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American Nurse And Her Child Kidnapped In Haiti; Trump Keeps Campaigning Despite Growing Legal Peril; Biden Acknowledge 7th Grandchild For First Time; Ukraine Reacts After Moscow Drone Strike; Migrants Not Deterred By New Rio Grande Barriers; Amsterdam to Ban Large Cruise Ships Downtown; Wagner Chief Blames Colonialism, West For Coup. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired July 30, 2023 - 05:00   ET

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

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[05:00:37]

PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR: And a warm welcome to our viewers watching us from all around the world. I'm Paul Newton. Ahead right here on CNN Newsroom, an American nurse and her child kidnapped near Haiti's capital. What we know and the latest plan to help end gang violence there.

Plus, more than 65 million people waking up to heat alerts right across the United States, we'll tell you whether relief is on the way. And --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: As, you know, Biden has ordered his top political opponent to be arrested. I got to be arrested. They want to arrest me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: At his latest campaign rally, Donald Trump blames President Biden for his latest legal problems in the classified documents case.

There is growing concern this hour for an American nurse and her child who were kidnapped in Haiti. Alix Dorsainvil worked for a Christian humanitarian aid organization called El Roi Haiti. She and her child were reportedly kidnapped Thursday morning near the Haitian Capital, Port-au-Prince.

According to the group's website, Dorsainvil is originally from New Hampshire. Now, she moved to Haiti after her husband asked her to care for students at a Haitian school. Her husband, in fact, is the Director of the Organization and said his wife and child were taken while serving their community ministry.

A statement says, in part, Alix is a deeply passionate and loving person who considers Haiti her home and the Haitian people her friends and family. Alix has worked tirelessly as our schools and community nurse to bring relief to those who are suffering.

Now the abduction came shortly after a warning by the State Department for Americans to leave Haiti. Just yesterday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken had this to say about efforts to end the unrest there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We have very deep concern for the situation there, particularly with regard to violence and the activities of the gangs. We are, as I think you know, the largest humanitarian donor to Haiti, but we are also very focused on working together with partners to try to help the Haitians restore security, restore stability. That really is the necessary foundation for being able to make progress on a political way forward as well as making sure that humanitarian assistance can actually get to those in need.

So we've been very focused on trying to put in place what's necessary for a multinational force, including finding a lead nation to take this on. And my expectation is that we will have some progress to report on that very soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Now apparently there may have been some progress. Kenya, a short time ago, announced it is offering to send 1,000 police officers to Haiti to help curb gang violence there. They would also help train Haitian forces. A U.N. Security Council mandate is required for the offer to move forward.

Now stay with CNN. We will continue to have more on this developing story.

The extreme heat meantime continues to stifle large parts of the United States. The number of people under heat alerts is growing by the hour. Right now, more than 70 million people are currently under heat alerts from Southern California. You see it there right to the Deep South.

The dangerously high temperatures have claimed the lives of several people in Illinois, Texas, and Arizona. Parts of the southwest are expected to remain in a heat wave for several more days. But in the coming hours, Phoenix may end its days-long streak of temperatures topping 110 degrees. Right now, just after 2 a.m. in Phoenix, it is 102 degrees.

Now, relief is on the way for people, though, in the meantime in the Mid-Atlantic, with a heat wave expected to ease this weekend for much of the East Coast.

But look at this, there was widespread damage and power outages around Washington, D.C. after severe storms passed through the area on Saturday. National Weather Service issued alerts for high winds. Emergency officials responded to multiple calls for trees and power lines down. And the city's rail line also reported disruptions caused by those downed trees and power outages.

Now, at last report, there were still nearly a hundred thousand homes and businesses without power right across Maryland, Virginia and D.C.

[05:05:07]

Now, on the other side of the country, firefighters are dealing with a massive blaze in Southern California that started Thursday. The Bonny fire has led to an evacuation order for some residents of Riverside County.

Now, the fire has spread across more than 2 ,000 acres. That's about 800 hectares, and it's only about 5% contained. Authorities say at least one firefighter suffered minor injuries.

Now, it's not heat or fire, but heavy rains in typhoon from -- Typhoon Doksuri that slashing Beijing and several other cities in Northern China. More than 800,000 people have been affected, some 500,000 evacuated.

According to the Chinese state news agency, the heavy downpours will continue over the next three days. Some places have seen the highest daily rainfall totals in more than 60 years.

Now, before making landfall in China, Doksuri is battered Taiwan and the Philippines, killing at least 39 people.

Now, the imminent threat of more criminal indictments doesn't seem to bother Donald Trump very much, at least not when he's campaigning, appearing in Erie, Pennsylvania on Saturday. The former president was defiant about the legal peril hanging over him. And he claimed it was because he's a threat to President Biden's reelection. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The radical lunatic Democrats, they impeach me, they indict me, they rig our elections. And the Republicans just don't fight the way they're good people, but they don't fight the way they're supposed to fight. The others are dirty, sick players and the Republicans are very high class. They've got to be a little bit lower class, I suspect.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: CNN's Alayna Treene was at Trump's rally and has this report.

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ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Well, I am here in Erie, Pennsylvania where Donald Trump spoke to a large crowd of supporters on Saturday. And as is typical with Trump's rallies, there was a big crowd and a lot of energy.

But one thing that was interesting was, the venue wasn't entirely full and that's not normal for Trump's rallies. Yes, there were a lot of people there on Saturday, but there were also many empty seats.

But Donald Trump took to the stage at around 6 p.m. and he gave a pretty typical 2024 stump speech. He went through his agenda items for his campaign. He also walked through his highlight reel from his time in office. And he also spent a lot of time criticizing President Joe Biden. One thing that I found very interesting was that he made an appeal to Republicans and he told them that they need to investigate the Biden family more. And also to act on the information that they've gathered already. And he said any Republican that doesn't do that needs to be primaried.

But he also spent a good amount of time talking about his own legal troubles. He railed against Special Counsel Jack Smith. He criticized the Justice Department. And he revived the well-worn playbook that we've seen him use time and time again when talking about the charges and the mounting indictments that are looming in front of him, which is to characterize them as election interference. And my colleague, Kate Sullivan and I caught up with some rally attendees as they were heading into the venue before his speech and they told us that they think Donald Trump is entirely right in the sense that they do think that he is the victim of a political witch hunt and that really the Biden family needs to be more focused on in an investigative context.

And so, I think you're going to continue to see Donald Trump using the same rhetoric as he moves forward and continues forward with his very aggressive campaign schedule. Alayna Treene, CNN, Erie, Pennsylvania.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: Mike Pence, meantime, was in Iowa Saturday meeting with voters directly to try and win their support. The former Vice President held this round table with first responders at a local fire station. During that event, he spoke with CNN about his chances of reaching a threshold of 40,000 donors to qualify for Republican debates. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE PENCE, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think, you know, I think we're maybe a couple of weeks away yet based on the pace of things coming in because our focus is on the campaign. To be honest with you, you know, the criteria of 40,000 donors being added to the requirement of being in a certain place in the polls is somewhat new. We accept that criteria, confident that we'll get there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Now it's notable, Pence did not directly attack Donald Trump, likely to avoid the anger of Iowa voters who had booed another candidate for criticizing the former president.

Now, U.S. President Joe Biden, meantime, is breaking his silence on what he called a family matter for the first time. He is acknowledging his seventh grandchild. The young girl is the daughter of his son, Hunter Biden, and a woman in Arkansas who took into court over child support payments. Jeremy Diamond has more.

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(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, during his decades in politics, President Biden has put his family at the center of his political life and his political image. His role as a father, his role as a grandfather talking frequently about his grandchildren.

But until Friday, President Biden had only acknowledged that he has six and not seven grandchildren. That changed when he put out this statement saying, quote, "Our son Hunter and Navy's mother, Lunden, are working together to foster a relationship that is in the best interests of their daughter, preserving her privacy as much as possible going forward. This is not a political issue, it's a family matter. Jill and I only want what is best for all of our grandchildren, including Navy."

And that last sentence there is the first time that President Biden has indeed acknowledged this four-year-old girl as one of his grandchildren.

Now, a source familiar with the matter says it was the resolution of a court case in recent weeks between Hunter and this girl's mother over child support payments that led to the President now acknowledging this girl as one of his grandchildren. But it's important to note that it was back in 2020 when a DNA test confirmed that Hunter Biden was this daughter's father and that he then began making child support payments. And yet it was not until Friday that President Biden has now acknowledged this girl as one of his seven grandchildren.

Now, another source familiar with this situation says that the President has spoken with his son Hunter about doing what's in this girl's best interest going forward and that that could also include the possibility of the President meeting his granddaughter for the first time. Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: And you are looking at live pictures there as President Vladimir Putin is in St. Petersburg, Russia, and he has kicked off the annual Navy Day Parade in St. Petersburg. And he will continue speaking there at a speech where sailors and veterans were showing off the country's naval might.

Now, President Vladimir Putin is overseeing the events. And as you can see there, we'll continue to bring you any news lines as we get them.

Now, the Kremlin says he was joined by several African officials, including four heads of state. It happened a day after he wrapped up the Russia-Africa summit where he discussed Ukraine and other global issues.

We are getting, meantime, the first response from Ukraine after a drone attack on Moscow this morning. The Ukrainian Air Force says the strike showed that, "There's no more tranquility in Russia's backwaters." The statement referred to this.

Yeah, the video shows an explosion in fireball after the attack. Russian military officials say they intercepted three Ukrainian drones, but two of them still crashed into a shopping complex. That came on the heels of another drone strike on Moscow on Monday, which did not cause serious damage or casualties. Salma Abdelaziz joins us now from London.

And Salma, you join us as we say Vladimir Putin has taken to the stage there in St. Petersburg. These were, in fact, audacious attacks by Ukraine, and you wonder if it has something to do with the timing of this parade?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think the timing of the parade is important, but in general, Paula, Ukraine has been more and more vocal in recent weeks, claiming attacks on Russian-occupied regions and inside Russia itself, making clear that they want to ramp up the cost of this war for Russians, even those outside of the battlefield.

I want to bring you one more piece of video. This is dashcam footage of this drone attack on a shopping complex in Moscow today. And you can see that moment, just that flash of light, and beginning to get an understanding really of how terrifying that must have been for residents in Ukraine, as you read in that statement, says that is absolutely the goal. I'm going to read you a little bit more of that statement where they say there is no longer tranquility in the backwaters of Russia. It goes on to say the statement, now the war is affecting those who were not concerned. There's always something flying in Russia as well as in Moscow. And beyond affecting, of course, residents, families, civilians, it brings worries and fears and concerns to Russian officials who, I imagine, are sitting in St. Petersburg right now during this Naval Day Parade, possibly wondering, possibly wringing their hands and inquiring us to whether or not Ukraine will interfere with drones or otherwise in this moment where President Putin is trying to display a show of force.

And these are not the only brazen attacks that Ukraine is claiming. I also mentioned attacks on Russian-occupied territories. I'm mentioning here, the attack on a very critical bridge, the Chonhar bridge, which connects Russian-occupied Crimea to Russian-occupied Kherson, a critical land supply route there that provides ammo, troops, everything that frontline troops need. It's not the first attack on that very key land route for Russia. Ukraine says it's going to continue to ramp up strikes there, again, in an attempt to choke out Russian troops. And all of this comes as President Zelenskyy -- we saw President Putin there addressing troops, President Zelenskyy himself as well trying to give a morale boost to troops near Bakhmut.

[05:15:21]

We have footage to show you of that as well on Saturday making a visit on the commemoration of also a military holiday. That is a city that of course has been home to fierce fighting now, fierce conflict now for many, many months. President Zelenskyy there, of course, trying to show his own display of strength and solidarity.

NEWTON: Yeah, and in the meantime, as you said, we continue to keep an eye on Vladimir Putin in that speech in St. Petersburg, Salma Abdelaziz in London for us. Thanks so much. Now, meantime, Poland's Prime Minister says dozens of Wagner

mercenaries in Belarus are moving toward a strategic corridor on the Polish border called the Suwalki Gap. Now, it connects Belarus to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. You see the map there and why it's so significant. Poland's Prime Minister says the troop movement is part of an ongoing strategy to destabilize Poland. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATEUSZ MORAWIECKI, POLISH PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We've got information that over a hundred of the Wagner Group mercenaries move towards Grodno in Belarus near the Suwalki Gap. Why would they do it? Obviously, to prepare another stage of the hybrid attack on the Polish territory.

They may, in Belarusian border guards' disguise, help illegal immigrants to enter Poland and destabilize it. But they may also try to infiltrate Poland themselves in immigrants' disguise. This would create an extra risk.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Now, thousands of Wagner troops are reportedly in Belarus after a failed military uprising in Russia. It was part of a deal negotiated by the Belarusian president who has since asked Wagner to train his country's military.

Now, new barriers are failing, apparently, to deter migrants who are trying to cross the U.S. border from Mexico. Still ahead, why they believe giving up is not an option, even though -- even though the crossing is now more dangerous than it used to be.

Plus, a controversial new law in Israel has outraged tens of thousands of Israelis who fear their democracy may be slipping away. That's story when we return.

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[05:21:13]

NEWTON: A legal battle is heating up over floating barriers being placed on the U.S.-Mexican border. The State of Texas is putting them in the Rio Grande River to try and prevent migrants from crossing into the United States. But despite the fact that the barriers can put them at risk, migrants are not turning around. Rafael Romo has our story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A mother and her young daughter attempt to cross the Rio Grande in broad daylight. Orange buoys four feet in diameter and anchored to the riverbed, as well as concertina wire, stopped them at the Eagle Pass border in Texas.

A migrant family from Venezuela says they have been in Piedras Negras on the Mexican side of the border, gauging the risk of trying to cross the river with young children in tow. What we have seen is that people have gotten hurt with the razor wire,

he says, adding that they're thinking twice before taking any risk.

But his wife says the family fled Venezuela for reasons that are much more compelling than floating barriers, including crime, extortion and living under a dictatorship.

Others say barriers or not, returning home is not an option. This migrant father traveling with his wife and young son says the buoys and razor wire are indeed going to make it more difficult to cross, but their mission, he says, remains unchanged, making it to the United States barriers or not.

GREG ABBOTT, TEXAS GOVERNOR: This is what they look like up close.

ROMO: Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced last month a plan to deploy the floating barriers on the Rio Grande to deter migrant crossings.

ABBOTT: We're securing the border at the border, where these buoys will allow us to do is to prevent people from even getting to the border.

ROMO: Mexico's top diplomat blasted the barriers, claiming they violate two international treaties, and more than 80 Democratic members of the U.S. Congress signed a letter urging President Joe Biden to challenge their installation in court.

The Justice Department filed a federal lawsuit on Monday to try to force Texas to remove the floating barriers on the Rio Grande and then filed a motion seeking a preliminary injunction Wednesday in an attempt to put the case on a fast track. The response from Governor Abbott, Texas will see you in court.

(On camera): The mayor of Piedras Negras, the border city on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande, told CNN that in recent weeks anywhere from 600 to 700 migrants arrive there daily, only about a third as compared to last year, although the number of minors traveling with their families has recently increased in a noticeable way. Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: Now, as the new week begins in Israel, many people there say they are fearful of losing their democracy now that the right-wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu has passed its first law to overhaul the nation's judiciary.

And a large number of protesters return to the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday to show their strong disapproval, just as they've done every weekend since January. CNN spoke to one protester who says the weekly demonstrations won't be ending anytime soon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wherever I think the government is not taking care of us, as citizens, the only thing we can do is come here. This is our duty, the only thing we can do as citizens, we come here every week for almost seven months. The law, the Fed this week maybe we thought

we would be tired, but we're here to show that we are not tired. We're just beginning.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Now, everyone is now waiting to see if the Israeli Supreme Court strikes down the controversial measure when it hears appeals in September. The Prime Minister hasn't said how he might respond if that would happen.

[05:25:03]

Now to Bangladesh, where police clashed with protesters who blocked roads and threw rocks as they demanded the resignation of the country's Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina. Police used rubber bullets and tear gas to try and disperse the crowds. Dozens of people were arrested and at least 20 officers were injured. There have been several protests in the past year. They are led by the country's main opposition party. It accuses the government of human rights abuses and corruption.

In Thailand, officials say at least 12 people were killed and more than 120 were injured when a fireworks warehouse exploded Saturday in a village south of Bangkok. The blast also damaged more than 100 homes and left an enormous smoldering crater.

Right now the cause of the disaster is still under investigation, but police say they plan to charge the owner of the warehouse with a criminal offence for causing that explosion.

Now you may think you're done with COVID-19. We're not. Health officials say U.S. cases and hospitalizations are rising. That story after the break, plus part of my conversation with a COVID expert.

And a trend is sweeping across Europe. Another city says they've had enough of cruise line passengers making port calls in their town to party the night away.

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NEWTON: At this hour, more than 70 million people in the United States are currently under heat alerts from Southern California to the Deep South. Relief is on the way for people in the Mid-Atlantic and much of the East Coast. CNN's Athena Jones has more now on how people in New York are trying to beat the heat and, of course, that humidity.

[05:30:03]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATHENA JONES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We're here in New York's Washington Square Park. This is the heart of New York University's campus and we are dealing right now with a real temperature of 91 degrees but it feels like temperature approaching 98 degrees. Take a look around this park though. You would not know from the number of people out and about here that we're approaching a heat index of 100 degrees. But this is one of the areas New Yorkers come to cool off. We talked this week about the urban heat island effect. And that is cities and parts of cities with a lot of concrete, a lot of asphalt, not a lot of water, sources, trees or grass. Those areas can reach a temperature or feels like temperature 10 degrees hotter than the rest of the area.

This is not one of those areas. A lot of people we've seen throughout the course of the day have been getting in and out of that fountain looking to cool off and doing any number of other things to make sure they can beat the heat. Take a listen to what some of the folks we've talked to told us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's got to be like a lizard on there. You've got to stay in the shade, you've got to move slowly, keep the heart rate low. Otherwise you're just going to be sweating bullets, you know. It's too much.

JONES: And what else are you doing? Are you going in and out looking for air conditioning?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any air conditioning, you know, getting the cup of ice on the neck, the forehead, the whole nine yards. You've got to play safe, you know.

JONES: Does this concern you at all?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 80 days of smog, you know, in the next 20 years. Like this is -- this is -- we're past the point of no return, right? Like we have been. So, you know, it's just kind of one of those things where it's a new normal and CLIV, you know.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: Thanks to Athena Jones there. Now, this summer, the U.S. may be heading for another wave of COVID-19, but they're telling us not to panic. Scientists say this surge very likely could be much milder than previous summers. As of this week, the CDC says many COVID indicators are actually showing signs of a spike, but one major indicator seems to show that it's already leveling off.

Now, last hour I spoke with Dr. Scott Miscovich about where things stand and what you can do to protect yourself. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. SCOTT MISCOVICH, PRESIDENT & CEO, PREMIER MEDICAL GROUP USA: One of the contributing factors to the now rise this summer is the fact that there are so few people that have been vaccinated recently. If you look back of when the bivalent was available back in the fall, that's already well over six months for the elderly. And a lot of people haven't had a vaccine in a year. Well, what do we know about the vaccines? They're great for the first four months, for every age group. And then they start to slack at six months. The older you get, the less effective the vaccine is. So that's why we're seeing some hospitalizations increase and why we're going to see the people of all ages are going to be more likely to be able to get COVID because they're losing their immunity.

NEWTON: And so you would say go out and get a vaccine right now, another booster?

MISCOVICH: This is one of the things I'm being asked all the time when I'm seeing patients. And we're right at the edge where I am actually telling people to hold off. Why? We now know the FDA has approved the production is starting. There will be the upgraded vaccination that will be focusing specifically on Omicron. And it's going to drop the original component of the vaccine that was in the bivalent, which is what we want now. And that vaccine will be available in September, probably mid to latter at the latest. And there's going to be a massive push across the United States to get your flu shot and to get your COVID vaccine updated. And then for the over 60, get that new RSV vaccine that's available. So I am advising my patients right now to wait until September since it's right around the corner.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: It is indeed now experts say Americans are traveling a lot more this summer. So the hot weather, it's actually driving people indoors, but they also say other pathogens are circulating at much higher levels this summer. So if you get something that seems like a bad cold, it may not be COVID at all.

Now, in the meantime, we go to the issue of large cruise ships in the heart of Amsterdam that will soon be a thing of the past. The city is bringing in a key measure to try and control the enormous waves of tourists that flood in. And steps like this seem to be a trend among European cities.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Unwelcome visitors, a large cruise liner like this can carry thousands of passengers. But some cities, such as Amsterdam, say that's just too many people in one place at one time and are taking steps to cut down on the number of tourists.

Last week, the city voted to close the downtown terminal, which will effectively ban cruise ships from docking in the heart of the city. City officials say they had to intervene because of the impact on the environment and the sheer numbers of tourists. This year Amsterdam is expected to receive more than 18 million overnight visitors. And in just two years, that number could reach 23 million with even more people taking day trips to the city. That's a lot of people and a lot of revenue. The decision is getting mixed reviews from tourists ready to spend.

[05:35:18]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Surely, you can have enough tourists, but the cruise ship must bring in millions to this place every year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We took taxis, we took Ubers, we spent money, we went at restaurants, but at the same time if it is bringing a vibe to the city that people don't like, I think that's the people of the city's prerogative.

NEWTON: Two years ago, Venice made a similar curb, banning large cruise ships from its city center. Officials say it was overwhelmed with five and a half million visitors in 2019 alone, far outnumbering the local population of 50,000. In 2019, Dubrovnik limited the number of cruise ships docking there to two per day, with no more than 4,000 passengers at a time. Tourism has surged in the city in part because of the popularity of the HBO series Game of Thrones, which films scenes there.

Back in Amsterdam, the city is also trying to clamp down on the type of tourists coming in. Earlier this year, it launched an online campaign called Stay Away, targeting young British men who want to come to the city to get high or drunk. It also banned smoking cannabis on the streets in the red-light district, and there is a debate to move sex workers to the outskirts of the city. Despite the economic impact, some residents say they are all for the less is more tourism plan.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If people want to be on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean, it's fine for me. Just go to spots that are not so crowded.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: This is a debate that is sure to continue in Europe, especially as some of those cruise ships have now just diverted to other ports of call.

OK, so France and the E.U. suspend critical aid to the African nation of Niger after a military takeover, but is Wagner far behind? We'll talk with an expert in West Africa about Wagner's influence and actions in that volatile region.

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[05:40:20]

NEWTON: France and the E.U. are cutting off financial and security aid to Niger, days after a military coup ousted the West African nation's democratically elected leader. CNN's Larry Madowo is monitoring the situation from Nairobi.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The E.U. is hitting Niger where it hurts the most, whether it's a democratically elected President or coup leader declaring themselves in charge. They badly need aid. That budgetary support from the European Union, from the U.S. and other international partners, keeps the country on the move. And now the European Union saying this, President Mohamed Bazoum was democratically elected. He is and remains the only legitimate president of Niger. He must be released unconditionally and without delay. The E.U. holds the coup leader responsible for his safety and that of his family. And that money question is something the U.S. has also touched on. Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, became the first U.S.

Secretary of State to visit in March and he's been talking about this, traveling in Australia.

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We are united in condemning the actions that have taken place in Niger, calling for the immediate release of President Bazoum, calling for the immediate restoration of the democratic order in Niger. Our economic and security partnership with Niger, which is significant, hundreds of millions of dollars, depends on the continuation of the democratic governance and constitutional order that has been disrupted by the actions in the last few days.

MADOWO: The European Union says its ready to support future decisions against the regime in Niger including sanctions from the regional body. The Economic Committee of West African States has a summit on Niger coming up in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, Sunday. But the African Union is also asking for the release of President Bazoum and says these soldiers must go back to the barracks within 15 days. They have not been paying attention because General Abdul Rahman Tiani, who is the head of the presidential guard and has declared himself new leader of Niger, has been meeting senior government officials. He says they have to go back to work and he's playing president as the international community all tells him, no we don't recognize you. Larry Madowo, CNN, Nairobi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: And we will be right back with more news in a moment.

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[05:46:29]

NEWTON: And we want to return to our developing story out of Niger and in a striking way how it dovetails into the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Now, while much of the world is of course condemning the coup in Niger, the head of the Wagner Militia has a different take. Yevgeniy Prigozhin says Niger's troubles stem from colonialism and without evidence says that Western nations are sponsoring terrorist groups there.

This image of him was taken recently in St. Petersburg on the sidelines of that summit of African leaders. Prigozhin also says Wagner is capable of dealing with situations such as Niger. In fact, in a lot of the video coming out of Niger, you see it there. There are scenes like this one, right? The Russian flags being carried by jubilant crowds. Wagner Militia contractors are currently in neighboring Mali, helping it fight an Islamic insurgency. And it's important to note that Wagner has a very sizable footprint in Africa well beyond that. These are the countries right now in which it's believed the mercenary network operates.

And I want to turn now to David Otto. He's an Abuja in Nigeria. He is the director of the Geneva Center for Africa Security and Strategic Studies. And I thank you for joining us -- joining us now on what really have been stunning developments in Niger. And given all the uncertainty that we see there now, how does Wagner's presence and motives throughout the region further complicate the situation?

DAVID OTTO, DIR. GENEVA CENTER FOR AFRICA SECURITY & STRATEGIC STUDIES: Well, of course, we know that Wagner has a strategy and that includes pouncing on any opportunities, you know, that it gets to take advantage of the chaos. What they've done in Central Africa Republic is no different from the same that's -- you know, activities that they've done in Mali, in Burkina Faso. So, at this point in time, with the words of, you know, Ibn Ghamid (ph), what they are essentially saying is that they are possibly calling for the military junta to rely on Wagner. This is a private military contractor that specializes in providing regime security, not national security. So perhaps what we're going to see is that Wagner perhaps will want to expand by providing perhaps the military junta with options, which will further encroach on the democratic process, which Niger Republic had faced for the first time in its history, to see a democratically elected process just in 2021.

So it's a very concerning scenario and I hope that the meetings which have been held by ECOWAS, which is the regional body, but also African Union, will find some kind of solution to pressure the junta to give back perhaps power to the democratically elected government or perhaps to have a transitional government. Go ahead.

NEWTON: Yeah, and those meetings continue and we'll see what comes out of them in the coming hours. But to continue this, you know, striking information that you give us, help us better understand how the attempted mutiny by Wagner's leader last month in Russia could now affect how Wagner tries to operate going forward in Africa. I mean those comments from Prigozhin were so out of place really because he was speaking as if he was a leader of a country with a military prepared to launch a military intervention there?

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OTTO: Well, I think, you know, we all thought that Yevgeniy Prigozhin had been exiled to Belarus, and it was some kind of a good news that we would see the end of Wagner. But essentially, you know, we keep seeing him appearing and talking about official positions of this nature. Perhaps what have expected in the Russian summit was to see African leaders putting a lot of pressure on Russia and Vladimir Putin to discontinue the use of private military contractors whom, as I said, you know, they are much more focused on regime security than national security.

But what I -- I mean, I don't know how this is going to go forward because, of course, the Russian president has made it clear that he would kind of integrate Wagner forces into his regular forces. But we haven't seen the same structure being applied to African countries. And I think this is where Africa needs to be very careful. Considering the fact that Wagner has the ability to turn against its own -- it's owner in the sense of Russia. We do not know if they can do the same thing in this African countries.

So Africa needs stability. They have the leverage, and I think they should use it better in terms of how they apply this to their partners and how they apply this to their national security.

NEWTON: And yet Wagner has already, you know, shown in Africa that it's been able to fill that power vacuum and, in fact, enrich itself as well. How does Wagner's presence in Africa now seeming growing presence there, you know, really complicate things for Western allies when they're trying to stabilize some of those countries?

OTTO: Of course it will. I mean, we're talking about geopolitics here. I mean, this is a plausible deniability for Russia. What Wagner would possibly do in this particular situation? I mean, let's talk about Niger, for example, that has a huge U.S. presence. It has a huge presence of French troops and German troops that are stationed in Nigeria Republic.

Niger was the last basket of democracy that some of the Western countries like France and the United States relied upon, especially when we saw some of the troops from Operation Baking that left Mali into Niger Republic and Burkina Faso. They went to Niger. Now, what we're seeing is this narrative of an anti-Western and anti-French demonstration. And perhaps, you know, we've seen also that some of the protesters are kind of calling on Russia to intervene.

So it's going to cause a further chaos and it complicates matter for regional bodies like the African Union and ECOWAS on how to apply sanctions, you know, against this regime. But I have to add that some of the things that ECOWAS needs to do is to try and ensure that governments do not change constitution. We do not have constitutional coupes.

In one of the central African countries, a car which Wagner operates, there is an ongoing referendum as we speak where the President, who is being guided by Wagner, is changing the constitution to run for a (inaudible). This is the kind of chaos that I think African countries should avoid.

NEWTON: Understood. And a fine point that you make there, given the meddling in that constitution. David Otto for us. Thanks so much. Really appreciate it.

All right. And we are on the Women's World Cup. It's been a historic week and a half for New Zealand, co-hosting the sport's biggest event for the first time and also earning their first ever win in six appearances.

Unfortunately, though, I have to break the bad news. Their tournament is coming to an early end. CNN sports correspondent Carolyn Manno is live for us in New York. It is tough. This news is tough for the host country.

CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: It is. Especially because it was a day of such celebration in New Zealand when the team pulled off this stunning one nil victory over former champion Norway in the opening match of the tournament last Thursday.

And you thought anything could be possible that set up a must win scenario for Norway today, by the way, against the Philippines. And they answered the call, in overwhelming fashion. Sophie Haug putting home the cross in the 6th minute to get the scoring started. And they never really stopped. Three goals in the first half, three more in the second, as they seem to be finding their foot in winning 6-nil. But New Zealand needed to beat Switzerland in front of their home fans if they wanted to avoid being the first host to ever miss the knockout stage.

But the football ferns coming up just short in this contest. Keeper Victoria Esson all the way up in the dying moments as well, putting a header just wide of the net. And that would really be the best look that New Zealand got in this match. The match finishing nil-nil Switzerland and Norway advancing. So a very tough break there. But elsewhere in sports this morning for a WNBA Star Brittney Griner is taking a leave of absence to focus on her mental health.

[05:55:02]

The Phoenix Mercury announcing yesterday that she's going to miss at least the next two games, maybe more later today in Chicago, Tuesday in Indiana are definitely out. There's really no word right now about when she might rejoin the team. The 32-year-old, as many know, spent nearly 300 days in a Russian prison before being released as part of that prisoner swap last December. The team says that they fully support court her decision to take this time away from the game.

And after LeBron James's son Bronny went into cardiac arrest on Monday, some relief for the James family towards the end of the week. This was a really nice video posted by LeBron James over the weekend showing the family enjoying something of an uplifting note from the 18-year-old who's out of the hospital and on the men. Take a listener.

So just something small there, but still reason to smile. And it's really not clear yet what caused Bronny's health scare, but LeBron James wrote that the family is together, they're safe and healthy, which is a great sign after such a troubling week for their family. Good news there.

NEWTON: Yeah, music and healing always good. Appreciate it, Carolyn. Thanks so much.

And thank you for watching. I'm Paula Newton. For viewers in North America, CNN This Morning is next. For the rest of the world, it's POV Abu Dhabi.

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