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Russia Attacks Kyiv, Trump Not Happy; Mourners Pay Respect to Pope Francis; India to Pursue Kashmir Attackers; China Dismiss Claims of Trade Talks with U.S.; Court Filing Reveals Legal Process For Alien Enemies Act; Trial For "Grandpa Gang" To Begin Next Week In Paris. Aired 2-2:45a ET

Aired April 25, 2025 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN HOST: Welcome to all of you watching us around the world, I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is "CNN Newsroom." New Russian airstrikes pound Kyiv just as the U.S. doubles down on its calls for peace between Ukraine and Russia.

Live pictures from the Vatican as thousands pass by the open coffin of Pope Francis to say their final goodbyes.

And tensions between India and Pakistan worsen following a deadly attack on tourists. We'll have a live report from Islamabad.

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will be in Moscow on Friday for expected peace talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Now, that's happening as Ukraine's capital is reeling from its deadliest day in months following a barrage of Russian strikes on Thursday. Officials say at least 12 people were killed and 90 others wounded after Russian drones and missiles pounded targets across Kyiv.

The attack happened just as the U.S. is pushing for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. Hours later, U.S. President Donald Trump made it clear he's not happy, urging the Russian leader on social media to stop the attacks and get the peace deal done. He also said he believes both Kyiv and Moscow still want peace. All right, let's get more now from CNN's Jeff Zeleny at the White House.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: President Trump expressing personal frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which has been a rarity, expressing on social media, "Vladimir, stop." That has been in the wake of one of the deadliest attacks in Kyiv since last summer. We asked President Trump about that in the Oval Office.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: What is your level of frustration with President Putin?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I didn't like last night. I wasn't happy with it. And we're in the midst of talking peace and missiles were fired. And I was not happy with it. That's what I meant. And that's, you know, what I said.

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: So, I assume that's what you mean.

ZELENY: Sorry. If the bombs keep falling, will you consider additional sanctions for Russia or what will you do if the President Putin --

TRUMP: I'd rather answer that question in a week. I want to see if we can have a deal. No reason to answer it now, but I won't be happy. Let me put it that way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: So President Trump saying one week period of time and then he would decide what to do with Putin. Of course, that is not being very specific, but it is laying out a timeline potentially for the president's patience.

There is no doubt inside the White House among his West Wing advisers, there's a growing sense of frustration that reaching some type of a ceasefire deal is far more difficult than the president hoped. He had planned and hoped to do this in the first days of his administration. Of course, that was always a boastful claim. But as the first 100 days is nearing early next week, there is a growing sense of the reality here that this may be more difficult, even perhaps impossible.

So, President Trump now trying to put a bit more pressure on Vladimir Putin, even as he tries to pressure Ukraine to take a deal that favors Russia. Jeff Zeleny, CNN, the White House.

BRUNHUBER: And I'm joined now by Steven Erlanger, who's the chief diplomatic correspondent for "The New York Times," and he's joining us from Berlin. Good to see you again. So President Trump's post on social media, "Vladimir, stop." Not exactly the most forceful pushback from the White House. It's even become a meme now. So it's not likely that Vladimir will stop, is it?

STEVEN ERLANGER, CHIEF DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT, THE NEW YORK TIMES: No. No, no. I mean, Trump likes these slightly childish things that he does. I mean, and Putin is trying to put pressure on Ukraine. He's also putting pressure on Trump. I mean, the problem with Trump's great desire is he's really eager to have a win and his staff is eager to have a win and they're much more eager to have a ceasefire than Putin is or even Ukraine under these circumstances.

The deal the Americans are proposing, it's vague and a sort of framework deal, but it isn't quite as unfair to Ukraine as some people think. I believe it does have some real concession sops to Russia. And of course, the territorial compromise is very hard for Ukraine, but that's reality biting.

[02:05:04] BRUNHUBER: Yeah. Now, President Trump sort of issuing sort of a new reality, I guess, claiming that Russia's big concession was not taking all of Ukraine. I mean, that seems like an unusual way to see things, to say the least.

ERLANGER: Well, it's very unusual and it's also wrong because Russia has been prevented from taking all of Ukraine by the bravery of Ukrainians with the help of their allies, which have included, certainly in the past, the United States. So Ukraine has 900,000 people serving in its military. It's not a pushover. Russia thought it would take Ukraine in three or four days. It's been three years. They've lost nearly a million troops by death and by wounding.

So, it's pretty stagnant right now, the front line. So I think when Trump says that, it gives you an indication of what he actually thinks about the war and how wrong I think some of his perceptions can be.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. So Trump's envoy, as we said, is expected to meet with Putin today. So in terms of what to expect, and this kind of was building on your -- what you were saying earlier about the different approaches here. President Trump has said the clock is ticking. Russia seems happy to watch it tick. Lavrov said talks are moving in the right direction. But is that just Moscow stringing things along? Because for Putin, the longer talks go on, the better the deal seems to get.

ERLANGER: Well, the longer they go on, the more Trump seems to blame Zelenskyy. He's very reluctant to blame Vladimir Putin, which is one reason why the frustration yesterday was modestly interesting, because I think he really feels Ukraine has been difficult and not recognizing that it has somehow lost the war. Ukrainians don't feel they've lost the war. I mean, they're perfectly open, I feel, to some territorial compromise that isn't set into law.

I mean, their constitution says that Crimea is part of Ukraine and they won't give it up. So what Trump is suggesting, what the Americans are suggesting, is the U.S. would recognize Crimea as Russian, but no one else has to. That's a big change in American foreign policy for the last 70 years. But it doesn't compel Ukraine to do something Ukraine doesn't want to do.

I mean, after all, the Baltic nations, Russia had seized and annexed them after World War II, and the United States refused to recognize their annexation. And in fact, many years later, they were freed when the Soviet Union began to fall apart. So these things happen in history.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, huge change, as you say, but we don't know what the implications of that foreign policy change will have for other countries, for China, for example. I want to, before we go, take advantage of your diplomatic expertise here. So we have reporting that Donald Trump has privately told advisers that mediating a deal has been more difficult than he anticipated. So did he really think it would be easy? I mean, it seems naive. What does that say about his approach to diplomacy and the advice, perhaps, that he's getting? ERLANGER: Well, it's a good question. I mean, he's a businessman and

businessmen do deals and he wants to do a deal with Russia. I mean, Ukraine's in the way. He wants to normalize business relations and diplomatic relations with Russia and his pal, Vladimir Putin. And I think the problem with the Trump court in his second term, as he's gotten older, is he's surrounded himself with acolytes and sycophants.

He's mistrust some of the people who tell him different forms of reality and they are attacked themselves by his MAGA acolytes who tend to be younger and more ideological. So I think the question implies the answer, which is that the world is more complicated than New York real estate is. And Trump, in a way, knows that. I mean, he tried that with North Korea in his first term and he got frustrated, walked away.

I think he just thinks, oh, you know, it's terrible. People are dying. It's so simple. Let's stop the war. Well, it's never that simple. People fight for real things.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, absolutely. Listen, we'll have to leave it there. Really appreciate getting your analysis. Steven Erlanger, thank you so much.

ERLANGER: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: Vatican says more than 90,000 people have gathered to pay their respects to Pope Francis before his funeral on Saturday.

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His body has been lying in state at St. Peter's Basilica since Wednesday. A short time ago, the doors reopened for the third and final time before the pope's coffin is closed. Vatican says 50 heads of state and 10 reigning monarchs will attend his funeral.

All right, I want to bring in Claire Giangrave, who is a Vatican reporter for the Religion News Service. And she comes to us from Rome. Thank you so much for being here with us. So just to start, I talked about the number of dignitaries who will be in attendance. Just walk us through who who's going to be there.

CLAIRE GIANGRAVE, VATICAN REPORTER, RELIGION NEWS SERVICE: I mean, we know now it's 130 delegations, 50 heads of states. We're talking prince's, prime minister. We know President Trump is going to be landing tonight in Rome and President Zelenskyy as well from Ukraine. Big representatives from Europe, of course, the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni. She will be sitting at the front of the funeral, but she will be sitting next to Javier Millet from Argentina, Pope Francis's own country.

From Europe as well, representatives from Poland, from Hungary, even though Orban couldn't make it himself, and also representatives from the European Union. Beyond that, religious representatives will have a great importance for a pope who spent a lot of his time trying to broker relations with different religions, putting himself in a space for dialogue and understanding and reflecting more about what we have in common rather than what tears us apart. BRUNHUBER: Yeah. Now, the pope's body will be moved to the Basilica

of St. Mary Major. Pope Francis kind of broke with tradition in choosing that site for his burial. So explain its significance for us.

GIANGRAVE: Absolutely. So it is a break from tradition. The last pope to be buried in St. Mary Major was in the 1600s, but he's not the first pope to be buried here. In fact, there have been six more. And one way to think about it is, of course, Pope Francis's profound, deep devotion, that's the word he used himself when answering questions from Vatican reporters, to the Virgin Mary.

He had a special rapport and spirituality tied to the Mother of Jesus. And so this church, which contains this historical icon, which is thought to have been painted by the evangelist Luke himself, was very dear to him. He would go there before important meetings. He would go there before and after he traveled. And he would go in front of this icon as well when he got out of the hospital after being sick with double pneumonia.

And another aspect, though, that few people have mentioned is that this is a church that is also important for the Jesuits. That's the religious order that Pope Francis belonged to because it was the first church where St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of his order, said his mass on Christmas Day.

And then it is also the place for Franciscans because three very important popes tied to the Franciscan order are buried in that church, including the first Franciscan pope. And Pope Francis going there with that simple plaque reading Franciscus suddenly starts to make sense when you put all these things together.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, so much symbolism there, as you say. So looking ahead then, there will be these meetings leading up to the election of the new pope, the general congregation. So, explain what they are and how they're expected to unfold.

GIANGRAVE: Well, the general congregations are happening right now. Cardinals from all over the world are flocking into Rome to try and decide where should the church go next. Now, of course, there is some --these meetings are opportunities for the cardinals, most of them strangers, because they've been appointed by Pope Francis from all different parts of the world to get to know one another and to understand what their vision for the church is. But a lot of these conversations are also going to be happening not in the congregations.

They're going to be happening in hallways and cafes over dinner. So over the next couple of days until the conclave starts, we are going to see this happening more and more.

BRUNHUBER: And you mentioned the conclave then. So explain that. Walk us through the process and who might actually be the next pope.

GIANGRAVE: Well, the conclave is, of course, a very important time in the Catholic Church. But it's important to remember that it's not just a political thing, even though the polarization the Catholic Church has seeped into in society has seeped into the Catholic Church. When I spoke to a lot of the cardinals who have been walking out, they really want to emphasize the spiritual aspect of it. That being said, so that means it's hard to predict. But an evergreen candidate is the number two Vatican official, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. This was a close friend of Pope Francis.

[02:14:58]

If we're thinking about the 20 cardinals who are coming from Asia, a candidate, for example, like Cardinal Tagle from the Philippines comes out as a charismatic candidate for the papacy. From Europe, we have different options, whether people want to see the church continue down the path that Pope Francis has laid or they want to slow down a little bit, try and create either a mediation pope that can calm the waters a little bit or perhaps even turning back the clock.

And in that case, we have cardinals, for example, who represent that point of view in many different ways. But again, I want to emphasize when I speak to the cardinals, when they're walking out of those general congregations, they say it's not about politics. They're not electing the successor of Pope Francis. They're electing the successor of Peter.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, it's always a sad time, but also a fascinating time of change. Claire Giangrave, thank you so much for being here with us.

GIANGRAVE: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: And you can join CNN for Pope Francis' funeral on Saturday. Our special coverage begins at 8:00 a.m. in Rome, 7:00 a.m. in London, and 2:00 a.m. on the U.S. East Coast.

There's growing fallout from the deadly terror attack on tourists in disputed Kashmir. Relations between India and Pakistan plummet to their worst level in years. We'll have that and more coming up, please stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Ties between Pakistan and India are cratering after a deadly attack in disputed Kashmir that left 26 tourists dead. On Thursday, Pakistan suspended trade with India, closed its airspace, cancelled visas for Indian nationals, and expelled Indian diplomats. Those actions are retaliation for similar measures from India the day before. New Delhi also suspended a crucial water-sharing treaty for the first time and shut a key border crossing.

India says the measures are in response to Pakistan's alleged support for, quote, "cross-border terrorism." India's prime minister on Thursday vowed to pursue the attackers, quote, "to the ends of the earth." Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NARENDRA MODI, PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA: Today, from the soil of Bihar, I say to the whole world, India will identify, track, and punish every terrorist and their backer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: On Thursday, Kashmir police named three suspects allegedly involved in the terror attack but didn't say how the men were identified. Two of the three are Pakistani nationals. Pakistan denies any involvement. We go live now to CNN's Sophia Saifi joining us from Islamabad. So, bring us up to speed on the latest and the possible fallout if this escalates even more.

SOPHIA SAIFI, CNN PRODUCER: Oh, well, Kim, at the moment, there's a sense of deja vu here, at least in Pakistan, because back in 2019, when there was a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, there were airstrikes that did take place deep into Pakistan. And then there was a dogfight. There was a fallout and there was a de-escalation. The concerns since then are, what is India going to do next? There is a sense of trepidation here in Pakistan.

The Pakistani foreign minister came out and said that India is being irresponsible. It's playing a blame game that it hasn't shared any evidence of how that attack is linked to Pakistan. They said that they need to share that evidence with the Pakistanis and with the rest of the world.

So we've actually been speaking to people who live in Pakistan- administered Kashmir. Of course, they are the people who are at the very forefront of when these kinds of situations flare up here in Pakistan. Again, we're talking about two nuclear-armed countries and it's always a cause for concern when the situation starts to begin to flare up between India and Pakistan. There's been an uneasy truce between the two countries over the past four years.

Pakistan has gone through its own period of economic and political instability. The messaging that we're getting out of Pakistan right now is that the defense minister went out and said that if a single Pakistani civilian is martyred, according to the defense minister, India will have to pay through its nose. So a lot of strong language coming out of Pakistan as well. There is, of course, the matter of India announcing that it's going to be suspending the Indus Water Treaty, which is a treaty that has held since the 1960s with regards to the main water supply into Pakistan.

There's a lot of concern regarding that. And Pakistan has also said that any attempt to cut water off to its people will be considered an act of war. So, again, a lot of concern, a lot of anxiety and a lot of trepidation to see how Delhi reacts and what's going to happen next in the coming days. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: All right. We'll keep tabs on this story. Sophia Saifi, thank you so much.

China is pushing back on Donald Trump's claims about trade talks with the U.S. He said, Xi said, of the tariff war just ahead on "CNN Newsroom." Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Import agencies in Shenzhen say China appears to have quietly rolled back some retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports. Exemptions to China's 125 percent tariffs now apply to some U.S.-made microchips and semiconductors, crucial items that China may not be able to make at home or source elsewhere. Now, the move comes as China is throwing cold water on President Donald Trump's repeated claims that talks are underway to resolve the ongoing trade war.

The foreign ministry called it fake news, saying China and the U.S. haven't engaged in any consultations, let alone reached any agreement. Trump has said he's optimistic about a deal that will lower tariffs on China from the current 145 percent. Reporters asked him about the talks with Beijing on Thursday at the White House. Here he is.

[02:29:59]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Can you clarify with whom the U.S. is speaking with China? They're saying its fake news that trade talks are happening.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, they had a meeting this morning, so I can't tell you. It doesn't matter who they is. We may reveal it later, but they had meetings this morning.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: For the first time, we're getting a detailed look at how the Trump administration is trying to carry out deportations using the controversial 18th century wartime law known as the Alien Enemies Act. New court documents lay out the legal process for immigrants facing deportation under the act.

CNN's Priscilla Alvarez explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A newly unsealed court declaration is giving a new window into the procedure for migrants who are subject to that sweeping wartime authority, known as the Alien Enemies Act. It's a measure that's only been used three times in U.S. history. It's also one that the Supreme Court recently said the Trump administration can use, but it noted that those who are subject to it do need to have some level of due process and be provided reasonable time to contest their removal underneath this authority.

Now, we are learning what exactly the administration has interpreted that to mean. Now, according to this declaration, migrants are provided a notice. One page saying that they are going to be removed under the Alien Enemies Act. Now, it is provided in English, though the declaration says that there is a conversation to be had with the officer, who translates it.

Then it says that the migrant or the individual who is subject to the removal is to say within 12 hours if they plan to contest it, to state their intention to contest it, and then given 24 hours to actually contest their removal underneath this authority.

That is a truncated process. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, and does not give any time for someone to reasonably be able to contact an attorney and also file their petition to contest the removal. Under this sweeping wartime authority.

Now, this proceeding is still ongoing, similar to others across the country, other courts that have halted the removal of migrants using this authority as they try to glean more information from the administration and the way in which they are proceeding with its use. In this case. This case being of migrants who are in detention in a certain part of Texas. Well, the judge halted their removals until at least May 2nd.

Priscilla Alvarez, CNN, Washington.

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BRUNHUBER: And we'll be right back here on CNN NEWSROOM.

Stay with us.

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[02:36:56]

BRUNHUBER: Well, stunning sight lit up the night skies of Southern Brazil. Have a look at this.

Cameras caught this meteor flaring on Wednesday. It entered the atmosphere over the Atlantic Ocean before soaring across the country. The meteor split into multiple fiery trails as it disintegrated, illuminating the skies of Brazil's southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul. The director of a local space observatory said it might be the largest meteor to fall in the region.

In a 2020 interview, Kim Kardashian publicly reflected on the moment she feared for her life when she was robbed at gunpoint in a Paris apartment. As the long-awaited trial begins, her words underscore the lasting impact of the ordeal.

CNN's Saskya Vandoorne has more on the case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KIM KARDASHIAN, MEDIA PERSONALITY: I didn't know who he was, and I'm like, what is happening? Are we going to die? Just tell them I have children like I have babies, I have a husband, I have a family. Like I have to get home.

TV ANCHOR: Kim Kardashian West was held at gunpoint.

SASKYA VANDOORE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She's built an empire on fame and luxury. But one night in Paris left scars that lasted years.

Now, nearly nine years later, Kim Kardashian will soon face the men accused of tying her up and robbing her at gunpoint. Disguised as police, they allegedly made off with about $10 million in cash and jewels. The men, most over 60, now nicknamed the Grandpa Gang. Three of them escaped on bicycles.

Kardashian spoke about the violence on "Keeping Up with the Kardashians".

KARDASHIAN: Then he duct-taped my face. I think like my mouth to get me to, like, not yell or anything. And then he, like, grabs my legs and I wasn't, you know, I had no clothes on under. So --

VANDOORNE: But not everyone felt sorry for Kardashian.

KARL LAGERFELD, FASHION DESIGNER: You cannot display your wealth and then be surprised that some people want to share it with you.

VIRGINIIE MOUZAT, LE FIGARO JOURNALIST: There's just one expression that comes to my mind, femme fatale.

VANDOORNE: Journalist Patricia Tourancheau wrote of the robbery in her book.

PATRICIA TOURANCHEAU, JOURNALIST (through translator): In France, it's still very badly perceived when people flaunt their wealth so much. And what was heavily criticized, for example, is Kim Kardashians selfie.

So, they knew she had jewelry on her, but she's showing off. And her way of exhibiting her wealth in France is quite insufferable.

VANDOORNE: That selfie, now entered into evidence.

According to court documents, the thieves tracked Kardashian's social media and knew exactly when and where to strike.

In a strange twist, one of them, Yunice Abbas, has since turned the heist into a publicity tour. Now 70, he wrote a memoir titled "I Kidnaped Kim Kardashian" and promoted it on French television.

GABRIEL DUMENIL, ABBAS LAWYER, YL AVOCATS: Since his arrest and his imprisonment, he read such nonsense about the case, such violation of his privacy, that he felt that he had to speak his truth.

VANDOORNE: Abbas has downplayed the crime, and some in the French media have portrayed him more as a cheeky anti-hero than a criminal. He's pleaded guilty to armed robbery but denies kidnaping.

YUNICE ABBAS, GRANDPA GANG: I'm very happy for her. I ask her to forgive me. If she can't, too bad. I'll live with that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VANDOORNE: After years of delays, partly because of big cases like the Paris attacks, the trial will open here on Monday. Ten suspects are facing charges of kidnaping, armed robbery and more. They're not in custody, though, because of detention limits, and many are in poor health. Most say that they will plead not guilty, but if convicted, some of them could face up to 30 years behind bars.

Saskya Vandoorne CNN, Paris.

BRUNHUBER: I'm Kim Brunhuber.

"WORLD SPORT" is next.

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