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Biden Approves Ukraine's Use Of Long-Range U.S. Weapons In Russia; Biden Tours Amazon Rainforest, First Sitting U.S. President To Visit; Interview With Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D-WA); Attorney: Pete Hegseth Paid Accuser But Still Denies Sexual Assault; President Biden Speaks In Brazil After Tour Of The Amazon; Israeli Airstrike Kills Hezbollah Spokesperson In Beirut Amid Ceasefire Deal Negotiations. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired November 17, 2024 - 14:00   ET

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

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[14:00:36]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Sunday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield, and we start with this breaking news.

President Joe Biden reversing a longstanding U.S. policy involving the war in Ukraine. Biden now going to allow Ukrainian forces to use long range U.S. weapons inside of Russia for the very first time.

CNN's Kevin Liptak is traveling with the president in Brazil.

Kevin, what more are you learning?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes. This is a major change in American policy. And it comes at a critical point in the war in Ukraine as Russian forces massed in the city and around the city of Kursk, as they prepare for an offensive there. And as North Korea has sent thousands of its troops to fight alongside Russia in that conflict.

President Biden, making this decision to allow Ukraine to fire the American attack missiles inside Russia for the first time. And this had been the subject of a long-running debate inside the American government about the wisdom of allowing Ukraine this new capability.

There were officials who were concerned about the risk of escalation in this war. Thats something that President Biden has been concerned about throughout the conflict.

You also heard officials worry about the stockpiles of ATACMS. These are not resources in endless supply. At the end of the day, the addition of the North Korean troops to this conflict certainly has created a new sense of concern in Washington about where this war could be headed.

It's a subject of conversation that President Biden has had throughout his trip. This week in South America, he discussed it earlier in Lima, Peru with the leaders of Japan and South Korea. He also discussed it yesterday with the Chinese President Xi Jinping, trying to apply pressure on Beijing to apply pressure on its largest -- or on North Korea, which is China's largest trading partner to try and convince Kim Jong-un that this was a mistake and that it could put his own troops at risk.

But now, this decision I think, certainly for American officials, they do hope that it could help turn the tide in this conflict. But also send a signal to countries like North Korea that it sends its troops into this war at their own peril, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Kevin Liptak, let us know when you know more. Thank you so much.

Joining me right now is CNN military analyst Colonel Cedric Leighton. Colonel, great to see you.

So first off, explain what these missiles are all about. This Army Tactical Missile system or sometimes referred to as ATACMS. Talk to me about what they are, their capability and why this is a potential turning point.

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yes, Fredricka.

The MGM-140 ATACMS, as you mentioned, the Army Tactical Missile System has a range of around 180 to 190 miles. And what it can do is it can attack things like ammunition depots, troop concentrations, logistical centers -- all of those kinds of things that could resupply a front line.

So what the purpose of this is, from the Biden administrations standpoint, is to actually make it possible for the Ukrainians to prevent the Russians and the North Koreans from attacking the Ukrainian concentrations in Kursk, which is the territory of Russia that Ukraine has occupied since August.

So these missiles are designed to go in and to take out those kinds of things, like those logistics installations that I described. And they're designed to do this in a very efficient very lethal manner.

And it's one of the most lethal weapons that the U.S. has in its arsenal. And if the Ukrainians can use it the same way that the U.S. would use it in a similar situation, then it could very much change the way in which the war is being fought right now.

[14:04:43]

WHITFIELD: So would there be conditions attached? Might the U.S. have said, ok, we, you know, give the green light to use these but they do have to be logistical locations like you just mentioned, logistical Russian, you know, targets.

Would there be any further guidance from the U.S. on how and what the conditions are in which to use these?

LEIGHTON: Yes, I'm certain there is further guidance from the Biden administration to the Ukrainians on this.

What they will probably say is you can only attack those installations that are supplying the war effort against you in Ukraine or in Kursk in this particular instance.

So the idea would be, Fredricka that they would go in and they would give them a list of targets that they can hit. The Ukrainians would perhaps provide a list of targets that they would like to hit, and then they would say, yes, you can use these weapons to hit those targets, or no, you can't hit those targets.

One thing that would definitely be off the list would be nuclear installations or anything that would affect the strategic warfighting capability of Russia that would most likely be off the list at this point in time.

WHITFIELD: And then how much of this is also in response to North Korean troops being in Russia and potentially assisting in this war in Ukraine?

LEIGHTON: A lot of it has to do with the fact that the North Koreans are in Russia doing this and providing support to the Russians and probably joining them in a military sense.

So what the Biden administration is signaling is that that kind of addition to the Russian war machine is unacceptable to us. We don't want foreign troops coming into Russia supporting the Russian war effort.

And the North Koreans are the first ones to do this overtly at least. And the signal to the North Koreans, as well as the Chinese is not to support the Russian war effort, at least not that overtly.

WHITFIELD: What are the potential repercussions if North Korean troops are also taken out, along with Russian troops, even though the targets, as you say, would be logistical targets? Consequently, there might be an also -- personnel might be involved or taken out. What would be the potential consequences here?

LEIGHTON: The potential consequences could be somewhat far-reaching. It's possible that the North Koreans could react against South Korea, for example, or against U.S. Troops in South Korea.

So this is definitely a possible -- possibility that I'm sure the Biden administration has considered. And I would suspect that they have also increased their defensive capabilities in South Korea as a result of this decision.

So that's the kind of thing that could happen. It's also true that the Russians will probably try to respond one way or another. They may not do so in a direct way, one that we would notice right away. It could be a cyberattack. It could be sabotage.

Those are the kinds of things that we could expect Russia to do. But we would hope that they would not escalate to, you know, to a point of no return. This is the kind of thing that the Biden administration has sought to

avoid until now, when it's become pretty clear that the Ukrainians are having difficulty not only in Kursk but also on the eastern front in the Donbas region.

WHITFIELD: President Biden is on his way to the G-20 summit. What might be the reaction coming from world leaders on this move?

LEIGHTON: Well, I think it would depend on which world leader you're talking to. Certainly, China would not be enthusiastic about this. The Russians are not enthusiastic about it for obvious reasons.

But the Western European nations, the Koreans, the Japanese, they are probably quite ok with this. And certainly the Ukrainians are very happy that this has finally happened for them.

They've been waiting for this kind of approval for a very long time, really, since the start of the latest invasion back in February of 2022.

And that is something that they have sought for a long time, because they believe and I think rightly, that the ability to hit targets deep inside Russia is essential for them to be successful in their ability to not only keep Ukraine independent, but also to prosecute obviously, their war effort.

WHITFIELD: All right. Colonel Leighton, hold tight for a moment. I want to get back to you with more questions about this.

Meantime I also want to bring in Kevin Liptak, who is traveling with President Biden in Brazil. President Biden will be touring a rainforest, the Amazon rainforest, and lots of messaging here on the ongoing global climate crisis.

But what more are you hearing about his decision making on this? And also now balancing his thoughts with the ongoing effort or the commitment from his administration on the climate.

LIPTAK: Yes. And he is in the Amazon right now Fredricka. He's actually the first sitting American president to visit the Amazon rainforest. And he's doing it to draw attention to some of its efforts to try and combat climate change.

[14:09:52]

LIPTAK: He's making a few announcements today, sending millions of dollars to try and preserve the Amazon, and also announcing a pledge of billions of dollars to try and help other countries build resilience around climate change.

And so these are all efforts that he's trying to use to burnish his climate legacy. But of course at the end of the day, the reality is that Donald Trump is coming into office and he has voiced doubts about the reality of climate change. He's named oil and gas executives to his administration in key posts. And he has pledged to pull out of the Paris Climate Accord. So certainly, President Biden does want to highlight what he has done

when it comes to combating the climate crisis. But the shadow of Donald Trump is, of course looming very large over those efforts.

And that really has been the backdrop to all of the president's events in South America this week. First, at the APEC summit in Peru and coming up this week at the G-20 summit here in Rio de Janeiro.

Certainly, foreign leaders are trying to ascertain what exactly another Trump presidency might mean for them. And, you know, when it comes to the war in Ukraine, it does seem as if there could be big changes when it comes to American support.

President Trump has voiced deep skepticism about continued American military and financial assistance to Ukraine. He has said that he could end that conflict in one day.

He hasn't necessarily said how he would do it. But the implication, of course, is that it would require territorial concessions on the part of the Ukrainians.

And so when you take President Biden's decision today to allow Ukraine to fire these long-range U.S. missiles into Russia, you do get the sense that the Biden administration is doing everything it can to try and put Ukraine in a position to win this war, to be in a position at least to win this war in the two months before Donald Trump comes to office with the recognition that changes could be afoot when he comes into office in January, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Right. So Kevin, you really are underscoring these efforts, whether it be about Ukraine or perhaps the climate. President Biden taking advantage of these last 60 days, two months in office to try to either secure or cement measures or commitments that he's hoping might withstand any efforts the Trump administration might make to undo.

Are you getting any, I guess intel from the White House that they feel like these latest measures or commitments that they're making are going to be able to withstand any efforts by the incoming administration.

LIPTAK: Well certainly, they're hopeful that everything that they're doing can be put in a way that's permanent enough, that it can withstand any kind of Trump administration reversals.

And it was interesting because this came up yesterday around President Biden's meeting with Xi Jinping of China. Certainly President Biden has advocated for a stable relationship with China, open channels of communication.

But Donald Trump of course, is a hawk when it comes to China. He's taken an aggressive approach. He's vowed vast tariffs on Chinese goods, and he has appointed a number of hawks to national security roles in his administration.

And it was interesting to listen to Xi at the start of that meeting, saying that China's approach wouldn't change, that it would still continue to try and reach a stable agreement with the United States to try and make sure that this relationship doesn't tip over into conflict.

And we did hear from President Biden's national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, after that meeting. And he was asked again and again what assurances President Biden could give that this relationship wouldn't turn into a highly contentious relationship going forward.

And he was fairly frank. He said that he couldn't actually guarantee that. He said that the incoming administration had not given the White House any assurances at how it plans to approach really any issue when it comes to the global stage.

And so I think that is the dynamic that President Biden is dealing with as he's coming to these world summits.

Certainly these foreign leaders have their own experiences with Trump in a certain regard. They have dealt with him for four years when he was president.

But they do have some questions about how sort of the global dynamics that have shifted since Trump departed will be handled now that he is president again, whether it's Ukraine, whether it's the Middle East, whether it's the climate change in the Amazon.

And I think at the end of the day, President Biden doesn't actually have a lot to say to these leaders in terms of assurances. He wants to guarantee that his legacy will be preserved. But obviously, there's no guarantee there either, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Kevin, thank you.

Hold tight.

I want to bring in Stefano Pozzebon who's also with us.

[14:14:50]

WHITFIELD: Stefano, and I wonder this is the first U.S. president to visit the Amazon forest.

What is most imperative that he see and experience there?

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN JOURNALIST: I think what he will see is the historic effects of climate change, of human-made global warming that is really destroying the ecosystem down in the Amazon both here in Colombia where I am, but also in Brazil and in the other seven Amazonian countries.

We're talking about the historic element of this visit, not just because he's the sitting, the first sitting U.S. president, but also because right now, November 2024, the Amazon River is in the middle of a historic drought. It's at the lowest level ever recorded.

According to UNICEF, there are over 400,000 children who are struggling to go to school because in the Amazon, you move around by -- traveling over the rivers. And if the rivers are too low, it's impossible to get access to those schools. So there was that alarm from UNICEF just a couple of weeks ago.

And I think picking up from Kevin's point, I think that at this point, the region, South America is firmly divided between two camps.

There are those who have been more aligned with the Democrats up in the United States and are trying to use Biden's visit down in the Amazon to raise the alarm about climate change.

This is one of the regions, the Amazon, that is at the forefront of the climate change struggle, and Brazil will need to organize a COP30 up in the Amazon region next year.

So that's what they want to highlight with Biden's visit, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Stefano, thank you so much. We'll get much more of our continuing coverage news right now of this breaking news involving President Biden, the first U.S. President to be visiting the Amazon forest. At the same time also giving the green light to Ukraine to use U.S. long-range missiles in its conflict with Russia.

We'll be right back.

[14:16:49]

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WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back.

More now on our breaking news.

President Joe Biden reversing a longstanding U.S. policy involving the war in Ukraine. He is now going to allow Ukrainian forces to use long- range U.S. weapons inside of Russia for the very first time.

I want to bring in now Democratic Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland, a member of the House Armed Services Committee. Congresswoman, great to see you.

REP. MARILYN STRICKLAND (D-WA): Thank you for having me here today, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: So, your reaction to this shift in policy.

STRICKLAND: So this is a shift in policy and Russia has unleashed a barrage of missiles on Ukraine. You know, we have been their ally for a very, very long time. We want to stay with them, and we want to make sure that Russia's aggression is checked.

So this is a policy that was necessary. As always, we don't want to escalate. But Ukraine is our partner, we have to stand with them. They have to be able to defend themselves.

WHITFIELD: And is it your belief that this will now allow Ukraine to better defend itself and hold territory? STRICKLAND: I mean, that's always the desired outcome.

But I also want to point something out to. President-Elect Trump has said that he could end this war easily. What he's not sharing is that ending the war in his terms means letting Russia do whatever they want. And that cannot happen.

And so we know what's at risk here. I think President Biden did make the right call, and we're going to stand with Ukraine.

WHITFIELD: Is it your understanding that these missiles are already either in country in Ukraine or near? Or what would be the process of how and when they would receive these long-range missiles in order to use them?

STRICKLAND: So I don't have details on that.

WHITFIELD: Ok. And what is your hope? The Biden administration only has you know, under two months to go. Is it your expectation that this is going to happen with some expediency in a matter of days, weeks?

STRICKLAND: Yes, I mean, it has to happen with expediency. We have only a few months left in the Biden administration. Ukraine is under assault, so we will get them what they need as soon as possible.

As you see a change in this policy under the Biden administration, it does put a kind of new spotlight on the Defense Department and what is likely to happen next.

What would you like to see from the person who would ultimately be leading the Defense Department as secretary?

STRICKLAND: So I would -- no, thank you very much for that question. So obviously, there's a lot happening in the world, and we need someone who's going to lead the Defense Department to do it objectively, to stand with our allies and to make sure that the U.S. is doing what we can to support them.

The person they've appointed has already raised questions with senators. And I, you know, often say that if someone is announced as a potential nominee and people are already raising questions about them, it makes you wonder if that was the best pick.

And that has happened both with the Defense nominee, with Matt Gaetz as the attorney general, and even Robert Kennedy Jr. as secretary of HHS.

WHITFIELD: So to zero in on the person named as potential defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, you know, former Fox News host. He's been accused in a sexual assault incident in 2017.

His attorney is now saying that Hegseth, you know, paid money to his accuser but denies sexual assault.

[14:24:49]

WHITFIELD: Is this accusation disqualifying for a potential Defense secretary or does there need to be more beyond the accusation?

STRICKLAND: So I mean, obviously an accusation is incredibly unhelpful and it speaks to their ethics and who they are as a person.

And I also want to point out, too, you know, having worked for Fox News as well, you know, they aren't exactly the example of objectivity.

And when you have a job like secretary of Defense, your job obviously is to work for your president but you have to provide objective, professional advice.

And what I worry about with these nominees, Fredricka, is that you have people who are there. They're going to bend the knee, and they're not going to be objective enough to do what is best for this country and our allies.

WHITFIELD: So what's your concern now when there are discussions about recess appointments, that there is an avenue, a potential opportunity in which the president elect as president would be able to get some of his nominees through the process seated without Senate confirmation?

STRICKLAND: Well, it makes you ask the question. What is it about your nominees that makes you have to skirt a formal process that has been in place since the beginning of time? And so if you're trying to break the rules and bend the rules to try and slip people in, it makes you wonder about the Senate confirmation process and if they would even be able to stand muster (ph).

WHITFIELD: Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland, thank you so much. Glad to have you today.

STRICKLAND: Great. Thanks for having me here. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right.

Straight ahead, President Biden in the Amazon rainforest, the first U.S. president, sitting president to visit the Amazon.

We'll take you there right after this.

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[14:31:00]

WHITFIELD: All right. Live pictures right now, you're seeing the stage is set in the Amazon rainforest, where soon President Joe Biden will address all the people there who are awaiting and he'll be right there at that podium with his remarks in Brazil from the Amazon rainforest. We'll take that as it happens.

Meantime, as President-elect Trump fills out his incoming cabinet, he took time out last night to appear with a few of the people that he's already named at a UFC event at Madison Square Garden in New York. It's the same venue he hosted, a widely scrutinized campaign rally in the closing days of his campaign.

Among his guests last night, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard, and Elon Musk. Trump's return to the garden comes amid new revelations and concerns about some of his most high profile cabinet picks. Among them Trump's defense secretary pick Pete Hegseth.

Hegseth's attorney now says the former Fox News host did pay a woman who accused him of sexual assault but he says the 2017 incident was a, quote, consensual sexual encounter.

CNN's Steve Contorno is joining us now with more on all of this.

Steve, so update us on what we know about these new details involving Hegseth.

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Yeah, Fred. This is all stemming from that October 2017 incident that has come out in the days since Hegseth was named as Donald Trump's incoming defense secretary.

Let me walk you through what CNN is learning in just the past 24 hours, an attorney for Hegseth acknowledged to CNN that Hegseth paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault in a settlement agreement that also included a confidentiality agreement. Now, the attorney said Hegseth denies assaulting the woman, but he wouldn't say how much the settlement was for.

And he also said that he agreed to the settlement because he didn't want to lose his job at Fox News, saying that this was all occurring at a time when the #metoo movement was striking. And several people at Fox News had lost their jobs as a result of allegations that had been raised against them. And Pete Hegseth decided to settle this case as a result of that.

Now we tried to get the woman's side of the story. CNN actually was able to track her down. We are not naming her because she is an alleged victim, but she declined to be interviewed, and partially because she didn't know what she was authorized to say under that confidentiality agreement.

We should note that Hegseth was not charged. The city has said that he was only someone who was a person of interest in that case, but they have also declined to release the full report, citing the state's public record laws.

HEGSETH: Okay. And then, Steve, you know, what more are you learning about Trump's determination to make sure that former Congressman Matt Gaetz becomes U.S. attorney general.

CONTOTRNO: Yeah. Look, Trump is very aware of the heartburn he is causing within his party, and on Capitol Hill with the pick of Matt Gaetz for attorney general.

But he remains resolute in his determination to see through Gaetz for this nomination. Sean Spicer, his former press secretary telling CNN, quote telling Donald Trump something isn't going to happen is a surefire way of him doubling down. And that is exactly what is happening here. Trump believes that Gaetz

is not only a key member of his cabinet but the most important appointment that he is going to make as he tries to dismantle and make massive changes to the Department of Justice. He also believes that Gaetz would be the most effective spokesperson and defender of his campaign on cable -- or, excuse me, his administration on cable news which is a priority for Donald Trump. One person telling us, quote, he is not going to back off. He is all in on Matt Gaetz -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Steve Contorno, thank you so much. We'll check back with you.

All right. Still ahead, incredible images out of Lebanon showing a rare and deadly Israeli airstrike on central Beirut that reportedly killed a Hezbollah spokesperson.

[14:35:08]

How the strike could impact the chance of a ceasefire deal.

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WHITFIELD: All right. Live pictures right now. Let's go to President Joe Biden in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And I quote, "At first, I thought I was fighting to save rubber trees.

[14:40:05]

Then I thought I was fighting to save the Amazon rainforest. Now I realize I was fighting for humanity."

At the time, I was a United States senator, working with a great Republican senator named Dick Lugar, from Indiana, to enact a new law: The United States would relieve other countries of debts owed to us if they commit to protecting their own forest.

These debt-for-nature swaps have since protected nearly 70 million acres of forests worldwide.

And today I'm proud to be here, the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Amazon rainforest, to recommit to protecting the rainforests, like this one.

The most powerful solutions we have to fight climate change is all around us: the world's forests.

Trees breathe carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. And yet, each minute, the world is chopping down the equivalent of 10 soccer fields worth of forests -- each minute.

That's why we've been a leader internationally in the fight to end and reverse deforestation by 2020 -- by 2030.

That's why we've led by example at home, conserving an area of the U.S. lands and waters larger -- larger than the state of -- the nation of Uruguay.

We've done it by fighting for Tribal partners -- lifting them up; indigenous communities; and most impacted by deforestation and climate change.

Today's announcement will support indigenous communities to do some -- the same here in the Amazon.

We all know there's much more we can do and must do at home and abroad.

That's why today I issued an official proclamation to support the conservation of nature around the world, because the fight to protect our planet is literally a fight for humanity for generations to come. It may be the only existential threat to all our nations and to all humanity that exists.

With today's proclamation, I am proud to announce, first, the United States Development Finance Corporation will mobilize hundreds of millions of dollars in partnership with a Brazilian company to reforest the Amazon.

Second, we're launching a Brazil Restoration and Bioeconomy Finance Coalition to mobilize at least $10 billion by 2030 to restore and protect 20,000 square miles of land.

And, third, I'm announcing an additional $50 million to the Amazon Fund that's already -- we've give -- already given $50 million.

Fourth, we'll provide the funding to help launch President Lula's important new initiative, the Tropical Forest Forever Fund. It's in the interest of all of us. The United States benefits from that as much as any other country does, including here in Brazil.

I'm also so proud to support bipartisan legislation to launch a new foundation for international conservation that would leverage public funds to mobilize billions more in private capital.

The fight against climate change has been a defining cause of my presidency.

My administration first rejoined the Paris Agreement on climate change. We've launched 150-nation-strong Global Methane Pledge. We've delivered a record climate financing to developing countries. And we've pledged that we would deliver $11 billion per year by 2024. I'm pleased to announce today that we not only kept that promise, we've surpassed it.

Back home, I signed the most significant climate change law in history, a law that positioned us to cut carbon emissions in half by 2030, that's generated $450 billion in new clean energy investments, and that's created hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs and a manufacturing boom as well.

Folks, we don't have to choose between the environment and the economy. You can do both. We've proven it back home. It's no secret that I'm leaving office in January. I will have my -- I will leave my successor and my country in a strong foundation to build on if they choose to do so.

[14:45:04]

It's true some may seek to -- deny or delay the clean energy revolution that's underway in America, but nobody -- nobody can reverse it -- nobody. Not when so many people, regardless of party or politics, are enjoying its benefits. Not when countries around the world are harnessing the clean energy revolution to pull ahead themselves.

The question now is: Which government will stand in the way, and which will seize the enormous economic opportunity?

Let me close with this. It's often said that the Amazon is the lungs of the world. The Amazon is the lungs of the world. But in my view, our forests and national wonders are the heart and soul of the world.

They unite us. They inspire us. They make us proud of our countries and heritage -- a bridge to the past and to our future, a birthright we pass down from generation to generation.

The Amazon rainforest was built up over 50 million years -- 50 million years. History is literally watching us now.

So, let's preserve this sacred place, for our time and forever, for the benefit of all humanity.

Thank you very, very much.

(APPLAUSE)

WHITFIELD: All right. President Joe Biden there making it very clear that he reflects on a commitment to the rainforest and to humanity. He says as a U.S. senator and now as U.S. president. And he also left a challenge to his successor, reminding people it's no mistake, you know, that his days as the U.S. sitting president are numbered in a matter of a couple of months, he said his fight against climate change is a defining cause, and he leaves his successor a strong foundation in which to build on.

And you could read between the lines there a challenge there to his successor in Donald Trump.

All right. We'll have so much more straight ahead on his visit to the Amazon rainforest.

Also, still ahead, Israel says they have killed a spokesperson of Hezbollah following a rare strike on Beirut amid ongoing efforts to achieve a ceasefire with Hezbollah.

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[14:52:20] WHITFIELD: Israel launched a rare airstrike at the center of Lebanon's capital, killing one person and injuring three others at the headquarters of a pro-Hezbollah group. Mohammed Afif, a spokesperson for Hezbollah, was killed from the attack. And this comes as Israel and Hezbollah are negotiating a potential ceasefire deal proposed by the U.S.

Joining me right now, live from Jerusalem, is CNN international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson.

Nic, what more are you hearing on the ground about this attack?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah. Afif was a significant and important figure for Hezbollah and particularly recently since the killing of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, at the end of September.

And a massive Israeli airstrike. Why? Because he was the sort of go to person for the media to approach, to get quotes. It held several press conferences since then had been a fairly sort of accessible and available figure.

But his targeting in this no notice, no warning strike, unlike some of the other strikes that the IDF takes on Beirut on the southern suburbs of Hezbollah's facilities there, the warnings given. There was no warning this time. He had been an important confidant of Hassan Nasrallah. He was a significant figure.

He ran Al-Manar TV, which is the TV station that was really you know, putting out every important and every Hezbollah message across the whole of Lebanon. The question has to be if he was an accessible figure, why strike him now? But we certainly know that the IDF has made it their business in recent months to take out every senior Hezbollah figure that they can reach.

The interesting thing with Afif, he was on the spokesperson, the communications side, not the military side -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Yeah. And then how might this impact a ceasefire or agreement or a negotiations toward anything in that realm?

ROBERTSON: Yeah, U.S. officials have been saying that there is really a lot of effort and energy in the negotiations at the moment that the United States has a proposal on the table for Hezbollah to come to a deal with Israel and Lebanese government official just a couple of days ago, had told CNN that they expected by Monday, Hezbollah to have put forward an answer.

The sources I've been talking to have been indicating that although the terms of what was on the table were tough for Hezbollah to accept, the indications that this person was getting seemed to indicate that Hezbollah was heading in the direction of accepting.

[14:55:07]

So the question then becomes, why do something and take out a senior Hezbollah figure when they're at that moment deciding whether or not to accept some pretty tough terms of a deal but, you know, we can't answer that question, but it's not uncommon as ceasefire negotiations get close to the wire, that both sides try to take advantage and get maximal gains before -- before a ceasefire comes into place.

We don't know what Hezbollah is saying at the moment, but it does appear that they're headed towards a yes of course. What caveats, what strings they put to that and whether Israel goes for that is a whole other matter, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Uh-huh. All right. Nic Robertson, keep us posted. Thank you so much.

When we come back, we're following this breaking news. President Biden authorizing Ukraine to use long range U.S. weapons in Russia. The impact it could have on the conflict, next.

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