Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Biden: Hopeful For Gaza Ceasefire By Monday; Sources: Hamas Softens Demands Amid Hostage, Ceasefire Talks; Macron: Sending Troops To Ukraine Cannot Be Ruled Out. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired February 27, 2024 - 02:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:02:45]

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

Just ahead. Hope on the horizon for Gaza with ceasefire talks still underway. U.S. President Joe Biden says he's hopeful a deal can be on the table within a week.

Scenes of chaos in the streets of Brussels as farmers descend on the city to protest E.U. policies. And CNN joins the Ukrainian drone team to see how Russian fighters are presenting new challenges for their soldiers.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemarie Church.

CHURCH: Good to have you with us. And we begin here in the United States as President Joe Biden says he is hopeful there will be a ceasefire in the fighting between Israel and Hamas by next Monday that could allow for the release of more hostages. Mr. Biden was speaking to reporters while visiting an ice cream shop with comedian Seth Meyers in New York.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you give us a sense of when you think that ceasefire will start, sir?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, I hope by the beginning of the weekend -- I mean, the end of the weekend. At least my national security adviser tells me that we're close. We're close. We're not done yet. And my hope is by next Monday, we'll have a ceasefire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: But the President acknowledged that it will be a long road to peace. Biden also warned Israel that it risks losing support on the international stage if the war in Gaza continues at this pace. Meantime, Sources tell CNN that Hamas has backed off some key demands in the ongoing talks. Officials from the U.S., Israel, Egypt and Qatar met in Doha on Monday to discuss the finer points of a potential deal.

For more, let's go to journalist Elliott Gotkine who joins us live from London. Good morning to you, Elliot. So, what is the latest on those ceasefire and hostage relief negotiations?

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, we knew that the Biden administration wanted to see a deal in pace. A truce in place before the holy month of Ramadan which begins around March the 10th.

[02:05:06]

But this is the first time that anyone has really put an actual timeline on when this truce would come into effect. President Biden, as we just heard, saying that he is hopeful that it could come into effect as early as next Monday. Now, the reason that optimism and momentum appears to be building, we had those talks in Paris, of course, they then went to Doha where they were due to thrash out for new details.

And I suppose the fact that we have these now, so called proximity talks happening. In other words, the two sides Israel and Hamas, not speaking with one another, but actually in the same city and negotiating via mediators is adding to that optimism. Now we understand from Biden administration officials that Hamas has climbed down from some of its maximalist demands for a complete cessation of hostilities and the number of Palestinian prisoners that it wants freed.

And Reuters now actually reporting some of the terms of the deal, which would involve the release of 40 Israeli hostages. This would be women, people under the age of 19, over 50s, and sick people in exchange for Palestinian prisoners at a ratio of 10 to one. In exchange, that would be a 40-day pause in the fighting, there would be 508 trucks going into the Gaza Strip on a daily basis, along with thousands of tents and caravans, that hospitals and bakeries would be repaired and reopened.

And these are the kinds of a main areas of these -- this truce that's being discussed. And during that truce, the hope is that they would then go on to discuss thorny issues such as the release of IDF prisoners and IDF hostages, excuse me, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners who are serving longer sentences, perhaps for killing Israelis. And at the same time, they would also have the opportunity to discuss a complete end to the war between Israel and Hamas, which of course began on October the 7th in the wake of those terrorist attacks from Hamas.

So optimism building, momentum seems to be building and the hope, according to President Biden, at least, is that this truce could come into effect on Monday. Rosemary?

CHURCH: Elliot Gotkine joining us live from London. Many thanks. Well, joining me now is David Sanger. CNN political and national security analyst. He is also White House national security correspondent with the New York Times, thank you so much for being with us.

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Great to be with you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So, President Joe Biden says he is hopeful a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will be achieved by next Monday in exchange for the release of hostages, adding that his national security adviser tells him those talks are close. Why do you think the President made that prediction at this time in a seemingly very casual way while he's basically eating an ice cream?

SANGER: Yes, it was -- it took everybody by surprise, Rosemary. And I think, for several reasons. First of all, it's a little bit of a black box what's going on in these negotiations. Second, figuring out timing is difficult since the negotiations require the approval of the military arm of Hamas. And of course, they're deep in the tunnels and the communications with them have been very indirect. So that's been, you know, part of the delay.

Third, it's a little bit hard to imagine a situation in which you get the first 40 hostages out that will be roughly half of what we believe the number of Israelis who are now elder Israelis and Americans and some others. And then after a ceasefire 40 days or so you go through for a second round and then that time the build up is supposed to happen. And there's a lot that can go wrong there.

You could have either side declare that they haven't been fully transparent or executed on the releases. You could have complaints that the aid isn't coming in fast enough that the rebuilding isn't going on quickly enough. But I think there's a lot of pressure on President Biden now as he enters his uncontested primaries and heads to the State of the Union to show that there is some progress and some pressure on Prime Minister Netanyahu.

CHURCH: And Sources tell CNN that Hamas has backed off some key demands in the ongoing talks. Why do you think Hamas would do that?

SANGER: Well, for Hamas, they need a break as well. Here is the theory. They are under huge pressure. There's some indication the Israelis are getting near their leadership. And they understand that Israel's primary objective out here now is still to destroy Hamas and its leaders. And that's been in some tension with the secondary Israeli goal getting all the hostages out by pushing ahead on a hostage deal, I think Hamas thinks they can buy some time to figure out how they're going to try extract their leadership before the Israelis hunt them down.

[02:10:14]

CHURCH: And complex issues like the release of IDF soldiers and Palestinian prisoners are still being resolved as well as when the war would end, of course. But regardless of these specifics, Prime Minister Netanyahu is insisting and Israeli ground offensive in the southern Gaza City of Rafah will be carried out regardless of the outcome of the talks. How is that playing into these negotiations? SANGER: You know, his statements don't line up with our general concept of a ceasefire. In other words, with the ceasefire exempt their operations in the very south, I don't think so. And so that's why the definitions that are in place here are so important. If they could get this done by the end of the weekend as the President suggested, that would be a remarkable thing. But they -- all the indications are so far that the definitions of what you need to do next, and in what order are extremely delicate.

And that's why the last ceasefire fell apart. And you will remember when that happened, there was a big release of hostages. And then the clock ran out over various disputes. And it's taken until now, the end of February, nearly the beginning of March to put back together something that everyone hopes would be a significant ceasefire again.

CHURCH: And David, the Palestinian Authority Prime Minister has resigned along with the government and made calls for reform. How significant is this and what does that signal to you?

SANGER: Well, the Biden administration initially said that it would be the Palestinian Authority that would take over in the Gaza Strip as the main governing authority. The Israeli said they were incapable of that. And now with the leadership, having submitted resignations here, they don't appear to be in any position to go do so. Of course, the Israelis have always rejected that claim. And Prime Minister Netanyahu's plan would have Israel basically running the security, not the governance but the security of the strip for an almost indefinite period of time.

And that would be the much harder negotiation now about how you would move from essentially ceasefire to something that would be somewhat permanent. And they're not even close on that. At this point, they're just trying to get the hostages out.

CHURCH: Our thanks to David Sanger joining us there. Appreciate it.

SANGER: Thank you.

CHURCH: This hour, the European Parliament is set to debate budget changes that would allow the E.U. to release billions of dollars to Ukraine. This comes one day after representatives of the 27 member countries took part in a meeting hosted by a French President Emmanuel Macron focusing on aid for Ukraine.

France says the goal was to find ways to boost support for Ukraine as the country's fight on the battlefield is hampered by a dwindling supply of ammunition and weapons. Macron said a new coalition would be set up to supply medium and long-range missiles and bombs. The French president said European leaders even discussed the prospect of sending Western troops to Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMMANUEL MACRON, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE (through translator): There is no consensus today to send ground troops in an official endorsed or sanctioned matter. But in dynamic terms, nothing should be ruled out. We would do whatever it takes to ensure that Russia cannot win this war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Ukraine's President says he hopes U.S. lawmakers can come to an agreement on military aid soon. Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying millions of Ukrainian lives are on the line. He spoke with CNN's Kaitlan Collins about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: The stakes here, if U.S. aid to Ukraine stops. Does that increase Russia's chances of winning?

VOLODYMR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE: Yes, of course. Yes, of course. And Russians understand and they do everything by, you know, that what is the information? It's part of the weapon and Russian weapon and they were thrown in it and I was surprised that they are strong even in the United States, in the E.U. all over the world. It's true. They put a lot of money to this. The bill is very high, billions. And of course, they rise up, they raise up this topic through the societies, different societies.

[02:15:03]

And of course, they understand that it will have a big influence on the battlefield, on the morality of his -- of Putin's murders, his soldiers because he knows that their morality is very low, because during two years they didn't have, you know, real victories on the battlefield. They just destroyed villages and some of our cities but they couldn't occupy it mostly. They couldn't occupy our big cities and our people.

So that answer that so he needs, not to -- how to give unity. He needs to break the unity between us and United States. It means to break the unity in United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: After more than a year of delays and obstacles from Turkey and Hungary there's now nothing standing in the way of Sweden's accession into NATO. On Monday, the Hungarian parliament approved Sweden's bid to join the military alliance. The final hurdle Stockholm needed to clear.

Hungary is nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban dropped his monthslong opposition to the accession after reaching a defense agreement with his Swedish counterpart. Now Sweden is free to become NATO's 32nd member. Russia's war in Ukraine led the Nordic nation to break its 200-year long history of military neutrality. And Sweden's Prime Minister says he's sure Moscow won't be happy about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ULF KRISTERSSON, PRIME MINISTER OF SWEDEN (through translator): As far as Russia is concerned, the only thing we can safely expect is that they do not like Sweden becoming a NATO member. They didn't like Finland becoming a NATO member either. The whole purpose was to emphasize that a country like Ukraine would not be allowed to choose its own path.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Farmers across Europe are protesting government policies that are keeping the price of produce low as the cost of farming continues to rise. We'll have details of their demands next.

Plus, the Ukrainian secret weapon that's not so secret anymore. How Russian fighters are presenting new challenges for Ukrainian drone teams. Back in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Farmers across Europe are protesting their government's economic and regulatory policies. They say while the cost of energy fertilizer and transport have risen, governments are trying to reduce food prices amid inflation. Now they're demanding lawmakers take action to address their grievances. CNN's Clare Sebastian has details.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[02:20:02]

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Anger piercing through the streets of Europe's diplomatic hub. Farmers across the continent traveling to the European Union headquarters in Brussels on Monday, as agriculture ministers meet to discuss Europe's farming crisis.

Police meeting the protesters with water cannons as patients begins to wear thin. For weeks, farmers in over a dozen countries have been disrupting highways, border checkpoints and city centers in uproar over unfair competition from outside the E.U. and what they dub as restrictive environmental policies.

This in part a consequence of E.U. leaders waiving duties on Ukrainian food imports, following Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Over the weekend, farmers in Poland who have been blocking Ukrainian border checkpoints destroyed 160 tons of Ukrainian grain spilling corn across train tracks. A move Ukrainian officials described as vandalism.

Meanwhile, in Spain, convoys of tractors continue to clog Madrid. While in France, motorways hidden the truckloads of hay. Union leaders calling for more noise.

FRANCIS AMBROGIO, SECRETARY GENERAL, FDSEA, AGRICULTURE UNION (through translator): In any case, we have to keep up the pressure. Because I have the impression that we're going to be hearing a lot of speeches and we want action facts. And today we're not making any progress.

SEBASTIAN (voiceover): Back in Brussels and acknowledgment Russia stands to benefit.

DAVID CLARINBAL, BELGIAN DEPUTY MINISTER (through translator): There are also aspects of the market which are important. And we see that the grains market is collapsing, the prices are going down. This is a very game which Russia is putting in place to put pressure on Ukraine, but also on the single market. We are in a global geopolitical context. And we have to keep all these aspects in mind.

SEBASTIAN (voiceover): The response to these protests a test for European unity, as anger continues to grow louder.

Clare Sebastien CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Danielle Resnick is a senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute. She joins me now from Washington. I appreciate you being with us.

DANIELLE RESNICK, SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW, INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE: Thanks for having me.

CHURCH: So we are seeing an increasing number of protests from farmers across Europe complaining of low prices, high costs and cheap imports with more protests Monday in Belgium calling on E.U. agriculture ministers to address their concerns. Why is this happening at this time, do you think?

RESNICK: I think these protests really reflects some complex political economy dynamics that are happening, especially as European Union governments are trying to navigate both a fiscal and climate crisis in the shadow of upcoming European union elections in June of this year. We really saw these protests starting in mid-December of just last year, starting in December, when the German government was trying to fill its fiscal deficit by promoting -- reducing the subsidies going to farmers, particularly for diesel.

And of course, farmers rely on diesel subsidies for their tractors. And it really kind of galvanized farmers in Germany to come out onto the streets, going through Berlin and the Brandenburg gates. And then this really kind of created a demonstration effect across the region. As we saw protests, as you noted, from France, to Spain, to Poland, to the Czech Republic. They have a lot of grievances that we can go into but one that they really noticed is that their own returns on investment have really shifted over the last year.

They've seen a nine percent decline on average in terms of the returns that they're getting on their production. And so, they're feeling that some of these reductions in subsidies and other measures are really hitting them hard.

CHURCH: So how much leverage in the end do your farmers have? And what solutions are they calling for?

RESNICK: So European Union farmers have a lot of levers. They have historically been an extremely powerful constituency. Over the past few decades, they really benefited tremendously from subsidies under the Common Agricultural Policy or the cap policy. As we've seen there, they have extremely well-organized unions coming out across the region. And I think one of the main issues that they're concerned about is in the midst of all these rising production costs that they're facing and the impacts of climate change affecting their production from flooding to heat waves, they feel disproportionately burdened by European Union regulations.

And particularly the passage of the E.U. Green Deal in 2020 which really targeted agriculture as a sector. That really needs to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

[02:25:10]

And so, they feel that they as a constituency have been overburdened by some of these E.U. regulations. And so, their main grievance is that they really haven't been part of dialogues by the E.U. in thinking about these climate goals.

CHURCH: So what concessions might E.U. agricultural ministers make in the end for these farmers?

RESNICK: Well, they've already started making some overtures to the farmers. Many have said that they really recognize the key role that farmers play in farming in the European Union. And so, we've seen some different concessions across the region. And Germany has backtracked on its plan to produce subsidies on fuel for farmers. So as Greece in both countries, they've talked about phasing these out over a number of years, but having a more gradual process.

And France as well, there's been talk about a huge type of subsidy package, particularly for livestock farmers who've been really affected by a series of veterinary diseases in the last few years. And a discussion about how to reform the E.U. policies so that they are not so burdensome on farmers. There has been a backtracking on some other E.U. level policies, such as a reduction on pesticide use and the new kind of climate goals that have been put in place towards 2040.

Talk about a lot of reductions and emissions, particularly from nitrogen that comes from fertilizer or livestock. But they're not necessarily placing the burden on agriculture. They're saying they want to reduce these emissions, but they're not necessarily saying where or what sector they're hoping that these reductions will come from. So, we're seeing -- we're seeing a real, a real backtracking on some of these green climate goals which. you know, obviously raise important political economy questions about how you get a green transition when you have such a powerful constituency pushing back against these goals.

CHURCH: Danielle Resnick, many thanks for joining us. Appreciate it.

RESNICK: Thanks.

CHURCH: Still ahead on CNN NEWSROOM. Desperation in Gaza as restaurants paddle out to see our foreign aid drop lands offshore.

Plus, CNN sits down with the Ukrainian drone team to see the tactics Russian soldiers are using to try to evade aerial strikes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:30:16]

CHURCH: More now on the war in Gaza. Sources tell CNN, Hamas has backed off some key demands in the ongoing hostage talks. U.S. President Joe Biden says he is hopeful there will be a ceasefire by Monday that could allow for the release of more hostages. Meanwhile, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres is warning that an Israeli invasion of Rafah would put the final nail in the coffin of aid operations in Gaza. Food, water, and medicine already are scarce, and now residents are fighting over what little aid there is. CNN's Jeremy Diamond reports

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Today, Gaza's humanitarian crisis looks like this. Palestinians desperate for food, paddling and swimming out to sea, after at least one plane airdropping aid appear to miss its target, sending pallets of food crashing into the sea. In central and southern Gaza, hundreds crowding the beaches to try and secure their piece of the rations. But this is the other side of desperation, groups of men wielding whips and bats, steering crowds away from their precious cargo. Months of hunger and war triggering fights for survival when there is not enough for everyone. This is what they are fighting over, ration packs, a lifeline for the lucky few.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I was lucky and able to get one of these aids. But what about all those other people who were not able to get this aid? Look, this one didn't get any and this one didn't get any.

DIAMOND (voice-over): But so much more is needed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I'm asking from the Arab nations. We are thankful for the aid through the parachutes, but we need more and we need it distributed in a better way. This will not stop our hunger. We don't need a capsule because when we eat this, we will eat it, and that's it. It's finished.

DIAMOND (voice-over): But nowhere are people more desperate for food aid than in northern Gaza, where women and children wait in long lines for what now passes for food, a cloudy soup mixture made with dirty water and whatever greens can be found.

AMAL MOHAMMAD NASEER, GAZA RESIDENT (through translator): There is no food or drinking water, no flour, anything. There was no cooking oil, not even drinking water. Death is better than this.

DIAMOND (voice-over): Humanitarian aid deliveries this month dropped by half compared to January, according to a United Nations relief agency which blamed Israeli military operations and the collapse of civil order in Gaza. In northern Gaza, aid groups suspending aid delivery amid looting and attacks on aid trucks, leaving many with few options to stay alive. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Look, we are eating animal feed against our will, but have to eat it.

DIAMOND (voice-over): Without food or clean water, their voices are all they have left.

AHMED ATEF SAFI, GAZA RESIDENT (through translator): The suffering of Gaza is extremely difficult. Where are the authorities? Where is the government? Israel made us hungry and our government made us hungry and people are stealing. Shame on you, Arabs. Where are you?

DIAMOND (voice-over): But after nearly five months of war, is the world listening?

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: In Ukraine, the country's forces have now retreated from a village in the Donetsk region, just a few kilometers from Avdiivka, a town captured by Russia earlier this month. It remains a hotly contested area where Russian forces are intensifying their attacks as they push further west. Ukraine says its forces are actively defending themselves and have repelled more than two dozen attacks over the past day.

Ukraine has been relying more on drones to try and level the playing field with Russia. But the Russians are well aware of the threat and doing all they can to make things tougher on the soldiers operating those drones. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): They flit around fast, hiding each week in a new abandoned shell. Drone operators have been Ukraine's secret weapon for months. But now, it is getting harder. We saw this unit in December, but their base back then has been bombed. Yet still, they hunt every day for a single mistake, a Russian who gets himself spotted. They say the Russians are better at hiding themselves, although sometimes obviously not.

[02:35:00]

PATON WALSH: Yeah, so they've just spotted a Russian soldier carrying groceries and the dog came out to greet him. So, I think it's quite possible that's where some Russians are hiding.

PATON WALSH (voice-over): So it begins, the first strike on the window. One drone watching, the other flies into the target. And quickly, they prepare another. The hunt is no game, but has the tools of one. They lose about a quarter of their drones to Russian jamming.

TIMUR, UKRAINE'S 11TH NATIONAL GUARD: [Foreign Language].

PATON WALSH (voice-over): They see the Russians running into the blue house, its roof clearly hit before awhile ago, it becomes their next target. They go in again. It could be a move to position they think. Watch, how smaller explosions send fragments flying out.

The Russians often have to stay injured inside the damaged building to not draw in more drones. They go in again, it could be a move to position they think, then suddenly the power goes out. The internet down and screens black, but remarkably, they barely miss a beat. The commander sparks up his cell phone 5G with the drone feed and a chat group directing the entire attack just from an iPhone.

The smoke grows in intensity. They think they might have hit a weapons store. They never see Russian faces or taste the smoke. The blast noise takes a few seconds to travel to them. But this is still killing up close, yet far away. Strike, launch, repeat, all day.

Sometimes it is cheers here, screams there. Other times, the other way around.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Kherson, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: When we come back, a freight train in India sets off on a journey without its driver. We'll tell you how far it got.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:40:00]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Police in Australia are investigating an assault complaint against Taylor Swift's father. Photographer Ben McDonald told CNN he learned the pop superstar was aboard a yacht after her final show in Sydney on Monday. And he said, once Swift lift the boat, a security guard forced an umbrella into his face, and then Swift's dad punched him. A spokesperson for Swift said threats had been made against a member of her staff. Donald denies that claim and called Swift's entourage aggressive and unprofessional.

Railway officials in India are investigating a runaway train that traveled unmanned for 74 kilometers before it was stopped. This video went viral on social media. The freight train was on the run for 1.5 hours before workers got it to stop by using the emergency brakes and putting stones on the track. No one was injured in the incident, but officials say four people have been suspended and an investigation is underway.

Scientists say Antarctica's so-called Doomsday Glacier has been rapidly melting since the 1940s, three decades earlier than previously thought. The glacier got its nickname because its demise could cause a catastrophic rise in sea levels. The new findings also matched data on a neighboring glacier which started melting around the same time. Neither glacier has shown any signs of recovery and scientists say that is significant because if both glaciers are retreating simultaneously, it means they're being forced by something pointing to further evidence of human-caused climate change. Odie's mission to the moon is coming to an end earlier than expected. Anytime now, flight controllers are expected to lose contact with the first American spacecraft to land on the lunar surface in more than half a century, if they haven't already. The private company that deployed Odie, short for Odysseus, says it intends to keep collecting data until the lander's solar panels are no longer exposed to light. It was suggested that would happen after nine days, not five. Intuitive Machines released these images from Odie's descent and we have yet to see any images taken after the historic touchdown last week. The antennas on Odysseus may be pointing in the wrong direction because it tipped when it landed and ended up on its side.

Well, thanks so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. "World Sport" is coming up next. Then, I will be back in 15 minutes with more "CNN Newsroom." Do stick around.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:45:00]

(WORLD SPORT)

[03:00:00]