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E.U Leaders Gather to Defend Ukraine; Trump Pauses Auto Tariffs for 30 Days; Trump, TSMC Announces a $165 Billion Investment for U.S. Chip Plants; FIFA World Cup Finale to Have a Halftime Show. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired March 06, 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 from all around the world and to everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead.

Europe prepares for the possibility of going it alone, with leaders gathering in Brussels to hammer out a plan to better defend Ukraine and themselves.

After pressure from car makers and the markets, the U.S. President delays auto tariffs on Canada and Mexico for one month.

And Pope Francis spends another peaceful night in the hospital. We are live in Rome with the latest on the pontiff's health.

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

CHURCH: Good to have you with us.

Well, strengthening defenses across Europe and support for Ukraine will top the agenda at a summit in Brussels set to get underway soon. European leaders are meeting at a crucial time as the new Trump administration in the U.S. has paused critical support for Ukraine and made it abundantly clear that Europe needs to invest more in its own defense.

French President Emmanuel Macron is even warning that Europe may need to be prepared to go it alone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): I would like to believe that the United States will stay by our side, but we have to be ready if this isn't the case.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Adding to the urgency of the summit, more deadly attacks inside Ukraine. Officials say a Russian airstrike targeted President Zelenskyy's hometown, killing at least four people and injuring more than 30 others.

We're now learning the U.S. didn't just pause military aid to Ukraine, but also crucial intelligence sharing. It's a move that could have dire consequences for Ukrainian troops on the battlefield.

CNN's Nick Paton-Walsh has the details from Kyiv.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Again, whiplash here in Kyiv. It had seemed that pause in military aid that Kyiv be moving to potentially fix the rift with the White House. Zelenskyy found the Oval Office blow-up to have been regrettable and a letter that President Trump talked about Zelenskyy having written to him during his speech suggesting that Zelenskyy was willing to sign the rare earths mineral deal at the White House's convenience and wanted to commit to peace.

But still, the following day, Kyiv waking up again with more bad news that senior Trump security officials saying that aid intelligence sharing had been paused.

Now that, according to CIA's Director John Ratcliffe, was something that he thought, he said, might end up being reversed at some point, resumed. But the National Security Advisor Mike Waltz suggested that there needed to be further signs from Ukraine that it was willing to come to the negotiating table to sign on to a process.

The big problem, I think, for Ukrainians and their European allies is it's not really clear what process the White House is hoping Ukraine will sign up to.

Is it the one that the U.S. is negotiating with Russia without Ukraine or European allies? Is it the one the Europeans are putting together themselves, which has Ukrainian backing and may end up seeing a reassurance force boots on the ground to some degree inside of Ukraine if indeed there is a ceasefire or is it something else more general, a feeling that President Trump wants to have that Zelenskyy is more willing to negotiate?

We simply don't know, but the Europeans appear to be moving forwards relatively quickly. A public address from French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of key meeting in Brussels of European leaders. Their second in just five or six days, which Zelenskyy will indeed attend.

Macron suggesting that Europe needs to do better to defend itself, saying that Russian aggression is unchecked at its own borders, reminding French people that Russia is spending 40 percent of its GDP on defense at the moment. Also saying that France might need to expand its nuclear umbrella to protect neighbors like Germany.

A lot moving in the European sphere. A European official telling me that the British, French and Turkish may up contributing the significant part of this reassurance force if it is needed inside of Ukraine. This European official saying without the possibility of American psychological or practical logistical assistance, it would be very high risk, if not impossible, to pull this off.

But real questions as to whether Trump administration fits in all of this. Macron making it clear he feels Europe may have to go this alone, although they do urgently, except they need the U.S. on side during this.

[03:05:00]

All of this fascination and at times it seems collapse in the transatlantic and western alliances, leaving Ukrainians deeply worried about what support they can rely upon. And indeed, for the moment when Russia may take advantage.

Just in the last hours, we've heard of a ballistic missile strike hitting one city in Ukraine, Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of Zelenskyy, in which two people have been killed and many more injured. Horrific scenes, possibly because of the lack of air defense missiles that form part of U.S. aid.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Kyiv, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Tymofiy Mylovanov is the President of the Kyiv School of Economics, he's also a former Ukrainian Minister of Economy. Appreciate you being with us.

TYMOFIY MYLOVANOV, PRESIDENT, KYIV SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS, AND FORMER UKRAINIAN ECONOMY MINISTER: Thank you.

CHURCH: So in the wake of that fierce Oval Office exchange between President Trump and Ukraine's President Zelenskyy last Friday, Europe has taken the reins in an effort to find peace in the war torn nation and to supply military support since Trump recently halted U.S. military aid. What do you expect will come out of this European symposium and what all does Ukraine need right now?

MYLOVANOV: Well, there is the maximum that can come out or something one would like to hope. And I would say I would put it in three categories.

One is very strong unity and agreement among the European nations and to dedicate substantive financial support to defense procurement development investment, both in Ukraine and in the E.U. The second one would be stricter sanctions, actually, on Russia. And the third one would be seizure of Russian assets, which also could be directed or redistributed towards investments into defense or security guarantees or something of that sort.

I think this is a little bit unrealistic, but that would be the best outcome in my view. What's more realistic is that there would be commitment towards investments and some discussion about security guarantees. CHURCH: So I do want to get back now to the U.S. treatment of

President Zelenskyy: a clash with Trump, a pause in U.S. military aid, and now also a pause in intelligence, then a letter from Zelenskyy with a message of regret for that exchange and a commitment to long- lasting peace. It appears that talks are back on track, although the intelligence pause is difficult to understand. But what will peace look like for Ukraine after this back-and-forth with the United States?

MYLOVANOV: Well, yes, indeed, this is a very difficult situation, but the policy of the United States appears to be shaped by these exchanges. It's very clear or sort of very clear what the U.S. will try to achieve.

First objective is to get parties to the table. Now there has been a lot of pressure on Zelenskyy recently to sort of agree to come to the table to accept maybe truce or semi-truce or partial truce without any conditions in security guarantees.

So that appears to be the case now that has been resolved. Once again, the previous position of Zelenskyy was that we need security guarantees first before we come to any table. Ukraine wants to be at the table, but security is first.

Now that's not the case anymore.

But then we need to get Russia to the table. And then there has to be some kind of compromise on both sides. The U.S. administration has not pressured so far Russia at all, making the argument that it is challenging to get them to the table at all.

So you have to be nice to them because there is not much leverage over them. You don't have to be nice to Zelenskyy because you have leverage over him, as we have seen with intelligence sharing, denial and military support. So this all is very painful and hurtful to see, but that's the policy.

And then the question of what the compromise will be. Russian demands are pretty well known if you are willing to look at them with the open eyes. This is recognition of the occupied territories and maybe more a reduction of the size of the Ukrainian military and limited if possibly no support at all from the West to Ukraine.

Now, these are maximalist demands which are not going to be met. Ukrainian demands are, you know, OK, get the territory maybe de facto, but not legally recognized.

And then security guarantees from the West where the parties will meet. It's unclear if there is a possibility for formal settlement is unclear as well.

CHURCH: So what concessions do you think Russia will be forced to make and do you think that Trump can deliver a fair peace deal for Ukraine in the end?

MYLOVANOV: Fair, I'm not so sure. And on top of that, I think fair means different things to different parties.

[03:10:03]

My understanding is that the Trump administration wants to get peace and a little bit less concerned about whether it's fair, although it has emphasis on lasting. Where I stand, lasting is very important. And unfairness is a great notion.

But it takes time sometimes. It is very unfair that so many people have died. It's very unfair that a stronger country can invade a smaller country.

But can Trump or the Trump administration deliver any peace? Even that is a big question mark. I hope they will be able to do that.

What the breaking point might be for everyone, both for Russia or for Ukraine, is the security guarantees, is the E.U. troops, is the U.S. security umbrella, the science of the army, everything which Ukraine needs to ensure that Russia cannot invade in the future, and exactly everything which Russia opposes to make sure it can invade in the future.

CHURCH: Tymofiy Mylovanov, thank you so much for joining us. I appreciate it.

Donald Trump is pumping the brakes on auto tariffs against Canada and Mexico for the next month. But 25 percent tariffs on other imports from those countries will remain in place. Canadian leaders say the reprieve is not enough for them to lift reciprocal tariffs on U.S. goods. They want zero U.S. tariffs.

Mr. Trump says he made the decision after talking with executives from top U.S. automakers to protect them from financial harm. CNN's Kaitlan Collins asked the White House press secretary about the length of the tariff pause.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: On the reprieve that is being granted to these three automakers for one month on the tariffs on Canada and Mexico, how did the president settle on one month?

KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The reciprocal tariffs will go into effect on April 2nd. And he feels strongly about that, no matter what, no exemption. So that's where the one month comes from.

COLLINS: Does he expect them to be able to shift production within a month?

LEAVITT: He told them that they should get on it, start investing, start moving, shift production here to the United States of America where they will pay no tariff. That's the ultimate goal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: More now from CNN's Sherrell Hubbard.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHERRELL HUBBARD, CNN CONTRIBUTOR (voice-over): There's a trade war brewing. Canada is resorting to retaliatory measures a day after President Donald Trump doubled a tariff on Chinese goods to 20 percent and enacted a 25 percent tariff on Canada and Mexico.

WAB KINEW, MANITOBA PREMIER: Pulling American booze off the liquor market shelves.

HUBBARD (voice-over): Canada is also responding by imposing a 25 percent tariff on some U.S. goods, with plans to include more later. Trump spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Wednesday morning for almost an hour on the issue.

LEAVITT: He said that he was not pleased, as you said. He said it's not good enough.

HUBBARD (voice-over): The White House said the decision to pause auto tariffs is so that U.S. automakers are not at an economic disadvantage. But tariff news has sent stocks sinking and consumer confidence plunging this week.

ERASMUS KERSTING, DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC CHAIRMAN, VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY: They are just going to raise prices. There is a lot of cross-border traffic involved with the production of every single automobile.

UNKNOWN: All of our wholesalers are letting us know, hey, the prices are going to go up.

HUBBARD (voice-over): Although U.S. companies and consumers will ultimately be responsible for paying the tariffs, in his address to Congress Tuesday night, Trump spent several minutes doubling down on his tariff agenda.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: There'll be a little disturbance, but we're OK with that.

HUBBARD (voice-over): I'm Sherrell Hubbard reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Still ahead, Donald Trump issues a stark new ultimatum to Hamas and its leadership. We'll have details on his message.

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[03:15:00]

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CHURCH: At least 15 people are injured after the South Korean Air Force accidentally dropped bombs on a residential area. It happened in the city of Pocheon on Thursday during a live fire exercise with U.S. forces close to the demilitarized zone with North Korea.

South Korean officials say eight bombs fell outside of the shooting range, destroying two residential buildings and part of a church. Two of the victims were seriously wounded.

Officials say initial findings suggest a pilot entered the wrong bombing coordinates. The city's mayor is calling for the military drill to be suspended immediately.

For what's believed to be the first time ever, the U.S. is negotiating directly with Hamas on the hostages and ceasefire in Gaza. This marks an abrupt change in policy for the United States, which for decades has refused to engage with groups it considers terrorists.

The U.S. declared Hamas a terrorist organization back in 1997. No comment yet from Hamas about the negotiations. The White House press secretary explained why the Trump administration is breaking with precedent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEAVITT: The special envoy who's engaged in those negotiations does have the authority to talk to anyone. Israel was consulted on this matter.

And look, dialogue and talking to people around the world to do what's in the best interest of the American people is something that the president has proven is what he believes is a good faith effort to do what's right for the American people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[03:20:04]

CHURCH: Meanwhile, President Trump is warning, quote, "there will be hell to pay if Hamas does not immediately release the remaining hostages." CNN's Jeremy Diamond reports on the new ultimatum and reaction from Hamas.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, President Trump is making a new effort to try and seek the release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza, issuing a fresh ultimatum to Hamas.

In a social media post, the president wrote, quote, "release all of the hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered or it is over for you. Only sick and twisted people keep bodies and you are sick and twisted." The president goes on to say that he is going to, quote, "be sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job and saying that not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don't do as I say."

He goes on to say that this is Hamas', quote, "last warning" and also issues a warning to the people of Gaza, saying that a beautiful future awaits you, but not if you hold hostages. If you do, quote, "you are dead."

This certainly isn't the first time that we have heard this kind of tough language from the president being directed at Hamas regarding the remaining hostages being held in Gaza.

But this time it seems to come with a lot more meat on the bone and it also comes at a very delicate moment in this ongoing ceasefire. Phase one of this ceasefire agreement has been completed with the release of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for more than 1,700 Palestinian prisoners.

But now we are in the delicate stage where the U.S. and Israel are both trying to pressure Hamas not to get into phases two and three of that deal, which would lead to the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the end of the war in Gaza, but instead are trying to impose new conditions on Hamas.

We know that Israel has put forward this new proposal to see six or seven more weeks of ceasefire in exchange for the release of half of the remaining living and dead hostages being held in Gaza.

And now President Trump, with this ultimatum to release all of the hostages immediately or effectively face the wrath of a U.S.-backed Israeli military resuming its war in Gaza. Israel has already begun to block humanitarian aid into Gaza as an effort to pressure Hamas, one that has drawn immense criticism from the international community and human rights groups who have called that a violation of international law.

And now clearly there is also very much the specter of the Israeli military recommencing its fight in Gaza amid this latest from the president.

Hamas is already firing back. The spokesman for Hamas, Hassam Qassem, says that these threats quote, "complicate matters regarding the ceasefire agreement and encourage the occupation government," meaning Israel, "not to implement the agreement."

He is then calling on the U.S. administration to instead pressure Israel to enter the phase two of the ceasefire agreement, as was previously scheduled.

We've also now learned that the United States has been holding direct conversations with Hamas. Adam Boehler, the special envoy for hostage affairs for the United States, has met with Hamas officials in Qatar, according to a report from Axios.

That was effectively confirmed by the White House press secretary, who said that Israel was consulted on this matter and that the talks are quote, "ongoing," but that she would not get into the details. This would be the first time that the United States has engaged in direct talks with Hamas, as far as we know.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEOTAPE) CHURCH: The Vatican has released a new statement on Pope Francis as he fights double pneumonia in hospital. CNN senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman has details from Rome, he joins us now.

So Ben, what is the latest update on the Pope's health?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we saw is this one-line statement from the Vatican saying that the night passed peacefully and the Pope is still resting on now this 21st day of his stay here in Rome's Gemelli Hospital. Now, yesterday they described his health condition as stable, but it remains complex in their words. By day, he, the Pope, is receiving oxygen through the nose.

At night, he puts on a mask, an oxygen mask, which allows him to sleep more peacefully. At night, a Vatican official telling CNN yesterday that his illness is progressing normally, we assume normally for an 88-year-old man who has a history of respiratory problems.

But the doctor's prognosis remains, in their words, guarded. In other words, it's not quite clear how soon the Pope will recover from this case of double pneumonia, Rosemary.

[03:25:08]

CHURCH: And Ben, despite the Pope's health problems, he's been keeping up his relationship with a priest in Gaza. What can you tell us about that?

WEDEMAN: Yes, this is Gabriele Romanelli, who is the parish priest in Gaza. And Pope Francis, before he fell ill, tried almost every night to call Gaza.

It's a simple act of compassion, kindness, and concern, certainly at a time when other world leaders are either turning their back on Gaza, simply not worried about it anymore, or in the case of an American president who's engaging in infantile gimmicks like putting out, posting on social media, an A.I.-generated fantasy video about turning Gaza into a beach resort for the wealthy, seeming grotesquely unaware that the sands of Gaza are soaked with the blood and littered with the bones of tens of thousands of people after 517 days of war there. Rosemary.

CHURCH: Ben Wedeman, reporting there from Rome. Many thanks for that.

Well, still to come, President Trump is touting a major investment in the U.S. by Taiwanese chipmaker. But in Taiwan, people are worried the deal could weaken their own security. We'll take a look at that. Stay with us.

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[03:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to "CNN Newsroom." I am Rosemary Church. I want to check today's top stories for you.

European leaders will soon gather in Brussels for a critical summit focusing on defending Ukraine as well as strengthening defenses across all of Europe, as they face the new reality of a U.S. administration that is no longer a reliable security partner. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be among those attending.

U.S. officials say Washington has paused at least some of its intelligence sharing with Ukraine, but they suggest it could be short- lived if U.S. President Donald Trump is satisfied that Kyiv is taking serious steps toward negotiations with Russia.

President Trump is granting a one-month exemption to Canada and Mexico on auto tariffs. He says he doesn't want to hurt U.S. automakers financially. The White House says companies should take that time to start shifting production to the U.S., where they won't pay tariffs.

In his address to Congress Tuesday, President Trump touted a decision by Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC to invest at least $100 billion in its U.S. manufacturing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Taiwan Semiconductor, the biggest in the world, most powerful in the world, has a tremendous amount, 97 percent of the market, announced a $165 billion investment to build the most powerful chips on earth, right here in the USA.

All that was important to them was they didn't want to pay the tariffs so they came and they're building and many other companies are coming. We have to give more money.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: But the massive investment plan is raising concerns in Taiwan over its security, especially given China's aggression against the island. Taiwan heavily relies on its semiconductor industry as a strategic asset.

And we get more on all of this from CNN senior international correspondent Will Ripley.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: President Trump got a lot of applause when he mentioned what TSMC says will be the largest foreign direct investment in U.S. history. A total of $165 billion to build new fabrication plants, advanced packaging facilities and a research and development center in the United States.

TSMC, of course, produces most of the world's advanced chips and they have an ecosystem in Taiwan that they've been developing for decades. It has taken Taiwan a long time to get people with the expertise, the knowledge, and the military-like discipline to manufacture these chips at a faster and more efficient pace than pretty much anywhere else in the world. Taiwan really is light years ahead, and the Taiwanese people have long

felt that TSMC provides their self-ruling democracy with a silicon shield protecting them from the threat of Chinese attack because, frankly, the product that they're exporting to the world that powers things like cell phones and cars and laptops is just too important a supply chain that cannot be disrupted.

They feel like if this technology moved to the United States, that could potentially put Taiwan's security at risk.

[03:34:57]

The Taiwanese government and presidential office trying to dissuade those concerns, they put out a statement saying, quote, "the government will review the proposed investment in accordance with law to ensure the interests of shareholders and the nation," and "that TSMC keeps its most advanced production technology in Taiwan as it expands its footprint into the U.S."

But some in Taiwan's opposition parties are outraged. They say that this is going to put their island at risk, and that was a feeling and a sentiment shared by some people that we spoke with on the streets of Taipei.

UNKNOWN: Trump is flipping the whole world upside down, and TSMC is Taiwan's treasure. I don't feel safe. I feel when the time comes, Trump is a dealer, right? He's a businessman.

So he'll deal Taiwan. Taiwan, pretty soon, just like he said to Zelenskyy, you have no cards to play, and Taiwan not going to have cards to play. TSMC was the best card.

UNKNOWN (through translator): Everyone wants to know the secret recipe of TSMC. If TSMC's confidential technologies are taken away by others, Taiwan won't have its edge, and that would pose a security problem for Taiwan.

RIPLEY: President Trump insists that this deal strengthens America and protects the supply chain with more advanced chips being produced in the U.S. Of course, for Taiwanese, that gives them little comfort because they feel like it could make their island and their economy all the more vulnerable, especially after watching what's been happening with Ukraine.

Will Ripley, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Republican lawmakers are privately pushing Elon Musk for control over sweeping cuts to the federal workforce and spending.

The world's richest man met with congressional Republicans behind closed doors on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. One Republican said Musk acknowledged making some mistakes while carrying out the Trump administration's efforts to shrink the federal government. But another lawmaker said Musk blamed the widespread firings on

federal department heads. House Speaker Mike Johnson says they discussed a legislative package that would codify the cuts. When asked, Musk told CNN that Congress should have a vote on how the cuts are made.

Well the Trump administration is planning to cut more than 70,000 jobs at the Department of Veterans Affairs. That's according to a memo which states the V.A. is working with Musk's DOGE team to aggressively restructure. The memo says the V.A. will revert back to staffing levels from 2019 when it employed fewer than 400,000 people.

The V.A. grew under the Biden administration mainly to help implement the PACT Act. That legislation, signed into law in 2022 by then- President Biden, helped expand coverage to millions of veterans who were exposed to toxins and hazards while serving. A letter from two congressional lawmakers from Maine says the Trump administration has already fired nearly 2,500 employees at the V.A.

Well earlier, I spoke with Larry Sabato. He is the director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. I asked him about all those jobs being cut at Veterans Affairs where many of the employees are veterans themselves.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA-CENTER FOR POLITICS: They're trying to say, oh, we're just cutting back to the level it was during President Trump's first term before it got bloated under President Biden, who, as you know, according to Trump, is the worst president in American history.

The attacks on Biden were really over the top, 12 of them during one State of the Union speech. But I just don't think that his veteran base, and he does have the support of lots of veterans, will appreciate this one bit.

There's going to be a lot of blowback. And one thing I've learned about veterans over the years, whether they're organized or not, they speak out and they have credibility because of the service they gave to the country. So Trump should watch out there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Some federal employees whose jobs were slashed in mass DOGE firings are experiencing a type of whiplash.

At the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a Workers Protection Board is at least temporarily reinstating almost 6,000 fire-probationary workers who were fired on February 13. The board's order indicates the mass firings were unlawful and may eventually be reversed.

Meantime, at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a senior official tells CNN a small portion of the employees who were fired have received a notice of reinstatement. But one worker who was fired and rehired tells CNN it appears dozens of employees were asked to return. Some have refused because of what they described as the unstable environment at the agency.

[03:40:00]

Well the U.S. Supreme Court has rejected the Trump administration's request to keep frozen billions of dollars in foreign aid that has already been approved by Congress. But the court did not say when the money must be released, sending the issue back to lower courts.

Back in January, the president moved to freeze foreign aid from the State Department and USAID, causing aid programs around the world to grind to a halt. But the effects are also being felt by American farmers who relied on USAID to purchase their product and distribute it overseas.

CNN's Shimon Prokupecz has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN BOYD JR., 4TH GENERATION FARMER, AND FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, NATIONAL BLACK FARMERS ASSOCIATION: You ask me why I do it? We feed people. And that's a good feeling.

What I produce here, I stand behind my crop. I don't produce anything on my farm that I wouldn't eat. Matter of fact, I'll show you, I'll chew some soybeans for you.

It tastes good. I grew them right here on my farm.

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SR. CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: What does it taste like?

BOYD JR.: It tastes like McDonald's hamburger.

PROKUPECZ: No.

BOYD JR.: Yes. That's what's in them.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): John Boyd Jr. is a fourth-generation farmer. He grows wheat, corn, and soybeans here on his 1,000-acre farm in southern Virginia. He also founded the National Black Farmers Association.

And he's no fan of President Donald Trump.

BOYD JR.: The president casts a net of uncertainty. Every time he makes one of these wild announcements that people are saying, yay, tariffs to China, tariffs to Mexico, tariffs to Canada, USAID, it's over, it's done. Every time he makes those type of drastic announcements, he affects America's farmers.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Within days of taking office, President Trump dismantled USAID, a humanitarian program that's been a lifeline for the most vulnerable around the world, and a critical source of income for U.S. farmers, paying them hundreds of millions of dollars a year for their crops. He also froze some funding for farmers and rattled trade markets. BOYD JR.: We take it totally, totally for granted. And what we're doing in this country right now, we're gambling with all that.

PROKUPECZ: Gambling with farmers.

BOYD JR.: Gambling with farmers' lives. To gamble with my life, to gamble with my livelihood, man.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Farmers like Boyd rely on loans to plant for the upcoming season, with the hope that the harvest will pay it off and bring home some profit.

In fact, about a million American farmers rely on the USDA for financial assistance every year. But just days before planting season starts, Boyd says he hasn't been able to get a loan yet. And he says he's not the only one.

BOYD JR.: They want to hear, they want you to show them on paper how you're good for that operating loan and how you're going to pay it back. I can't pay it back with $8 beans and $6 beans and $3 corn.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): The majority of grain exported from the United States is stored in grain elevators. In Kansas alone, one grain elevator can export millions of dollars of goods.

This is in Pawnee County in Kansas. This is a grain elevator site.

PROKUPECZ: This is where farmers will bring their grain, stuff that they've harvested, like milo and wheat and soybean and corn. It is stored in these bins, these large concrete bins, and then sold to exporters, companies who are willing to buy that. And right now, it is very difficult to move some of this stuff.

KIM BARNES, CEO, PAWNEE COUNTY COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION: They could come in and sell wheat for $5.58. It was down 14 cents today.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Kim Barnes has been buying and selling each year's harvest for Kansas farmers for over 50 years.

BARNES: All these bins are full and they're full of milo.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): That's $5 million worth of grain, Barnes says. Grain that countries like Ethiopia and others depend on for food aid.

PROKUPECZ: And so what's going on with the milo? Why do you have so much of that right now? What are you seeing in the market?

BARNES: We just don't have any market for it. There's nobody wanting to buy it.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Five months ago, Barnes says USAID bought over 200 million metric tons of milo from American farmers. Today, with no market for that grain, he's desperate. One potential lifeline, a proposal in Washington for the USDA to continue USAID's food distribution program.

PROKUPECZ: You're optimistic that the USAID stuff will get moved into the USDA and the program will get --

BARNES: And will go on.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): But John Boyd doesn't share that optimism. He's not just worried about the future of farming, but for the future of his own farm.

BOYD JR.: I have four children. And I know that my kids have watched me scuffle, you know, throughout my career.

And they're not going to want to do this if this administration continues to make it more difficult than it already is.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[03:45:04]

CHURCH: Some might consider it a king-size job, keeping alliances alive as tensions grow over Ukraine. Now British King Charles is taking on an unaccustomed role. We'll explain after the break.

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[03:50:00]

CHURCH: Well, King Charles, of course, is the British monarch and head of state of various Commonwealth nations. But as a figurehead, he doesn't get mixed up in the fraught world of relations between countries until now.

As Max Foster tells us, that has changed with the return of President Trump.

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MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Britain's King Charles thrust to the forefront of international diplomacy. Three times in the past week, stepping in on delicate manoeuvers between the U.S. and its allies.

Despite the traditionally apolitical role of the monarch, the U.K. hopes to leverage one of its greatest assets when it comes to President Trump. His fascination with the monarchy.

The king's invitation for a rare second state visit was delivered to the president by the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer last week, ahead of some tough discussions with the White House on Ukraine.

KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: This is really special. This has never happened before. This is unprecedented.

TRUMP: He's a beautiful man, a wonderful man.

FOSTER (voice-over): Just days later, the king invited Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to his country residence in a show of solidarity and an indication of the king's fragile yet influential role at this tense moment.

HUGO VICKERS, ROYAL BIOGRAPHER AND AUTHOR OF "THE CROWN DISSECTED": He's dying to do good and to be a conciliator and to help things along. And he's in a very good position to do it. I think the meeting last Sunday, I would say, passed off extremely well.

FOSTER (voice-over): Charles has long appeared to side with Ukraine over the war, recently calling Russia's invasion as an indescribable aggression and unprovoked attack.

KING CHARLES III, UNITED KINGDOM: We've all been worried about you and thinking about your country for so long.

FOSTER (voice-over): But now, having to play a delicate dance with Trump as the U.K. and Europe try to keep him on side, the king also found himself confronted by another U.S. dispute when he hosted Canada's prime minister, Justin Trudeau, this week.

As Trump slapped tariffs on Canada and declared it should become the 51st state of America, the king, as Canada's ceremonial head of state, again caught between two allies.

The late Queen Elizabeth, Charles' mother, was one of the few global figures Trump seemed to show real deference to in his last term as president. So this new era of the relationship between Charles and Trump will be a real test for the monarch.

VICKERS: He's met many, many world leaders. He's got a lot to offer, just as the queen did.

FOSTER (voice-over): Their first official meeting five years ago was rumored to have not been an instant success.

NIGEL FARAGE, U.K. REFORM PARTY LEADER: You had a meeting with Charles.

TRUMP: I did.

FARAGE: It was reported by one of your former press secretaries that you were somewhat bored by the meeting.

TRUMP: That I was?

FARAGE: Yes.

TRUMP: No, I wasn't bored. I liked Charles. I thought he was great.

No, he's an environmentalist. He talked about the environment most of the meeting, which was fine.

FOSTER (voice-over): No date set as yet for Trump's second state visit to the U.K., but when it does happen, we can expect the whole royal family to come out in full force to meet the president.

FOSTER: In the 14 years I've been reporting regularly on the British royal family, I have never seen them roll out the red carpet like they are for Donald Trump this time round.

King Charles even offering to fly up to Scotland whilst the president is playing golf there so they can discuss how they can both get the most out of this unprecedented second state visit. It's set to be quite the show.

Max Foster, CNN, Buckingham Palace, London.

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CHURCH: For the first time in 50 years, a rare southerly cyclone is threatening millions of people along Australia's eastern coast. The latest update from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center says tropical cyclone Alfred is packing winds of 92 kilometers or 57 miles per hour. It's slowly moving west and is now expected to make landfall with heavy rain late Friday or early Saturday local time north of Brisbane.

Officials say 20,000 properties across Brisbane could face storm surge or flash flooding and flood watchers have been issued across the coast. Residents in Brisbane are filling sandbags to protect their homes and officials in Queensland are urging those near vulnerable coastal areas to follow evacuation orders.

And we'll be right back.

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[03:55:00]

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CHURCH: The World Cup is turning to U.S. football's Super Bowl for inspiration. FIFA's president says for the first time ever there will be a half-time show during the World Cup final next year in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

He adds the band Coldplay will help decide which musical acts should perform. Coldplay gave the concert at the Super Bowl in 2016 but it's unclear if the British band would do the Super Bowl gig again. The U.S., Canada and Mexico are co-hosting next year's tournament.

Well the second season of Apple T.V.'s popular show "Severance" came close to having a presidential cameo. Actor Ben Stiller, an executive producer and director on the show, revealed he asked Barack Obama in an email to make an appearance.

He would have been the voice of the biotech company building featured in the show. The former president said he was a big fan of "Severance" but he didn't think he had the availability for it. Keanu Reeves got the gig instead.

I want to thank you so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day.

"CNN Newsroom" continues with Rahel Solomon in New York after a short break. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)