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Kremlin Continues To Intensify Its Offensive After 100 Days Of War In Ukraine; African Union Leader Meets With Putin; Britain Celebrates Platinum Jubilee Celebrations Of Queen Elizabeth II; Russian Invasion Of Ukraine Enters 100th Day; Rumors Of Putin's Ill Health Denied By The Kremlin; U.S. Markets Sink After Solid Jobs Report. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired June 03, 2022 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
BIANCA NOBILO, HOST, CNN NEWSROOM: Hello, everyone, I'm Bianca Nobilo, and you're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from London. Tonight, 100 days of war, 100 days of suffering, and there is no end in sight. As the Kremlin promises to continue its offensive in Ukraine. Then, the head of the African Union meets President Putin in an effort to lift the blockade on food supplies.
And later, it's day two of platinum jubilee celebrations in the U.K. But the major, notable absence as the queen stays home after Thursday's festivities.
It's a milestone of resistance that virtually no one thought Ukraine could achieve. Russia's war has reached the 100-day mark, and Ukraine is defiantly predicting victory. But it could be an uphill battle, especially in the Donbas. Russia has refocused its war effort on that eastern region after failing to seize Kyiv and other cities.
Russian forces have advanced deep into Severodonetsk, backed by artillery and airstrikes. Ukraine says thousands of civilians are trapped in that city, including some 800 people hiding in bomb shelters, underneath a chemical factory. British Intelligence believes that Severodonetsk and a nearby city will likely fall within two weeks, effectively giving Russia control of Luhansk, one of the two Donbas provinces.
But Ukraine says that the fight isn't over yet. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to the streets of Kyiv today with this defiant message.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT, UKRAINE (through translator): The leaders of parliamentary factions are here. The president's chief of staff is here, Prime Minister of Ukraine Shmyhal is here, Pedoriak(ph) is here, the president is here. Our team is much bigger, the armed forces of Ukraine are here. Most importantly, our people, the people of our country are here. We have been defending Ukraine for 100 days. Victory shall be ours, glory to Ukraine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: CNN's Ben Wedeman joins us now live from Kyiv with more. Ben, what are the chances of Ukraine mounting a counter-offensive in the Donbas and reclaiming the territory that's been lost to Russia?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's a bit of a hard call at the moment because they're very much on the defensive at the moment. Russian forces have been able to take up to 80 percent of the city of Severodonetsk, a city I spent a lot of time in back in April. And they put up stiff resistance, but the Russians have a well- known advantage in terms of artillery.
They have lots of artillery, not necessarily the latest or the most sophisticated technology, but it is enough to turn as we've seen in Mariupol for instance, that city on the Azov Sea, they can turn it into a desert, and that's what they're doing there. The Ukrainians are still asking the West to speed up the delivery of this sort of sophisticated weaponry that might be able, give them the ability to counter the Russian advantage in numerical advantage until -- in terms of artillery.
But until that really happens in a meaningful way, they are going to be losing ground. Now, will they lose the entirety of Luhansk within two weeks as British Intelligence is claiming? Perhaps, it's premature. Keep in mind that the Ukrainians were able to hold on for two months in the Azovstal Steel works in Mariupol despite predictions that it would fall earlier.
And then in fact, Kyiv never fell to the Russians despite the expectations of some western Intelligence agencies that it would fall within days to the Russians. But it's going to be hard going, and they're probably going to continue to lose ground until they get the weapons the West has promised.
NOBILO: And Ben -- and Ben, some of those weapons like the HIMARS, the advanced rocket systems that can reach up to 80 kilometers I think it is.
[14:05:00]
Can you just explain for our viewers why they would be so impactful for Ukraine and how it might change their options on the battlefield?
WEDEMAN: Well, for one thing, these weapons that the West is promising and in some cases, in small amounts has delivered -- are very precise. I've seen and described as providing sniper precision with artillery range. So, they wouldn't be exposed on the front lines while trying to target Russian forces. They would be well, bang -- back as you said.
A range of 80 kilometers, which gives them much more maneuverability in terms of hitting Russian targets. But until that happens, they're very much at the mercy of Russian artillery. And we understand from the high command of the Ukrainian armed forces, that more Russian forces are being masked outside the city of Sloviansk, which is just at 25-minute drive north of Kramatorsk, which is the temporary administrative center of the -- of that area of Ukraine.
So time is of the essence, and these weapons the West is promising, sound wonderful, but unless they get to where they're needed, they're not going to make much of a difference. Bianca?
NOBILO: Ben Wedeman for us in Kyiv, thank you very much. And we'll have much more coverage of the war in Ukraine coming up later in the program, including the latest on a meeting between President Putin and the head of the African Union. And a closer look at the Kremlin's ambitions, 100 days into this war. Now, let's move on to one of our other big stories here in London, where there have been tributes to the 70-year reign of Queen Elizabeth.
Now, she wasn't able to attend in person, and will miss tomorrow's Epsom Derby after experiencing some discomfort, following Thursday's festivities. Max Foster has more on today's service which honored a monarch like few others.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The bells tolled for the queen as guests arrive at the St. Paul's Cathedral in London for the thanksgiving service including former PMs, the mayor of London and ministers. Prime Minister Boris Johnson also in attendance receiving boos from the crowd.
But perhaps, the most notorious guests where Prince Harry and Meghan, welcomed with cheers in what was their first public appearance as a couple at a royal event in two years since a very public break from royal life. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge make their way to the cathedral, next, closely followed by the Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Charles who was there to represent the queen and the celebration after the monarch felt discomfort after Thursday's events.
As the queen walks from Windsor Castle, Charles took her seat. One that he's ordained to one day take himself as king. But even in her absence, the queen's public service, her life and even her love for horse-racing were at the heart of this event.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your majesty, we are sorry that you are not here with us this morning, but we are so glad that you are still in the saddle.
FOSTER: A touching service enchanted by the cathedral and royal and military choirs and prayers.
BORIS JOHNSON, PRIME MINISTER, UNITED KINGDOM: Keep on doing --
FOSTER: And even a reading from the prime minister himself. But the ceremony wasn't without its hiccups, including a last-minute change of archbishop after the Archbishop of Canterbury contracted COVID-19. It was a beautiful and cheerful ceremony, honoring the longest-serving monarch of Great Britain, and in the first royal event at St. Paul's Cathedral without the queen in 70 years.
(END VIDEOTAPE) NOBILO: Max Foster is at Buckingham Palace in London. Max, this event
which is of course organized to celebrate the reign of the queen has unintentionally brought a lot of global attention to her stepping back from public life at 96 because she simply hasn't been there. At times, is the feeling more bittersweet than celebratory?
FOSTER: I think it's really forcing people to accept and to realize that she is aging, and she cannot do what she herself would hope to do. She isn't able to attend all those events. I mean, it is a problem in the sense that the queen's role, you know, as a leader is to be there in times of national celebration, national mourning. We look to her and we identify with her, and when she's not there, there's an absence, and I think that is a struggle for a lot of people to come to terms with.
[14:10:00]
And inevitably, when the -- you know, worst happens, I think people are really starting to realize this is going to be difficult for the nation and indeed many parts of the commonwealth. We're also -- I don't expect to see her at all tomorrow. She is not going to the races as she planned to, she's going to watch that on TV. I don't expect her to be here at the concert either tomorrow night. She'll be watching that on TV.
So, we are going to have to, you know, accept the fact that Prince Charles is there for these national moments. But that's -- as we were discussing yesterday, Bianca, part of the transition, part of the plan.
NOBILO: And Max, the government in Britain has been leaning into the jubilee celebrations quite obviously to distract from the scandalous time it has been having. But based on the prime minister's reception today, that's not working.
FOSTER: They would argue they're stepping back to allow the head of state to have the limelight. I know what you mean. I mean, Prince -- you know, Prince Harry and Meghan turned up, and there were cheers as they went in, and there were some boos when they came out. So that what we had -- or what you're probably referring to is obviously the Boris Johnson moment on the way in. So, there are lots of videos that showed a lot of booing for Boris Johnson.
I think they were in the booing part of the crowd because there were other parts of the crowd that were cheering. But I think what's interesting about that is that, Boris Johnson, as a politician, a very divisive figure. People love him or they hate him. You don't get that with the queen, but she hasn't expressed any opinions during her reign. She is a unifying figure, but she doesn't divide opinion.
And I think that's a big reminder of what we had today. Politicians divisive, monarchs not. She did her job effectively in that sense. Let's see if Prince Charles is able to do the same thing. This of course, he has expressed opinions over time, and that has made him a more divisive figure, and I think, frankly, that's why he's less popular than the queen. And you know, when you look back on her reign, you see the genius of
what she's done, which is never to show an opinion, which means, she never divides opinion. And therefore, she's universally respected, if not, you know, even amongst people that don't love the monarchy.
NOBILO: This is a very important point, and one that I will get on to in my next discussion. Max Foster, thank you so much from Buckingham Palace. Now, a platinum jubilee is the stuff of history, if you know that better than CNN royal historian Kate Williams who joins us live now. So, Kate, there are two points there that Max was making that I really want to pick up on. One is the fact that the queen is so popular because she is above the political fray and she is this unifying figure.
But also, as he was saying, the queen hasn't been able to attend most of the jubilee celebrations now, and Prince Charles has been stepping forward. From a technical perspective, what happens now for the country because it's quite challenging when the monarch herself can't really be present for the typical duties and be there for the nation.
KATE WILLIAMS, CNN ROYAL HISTORIAN: Yes, well, the queen said herself, she has to be seen to be believed. So, she's very aware of that point, and I think that really was playing into her decision to make that rather surprise appearance at trooping the color yesterday that thrilled the crowds. And she is aware that as time goes on, she will be less seen to be believed. I think we've been rather spoiled, we've seen her out and about and she is nearly a 100, and we've got used to seeing her out and about, long walks about, long standing up.
These things are going to happen so much more. And what we're seeing is her delegating more of her duties to Charles, but also to Williams as well. And part of this is also a strategy because she knows she's adored, she's loved, has great respect and affection for her. She wants this to continue, and she wants really the country and the world to get used to seeing Charles in the same similar role.
But it is very significant, it's been a huge day today, a huge day of thanksgiving and it's very poignant for her that she can't attend.
NOBILO: So, when I was watching the jubilee celebrations yesterday at Buckingham Palace, it struck me as quite almost a janus-faced event because you had this huge outpouring support and devotion towards the queen. And really, as you were just saying, a high water-mark for the monarchy in modern times it feels in terms of support. And then real question marks, almost trepidation among monarchies about what might come next and whether that will be able to maintain the support that Queen Elizabeth II enjoys.
WILLIAMS: Yes, I think that's absolutely true. I think Queen Elizabeth had an incredible popularity through her reign. There have been triumphs, but in general, she is someone who is greatly admired across the country, and there's great admiration in the world. And I do think that we are seeing what we will be called the second Elizabeth's reign as the high water-mark of monarchy. We will never see a monarchy having this much interest and this much respect, and people wanting to talk about it as much as they do. I think things are really going to change in the next monarchy, and
certainly, we know that many countries are going to no longer have the monikers head of state. We know that Jamaica is talking about, Barbados is already doing it, and Antigua believes, Australia too, everything is going to change I think in the next monarchy.
And I think there will be a lot more questions when the queen is no longer here. about transparency, about spending, and I think the monarchy will get smaller. I really do think that we are never going to see a monarchy like this again, and of course, we won't see a platinum jubilee, we certainly won't see a monarchy like this again. This huge takeover of London, I think isn't going to happen in the future.
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NOBILO: You do get the feeling that their tie in different Republicanism is being stopped because of the respect for the queen. I was from New Zealand originally, and obviously in Australia, they've now had the appointment of a minister for the republic in the last few days. It is obvious movements in that direction especially from countries like Jamaica as you were saying.
So when we look at the broader picture of the monarchy, and how people within the commonwealth nations where the queen still head of state regarded, what has the impact been, do you think of the conflict or potential scandal with the Sussexes leaving the United Kingdom, and also Prince Andrew and his civil sexual assault case. What impact has that had on the durability of the monarchy going forward?
WILLIAMS: I think they've had a great impact. I think we always knew that when there was another monarchy, people would change and there would be change. And Australia had always said that this would be the case, that they would look into the question when there was another monarchy, and we know that Caribbean countries such as Jamaica had said the same. But certainly, I think there has been acceleration, and you know, there's you know, real shock I think as opposed to what Prince Andrew has done in his speech about it.
And I think in terms of young people and particularly the young people of color across the commonwealth, they were really rather shocked by the negative press towards Meghan and Harry, all the coverage there was that Meghan and Harry go through all this anti press, and that many of it seemed rooted in racism as well as sexism. And so, you can see why many people and Caribbean countries are saying, well, if this is how a woman of color gets treated in the royal family and the press, yes, but perhaps it could have been stopped more within the family.
We can -- what benefits has this got for us? And that on top of scandals such as Windrush scandal in which people from Jamaica and the Caribbean were -- suddenly -- who come here as children were then told they had to be deported recently. This is all compounded, and I think a lot of the feeling is that these countries are saying we want to be independent, we want to be republics, and we no longer wish to have a monarchy any more, particularly the young in these countries. NOBILO: Yes, I remember quite significantly there was a nine-year-old
girl I believe in Barbados when they were removing the queen as head of state. Who was saying, she seems very nice, but if she doesn't look like me culturally, she doesn't resemble my culture and she is so far away. It just doesn't seem to make sense, and I feel like that tide is increasing.
WILLIAMS: Yes, I agree that tide is increasing, and I think for the queen, she has -- the commonwealth is so important to her, she loves the commonwealth, she has got such a great support for it. But I do think that the commonwealth will also change in the future. But countries will have other alliances that seem more beneficial to them than Britain which is so far away, and the commonwealth will change as well as head of state -- as well as the monarch's head of state.
So, certainly, Prince Charles is now ahead of the commonwealth, I think it probably would have been a better idea to put someone else in the commonwealth within that job. Prince Charles is now the head, that's going to change too. And so, really, we will never see another platinum jubilee. I don't think we'll ever see another queen in my lifetime. Another queen, we don't see another platinum jubilee, we'll see the golden jubilee, but I don't think we'll see another monarchy that's seen like this in the U.K. and across the world.
Newspapers, magazines, TV stations across the world are covering this jubilee, it won't be the same.
NOBILO: CNN royal historian Kate Williams, thank you so much for joining us. Still to come tonight, Shanghai's fresh start was short- lived. Multiple neighborhoods are under lockdown again as the Chinese government sticks to its strict zero COVID policy. And also ahead, the South Pacific becomes a battleground for influence between China and the West with some tiny island nations suddenly becoming centers of attention. A lesson in geopolitical chess coming right up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:20:00]
NOBILO: Welcome back. Let's get you up to speed with some other headlines from around the world. In Germany, a busy regional train derailed near a popular ski resort and hiking destination. Police say at least 4 people were killed and about 30 were injured, but 15 of those being taken to a hospital. A major emergency services operation is underway. Local newspapers say there were many school students on board the train.
Authorities have launched an investigation. And tropical storm warnings are now in effect for more than 10 million people in the southern half of Florida, Cuba and the Bahamas. The National Hurricane Center says the remnants of Agatha could turn into tropical storm Alex or a tropical depression. Airlines have canceled more than 500 flights in the U.S. today when looking at FlightAware data from the past several hours.
On Thursday, airlines canceled more than 1,600 flights. The storm is expected to make landfall in southwest Florida on Saturday. Several Shanghai neighborhoods have been shut down over a handful of positive COVID test. This comes just days after much of the city had reopened after two months of fierce restrictions. And for those who can now go out, there are huge lines for COVID testing. Selina Wang has an update for us from Beijing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SELINA WANG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Freedom was short-lived for many in Shanghai just a day after the city started exiting a brutal two-month lockdown, multiple neighborhoods were placed back under lockdown for 14 days. Starting on June 1st, Shanghai began allowing most of its 25 million residents to leave their communities. But nearly 2 million were still confined to their homes because they had recent COVID cases in their areas.
Now, the policy across China is that every positive COVID case in close contact must go to quarantine facilities. The communities where the cases are found also then go into lockdown. So, as a result of just seven new COVID cases in Shanghai, more than a 100 people were sent to government quarantines and four neighborhoods were sealed off.
People in Shanghai still remain on edge, haunted by fears of a renewed lockdown. On Thursday morning, crowds were seen fleeing from a mall because people feared if a COVID case was found in the mall, was going to lockdown. The mall later said it temporarily closed to disinfect without confirming whether there was a COVID case there. In cities across China, including Shanghai, and here in Beijing, a recent COVID test is necessary to enter public areas.
I've gotten used to regularly waiting 30 minutes or an hour just to get my test. Our lives are also dictated by health codes on our phones that track our movements. If a code is green, we can enter public areas, if they turned red, we have to isolate our homes or go to quarantine. Zero COVID is not going away any time soon in China, and neither will the disruptions to people's daily lives. Selina Wang, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NOBILO: Now to geopolitical maneuvers in the strategically important South Pacific region. China recently proposed a sweeping regional security deal with a number of Pacific island nations, but failed to cement the deal. But the move is raising concern, particularly in the U.S. and Australia. The island nations meanwhile are weary of being used as pawns in a greater power struggle. Ivan Watson has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The many outsiders island nations in the South Pacific are a tropical paradise, exotic and remote. And yet, the focus of intense diplomatic activity from China, part of a Chinese push for influence that's turning the blue Pacific continent into a zone of geopolitical competition between China and its western rivals.
[14:25:00]
(on camera): China's foreign minister has been leading a delegation on a whirlwind ten-day tour across the South Pacific, meeting face-to- face or virtually with officials from at least 11 different Pacific island nations. Most of these countries' entire populations are dwarfed by even a small Chinese city.
WANG YI, FOREIGN MINISTER, CHINA (through translator): Don't be too anxious, don't be too nervous, because the common development of the prosperity of China, and all other developing countries, would only mean greater harmony, greater justice and greater prosperity of the whole world.
WATSON (voice-over): The last time great powers competed in the South Pacific was World War II where the U.S. and its allies fought a grinding island-hopping military campaign against Japan. Since the war, many Pacific island still have close ties to the U.S. and its western allies. But in March, that status quo shaken with the leak of a secret security agreement between China and the Solomon Islands signed the following month.
It allows the Solomon government to call for help from Chinese police and armed forces. In May, the release of another proposed document, the Chinese Pacific island countries common development vision, a sweeping vision slammed by the president of the federated state of Micronesia. In this letter, he accuses China of offering attractive economic assistance as part of a bid to take control of security, communications infrastructure and fisheries in the islands.
Just days after being sworn into her new job, Australia's foreign minister rushed to shore up western support for the region.
PENNY WONG, MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIA: And Australia will be a partner, but doesn't come with strings attached nor imposing unsustainable financial burden. We're a partner that won't erode Pacific priorities or Pacific institutions.
WATSON: During his visit, China's foreign minister refused to take questions from independent journalists.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That no questions will be asked at this press conference.
WATSON: Prompting a boycott from reporters in the Solomon Islands, like Dorothy Wickham.
DOROTHY WICKHAM, SOLOMON ISLANDS JOURNALIST: And we wanted our government to remember that we were a democratic society. I mean, they're in parliament, voted in democratically by the people. And if they were to go around signing agreements with foreign powers, then at least our people should be informed.
WATSON: Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of Fiji has a warning.
FRANK BAINIMARAMA, PRIME MINISTER, FIJI: Geopolitical point-scoring means less than little to anyone whose community is sleeping beneath the rising seas, whose job is being lost to a pandemic.
WATSON: On Monday, Chinese diplomats back-tracked, offering a softened vision of Chinese influence in the Pacific, expect more visits from high-level delegations in the months ahead. As foreign governments scramble to secure influence in the South Pacific. Ivan Watson, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NOBILO: Still to come tonight, the global consequences of the war in Ukraine, how a Russian Naval blockade is disrupting food supplies in Africa, and what the African Union's chairman said to Vladimir Putin about it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:00]
NOBILO: Welcome back. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been grinding on now for 100 days. And the war is having a significant consequence all over the world. Ukraine's president is accusing Russia of disrupting global food security by blocking almost half of its grain exports, which many countries depend on, especially in Africa.
Today, the head of the African Union met with Russia's president to discuss this crisis. Macky Sall told Vladimir Putin he hopes that they can work together to address the problem, as it has consequences for food security across Africa. CNN's David McKenzie joins us now from Johannesburg. David, what more can you tell us about the conversation that they had?
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's a highly significant meeting, Bianca with the head of the African Union, the President of Senegal, meeting with President Putin. And certainly it's a political win for the Russian president who is trying to show that he's not globally isolated during this conflict, in which he's being accused, of course, of massive human rights abuses.
And the sense is from the African Union, and the chairman of the African Union, who recently made some statements about this, is that they were trying to get a appeal in there to the Russian President to lift the blockade of the -- their support in other parts of Ukraine, where there's millions of tons of grain and other agricultural products that has been held back because of this invasion.
And many countries in Africa, and in the Middle East, and other regions are heavily dependent on grain, and fertilizer, and sunflower oil for both Ukraine and Russia. So it's both a attempt by, I think, Vladimir Putin to show that he is not isolated, and a push from the African Union, to show that they really need to get access to this grain, grant to lift that blockade, and to get exports rolling. Again, Bianca,
NOBILO: And, David, I think it was 28 out of 54 African countries. So, just over half in the U.N. vote to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine, voted in favor of that. So that's obviously much more divided than any other region. Can you explain some of the dynamics that play behind that reticence to condemn it?
MCKENZIE: Well, there's a lot of history here. I think part of it is because of the Soviet Union, the former Soviet Union, was a key supporter of several liberation movements across Africa, including here in South Africa, Namibia, Tanzania, Angola, and other countries. So there's that personal connection over many years with Soviet Union, and now Russia. There's also trade links with mining and security links, in particular with the Wagner Mercenary Group in countries like Central African Republic and Mali.
So there's much more ambivalence, I think, on the African continent towards this conflict. It's not like you see this very united front, from NATO and other allies pushing to stop this supplying weapons. There's a much more nuanced view, at least from the perspective of African countries. And this plays into Putin's hands in some ways, because he can show that he is not completely isolated on the global stage.
At the same time, though, African countries, particularly in North Africa and parts of the Horn of Africa, are very severely affected by this conflict.
[14:35:05]
And they are there in Sochi and the Black Sea resort to try and I think persuade Vladimir Putin to open that blockade. And he will, I am sure the Russian president, say that he is solving this problem, a problem that in fact he ultimately created, but there could be a very severe impact on food prices and ultimately few food availability in the coming months.
NOBILO: David McKenzie, thank you so much. It's very interesting with African nations almost in conflict between their present problems and priorities and their historical ties. Thanks to David there.
Now, let's take a closer look at Russia's playbook. Putin hoped that he would take Ukraine swiftly and easily, but 100 days on, fighting is still raging. So what are the Kremlins' ambitions now? Have they changed? Joining me to discuss is Melinda Haring from the Atlantic Council. Melinda, great to speak to you again, thanks for joining us.
MELINDA HARING, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL: My pleasure. Great to be with you, Bianca.
NOBILO: First and foremost, I'd like to ask you sort of an impossible question about Vladimir Putin's health because I've seen a real uptick in recent days of speculation about whether or not he has a terminal condition, how long he might have to live, that he isn't well. The Kremlin firmly denies all of this, we must say. What is your interpretation of that increase in chatter about the President's state?
HARING: Bianca, there is wild speculation that he has cancer, that he has Parkinson's disease, that he's not well. Everyone has noticed that his face appears to be very blotchy and also bigger than normal. He's been spotted having a blanket in his lap, and his appearances are staged manage.
Now, some Russian journalists have claimed that a cancer doctor is seeing him quite regularly. We simply don't know. You know, I think it's wishful thinking. This war is a hundred days in and Vladimir Putin is -- has done unspeakably awful things. And he's a problem that no one knows how to solve. Could he be sick? Absolutely. But we simply don't know.
Now, in terms of his position within the Kremlin, and how he is regarded in his inner circle, there have been -- I think it was a -- quoting a U.S. intelligence report, there's been some spurious accounts in the media about even a possible assassination attempt. We obviously don't know how Putin is seen by those in the inner sanctum of Russian power and politics. What can you tell us about whether or not he still has an ironclad grip on power?
HARING: So it was from the British intelligence and it was speculation. A member of the British intelligence, he's now retired, said maybe Putin will end up in a sanatorium, maybe that's the way he will go. Again, it was speculative. But if the British intelligence or former British intelligence is floating it, it might be a situation that people are considering. The circle around Putin is so tight, though, that it's really impossible. You can only speculate at this point. I wish I could say more.
NOBILO: Yes. And from what you know studying Vladimir Putin, and Russian power dynamics, what, if anything, in a hypothetical scenario, could deter Putin from continuing this war, longer term?
HARING: So Vladimir Putin is not going to stop. You asked at the outset, have his goals changed? The answer is unfortunately, no, he still wants to do at least four things. He is a good tactician, and he's going to keep pushing and pushing until he stopped, unfortunately. But he -- if you have to break it down to what he wants, he wants to destroy Ukraine as a state. He wants to humiliate NATO and tear it apart, hasn't accomplished that, NATO is more unified. He wants to humiliate the West, and he wants to rewrite the rules that the -- of the European security architecture. He hasn't succeeded on any of those, but he's still trying.
NOBILO: And as you say, you make the important point almost axiomatic about Putin that, you know, he'll only respond to strength only if he's stopped. But what do you think the chances are that if backed into a corner, or with more pressure exerted upon him that he opts for more unconventional weapons or perhaps a tactical nuclear weapon? Because it's quite difficult sometimes to tell how much of his image is constructed to seem unpredictable and chaotic to deter action from the west and how much of it simply is.
HARING: That -- that's absolutely right. Bianca, he loves to threaten to use nuclear weapons, right? And they've only been threats. So a lot of people think that chemical weapons are more likely. When you talk to nuclear experts, think there's a very low chance that he will resort to nuclear weapons, maybe five percent, because Vladimir Putin is not suicidal. And he knows that if he uses it, then there will be some kind of engagement. So I -- it's not one of the things that keeps me up at night.
[14:40:06]
The thing that keeps me up at night right now is fighting in the Donbas. So in the last 100 days, Ukraine has massively changed. The Russians have gone from holding seven percent of the country to twenty percent of the country. That's a big increase. One third of the population has had to flee in Ukraine or abroad. We've seen disgusting war crimes and crimes against humanity, things that I never thought I would see.
And now we see the world on the edge of a massive food security crisis because Russia has blockaded all of Ukraine's ports. If up to 47 million people around the world could be in a state of starvation if the situation continues.
NOBILO: Melinda Haring, we always appreciate your clear-eyed analysis. Thanks so much for joining us.
HARING: Thank you. My pleasure. Thank you.
NOBILO: And still to come tonight, the U.S. government has released a new jobs report and the numbers are looking good. So why are many investors seeing this report as bad news?
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NOBILO: The latest U.S. jobs report beat expectations with employers adding more than 390,000 jobs last month. With the unemployment rate at just 3.6 percent, America's nearing full employment. So investors are concerned that the Federal Reserve will hike interest rates more aggressively to cool the economy and fight inflation. All three U.S. major markets are down right now. President Joe Biden calls this report excellent, but admits that a lot of Americans remain anxious about inflation.
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JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: And there's no denying that high prices, particularly around gasoline and food, are a real problem for people. But there's every reason for the American people to feel confident that we'll meet these challenges. Because of the enormous progress we've made on the economy, the Americans can tackle inflation from a position of strength. Still a problem we can tackle with --
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NOBILO: CNN Business Correspondent Rahel Solomon is standing by in New York. Rahel, great to have you on the program. Can you tell us more about the factors behind this "excellent" jobs report according to Joe Biden and also why it's causing anxiety about inflation to surge?
RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Bianca. Good to be with you. Yes. Joe Biden has said -- President Biden has said that it was a strong jobs report, but the elephant in the room, of course, is inflation which here in the U.S. is hovering near 40-year highs. [14:45:04]
More on inflation in just a moment, but let's look behind the hood a little bit of today's inflation report or jobs report, I should say. So 390,000 was the top line number, Bianca. That's actually the lowest we have seen in about a year. So a sign of some slight cooling when we look at where the jobs are, leisure and hospitality added 84,000 jobs in May, professional and business services, 75,000 jobs, transportation and warehousing about 47,000 jobs, we are dealing with a trucker shortage here in the U.S. and so that 47,000 jobs being added in that industry is a good sign.
The issue, of course, is inflation. When you have a job market as hot as it is, they're about two open jobs for every one person looking for a job. When you have that sort of imbalance, it sort of elevates wages for workers, which you would think on the top line is a good thing, but it's not keeping up with inflation. So those increases in wages are pretty much disappearing. We know the Fed has said that tackling inflation is its number one concern so that when wages go up, workers can actually enjoy it.
So I think Goldilocks perhaps is a more fair way to describe the jobs report. It was hotter than some economists had been expecting, but certainly cooler than we have seen in the last 12 months. And that, perhaps, giving some confidence that the slowing we're seeing in the economy will be a more -- a gradual slowing and easing as opposed to a sharp, you know, hit on the brakes. We'll learn more of course next Friday when we get a key inflationary report here in the U.S., and that'll paint more of a picture of exactly where we are in the U.S. economy right now, Bianca.
NOBILO: And Rahel, Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, has said that he had a "super bad feeling about the economy" and says that he wants to cut about 10 percent of the jobs at the electric carmaker in an email to executives on Thursday that was seen by Reuters. How widely is that sentiment of worry about the economy shared by big business leaders?
SOLOMON: Yes, you know, I think it is interesting because we also heard from the CEO of JPMorgan, Jamie Dimon, this week were warning of an economic hurricane saying you better brace yourself, essentially. So you have two very key prominent business leaders, Elon Musk and Jamie Dimon, sort of putting out these warnings. We should say that if that holds that morning at Tesla where he wants to cut hiring, we have seen that across other tech companies here in the US. So that might be a sign that that's -- that -- we may see more of that down the line. But we are hearing these concerns sort of grow, Bianca.
NOBILO: Rahel Solomon for us on the Goldilocks report and economic anxieties. Thanks so much.
Meantime, President Biden is urging Congress to take action on gun control after a series of mass shootings that have shocked the United States. In a fiery speech from the White House, Mr. Biden said that too many everyday places in the U.S. have become killing fields and battlefields. CNN's Jeremy diamond has more on his address.
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JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: After a spate of mass shootings --
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BIDEN: How much more carnage are we willing to accept? How many more innocent American lives must be taken before we say enough?
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DIAMOND: President Biden making his most fervent and specific appeal yet for stricter gun laws.
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PUTIN: We need to ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines. And if we can't ban assault weapons, then we should raise the age to purchase them from 18 to 21. Strengthen background checks. Enact act safe storage law and red flag laws. Repeal the immunity that protects gun manufacturers from liability. Address the mental health crisis.
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DIAMOND: The President demanding action during a rare Prime Time address as a somber line of 56 candles burn behind him, representing victims of gun violence from every U.S. state and territory. Biden's speech comes after he and the First Lady visited the grieving communities of Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York. He implored the country and Congress to act now.
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BIDEN: After Columbine, after Sandy Hook, after Charleston, after Orlando, after Las Vegas, after Parkland, nothing has been done. This time, that can't be true.
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DIAMOND: The President stressing this isn't about harming lawful gun owners.
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BIDEN: I respect the culture and the tradition and the concerns of lawful gun owners. At the same time, the Second Amendment, like all other rights, is not absolute.
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DIAMOND: And arguing guns are the number one killer of children in this country according to the CDC.
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BIODEN: More than car accidents, more than cancer. Over the last two decades, more school aged children have died from guns than on-duty police officers and active duty military combined.
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[14:50:01]
DIAMOND: Biden hasn't ruled out additional executive action, but as a bipartisan group of senators negotiate a potential compromise package, the President's saying it's now up to Congress to act. On Thursday, the House Judiciary Committee met for a 10-hour long session during a recess week to debate a gun reform package. One measure included Biden's proposal to raise the age to purchase some assault rifles from 18 to 21. The package was passed along a party line vote.
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DIAMOND: What's wrong with raising the age for semi automatic rifle?
JIM JORDAN, UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE, OHIO: It's unconstitutional. Even the Ninth Circuit just said it was unconstitutional.
DAVID CICILLINE, UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE, RHODE ISLAND: Spare me the bullshit about constitutional rights.
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DIAMOND: But in the Senate, that proposal faces stiff Republican resistance, a political reality Biden acknowledged.
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BIDEN: Don't tell me raising the age won't make a difference. Enough. My God, the fact that the majority of the Senate Republicans don't want any of these proposals, even to be debated, or come up for a vote, I find unconscionable.
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NOBILO: That was CNN's Jeremy diamond reporting. We'll be right back in just a few minutes.
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NOBILO: Very warm welcome back to the program. In the United Kingdom, day two of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations is wrapping up. The Royals turned out for a service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul's Cathedral while the monarch herself was absent. Other familiar faces made an appearance.
Cheers went up for Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan. It's the first time that they've been seen in public in Britain in more than two years. It was a slightly different reception for the U.K. Prime Minister. The Queen will also miss tomorrow's events.
Photographer Rob Munday shot the first ever holographic portrait of the Queen back in 2003. Now, almost 20 years later, he's unveiled a new portrait to celebrate the jubilee. He describes unearthing the image that had been abandoned in his personal archive until now.
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ROB MUNDAY, PHOTOGRAPHER: I've taken this short video sequence. It was only one second long and I've completely forgotten about it. It's laying on the hard drive for nearly 19 years.
[14:55:01]
But I was inquisitive so I looked inside this directory and saw that there were 32 frames in total. And I, you know, thought I'll have a look at them. But as I was thumbing through right in the middle, there was just this one frame that just kind of leaped out at me. The frames either side of it, again, would have been totally unusable. This one was almost God-given, if I say. It was just beautiful image. And I just thought, you know, I looked at it and kept looking at it. And then you start asking yourself the question, is it really good? Or is it just me wanting it to be good?
So of course, I got people to come and have a look, my wife being one, and I said, look, what do you think of this? You know, I said I think it looks completely natural. Unposed, very beautiful. She's full of life. She has that whimsical smile, twinkle in the eye. It was a very jovial atmosphere for that sitting and there were -- jokes were being told and people were laughing all the time.
And Angela Kelly, her very, very long term Personal Assistant, Dresser, and a very, very good friend of the Queen said something funny, that precise moment I hadn't realized when I actually did the shot, it was just a coincidence. This is why I just loved it so much, because it's just a really, really natural portrait. I mean, a lot of people have told me that they've never seen a portrait quite like it.
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NOBILO: Well, thank you for watching tonight. Do stay with CNN because "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is up next.
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