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Trump to Address Tuesday's Joint Session at the U.S. Congress; "Anora" Sweeps the 2025 Oscars; European Leaders Show Support for Zelenskyy; Pope Francis' Condition Remains Stable. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired March 03, 2025 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. You are watching "CNN Newsroom" and I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead. European leaders unite, promising to take the lead to end Ukraine's war, but they make clear they'll still need the support of the United States.

Donald Trump prepares to address Congress as new polling reveals Americans are concerned about his priorities.

And Hollywood celebrates its biggest night. We'll take a look at all the highlights from this year's Oscars.

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

CHURCH: Good to have you with us.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the West is now at a crossroads in history as European leaders move to take control of negotiations aimed at ending the in Ukraine. At a key summit in London, Mr. Starmer said leaders were working to craft a plan to stop the fighting, which would then be presented to the U.S.

French President Emmanuel Macron told newspaper "Le Figaro" that France and the U.K. have proposed a month-long limited ceasefire in Ukraine.

All this coming just days after Zelenskyy's explosive meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, the Ukrainian president said his country is ready to sign a rare minerals deal with the U.S., a deal Zelenskyy had been expected to sign on Friday.

Despite the tensions, the Ukrainian leader called the U.S. a strategic partner and had this to say about the relationship.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I think our relations with the U.S. will continue because this is more than relations during a moment. We must be open. Ukraine is not the biggest country in the world, but everyone can see how it fights for its independence and freedom.

I represent the interests of a country that heavily depends on support from partners. So, of course, if I am invited for a constructive dialogue, for solving real problems, for serious questions and real resolute actions and answers, I will be there out of respect for America, the American people, the president and the two parties.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And during all of this, there's been no let up to Russia's attacks on Ukraine. On Sunday, the mayor of Kharkiv said a drone targeted an apartment building, which sparked a fire and injured eight people.

CNN's Clare Sebastian is following developments, she joins us now live from London. Good morning to you, Clare. So what more can you tell us about what came out of this summit? And where do things go from here?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, I think it was very clear, the summit needed to be more than about nice words. There needed to be an actual action that came out of this. So there you see this plan that's starting to take shape, perhaps led by the U.K. and France to, to quote the British prime minister, "to stop the fighting."

We need to see a little bit more meat on the bones of that yet. What we know so far is only what's been reported in "Le Figaro," which is that it could include this month-long truce, which would involve as an initial phase, merely sort of the war in the air, at sea, and then to stop attacks on critical energy infrastructure moving later to the issue of troops on the ground and on the front line.

So that's what we know so far. I think there were two key audiences that Europe was trying to balance here.

Number one, of course, Ukraine to try to strengthen their hand, make sure that they were firmly at the center of this process to try to build them back up so that they could build back ties with the U.S. after that catastrophic meeting in the Oval Office on Friday.

I think to an extent that succeeded, certainly was helpful that President Zelenskyy met with the King as well on Sunday, perhaps easing some of the political pressure that the U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has felt after offering President Trump that second state visit with the King.

I think the second audience clearly is the U.S. It is very clear listening to the British prime minister that their pre-approval for this plan was sought. He spoke to President Trump on Friday night, he said, and on Saturday night. A lot of pre-work was done before the leaders met in London on Sunday.

And so I think President Trump was party to that. And I think you do see in this idea of a truce, perhaps some nod to the sort of the actions that President Trump has spoken about.

He has been pretty clear that he didn't want to talk about security guarantees before there was a ceasefire. So the idea of a truce perhaps gets closer to that.

[03:05:00]

But look, the Secretary of State Marco Rubio was on ABC on Sunday. He said not a lot about this plan. He said he'd spoken to the British and French foreign ministers on Saturday, but he seemed to suggest that not much had changed in the U.S. position. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Everyone knows the history here, the back and forth. We understand that. We all understand that.

But the question now is, can we get them to a table to negotiate? That's our goal. Don't do anything to disrupt that. And that's what Zelenskyy did, unfortunately, is he found every opportunity to try to Ukraine-splain on every issue.

Then he confronts the vice president. When the vice president says the goal here is diplomacy, he immediately jumps in and challenges the vice president, well, what kind of diplomacy? We all understand, okay, that Putin is not going to be an easy negotiator.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: Well, I think, look, there's several problems there, specifically for Ukraine. The use of the phrase Ukraine-splain is clearly negative and doesn't suggest that much progress has been made in repairing the fraying ties that we saw in the Oval Office on Friday.

I think, look, if you count the numbers of times that we heard the phrase lasting peace from European leaders over the weekend, there is a serious concern that the U.S. approach of bringing Russia to the table first, of essentially elevating Russia while diminishing Ukraine, would not achieve a lasting peace.

But, the reality is Europe and Ukraine continue to insist that they cannot do this, they cannot get to a point of a real deterrent, a post-war deterrent that would actually work and deter further Russian aggression without the U.S. So, I think the focus now potentially goes back to Zelenskyy. Is there some kind of strong gesture he can offer to the Trump administration that would repair this frayed relationship? Rosemary.

CHURCH: And Clare, how is Russia reacting to all of this?

SEBASTIAN: So, clearly this is more and better than Russia could have ever hoped for and they are very much exploiting the ongoing P.R. wins that they are getting out of this. The rhetoric increasingly that we see from Russia is sort of emphasizing the idea of Europe and the U.S. being divided.

Clearly, this is grist to their mill. They have long been looking for holes in the NATO alliance. They're continuing to sort of praise Trump as the grown-up in the room here.

And I think the overtly overt or indeed veiled criticism that we hear of Zelenskyy and Ukraine from the U.S. just fuels the argument in Russia that Zelenskyy is number one, incompetent, number two, illegitimate and number three, unwilling to seek peace.

So, we saw a new interview from the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Sunday. Take a listen to a portion of that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): If you look at history in retrospect, you will see that the Americans did not play any such inflammatory role. And now, after Biden's presidential term, came the people who want to be guided by common sense, who bluntly declare, we want to put an end to all wars, we want peace. And who is currently demanding the continuation of the banquet in the form of a war? Europe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: So, I mean, you have to point out that Russia has spent much of the past three years and even more than that blaming the U.S. for fomenting a lot of global conflicts. So, clearly this is a reversal. This is an attempt to exploit the moment here in terms of what this actually does practically.

I don't think this makes any concessions from Russia any more likely. They haven't made any so far. They haven't suggested that they will.

Sergey Lavrov last week in a separate press conference said that, look, Russia still wants to conquer all of the four territories that it's illegally annexed. It still hasn't done that. And that they may have ambitions even beyond that.

So, I think those maximalist goals of Russia and Ukraine haven't changed. And meanwhile, look, they have said, of course, Putin has suggested that he would be willing to come to the negotiating table with the U.S., but they are clearly going to come to that table if indeed we get to that point. Very much emboldened. Rosemary.

CHURCH: Our thanks to Clare Sebastian, bringing us that live report from London.

A senior U.S. official says the U.S. has now suspended operations and planning for offensive cyber operations against Russia. The official called the move a major blow as planning for such operations takes time and research to carry out. There is also concern the pause on operations will make the U.S. more vulnerable to potential cyber attacks from Moscow.

U.S. President Donald Trump will face lawmakers on Tuesday addressing a joint session of Congress for the first time in his second presidential term. It's an opportunity for Mr. Trump to reassure voters about his leadership.

Since he took office, we've seen the President's indiscriminate firings of federal workers, threats of massive tariffs on U.S. allies, and his catastrophic White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

A CNN poll taken before that meeting shows that a majority of Americans are unhappy with how President Trump is doing his job. 52 percent disapprove of his performance. Only 48 percent approve.

[03:10:08]

Well CNN senior White House reporter Kevin Liptack explains what President Trump supporters hope his address will accomplish.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEVIN LIPTACK, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: The speech President Trump is planning to deliver on Tuesday to a joint session of Congress is one of the biggest audiences for any president in any given year.

The dynamics with Trump are somewhat different. He has completely domineered the nation's attention since taking office 41 days ago. But certainly this will still be a moment for him to deliver a cogent explanation of everything he has been doing since taking office.

This slash-and-burn attitude towards the federal government, gutting certain agencies, laying off tens of thousands of federal workers. What you hear from Republicans is this hope that the President will be able to explain what he's been doing to an audience that has been growing somewhat skeptical.

And certainly in a new CNN poll, you do see for President Trump, the negatives now outweighing the positives.

On the question of how Americans approve of the President, 48 percent say that they approve compared to 52 percent who say they disapprove, which is about the same as a CNN poll in mid-February. And I'll note that this was taken before that fracas in the Oval Office with President Zelenskyy on Friday, but still represents an underwater approval rating for a president only about a month and a few weeks into his term.

The second metric that we polled when asked whether Trump had the right priorities, 40 percent said yes, he did. 52 percent said no, he didn't. And what's interesting there is that the doubts about the President's priorities extended to a small but notable share of those who still expressed support for the President on other measures. So 12 percent who said that they approved of the President overall said that his priorities haven't been in the right place. And so this speech will be an opportunity for the President to kind of

demonstrate exactly how the actions he's taken in office can affect every day Americans, and in his view, improve the lives of people who are living across the country.

The other audience that he'll want to be speaking to in the speech are the lawmakers who are sitting in the room as they prepare to pass the President's agenda, whether it's cutting federal spending, whether it's rewriting the tax code, who want to lay out some specific priorities for them as they plan to move forward.

Now, President Trump's advisors say this speech is meant to try and connect directly with Americans, but of course, how the President's speeches are previewed versus how they actually materialize are sometimes two very different things. And it has been interesting to go back and watch the President's addresses from his first time in office.

His speech in 2017 was relatively by the book, it struck some bipartisan themes, and it was relatively well received. Four years later was a completely different story, much more combative. The President had just been impeached, and when he finished his speech, the then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ripped up a copy of it in full view of the cameras.

But certainly the political landscape has now shifted dramatically. The Republicans in that room are almost entirely on the President's side. They control both houses of Congress, and you can expect a valedictory tone from the President.

But if he hopes for his approval ratings to change from this speech, he will not necessarily be bolstered by his experience from four years ago. All four years, his speech didn't necessarily have a major effect on his approval rating, at least according to our CNN polling.

Kevin Liptack, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Larry Sabato is the Director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics. He joins me now from Charlottesville. Good to have you with us.

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA-CENTER FOR POLITICS: Thank you so much, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So America and the world watched that stunning exchange between Ukraine's President Zelenskyy and U.S. President Trump Friday. Ukraine now says it's ready to sign the rare earth minerals deal with the U.S., despite that fierce exchange. How bad was the domestic fallout from that and how much worse could this get as European leaders make it very clear they're standing with Zelenskyy on this?

SABATO: We're only starting to get public opinion polls coming in and giving us a sense of how Americans reacted to what happened in the Oval last Friday. I wouldn't say it helped Trump or Vance. While I haven't seen a precipitous drop in Trump's approval, I have

seen some drop, particularly among independents. And that's really the group that can swing.

[03:15:00]

It's already obvious that the Republicans have found a way to make this work for Donald Trump. And that is to say that Zelenskyy was rude and it was inappropriate for him to react in the way he did. Although most people who are fair-minded, I think, would say it was very inappropriate for the host, Donald Trump, and his assistant host, Vice President Vance, to react in the way they did.

CHURCH: And what could all this mean for U.S. support for Ukraine going forward? And will Republicans get behind Trump or will there be some pushback this time?

SABATO: That's the critical question on the Republicans, because we know that they have all supported, almost all supported Ukraine from the beginning. Some of them were the staunchest supporters and accused Democrats of not backing Ukraine enough.

Well, of course, now that Donald Trump has essentially endorsed Putin and come out against Ukraine, at least temporarily, the Republicans have basically fallen in line as they always do. They're afraid of Trump.

However, I do think, based on a couple of contacts that I've had this weekend, that the Reagan Republicans, and there are still some of them there, some of them are older, they are unhappy with what's going on, and they're waiting for the opportunity to reassert support for Ukraine.

So this is not over. And the Democrats and independents will also have something to say, though, as we all know, the Republicans run Washington.

CHURCH: And on another issue, President Trump and his Republicans are losing support due to Elon Musk's aggressive cuts to federal government jobs and services, many voters not appreciating the sledgehammer approach when a scalpel works better. And some Republicans are being confronted and threatened by disgruntled Americans saying they will vote them out. One town hall in Kansas standing out in particular.

Will Republicans be punished in two years for this, do you think?

SABATO: It's a long time for people to remember. Americans are not known for their long memories politically. However, it's very clear, and there was another one in Texas today, the people showing up in these deeply red districts, the deeply Republican conservative districts, are not all Democrats.

In fact, I'd say from what I've seen, a majority of them are either Republicans or independent conservatives. They're angry about what they see Trump, and particularly Musk, doing. They regard this as irresponsible and as sloppy, and they didn't expect that.

They thought that there would be surgical cuts, but not the kind of sledgehammer approach, as you termed it, that they are seeing. So yes, it could affect their futures. It could cause some Republicans to lose, although we have a long way to go before 2026.

CHURCH: And of course, President Trump will address Congress Tuesday after an explosive first month in office with those aggressive cuts to federal government, higher prices as well, and of course, a massive shift in U.S. foreign policy. What are you expecting to hear from Trump on Tuesday?

SABATO: I'm expecting to hear a long list of the great achievements, the historic achievements, the greatest achievements in American and possibly world history that he has already done in just these approximately six weeks in office. And the Republicans will set a new record for cheering and applause.

What's going to be interesting is to see what the Democrats do. I've already heard that some of them are thinking about walking out. Others are thinking about boycotting the session.

And still others are considering whether they could boo and get away with it without actually creating sympathy for Trump. So there may be more drama there than there normally is. How it will play out depends on how the Democrats execute this.

CHURCH: And that is part of this too, isn't it? Because a lot of voters feel the Democrats are not pushing back enough on Trump and what he's doing. But they're trying to assess their strategy on this, aren't they?

SABATO: Yes, they're trying to figure out what to do. Nancy Pelosi, I think, doesn't want them to do much of anything except sit on their hands. And that may be the most effective way to approach it.

But the Democratic activists, the rank-and-file Democrats, have just about had it with the Democratic leadership. They are furious that people aren't fighting Trump more strongly and sternly than they are.

So that's what's going to show on Tuesday night. Who's won that argument, at least temporarily?

CHURCH: Larry Sabato, always a pleasure to get your perspective on all matters political. Thank you.

SABATO: Thank you, Rosie.

CHURCH: Hollywood celebrated its biggest night with fabulous fashion and plenty of joyful tears. Who won big at the Oscars? We'll take a look when we come back.

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[03:20:00]

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CHURCH: It was Hollywood's biggest night with glitz and glamor on full display for the Oscars. "Wicked" stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande got the night started with a stunning performance of "Defying Gravity" from their blockbuster film.

But in the end, it was the low-budget independent movie, "Anora", which took on Hollywood giants and won big. Mikey Madison claimed the award for Best Actress for the title role in the film. She could hardly believe what had happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKEY MADISON, WINNER, BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE: I grew up in Los Angeles, but Hollywood always felt so far away from me. So to be here standing in this room today is really incredible. This is a dream come true. I'm probably going to wake up tomorrow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: "Anora" also claimed the biggest prize for Best Picture and Best Director going to Sean Baker. Adrian Brody won Best Actor in a leading role for his work in "The Brutalist", in which he played a struggling immigrant architect in post-World War II America.

And Zoe Saldana won Best Supporting Actress for "Emelia Perez." She recalled a real-life immigrant story in accepting the award.

[03:24:55]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZOE SALDANA, WINNER, BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: My grandmother came to this country in 1961. I am a proud child of immigrant parents with dreams and dignity and hardworking hands. And I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award and I know I will not be the last.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Another special moment during the ceremony, local firefighters were brought on stage and got a standing ovation for their heroic work battling the L.A. wildfires earlier this year.

And joining me live from Los Angeles is journalist Rebecca Sun. She is the former Senior Editor of Diversity and Inclusion for "The Hollywood Reporter." Great to have you with us.

REBECCA SUN, FORMER SR. EDITOR OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION, "THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER": Thanks so much, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So "Anora" was the big winner, triumphing at the Oscars with Best Picture, Director and Actress. Mikey Madison, as we saw, taking home the award after going up against some big Hollywood names. How surprised were you that such a low-budget independent movie did so well? SUN: Well, so "Anora" won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

So it didn't necessarily come out of nowhere in terms of people who've been paying attention to film. It was not a complete surprise, especially since the Academy in recent years has had a pattern of rewarding these independent films.

These tend to be the kinds of movies that are sort of made for artistic merit. And so not entirely surprised, although Mikey Madison winning over Demi Moore, I genuinely was shocked.

CHURCH: Yes, indeed. And what about your reaction to Adrian Brody winning Best Actor for "The Brutalist"?

SUN: So Adrian Brody was a frontrunner this awards season. He has won most of the major awards leading up to the Oscars. And so that wasn't an entire surprise.

It was considered very well deserved. His performance in "The Brutalist" as a Hungarian Holocaust survivor who's an architect is, you know, was very, very critically acclaimed. And it's interesting because he came in, he still holds the record for the youngest ever Oscar winner when he won for "The Pianist" back in 2002.

So it was a little bit of a full circle moment, which he alluded to in his speech talking about how now as a man who's in his early 50s, he doesn't take this kind of success for granted. And that's what he talked about in his speech.

CHURCH: Right. I do want to watch that movie. And Zoe Saldana won Best Supporting Actress for "Emelia Perez." Despite all the controversy surrounding that movie, what did you think of her win and what did you think of the movie?

SUN: So "Emelia Perez," I think that for people who were "Emelia Perez" detractors and to just give a little context, that movie came under criticism from both the trans community as well as the Mexican community, saying that that movie really didn't faithfully represent their actual authentic experiences.

That said, even among critics of that film, they did feel that Zoe Saldana was one of the high points. So I do think that that win was well deserved. Her speech was very heartfelt, it was so beautiful.

What she talked about in terms of the power of women and really saluting the women in her family who came before her and who surround her. I thought that was such a lovely moment. And to talk about being the first Dominican-American to win as well.

CHURCH: Yes, that's certainly powerful. And what were some of the other standout moments for you at Sunday's Oscars?

SUN: You know, I really loved how the ceremony opened. I thought it was really nice before going to the comedic monologue to open with a brief montage of classic L.A. moments in cinema, as well as that gorgeous performance by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, using songs from "The Wizard of Oz" and from "The Wiz" and from "Wicked." I just thought that was a really powerhouse and super classy way to

open the night and to salute Los Angeles, the city that birthed Hollywood and has been through so much this year already.

CHURCH: Rebecca Sun, thank you so much for joining us. I appreciate it.

SUN: Thanks so much for having me.

CHURCH: Of course.

Still to come, Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to reporters following a week of dramatic diplomacy over how to end Russia's war in Ukraine. What he thinks about whether relations with the United States could be salvaged. We're back in just a moment.

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[03:30:00]

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Britain's Prime Minister not mincing words at a pivotal summit in London on Sunday, Keir Starmer warned that the West is at a crossroads in history as Europe seeks to take control of negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy received a strong show of support just two days after his clash with U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance in the Oval Office.

Prime Minister Starmer revealed that he along with France and several other nations are working on a plan to stop the fighting. He called for a coalition of the willing to enforce a peace deal and he said the reality is they still need American support.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Not every nation will feel able to contribute but that can't mean that we sit back. Instead those willing will intensify planning now with real urgency.

The U.K. is prepared to back this with boots on the ground and planes in the air together with others. Europe must do the heavy listing but to support peace in our continent and to succeed this effort must have strong U.S.-backing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Our Nick Paton Walsh is in Kyiv with Zelenskyy's takeaways on the European Leaders Summit and his disastrous White House meeting.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well after the solidarity sort of the rehabilitation of President Zelenskyy that this significant meeting called in a hurry with European leaders pretty much all of NATO apart from the United States give or take a few countries. Zelenskyy sat down with the media in London and gave his sort of most wide-ranging public comments since the incident in the Oval Office and asked if he was ready to sign the rare earths mineral deal.

[03:35:07]

He said indeed yes even though we have heard from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent but they do not believe the deal is currently at present on the table still and he was also asked too if he felt that he could salvage the relationship with the United States. Here's what he said.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): As regards to salvaging the relationship that you asked about I think that our relationship will continue because this is more than relationships. However everyone can see how Ukraine is fighting for its independence and freedom and we are grateful to the people of the United States.

PATON WALSH: Now many of Trump's inner circle have indeed begun to suggest on Sunday that it is Zelenskyy that is the problem who needs to step aside and he gave an intriguing answer, sort of a riddle frankly suggesting how impossible that would be. We know elections here in wartime would be a horrific idea, exceptionally complex and fraught but here's his answer when asked exactly whether he was contemplating resigning.

ZELENSKYY (through translator): If I am to be changed and out here how can I put it with what's happening with the support it will not be easy because it is not enough to simply hold elections you would have to prevent me from participating in the elections and it will be a bit more difficult you'll have to negotiate with me and I said that I am exchanging it for a NATO membership and then it means I have fulfilled my mission.

PATON WALSH: The reporter also asked him if he'd take the opportunity to apologize directly like some of the Trump inner circle suggest he possibly should for what happened in the Oval Office.

He didn't take that directly, instead he responded saying about the severe losses that Ukraine had endured and also saying when it comes to people suggesting he doesn't want peace that he wouldn't want to stop the war just today he wouldn't stop the war from even happening in the first place, I paraphrase there.

And so a conciliatory tone he struck certainly speaking only in Ukrainian not necessarily ceding to the immediate demands of some of Trump's inner circle but certainly suggesting he's willing to sign the rare-earth minerals deal he would like to see the relationship with the United States continue. But really it is that notion of the personal relationship between Trump and Zelenskyy that still hangs over Ukraine's most key pillar of support from the United States. We are, though, beginning to get a slight idea as to exactly what this

European summit which said it would get European militaries together and essentially work out how they might be able to assist or even provide a reassurance force to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire.

French President Emmanuel Macron has been key in this getting on Monday Trump it seems to agree to invite Zelenskyy to the White House to sign that rare-earth deal for that ill-fated meeting. Macron speaking to the Figaro newspaper suggested the possibility of a month- long partial ceasefire that would really involve air, sea and stopping attacks on energy infrastructure. Both sides have been hitting each other very hard across their energy grids over the past months.

Essentially a confidence-building measure of sorts, one that Macron suggested could potentially be easier to monitor than a widespread ceasefire across the front lines and so we are beginning to get technical ideas floated now as to what a peace process might somehow look like.

We are so far off from that and I'm sure there'll be many in Ukraine worrying about hearing that idea and whether the Russians will escalate their attacks on infrastructure as a result of it. So a lot moving as a result of this European meeting clearly a lot of work still needs to be done to mend the relationship between Zelenskyy and Trump but also I think many more details emerging to what Europe is willing to do.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Kyiv, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Critics have been outraged by what seemed to be an Oval Office ambush of President Zelenskyy. Several Democratic lawmakers went on the Sunday morning talk shows to criticize Trump's attack on the Ukrainian president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN): We stand with our friends, not our enemies. We go into negotiations. The great country of America goes into negotiations with strength not surrender and I was appalled by what happened in the Oval Office.

SEN. MARK KELLY (D-AZ): He was cornered and he was bullied in the Oval Office and Margaret Thatcher's makes us look weak. You know I think Donald Trump was trying to look tough. J.D. Vance was trying to look tough. The only winner in that exchange is Putin.

So it was a sad day for our country. It was a dumpster fire of diplomacy.

SEN. BERNIE SANDER (I-VT): Zelenskyy is leading a country trying to defend democracy against an authoritarian dictator Putin who invaded his country and I think millions of Americans are embarrassed or ashamed that you have a president of the United States who says that Ukraine started the war that Zelenskyy is a dictator. He's got it exactly backwards.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Democrats' criticism of Trump will undoubtedly continue on Tuesday when the president makes his first address to Congress since his November re-election.

[03:40:08]

That speech will give critics another chance to voice their opposition to Trump's actions and policies, but as Arlette Saenz reports it's not exactly clear how they plan to do it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Democrats will face a fresh test this week as they're looking to counter President Trump's joint address to Congress.

Democratic leaders are hoping to present a united front as they are trying to argue that Trump's actions in his first six weeks in office and the plans that Republicans want to pursue in the coming months will not help but instead will hurt the American people.

One way they're trying to highlight that is by bringing guests to the State of the Union who are individuals who have been negatively impacted by Trump's early moves. That could include fired federal workers and other individuals who might be involved with programs that were subjected to those funding freezes in these early weeks.

Now Democrats have also chosen Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan to deliver the official rebuttal to Trump's remarks. It's an interesting choice because Slotkin is a freshman senator who was one of only two freshman senators to actually win in a battleground state that Trump won back in November. She has often talked about the need for Democrats to talk about kitchen table issues in order to win back voters in the upcoming elections.

Now while that is a big focus of the Democratic response there are some who are considering not attending this speech at all. One of those is Democratic Senator Chris Murphy who has really been a leading voice in the pushback against Trump. Here is why he has decided not to attend that speech on Tuesday night.

SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): I think that State of the Union speech is going to be a farce. I think it's going to be a MAGA pep rally not a serious talk to the nation. We're going to stop that billionaire takeover, that destruction of our democracy only by fighting them every single day.

A lot of Democrats think maybe you should, you know, fight every third day. You should reserve your power and jump out of the bushes at the right moment. I just think that we have to be on the offensive 24/7.

SAENZ: Now for the Democrats who are in the House chamber on Tuesday night they will also have to decide whether to try to respond or react to Trump in real time on the spot. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who famously ripped up the speech that Trump delivered during his last State of the Union as president, she's urging Democratic lawmakers to exercise some caution saying in an interview that they should essentially just let Trump stew in his own juice.

It all comes as Democrats really have struggled to stop Trump's actions in the first six weeks of his presidency and they also have yet to settle on a cohesive message and strategy for how to push back on those actions. But the varying tactics of Democrats will be on display during this speech as Democrats are still trying to find their way out of the political wilderness.

Arlette Saenz, CNN, Washington.

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CHURCH: More news when we come back, including swift condemnation for Israel as it keeps humanitarian aid out of Gaza. The latest in the Middle East, next.

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[03:45:00]

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CHURCH: Outrage in the Middle East as Israel stops the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. And ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas break down. CNN's Larry Madowo has more.

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LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Egypt criticizing Israel for blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza is especially significant because Egypt alongside Qatar mediated this ceasefire the first phase of which expired Saturday.

Now Israel says it is doing this to try and force Hamas to this U.S.- backed extension of this first phase of the ceasefire. But Egypt says this risks catastrophic consequences especially given the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and coming during this holy month of Ramadan.

This is what the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "it unequivocally rejects the politicization of humanitarian aid and its exploitation as a tool of blackmail. A tactic that would only deepen the suffering of more than two million Palestinians who are already enduring immense hardship due to a campaign of devastation and forced displacement."

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel has agreed to this proposal by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Whitkoff. Under this framework on the first day Hamas would release half of the hostages still in Gaza and over the next seven weeks or so ending on April 20th at the end of the Jewish holiday Passover the remaining hostages would be released. In exchange for that they would continue to release Palestinian prisoners and surge aid into Gaza.

But he had a warning.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): There will be no free lunches. If Hamas thinks that the ceasefire can continue or that it can benefit from the terms of phase A without us receiving hostages it is deeply mistaken.

MADOWO: During the 42 days of the first phase of the ceasefire dozens of Israeli hostages were released, hundreds of Palestinian prisoners as well and aid got into Gaza. The International Committee of the Red Cross that facilitated the transfers said it saved countless lives in Gaza and warns that any unravelling of this agreement risks plunging people back into despair. People like these residents of Gaza.

UNKNOWN (through translator): I hope the truce lasts and that these wars finally end, our children are terrified of the bombings. We want peace for ourselves and our kids. Enough destruction we don't even have a place to live.

MADOWO: Hamas has rejected that U.S.-backed proposal to extend this first phase of the ceasefire. Hamas has also called the Israeli decision to block aid to Gaza cheap blackmail and a war crime.

What Hamas wants is for Israel to move on to phase two of the ceasefire negotiations that would involve the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and talk of a permanent ceasefire and end to the war.

Israel does not want to do that and says there is no automatic transitions between phases. That appears to be the stumbling block here to these negotiations. In the meantime the people of Gaza, two million-plus people living in essentially an area that's become ruins will continue to suffer.

Larry Madowo, CNN, Paris.

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CHURCH: We turn now to Rome where Pope Francis is stable but still being watched closely in hospital. CNN's Ben Wedeman joins us live from Rome. Good morning to you Ben. So what is the latest on the Pope's condition?

[03:50:03]

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Rosemary. Well we got the usual one-line statement from the Vatican press office saying that Pope Francis slept well through the night. We had a more detailed statement from the Vatican yesterday saying that his situation remains stable but it's very precarious at this point with the risk of some sort of further crisis remaining.

Keeping in mind of course that Friday evening he had a respiratory crisis that caused him to vomit and then he needed to receive high flows of oxygen to allow him to breathe. So at 88 this Pope who has a history of respiratory problems, sciatica, mobility problems, his situation remains very uncertain and of course the doctors are constantly saying that the prognosis is still what they say is guarded.

In other words they don't really want to make any predictions at this point. Nonetheless this is a Pope that he doesn't have a fever. Apparently he is eating normal food and is trying to go about his business as best as he can.

Now yesterday, Sunday, was the day for the usual Angelus prayers. However he clearly was not able to deliver them but he did sort of issue another statement or rather somebody else read the prayers for him.

And in that Angelus prayers he did say, from here war appears even more absurd, let us pray for tormented Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan and Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo. So clearly he's watching the situation. He's staying abreast of events but he certainly is not able to function as he certainly would like to.

This is a Pope well-known in Italian they call him a testarone which means a very stubborn individual. He wants to continue to work and really the doctors are basically having to read the riot act to him that he's got to get better before he can resume his normal duties. Rosemary.

CHURCH: Alright. Our thanks to Ben Wedeman bringing us that update from Rome. I appreciate it.

And we'll be right back.

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[03:55:00]

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CHURCH: SpaceX has launched its latest Starlink mission on Sunday. The Falcon 9 rocket delivered 21 Starlink satellites into low-earth orbit. After the launch a series of controlled engine burns guided the booster to an autonomous drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

Thank you so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. For our international viewers "The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper" is next, and for our viewers in North America, "State of the Union" starts after a short break, then "CNN Newsroom" continues with Rahel Solomon starting at 5 a.m. in New York.

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