Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Pope Leo XIV Becomes First American To Lead Catholic Church; Pope Leo XIV Expected To Build On Pope Francis' Reforms; Trump Announces New Trade Deal With The U.K.; Trump: "China Very Much Wants To Make A Deal"; The Significance of the Pope's New Name Leo XIV; India and Pakistan Trade Blame as Conflict Spirals; Trump Speaks with Zelenskyy, Supports 30-Day Ceasefire; Xi and Putin Agree to Deepen China-Russia Ties; Pope Leo XIV Becomes First American to Lead Catholic Church; Family of Tailors Has Clothed Popes for Generations. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired May 09, 2025 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:00:28]
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, I'm Polo Sandoval in New York city, where it's 1:00 a.m. And ahead here on CNN Newsroom, the world learning much more about Pope Leo XIV, who became the first American ever elected in Thursday's historical vote. And friends and colleagues are sharing stories and insights, some fascinating insights about the new pope formerly known as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost. And we will also meet the Italian family who have been dressing popes for more than two centuries.
Today, the world is welcoming a new pope whose name is now being celebrated in masses and in prayers around the world. Chicago born Cardinal Robert Prevost is now Pope Leo XIV. The announcement nothing short of a shock for many, never before has an American been selected to lead the Catholic Church and its 1.4 billion followers. All eyes were on the Sistine Chapel Thursday awaiting that unmistakable puff of white smoke. That signaled that the 133 cardinals inside who, by the way, had been in the conclave for about two days, had finally made their decision. Many thousands of faithful cheering in Vatican City even before anybody knew who was the pick.
Pope Leo, who is 69 years old, is also a citizen of Peru, having spent around two decades there as a missionary and a bishop. During his first address on the famous balcony at St. Peter's Basilica, the new pope brought a message of peace to the faithful and also to those around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POPE LEO XIV, NEW POE (through translator): The pope who blessed Rome gave his blessing to the world, to the entire world that morning of Easter. Allow me to follow up on that blessing. God loves us. God loves everyone. Evil will not prevail.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: And in only a few hours, Pope Leo will be celebrating mass at the Sistine Chapel along with the cardinals who elected him. He is expected to build on the reforms of his predecessor, Pope Francis. A closer look now at the excitement in Vatican City when the news was announced. Here's CNN's Barbie Latza Nadeau with more.
BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: After two rounds of black smoke, the tens of thousands of people who gathered in St. Peter's Square on Thursday afternoon in Rome had their eyes fixed on the chimney above the Sistine Chapel. And when the white smoke billowed out, no one could have expected what was behind it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NADEAU (voice-over): History made the first ever American elected as the 267th pope. A plume of white smoke rising above the Sistine Chapel, a signal that 133 voting cardinals have elected the new pontiff. The bells of St. Peter's Basilica welcoming the news. News that thousands in St. Peter's Square, Vatican City and around the world have been anticipating during the two days of the Conclave.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's so much hope. It's exciting. It's exciting to see, to be here to know that now we have a pope.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are so happy to be here at Rome today.
NADEAU (voice-over): Pope Leo XIV making his debut address to the world's roughly 1.4 billion Catholics.
POPE LEO XIV (through translator): Peace be with you all.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NADEAU (on camera): And when the new pope stood out there on that balcony, giving his first blessing to all those who had gathered there below, many were surprised that he spoke in Italian and Spanish and not in English, which led everyone to wonder what kind of pope the new pope will be.
I'm Barbie Latza Nadeau, reporting from Rome.
SANDOVAL: Joining us now is Father Max Villeneuve, chaplain at St. Augustine High School in San Diego.
Father Max, thank you so much for taking some time for us.
FATHER MAX VILLENEUVE, CHAPLAIN ST. AUGUSTINE HIGH SCHOOL IN SAN DIEGO: Of course. Thank you. Good to be with you.
SANDOVAL: My understanding is that you knew Pope Leo before he became Pope Leo.
[01:05:01]
VILLENEUVE: That's right, yes. I actually got the privilege of living with him for four months when I was starting out my seminary studies in Chicago.
SANDOVAL: So how stunned were you when the man elected by cardinals to lead the church was the same man you knew when you were a seminarian? After all, he wasn't a frontrunner that was being discussed before Thursday.
VILLENEUVE: The only thing I've heard distinctly all day is when I heard the word Prevost on the balcony and I just about screamed and almost fell out of my here in my office. It was very exciting. I ran outside and I told some of the boys, it's Prevost. It's Prevost.
SANDOVAL: So you were clearly shocked. How shocked do you think he was?
VILLENEUVE: I think absolutely. It's a shock to everyone. It's not a shock if you really know how intelligent and what a wonderful man he is. And it's not a shock if you realize the great skills that he's going to bring to the office of the papacy. He's an incredibly smart man, an incredibly sharp man, insightful, prayerful.
He's going to be a tremendous leader for the church. So very excited about him.
SANDOVAL: He's already been described by others who knew him as a peace builder, somebody who's reliable, humble, somebody who's direct. What else on that last note, Father, what else do you think may surprise us from Pope Leo?
VILLENEUVE: Well, I just love the name, even Leo means lion, right? And you know a lion can roar, but it doesn't have to roar to get your attention. So I think he'll have a calm and steady kind of pontificate. He's a canon lawyer by nature, so he's very methodical in going about his business, but it's always with a lot of thought and a lot of planning and foresight.
SANDOVAL: He was a missionary. He's also been spoken out about issues like climate change, immigration, very similar to the late Pope Francis. How do you think, Father Max, how do you think he's going to stand apart from Father -- Pope Francis when it comes to some of those issues that certainly have been discussed before from the holy -- by the Holy Father?
VILLENEUVE: Yes. Pope Francis had a method of kind of shaking up the box just for the sake of shaking up the box. And Leo's not going to be like that. He's going to be very methodical, very thoughtful, very prayerful. But I think he's going to surprise some people in how he goes about sort of his more prophetic voice.
SANDOVAL: Obviously, the historic nature of him being the first American born pontiff. There's so much of Latin America, though I've been going through reports and the coverage, especially in Peru, that really embrace him as one of their own, given his history in Peru and spending much of his career as a missionary in South America. So how do you think he will choose to define himself as, yes, he's American, but he's also multinational by choice. VILLENEUVE: Yes, I really see him as the true pope of the Americas. Pope Francis, of course, was Argentinian from the New World, but on that level, we had a separation as Americans from that. But now we have a Chicago born American who's a dual citizen with Peru. So he's bringing both of the continents, north and South America together. So I think we have a true pope of the Americas here now with us to lead our church.
SANDOVAL: We always love to hear the insight too about those stories that may surprise us, that many folks may not even know. We've heard from other people tell us that he even tends to text almost immediately to respond to e-mails and text messages. Very much a pope of this next generation. What else should we keep in mind as we get ready to -- for him to begin his papacy?
VILLENEUVE: Yes, you know, I even sent him an e-mail this afternoon. He hasn't replied yet. I'm going to see if he does. But with all I said, I know he's a great fan of baseball and I said that the San Diego media here had called him a Cubs fan and I had to correct the journalists here, I said he is not a Cubs fan. He is a South side White Sox guy for life.
SANDOVAL: Any final thought now as we -- as he is now, again, beginning his papacy, it is certainly a complicated time perhaps for the church and we saw Pope Francis really sort of open the door to many. How do you think he will really carry the torch moving forward? You spoke already about how he will define himself and set himself apart from his predecessor. What is your -- what is your hope now for somebody who you also consider friend?
VILLENEUVE: I'm very excited for the church. There's the old line, you walk into conclave of pope, you walk out a cardinal. I think he walked in a cardinal and the cardinals looked around and realized there was the pope sitting among them right there.
SANDOVAL: Yes. It is certainly an exciting time for the Catholic Church as well. I know my family has been texting me constantly for updates as well.
[01:10:01]
Father Max, thank you so much, sir, for taking the time and for sharing a bit of what you know about the man who we all know now as Pope Leo.
VILLENEUVE: Thank you. God bless you and God bless your viewers.
SANDOVAL: Let's keep getting some more reaction, this coming in from American political leaders. They reacted positively to news of the U. S. born pope.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What greater honor could there be that we are a little bit surprised. Very happy. It was just a great -- absolutely great honor. (END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: Vice President J.D. Vance writing on social media, "I'm sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the church. May God bless him." Then there's CNN's Dana Bash actually caught up with former U.S. President Joe Biden on a train in parts of the Northeast. He was not only -- he's actually been only the second Catholic to serve in the Oval Office.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think it's great. I think he's a good -- he was a good friend of Francis. And, you know, I think he's going to keep moving the church in a direction being more ecumenical and reaching out. I think that's all good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: And his fellow Democrat Barack Obama also sending congratulations to his as he described him, his fellow Chicagoan writing, "We will pray for him as he begins the sacred work of leading the Catholic Church and setting an example for many regardless of faith."
And in Peru, some people are already calling Leo XIV, our pope. He worked there for more than a decade. He's been described as really -- he describes that moment in his career as one of the most influential life experiences for him. Peru's president says that this is a historic moment for both her country and the world. Stefano Pozzebon with more from Peru.
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: The election of Leo XIV on Thursday was met with jubilation here in Peru, where the new pope lived up until 2023. Many of the people that we spoke with on Thursday afternoon shared words of joy and pride, a sentiment that the new pope was one of them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I feel very proud because he represents us now in the Vatican. And I hope that he'll stay there for long.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It was a surprise to learn that a Peruvian-American pope was elected. It was incredible news because nobody was expecting this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
POZZEBON: Now, Robert Prevost, who chose the name of Leo XIV when he got elected as the leader of the Catholic Church, is still widely remembered here in Peru where he became a citizen in 2015. And the local Office of Migration even shared a copy of its identification to prove and share their sense of pride that the new pope is indeed a Peruvian citizen. In particular, many here remember his support for workers' rights as the bishop of Chiclayo, a city in northern Peru where he lived for almost 10 years.
For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Lima, Peru.
SANDOVAL: President Donald Trump is touting a new trade deal with the U.K., calling it historic. Going to break down that deal for you coming up next. You're watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:17:58]
SANDOVAL: U.S. President Donald Trump announced what he called a major trade deal with the U.K. on Thursday. It could mean some possible relief from the president's historically high tariffs. He calls it a full and comprehensive agreement, which he says will be followed by many deals with other countries.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The final details are being written up in the coming weeks. We'll have it all very conclusive, but the actual deal is a very conclusive one. We think just about everything's been approved.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says that the deal will remove tariffs on steel and aluminum. It will also cut tariffs on British cars. But Mr. Starmer said that there are still some details that need to be ironed out. U.S. stocks close slightly higher on Thursday after President Trump announced this deal and said that he expects a good weekend of trade talks with China.
Let's go now to CNN's Anna Stewart with more on this deal.
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it wasn't perhaps the full and comprehensive deal touted by President Trump, but there is no doubt this is a victory for U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, given it's the first so called deal to be agreed with the new U.S. administration. Many details remain to be finalized, but here's what we know so far. First of all, the 10 percent baseline tariff on U.K. exports to the U.S. remains. The focus here is on an easing of measures on specific sectors. And autos is a big one.
The U.K. will be able to export 100,000 cars per year to the U.S. at a tariff of 10 percent. Now, that is significantly better than the current rate of 27.5 percent. But if you look back prior to President Trump taking office, it was just 2 1/2 percent.
The U.K. and the U.S. will have a free trade zone when it comes to steel and aluminum, with the U.K. actually joining the U.S. and imposing a 25 percent tariff on those metals being imported from anywhere else. There is plenty more to be ironed out. The British Prime Minister was asked whether the deal was actually an improvement in the U.K.'s trading relationship with the U.S. prior to President Trump taking office. And this is what he said.
[01:20:03]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEIR STARMER, U.K. PRIME MINISTER: The question you should be asking is it better than where were yesterday?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEWART: The implication being that a deal is better than no deal, but it may not be perfect. Now all eyes will be on talks between China and the U.S., the world's biggest economies who remain locked in a much bigger trade war.
Anna Stewart, CNN, London.
SANDOVAL: All right, let's bring in Christopher Clarke now. He's an economics professor at Washington State University, joining us live from Pullman, Washington.
Professor, thanks for staying up late with us.
CHRISTOPHER CLARKE, ECONOMICS PROFESSOR, WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY: It's just a pleasure to be here.
SANDOVAL: It's a pleasure to have you. Tell you what, we just heard from Anna right now saying that many are considering this a victory, especially those that had their hands on the deal making. Help us really understand the nuance here, right? The actual policy itself and the logic behind this. How is this supposed to help the administration balance the U.S. budget?
CLARKE: It won't. You balance the budget by cutting spending and increasing taxes. Taxes on the order of hundreds of billions or trillions of dollars. We're simply not doing that. This has nothing to do with the budget. So, I mean, there's that.
On the context of what does this deal mean for the American economy? Obviously less tariffs are good. So as the person said, relative to yesterday, it's better. But relative to a few months ago, we're still significantly worse. We're high tariff protectionist country now.
SANDOVAL: What are the broader economic and geopolitical dynamics at play with this deal, Professor?
CLARKE: Sure. So this is the first one. And by all prospects, this should have been the easiest one. For one, what the president has been concerned about is a trade deficit. We actually have a trade surplus with England.
They buy more of their stuff than what we -- than what they buy -- we buy -- they buy more of our stuff than what we buy of theirs. And nevertheless, we're still raising the tariffs to a baseline 10 percent. And I think this gives a signal for the rest of the world that baseline 10 percent is where we're going to be. And this is a huge increase of where were months ago. SANDOVAL: And just staying on that alone, how is this -- or does this set a precedent ahead of what we expect to be talks between the U.S. and China?
CLARKE: Oh, absolutely. It means that the outcome is going to end up to be multiple times higher than what we saw before Trump came into office. Now, I think one of the reasons the market, for example, is a little more hopeful is the high tariff of 145 percent that we've imposed on Chinese imports may come down, but whatever the end result is, it'll be higher than before.
SANDOVAL: Let's talk the vehicle tariff, too. I think you probably shed some more light on this. The way we understand it, this is a reduced vehicle tariff from 25 percent to 10 percent. That's what we expect based on sort of the parameters of this deal. What will that mean, you think, for the average consumer?
CLARKE: Not much. How much -- how many average consumers are buying Bentleys? Now, they could be buying Minis. I mean, Minis are a little more common there, but this is only for 100,000 and they're still raising the tariff to 10 percent when it only used to just be a couple of percentage points a couple of months ago.
SANDOVAL: Only those that insist on the caviar coming with the -- with the Bentley, right?
CLARKE: That's right.
SANDOVAL: What about -- how about this -- the U.K. -- this deal that we're talking about here between the U.K. and the U.S., the bottom line, and you touched on a little while ago. I mean, the U.K. perhaps what is the sixth largest economy but not a chief trading partner. It's not -- it's not Mexico. It's certainly not Canada either. So just in the broader scope of things for the average viewer, Professor, how important will this deal be to consumers in both countries?
CLARKE: Well, it's -- like I said, better than what it was yesterday, but still significantly higher. I mean, Great Britain purchases a lot of our manufactured goods, so making sure that we're still friendly with them is very important. And as a geopolitical partner, this is incredibly important, especially to continue our mutual aid for the war in Ukraine, for example.
But for the average American, I'm not sure this is -- this is that big. For example, we're getting an exemption for Bentleys, but we still have import tariffs for bananas.
SANDOVAL: Yes. But you do expect certainly to set, as we talked about a little while ago, that precedent before the U.S. enters into those negotiations or those trade talks with China as well.
Finally, just a final thought from you --
CLARKE: Yes.
SANDOVAL: -- Professor, any deal is a good deal. What should Americans walk away thinking out of this deal after what we just heard from you?
[01:25:07]
CLARKE: Disappointment. The fact that American taxes are going to be raised and that these are the taxes being paid by the lower middle and middle classes and that there's not much benefit for us, it's only going to raise our costs and we don't get the economic surplus on the other side. Less exports will be had. Our manufacturing industries rely on imports to be competitive on a global stage. And I think the American people should be disappointed with what this will do to the economy.
SANDOVAL: And add to that the point you made at the beginning, the budget itself remains unaffected.
Professor Christopher Clarke from Washington State University, really appreciate your time and your expertise.
CLARKE: Thanks for having me tonight.
SANDOVAL: Of course, Professor. Thank you.
Well, still ahead, a new pope, a new future for the Catholic Church. Thousands of Catholic faithful gathering at Vatican Square for a first glimpse of Pope Leo XIV. We're going to relive that moment next on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:30:45]
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR: And as the historic election of Pope Leo XIV was revealed to the world on Thursday, CNN's team was on the ground live there to explain the significance of what was happening.
Here's how it all played out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: This is really an extraordinary moment.
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: This is an extraordinary moment and, of course, I sit here as an American. Whatever it would have been, I think you can't be but moved to tears. But this is stunning.
LAMB: Leo XIV.
BURNETT: Leo XIV.
LAMB: Now, that's significant. Pope Leo XIII, a pope of Catholic social teaching, of Catholic social doctrine, a pope who stood up for workers, a pope on the side of the poor. And Cardinal Prevost, Pope Leo XIV I should say, has chosen that name. That is a big statement.
That is really an extraordinary, extraordinary moment. We all thought. People were thinking it was going to be an Italian.
BURNETT:
LAMB: They thought that the front runner but as we said, as I reported, an American was not ruled out. They were looking at America.
BURNETT: And you were saying this was possible. It was only today when it moved as fast as it moved, that everyone said, well, it must be an Italian.
But let's just say this again. Cardinal Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, is an American, currently cardinal from Chicago and is now the first American pope in history.
LAMB: This is --
BURNETT: So history has been made today.
LAMB: This is stunning. Absolutely stunning.
KIM DANIELS, DIRECTOR, GEORGETOWN INITIATIVE ON CATHOLIC SOCIAL THOUGHT: I just have to say, as an American Catholic, I think this a remarkable moment for our church, right. We were mission territory until the beginning of the 20th century. And now there is a pope who is an American.
So Cardinal Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, is the most global of American popes in so many ways.
LAMB: Yes.
DANIELS: He's lived his adult life in Peru. He left as a missionary to go to Peru as a young man. He has a missionary heart. He speaks numerous languages.
LAMB: Yes.
DANILES: It's just a remarkable choice for a remarkable moment and a shift and a change, right, as a continuation of Francis, for sure.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANDOVAL: That excitement, very clear even in the face of our tireless Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb.
And then just moments later, Pope Leo appeared at the balcony to cheers from thousands of Catholic faithful below in Saint Peter's Square.
Our David Culver was among them.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The smoke signal and the crowd responded.
Oh. Oh, my gosh.
Thousands flocking into Saint Peter's Square, waiting, watching. Then the moment -- an American representing both the United States and Latin America stepping onto the balcony as pope.
This is all you could see from here, but it didn't matter. You were here. You were living it.
You can still see the smoke.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, the white smoke finally.
CULVER: Hours earlier, before the smoke, before the crowd, before the cheers we were across town at the Pontifical North American College.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So Santa Marta is right over there.
CULVER: Oh, wow.
From a quiet rooftop with a clear view of the Vatican, Father Anthony Legato and his seminarians were preparing to witness history, not knowing at the time how close to home it would hit.
REED ROBINSON, SEMINARIAN, PONTIFICAL NORTH AMERICAN COLLEGE: Now which one of them is going to be anointed by the Holy Spirit to be the next holy father, that the spirit knows. That's already been decided.
CULVER: But they would have to wait for the reveal. Fortunately, patience is something 30-year seminarian Reed Robinson understands well. He's waited a long time to wear this collar.
ROBINSON: I've never had a moment when I didn't want to be a priest. So before I can remember, I always wanted to be a priest. I remember when I was a little kid, I couldn't wait for first communion so I could start altar serving.
There's pictures of me when I'm seven years old, you know, like this high wearing, you know, wearing the white, walking down the aisle, helping the priest out.
CULVER: Now living in Rome, far from his home in Tennessee, Reed knew exactly where he needed to be when the time came.
ROBINSON: Actually, there was a note sent out to our university that should there be white smoke while you're in class, everyone is free to go, including the professors. Won't be counted against you. And actually, you should go as fast as you can down to the square.
[01:34:50]
CULVER: And that's what they did. Pouring into Saint Peter's Square boosted on shoulders, climbing over barricades -- all for a better view.
But it wasn't about what you could see so much as what you could feel. The wait, the moment, the unity around you. ROBINSON: Wow. Yes, yes. An American.
CULVER: Only after the crowds begin to clear did we spot a familiar face. Reed, all smiles, still stunned.
ROBINSON: It's such a blessing to be -- standing here in the square. I'm looking at Saint Peters. You know, my walk home is five minutes. I -- I can't thank the Lord enough. I mean, it's such a gift to be able to be here, be with you all, be with, you know, 40,000 of my closest friends.
CULVER: Now to say there's an American pope --
ROBINSON: Yes. Oh my goodness.
CULVER: I mean, Reed, how do you process it?
ROBINSON: Just -- I mean, smile and pray. Smile and pray. I mean, it's exciting. We're sent here to Rome. The American College was originally sent here and founded so that men could come and grow in love for the Holy Father.
And now it's, you know, after doing that for three years and coming to love Pope Francis, being able to mourn his loss, and then now welcoming an American pope. It's incredible.
CULVER: Take me back to the Reed Robinson as a seven-year-old altar server.
ROBINSON: Yes. Yes.
CULVER: Did you imagine this moment ever?
ROBINSON: Never. No, I could not have imagined it. I mean, goodness, yes. Biggest surprise. Yes. Being here for this moment, especially.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANDOVAL: David Culver reporting in the Vatican.
We have much more on Thursday's historic election a little later in the show.
But first, let's get you caught up on some other headlines that we're closely following, including word that there has been new cross-border fire between India and Pakistan. And that's raising fears that these two nuclear armed rivals are on the brink of a wider conflict.
Authorities in India-administered Kashmir reporting heavy shelling near the line of control, which is basically the de facto border in the disputed region.
Indian officials say air defenses intercepted missiles, as well as drones that were launched from Pakistan on Thursday. India says the attack targeted military sites in India and Indian-administered Kashmir. Pakistan denying the attacks, but earlier said that it did kill 40 to
50 Indian soldiers along that line of control. It also said it downed more than two dozen Indian drones.
Pakistan's ambassador to the U.S. says his country has acted in self- defense. A Pakistani military official says Indian attacks killed at least 31 civilians.
A look at the region now, India's defense ministry says cross-border shelling has killed at least 16 people in India. In his first public comments on the crisis, India's prime minister called for continued alertness.
The U.S., meanwhile, is calling for talks and a de-escalation. The vice president and the U.S. says that there could be limits to the U.S. involvement here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We want this thing to de-escalate as quickly as possible.
We can't control these countries, though. Fundamentally, India has its gripes with Pakistan. Pakistan has responded to India.
What we can do is try to encourage these folks to de-escalate a little bit. But we're not going to get involved in the middle of a war that's fundamentally none of our business.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: Let's bring in journalist Vedika Sud covering this live from Delhi. We spoke in the last hour about these tensions that seemed to just grow worse by the day. Vedika, what's the situation like on that de facto border?
VEDIKA SUD, CNN JOURNALILST: Pretty intense, I would say. Well, India and Pakistan have been trading blame over those overnight attacks that the Indian government has alleged came from Pakistan.
You have the Indian military that's come out with a statement, and they've accused Pakistan of sending in munitions and missiles from across the border in the north and northwestern region.
And I'm going to now read out from a statement from the defense ministry here in India. I'm going to pick up a quote from that press statement.
It says "Military stations at Jammu, Pathankot and Udhampur were targeted by Pakistani-origin drones and missiles along the international border in Jammu and Kashmir today. The threats were swiftly neutralized."
The military has said that they repelled these multiple attacks.
Now I want to show you some visuals and videos coming in from along the border on the Indian side of the line of control that you mentioned earlier. You can see the intensity of the damage, really on the Indian side of the border, you can see villagers going back to their homes to assess that damage.
CNN has spoken to a lot of people who have been living for decades and years along the line of control, and they have said that they're living in fear. Some of them have already moved out of their homes, while others have been hunkering in bunkers, almost 50 or 60 of them in one single bunker through the night because of the intensity of the cross-border shelling.
Pakistan has said that there were no attacks by them overnight on the Indian side, and they have accused New Delhi of misinformation.
Now things are escalating day by day. It's just moving at a speed that it's really getting difficult to grasp because you're having these accusations coming in from New Delhi of Pakistan sending ammunition and missiles.
[01:39:51]
You have Pakistan making the same allegations.
So for now, things remain tense definitely at the border on both sides. And a lot of allegations being traded between the two countries.
Back to you.
SANDOVAL: Allegations and no shortage of uncertainty for people in both countries.
Vedika Sud, thank you so much for all your reporting.
U.S. President Donald Trump is voicing his support for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire on Russia's war on Ukraine. He spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by phone on Thursday, threatening additional sanctions on Moscow if the truce is not respected.
Mr. Zelenskyy proposed the plan even as Russia announced its own three-day unilateral ceasefire, which is coinciding with their World War II victory day celebrations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): A ceasefire, lasting and reliable, will be a real indicator of movement towards peace. America can help with this. The world needs America now, just as it did 80 years ago.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: Ukrainian forces on the front lines accusing Russia of repeatedly breaking its own ceasefire. Meantime, world leaders are gathering in Moscow for a massive military
parade that's set to mark their victory day. It's set to get underway in just a few hours. Chinese President Xi Jinping, who you see there, he is there alongside with fellow leaders from Egypt, Brazil, Serbia, Slovakia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with his Chinese counterpart on Thursday, agreeing to deepen ties. Their alliance meant to show solidarity in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump's America First diplomacy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Our common heroic past and combat brotherhood are a reliable foundation for the development and strengthening of Russian-Chinese relations. And these relations have reached the highest level in history.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: Let's stay on this topic and go live now to Hong Kong and CNN's senior news desk reporter, Simone McCarthy. Simone, thanks for taking time for us.
SIMONE MCCARTHY, CNN SENIOR NEWS DESK REPORTER: Happy to be here.
SANDOVAL: So let's get right into this and discuss more of this joint rebuke from Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin. What message do you think they're trying to send the U.S. and leaders around the world?
MCCARTHY: Well, Polo, this is the first time that these two leaders have met since Donald Trump came into office. This is their first in- person meeting. And so it was an important opportunity for them to broadcast what is the state of their relationship now that Donald Trump has put forward this America First policy, which has certainly put forward global uncertainty.
And I think the message was incredibly clear. We are -- we are staying aligned as we have been, and we're, in fact, having plans to deepen that partnership.
This is just a long-standing stance from these two that they have -- they have an incredible amount of alignment on the world stage. But really what we saw this time around was a deepening of this message that we are an alternative leader to the United States. We are going to be able to defend the existing world order. In fact, we are going to be able to preserve peace and stability.
And of course, as you just pointed out, this is taking place as the war in Ukraine continues, as Putin's onslaught into Ukraine carries on.
But at the same time, these two leaders are very clearly saying, as the U.S. pulls back and changes its stance on the foreign stage, including exiting certain U.N. bodies, as well as changing U.S. foreign assistance across the globe, that they really want to say we're here and we are able to present a major, major, responsible powers.
SANDOVAL: No doubt, messaging is such a big part of this. And as you know, you've spoken to experts, you've spoken to analysts, many of whom suggest that that Trump administration in Washington may be actually trying to drive a wedge between Putin and Xi by trying to improve their ties with Russia.
From where you are and what you see, are there any signs that that this is actually happening? And is Beijing worried about it?
MCCARTHY: Well, I think we can definitely see that their plan for the whole ceremony of this meeting happening within the backdrop of Putin's May 9th victory day parade, was very much to show that our historical ties have lent themselves into these very deep and very alive relationship that we have right now.
Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping have met 40 times over the course of a decade. They have a very close interpersonal relationship. We saw both referred to the other as "friend" during the course of their conversation and their introductory remarks.
Xi Jinping looked very much at ease when he was meeting -- being introduced by Putin to various dignitaries at the Kremlin yesterday. And so their messaging is very much there is no division between us. They put out a lengthy joint statement talking about a number of areas of alignment and coordination, both internationally and in terms of their own relationship.
[01:44:46]
MCCARTHY: So certainly, while there is some shift in the Trump administration in terms of being more sympathetic to Putin than, of course, the Biden administration was, this is an important moment for Putin to show, well, in fact, even as I now receive some pressure from the United States too, to end this war in Ukraine, I still very much have Xi Jinping as an important partner, and Beijing is very much aligned with that view.
Speaking with foreign policy analysts in Beijing, they do not think that Putin is going to throw over a long-standing relationship and a deep economic relationship with China in order to perhaps have what may be a more fleeting relationship with the U.S. president, especially as in four years we could see a change of administration down the track.
SANDOVAL: And keeping all that in mind, I wonder if you could leave us with a final thought when it comes to what is likely to come from a China-Russia relationship when these two leaders are in the same room. The folks in the Oval Office in Washington are certainly looking closely. What can they expect?
MCCARTHY: Absolutely. A very clear theme that we saw was doubling down on the economic relationship, expanding trade, expanding investment, tech transfer.
Of course, China has been incredibly important to Russia as its economy has been strapped by sanctions due to its invasion of Ukraine. It relies on energy purchasing from China. It relies on China to export materials.
But at the same time, that economic relationship is very important to China, and we can see they're going to continue to strengthen that as well as that approach to presenting themselves as alternative leaders to the United States.
SANDOVAL: Simone McCarthy, thank you so much for all this insight. Absolutely fascinating as the whole world watches these meetings. Appreciate you.
MCCARTHY: My pleasure.
SANDOVAL: Still on the way, you know, every pope tends to have their own style, but they all have the same tailor.
Still ahead, we're going to introduce you to the family that's made clothes for the pontiff for generations.
[01:46:40]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANDOVAL: And welcome back.
You know, for some people in the U.S., Leo XIV is not only pope, he's also a fellow Villanovan. You see, he earned his undergraduate degree at Villanova University near Philadelphia.
As Danny Freeman reports, current students there are thrilled that one of their own, pictured here in this yearbook, is leading the church.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.
Before Pope Leo XIV became pope, before he became a cardinal, before he even became a priest, he was here just outside of Philadelphia at Villanova University as an undergraduate.
He was pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. He graduated with that degree in 1977. I also note that he got an honorary Doctorate of Humanities in 2014 as well.
And I'll just tell you all day on Thursday, there was a tremendous amount of pride just beaming from this university, from faculty members, from students alike.
And I just want to read part of a statement that was put out by the university's president, again, just so proud that one of their alums is now the pope.
The statement reads, "With today's election of His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, I cannot help but reflect on what his Augustinian papacy will mean to our university community and our world. Known for his humility, gentle spirit, prudence and warmth, Pope Leo XIV's leadership offers an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to our educational mission."
Again, a statement from Reverend Peter M. Donahue, the president of Villanova University.
But again, not just the president, not just the administration, not just the faculty, even students were so, so proud of this moment as well. Take a listen to what some students told me when they heard the news and what it really meant to them.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just been such an overwhelming amount of joy. And it's like just like a shared community joy. All my family is from Philly and my mom went here. So there's just a big legacy of Villanova and everyone cares so much. And we're so excited for the new pope.
FREEMAN: A tremendous amount of pride, certainly a day that so many are not going to forget. And really, the folks here on campus believe that Pope Leo XIV will continue the tradition instilled here in Villanova University of veritas, unitas and caritas -- truth, unity and love.
Danny Freeman, CNN -- Villanova University, Pennsylvania.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANDOVAL: The late Pope Francis was known for dressing in a more informal way than his predecessors, using fashion as a signal of how he approached his more humble papacy. Now, we don't know yet how the new pope's style will be, but we do know who his tailor is.
Ivan Rodriguez introduces us to the family that has clothed popes for generations now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IVAN RODRIGUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Around the corner from the iconic pantheon in the heart of Rome, you'll find the Gammarelli family, tailors to the clergy, from priests to popes with more than two centuries of experience.
Lorenzo Gammarelli says every pope has his own style.
"Keep in mind, it's not like making an outfit for another person," Lorenzo says. "When it's for the pope, we concentrate fully on that outfit."
Since 1798 and the past eight conclaves, the Gammarelli family has prepared three outfits -- small, medium and large for the elected new pope. Alicia Gammarelli recognizes her family's name is known globally.
"A great privilege," she says. "My father, uncles, my grandfather, they all worked here," says Alicia. I'm honored everyone comes to see.
For this French tourist, it meant bringing home a pair of socks for her priest, a memory he won't surely forget.
ROZENN DEDEYAN, FRENCH TOURIST: So we were in front of this very famous shop, and I knew that the pope's socks came from here.
[01:54:50]
DEDEYAN: So I asked him, would you like a pair of socks from Gammarelli? And he said, well, yes. If you insist. So we bought the socks.
RODRIGUEZ: Pope Francis became a Gammarelli client when he became a cardinal more than two decades ago. Now, Pope Leo XIV is the one wearing a tailored outfit created inside this historic store.
"Of the latest pope," says Lorenzo. "We were only able to guess Pope Benedict would be elected, all others were a surprise."
A surprise thousands waited to witness in Saint Peter's Square.
I'm Ivan Rodriguez reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANDOVAL: From the entire team, want to thank you for watching the last hour. I'm Polo Sandoval.
CNN NEWSROOM continues with my colleague Kim Brunhuber after a short break.
[01:55:33]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
