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Allies Disappoint Zelenskyy's Plea For NATO Membership Timetable; Israeli Protesters Stage "Day Of Disruption" Against Controversial Judicial Overhaul; Deadly Floods, Mudslides Bring Southwestern Japan To A Halt; Russia and Cuba Seek to Strengthen Ties; Blinken Addresses Iran Envoy Placed on Unpaid Leave; Golf Officials Grilled over Saudi-Backed LIV Merger; European Regulators Expand Weight Loss Drug Probe. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired July 12, 2023 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[01:00:28]
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Ahead here on CNN Newsroom. It's a process. NATO leaders refused Ukraine's request for a hard timeline for membership, but promised to speed up the application process, which began 17 years ago.
With Israel's far right coalition government pushing its judicial reform bill through Parliament, nationwide protests erupt, demanding to stop what they say is an attack on democracy.
And missing in the French Alps. A desperate search for a toddler last seen five days ago.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from CNN Center. This is CNN Newsroom with John Vause.
VAUSE: Wherever you are around the world, thank you for joining us here for CNN Newsroom. We begin this hour with a major disappointment for Ukraine and hopes for joining NATO. The 31 leaders from the military alliance meeting for a second and final date in Lithuania.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy was greeted by cheering crowds on Tuesday, he arrived hoping the summit would see agreement on a specific timeline for Ukrainian membership are doing it would strengthen both Ukraine and NATO.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): NATO will give Ukraine security. Ukraine will make NATO stronger.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: But NATO leaders stopped short saying Ukraine needs to make progress in certain areas to meet all conditions for full membership. There was one concession though the requirements for a Membership Action Plan was scrapped, which should streamline the process.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: This will change Ukraine's membership path from a two-step process to a one step process. We also made clear that we will issue an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO when allies agree and conditions are met.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Live now to the Lithuanian capital, CNN's Melissa Bell has the very latest for us. Thanks for being with us, Melissa. Clearly, the Ukrainian president did not get what he wanted. And soon he'll meet with the NATO leader who probably is most responsible for that. And that would be U.S. President Joe Biden. Are these two have had a close relationship in the past? Will that be tested perhaps in the coming hours?
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think clearly there was disappointment on the part of President Zelenskyy. And yet, of course, John, the idea that NATO Alliance members might have chosen to tie the question of Ukrainian accession 20 questions of how and when the war will end was clearly impossible, principally for Washington, and Berlin.
And yet, he doesn't go home entirely empty handed. It is an important show of unity. As you heard there, a two-step process becomes one the process will be made easier, but NATO Alliance members very wary of tying themselves to any specific timetable.
He will also be going ahead with going home with fresh equipment pledges of support from individual member states. And at that meeting with President Biden one of the issues is likely to come up is of course, Washington's pledge of just a few days ago to provide those very controversial cluster munitions.
On account of the fact, Washington says and Joe Biden has been very clear about this, his reluctance was overcome by the idea that they will help Ukrainians to penetrate those very deep and highly fortified Russian defenses all along that 1,000 kilometer at front line.
That is a source of division within NATO members as well, but is likely to bring at least some comfort to the Ukrainian president who's long been arguing that this is exactly what Ukraine needs to help them going forward.
So it will be an important meeting and an opportunity to get behind some of the posturing that we've seen yesterday with, again, President Zelenskyy putting out that tweet, very forceful language, but fundamentally, these are allies working together for a common endeavor.
One of the questions will be the cluster munitions. We're going to hear, of course, from President Biden himself, as well beyond the bilateral meeting with President Zelenskyy. He will also be making a speech here before heading off to Helsinki no doubt at all opportunity to celebrate some of the gains of this summit.
[01:05:04]
And of course beyond the question of when and how Ukraine joins, there is a substantial progress has been made on the question of Swedish succession and the restructuring of Europe security that that entails something no doubt Joe Biden will be putting forward in his speech and looking ahead to how the United States sees the important gains as well that have been made here, not just in terms of the expansion of NATO, but of its strengthening.
This has also been about turning what had been so far as seeding the 2 percent of GDP pledge of individual members into a more firm commitment on the part of the members. So there is a sense that many of the key issues that Jen Stoltenberg had set out have or will have, by the time we get to the final communique been agreed upon, and none of them was necessarily that easy or not fraught with division to begin with. John.
VAUSE: The honor sets be great to have you these past few days. Thank you.
Former U.S. ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker is with us now. He also served as the U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine negotiations, is currently a senior adviser with the Atlantic Council. Welcome back to the program. It's good to see you, sir.
KURT VOLKER, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO NATO: Thank you so much for having me.
VAUSE: OK, so in the summit's communique, which references NATO's membership, NATO leaders state have an ongoing need for progress by Ukraine within the democratic and security sector goes on to say the alliance will support Ukraine and making these reforms on his path towards future membership -- future membership. We will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the Alliance when allies agree and conditions are met, which the head of the NATO alliance says is how the process has always worked. Here's Jen Stoltenberg.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STOLTENBERG: If you look at all the membership processes, there are not been timelines for those processes. They are conditions based has always been.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: It may have always been that way. But it seems kind of almost asinine to be a stickler for following the guidelines written by the Alliance and not in stone, during the year and a half long war in which they do is already an active participant. This is not business as usual. VOLKER: Right. Well, I completely agree. I think that ultimately decisions by NATO are made by consensus of all the existing member states, they all have to agree. And so by saying what they did that when all allies agree, they're implying that NATO allies don't agree today. And when they say when conditions are met, they're implying that the conditions are not met today.
And here, I would really beg to differ. I think Ukraine is doing more to defend Europe against authoritarianism and genocide than any other country right now. Ukraine is defending the frontiers. And so they're incredibly ready to be a member of NATO.
NATO may not be ready to take them because they don't want to adopt a war with Russia. And that's OK. But the signal that NATO needs to send is to Putin, that his war will never succeed, that Ukraine will be a secure country, and it will be a member of NATO has whatever that takes, we will make it happen. That's the message that we need to send.
VAUSE: With regard to, you know, the argument that NATO, Ukraine joining NATO would be a declaration of war. I mean, it all comes down to Article Five, right, which would NATO would be at war with Russia, Article Five is the attack on one is an attack on all and the Alliance states it will assist the party or parties so attacked by taking forthwith individually and in concert with other parties such action as it deems necessary, including the use of force.
It seems Ukraine could be granted membership tomorrow. And nothing much would change like Germany, which on Tuesday announced it was providing assistance it deems necessary. Here's the German Chancellor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OLAF SCHOLZ, GERMAN CHANCELLOR (through translator): Just now a new package of just under 700 million euros has been put together, enabling us to provide further immediate support to Ukraine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: So there's no automatic trigger of troops going to war if one nation is attack, because Article 11 goes on to say that the treaty is, you know, implemented according to each country's own constitution. So it does just seem that right now, there is a very good argument to say that Ukraine joining doesn't actually change a whole lot in reality.
VOLKER: Well, that is technically true. As a technical and legal argument you're absolutely right. There's nothing in Article Five that says every country has to leap to military action in order to defend an ally that's attacked.
However, the expectation of NATO is that if a country is attacked, there will be a concerted and collective military response. And we don't want to create a precedent where a country's attacked and people feel free to say Yes, but in this case I don't want to use military action, that would be very damaging for NATO. [01:10:09]
So we do want to have the understanding that if a country is attacked, there is a collective military response. And that's why allies are hesitant about bringing in NATO on this day, because Ukraine is being attacked on this day.
But that is different. That's a different question about NATO membership today, from the commitment to NATO membership in the future, where it is absolutely clear, this is what NATO is going to do. And here is where I think NATO fell a little bit short today. They were not as unequivocal as they should have been about the future of Ukrainian membership.
VAUSE: Because clearly, there is an assumption by many NATO members that Ukraine, if not now, then once this war ends, will be given membership into the Alliance. Others say, Well, that just gives Vladimir Putin, you know, more incentive to extend and drag out this wall for as long as possible.
VOLKER: Right, if you say that the condition is the end of the war, that is indeed an incentive to Vladimir Putin to keep the war going, just keep fighting. I think we need to say something that's a little bit more giving NATO the freedom of action than that, which would be to say, when we perceive that the conditions are right, as soon as practicable. It is our intention to do this as soon as we can.
That is a signal to Putin, that there's no getting out of this. If we say when the war is over, you're right, that does give Putin an option to just continue the war and then we would never fulfill that condition.
VAUSE: Mr. Ambassador, thank you so for your insights and your time very much. Appreciate it.
VOLKER: Pleasure, thank you.
VAUSE: North Korea appears to breach U.N. sanctions with an illicit firing of a long range ballistic missile. According to Seoul, the missile was launched from an area not far from the capital Pyongyang. According to Japan's defense ministry, the missile was in the air for 74 minutes, traveled east for about 1,000 kilometers before crashing into the Sea of Japan was also known as the East Sea.
During an emergency meeting on the sidelines of the NATO Summit, South Korea's President warned there is a price for North Korea's illegal activities. We should note North Korean state media is yet to report on the launch.
Mass demonstrations of again paralyzed parts of Israel with tens of thousands on the streets, protesting the government's plans for judicial overhaul, a plan which they say threatens Israeli democracy.
They declared Tuesday a Day of Resistance blocking major highways and intersections in Tel Aviv. They marched on Parliament and the Supreme Court in Jerusalem held a noisy protest at Ben Gurion Airport as well the main airport for Israel.
The protests were mostly nonviolent, but dozens were arrested. And a photographer from the Israeli newspaper Haaretz was shoved to the ground, repeatedly manhandled by police. Water cannons were used to break up protests in Tel Aviv as well. CNN's Hadas Gold has more now from Ben Gurion Airport.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HADAS GOLD, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Here at Ben Gurion Airport, this is Israel's main airport just outside of Tel Aviv, thousands of protesters have essentially taken over we're here at the arrivals level. As you can see, no cars are passing there to be able to pick up passengers. And this is part of the protesters national day of disruption.
Protests have been going on all day from the morning through the evening, all across the country. Now courts (ph) have been going on here for months against the government's plan to completely overhaul the judiciary. But the reason that they've been particularly amped up now is because of legislation that was passed Monday night, it's the first of three readings on just one aspect of this massive judicial overhaul.
This particular legislation has to do with stripping the Supreme Court's ability of declaring government actions unreasonable, but it almost doesn't matter what the legislative steps were. It's just the fact that the legislation is back on the table because they had actually been frozen for several months after those massive general strikes and protests and the defense minister coming out against the overhaul back in March.
There were some attempts at compromise negotiations with the opposition, but those have clearly gone nowhere are the coalition government led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are now pushing forward once again, with this legislation. It's going to be done in a slower, more piecemeal fashion.
But more these protesters they essentially don't believe anything that comes out of Benjamin Netanyahu or the coalition government's mouth when they say we should be a slower process, when they say that even parts of legislation have been soft and watered down.
These protesters on the opposition wants to see a show overhaul essentially completely off the table. They say they will continue coming out to the streets and continue protesting.
Now, the government and Benjamin Netanyahu say that judiciary desperately needs some sort of reform. They say they've won the election. They have the votes in Parliament to make this happen. But the protesters here at the opposition and even some of Israel's biggest allies like the United States have expressed grave concern about what exactly this reform will do.
[01:15:07] And these protests -- these protesters, they say they will continue coming out. Some would even say that they plan to pitch tents in downtown Tel Aviv to make their purchase even more permanent. Hadas Gold, CNN, Ben Gurion Airport.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Yohanan Plesner is the president of the Israel democracy Institute, and a former member of the Knesset, the parliament there in Israel. Yohanan, thank you so much for being with us.
YOHANAN PLESNER, PRESIDENT, THE ISRAEL DEMOCRACY INSTITUTE: Hi, John. Thanks for having me.
VAUSE: OK. So the leader of Israel's biggest opposition party Yair Lapid believes eventually one well, another, this bill will either not become law and if it does, it will not stand. Here he is. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YAIR LAPID, HEAD OF YESH ATID PARTY (through translator): This will not happen. If it passes the first reading, it will fall on the second and third readings. If it passes the second and third readings, it will fall in the High Court. If it doesn't fall in the High Court, this damn government of yours will fall by the voters.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Does that argument ignore one very important fact. As much as this bill is opposed and feared by a very big section of Israeli society it is embraced and supported as well for the most part by an equally big section of Israeli society. And that division seems to be the major issue here.
PLESNER: Well, John, public opinion data consistently shows that this plan for constitutional overhaul is unpopular throughout the Israeli public, there isn't even majority support for this plan with among less -- Likud voters, Likud -- the party led by Prime Minister Netanyahu, his voters are not in support of this entire overall package.
It's actually not what he ran on the campaign. He ran on another agenda items like cost of living and security. And instead, once the government was established, from the first week, it's focusing for the past half a year, only on this one agenda item, a constitutional overhaul in democracy that is on the one hand, as you've seen in the pictures, very vibrant, very strong, but does not have sufficient institutional stability, because we do not have a constitution.
And this is the main point. If you want to initiate constitutional, fundamental and constitutional changes, you need to do it with -- in a broad consensus. This is what the prime minister promised President Herzog. He actually spoke to other leaders, including President Biden, and explained to them that he will initiate it with broad consensus and de facto. They're pushing through a very radical reform with a very narrow majority. And this is why so many Israelis are so concerned.
VAUSE: And just to go through the major criticism of this bill is that it removes or significantly weakened judicial restraint on the elected government. And so for the -- here's Benny Gantz, he's leader of the National Unity Party to explain more. Here he has.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENNY GANTZ, HEAD OF NATIONAL UNITY PARTY (through translator): The snowball that is starting to roll here today will grow, accelerate and trample the whole country. If we don't stop it now. The meaning of the law you are trying to prove here today is the start of a dangerous process, removing limitations from the government and erasing judicial critique.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And yet, the removal of that judicial oversight is exactly what the government is arguing is needed to protect democracy. So, you mentioned this, Israel does not have a codified constitution. Would the country be facing this crisis right now, if it did have a constitution, because it's been one promised since 1948? It hasn't been done yet?
PLESNER: Well, we would not have been facing this crisis if we had a Constitution because as you know, in many other countries, including the U.S., in order to initiate constitutional changes, regime changes, you need the broad majority in parliament, in the case of the U.S., you need the House, you need the Senate, you need the approval of states.
In Israel, because we do not have a constitution. And we do not even have a separate procedure for constitutional changes, an irresponsible government can push through a very radical constitutional reforms with a narrow majority.
Now the problem with this change is threefold. Number one, the process. Constitutional changes should be initiated with a broad consensus and not in this manner. Number two, the substance of this specific chapter, which is designed to remove oversight of the government, sorry, of the Supreme Court over administrative decisions of the government basically to a turn all ministers into all powerful ministers with no oversight on capricious or arbitrary aspects of their decision making.
And number three, it's part of a grand package and the government is quite clearly states that after this phase will be passed the plan to bring in the other chapters.
[01:20:09]
So it's a threefold problem. And this is why you've seen the most massive protests in the country's history for about half a year. About a quarter of Israelis testify on themselves, that they went to protest physically went out to the streets, a quarter of Israeli citizens, and many of them are people who actually voted for the coalition voted for Likud, but did not vote for that.
VAUSE: Sir, thank you so much for being with us. Really appreciate you getting up early. I really appreciate your insights. Thank you.
PLESNER: Thanks for having me.
VAUSE: Still to come on CNN, the death toll rising in Japan from devastating floods, and mudslides after days of torrential rain. Also ahead --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What is your name?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Napoleon.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The course of my life has changed, Napoleon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: One of France's most storied figures gets the Hollywood treatment and studios are betting big on le petit general.
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VAUSE: In Hong Kong police dispatch the home of an exile pro democracy activist Tuesday. Hong Kong's public broadcaster reports several relatives of Nathan Law were also taken away for questioning. Hong Kong Police confirm three people work question saying quote, they are suspected of assisting persons wanted by police to continue to commit acts and engage in activities that endanger national security. Investigation is underway and further operations including arrest may be made.
Tuesday's events come one week after Hong Kong police posted a reward of almost $130,000 for information leading to the arrest of Nathan Law and seven other prominent democracy activists in self imposed exile.
Today's heavy rain flooding and landslides. The death toll in Japan Southwestern Islands has risen to eight. More than a dozen have been injured others remain unaccounted for.
In northern India, heavy rain flash flooding and landslides in recent days has left more than 40 people dead. Similar scenes are playing out in other parts of Asia as well as the United States. CNN meteorologist Chad Myers explains how global warming is making these weather disasters even worse.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLIGST (on camera): Well, there are a couple things going on. I think probably the greatest of all of them would be the warming of the planet 1.2 degrees C above pre-industrial levels that just a little bit above 2 degrees Fahrenheit, that has allowed the earth to hold the atmosphere to hold more water vapor. If there's more water vapor, there's more water condensation, and therefore that rain can be heavier and just maybe not 7 percent, but you can actually multiply that out as some of this rain runs up hills.
Not that there wouldn't have been a flood anyway but certainly increased amounts of rainfall possible when you have increased amounts of water vapor. Here's the rainfall in the flood and Kyushu. This is in Japan, the southern island of Japan.
[01:25:00]
This was a major flood right along the Mayu Bayu Front. The Mayu Bayu Front sets up every year is kind of a stationary front. But right here in the southern part of this island right there. That's where day after day of rainfall put down over 400 millimeters in three days.
There's the front right there. The plum rains come from this. Warm moist air to the south, the front sets up, and then the rain stays in the same place for many, many days in a row. And as we look ahead here for the rest of the week, it looks like South Korea is going to get involved with this also possibly even the western coast of Japan. That's part of the rain that comes off of mainland China and it's going to rain in mainland China as well.
But look there for Seoul, there will be places 200 millimeters over the next three days, someplace else that's picked up an awful lot of rainfall. But this is kind of expected because it is monsoon. Here's India spots in here 300 millimeters over the past couple of days. And the monsoon over the past couple of weeks has really exceeded expectations over all of India.
And I don't see that going away anytime soon. When the monsoon comes in, the humidity comes in, the sun heats the ground, the air goes up causing thunderstorms and causing significant amounts of rainfall. Central India, those purple spots are greater than 250 millimeters of rainfall just over a very short amount of time.
Across parts of the southwestern part of the United States. Very hot weather coming in, 115 degrees won't be out of the question in almost any city here in the desert, that's 43 in Vegas, 44 for Thursday, and 45 on Friday, and temperatures just continue to go up. Even for Phoenix, the high on Sunday could be 48 degrees in the afternoon. That's an awful lot of heat.
And those temperatures are in the shade. And there won't be any cloud cover. So if you're out in the sunshine when it feels like 48, it might feel a whole lot warmer than that. And the temperature outlook for parts of the Mediterranean going to be very warm as well. And Rome, you're going to start to ramp up. Look at this. How's that gonna feel on Tuesday, a high in the shade again, of 39 degrees hot in parts of Europe as well.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: And then there was three U.S. climate envoy John Kerry set to visit Beijing this weekend, the third high level official from the Biden administration to be dispatched in recent weeks. Kerry follows in the footsteps of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, all hoping to ease tensions between Beijing and Washington.
Kerry plans to meet with his Chinese counterpart looking for common ground in the fight against climate change.
More than 100 migrants have died this year trying to cross the U.S. southwestern border, according to the U.S. Border Patrol. With thousands more rescues, it's clear and many are willing to endure the worst for a change a chance rather at a new life. Adriana Loya with CNN affiliate KPNX has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ADRIANA LOYA, REPORTER, KPNX (on camera): The triple digits are proving to be no deterrent for people who are trying to migrate into the United States and federal agents along with humanitarian groups are staying hard at work.
GAIL KOCOUREK, TUCSON SAMARITANS: Yes, it's pretty. It's pretty bad right now.
LOYA: The treacherous journey across the U.S.-Mexico border exacerbated by the dangerous heatwave. More than 100 migrants have died from heat so far this year in the Southwest, 13 just last week. In Arizona, the bodies of 53 people have been recovered across the desert since the start of the year.
KOCOUREK: It's really pretty bad and I think it's heartbreaking.
LOYA: Gail Kocourek is with Tucson Samaritans, a volunteer based group that provides humanitarian aid to migrants along the border. She says over the weekend, a woman died.
KOCOUREK: The first thing they wanted to tell us that this man had walked up to them and said that his sister had died the night before along the wall. He was distraught and he was looking for help.
LOYA: Gail says while in route to find the body they encountered a border patrol agent also searching for her.
KOCOUREK: Yes, the canine with them and he gets on the body and somebody put a blanket over her which is I thought considerate of someone.
LOYA: So far this year, Border Patrol agents have performed over 24,000 rescues along the southwest border, a record breaking number that has doubled almost every year since 2020 according to the agency's data. U.S. Border Patrol chief Jason Owens said on Twitter over 5,300 rescues have been heat related over the weekend.
Agents in Nogales found an unresponsive woman as they tracked a group of suspected migrants near Pena Blanca late they carried the 22-year- old to an air ambulance saving her life. Last month, four migrants were rescued south of Benson after calling 911. Two other people ran out of water and had to be rescued by BORSTAR agents.
KOCOUREK: But the people that come from Central America, South America they don't know this kind of shape over timidity. They don't have the dry heat the life right out of you.
LOYA: 2010 and 2021 were the deadliest years for migrants crossing the border in Arizona with 225 and 224 deaths. As a sweltering record breaking heat scorches the nation, there is no end in sight for Border Patrol agents and volunteers.
[01:30:08]
KOCOUREK: People aren't taking it seriously.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Thanks to Adriana Loya for that report.
French police are searching for a two-year-old boy last seen five days ago in a remote Alpine village. Right now, police say Emile's disappearance remains a total mystery.
The little boy was last scene walking the street near his grandparents' home on Saturday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARC CHAPPULS, PREFECT, ALPES-DE-HAUTE-PROVENCE, FRANCE (through translator): The gendarmes, the firefighters and canine teams from the Alpes-de-Haute Provence Department supported by neighboring departments along with numerous volunteers took turns, almost without interruption, to try to find little Emile.
In total, there are almost 800 people who for the last two days have been taking turns to try to find the child in a circumference of five kilometers around the area where he was last seen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Hundreds of volunteers are helping with the search. Authorities have also opened a telephone hotline, but they are also broadcasting a recorded voice message by Emile's mother over loud speakers from a helicopter.
Still to come, a former Russian military commander killed while jogging. Western media says the killer may have tracked him through a popular app. That story and more when we return.
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VAUSE: Welcome back. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
For the second night, Ukrainian air defenses appeared to have intercepted a wave of Russian attack drones launched towards the Kyiv region.
Meantime, on the eastern frontlines, Ukraine's military says it's making progress retaking territory around the city of Bakhmut. Ukrainian officials say more than a kilometer of territory has been liberated, as part of a push to bring the city within their fire control.
For their part Russian sources claim success further east around the city of Lyman. Neither side appeared not to make any meaningful breakthroughs along the eastern front lines in recent days. Small amounts of territory have been changing hands.
At the NATO summit in Lithuania, Ukraine's defense minister says he's received commitments from 11 partner states to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s. So far no commitment by any government to provide Ukraine with the actual fighter jets. Still Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expressing his gratitude for NATO's support.
CNN's Alex Marquardt has more, reporting in now from Kyiv.
[01:34:58]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Ukraine's president taking the stage at the NATO summit. Thanking flag-waving Lithuanians for their support, saying Ukraine's flag is still alive and free.
"NATO will give Ukraine security," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
"Ukraine will make NATO stronger."
But as Zelenskyy mingled with NATO leaders, his country's future in NATO remains uncertain. Simmering underneath his deep frustration over the lack of urgency and clarity to join the alliance.
"It is unprecedented and absurd, when timeframe is not set neither for the invitation, nor for Ukraine's membership," he tweeted. "It seems there is no readiness, neither to invite Ukraine to NATO, nor to make it a member of the alliance."
NATO secretary general stated clearly that Ukraine will join NATO but in the future, quote, "when conditions are met".
JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: If you look at all the membership processes there have not been timelines for those processes. They are conditions based. Has always been.
MARQUARDT: The first condition for the U.S., the war with Russia needs to end before an invitation can be made. As Zelenskyy made clear in a recent interview, that isn't soon enough.
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Invitation is such a technical thing. Just wording. Invitation Ukraine to NATO.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not down the line. Now?
ZELENSKYY: Now, it is very important. It will push Russia.
MARQUARDT: As the NATO summit opened, Russia sent a wave of almost 30 attack drones towards Kyiv, and the critical port city of Odessa. Air defenses managed to shoot down most of them and no one was killed but buildings were severely damaged.
Ukraine firing missiles deep behind the front lines. Hitting the city of Berdyansk, in the south, plumes of black smoke rising.
Nearby, yet another Russian general Oleg Sokov (ph) was killed with a long-range rocket it. According to Ukrainian officials and a Russian Telegram channel, General Sokov would be the most senior Russian general to be killed in Ukraine so far. And would deprive Russia of one of its most experienced generals.
And while the list of mysterious attacks inside Russia grows, a one- time submarine commander Stanislav Rzhitsky was murdered while out running in southern Russia. His regular jogs recorded on the Strava app, and his route, according to a Russian media outlet, was tracked by the killer.
Alex Marquardt, CNN -- Kyiv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Russia's investigative committee posted to its Telegram channel a video purporting to show the arrest of a suspect involved in the killing of a former Russian submarine commander. CNN cannot independently verify this video.
Russian authorities say the man had a pistol with a silencer in his possession which quote, "presumably was when the murder was committed".
It seems countries that are sanctioned together, like to stay together. One of Russia's biggest supporters is communist-ruled Cuba. Now both countries seeking to deepen economic ties with trade and investment.
Our man in Havana is Patrick Oppmann.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Russian warship sails in Havana. Cuba greets the ship, the Perekop, the first Russian naval vessel to make an official visit in years with cannon fired salute.
It's just the latest sign of the reforging of ties between Russia and Cuba. While much of the rest of the world has denounced Russia for their invasion of Ukraine, Cuban President Miguel Diaz Canel seen here alongside Vladimir Putin integrating a statue of Fidel Castro in Moscow in November defends Russia's war.
"We are condemning, we are rejecting the expansion of NATO towards Russia's borders." He told Russia today. "We condemn all the measures and sanctions that have been applied as a way to coerce the Russian Federation."
And Russia increasingly is throwing a lifeline to their old ally just 90 miles from the United States. Since the war in Ukraine began, Russia and Cuba signed a flurry of new
agreements that would open the first supermarket selling Russian food here, increased oil shipments to the island, even developed this beachside community outside of Havana. It appears to be the most significant Russian investment in Cuba in decades.
In February, after Russia donated 25,000 tons of wheat, Russia's then ambassador to Cuba said the aid will continue the flow.
"In spite of the challenges," he says, "Russia and Cuba continue developing their strategic relationship based on the historic friendship, solidarity, and mutual sympathy between our two countries."
[01:39:55]
OPPMANN: The warming of ties for many Cubans feels like a trip back to the future. In this video from the 1960s, narrated by Fidel Castro, Cubans are told how visiting Russian experts would modernize the island. And said Cuba grew dependent on Soviet aid.
The USSR collapsed and facing punishing U.S. economic sanctions, the island plunged into a financial abyss from which it is yet to emerge. While Russian officials have suggested reestablishing a military presence on the island, some analysts feel that Moscow no longer has the capability to do so.
SERGEY RADCHENKO, JOHNS HOPIKINS SCHOOL OF ADVANCED INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: I think this kind of threat is used more for taunting the United States, and for a kind of -- or as a kind of a form of psychological warfare to sign off against the United States.
OPPMANN: Whatever the future of the renewed ties, it is clear Russia is again once again staking a claim in Cuba.
Patrick Oppmann, CNN -- Havana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Russia has used its Security Council veto to end the U.N. humanitarian aid operation in northern Syria, recently plagued by civil war and devastated by a deadly earthquake back in February. Damascus has praised the decision saying the resolution would violate Syria's sovereignty under the pretext of delivering cross border aid to those in need.
The U.S. representative to U.N. though was outraged.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: This is really a sad moment, it is a sad moment for the Syrian people, and it is a sad moment for this council save for one country. What we have just witnessed, what the world has just witnessed was an act of utter cruelty.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: More than a decade into Syria's civil war, the U.N. says more than 4 million people in rebel-held areas in the northwest are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance. 80 percent of them are women and children.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has made his first but brief comments about why the U.S. envoy to Tehran was placed on unpaid leave last month. Rob Malley's security clearance suspended amid a investigation into his handling of classified material. Blinken was asked what Malley's leave means for U.S. efforts to revive the Iran nuclear deal during an interview with MSNBC.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: What I can say is that I have known Rob Malley for many, many years. And he is someone who has dedicated his life, his career to serving our country and he has done so admirably.
The work that we are doing on Iran making sure that it doesn't acquire a nuclear weapon, bringing home those unjustly detained, pushing back in coordination with allies and partners against its behavior in other areas -- that continues.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: It still remains unclear what specifically led to Malley's security clearance being suspended.
We're taking a short break here on CNN. When we come back PGA Tour officials try to explain why they merged with Saudi-backed, LIV Golf, a deal some U.S. lawmakers have called a betrayal of American values. We take a closer look at the controversy.
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[01:45:00]
VAUSE: After trying to fight off the Saudi-backed LIV Golf for a year, PGA Tour officials say they had no choice eventually but end their legal battle, merge with the rebel tournament or the PGA they say would have been no more within five years.
They made these claims during a hearing before U.S. Lawmakers. And Democratic senators though slammed the merger as a betrayal of American values.
More now from CNN's Andy Scholes.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Defensive PGA Tour officials telling lawmakers today they had no choice but to join forces with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Tour. JIMMY DUNNE, PGA TOUR BOARD MEMBER: We got to the table because of the existence of LIV. They own one hundred percent of LIV. They have billions of dollars in LIV. They have no economic constraint. They have no time constraint. They sued us we did not decide to sue them.
They took our players. Their entire existence is based on taking more of our players. That's just the reality.
SCHOLES: For more than a year, PGA Tour officials and players slammed the LIV Tour. But in the end, PGA Tour executive Ron Price says U.S. professional golf as we knew it would not survive without a merger.
RON PRICE, PGA TOUR CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER: We faced a real threat that LIV Golf, which is 100 percent financed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, would become the leader of professional golf.
SCHOLES: But that was not enough for some angry lawmakers.
SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): Today's hearing is about much more than the game of golf. It's about how a brutal, repressive regime can buy influence indeed even take over a cherished American institution to cleanse its public image.
SCHOLES: 15 of the 19 hijackers in the 9-11 attack were Saudi Arabian citizens leading survivor's families to sue the regime over it. And more recently, the regime was condemned worldwide for brutally murdering journalist Jamal Khashoggi with a bone saw. A U.S. intelligence report claimed Khashoggi was killed by agents of Saudi Arabia in 2018.
The Saudi Investment Fund is backed by more than $600 billion. Price says the Saudis' investment in the new merger will be north of $1 billion, adding that the exact details are still being worked out.
In front of families of 9-11 victims, Senator Ron Johnson, defending the PGA Tour's decision, saying it shouldn't be up to them to be sports' moral compass.
SEN. RON JOHNSON (R-WI): The PGA Tour accurately viewed LIV as an existential threat. It would be grossly unfair to expect the PGA Tour to bear the full burden of holding Saudi Arabia accountable. After all, anyone who drives a car or uses oil-based products has helped fill the coffers of the Saudi Public Investment Fund.
SCHOLES: And the framework agreement between the Saudis and the PGA Tour must still be approved by the PGA Tour's 10-member policy board, which includes star Roy McIlroy and four other PGA Tour players. But when and if it does go through, it will be tough to heal the wounds of the last year.
ROY MCILROY, FOUR-TIME MAJOR WINNER: I still hate LIV, like I hate LIV, like I -- I hope it goes away and I would fully expect that it does.
JON RAHM, TWO-TIME MAJOR WINNER: I want to have faith that this is the best thing for all of us but it's clear that that's not the consensus. BRYSON DECHAMBEAU, 2020 U.S. OPEN WINNER: As it's come to fruition now, I think that this is the best thing that could ever happen for the game of golf. And I'm extremely proud to be a part of that. But I truly believe in the end the game of golf wins.
SCHOLES: As a part of today's hearing, the subcommittee releasing documents revealing the secret negotiations between the two sides and one of the proposals from the Saudi Investment Fund had Tiger Woods and Roy McIlroy owning LIV teams and playing 10 LIV events a year. Tiger Woods is likely not doing that.
Another proposal (INAUDIBLE) that the governor of the Saudi fund, Yassir Al-Rumayan obtained membership at the ultra exclusive Augusta National and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club. And while they do have the framework for this deal, the exact terms have yet to be decided.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: James Colgan is news and features editor for Golf Magazine and Golf.com. He joins me this hour from New York. Welcome back, James. It's good to see you.
JAMES COLGAN, NEWS AND FEATURE EDITOR, GOLF MAGAZINE AND GOLF.COM: Great to see you. How are you?
VAUSE: I'm good. I'm good. We're glad that you could join us for this. Because I was listening to the PGA Tour officials testifying before Congress. So you were as well.
Did their argument essentially for the merger with LIV and the Saudis come down to, if you can't beat them, then you may as well join them?
COLGAN: John, I think that is a great way of summarizing the points laid out by the PGA Tour. I thought it was a very interesting change of tone from when this merger was first announced. All we heard from the PGA Tour side was how they had the upper hand. They were the people sort of driving this ship going forward. And true as that maybe it was very clear from the hearing today that the reality is very different.
[01:49:54]
COLGAN: It's that they were forced into this decision, or at least they were presenting that they were forced into this decision. And there are any number of reasons for that but the big one, the one that everyone knows is money.
VAUSE: Yes. And according to most senators at this hearing, this decision by the PGA Tour to jump into bed with the repressive regime with an appalling human rights record was perhaps shortsighted to say the least.
Here's Senator Richard Blumenthal with more. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BLUMENTHAL: Today is about sports washing. It's also about hypocrisy. How vast sums of money can induce individuals and institutions to betray their own values and supporters. Or perhaps reveal a lack of values from the beginning.
It's about other sports and institutions that could fall prey if their leaders let it be all about the money.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: This is a much bigger issue, a much bigger question that seems to face professional sports administrators a lot. Where do they draw the line here between their responsibility to the bottom line, and then when it comes into conflict with a bigger, moral responsibility. Where is -- you know, where do they lie on this? Who are they responsible to at the end of the day? What do they do here?
COLGAN: Well, I think that if you're listening to what the PGA Tour was saying, their opinion on this matter is that if they had continued to let the Saudis pump money into LIV Golf and challenge them, there was a very real possibility that they could have been out of business.
Jimmy Dunn said all that would take is five years and five players a year which seems like a very small sum to take down the PGA Tour. But yes, you raise the big question and the one that that obviously no one at the PGA Tour wants to talk about which is what is the morality of this decision? What is the true meaning of this agreement and all that comes with it?
I mean it's a layered situation to say the least but it's clear that the tour has kind of made their decision on this already.
VAUSE: There's also the details which were released about this merger deal which again raises some questions not about the future of the PGA Tour but that LIV Golf, which is, you know, played as a team sport.
The agreement states that the parties, quote, will make a good faith assessment of the benefits of team golf and determine how best to integrate team golf into PGA Tour and DP World Tour events going forward.
And under this agreement it seems PGA Tour officials do have a lot of authority and a lot of power to determine what happens in the future. So what is likely going to happen here when it comes to team golf and LIV Golf as an entity?
COLGAN: Well, arguably the biggest revelation of today's whole hearing was a note that was passed back and forth between PGA Tour officials and Public Investment Fund officials in the weeks leading up to this, the finalization of this merger. And the note essentially stipulated that if the PGA Tour was going to agree to this framework agreement.
It would mean that Greg Norman would be out as the LIV CEO and commissioner. Now that would seem to spell doom for LIV heading forward because without Greg Norman. This is not much more than a team golf set up that could be very privy to the PGA Tour schedule as things exist.
And it seems like from what we saw from this agreement that the Saudis are kind of looking to add a team component to the PGA Tour schedule as opposed to seeing both LIV and the PGA Tour exist in the long term. That's a huge, huge development.
VAUSE: Yes. I guess we'll see how that all plays out with the PGA Tour and the Saudis and who wins and what stays and what goes.
James, thanks for being with us, we really appreciate your time.
COLGAN: Thanks so much, John.
VAUSE: Well, a new class of popular weight loss drugs is now under investigation. Regulators are examining some possible side effects that are severe. Details on that when we come back.
You're watching CNN.
[01:53:49]
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VAUSE: Concerns are growing over a class of popular weight loss drugs and some worrisome possible side effects. European regulators say they are broadening an investigation into drugs like Ozempic and Saxenda to find out if they are linked to suicidal thoughts and self injury.
To be clear, no link has been established but there are 150 reports of such behavior among patients taking the medications.
Norovirus cases are surging onboard cruise ships to levels not seen in years. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says so far this year they have recorded 13 outbreaks on cruise ships, up from just for all of 2022 and the highest number of cases since 2012.
The virus is highly infectious commonly causing nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain. The exact cause of this year's spike in cruise cases remains unclear, but experts believe an increased amount -- in pandemic -- as the pandemic appears to wind down rather. And the record numbers of passengers could be to blame.
More than 31 million passengers worldwide expected to set sail this year surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Be careful of the norovirus.
An update now on the court battle over Aretha Franklin's estate.
(MUSIC)
VAUSE: A jury decided a note written in 2014, signed by Franklin, found under a sofa cushion after her death will be consider her last will and testament. Franklin who died in 2018 did not leave a formal will but there were two handwritten notes, the 2014 one and one from 2010.
Her sons have been battling over which note should be used to divide the estate, including her music royalties.
Well, the life story of one of France's most renowned political and military figures is coming to the big screen. Here's a first look at "Napoleon".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am destined for greatness. But those in power will only kill me with their sword.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I suggest you take the throne as king.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Directed by Ridley Scott, it puts Joaquin Phoenix in the role of "Le Petit General". The two last worked together on "Gladiator" back in 2000 with Russell Crowe. This movie promises a look at Napoleon's rise to power, epic actions and battle scenes. "Napoleon" hits theaters in November.
Thanks for watching. I'm John Vause.
CNN NEWSROOM continues with Laila Harrak next.
See you right back here tomorrow.
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