administration
at all updated you on the content of the president's conversations with Nicolas Maduro? What have they spoken about?
SMOLANSKY: We have information about it. It was a brief call and Maduro has options on the table. So, we'll see. Last year, again, he was offered a
way to exit before the election, during the election, after the election.
The thing that I can say is that Maduro has always used negotiations to gain time, to fracture International Community, and to liberalize people.
He has used that over a decade. So, we have to --
SCIUTTO: Are you saying that he was offered a way to leave the country?
SMOLANSKY: Apparently, yes. We'll see what he decides. He lost an election. He's taking Venezuelans by hostages. Nine out of 10 Venezuelans
want Maduro out, Jim. Nine out of 10 wants Maduro out. We won an election, 70-30. It was completely unfair. It was not transparent. And people like
me, who are overseas, couldn't vote. 4.5 million Venezuelans overseas couldn't vote. Even Turkish, in the election with Erdogan, were able to
vote overseas.
SCIUTTO: And I understand the case for why that election was stolen.
SMOLANSKY: Yes.
SCIUTTO: Final question, you have said that the pressure campaign is cracking the regime. Maduro's still in power. He appeared in public in the
last 24 hours. Do you see new evidence that the regime is cracking under this pressure?
SMOLANSKY: Yes. There are tensions among themselves. There are messages that they are sending. Obviously, that conversation with President Trump is
a signal on things that they are maybe discussing internally in Caracas. And we'll see what happens. Our focus is, again, to restore the will of the
people and start a peaceful, democratic, and orderly transition.
SCIUTTO: David Smolansky, thanks so much for joining the show again. Appreciate it.
SMOLANSKY: Thank you so much for having me.
SCIUTTO: Coming up on "The Brief," Airbus facing a new issue, new questions, on its best-selling A320 fleet. This time, it's not a software
problem.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:25:00]
SCIUTTO: Wall Street broke a five-day winning streak. The three main indices all finished lower on the first trading day of the month of
December. Stocks felt pressure from rising yields in the bond market. Troubling sign. Cryptocurrencies extended the decline with Bitcoin falling
sharply again. Bitcoin is now going for about $86,000, well below its record high around 126,000 in October. Ethereum also down more than 6
percent today.
Airbus is now reporting a new issue on its A320 passenger jets. The company says it is now inspecting metal panels after identifying a problem with a
supplier. This comes shortly after Airbus resolved a software issue that affected some 6,000 A320s worldwide, saying solar storms could cause pilots
to lose control. The software glitch caused an incident that led to an emergency landing and injuries in October.
Joining me now, CNN aviation analyst, Peter Goelz, former managing director at the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. Peter, good to have you
on.
PETER GOELZ, CNN AVIATION ANALYST AND FORMER MANAGING DIRECTOR, U.S. NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD: Nice to be here, Jim.
SCIUTTO: So, how serious is this latest recall that deals with these metal panels? Is this a safety issue?
GOELZ: It's not a safety issue, but it's a concern. You know, in today's modern construction of commercial air carriers, it's not done at a single
location. It's actually done at various locations throughout the European Union. And they deliver the parts, the components, to Toulouse where they
are put together. And at Toulouse, there was a final quality assurance check. And it is not uncommon to have problems with, you know, your
fuselage. You have rivets, you have, you know, fasteners that may not be attached correctly, and they get corrected.
But it's the last thing that Airbus needed. They had a tough weekend with their software and who needed this on top of it. But it only affected a
very small number of planes.
SCIUTTO: So, how about that software explanation there about a vulnerability to solar storms? I mean, is that a rare phenomenon or is it
something you got to be worried about?
GOELZ: I think it is something we need to be worried about. You know, we've seen that the solar storms, the astrophysicists tell us come on an
11- or 13-year cycle and they're getting worse. And we had a fairly critical software piece that controlled the up and down motion of the
aircraft. When it was hit by the solar emissions, it shorted the program out. And it caused the aircraft to drop significantly injuring 15 or so
people.
We need to investigate this carefully to see whether we need to have greater protections put in place to protect against these solar flares as
they may be coming more common.
SCIUTTO: That'd be concerning. One notable difference here between Airbus and Boeing is that Boeing -- sorry, Airbus was very quick to apologize
publicly, something Boeing got grief for not doing early in the 737 MAX crisis. What does that tell you about how the company is approaching this
or what it learned perhaps from Boeing?
GOELZ: Well, I think Airbus did learn a critical lesson. And Boeing has always had a reputation for being a rather arrogant supplier. You know,
they believe that they have manufactured the greatest aircraft in the world and they stand by it even when the evidence as it did in the 737 MAX shows
that there was a real fault.
Well, I think Airbus did do a good job. They stood up, they grounded the fleet, those affected by the software glitch until the very next flight.
So, they did the right thing.
SCIUTTO: Yes. Well, like our moms told us, own your mistakes. Peter Goelz, thanks so much for joining.
GOELZ: Thank you, Jim.
SCIUTTO: Checking some of today's other business headlines. It is Cyber Monday here in the U.S. Americans are expected to spend more than $14
billion according to Adobe Analytics. That's about 6 percent more than last year. This comes after U.S. online spending hit a record $11.8 billion on
Black Friday. Adobe says many consumers are using A.I. chatbots to compare prices and secure discounts.
U.S. manufacturing contracted for the ninth straight month in November. This according to the Institute for Supply Management's survey, it points
to weak orders and higher prices due to what? Tariffs.
[18:30:00]
Apparel and chemical products were among the sectors which reported contraction. Computer and electronic products saw some growth last month.
Disney's "Zootopia 2" scored a massive Thanksgiving weekend opening. It raked in $156 million in North America during the five-day holiday weekend.
Globally, the film has made more than $550 million since its debut last Wednesday, making it the highest international opening for an animated
movie. That's a big record to break.
Just ahead, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with French President Emmanuel Macron amid ongoing negotiations with Russia. Where are
they leading? We'll have more in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: Welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Jim Sciutto, and here are the international headlines we're watching today.
The White House says Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized an admiral to then order a follow-up strike on an alleged drug vessel in the Caribbean
last September. The Trump administration argues that boat represented a direct threat to the United States. Lawmakers of both parties here in
Washington are now launching investigations, some alleging a possible war crime.
At least 150 people are now confirmed dead after that massive fire at a high-rise residential complex in Hong Kong. It's Hong Kong's deadliest fire
in decades. Officials say at least 30 people remain missing as searches continue. Hong Kong police say they have made 14 arrests now and that
further arrests may follow.
President Trump held a call on Monday with the Israeli prime minister. The focus was Gaza. However, an Israeli source says that Syria, Lebanon, and
Iran were also on the agenda. This comes after Netanyahu has formally asked for a pardon in his long-running corruption trial, something that Donald
Trump is supporting.
[18:35:00]
There is now deep unease in Europe ahead of a planned meeting between U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and the Russian president Vladimir Putin. Ukraine's
president, Vladimir Zelenskyy, received a show of solidarity on Monday. In fact, a hug from his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron. That visit
follows a high-level meeting between Ukrainian and U.S. officials in Florida over the weekend. These are all part of ongoing attempts to reach a
peace agreement. Zelenskyy says a number of key issues remain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The territorial issue is the most difficult. The issues of money and
reconstruction, and I am speaking honestly, and we have discussed this, are, of course, hard to finalize without the presence of our European
partners, because the money is in Europe. To me, this does not seem entirely fair. And the issue of security guarantees is also crucial. We
need concrete commitments from the United States and concrete commitments from Europe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: So, what's the Russian view of all this? Matthew Chance has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's the mouthpiece of the Russian state. Often voicing what the Kremlin is
reluctant to say out loud. And now, Russian state television seems very upbeat about the upcoming Kremlin visit of Steve Witkoff, President Donald
Trump's special envoy.
A lot of interesting and unexpected things are happening, comments this guest. We can now say the Americans are seriously committed to a diplomatic
solution, adds another.
The sheer pace of U.S. diplomacy has been hard to dismiss. The latest tough but constructive talks in Florida between U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators
took, quote, "a step forward" on some of the most problematic obstacles to ending the Ukraine war, one source with direct knowledge of the
negotiations told CNN.
It would be very premature to say we finalized everything here, as a lot of things still have to be done, the source said. But the meeting was very
focused and the most problematic aspects of the peace proposals were discussed in detail, the source added, hinting that tentative progress in
some areas could be made.
Areas like NATO membership, an aspiration for Ukraine, but a red line for the Kremlin. The issue of Ukraine surrendering territory that Russia has
annexed but not yet conquered, something Kyiv has refused to do.
In his numerous Kremlin encounters, Witkoff, who touched his hand to his heart when he first met President Vladimir Putin, has taken flak for being
too deferential. He's been at the forefront of prisoner exchanges between the U.S. and Russia, talk of future economic cooperation, and boasted of
developing a friendship with Putin. A leaked transcript revealed Witkoff coached the Kremlin on dealing with Trump, further fueling allegations by
his critics of bias.
But this time, on his sixth visit to Moscow as a Trump envoy, Witkoff has a hard sell, convincing a Russian strongman who has so far refused to
compromise to step back from his maximalist demands and finally move to end the Ukraine war.
Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Joining me now is Halyna Yanchenko, a member of Ukraine's parliament. Thanks so much. Good to have you back.
HALYNA YANCHENKO, MEMBER, PARLIAMENT OF UKRAINE: Hi, Jim.
SCIUTTO: So, I wonder what your view is of this meeting in Moscow. Steven Witkoff has now been exposed on tape for advising the Kremlin on how to
reach a deal, even how to influence President Trump. Do you trust Witkoff to negotiate peace on Ukraine's terms?
YANCHENKO: It's obvious that Ukrainians don't have trust to Steve Witkoff, especially after presenting so-called 28 points plan. There were a lot of
proofs that this plan was drafted in Kremlin, in Russian language, and then basically Ukraine was forced to discuss it and forced by Witkoff, by White
House. I believe it's a shame for global diplomacy and general for this, any kind of peace talks or peace agreements.
[18:40:00]
However, I should say that Ukrainians have more optimism after European partners have jumped in these negotiations and we just had a meeting today
in the parliament of Ukraine and we were discussing that there is, well, some, you know, there is a lot of little optimism that we can feel in these
negotiations after European partners jumped in.
SCIUTTO: Do you believe those European partners who are quite publicly skeptical of U.S. plans so far, do you believe they could move President
Trump himself in the right direction towards something that you would find fairer and safer for Ukraine?
YANCHENKO: I believe if all talks about so-called territorial exchange will be crossed out of the initial plan, it will be something -- it will be
a paper to discuss. Currently, for Ukrainian society, it is absolutely unacceptable to talk about any kind of trading lands. It's -- if we were
discussing trading apple or trading some kind of things, but when we are talking about so-called trading lands, we are actually talking about
Ukrainian towns with Ukrainians, with Ukrainian families living there and there is no way we will voluntarily give away the lives of those Ukrainians
to Russian occupiers.
We've already seen what Russian occupants are doing with Ukrainians, with Ukrainian civilians in occupation. They murder them, they torture them,
they kidnap Ukrainian kids from their parents and send them out to Russia. Of course, no one will take this responsibility to even start talking about
trading lands. And I really hope that Americans and American diplomats, White House will understand that and will actually quit talking about this
point of peace deal.
SCIUTTO: But what if they don't? I guess my question is, does Europe -- or do Europe and Ukraine together have a plan B if the U.S. doesn't offer a
plan that Ukraine wants or will accept?
YANCHENKO: Well, currently we try to explain to our American colleagues that this point is initial. There can't be any trade of lands. You should
understand that Ukraine is a democratic country. So, in Ukraine, nothing that is unacceptable for Ukrainian society can be passed by Ukrainian
politicians. Otherwise, it will be another revolution.
If people don't accept, there is no way politicians will accept it. This is how democracy works. Unlike democratic Ukraine, Russia is an authoritarian
regime. And that is why they believe that everything is possible. But it is not. You know it. Democracy works differently.
SCIUTTO: Yes. I wonder, given the ongoing corruption scandal and investigation in Ukraine, are you concerned that President Zelenskyy is
wounded by this scandal, especially as it reached up to one of his closest advisors?
YANCHENKO: Yes, he was wounded. But luckily, I believe that this scandal is over. We are very happy that anti-corruption and law enforcement bodies
overall in Ukraine are working. They are independent. Therefore, they have enough power to start their investigations at such a high level. There was
a political crisis regarding or connected with this topic. But I believe it is now over.
SCIUTTO: Halyna Yanchenko, thanks so much for joining us. As I always say, given where you are in Kyiv, I wish you a safe evening and week ahead.
YANCHENKO: Thank you, Jim. Thanks.
SCIUTTO: Coming up, much of Southern Asia humbled by deadly storms, which have caused flooding and landslides. We're going to bring you the latest
after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:45:00]
SCIUTTO: Heavy rain has unleashed widespread flooding and landslides across Southern Asia, killing more than 1,100 people. In Indonesia, Cyclone
Senyar caused just catastrophic damage to the island of Sumatra. Towns have been inundated with mud as rescue teams struggle to reach the hardest-hit
areas. In Thailand, authorities are flying in critical supplies to some communities now submerged, almost 3 million people affected there. A
separate weather system has devastated Sri Lanka, where more than 25,000 homes have been destroyed. Sri Lanka's president says the country is facing
an unprecedented emergency. CNN's Ben Hunte has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A military helicopter carrying supplies flies high above a flood-stricken area in
Indonesia. Reaching some remote provinces by land isn't possible right now after floods and landslides blocked roads and washed away some communities
on the island of Sumatra.
But the aid is desperately needed. In Indonesia alone, authorities say hundreds of people have been killed and hundreds more are still missing,
and survivors in the hardest hit areas say they've lost everything. Like this woman. Her house swept away in the floods, except for one wall that's
still standing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): This was my home. I have nine of my family members here. We have nothing left. Everything was gone. We only
had the clothes on our backs. We couldn't bring anything else.
When it happened, the water just rose up into the house, and we were afraid, so we fled. Then we came back on Friday, and the house was gone.
Destroyed.
HUNTE (voice-over): Last week's torrential rains also battered nearby Thailand. In the city of Hat Yai in the South, a bridge is filled with
stranded vehicles, and much of the surroundings are submerged after the city experienced the most rainfall recorded in some 300 years.
Cleanup is underway, and the water has receded in some areas, but power hasn't fully been restored. At least one shopkeeper in a flooded-out market
says she's selling her muddy goods at a fraction of the cost to flood victims who have little left and are looking for anything salvageable.
PATCHAREE NADEERUK NA PHUKET, SHOP OWNER (through translator): I need to clear the stock. The condition they're in after being flooded, shoes soaked
and ruined like this. People don't have clothes, right? So, I'm helping by selling everything cheaply so they can have something to wear.
HUNTE (voice-over): Meanwhile, Sri Lanka in South Asia is grappling with flooding caused by a cyclone that blew through the island nation just days
ago. Officials say hundreds of people have been killed. Parts of the capital, Colombo, and a neighboring district are still flooded.
Authorities say more than a million people have been affected nationwide, and many homes have been destroyed.
MALIKA KUMARI, FLOOD VICTIM (through translator): It rained nonstop for three days. We heard about the warnings of flooding, but we didn't expect
water levels would get this high.
[18:50:00]
HUNTE (voice-over): Volunteer groups are setting up makeshift kitchens to provide food, but with some places still flooded and without power, clean-
up and assessing the damage is still a long way off.
Ben Hunte, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Pope Leo addressed young Christians on the second day of his trip to Lebanon. He encouraged them to continue to work and live in hope,
despite the country's deep difficulties and war. Christopher Lamb has more from Beirut.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A warm welcome on the streets of Beirut for Pope Leo in Lebanon during his first overseas
trip, the first American pope in the heart of the Middle East with a message of peace.
POPE LEO XIV: In an age when coexistence can seem like a distant dream, the people of Lebanon, while embracing different religions, stand as a
powerful reminder that fear, distrust and prejudice do not have the final word, and that unity, reconciliation and peace are possible.
LAMB (voice-over): For a country which has been through so much, Leo's visit lifting their spirits. The people here want more than nice words.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need -- if you want, practical things that the pope will ask maybe to the church or to the maybe International Community. We
know the pope that he's not a political figure and he doesn't have arms, but he has -- you know, he's the pope, people would listen to him.
LAMB (voice-over): The pope in a country with a sizable Christian community, one as old as Christianity itself, excited to meet Leo, as were
young people. But like thousands of Lebanese Christians, many have been leaving, Leo urging them to stay.
The pope's visit to Lebanon won't be able to resolve the country's problems, but it is offering a glimmer of hope.
Christopher Lamb, CNN, Beirut.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Just ahead, an American grocery chain makes a splash overseas without even opening a store. We're going to tell you how it managed that
after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: Looking for a holiday gift? If you're in the U.S., you can pick up America's hottest fashion export at your local grocery store. Trader
Joe's sells its tote bags for just $3. Some people outside the U.S. are willing to pay hundreds for them, though, now that they've become something
of a trendy item. All the way from Tokyo to London. Richard Quest and Anna Cooban report from both sides of the Atlantic.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD QUEST, CNN ANCHOR, QUEST MEANS BUSINESS: Trader Joe's is a grocery store institution known for high quality and reasonable prices. They're
everywhere. The bags are also ubiquitous. There used to be a bit of a fashion statement here in New York, but now, the way they've taken off
overseas, it's worth a great deal more.
[18:55:00]
ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS REPORTER: I'm in a bit of a fashion statement here in New York, but now, the way they've taken off
overseas, it's worth a great deal more. I'm in a trendy part of East London on a fact-finding mission because I want to know why these bags have really
taken off in the U.K., despite the fact that Trader Joe's doesn't even have a store in the country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anytime I go anywhere, people are complimenting me on it, which is odd because it's just a thing you would have in the States.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Maybe people saw it on TikTok.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You see something, a piece of, like, something that people wear online, you see it, you like it because you see it more and
more and more, you get used to it, and you think that's what you want to wear because everybody wears it, basically.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I did bring this back from L.A. all the way across the Atlantic Ocean to London.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It feels like it's not luxury, but something, like, niched, you know? You have to be in America to have one of those, so maybe
that's the reason why people think it's cool, but it's basically just a supermarket.
COOBAN (voice-over): As with all fashion trends, it's about individual taste.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wouldn't wear it, but I'm a black-only wearer.
COOBAN (voice-over): Anna Cooban, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: It's quite a shopping bag. Thanks so much for joining me today. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. You've been watching "The Brief." Please do
stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:00:00]
END
