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Major Questions Over Ukraine Ahead of Trump's Joint Address; Fallout from Zelenskyy Disastrous Trip to Washington Grows; State of Emergency as 175 Wildfires Burn Across Carolinas. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired March 03, 2025 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Europe scrambling to do damage control of Ukraine. The Ukraine -- U.K. prime minister confident President Trump will get on board eventually just as Russia is now celebrating the new U.S. foreign policy declaring it coincides with Russia's vision.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Wildfires sweep through the Carolinas. Evacuation, states of emergency, the latest on the efforts to battle the surprising destruction.

And as Conan O'Brien said, I guess Americans are excited to see somebody finally stand up to a powerful Russian. The huge winner at the Oscars overnight and all the shenanigans you did not see behind the scenes.

Sara is out. I'm John Berman with Kate Bolduan. This is CNN News Central.

BOLDUAN: So, here's the line to start your morning. We should spend less time worrying about Putin. This morning, that is the viewpoint of President Trump just as the nation is preparing for his first major address to Congress, that speech where every president is expected really to lay out their vision for the future comes at a remarkable time, to say the least, one that has the world right now asking where does America's relationship with traditional allies, like Europe like Ukraine go from here? And is America now more in line with Russia?

European leaders gathered in London yesterday with a focus on damage control and to chart a course forward after the disastrous Oval Office blow up between Trump and Zelenskyy. The British prime minister emerging now saying Europe is prepared to take the lead and he's confident America will eventually come around to the plan that they're crafting to bring Russia's war in Ukraine to an end.

But overnight, CNN learned the U.S. has suspended all offensive cyber operations against Moscow for now. And the Kremlin this morning saying this, the new U.S. administration is rapidly changing all foreign policy configurations. This largely coincides with our vision, that from Russia.

CNN's Alayna Treene is live at the White House to start us off this morning. Alayna, what more are you learning ahead of the president's address tonight -- tomorrow?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, I've been talking with Trump administration officials, White House officials still, you know, I'm told they're still working on the speech and the overall message, but I am told that at some point the president is expected to take a victory lap, of course, of the election, but also highlighting the accomplishments that they argue they have made in less than two months, and to this point when he addresses Congress tomorrow.

Now, of course, the speech that he's going to give tomorrow night is going to be very different than the time the last time he was up there. He was freshly impeached, the coronavirus pandemic had not even. And now we're seeing him address a dramatically different Washington. Now, of course, I think one of the key things that everyone is looking for is how is he going to message, specifically, you know, his conversation about being on the world stage, but specifically the war between Russia and Ukraine following that Oval Office meeting on Friday.

Now, Kate, as someone who covered the Trump, or the president very closely over the last two years while he was on the campaign trail, I know that he often talked about authoritarian leaders, people like Putin, with, you know, more favorable language, more favorable rhetoric, saying they're strong leaders, they're tough men. Very curious to see if he even uses any of that rhetoric tomorrow night. Obviously, it would be seen in a very different light.

Now, all of this, of course, comes as we saw the White House dispatch many top cabinet officials and other Trump allies really to take over, you know, go over the media airwaves this weekend and defend the president. They argued that what you saw a president and Vice President J.D. Vance do in the Oval Office on Friday was an example of America First leadership. You saw people like Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, all of whom were in the Oval Office during that meeting, go on the Sunday shows and try to defend the president.

You also heard people like senators -- or Senator Lindsey Graham, but also House Speaker Mike Johnson, at some point, almost argue that perhaps Zelenskyy should resign. But then you also heard some more nuanced takes from other Republicans like this from Senator James Lankford. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JAMES LANKFORD (R-OK): No, we're not turning our back on Ukraine, nor should we. Putin is a murderous KGB thug that murders his political enemies and is a dictator there.

[07:05:04]

And so we've seen that. We've seen his aggression. Countries around him have seen that. Obviously, the Ukrainian people have seen that.

(END VIDEO CLIP) TREENE: Now, Kate, of course, this also comes as there are questions about how does the White House and the Trump administration move forward as it relates to seeking a peace deal with Ukraine and Russia.

But also just to go back to the speech, just very quickly, we do have new CNN polling that I think is striking to keep in mind through all of this. We saw that, right now, the president's approval rating is 48 percent of Americans approve of his performance, 52 percent disapprove, notable, though, that this poll was taken before that Oval Office meeting on Friday. So, again, all, you know, kind of that context as he heads into that speech tomorrow.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. Good to see you, Alayna. Thank you for starting us off this morning. John?

BERMAN: All right, let's get right to where this matters most, the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is there. Nick, what are you hearing this morning?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it is I think it's time to remind people of the violence put upon Ukraine every night. President Zelenskyy today warning that in the last week there's been a thousand drones fired by Russia at Ukraine. That kind of brings home the urgency, frankly, as to why Ukraine is pro a peace deal that actually sustains and works for them.

We had a vague whisper from the French president, Emmanuel Macron, telling the French Figaro newspaper yesterday that potentially one of the ideas is for a limited supply of ceasefire that involves sea, air and ceasing attacks on energy infrastructure. Both sides has been doing that particularly hard over the past months and just an overnight strike by Ukraine on an oil refinery in Ufa, 1,300 kilometers deep inside Russia.

So, that potential idea floated, it seems, by the French president, one of the two European leaders along the side of the U.K. is Keir Starmer as some potential starting mechanism. And indeed the Ukrainian president suggesting another confidence building measure could in fact be the return of deported children. Remember, that's something Vladimir Putin has been accused of a war crime by the International Criminal Court for being involved in, and a larger return of prisoners of war or exchange of those.

So, lots of ideas being floated here. But, frankly, none of them will get traction without support from the United States. We know that Keir Starmer has on Saturday and Friday after the blow up in the Oval Office spoken to President Trump. Zelenskyy himself giving a wide ranging press conference in London after that substantial meeting with European leaders and indeed King Charles III in which he said he was still willing to sign the rare earth minerals deal.

I should point out Trump administration said it's not at present on the table. He also refuted the idea that, you know, he could have somehow just step aside. He said, look, if you want to have elections here, then you've got to persuade me to not run in them. And I have to then be negotiated with, and my price for that is Ukraine joining NATO. And that would mean my mission is complete, and I don't mind stepping aside.

So, obfuscating the matter there, clearly not going anywhere. And also, aghast, again, would he apologize to Trump administration? He said no. Here's what else he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: If the President of the United States of America will invite me for a constructive dialogue, I represent the interests of a country that heavily depends on support from partners. So, of course, if I am invited for a constructive dialogue, for solving real problems, for serious questions and real resolute actions and answers, I will be there out of respect for America, the American people, the president, and the two parties.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALSH: Ultimately, the way forward here is that somehow the Trump administration needs to drop the talking point of Zelenskyy resigning. Zelenskyy, I think, needs to let the dust settle and sign this deal if the Trump administration lets him. And I think they need European leaders to try and bridge this issue here. But without the reconciliation between the two presidents, Ukraine is still, I think, frankly, in very dangerous territory.

BERMAN: So dangerous, still under attack, the pressure he must be feeling this morning. Nick Paton Walsh in Kyiv, thank you very much for that.

All right, this morning, evacuations underway in a state of emergency in effect as 175 wildfires sweep through the Carolinas.

Also sweeping tariffs against Canada and Mexico scheduled to go into effect tonight, that is if President Trump does not retreat again. What legendary investor Warren Buffett just said about the impact on prices.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WARREN BUFFETT, CEO, BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY: Over time, their attacks on goods, I mean, you know, the truth ferry doesn't pay up on me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: And multiple passengers in the hospital after several flights had to divert due to dangerous turbulence.

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[07:10:00]

BOLDUAN: So, the scenes in South Carolina over the weekend, just what you see behind me, emergency responders, residents rushing to get out of the way of fast burning fires that are up to there. One forest fire near Myrtle Beach has burned upwards of 1,600 acres, prompting some evacuations. And that is just one of the 175 fires that are now burning in that state.

Several fires are also reported in North Carolina, threatening some of the areas still recovering from the disaster left behind from Hurricane Helene.

CNN's Nick Valencia is in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for us this morning. Nick, what's the very latest there?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Good morning, Kate. The flames have died down here in Horry County, which is a welcome blessing for the firefighters that are working on getting those hundreds of fires contained.

This is the big one, though, the one that's burning behind me this morning in the Carolina forest. The humidity, though, in the air has really helped improve conditions.

[07:15:02]

But over the weekend, it was just absolutely disastrous. You could see the haze still blanketing this part of the state. Well, even miles away, ten miles away, there along the beach in Myrtle Beach, raining ash down, fueled by those whipping winds, about 30, 35-mile-per-hour winds that was just really fueling disastrous conditions.

We want to bring in South Carolina Forestry Commission Russell Hubright. Tell us about what's going on this morning. What are you guys dealing with?

RUSSELL HUBRIGHT, SOUTH CAROLINA FORESTRY COMMISSION: Good morning, Nick. So, as you mentioned, haze and smoke is a real problem right now. Two aspects, one of just our firefighters driving around through the area using their bulldozers trying to figure out where they are, the second is aircraft, so they can't really do any water drops this morning because they can't see. You know, it's a blanket of fog.

VALENCIA: You were telling me about 175 fires. I mean, explain that to us. How is that possible?

HUBRIGHT: Right. So, Saturday in particular was a big day. Yes, over 150 fires across the state. Now, most of those fires we were able to contain under 100 acres, and that's fairly common. So, we will have 3,000 or 4,000 fires during a whole year. But the vast majority of those are small. This one is the outlier.

VALENCIA: And those rural fire departments really get on those rural, the smaller fires.

Talk to us about the threat here. Structures have been threatened. Residents have been evacuated. What's the status right now?

HUBRIGHT: So as you mentioned, numerous structures threatened. A lot of homes evacuated. Those evacuations have been lifted, which is great this morning. So, folks are back in. There's a great presence of fire service just in case it needed in those neighborhoods, so looking a lot better this morning. VALENCIA: Visibility is still a major issue. Russell, I'll let you get back to it. We know you have hundreds of personnel working on these fires. They're going to be doing that all day long. Thankfully, though, those flames have died down and they're hoping that these improved conditions will help them get a handle on these fires and not get them out of control here, cause this haze to further impacts these residents in this community. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. I mean, you can see the haze right around you right now, Nick. Thank you so much. We're going to stay close to this one for you.

Still ahead for us, the urgent search that is underway right now for a two-year-old boy who went missing from his yard. New details on a, quote/unquote, vehicle of interest that law enforcement are looking for now.

And Olympic champions returning to the ice and honoring the victims killed in that tragic midair collision in Washington, D.C.

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[07:20:00]

BERMAN: All right. New this morning, we are standing by to see if President Trump follows through on new tariffs against China, Canada and Mexico. The deadline is midnight. He has retreated before at the last minute. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says the situation is fluid. Tariffs, of course, could push prices higher at the very time Americans are still dealing with stubborn inflation.

Let's get right to CNN's Matt Egan for the very latest on this. Which tariffs on whom and when exactly?

MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Well, John, look, we could be just hours away from a major escalation in this trade battle because President Trump is not talking about just putting tariffs on one or two, but all three of America's biggest trading partners. So, starting tomorrow, we could see the tariffs that already exist on trying to go from 10 percent to 20 percent. He has said 25 percent on Canada and on Mexico.

Now, as you noted, the situation is fluid, and he did back off a month ago, at least on Canada and Mexico. So, we need to see what's going to happen here. But, look, if these tariffs do get imposed and if they stay in place for a significant period of time, there's a risk that it's going to increase costs for consumers and worsen inflation because, yes, we get a lot of items from these three countries. Canada is the biggest source of foreign oil into the U.S. We get a lot of food, including avocado and tomato and berries, from Mexico. Think about the electronics like smart phones and laptops, appliances from China, cars and car parts from Canada and Mexico. So, if these import taxes get imposed, then the U.S. firms importing these items have to decide, are they going to eat the cost of the tariff, or are they going to pass it along to consumers by raising prices?

And, look, I don't think there's ever a good time to tariff your three biggest trading partners at the same time. But this is definitely not the best time because there's a lot of warning signs in the economy right now, right? We just learned that consumer confidence has plunged. Consumer spending in January fell by the most in almost four years. Layoffs have started to tick higher, and there's this Atlanta Fed model that is now projecting a decline in GDP during the first quarter.

It's really too early to know if this is just a soft patch or something more serious, but I think what's clearer is that tariffs and the threats of tariffs are not going to make any of these issues any better. Economist Edgar Denny (ph), he told me he thinks that President Trump should just negotiate a deal, declare victory, because he said tariffs are a toxic area. You don't want to stay there too long. And, John, we'll find out in the next few hours what happens there.

BERMAN: Yes. And, Again, negotiate and declare victory is what he did last time, right? Basically, there were almost no new concessions from Canada to Mexico, and President Trump still hit the pause button.

Talk a little bit more about cars, because that's one thing that could get a lot more expensive.

EGAN: Yes. The issue is that the auto industry has spent in decades coming closer and closer together in North America, right? They kind of treat North America because one market. And so that's why Anderson Economic Group of Michigan think tank has warned that the cost to produce cars in North America could surge by between $3,500 and $12,000 per vehicle due to these new tariffs on Canada and Mexico. And a lot of the auto companies are going to pass along at least some of these costs to consumers. Let me remind, John, car prices are already basically at record highs. This could drive them even higher, and it could cause the auto industry to stop making certain models because it wouldn't make economic sense, so that would increase costs as well.

The Ford CEO said just a few weeks ago, he said, let's be honest, long-term, a 25 percent tariff across the Mexico and Canada borders would blow a hole in the U.S. industry that we've never seen before. So, look, there's a lot at stake here for the auto industry and for car buyers too.

BERMAN: A lot more by midnight tonight.

[07:25:00]

Matt Egan, thank you very much for that.

This morning, health officials sounding the alarm as the measles outbreak is spreading. New cases have now been confirmed across the Northeast.

And who won? Who lost but should have won? Whose speech was way too long? Who actually saw any of these movies? All the behind-the-scenes details from the Oscars overnight.

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