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Russia Drops Charges Against Wagner Group For Revolt; Ukraine: Prigozhin Won't Be Putin's Last Rebellion; Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) Discusses Short-Lived Revolt In Russia, War In Ukraine; Ukraine: Two Killed, 22 Hurt In Kramatorsk Strikes; New Details On PGA Tours-LIV Golf Agreement; Experimental Drug Claims To Boost Weight Loss To 24 Percent. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired June 27, 2023 - 14:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[14:31:23]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Just a few days after a short-lived revolt inside Russia ended, all charges now dropped against the Wagner rebels. Their leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, believed to be in neighboring Belarus. That, of course, is what the leader of Belarus, anyway, has said.

And Russian Vladimir -- Russian President Vladimir Putin is praising his forces for stopping a, quote, "civil war."

Ukraine is taking it all in. It's foreign minister speaking exclusively to CNN's Erin Burnett. Here is part of their conversation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DMYTRO KULEBA, UKRAINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: But for us, it has always been pretty obvious that it's just a matter of time when someone in Russia will dare to challenge Putin because we saw how his power and authority is shrinking and how Russia is entering very difficult turbulence.

So Prigozhin is just the first one who dared, but I have no doubts that others will follow one way or another.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: And joining us now is Democratic Congressman Seth Moulton. He is a member of the Armed Services Committee. He's also a Marine veteran who served four tours in Iraq.

Congressman, thank you so much for being with us this afternoon.

You heard those comments from Minister Kuleba talking about another rebellion perhaps coming for Putin. Do you think that there is merit to that or do you think that's just wishful thinking?

REP. SETH MOULTON (D-MA): No, I think that's absolutely what's on the horizon. I mean, look, we've seen, as Secretary Blinken said, the cracks in Putin's armor here.

And he's really only found a temporary solution, in my mind, for Prigozhin and his 25,000-man army.

I mean, it's great to give them a vacation in Belarus, which is essentially what they're getting, but these are 25,000 viciously trained men who know only fighting. And they're going to grow tired of that after a while. They're going to want to do something next.

Don't think there aren't other people, the kind of people who support Prigozhin across Russia, who also want to see Putin go.

So, you know, the beauty of democracy is that we have under our Constitution is, if you don't like the leadership, you get to challenge that leadership every four years.

They don't have that system in Russia and so this kind of revolt is probably how Putin's reign will end.

KEILAR: So Prigozhin is out, at least out of the position he was in before. He's not completely out of the picture for sure here. Wagner handing over its weapons to Russia.

Putin does seem to be consolidating his power or at least trying to over factions in the military. What does all of this mean for his grip on power politically? Can he manage to hold on?

MOULTON: Look, he's held on for a long time so we should never underestimate Vladimir Putin. But the reality is that a lot of people in Russia are frustrated with him. They're frustrated with this war.

That's why Prigozhin was able to get halfway to Moscow in the first place. I mean, this isn't just Prigozhin.

There are a lot of Russians who see the casualty numbers, who recognize that they have no voice in their government, no voice in their democracy.

They can't even complain out loud if they don't like the fact that their sons are being killed in this illegal war.

So this is the beginning of the end for Putin. We just don't know how long it will take to actually get to the end.

KEILAR: How do you think the U.S. and its Western allies should be looking to capitalize on this moment?

[13:34:59]

MOULTON: Well, on the one hand, we need to continue supporting Ukraine. Ukraine is mounting a counteroffensive that we've helped them train and prepare for.

On the other side, Russia just lost 25,000 frontline troops. They're clearly facing some instability. The troops who are remaining on the lines for Russia in Ukraine now

realize that if there is a revolt, you might get a vacation in Belarus, it's not the worst ending.

All of these things are bad for Russia as Ukraine is mounting its counteroffensive. And we should make sure that Ukraine capitalizes on that counteroffensive.

But the other thing we have to be doing, Brianna, is not just capitalizing on the situation, but recognizing the dangerousness of this situation. That nuclear-armed Russia is facing significant instability. That's not good for world peace.

We've got to make sure we have a close eye on what's going on with Russia because, if there is a transition in leadership, it might very well be a bloody one, and we have to make sure that nothing gets out of hand.

KEILAR: Just moments ago, we heard from the State Department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, saying that the U.S. is going to announce, quote, "actions" against the Wagner Group.

Later this week, not for Ukraine actually, but for Africa. Obviously, Wagner's reach is quite broad. And in Africa, they run mining operations and weapons trafficking, quite lucratively, in a way that is very important to Vladimir Putin.

What do you want to see from those actions?

MOULTON: Well, look, I mean, a lot of us right now are thinking of Wagner Group as sort of the present-day heroes because they're taking on Putin, but these are very evil troops.

I mean, these are people who have been beheading Ukrainian troops. These are, many of them, ex-convicts. Prigozhin himself is a notorious criminal who leads this whole organization.

And because of that history, unsurprisingly, they've been war criminals throughout the world. And many of the things that they did in Africa was not just being mercenaries for Russia. It's being war criminals for Russia. And they need to be held accountable for that.

So I think what the State Department is saying is let's not forget that these are really evil people, too, the same people who were taking on Putin, and we need to hold them accountable for their actions all across the world.

KEILAR: Congressman Seth Moulton, thank you for making the time. Obviously, a very uncertain point in this war. And we appreciate you being with us.

MOULTON: Good to see you, Brianna.

KEILAR: Good to see you.

Jim? JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: We do have breaking news just into CNN. A

Russian strike has hit the center of Kramatorsk. This in eastern Ukraine. Confirmation that two people have been killed. This, according to Ukraine's minister of internal affairs.

The city council said on Telegram, quote, "They hit a catering establishment. Search-and-rescue operations are currently under way."

Catering establishment, meaning a restaurant.

An eyewitness tells CNN up to a dozen people are being pulled from the rubble there.

CNN's AnneClaire Stapleton says the area hit is a plaza with several restaurants popular with residents as well as the military.

CNN's Ben Wedeman is live at the site where these strikes took place.

It's not the first time Russia has struck civilians. Tell us what we know about this strike.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What we know, Jim, is that this area behind me, which includes this very popular restaurant, popular with military, popular with local residents, was struck at 7:32 in the evening. Probably when the restaurant was at its fullest.

Now, the damage would indicate it was a very large strike, perhaps more than one missile, we believe.

And as you said, according to the interior ministry -- there's the air-raid siren going off -- the interior ministry, two people killed, one of them was a child, in addition to 22 people wounded.

Now, I managed to get inside where they're trying to dig people out and it's a desperate effort. There are huge slabs of concrete that have fallen. There are dozens of rescue workers.

They've brought in a crane to try to lift some of the huge concrete blocks. They've brought in spotlights as well to try to find these people because there's no question there are more people under the rubble as a result of this strike -- Jim?

SCIUTTO: Ben, I know it's early. You say a missile strike. I mean, of course, the question arises, if it was a missile, you would need to enter coordinates. That would indicate that this was a deliberate strike on this particular target.

It's early. You've covered a lot of these strikes. Can you tell from debris you've seen, the size of the strike, what the weapon might have been?

[14:39:59:]

WEDEMAN: No, it would be pure speculation. So we simply don't know. But like I said, it's not just the restaurant itself that got struck

but the entire area. Windows are shattered. Cars have been ripped to pieces. I saw a motor block about 15 yards from the restaurant itself. So the damage is fairly extensive covering a large area.

But at this point, no, we don't know what it was. There was no air- raid siren preceding this strike.

But this is often the case because Kramatorsk is, compared to Kyiv, compared to many other cities in Ukraine, is fairly close to some of the areas where the fighting is most intense. Bakhmut is just an hour's drive from here.

So it's not unusual for this thing -- sort of thing to happen. But this is probably a serious incident in terms of the number of casualties -- Jim?

SCIUTTO: Yes, sadly so. Having heard that air-raid signal while you've been on the air with us, the secondary strikes not uncommon, as you know better than us.

Please keep yourself and your team safe. And we will continue to follow with updates.

Ben Wedeman, there in Kramatorsk, Ukraine.

Another strike, Boris, on Ukrainian civilians.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: And still ahead on CNN NEWS CENTRAL, we're learning new details about the shocking partnership between the PGA Tour and Saudi-backed LIV Golf.

Stay with us. We're back in just moments.

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[14:45:44]

KEILAR: Now to some of the headlines that we are following this hour.

Summer is off to an especially deadly start on the U.S. Gulf Coast where strong rip currents are endangering beachgoers.

Ten people have drowned in less than two weeks between Panama City Beach, Florida, and Fort Morgan, Alabama. And the danger is far from over. The National Weather Service says a high risk for rip currents continues through tonight.

Also, a new study with a chilling warning about how humans are impacting our planet. Researchers say people are extracting so much ground water that it's actually tilting the earth's axis.

The study says our planet is shifting about 1.7 inches per year, which is contributing to the rise in sea levels. Authors say that, of all the factors that affect the earth's axis, redistribution of groundwater is having the largest impact. And there is a real travel nightmare that is happening today across

the country in American airports. Severe weather being blamed for delaying more than 2,000 flights. Nearly 1,500 had to be canceled. Powerful storms ripping through parts of the mid-Atlantic and the northeast, home to many of the country's busiest hubs.

Boris?

SANCHEZ: New details today on the controversial business deal that has enraged some professional golfers and sparked a congressional investigation. CNN has just obtained a copy of the framework agreement that combined the PGA Tour's business rights with those of the Saudi- backed LIV Golf series.

CNN's Don Riddell joins us now live.

Don, what are you gleaning from this agreement?

DON RIDDELL, CNN "WORLD SPORT" ANCHOR: Boris, this framework kind of outlines largely what we already knew, the framework that details a long-term strategic partnership.

A for-profit limited liability company that will be set up between these three entities, the PGA Tour, the D.P. World Tour and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, which owns the LIV series.

You can tell from the language in this framework that they haven't got very far, for example, they've referred to this new entity as Newco, which I assume is short for "new company." Obviously, that is not what it will be known as when we get fully underway.

The PGA commissioner, Jay Monahan, has been taken ill recently, will be the CEO. The Saudis will hold the position of the chairmen of the board.

What's most revealing here is what we still don't know. So the players who have been asking all the questions, the loyal players, guys like Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler, sorry, lads, we still don't have the answers to the questions you want.

We still don't know what the fate of the team golf series on LIV will be. We don't know how and if players -- the rebel players who left, will be allowed to come back on to the PGA Tour.

And we don't know how much money the Saudis are going to be putting in. That still has not been figured out.

But everybody has questions, we have questions, Boris, the players certainly do, and so do U.S. lawmakers.

July 11th is when they're going to start poking around. That's when this will go to the Senate Subcommittee on Investigations. And I guess everybody is hoping, at that point at least, we will learn a bit more.

SANCHEZ: Fascinating that Jay Monahan will stay at the helm, considering he drew so much fire for some of the contradictory statements he had made about LIV Golf in the past.

Don Riddell, thank you for the reporting.

Jim?

[14:49:00]

SCIUTTO: New today, an experimental medication has been shown to cause 24 percent weight loss on average. That, the most weight loss seen yet in a whole new class of drugs that is revolutionizing the field. We will have the details on this medication, next on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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SCIUTTO: There is more news today on a new class of weight-loss drugs that could mean big changes for the treatment of obesity and diabetes in this country at a time when the CDC estimates more than 40 percent of adults in the U.S. are obese.

CNN's medical correspondent, Meg Tirrell, joins us now.

Meg, first, tell us where we stand on these drugs. And, I mean, I'm also curious how widely they're used at this point.

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you know, they are starting to get increasingly widely used. We hear a lot about drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic. And increasingly, we're starting to see data on even next-generation drugs that are showing even greater magnitudes of weight loss.

And doctors say this is important because obesity is related to health conditions like heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer.

And doctors I've been speaking with have been saying they hope that these weight loss medications can be used to potentially prevent some of those health conditions, although that needs to be borne out in clinical trials.

What we are seeing in trials already though is the sheer magnitude of weight loss that some of the medicines can produce. Wegovy, already on the market, has shown in trials it produces about 15 percent weight loss over about 68 weeks.

There is another drug called Mounjaro, which is already approved for diabetes and it's awaiting approval for weight loss, but already used off label that has shown 21 percent weight loss over 72 weeks.

[14:55:07]

But now, in new data that came out from this diabetes conference that happened over the weekend and into yesterday, we're seeing a new drug that produced 24 percent weight loss over just 48 weeks. So that's an even shorter period of time.

And as they moved into larger trials, they're expecting potentially even more weight loss.

Now, they also saw additional benefits from the medicine in this study. A number of patients could stop taking blood pressure medication, for example.

And a lot of patients who started out with pre-diabetes actually got back to normal blood sugar levels by the end of the study.

So there is a lot of hope for this next generation of drugs.

SCIUTTO: That's interesting. So not just the weight loss, but some of the health consequences of the weight loss or of being obese seems to be addressed by this early on. There is a lot more to discover.

Meg Tirrell, thanks so much.

Brianna?

KEILAR: Coming up, former President Donald Trump on tape, talking about holding documents, physically holding them, documents that he says he did not declassify. Why this audio could be a critical piece of evidence in the case over his alleged mishandling of classified information. Stay with us.

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