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10 Palestinians Killed, Close to 100 Injured at a Major Military Operation between Israel and Palestine at the West Bank- occupied Jenin; Russian President to Speak for the First Time at the Virtual SCO Summit; Calm Restored in France after days of Protests; Ukrainian President speaks to CNN on the invitation to join NATO; Cows Replacing Buffalos as the Former is Not Good for the Climate; Barbie Movie Banned in Vietnam. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired July 04, 2023 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead on "CNN Newsroom," Israel's assault on Jenin. The IDF carries out more counterterror operations as Palestinian families flee the West Bank refugee camp.

A virtual summit hosted by India is getting underway with Vladimir Putin set to speak in his first appearance on the global stage since the Wagner insurrection. We will have a live report.

And calm is restored in France but the root causes of the violence remain for Emmanuel Macron to address.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from CNN Center this is "CNN Newsroom" with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Thanks for joining us. While hundreds of Palestinians are fleeing the West Bank city of Jenin, as Israel presses ahead with its largest military operation there in more than two decades.

Israeli forces carried out several drone strikes and deployed hundreds of soldiers to target what they say is a militant command and control center in the refugee camp.

(VIDEO PLAYING)

Civilians say Israeli forces rolled through with bulldozers and trucks tearing up streets and damaging vital infrastructure, Palestinian officials say at least 10 people have been killed and almost 100 injured. This is the second Israeli raid into Jenin in little more than two weeks and has been much more intense; the first left five Palestinians dead.

We do want to go now to CNN's Elliot Gotkin, who joins us live from Jerusalem. So Elliot, what is the latest on this Israeli operation? Of course, the impact it's having on Palestinians.

ELLIOT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: Rosemary, we're just three hours shy of 36 hours since this Israeli incursion into the Jenin refugee camp began. It began, as you say, with those airstrikes on the command and control center that Israel says was being used by the Jenin Brigades, a militant group affiliated with Islamic Jihad.

Israel now saying that it has 10 more targets in the Jenin refugee camp, 10 infrastructure targets, before it can say that it is job done. And as you say we've seen the toll so far both in the damage to the streets there, Israel saying it was tearing up those streets because there were IEDs, improvised explosive devices, that were on those streets in order to deter Israeli forces.

We've also seen the death toll, 10 Palestinians killed so far. Israel says that at least nine of those were militants with Israel also saying that it detained almost 120 Palestinians inside the camp. And we know that 100 have been wounded, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 20 of them critically. So this operation continues. Airstrikes are continuing, Israel saying that it is continuing to discover weapon storage facilities.

It discovered earlier this morning a shaft, it says, where -- which was being used to store weapons underground. It says that it's destroying operational rooms and also confiscating multitudes of weapons as well. Now, this operation has been condemned by the Palestinians, by the Jordanians, the Egyptians, the Emiratis. The United States, for its part, has reiterated its support for Israel's right to defend itself, while highlighting the need to protect civilians.

And indeed, it was actually at the U.S. Embassy's 4th of July celebrations yesterday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to highlight the need for this operation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): They are targeting terrorists, they are arresting fugitives, they are destroying command centers and seizing considerable weaponry. They are destroying laboratories on an almost industrial scale for producing explosives, bombs and devices aimed at killing and murdering Israeli citizens.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOTKINE: And, Rosemary, the IDF says that this operation could continue for a few more hours or another day. There is no specific end point.

CHURCH: And on that very point, Elliot, what are the growing risks of the longer this operation goes on?

GOTKINE: Of course, the longer this operation goes on, the greater the risk is that there are more casualties, whether they're militants or whether they're civilians, and also, of course, more possibility of casualties on the Israeli side, too. There's also the danger that this could spread, that this could escalate to other parts of the West Bank, that there could be violence in the Gaza Strip as well.

We saw some tires being burned there yesterday, among other things, so Israel very much on alert, not just vis-a-vis the operation going on in Jenin, which, as we say, is ongoing. But also what's happening on Gaza and also the northern border with Lebanon and Syria as well. Israel is on alert, doesn't want to see this escalating, but says that it's prepared if it comes to that. Rosemary?

[03:05:24]

CHURCH: Elliot Gotkine, joining us live from Jerusalem, many thanks.

Well this year's Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit is about to get underway, being hosted virtually by India. The SCO is a broadly pro-Russian regional security grouping led by Beijing and Moscow. One U.S. defense analyst says many of the leaders at this summit looked to Russia and China almost as models for how they want to run their societies as authoritarian regimes.

Vladimir Putin is scheduled to address the summit less than an hour from now in what will be his first appearance on the global stage since the Wagner Rebellion. Experts believe the Russian president will use the forum to project an image of power and reassure Moscow's partners that he remains firmly in control.

And CNN is covering every angle of this story. I'm joined now by Vedika Sud in New Delhi, Clare Sebastian in London, and Mark Stewart in Tokyo. Welcome to everyone.

So Vedika, as the host of this online summit, what is Prime Minister Modi hoping to achieve and delicate balance between these participating nations and of course here's a partnership with the U.S.?

VEDIKA SUD, CNN REPORTER: It's a tough one, Rosemary. Moments from now, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is chairing the SCO summit this year, will be addressing the other leaders in this virtual summit. For him, this is another opportunity to showcase the growing and emerging power that India is now seen as on a global stage.

But along with that, India for a while now has been navigating, if I could say, rough terrain, rough diplomatic terrain in the region and beyond. And that's essentially because for India, it's a fine balance that Modi has to maintain between the East and the West.

Now, the timing of this SCO summit is highly significant. It comes weeks after the Wagner insurrection in Russia, as well as a highly successful meeting between the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the U.S. President Joe Biden.

And Beijing as well as Russia both have been monitoring the developments that took place in Washington, D.C. very closely. Everyone knows that the West needs India because it's seen as the counterweight to China in the region. But all these nations are also very, very aware of the fact that India is very close to Russia. And that's essentially because it gets its oil from there, and more than 50 percent of its weapons are imported from Russia. And that's why India needs both the East and the West, especially with its highly independent foreign policy.

Now, the concern with a lot of experts in the region is that both Russia and China will try to make this bloc an anti-Western grouping. And that is something India will have to face. And it will be the biggest challenge, rather, that India will have to face at this point. It's something it will push back against, because it wants to be seen as a non-aligned country with its partners across the world. And that something that Narendra Modi and its government has been striving to do over the past few years.

What's also important to note here is that the nations that are members of the SCO summit have not come out publicly and condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, especially in the U.N. resolution. India till now has maintained that this needs to be solved and resolved peacefully. Narendra Modi has gone on record to say this is not an era of war. So clearly it's a fine balance that India has to maintain here. Rosemary.

CHURCH: Certainly is. Our thanks to Vedika Sud.

I want to go to London now and Clare, this will of course be the first international appearance for Vladimir Putin since his authority was challenged by that brief Wagner mutiny. So how desperate will he be to show the world he is back in control now?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think this is welcome timing, Rosemary, coming just 10 days or so after that insurrection and as Putin has been, as we've seen, embarking on something of a sort of P.R. tour to show that he's out there and amongst his people, still in charge, still in control.

This will be a useful way to project that on the global stage, I think, to show the world as well that they have failed to isolate Russia over the war in Ukraine. But also these international groupings, the SCO, the sort of alphabet soup, the SCO, ASEAN, the CIS, the Eurasian Economic Union, all of these are very important to Moscow as a sort of counterpoint to Western alliances like NATO, but also as a sort of way of formalizing what it sees as its spheres of influence.

So they are very important to Russia. But I think the elephant in the room here, if not directly addressed, will of course be that insurrection that was put down by Moscow within the space of about 36 hours just over 10 days ago.

[03:10:17]

This will have rattled Russia's allies, led to questions over whether they are in fact right in their policy of neutrality over the war in Ukraine. And the economic risks were fairly apparent. There was a risk at one point that the markets were worried about, that oil supplies in Russia could be threatened by this. That could lead to price rises. It could then lead to the likes of China and India that have mopped up much of those oil supplies that used to go to Europe. It could then lead to them having to compete with Europe for oil supplies. So that was a big concern. But for Russia, these economic alliances are now more important than ever. In the first five months of this year, oil and gas revenues in Russia halved compared to last year because of sanctions, but also because of the drop in oil prices.

At the same time, of course, defense spending is going up. So they need to keep these allies on side. All of that will be in play when we hear President Putin speak today.

CHURCH: All right, our thanks to Clare Sebastian, joining us live from London.

And now to Mark, what's Beijing hoping to get out of this summit?

MARK STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Rosemary. You know, as our colleagues have well said, there are a lot of balancing acts taking place. And in China, that is no exception.

China, along with Russia and Soviet republics, is a founding member of the SCO. Yet China in particular is dealing with its own economic struggles. And as we have seen, sometimes subtly, sometimes more overt, it's leaning on the West to try to jumpstart things.

So, the response that we have seen from China just on the international stage on a broad sense may also be reflected at this SCO conference. So far, China has not directly condemned Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and instead is calling for diplomacy. Yet, as we heard from one analyst who talked to CNN, this analyst stressed the importance of Russia or of China, that is, not wanting to do anything that would make itself an even bigger target of NATO.

This is a conference that is certainly being watched across China. In fact, it was the focus of a recent commentary in Xinhua, which is the Chinese news, state news agency. I want to read just a portion of that commentary because I think it sums up where China fits in this global picture during this conference.

It says, today's human society is undergoing accelerating changes unseen in a century. Regional conflicts are raging. The Cold War mentality and group politics are resurfacing. And so are unilateralism and hegemonism. Economic globalization has encountered headwinds. A more turbulent and intertwined world is calling for a clear SCO community.

So the real challenge for China, for Russia, and for all of these member states, including India, is how to show this unified front. Yet at the same time not offending the West too much because it is depending on the West in many cases for future growth and for future development.

CHURCH: AlL right, Mark Stewart joining us live from Tokyo, many thanks. Well, Hong Kong police are offering bounties of more than $120,000 for

eight pro-democracy activists who fled overseas after the city's crackdown on dissent. The group includes former lawmakers Nathan Law and Dennis Kwok. They are all accused of violating Beijing's strict national security law for reasons ranging from collusion with foreign forces to subversion of state power. Officials say the law still applies to them no matter where they go.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE LI KWAI-WAH, CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT, NATIONAL SECURITY DEPARTMENT: Some people have fit overseas and continue to engage in the activities and dangers the national securities. I would like to point out one point that is the national security law of Hong Kong has an extra territories effect.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The U.S. State Department is condemning the move saying quote, "the extra-territorial application of the Beijing imposed national security law is a dangerous precedent that threatens the human rights and fundamental freedoms of people all over the world."

In the United States, police in Philadelphia have a suspect in custody in connection with a mass shooting which left four people dead Monday night. Those victims are all men ranging from 20 to 59 years old. Two children, a two-year-old and a 13-year-old, are injured but said to be in stable condition. Police say the gunman was heavily armed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANIELLE M. OUTLAW, PHILADELPHIA POLICE COMMISSIONER: This male was wearing a bulletproof vest with multiple magazines in the vest. He also had a scanner and an AR style rifle and a handgun underneath his body.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[03:15:10]

CHURCH: The motive right now is unclear. Police say they also arrested another person they believe fired back at the gunman during the rampage. We will continue to monitor this story and of course bring you any new developments.

Still to come, police in Baltimore, Maryland investigate another mass shooting in the U.S. We will have the latest on the search for who opened-fire fire at a community party.

Plus French mayor's appeal for calm with marches through the suburbs of Paris and other cities and President Macron pledges to investigate a week of violent protests.

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CHURCH: It has been one week since the shooting death of a French teenager by police that prompted days of violent protests across the country. French President Emmanuel Macron will meet today with the mayors of cities hit hard by the riots. He is also hoping to address accusations of systemic racism among police.

The situation has calmed down considerably over the past two nights, but the government is keeping 45,000 officers on the streets to protect against more violence.

CNN's Paris correspondent Melissa Bell reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT: It was another weekend of violence here in France, with the violence that seemed to taper off by Sunday night. Just over 150 people were arrested, way down from the numbers we'd seen on Saturday and on Friday night.

Part of that, key to that, may have been the appeal from the grandmother of young Nael, the 17-year-old of North African descent who was killed last Tuesday at a police stop. She appealed for calm on Sunday, urging people to stay home. Now that may be part of the answer as to why the violence has dropped off, but also some of the shocking scenes that we saw on the night from Saturday to Sunday when a burning car was rammed into the house of a local mayor in suburban Paris when his wife and two young children were inside.

A peaceful protest in L'Hay-les-Roses, that suburb where it took place, led by the mayor, appealing for calm and saying that at this stage a line had been crossed. Still, French authorities taking no chances. They will remain on the streets of France this Monday night, the 45,000 policemen and women that have patrolled the streets over the weekend as well.

The police chief here in Paris saying that they want to make sure that there are no more incidents. There is also what the politicians are now trying to do to calm the minds of those in the suburbs, not just here in Paris, but elsewhere in France.

Emmanuel Macron meeting on Monday with the heads of parliament. He will meet on Tuesday with the leaders of some 220 villages and communes where much of the violence took place. The mayors who have been so directly impacted.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[03:20:08]

CHURCH: Let's bring in Sophie Pedder now. She is the Paris Bureau Chief for "The Economist." Appreciate you joining us.

SOPHIE PEDDER, PARIS BUREAU CHIEF, THE ECONOMIST: Pleasure to be with you. CHURCH: Wonderful. So it has been a week, of course, since the fatal

shooting of a 17-year-old boy at that police traffic stop. And it sparked violence across France. And while tensions have eased, President Macron needs to find a way to calm the situation and get to the root cause of systemic racism within his own law enforcement. How likely is it that the president can get this done?

PEDDER: Well, I think the first thing to say is that it is calmer already. We've had two nights which have been much calmer than they were for the first five nights of the rioting. So I think that it looks as if, for the moment at least, and nobody's going to want to call the end to this yet, but it looks as if things have begun to calm down quite considerably. And I think the second thing would be that the French government, I mean, you use the word systemic racism in the French law and order forces. I mean, the French government doesn't recognize this.

I think one has to be quite careful. It's difficult to establish the fact because France doesn't collect ethnic statistics, so you don't know for sure what a share of minority populations are actually stopped, you know, relative to the rest of the French population. So it's difficult to establish. There are clearly incidents. It very much, when I spent my time at the end of last week in Nanterre, where the riot started, it's very much something that people feel on the ground, that's for sure.

But it's a sensitive subject in France, so I think, you know, one has to be aware of that. And that is probably why it's going to take them some time, I think, to work out how to grapple with this.

CHURCH: Indeed. And of course, we know that President Macron meets today with the mayors from various cities across France who have been affected by the violent protests. What will that meeting likely achieve then? Will it just focus on law and order?

PEDDER: I think it's mostly about supporting these mayors, you know, because some of them, as you mentioned in your report, one of them in particular had his family attacked in his home in a really unpleasant act of violence on Saturday night. And other mayors have had either the town halls burnt down or a lot of the facilities. I mean, this is one of the paradoxes of these riots is that a lot of them have been aimed at the public services that have been built or renovated in these areas themselves, in these neighborhoods.

CHURCH: So does this just become a discussion about law and order and how these mayors have personally been impacted by this?

PEDDER: No, it's not about the mayors themselves, although the one mayor in particular was impacted. It's about the violence. And obviously one of the questions that the French will be looking at is the use of force by the police. The French police are armed, and the use of force, lethal shooting in France is, you know, much lower than it is in America, if you look at it as a share of population. But nonetheless, there is the use of force each year, and which leads to deaths at the hands of the police. So there are rules that govern that. And those rules have been loosened over the years, so there will be questions about whether those rules ought to be tightened again.

It's a question -- that's a question that the French can look at, independent of whether or not minority populations are disproportionately targeted. So I think that those conversations are certainly going to be had, as well as, you know, the more underlying causes. Why do people feel so angry in these neighborhoods? What is it about France? What is it about the structure of French society that makes these places so particularly, you know, vulnerable or susceptible to these kind of violent outbreaks?

CHURCH: Yes, and with President Macron's approval rating hovering in the low 20s, does he have the backing and perhaps even the political will to make the necessary changes to calm the streets, not just for now, but on a more permanent basis to create a better balance between law enforcement and maybe the interaction between law enforcement and some of these migrants living in some of the poorer parts of Paris particularly?

PEDDER: Well, it is a good question, but I mean, I think one would need to put that in perspective because early this year we had a lot of protests that turned violent that had absolutely nothing to do with the neighborhoods we've been discussing.

These were violent protests against the pension reform that he brought in. He brought in a change which was going to ask or does ask the French to work for two years longer in life before they get their pension. Now, those pension riots which were very violent. You remember the images from the beginning of this year. They had nothing to do with the neighborhoods, the housing projects on the outside of French cities. This was a much more, this was a white demographic that was more impacted by pension reform.

[03:25:17]

So I think, you know, there's a problem of unrest in France that he's got to grapple with. France is a place with a history of unrest. So, you know, there is a kind of iconography of unrest, which does, I think, come into play. But it's also a question of Macron's political authority. He runs a minority government, don't forget. He was re- elected as president last year, but he didn't get a majority in parliament.

And he has two very strong blocks at the extremes on the far left and on the far right, which are both. capitalizing on these riots. So it's going to be difficult for him to find the right tone and then to find the right policies to try to restore his authority at this moment. But, you know, he's come back from these things before, so I think it will take time, but he'll probably manage it.

CHURCH: All right, Sophie Pedder, joining us live from Paris. Many thanks.

In the United States, police in Baltimore are offering a $28,000 reward for information on those responsible for a deadly shooting at a block party over the weekend. For now, they are relying on eyewitnesses and hospitalized victims to help with that search. CNN's Danny Freeman has more now from Baltimore.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Surveillance video taken early Sunday morning captured people running for their lives as gunfire broke out in Baltimore's Brooklyn neighborhood.

BRANDON SCOTT, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND MAYOR: We won't stop until we find those responsible and hold them accountable. We won't.

FREEMAN (voice-over): 28 people were injured, including 15 Children under the age of 18.

18 year old Aliyah Gonzalez and 20 year old Kyles Fogbemme were killed in the shooting.

SERITA ANDERSON, BALTIMORE RESIDENT: You know, it was frightening and that's one straight into play and you know, protection for this community.

FREEMAN (voice-over): Police say the crime scene stretches multiple blocks and at this point they have not made an arrest but believe there were multiple shooters.

ACTING COMMISSIONER RICH WORLEY, BALTIMORE POLICE DEPARTMENT: We are still looking at every casing. We have multiple casings from one caliber of weapon but that doesn't mean everyone came from that same weapon.

FREEMAN (voice-over): Police also fear this shooting could lead to even more gun violence.

WORLEY: We're always concerned about retaliation in every single incident.

FREEMAN (voice-over): Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott called for stronger gun laws.

SCOTT: This is not just a Baltimore thing. We have to be honest. This is the United States of America. This is our longest standing public health challenge. And we need to focus on gun violence, regardless of where it happens.

FREEMAN (on-camera): Now at this point there is a $28,000 reward that law enforcement is offering for any information that can lead to an arrest or charges in this particular case. But the City of Baltimore is also looking ahead right now to the actual Fourth of July, to actual Independence Day, because there are still some events that are planned for Tuesday and the city is assuring the public that they are putting every resource they have toward making sure these events to come are safe.

Danny Freeman, CNN, Baltimore, Maryland.

(END VIDEOTAPE) CHURCH: Just ahead, with a NATO summit planned for next week, Volodymyr Zelenskyy makes another impassioned plea to join the bloc. We will have CNN's exclusive interview with the Ukrainian president.

And the U.S. State Department issues a warning to Americans about traveling to China. More on the reason behind it. That's ahead.

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[03:30:00]

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back everyone. Russia's defense ministry is accusing Ukraine of launching a drone attack on Moscow. They say five drones were intercepted near the capital but no reports of injuries or damages.

Moscow's mayor says some flights were diverted at one of the city's airports because of the alleged attack but now the airport is operating as normal.

Well Ukraine's president acknowledges that the fighting in the past week has been difficult for his forces but he insists they are making progress slowly but surely. Ukrainian military officials say Russia has deployed more than 180,000 troops to the two major eastern fronts with some 50,000 troops near Bakhmut. The fighting is fierce and tricky with the same position changing hands several times a day.

Ben Wedeman brings us the latest now from inside Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ukraine's much anticipated counteroffensive now well into its fourth week. The frontline's ever more intense.

But the gains so far are small and incremental. Ukrainian forces are pushing forward in the south, liberating just over 150 square kilometers. That's only 60 square miles.

But as Ukraine advances, the country's deputy defense minister says Russia is stepping up attacks in the east.

The enemy is trying to force our troops out of their positions, but is receiving a worthy rebuff, she said in her latest update.

On several fronts, Russian forces are managing to move forward. Now on the offensive in the town of Svatovets in the Luhansk region.

Back in Moscow, Russia's military leaders continue to project strength, even after the recent mutiny by Wagner mercenaries.

SERGEI SHOIGU, RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTER (through translator): These plans failed primarily because the personnel of the armed forces showed loyalty to their oath and military duty. The provocation did not have impact on the actions of the groupings of troops. The servicemen courageously and selflessly continued to solve the tasks assigned to them.

WEDEMAN (voice-over): Russia's assault on Ukraine also continues further from the front lines, hammering civilian infrastructure.

Monday, four Russian drones were launched at the northeastern city of Sumy, hitting two residential apartment blocks at a local administrative building.

That attack killed two people and injured at least 19. Rescuers are determined to quickly clear up the aftermath. Just as Ukrainian forces tell CNN, they're determined to keep inching forward.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Eastern Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Ukraine's Western allies are preparing for next week's NATO summit in Lithuania. In an exclusive interview with CNN's Erin Burnett, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made clear he wants an invitation for his country to join NATO now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: We are days away from the NATO summit. Have you had any assurances, at least even from the United States, that they will directly support Ukraine's bid for membership?

VOLODYMR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I'm grateful to the U.S. for their support. President Biden and the U.S. Congress, both parties, despite their preparations for the elections, pay a great deal of attention to the war in Ukraine.

They are on our side, and they support us. It's difficult for Ukraine to survive without the U.S. support, and it's a fact. I'm very direct when saying this, without the U.S.' help, it will become a frozen conflict. With the U.S.' help, we will de-occupy our territory. De- occupation of any next town is weakening Putin. We don't have to be scared of that.

[03:35:10]

The U.S. decide today whether Ukraine will get invited to NATO. This is today's situation, and it's a fact. The majority of the NATO countries support inviting Ukraine to NATO. Those who have their doubts look only at President Biden, and he knows that this depends on him. It will be his decision.

BURNETT: So he has a decision to make coming into this weekend?

ZELENSKYY: Yes, for today, yes. He's a decision maker today, to be Ukraine in NATO or not to be. But we have great relations. I mean that so he support our future in NATO. But we are speaking now about very important for motivation of our soldiers fact. Not invitation, just technical thing, just wording invitation Ukraine to NATO. BURNETT: Not down the line, now?

ZELENSKYY: Now. It's very important. It will push Russia, it will push our soldiers to de-occupate quicker because of the mobilization of the people. It's so important to feel that you are really be in through around allies in the future. But we know that we will never be in NATO before war finish. So we understand everything. But this signal is really very important and depends on Biden's decision.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And you can watch Erin Burnett's full exclusive interview with President Zelenskyy, Wednesday at 7 pm on the U.S. East Coast. That is midnight, Thursday in London.

This year's Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit is underway in India, and Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to address the virtual gathering at the top of the hour. It will be his first appearance on the global stage since the Wagner mutiny stunned Russia just over a week ago. Experts believe the Russian president will use the forum to project an image of power and reassure Moscow's partners that he remains firmly in control.

Steven Fish is a professor of political science at the University of California, Berkeley, and author of "Democracy Derailed in Russia, the Failure of Open Politics." He joins me now from Berkeley. Good to have you with us.

STEVEN FISH, PROF. OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, UC BERKELEY: My pleasure.

CHURCH: So let's start big picture. What impact has Russia's invasion of Ukraine, of course, more specifically, that short-lived Wagner mutiny had on President Putin's standing on the world stage, particularly with allies and India?

FISH: Well, you know, prior to the invasion, Putin was really the head of the global anti-democratic movement. He was the guy who had developed, most elaborately, a real illiberal ideology. And he was the one who was traipsing around the world trying to aid forces of anti- democracy, that is illiberal forces, around the world from right-wing forces in Eastern Europe, ethno-national forces, nativists, and as well as in Western Europe and in the United States as well. In fact, he intervened, as we know, on behalf of Trump during the 2016 campaign, and he might have even tipped the election. His prestige in the kind of autocratic world at that time was very high.

But since the invasion of Ukraine, his status as the spearhead of global illiberalism has really declined. His judgment was obviously, you know, fatally flawed in his invasion of Ukraine, there's really no way he was ever going to be able to make that work. Then the corruption and ineptitude of his military only enhanced and the degradation of his status in Ukraine.

And then, finally, the recent invasion of Russian territory by Wagner troops coming up from Ukraine, that is, Wagner troops, they were Putin's kind of main mercenary force in Ukraine, showed that Russia can't even protect its own borders. So under these circumstances, Putin's stock has declined radically in the world, not least among fellow autocracies.

CHURCH: Interesting and then of course President Putin is expected to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit today, in the coming hours in fact. But India's Prime Minister Modi who's hosting this summit has opted for a virtual format which means of course Putin won't have any photo opportunities available to him to help boost his image. How significant is that and why do you think Prime Minister Modi chose to do this online?

FISH: Well, it is significant, especially for Putin, that it's going to be online. Look, these things are all about photo ops. And what Putin wants is pictures of him being embraced by Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi. There's not going to be any photos like that this year.

[03:40:08]

And in fact, the desire to avoid those kinds of photo ops is part of the reason why Prime Minister Modi opted to do this online.

First of all, Indian and Chinese relations are just deteriorating. There's a border skirmish going on, a border controversy between India and China that's growing ever more, ever worse in its effect on Chinese-Indian relations. And Xi Jinping and Modi might not want to be seen embracing each other at this summit.

What's more, Putin doesn't really -- Modi doesn't really want to be seen embracing Putin at this summit. Remember, he was feted in Washington recently. He was in Washington just about a week ago or so and was treated very well by President Biden, who gave him a state dinner, which is a big distinction here. He addressed a joint session of Congress and it's clear that a price for that trip was probably holding the summit online. It would have been a very bad look for Modi and for U.S.-Indian relations if Modi would have been seen embracing Putin just a week or two after he left the United States.

CHURCH: So what actually happens at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit? Does it carry any global weight at all?

FISH: It doesn't really carry that much global weight. In recent years though, it really has become a kind of authoritarian international. And what's interesting about this is that Modi still really pretends to be a Democrat. He's moved India toward autocracy, but it's still by far the largest democracy and the most democratic major country in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Modi now wants to be seen as balancing between East and West. And so he's not all that comfortable stepping into the role as kind of the leader of the anti-democratic movement in the world.

That's actually something Putin has done. But let's remember now, that role now falls to China, because Putin's status is radically diminished in the world. And it would show if they were meeting at this summit in person.

CHURCH: Steven Fish, many thanks for joining us and sharing your perspective. I Appreciate it.

FISH: My pleasure, Rosemary.

CHURCH: The U.S. Ambassador to Russia met with jailed "Wall Street Journal" reporter Evan Gershkovich in prison on Monday. Gershkovich last had access to U.S. officials back in April, a month after he was first detained. Kylie Atwood tells us more about the visit.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN U.S. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Evan Gershkovich was visited in prison for the second time by the U.S. Ambassador to Russia, Lynn Tracy. That's according to the spokesperson at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. And this is only the second time that Lynn Tracy has been able to visit Evan.

Of course, that "Wall Street Journal" reporter who was detained in Russia earlier this year, facing charges of espionage that his -- he, his family, and the State Department, the Biden administration have all said are bogus, have denied their credibility. But he's still in a Russian prison, his pre-trial detention period has been extended through at least August.

And there have been multiple requests that the State Department has put into the Russians to try and see Gershkovich to gain consular access multiple times, those requests have been turned down, so it's significant that Ambassador Tracy was able to visit with him this week. And according to the spokesperson at the State Department, Gershkovich is in good health and remains strong, of course, despite the circumstances.

Kylie Atwood, CNN, the State Department.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And the U.S. State Department says Americans should reconsider traveling to China due to the risk of being wrongfully detained. The updated advisory comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing. Last month, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Chinese President Xi to try and cool those tensions, especially after the U.S. shot down that suspected Chinese spy balloon earlier this year.

During the visit, Blinken said he brought up the cases of three Americans he says China has wrongfully detained. Kai Li, Mark Swiden and David Lin, he added at the time that negotiations were underway to try and secure their freedom.

Well some scientists and farmers are challenging the notion that cows can't be good for the climate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT (on-camera): Not only are you going against the grain of environmentalists who think meat is evil for lots of reasons, you took money from McDonald's for this. PETER BYCK, ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR AND FILMMAKER: Yeah, I

asked for money from McDonald's for this. I wanted to go to big companies because if they don't change, we don't get there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Coming up, the push for sustainable grazing as a way to save the environment. We'll explain on the other side of the break. Stay with us.

[03:45:03]

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CHURCH: Welcome back everyone. Well demand for oil is down around the world and that's prompting Saudi Arabia and Russia to keep production cuts in place for at least another month. CNN's Anna Stewart reports from London.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: Saudi Arabia's decision to extend an oil output cut isn't surprising, but it is sizable. One million barrels per day through August, and adding in Russia's announcement of a cut half that size for the same month, it takes around 1.5 percent of the world's oil demand off the market for the month of August.

Saudi Arabia has already made hefty cuts to its oil output in an effort to bolster prices amid concerns of a global economic slowdown. Now, so far, its efforts haven't really been rewarded. Brent crude is still trading below the $81 a barrel handle, the price point at which Saudi Arabia can balance its budget according to the IMF.

Russia's announcement comes after the OPEC Plus member already agreed to a 500,000 barrel per day cut in March. Given it then produced more oil than it said it would that month and again in April, the market may take a more skeptical view on whether Russia will meet its new target.

For Russia, various bans, restrictions and a G7 oil price cap have already limited how much it can earn from its oil and that currently trades around $20 less a barrel than Brent Crude. So perhaps it has less of an incentive to cut output, but doing so could ease tensions between Russia and Saudi Arabia and maintain unity in OPEC plus.

Anna Stewart, CNN. London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: The U.K. just recorded its hottest June ever. The Met Office says the average mean temperature last month was 15.8 degrees Celsius, the highest since record keeping began in 1884 and almost a full degree warmer than the previous record set in 1940 and 1976. Individually, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also hit their own June heat records. Tennis fans at Wimbledon have been baking since the tournament started

last week. There's a heat rule in place so players can take breaks between sets when it's hotter than 30 degrees Celsius.

Well cows and the methane they produce have long been a problem for the environment, but new research suggests cattle could actually help to fight climate change by changing the way they graze.

CNN's chief climate correspondent, Bill Weir, explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WEIR (voice-over): In the beginning was the buffalo. Tens of millions of them wandering the land, munching wild grasses, and using poop and hooves to create rich, fertile soil up to 15 feet deep.

But since Americans replaced buffalo with cows, generations of fertilizers and pesticides, tilling and overgrazing, have turned much of that nutrient-rich soil into lifeless dirt.

[03:50:11]

But not on farms where they graze cows just like wild buffalo.

BYCK: Well, so adaptive multi-patic grazing, AMP grazing, is a way that mimics the way bison have moved across the Great Plains. And so it's really about the animals hit an area really hard and then they leave it for a long time.

WEIR (voice-over): Peter Byck is a professor at Arizona State University, and he believes that if enough beef and dairy operations copy this simple hack, cattle could actually become an ally in the fight against climate change.

BYCK: I anticipate we'll get a lot of pushback, because people are not thinking that cows can be a part of the solution.

WEIR (on-camera): Not only are you going against the grain of environmentalists who think meat is evil for lots of reasons. You took money from McDonald's for this.

BYCK: Yeah, I asked for money from McDonald's for this. I wanted to go to big companies because if they don't change, we don't get there.

WEIR (voice-over): For his docu-series, "Roots So Deep: You Can See the Devil Down There," Byck assembled a team of scientists.

BYCK: We're really interested in insects that live in poop.

WEIR (voice-over): Experts in bugs and birds.

UNKNOWN: Yes, Bob White.

WEIR (voice-over): Cows, soils, and carbon.

They spent years comparing five sets of neighboring farms in the southeast. On one side, traditional grazers who let cows roam one big field for months at a time and often cut fertilized grass for hay. On the other side, amp grazers who never mow or fertilize.

UNKNOWN: You open a gate, they go through, it takes five minutes, could roll up a wire.

WEIR (voice-over): And with a single line of electrical fence, move their cows from one patch of high grass to the next.

BYCK: That's the building fence.

UNKNOWN: This is how easy it is, Peter.

WEIR (voice-over): While their science is yet to be published and peer reviewed, Byck says early data has found amp farms pulling down up to four times the carbon, while holding 25 percent more microbes, three times the birdlife, and twice as much rain per hour.

BYCK: If it's a thousand acre farm, it's 54 million gallons of water. That's now washing your soil away versus soaking into your land.

UNKNOWN: Wow, look at this grass.

WEIR (voice-over): But this is also a human experiment to see whether data and respectful discussion can change hearts and minds.

UNKNOWN: This was grazed about 40 days ago. And this hadn't been fertilized in 12 years.

UNKNOWN: Awesome.

UNKNOWN: And when we got out of spending money on fertilizer, it was huge. Huge. And I didn't think it would ever happen.

UNKNOWN: It is such a stress relief. We just don't worry about a lot of it anymore.

UNKNOWN: And you don't even fertilize when you plant your eye grapes?

UNKNOWN: Nothing. It sounds crazy. But if letting Mother Nature do the work.

UNKNOWN: Would it be an interesting thing if you didn't have to pay for fertilizer?

UNKNOWN: Would that be wonderful?

WEIR (voice-over): Curtis Spangler is one of the conventional farmers in "Roots So Deep," and he says his mind was changed when he realized he now has a way to double his herd and quit his second off-farm job.

CURTIS SPANGLER, FARMER: Right now, we're having to dump thousands of dollars into nitrogen every year that really, if we just change a couple things, we might be able to save that money to put it toward other resources.

WEIR (on-camera): Is that something you're committed to doing now as a result of this project?

SPANGLER: We're really looking and seeing the benefits of it and how we can work it.

WEIR (voice-over): So as we hit the height of grilling season, a little food for thought.

BYCK: There is ways to produce meat that is not good for the planet. And there's ways to produce meat that's really good for the planet. And that's the nuance that's been missing.

WEIR (voice-over): Bill Weir, CNN, Jasper, Tennessee.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Still ahead, "Barbie" is banned in Vietnam.

(VIDEO PLAYING)

The live action movie about the American doll is creating an international incident. We'll tell you how after the break

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[03:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: He's driving on the shoulder on the southbound lane going northbound. We're going over 80 miles an hour.

UNKNOWN: He's losing control. All right, we're turning into some ranch road. He's stuck. He's bailing out.

(VIDEO PLAYING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: We've just gotten this heart stopping video from the Texas Department of Public Safety. It shows police chasing after a big rig at speeds of nearly 140 kilometers an hour. And you can see the white truck also driving on the wrong side of the highway. Eventually the truck went off the pavement and the men inside made a run for it. Police say they arrested the driver and apprehended 12 undocumented immigrants who were also on board.

Well the new live action "Barbie" movie has been banned in Vietnam.

(VIDEO PLAYING)

The film, which is distributed by CNN's sister company Warner Brothers, was slated to open in Vietnam on July 21st. But a state-run newspaper says the film won't be screened because it shows a map of Beijing's claims to the South China Sea, which is depicted in this U- shaped line.

Vietnam considers some of the oil-rich territory its own continental shelf and has already awarded drilling contracts there. For its part, China has refused to accept an international court ruling in The Hague, which rejected Beijing's claims. Warner Brothers has not yet commented on the latest ban.

And that's where I'll leave you. Thanks for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day. "CNN Newsroom" continues with Max Foster and Bianca Nobilo, next.

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