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The Brief with Jim Sciutto

CNN International: World Leaders Gathering for Annual u.n. Meeting; Trump to Meet Mamdani and Macron in NY; CNN and Others File Lawsuit; Paramount and States Reach Settlement on WBD Merger; U.N. Focuses on Russian Threats; Massive Ukrainian Drone Attack Hits Moscow On Final Day of Voting; Trump Says Proposed Arch Will Double as Military Complex. Aired 6- 7p ET

Aired September 21, 2026 - 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 New York, and

you're watching "The Brief."

Just ahead this hour, the biggest event in world diplomacy is back. President Donald Trump holds talks with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani

and French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of the United Nations General Assembly here in New York. Locked out, CNN, MS NOW and Politico sue the

Trump administration to restore White House access as President Trump doubles down on the ban. A court hearing is now set for Wednesday. And

Norway's foreign minister joins us to talk about the threat from Russia, the future of Greenland and the relationship between the U.S. and NATO.

Well, once again, world leaders are gathering here in New York ahead of the annual meeting at the United Nations. High-level speeches begin on Tuesday

with President Trump scheduled to be second in line. The U.N. General Assembly kicks off as the war between the U.S. and Iran approaches the

seven-month mark.

Iranian state media reports that the country's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, will attend the U.N. meeting. He and Ukrainian President

Volodymyr Zelenskyy are scheduled to speak on Wednesday. And Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, will make her U.N. debut on Thursday.

The U.S. president is holding a number of meetings on the sidelines of the UNGA. Just a short time ago, he met with New York City Mayor Zohran

Mamdani. And he's expected to sit down with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, soon. On Thursday, he will host Chinese leader Xi Jinping back in

Washington at the White House.

This comes as CNN, MS NOW and Politico have now filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration after the president there blocked those organizations,

including our own, access to the White House. The president announced that ban to the three news organizations on Friday over their, quote, "negative

coverage."

Today, CNN was blocked from carrying out its pool duties that are shared for events like this one here by major news outlets. A court hearing is now

scheduled for Wednesday. President Trump answered a reporter's question about this ban a short time ago at the mayor's mansion.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: If you look at CNN, it's fake news. If you look at MS NOW, I don't even know what MS NOW is. I guess it's the MSNBC,

what it used to be, or MSDNC, as some people call it. That's Democrat National Committee. But it's just biased news. And I think that these

outlets have an obligation to be fair. And if they're fake news, I really think I have an obligation not to allow them into another very special

house. This is a special house, Gracie Mansion. Well, the White House is the most special of all houses.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: There is another big development involving CNN, this network. Paramount Skydance has reached a settlement with a group of state attorneys

general who had sued to block its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, which is the parent company of CNN. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who

has appeared on this program, he led the state's case, said a settlement is not a vote of support and that a number of commitments were made first.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROB BONTA, CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL: It must establish a news editorial independence board to support CBS News' and CNN's continued editorial

independence to ensure independent, objective, fact-based reporting at CBS News and at CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Joining me now, CNN chief media analyst Brian Stelter. Brian, good to have you. First, on this editorial board, can you explain what

exact power it would have and how would that board's power be binding after the merger?

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Well, you're asking the right questions, Jim, but we don't have the answers yet. Paramount and the states

have not yet specified what power the board will have.

[18:05:00]

But the language I've been reading that's in one of the pieces of paper, one of the motions filed with the court today to dissolve these lawsuits,

says that this board will be able to set standards and resolve disputes. What kind of disputes, on what timeline, again, all unclear. Many media

analysts are looking at this with some skepticism, wondering if this is going to be just a fig leaf.

But as one source involved in the negotiations said to me, this board is going to exist and now people should try to make the most of it. Paramount

will choose the five members of the board. They will all be journalists, either active or retired journalists. They have to have at least 10 years

of experience. And some of these state attorneys general, they fought to include this editorial board idea because they wanted to ensure some

protections for CNN, but also for CBS News. There's been a lot of controversy in the last year about Barry Weiss and her overhaul at CBS

News.

And some of these Democrats in states like Connecticut were trying to add stronger protections for CBS News and CNN. In fact, the AG in Connecticut,

William Tong, came out with a statement today saying he's disappointed that the protections are not stronger. He wanted Paramount to have to sell off

CNN and CBS News altogether. But that's not happening.

Paramount will take control in the next week or two. It sounds like, Jim, this is going to take effect around September 30th or October 1st, right

around the end of the third quarter, the start of the fourth quarter. That's probably a smart accounting move. And that's when the Ellison family

will take control of HBO, Warner, CNN, and all those other assets. This has been a year in the making. And today, finally, for Paramount, there's no

more hurdles standing in the way.

SCIUTTO: I mean, it is notable that this agreement happens in the formation of that editorial board to solve those very real questions that

Rob Bonta himself had about independence of CNN and others. It's happening as the U.S. president has banned CNN from the White House and from pool of

duties, as well as, of course, MS NOW and Politico. Where does that lawsuit stand? You're going to have a hearing on Wednesday. How quickly can we see

a decision on that front?

STELTER: The judge could rule on Wednesday or into the day Thursday and Friday. I would bet that by Friday there will be a ruling because these

three outlets are asking for a temporary restraining order, an emergency measure that would halt this ban and reverse it for the time being while

there can be a longer court fight. So, I would expect to hear news about that on Wednesday.

In the meantime, Jim, we're seeing something I've not seen at all during Trump 2.0. There's been lots of talk about media companies, newsrooms,

maybe capitulating or hesitating when it comes to covering Trump aggressively. Well, today we are seeing solidarity. Like I said, I've never

seen before. The TV pool is being in solidarity. The other networks refuse to just fill in for CNN and do the job. Instead, there is no TV pool with

the president today.

And really interestingly, all the still photographers who travel with Trump, they're not releasing their photos. So, you know, viewers can go

look at the New York Times, Washington Post, the AP. Look at the websites. There's no photos of Trump today boarding Marine One or arriving in New

York. I'm not even sure there's any of him with Mamdani yet. That's because these photographers are basically in a show of solidarity saying we're not

going to publish our photos of Trump until midnight. Isn't that fascinating?

So, you have the video cameras basically being turned off and you have the still cameras also being turned off -- well, not being turned off. The

photos are being taken. Everyone's doing their jobs. But the images are not being distributed. And that is a bold statement saying that the president

can't just pick and choose who's going to cover him.

SCIUTTO: I know you're not a lawyer, Brian, but I know you've been talking to lawyers, First Amendment lawyers, about this. From a legal perspective,

is this a tough call for the courts? I mean, if you go back to Jim Acosta's case during the first term, won that case, it's an easy call, should be an

easy call?

STELTER: And in the Acosta case, that was a Trump appointee, Judge Tim Kelly. He's the same judge who's been assigned to this case today. Now,

maybe something's different. We can read the case law. We will hear the arguments. We're going to be covering this all week long. But the same

judge who sided with CNN in 2018 is back on this case today.

And it's not just about CNN. This is about MS. This is about Politico. It's about all the other news outlets that worry that they might be banned next.

This all seems dependent on an unstable president's mood swings. So, that is why we're seeing this unprecedented show of solidarity today.

SCIUTTO: Yes. We'll see the end result. Brian Stelter, thanks so much. Ukraine's urgent need for new weaponry and Russia's expanding hybrid

attacks against Europe will be top of the agenda at the U.N. General Assembly this week. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned last week that

Russia could soon carry out drone and missile strikes disguised as accidents against European and NATO nations supporting Ukraine.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb, however, told Politico that Europe should not overreact to the threat of Russian hybrid attacks. He said

Moscow is simply trying to destabilize and frighten Europe into ending its support for Ukraine.

[18:10:00]

The U.S., Denmark, and Greenland are expected to sign a new security deal for Greenland on Tuesday. Details of that agreement not yet public.

President Trump says it will give the U.S., quote, "permanent control" over Greenland security. Denmark is more measures, says it will give NATO more

of a role in securing the Arctic. Denmark says the deal still respects Greenland's sovereignty. Of course, for a time, President Trump was

threatening to take the island as the U.S.'s own.

Joining me now is Espen Barth Eide. He is the Norwegian foreign minister. Mr. Foreign Minister, thanks so much for taking the time.

ESPEN BARTH EIDE, NORWEGIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: Good to be with you.

SCIUTTO: So, many topics to talk about. I might begin with the Russian hybrid war on Europe, which, of course, has been taking place for many

years. But now, it is certainly escalating to include not just drone attacks, as you know, but sabotage of infrastructure, as well as threats to

undersea cables.

You've said that NATO does not have an answer to Russia's hybrid warfare yet. What should the answer be?

EIDE: Well, you know, NATO is very well prepared to defend against the Article 5 type of attack. You know, if there's a physical classical war

against us, we will stand together and we will fight. And we are very well prepared for that.

The problem is the degree to which we are prepared for the sub-Article 5, meaning the more hybrid or type of threats that you mentioned. Here, we are

very much aware of them. We follow them closely. We share information about what we're seeing. We are frequently also saying that we know what is going

on. We know where it comes from. But we still need to work on exactly how we respond if there's more of this.

And I think this is the challenge right now is not to be able. It's not the problem of not being able to defend the classical war. But what do you do

in this hybrid space, including with all the cyber and all the manipulation and all the attempts to undermine our support for Ukraine?

SCIUTTO: As you know, there's been some public discussion of the threat of a kinetic attack on a NATO member. And you've heard the various scenarios,

including the possibility of military action against Estonia. I spoke this summer with the head of the Norwegian Armed Forces, and he mentioned

Norway's concern about the possibility of an attack on Norway due to its proximity to Russia's nuclear submarine base up in the north.

What is your assessment of the risk that Russia takes that step, in other words, goes beyond hybrid warfare to a direct attack on NATO? Exaggerated

or genuine possibility?

EIDE: Yes. Well, I agree with the Finnish president that you called it. I don't think it is very likely that President Putin would risk that because

NATO collectively is simply so much stronger, so much effective, so well prepared to fence off and defend and fight back in that case. So, for the

moment, I believe that we shouldn't be too worried about an actual attack.

But it should also be said that, you know, being ready is also the best deterrence. You know, you need always to have the option of fighting a war

and the credibility that comes with that is exactly what gives you the safety of deterrence. So, I would be more concerned about the ability to

manipulate, to conduct hybrid attacks, to try to undermine the support for Ukraine. I think that's the Finnish president said that is basically what

we're seeing that Russia is doing. And that also needs to be seriously addressed.

And we have basically two very clear messages to President Putin and to Russia. Number one is that we will not be deterred. Our support for Ukraine

will last and be strong as long as it takes so that Ukraine can go into a final settlement in the best possible position. But secondly, that we are

not after Russia in Russia. The Russian propaganda that NATO is dangerous to Russia itself on its own territory is simply wrong. And I think to

convey both these two messages is quite important in this tense time.

SCIUTTO: One of the biggest disagreements really, really ever right within NATO has been the disagreement over Greenland and President Trump's threats

to take possession of Greenland. Now, it appears there is a deal that's making all sides happy, including President Trump. Do you do you believe

that this issue has now been solved, settled, that that Greenland is secure and that U.S. ambitions for Greenland have successfully been set aside?

[18:15:00]

EIDE: So, this agreement is to be signed tomorrow. And I have decided that I will not comment on the content of it before it's actually signed and

made public. But I do notice that both Denmark, Greenland itself, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and the U.S., have said that they are

satisfied with this deal. It was they will sign it amicably tomorrow.

It so happens that I met both the Foreign Secretary Rubio and Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Mute Egede, who is the foreign minister

of Greenland, today in an Arctic Seven meeting, the seven countries of NATO that are also in the Arctic. And they seem to be very aligned on what's

going to happen tomorrow.

And that is very positive because it would be really good for all of us if we could go back to where we should have been all the time, namely

cooperating. Collaborating among close allies about defending the Arctic and also strengthen our capacity to deter and defend and provide security

in the vast Arctic area. Something Norway has been working for many years. And we're happy to see that this is now going into a good direction of

enhanced cooperation.

SCIUTTO: As you know, there are European leaders who have a bigger question and I might even say a bigger doubt about the relationship with

the U.S. As to can they truly trust the U.S. Under President Trump to come to their defense in the event of a direct attack by Russia or another

nation? And in your mind, is there any doubt? Do you still trust the U.S. as the same partner that it was for many years before?

EIDE: So, we trust the U.S. and our other NATO partners that they will live up to the commitments of the Atlantic Treaty, which is the basis of

NATO. But I have to say, I'm very happy that we were able to this summer in Ankara at the summit in Ankara and last year in The Hague to clarify that

we need a serious burden shift. We Europeans need to take more responsibility for our own security in Europe.

We are stepping up defense spending. My country and the vast majority of countries are stepping up according to that plan. That means also investing

more and investing smarter and more together, which will deliver a Europe that is stronger inside of NATO. That also makes Europe a more interesting

partner for the U.S.

And I think that this development, which we all agreed upon, you know, President Trump and all the other leaders this summer, it's a good

trajectory for NATO. We call that NATO 3-0, a NATO that returns to the defense of its territory, returns to Article 5 and returns to really

collaborating based on the better plans. I think if we didn't do that, we might have a problem in the future.

But I think we are moving in a good direction, even on that. And that has really awakened Europeans to be more responsible for their own security.

SCIUTTO: Mr. Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, we appreciate you joining the program.

EIDE: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: Well, world leaders promised to end global hunger, poverty and preventable disease by 2030. Now, the International Rescue Committee warns

that goal is very much in jeopardy. The president says there is still time to prevent catastrophic human suffering, though. David Miliband joins me

next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:20:00]

SCIUTTO: As world leaders gather at the United Nations this week an urgent warning from the International Rescue Committee. In 2015 U.N. member states

made a promise to eradicate extreme poverty, hunger and preventable disease by 2030. But the IRC now warns that the wars in Iran and Ukraine, the

escalating fighting in Yemen and Sudan and growing Ebola outbreaks are jeopardizing that and the countries affected by conflict are the ones

falling furthest behind.

My next guest says this is a problem with a solution. David Miliband, president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee here with me now.

He's also of course former U.K. foreign secretary. David, good for -- thanks so much for joining the program. Good to have you on.

DAVID MILIBAND, PRESIDENT AND CEO, INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE: Of course, Jim. Thanks for having me on.

SCIUTTO: So, it's a warning with a qualifier maybe a dash of hope that that 2030 goal we're not on track to meet those commitments now but could

be how? How exactly?

MILIBAND: Yes. We're actually not just off track, we're heading in the wrong direction. Even the hunger numbers, which is in a way the most stark

demonstration of global poverty. As a result of the Iran war, the World Food Programme estimates that will not have 300 million people hungry,

there's going to be 350 million people hungry. So, you've got the key statistics going in the wrong direction.

This is especially frustrating when we know more than ever about how to address the worst of extreme poverty, the worst of extreme hunger, whether

through malnutrition programs, water and sanitation programs or others. And so, we're at this very, very difficult juncture where the United Nations

General Assembly should represent the world coming together, but the big danger this week is that it shows the world pulling further apart.

SCIUTTO: Yes. Is the principal cause of falling behind and going in the wrong direction, as you say? Is it conflict? I mean, is it the wars in

Ukraine, Iran and Yemen or is it also just a case of insufficient resources, bad allocation of those resources, et cetera, or is this

primarily a war problem?

MILIBAND: I think there are three parts to this. First of all, there's conflict and the climate crisis together. About 15 of the top 20 countries

for humanitarian need are just in conflict which is the primary driver of extreme poverty. For example, in somewhere like Sudan which is the world's

largest humanitarian crisis 30 million people in humanitarian need. Three quarters of those countries also have the challenges of a climate crisis

where there's no proper adaptation.

Second point that is absolutely critical there are more shocks hitting these countries. Shocks like the closure of the Straits of Hormuz, which

didn't just block oil supplies driving up gas prices in America, it's blocked fertilizer supplies that are critical across Africa. So, there's

more shocks.

Third and final point, there are fewer shock absorbers. That's where your point about the cuts in the aid budget come in. The shock absorbers that

helped contain the challenges facing the poorest people in the world, those shock absorbers are being taken away, and that's the three part challenge

that we're putting on the table this week.

SCIUTTO: Yes. How impactful has the U.S. retreat and reduction retreat from and reduction in contributions to those humanitarian missions impacted

and do you see a direct mathematical impact, right, you know, fewer dollars more deaths?

[18:25:00]

MILIBAND: Yes. The U.S. was the anchor of the global aid system. It didn't just provide the infrastructure, for example, famine, early warning systems

and similar critical infrastructure for the aid system, it was also the best and the most scaled at fast response. And both ends of this have been

really cruelly interfered with by the changes that we made.

As you know the administration boasts that over 80 percent of grants and contracts have been cut. They have committed to keep some, quote/unquote,

"life-saving programs," but we know that the definition of that is very narrow indeed, and recent studies from Boston University and elsewhere show

hundreds of thousands of people losing their lives even in the last year. The numbers from the Rockefeller Foundation about those who will lose their

lives over the next five years run into the millions. So, this is a very serious challenge.

But I would also say it's not just the U.S., too many European countries that are relatively wealthy, they're cutting their aid budgets too.

Fortunately, the European Union, the grouping of 27 countries is not cutting its aid budget. But this is a very challenging time because there

are so many shocks.

You mentioned Ebola. You're right to do so. Where there's Ebola there's actually also half a million people at emergency levels of hunger. So,

these problems go together. So, the problems are mounting and the ways of dealing with them, the funding for dealing with them has been cut.

SCIUTTO: Let me ask you this because you know this, that a lot of those issues help drive migration patterns right from Latin America north to

North America from Africa north to Europe, which of course causes enormous, you know, political issues and you have this now -- this great aversion to

immigration, et cetera, in part because of those patterns.

When you're speaking to leaders in Europe, you know, particularly among anti-immigrant forces, do they get that? Do they get that by exacerbating

those problems in those places you're creating -- or at least worsening another problem, right, you know, mass migration or at least what they see

as a problem?

MILIBAND: Yes. I think -- well, they understand the argument. And I'll be making -- giving a lecture tomorrow which points out that for the conflict

states that are also affected by climate change, less than $3 per person is spent on adapting to climate change. So, it's almost -- you use the phrase

driving people from their homes, that's the danger. And people I think in power do understand that argument but they also face short-term pressures

and that's why I call the aid cuts short-sighted.

We need to recognize that this connected world, this hyper connected world is not just disease that moves from one place to another, the threats of

the pandemic showing that very, very clearly, but it's also people that move as well, of course, economic challenges move in addition and the

climate crisis is a genuinely global crisis.

SCIUTTO: Well, David Miliband, we appreciate the work you're doing and we hope you managed to get your message across this week in New York.

MILIBAND: Thank you very much, Jim. I appreciate you having me on.

SCIUTTO: Well, just ahead on the show, European leaders prepare for possible Russian attacks on NATO nations. We're going to look at Russia's

widening battlefield as parliamentary elections tighten Vladimir Putin's grip on power at home.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:30:00]

SCIUTTO: Welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Jim Sciutto, and here are the international headlines we're watching today.

Paramount has reached a settlement with 12 U.S. states who had sued to block its $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN's parent

company. California Attorney General Rob Bonta led the coalition suing to block the merger. In exchange for the states dropping their antitrust

lawsuit, Bonta says Paramount will make various commitments, including releasing 30 films a year in theaters and supporting CNN's and CBS News'

continued editorial independence.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is condemning a shooting near a synagogue in Ontario. A police officer was critically wounded in the

shootout as congregants were gathering for Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Suspected gunman is also hospitalized. The synagogue's

president says the officers saved the lives of everyone inside the building, which was riddled with bullets.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency ahead of what could be an historic Super El Nino storm season. The governor's office

says this will allow the state to mobilize resources, move faster to protect communities and strengthen readiness. Weather experts say there is

a 75 percent chance this could be the strongest Super El Nino on record, with potential heavy rains, coastal flooding and landslides.

Voting has now ended in Russia's parliamentary elections, and the pro-Putin party is on track to maintain its hold on power, with no real opposition,

mind you. The United Russia party has secured a record number of seats, winning 58 percent of votes, with 95 percent counted so far. Final tallies

not expected until Friday. The election billed as a referendum on Russia's war in Ukraine.

On the final day of voting, Moscow was struck by the largest attack since the war began. Here, you see smoke rising from an oil refinery, struck in

those attacks. At least three people were killed, six wounded. Such strikes have contributed to fuel shortages. Businesses are suffering from drone

attacks as well on warehouses. The Kremlin is expected to cast the high voter turnout and the outcome of the election as evidence of continued

public support for the war in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, in Europe, there are growing fears of a wider war. French President Emmanuel Macron summoned political leaders for a confidential

intelligence briefing and then announced new measures to protect infrastructure against Russia's attacks on infrastructure under the

umbrella of hybrid war. The Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, warned Russia may launch drone or missile attacks against NATO countries, and this

disguise them or attempt to as accidents, the U.K. has told citizens to stockpile canned foods and drinking water.

Joining me now from London, Gregoire Roos, he's the director of the Europe and Russia and Eurasia programs at Chatham House.

Gregoire, thanks so much for joining.

GREGOIRE ROOS, DIRECTOR, EUROPE AND RUSSIA AND EURASIA PROGRAMS, CHATHAM HOUSE: Pleasure, Jim. Thank you for having me.

SCIUTTO: So, first on these elections in Russia, I mean, we should note, as we noted briefly there, you know, Russia basically bans any genuine

opposition, chooses the candidates in effect. I mean, should we should we view these results at as at as at all revealing as to what the Russian

public supports, who they support and who they want in power?

[18:35:00]

ROOS: Yes, it's a great question. I think most of the work wiping out credible opposition had been carried out upstream, obviously, simply

because the most serious opposition party and especially the only party opposed to the war in Ukraine, Yabloko, although briefly allowed to feature

on the ballot, 10, 12 days later, got barred from running.

So, the risks for Putin was very much limited because all of the parties represented in the Duma are actually in favor of the war. So, what we see

now is indeed a higher eight points, higher turnout, a significantly higher figure for United Russia. You have 450 seats in the Duma. United Russia is

about to get to secure up to 355, 356. We'll only know by Friday. And interestingly enough, of those out of the 350 seats, you have at the very

least 100 future MPs now who are veterans coming back from the front.

So, what we see now is at least on paper, and that was the ambition of the Kremlin, is a stronger official mandate and an even weaker institutional

constraint on Putin.

SCIUTTO: OK. Let me ask you this, because there's been a lot of reporting about increased economic hardship inside Russia, rising fuel prices, et

cetera Russians are beginning to see the war come home with these drone attacks. Not to mention there are many Russian mothers and fathers who've

lost their children, right? Many hundreds of thousands of children to the ongoing war there.

Is there any reliable, if not polling, at least indicator as to what the actual popular sentiment is? And is there any evidence of support for the

war or support for President Putin weakening?

ROOS: Yes, it's a very sensitive question because it's a difficult one. And obviously, polling, generally speaking, when it comes to Russia is

always to be taken very cautiously, but especially in wartime. I think what the election has showed is that the Kremlin has managed to mobilize voters

to further disseminate the opposition and especially the Communist Party, which has traditionally been difficult to manage for the Kremlin.

What we have seen over the past few weeks and especially yesterday has been an increasing and successfully so, by the way, an increasing series of

strikes by the Ukrainians targeting strategic infrastructure and with actually in some -- in many cases, casualties.

So, one might draw as a main conclusion the fact that this would lead the Russian people to consider that the cost of the war is getting closer to

them. You know, it's materializing. But many would actually think that they are now on it altogether and that the war needs to be fought and won. And

that is the narrative of the Kremlin.

So, in the cities, you still see opposition when it comes to anything that hinders the comfort of the daily life, you know, banning Telegram and

WhatsApp and the sort of thing, which is actually the sort of arguments that the new Russia party has been using. But all of those parties are

still in favor of the war. So, it's still very difficult now to assess the level of opposition, which is honestly very low, because those who actually

have voiced opposition are either in jail, died or now living in exile.

SCIUTTO: Yes, there's a certain phenomenon of falling off of balconies and rooftops that we've witnessed. Let me ask you --

ROOS: Very much so.

SCIUTTO: -- there seems to be, if not quite a debate, at least differing interpretations of the risk of Russia expanding from a hybrid war on Europe

to a hot war to carrying out military action against, say, Estonia, right up to and including an invasion across the border. What is your view as to

the seriousness of the threat? Is it -- I mean, are you with Alexander Stubb, who says that the chances of that might be somewhat exaggerated? Are

you with others who are taking it quite seriously?

ROOS: Well, first of all, I think that we think tankers have to acknowledge the humility that comes with not having access to classified

intelligence. So, presidents and prime ministers have access to intelligence. We have networks. We have discussions. But there is a limit

to the kind of classified intelligence we have.

[18:40:00]

What is clear from discussions I had a few days ago with various senior NATO representatives is that the evidence shows, not just satellites but

human intelligence, that the risk is very high. But that might be enough for Putin to spread the fear across the continent so that he expects or

hopes for. There might be some kind of bottom-up movement to push governments to reconsider their policy vis-a-vis Russia.

And actually, quite frankly, when Putin sees the rise of the AfD in Germany, third election yesterday, he's very confident that this will

eventually pay off.

SCIUTTO: yes. And of course, it's not just them running. You have Le Pen in France, and they say quite openly, end support for Ukraine and even

start buying Russian energy again. Gregoire Roos, we appreciate you joining us. Please continue. Sorry. Before we go.

ROOS: Thank you very much. No, no, just to end on, because your question was important. I think the risk that we see that is confirmed, that is why

I might have some disagreement with President Stubb, is that the risk that you will see an intensification of hybrid attacks against critical

infrastructure, and especially hospitals, we've seen that, cyber-attacks in country like Ireland, for instance, a country that is neutral. So, imagine

if a country that's gets hacked.

Plus, obviously, energy infrastructure and critical supply chain. We saw earlier last week in the Netherlands and France that you had sabotage of

railways. So, we can expect that going further.

SCIUTTO: Yes, no question. And by the way, people ride on those trains, right? It puts lives in danger. Gregoire, thanks so much for joining.

ROOS: Thank you, Jim.

SCIUTTO: To voting now in Germany, as we were just referring there, Chancellor Friedrich Merz is calling this weekend's elections a, quote,

"disaster," after regional victories by far-left and crucially far-right parties. The results mark a major setback for Merz and his center-right

Christian Democratic Union, or CDU. The chancellor is under increasing pressure to resign after less than 17 months on the job. He, however, has

signaled he will not step down. Merz's loss is a win for the far-right pro- Russian AFD. The party has emerged as a significant political force over the last decade. As Fred Pleitgen reports from Berlin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's become almost a sad routine these days for German Chancellor Friedrich

Merz. His opponents cheering after beating Merz's party in a state election. In this case, the right-wing alternative for Germany, whose

leader tells me flat out Merz needs to resign. He is strongly damaged, she says. I believe the CDU cannot continue with Friedrich Merz with a weak

chancellor.

PLEITGEN: While Friedrich Merz is trying hard to dispel any notion that he might have to resign, there's no doubt that the German chancellor is on the

ropes and currently fighting for his very political survival.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Nobody has asked any questions about personal consequences or launched a debate about personnel, neither last night nor

this morning, Merz said after meeting with his party's leadership. But Merz's conservative Christian Democratic Union has now lost three state

elections in a row. The winners in each case, parties on the political fringes.

After getting beat by a landslide two weeks ago by the right-wing AfD in Saxony-Anhalt this weekend in the northeastern state Mecklenburg, West

Pomerania, the CDU didn't even get enough votes to make it into local parliament. The winners again, the far-right AfD, which calls for mass

deportation of undocumented immigrants and an end to all military aid for Ukraine.

Meanwhile, in the German capital, Berlin, Merz's party lost to the far- left, Die Linke, which wants to expropriate large real estate companies and faces allegations of antisemitism in its ranks, allegations the party's

leadership strongly denies.

We have been witnessing for several months growing radical and openly expressed antisemitism that is even welcomed with applause. Merz has vowed

to fight on and continue what he calls his reform agenda. But Germany's economy remains sluggish. His popularity ratings are in free fall. And even

he acknowledges he's become a liability for those in his party fighting for re-election.

I know that national politics played a major role, both in the state election two weeks ago in Saxony-Anhalt and in yesterday's election, as did

my own role.

And Merz claims he still believes he can fix his government's issues and bring Germany back on track. But the chancellor might be running out of

time.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[18:45:00]

SCIUTTO: Still to come on "The Brief," President Trump gives a brand-new justification for building a triumphal arch right across from Arlington

National Cemetery. We'll have the details coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCIUTTO: Welcome back. In today's Business Breakout, an across-the-board rally on Wall Street. The NASDAQ finishing the session at another record

high as A.I. related stocks rally. Stocks got a boost from a pullback in treasury yields and a drop in oil prices. Brent Crude briefly dipped below

$100 a barrel. Diesel fuel prices however they rose to another new record.

Checking some of today's other business headlines. Artificial intelligence expected to be a major topic of conversation here in New York at the U.N.

General Assembly this week. OpenAI says its CEO, Sam Altman, will brief the U.N. Security Council. OpenAI is called on the U.S. to lead a global effort

on A.I. safety and security standards. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says he discussed the creation of a safety notification process

with China's vice premier.

The governor of the Bank of Canada warns that the country's trade war with the U.S. could dramatically slow economic growth. Tiff Macklem says U.S.

tariffs and rising oil prices could slow down fourth quarter growth to less than 1 percent. That's a sharp decline from the spring when Canada's

economy was growing at a rate of more than 3 percent.

An air traffic control outage in the northeast U.S. is causing travel chaos. More than 5,500 flights delayed or canceled because of a severed

fiber optic line. Some 1,200 flights affected New York City area alone. The FAA says operations are finally getting back to normal at airports in New

York where notably many dignitaries are arriving for the U.N. General Assembly.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will reportedly miss a U.N. event on Monday because of those disruptions. President Trump says a proposed

monument in the nation's capital will not be just for show. He is now arguing that 250-foot triumphal arch will double as a military complex of

some sort. The president says the arch right outside the Arlington National Cemetery will be used to store ammunition. Drones even serve as a sniper

post.

On CNN earlier our own military analysts seemed, well, baffled by it all.

[18:50:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: It's one of the oddest things I've heard when it comes to this kind of a monument. You know, when you

look at any kind of defensive position or any reason for this, drones are, you know, in places, protective drones would be in places where they can

actually do some good. You would be looking at them interfering with the flight patterns, for example, at Reagan National Airport.

You would certainly be wondering where these snipers are supposed to do their work and for what purpose they would be doing their work. So, there

is no military reason that I understand for these things to be on any building of this type or any structure of this type.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Coming up, the dress that made headlines around the world. Now, Princess Diana's iconic revenge dress could be yours, but for the right

price. Details coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCIUTTO: One of the world's most iconic dresses, Princess Diana's famous revenge dress is going on tour and then for sale. Princess Diana stepped

out into the dress -- out in the dress in 1994, on the same night her then- husband, now King Charles, admitted publicly he'd been unfaithful to her. The daring attire made headlines across the globe. CNN's Paula Newton has

the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Princess Diana's so-called revenge dress is still turning heads almost 30 years after her death. The

daring black silk gown is now on display at Sotheby's in London and will travel to Hong Kong and Geneva before going up for auction in New York in

December.

The dress was a showstopper. Worn in 1994 on the same night a television interview aired in which her then-husband, now King Charles III, admitted

he'd been unfaithful.

MORGANE HALIMI, SOTHEBY'S GLOBAL HEAD OF HANDBAGS AND FASHION: We can imagine it's a night where she had to decide whether I go and what do I

wear. So, she decided to wear something that would make her look the most beautiful, the most powerful, and she decided to use her outfit, her dress,

to express where she wanted to be, what she wanted to say.

NEWTON (voice-over): The dress broke royal protocol at the time. It was form-fitting. And wearing black was considered only appropriate for royals

during funerals. But it was a powerful message when she knew the world would be watching.

HALIMI: The dress was designed by Christina Stamboulian. It's made of black silk. It's a dress that Princess Diana ordered to the designer, but

she ordered it three years before wearing it. So, we can imagine that she was looking for the right occasion to wear it.

NEWTON (voice-over): The dress was last sold in 1997 when a collection of her dresses was auctioned off to raise money for charities. The pre-sale

estimate for this auction is from $150,000 to $300,000. But experts say it could far exceed that. In 2023, Diana's famous black sheep sweater sold for

more than $1.1 million.

[18:55:00]

HALIMI: This one is by far, I think, the most recognizable and the most powerful item with a Diana provenance, or linked to Diana in any way. It

means so much in her own history and what this day represents. It's really a turn in our life.

NEWTON (voice-over): The iconic garment is scheduled to go back on the block on December 9th. And Sotheby's says some of the proceeds from the

sale will be donated to charity.

Paula Newton, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: And finally, in today's Good Brief, a smart and speedy superstar. The six-year-old from southwest China shattered the women's Rubik's Cube

world record twice in three days, ultimately completing the iconic 80s puzzle in just 4.27 seconds. If that's not impressive enough, she's already

mastered more than 1,300 cube-solving algorithms. That's fast. I don't know how their hands move that quickly.

Thanks so much for joining. I'm Jim Sciutto in New York. I will be live at the U.N. General Assembly starting Tuesday. You've been watching "The

Brief." Please do stay with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:00:00]

END