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Netanyahu To Urge Full Conquest Of Gaza As Ceasefire Talks Reach An Impasse; Texas Governor Abbott Orders Arrest Of Democrats Who Fled Over Redistricting; Brazil's Supreme Court Orders House Arrest For Former President Bolsonaro; Trump Claims Jobs Report Rigged To Make Him Look Bad; U.S. Special Envoy to Visit Russia Wednesday; Desperate Effort to Safe Ukrainian Soldier from Russian Attack; United Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing; Paris Apartments at Bargain Prices, If Someone Dies. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired August 05, 2025 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, wherever you are in the world. You are now in the CNN Newsroom with me, Ben Hunte in Atlanta. And it is so good to have you with me. Coming up on the show.
In just a matter of hours, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to call for the full conquest of Gaza at a meeting of his security cabinet. That's according to a source. The countdown is on for the Kremlin as President Trump's ceasefire deadline draws closer and his special envoy prepares to head to Russia.
And a dream apartment in Paris could be yours for the bargain of a lifetime. There's only one catch. You have to wait for the current owner to die.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN Newsroom with Ben Hunte.
HUNTE: Welcome. We're following developments out of Israel where in the coming hours Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to urge his security cabinet to back a, quote, full conquest of Gaza. That's according to reporting from Israeli media that a source describes as accurate.
Senior officials close to Netanyahu are quoted as saying, quote, the die is cast and if the chief of staff doesn't agree, he should resign. A source says the defense establishment opposes an expansion of ground operations in areas where hostages are believed to be held.
Negotiations on a hostage and ceasefire deal in Gaza have stalled. And Hamas is demanding the dire humanitarian situation in the enclave be addressed before it returns to talks. The Israeli leader had this message on Monday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We must continue to stand together and fight together to achieve all our war objectives, the defeat of the enemy, the release of our hostages, and the assurance that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel.
Later this week, I will convene the cabinet to instruct the IDF on how to achieve these three objectives, all of them without exception.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTE: The former chief of Israel's internal security agency was among hundreds of retired Israeli security officials who signed a letter urging President Donald Trump to pressure Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war. Ami Ayalon tells CNN Israel's military goals have already been achieved.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMI AYALON, FORMER DIRECTOR, SHIN BET: Our message is that this war must end. And this is the only way that we can see a better future for Israel. This war started two years ago as a just war. It was immediate result of a massacre and horror of Hamas. But after 12 months, we achieved all our military goals.
Netanyahu is, you know, acting against the will of the Israeli people. 70 percent of the Israeli people are demanding ending the war and bringing back all our hostages. We understand today that it is a total contradiction. You know, we understand that our hostages are dying as a result of the continuation of this war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTE: Well, CNN footage from central Gaza has captured the desperation of hundreds of Palestinians as humanitarian aid is airdropped into the enclave. This you're seeing. There is a scene on Monday as crowds rush towards aid boxes while still in midair. The family of a nurse critical of such airdrops says he was hit by an aid pilot and then killed after being caught in a crowd crush.
The scramble and fight for aid comes as Palestinians in Gaza deal with a deepening hunger crisis. Benjamin Rad is a political scientist and senior fellow at the UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations is joining me now. Thank you so much for being with me. Let's just get straight into this.
Negotiations on a hostage and cease fire deal appear to be totally stalled. Do you believe that this is what Prime Minister Netanyahu now sees as Israel's only option?
BENJAMIN RADD, SENIOR FELLOW, UCLA BURKLE CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: Well, it's only his option. It's his only option because it's the option that he's now created. He's left no other options given the aggressive pursuit of Hamas's leadership and remaining infrastructure at the cost of civilian lives.
I mean, we're seeing now for weeks the images, horrific images coming out of Gaza. And as a result of the decision to go full in and to restrict aid and to make it difficult for civilians to really get the support they need, Netanyahu is really limited and pretty much bound his own hands to a full scale occupation of the enclave as his only solution.
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HUNTE: Israeli media reports say that the IDF opposes a full takeover of Gaza. What happens if Israel's military leaders don't support Netanyahu's plans?
RADD: Netanyahu will simply fire them and put in military leaders who will support his plans. I mean, it's sort of out of the handbook of a semi authoritarian or very aggressive leaders who are really catering to one objective, maybe a few select voices within his cabinet. We know those right wing extremist cabinet members are the ones keeping him in power.
And if it's a matter of finding officers and military leadership who will obey and respect whatever his edict is based on a military decision, then he will go ahead and do that. So it's a matter of just shuffling through until you find someone who will carry out what it is you're asking of them.
HUNTE: Can I just ask, how surprising is this news today for our viewers? How surprised should they be that a headline like this is coming out?
RADD: Well, extremely. I mean, it reflects that really, Netanyahu is struggling to read the room. And by that I mean you have not only the international community, you have Israel's biggest supporter and patron, the United States. We've heard some President Trump indicate his frustration with seeing the, quote, you know, images coming out of Gaza and the starvation as he referenced it. We've seen now voices in both political parties in the United States, the Democrats and Republicans, indicating frustration.
I mean, when you have, you know, Democrats taking positions that are consistent with something that Congressman Marjorie Taylor Greene says, it tells you basically that Israel, or at least this prime minister, is losing the broad and deep support that he's enjoyed in US Congress.
So, this is reflecting really his either refusal to see what's happening, the political tea leaves, or just ignoring them, thinking that his future lies with this one path he's taking.
HUNTE: Some Israelis have warned that an Israeli takeover of Gaza would threaten its peace agreements with Jordan and other Arab nations. Do you think that's likely?
RADD: If Israel is seeking normalized relations with all Arab neighbors, particularly Saudi Arabia, which is really the jewel of that endeavor, then a full occupation or reoccupation of Gaza is going to put Israel further away from that. It's going to isolate it even further and really make it into a regional, if not international pariah.
This is something that is shocking given Israel's objective over the years of pursuing more better relations with its Arab neighbors and trying to integrate itself within the Middle East. This is going to go in the opposite direction.
HUNTE: The other big story out of Israel today was the government unanimously voting to fire its attorney general. And that's the same AG who happens to be prosecuting Netanyahu for corruption. Israel's Supreme Court is blocking the firing for now. But what's your reaction to all of this so far?
RADD: Yes, I mean, the conflict of interest here, it's astounding. And it's, you know, again, a prime minister who seems to act as if he's above the rule of law, who seems to blanket himself with the, or cover himself with the role of a military or wartime leader and using that to justify the sacking of any opposition or anybody able to hold him and his government to account within Israel's system.
And that system is robust. It does have its set of checks and balances to prevent abuses of power. But it seems like if the, you know, in a wartime footing, all of that goes out the window, if there's no one there to stop it.
HUNTE: I know that things keep changing all the time, and every time I sit in the chair here, it seems like something else has occurred, has changed everything up. But if you were to look to say, next week from now, what do you think is generally going to happen?
RADD: Well, it's going to be -- there's a lot of pressure on the White House now to really come out forcefully, especially if Israel carries, goes through with what has been announced and is expected that will President Trump make a statement, will he indicate an even further shift away from Netanyahu's decisions? Can we see, in other words, this White House, this president, use the leverage, the powerful leverage that he has to steer this in a different course and help bring about an end.
At the same time, we saw the Arab states last week bind together and call for Hamas to give up power completely. So we need to see really that leverage, that pressure exerted on both sides here, United States doing its part, the Arab world doing its part with regards to Hamas leadership. And maybe, maybe we can then take a different course.
HUNTE: Well, it seems to be changing every day. Let's see what happens next. Benjamin Radd in L.A. Thank you for now. Appreciate it.
RADD: Thank you.
HUNTE: Videos released over the weekend showing two of the surviving hostages taken by Hamas is prompting shock and outrage across Israel. CNN's Matthew Chance spoke to one of the brothers of one of the hostages. But first we must warn you, the report has some disturbing images.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The fragile figure of Evyatar David, one of the surviving Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza, about 24 years old and just skin and bone.
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I haven't eaten for days, he says. In this latest Hamas propaganda video, crouched in a tunnel. There's not enough food and barely enough water. Look how thin I've become, he says.
CHANCE: And this here is your brother, right here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a photos of him. Yes.
CHANCE (voice-over): Family members have approved use of the images released at the weekend. But his brother, Ilay, told me he could only bear to watch a few solitary frames.
ILAY DAVID, BROTHER OF EVYATAR DAVID: Evyatar was a young, healthy man before he was abducted. Even a bit chubby. And now he looks like a skeleton, a human skeleton, buried alive. That's how he looks and I don't exaggerate.
CHANCE: Do you think he's being starved because there is a shortage of food in Gaza? Or do you think he's being starved intentionally by his captors?
DAVID: I'm sure he's --
CHANCE: Intentionally.
DAVID: I'm sure intentionally, cynically being starved by his captors. We know that his captors have plenty of food. They haven't lost a pound. And they are doing the same to their own people, to the people of Gaza. They are starving them, although they have food.
CHANCE (voice-over): On Israeli television, the newly released videos of emaciated hostages held captive since October the 7th, 2023, are provoking outrage. And it calls for negotiations with Hamas to quickly restart. Very quickly.
This is 22-year-old Ron Braslavsky, another Israeli hostage shown writhing in pain in his Gaza prison. There's barely anything to eat. I can't sleep, I can't live, he sobs.
His own mother, who approved the release of these latest horrifying images, say her son's weak voice sounds like he's accepted he may never come out alive.
And now, hostage families are calling for renewed international pressure on Hamas, not just Israel, for the agony in Gaza to end.
DAVID: If they want the people of Gaza to starve, they'll do it. And they are the ones to blame, and we cannot blame only Israel for that. Hamas is holding all of us, hostages right now. All of us, the people of Gaza as well. And they need to be out of the picture.
CHANCE (voice-over): What I'm doing now is digging my own grave, says Evyatar David, as he scrapes at the dirt in his cramped tunnel. Every day, my body becomes weaker and weaker, he says. And time is running out. Matthew Chance, CNN Jerusalem.
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HUNTE: A showdown is underway in Texas with nationwide repercussions. Democratic lawmakers have fled the state to block a crucial and suspiciously timed vote on redistricting that's expected to allow Republicans to gain as many as five U.S. House seats from Democrats ahead of next year's midterm elections.
Republicans are accused of gerrymandering or redrawing the voting lines to give themselves an advantage. Lots of people are angry over the attempted power grab. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has ordered the Democrats who fled to be investigated and arrested. Their absence has infuriated Republican leaders.
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DUSTIN BURROWS, TEXAS HOUSE SPEAKER: The sergeant at arms and any officers appointed by her are directed to send for all absentees whose attendance is not excused for the purposes of securing and maintaining their attendance under warrant of arrest if necessary, until further order of the House.
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HUNTE: Meanwhile, the governors of Democratic run states like New York, Illinois and California are plotting retribution and threatening to do some redistricting of their own.
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GAVIN NEWSOM, CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR: California will not sit by idly and watch this democracy waste away. We'll fight fire with fire. We'll assert ourselves and we'll punch above our weight and it will have profound impacts on the national outcome, not just here in the state of California.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTE: CNN's Ed Lavandera has a closer look at all the controversy.
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ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Texas Democrats left the House chamber relatively empty in the state Capitol, 56 Democrats did not show up in business ground to a halt members.
BURROWS: A quorum is not present.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Democrats fled the state in a last ditch attempt to sabotage Republican plans to add five GOP seats ahead of the midterm elections.
BURROWS: They've left the state, abandoned their posts and turned their backs on the constituents they swore to represent.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): The Texas House speaker then issued civil arrest warrants to be issued for representatives who were not present at the special session.
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And Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered the Department of Public Safety to return them to the House chamber. On Sunday, the state representatives flew to places like Chicago, New York, and Boston. We spoke with Representative Mihaela Plesa just after she landed in New York.
LAVANDERA: What is the ultimate goal here with leaving?
MIHAELA PLESA, TEXAS HOUSE DEMOCRAT: It really is the nuclear option to stop democracy crumbling in the United States.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Some Democrats say the redistricting is a rig power grab that has been orchestrated by Republicans with the support of President Donald Trump.
KATHY HOCHUL, NEW YORK GOVERNOR: We are at war, and that's why the gloves are off. And I say bring it on.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): It's a war that Democrats say began with moving lines on a Texas map.
PLESA: Redistricting should be about representation, but what's happening here is map manipulation.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Redistricting is normally done every 10 years, and it's tied to U.S. census results. But for Republicans who want to hold onto the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, the stakes couldn't be higher.
LAVANDERA: And the Texas governor is threatening to unseat Democrats who left the state saying that they need to return to the Capitol and the House chamber. And the governor also went on to say that there is nothing illegal about gerrymandering.
GREG ABBOTT, TEXAS GOVERNOR: I believe they have forfeited their seats in the state legislature because they are not doing the job they were elected to do.
LIZZIE FLETCHER, U.S. HOUSE DEMOCRAT: The idea that a governor of Texas could remove all of the sitting legislators if one party. That should shock every American.
LAVANDERA: The Democrats who left the state also face a $500 fine for every day of the session that they missed. And the Texas governor is also threatening these lawmakers with criminal charges of bribery if they accept donations to cover those fines. GENE WU, TEXAS HOSUE DEMOCRAT: The $500, whatever, they're going to
find us. That is nothing compared to the pain that the American people have felt and the people of Texas have felt.
LAVANDERA: Are you concerned that this could backfire on you guys, that there could be political backlash?
PLESA: I think that democracy is something worth fighting for. We were elected to represent the constituencies of Texans, not of Donald Trump.
LAVANDERA: Texas Democrats face a $500 fine for every day they miss as part of this legislative process. And the Texas governor is also threatening these lawmakers with criminal charges of bribery if they accept donations to cover the cost of the fines or any of the travel expenses to flee the state. Ed Lavender, CNN, Austin, Texas.
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HUNTE: The U.S. State Department is condemning an order to put Brazil's former president, Jair Bolsonaro under house arrest. The right wing Bolsonaro is an ally of President Trump, and he's on trial over an alleged coup to overturn the results of the 2022 election and keep his successor from power. Bolsonaro denies wrongdoing.
Brazil's Supreme Court ordered his house arrest, saying Bolsonaro failed to comply with restrictions on the use of social media and cell phones. Bolsonaro will not be allowed any visitors other than his attorneys and is banned from using a cell phone.
President Trump has called the trial politically motivated and signed an order to impose 50 percent tariffs on Brazil.
OK. Despite offering no evidence at all, Donald Trump is repeating claims that the latest jobs report was rigged to make him look bad. What he's saying about his plans to replace the commissioner he blames for it all.
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HUNTE: Welcome back. The U.S. attorney general Pam Bundy is ordering federal prosecutors to start a grand jury investigation in to Obama officials claiming the administration made up intelligence about Russian interference in the 2016 election. A source tells CNN a grand jury will look into claims that Democratic officials tried to smear Donald Trump by falsely claiming his campaign colluded with the Russian government.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard declassified documents last month which she claims show a treasonous conspiracy by top Obama officials to undermine Trump.
The U.S. President says he'll pick an exceptional replacement soon for the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner he fired on Friday. Donald Trump continues to claim with no evidence that last week's job report was rigged to favor Democrats. CNN's Kristen Holmes has more.
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KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Donald Trump and his team doubling down on his decision last week to fire the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Essentially his team saying that he has every right to fire the commissioner. And President Trump himself posting on social media that the jobs numbers were rigged.
Of course, just to be clear, he's posting this without any evidence of the sort. This is what he said on Truth Social on Monday. He said last week's jobs report was rigged, just like the numbers prior to the presidential election were rigged. That's why in both cases there were massive record setting revisions in favor of the radical left Democrats. Those big adjustments were made to cover up and level out the fake political numbers that were concocted in order to make a great Republican success look less stellar.
Now a couple of things to point out here. One, President Trump has been complaining about these statistics since before he was in office. Now, clearly these revisions, that's what his team is pointing to, saying that it shows in some way that the statistician was bad at her job because they had to make these enormous revisions.
But one thing to keep in mind, we have talked to a number of experts who say that's normal to make these kind of revisions, that there's constantly data coming in and that these statisticians are looking at all of this before they put out those numbers and then afterwards they need to revise them based on new data coming in.
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Another one of the former statisticians and experts who has been part of the Bureau of Labor Statistics at one point telling CNN that it would be virtually impossible to politicize these numbers because, again, they are based on facts and figures. But President Trump himself is still doubling down on that rhetoric, saying he had every right to do so and announcing that he was going to have a pick for that position midweek or at least by the end of the week. But we are told he has not narrowed down that decision yet. He does not have a finalist or someone that he's going to name right as of the second. Kristen Holmes, CNN, the White House.
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HUNTE: Tesla is giving CEO Elon Musk a pay package worth $29 billion. Musk will receive 96 million Tesla shares, currently worth more than $300 each. But he'll only have to pay about $23 per share. That was a purchase price offered in his 2018 pay package, which was struck down by a Delaware court.
Musk is still appealing that ruling. And Tesla says Musk hasn't received meaningful compensation for eight years and is owed a big payday. He promised back in May to focus full time on his companies after delving into politics. The U.S. President is sending his envoy to Russia as his once chummy
relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin takes a nosedive. More details ahead on CNN Newsroom.
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BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Ben Hunte.
A White House official says the Trump administration's foreign envoy will travel to Russia. Steve Witkoff is expected to arrive on Wednesday. That's two days before President Trump's deadline for Russian President Vladimir Putin to make a peace deal with Ukraine or face more sanctions.
But Witkoff's diplomatic trip comes at a time of heightened tensions between the two countries. On Friday, President Trump said he was ordering two U.S. Navy nuclear submarines to move to quote, "appropriate regions". He blamed what he called foolish and inflammatory statements from former Russian president and deputy security council chairman Dmitry Medvedev.
The Kremlin says it's trying to bring down the temperature, saying quote, "everyone should be extremely careful with nuclear rhetoric".
CNN's Fred Pleitgen reports for us from Moscow.
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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Russian and Chinese warships side by side in a major show of force. Military drills and anti-submarine warfare, just days after President Trump says he repositioned U.S. nuclear subs following threats from Russia's former president.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And a threat was made. And we didn't think it was appropriate. So I have to be very careful. So I do that on the basis of safety for our people.
PLEITGEN: With the once-cozy relations between President Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin recently taking a nosedive, Trump threatening massive sanctions by the end of this week.
There's no ceasefire in Ukraine. Moscow eager to end the nuclear saber rattling.
"We're extremely cautious with any statements regarding nuclear issues," the Kremlin spokesman says. "As you know, Russia maintains a responsible position."
But Kremlin-controlled TV, not so much. Frequently touting Russia's massive nuclear arsenal like this well-known host last year.
DMITRY KISELEV, RUSSIAN TV PRESENTER (through translator): So the main question is, will Russia use it? And there is a clear answer. It will use it.
The conflict with the West over Ukraine is growing so much that for Russia it is already a matter of life and death.
PLEITGEN: And Putin himself put Russian nuclear forces on alert just days after launching what he calls the special military operation in Ukraine in 2022, in response to Western criticism.
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Top officials of leading NATO countries are indulging in aggressive statements directed at our country. Therefore, I order the minister of defense and chief of the general staff to put Russia's army deterrence forces on high combat alert.
PLEITGEN: On Moscow streets, folks telling us President Trump's nuclear moves and sanction threats don't scare them.
Trump said he wanted better relationship with Russia -- a trade deal, lifting of sanctions, flights between the U.S. and Russia. And now he is sending nuclear submarines because of the escalation between the U.S. and Russia.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look, I think he says one thing and does something else. And he predicts the future developments based on something completely different.
PLEITGEN: Trump said that if no ceasefire is reached in Ukraine, he will impose stronger sanctions on India and China.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. I'm not worried about this. I live in my country and I know it will protect itself and those who it promises to care for.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Your sanctions are useless. Everything is still fine.
PLEITGEN: But even as the Kremlin touts its gains on the battlefield in Ukraine, Moscow claims it's keen to engage in diplomacy with the Trump administration.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN -- Moscow.
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HUNTE: President Trump is threatening to substantially raise tariffs on India. He says the country is buying Russian oil and selling it on the open market for big profits. Right now, Indian goods entering the U.S. are subject to a 10 percent minimum tariff. Trump did not specify what the new rate would be.
India's foreign affairs ministry says the U.S. and the European Union are unfairly targeting the country. Plus that it's importing Russian oil to maintain affordable energy costs for its citizens. Let's keep talking about it. Robert English is the director of Central
European Studies at the University of Southern California, and he's joining me now from Italy. Thank you so much for being with me. How are you doing?
ROBERT ENGLISH, DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL EUROPEAN STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: Very well, thank you. Happy to be here.
HUNTE: It's good to have you here.
What do you think we can expect to come out of Witkoff's visit then?
ENGLISH: That's a good question because it's a really important turning point. The pressure on Russia has been ratcheting up, and it's starting to hurt economically, certainly diplomatically. And it may be that Putin is finally ready to make some real concessions.
I expect, however, that it will be more symbolic. In other words, Putin could offer direct talks with Zelenskyy. Putin could slightly modify the very harsh list of demands he has, and either one of those might be sufficient for Trump to say, ok, we'll, you know, push that sanctions threat down the road a little bit. We see progress. So we'll put that on hold.
And that's what Putin wants because he needs, you know, two or three more weeks at a minimum to complete his conquest of important strategic centers like Pokrovsk and Kostyantynivka. He wants that land on the battlefield before he halts. And he's very close, but not there yet.
HUNTE: But there is this big deadline for a peace deal on Friday, and currently no signs of progress in talks. Do you think that Trump will escalate those consequences?
ENGLISH: I think, again, I think that a small concession from Putin might be enough to let Trump avoid them and extend the deadline. Trump is feeling a lot of pressure.
And the other alternative is that Putin's offers that I anticipate, the small offers won't be enough, and Trump will announce, at least in the case of India, a hike in the tariffs, right, so that it would punish India for trading in Russian oil.
And India's response, of course, is why are you punishing us for this? And they have a legitimate point. The European Union is still buying a greater volume of Russian fossil fuels, chiefly natural gas, liquefied natural gas, than the Indians are importing Russian oil.
So there is a bit of hypocrisy here. A lot of people are still trading with Russia. Why are you picking on us, say the Indians?
HUNTE: Looking at some comments on social media, some critics are saying that Witkoff's visit is less about diplomacy and more about optics. Do you think there's a risk that the U.S. could look weak if the trip ends without some sort of concrete progress? ENGLISH: Yes. Again, back to the main point. Trump does not want to
look weak, and I think the pressure Trump is feeling, even though he speaks about the destruction in Ukraine, the loss of civilian lives, I think he feels more pressure from the fact that people are reminding him of his promise to end this conflict quickly, even in 24 hours and it goes on and on.
So for Trump, it's about him not looking weak, about him fulfilling a promise and getting something out of this.
Again, I don't think that there will be a ceasefire. I don't think Putin is ready to relent, but Putin will be ready to offer something that Trump can take home and say, ok, now we have real progress. Putin has listened to me and we're getting close.
That would allow him to delay the sanctions one more time, which I think he'd prefer to do, because we know that these kinds of sanctions on India and China that also buys a great deal of Russian fossil fuels.
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ENGLISH: These would roil international oil markets, gas and oil prices would fluctuate and would harm us economically, coming on top of, of course, this trade war we have underway.
Trump would prefer not to do that, so he'll be happy to take any substantial sign of progress from Putin and give him an extension on his deadline.
HUNTE: We were talking about India a bit earlier. What do you make of Trump's threats to hike tariffs on India for buying Russian oil? Do you actually think that those threats will sway India away from Russia? And if so, what kind of an impact would that have on Moscow?
ENGLISH: It wouldn't have any quick impact. And this is the problem here. India could announce that they're going to cut back or taper off imports of Russian oil to please President Trump and to stave off the tariff threat.
But that would take some time to do. They'll say we'll do it over a month. We can't interrupt our refineries. We have deals in the works. And over that month, what I would expect is that alternative vessels would come into play.
We know that there's this large, so-called ghost fleet that's trading in Russian oil in particular, all over the world. And it's like this game of whack-a-mole, right? You shut off one port and another appears. You close down these ships and some more appear.
So the trade in Russian oil, seaborne trade, will continue and it won't be cut off instantly in any case.
And the Indians, of course, they know that as well. And they'll find ways to keep importing the oil they need, even while they appear to be answering President Trump's demand. HUNTE: Well, exactly. India has been walking a bit of a tightrope
between Washington and Moscow for a while now. How much longer do you think it could keep playing both sides without facing real consequences?
ENGLISH: Well, it could go for a long time. And the reasons are what we've just been saying. Not only would there be this backlash, this boomerang effect that would hurt us and western countries by causing these fluctuations, these wild swings in the prices of oil and gas.
But India has weapons in its arsenal as well. For example, the decision not to buy American weapons, they are dangling this threat that they will not purchase, as they had been planning to, the very expensive high-tech F-35 stealth fighter from the United States.
That they would instead buy more Russian weapons, that they would develop alternatives from their own defense industry, and that would hurt Trump greatly in this aerospace sector, because he's been, of course, promoting investment in America, sales of American products.
So the Indians say, you want to hit us where it's oil, we'll hit you back in aerospace. Everything has, you know, a boomerang or a backlash effect. There's no clean, you know, weapon or sanction that won't essentially cause a counter sanction. And India has cards to play as well.
HUNTE: Yes. And it is a big week. Learned a lot from that.
Robert English, appreciate it. Thank you.
ENGLISH: You're welcome.
HUNTE: Russia's president claims his forces are gaining ground all along the front lines in Ukraine. It's not clear whether that is accurate. But what is true is that Ukrainian forces have not lost the will to fight or to live.
CNN's Nick Paton Walsh brings us the story of the incredible rescue of an injured Ukrainian soldier pinned down by Russian attacks.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: This Russian assault brutal. Even throwing land mines into the bunkers had left all three of his fellow soldiers dead in the trench next to him.
And Andre, with his leg wounded, unable to run, thought like so many Ukrainian soldiers in tiny, isolated positions, pinned down by Russian drones, that he was done.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I didn't think I would get out of there. Because I couldn't move. My leg was seriously injured. I could not walk.
WALSH: But back at his command bunker, watching on drones, they had an idea. Maybe Andri had the strength to cycle out. So, they attached an electric bicycle to a drone like this, moving it slowly, perilously in pieces to the front. It was dropped to Andri whole, and then, remarkably, he cycled out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought, do or die. Either I make it or I don't. I was just riding in one direction. If I make it, good. If I don't, so be it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on 'Tankist' speed up, speed up. As fast as you can, as fast as you can.
WALSH: The Ukrainians had tried to ensure the skies were free of Russian drones. But that wasn't enough, Andri hit a land mine. The drone operator's heart sank. Had it all come to nothing? But then, this tiny figure emerged, limping out of the smoke, somehow alive, walking on, his bandaged leg visible.
[01:44:51]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It grazed my forehead a bit. The wheel and fork were torn apart. But I was fine. I just fell on my side. That's all.
WALSH: Greeted by a Ukrainian and helped into another bunker, where he had to wait two more days for rescue.
Necessity is the mother of invention in Ukraine, but nothing can beat luck.
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Kyiv, Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTE: Still to come, a distress call from a United Airlines flight led to an emergency landing just minutes after takeoff. Why that call was made -- ahead.
[01:45:25]
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HUNTE: A United Airlines flight made an emergency landing just minutes after takeoff in July. The airline says 230 people were on board the Boeing 787 bound for Munich, Germany from Washington-Dulles International Airport. At nearly 5,000 feet, the pilot reported suspected engine failure.
CNN's Pete Muntean has more on how all of this unfolded.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Admirable job by the crew dealing with this emergency, and you'll hear how calm they were here in a second.
Remember, this is something the pilots train for, two engines on a Boeing 787. Losing one engine is a problem, but hardly a recipe for disaster, still able to fly on one engine with a lot of power in reserve. I want you to listen now to the steady hand of the United crew here in
declaring this emergency to air traffic control and starting the process of getting this flight back on the ground.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Failure, engine failure, left engine, United 108 declaring an emergency. Mayday, mayday, mayday.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: United 108 Heavy. Roger that, sir. Are you able to make your way back in to the field at this time? You can turn right, heading 1-0-0 if able.
MUNTEAN: The problem arises because this happened not long after takeoff from Washington-Dulles, meaning this flight was still full of fuel.
Fuel means weight and large commercial jets often have a landing weight limit that is lower than the takeoff weight limit. The idea there is to prevent damage to the airplane and the landing gear.
So the solution in this scenario is dumping fuel in the air through nozzles in the wings. Not much of an environmental concern. This flight was at about 6,000 feet and usually fuel dumped above 5,000 feet evaporates completely by the time it reaches the ground.
After a couple of turns in the holding pattern, this flight was back at Washington-Dulles. The flight made it all the way back to the gate where passengers got off normally there.
United did cancel this flight to Munich, but says it was able to get passengers on a different flights, so mostly just a big inconvenience.
Pete Muntean, CNN -- Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTE: Next, it's part real estate and part roulette. Home owners in Paris sell their place while buyers await their death. More on this unusual property scheme when we come back. Stay with us.
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HUNTE: Dream apartments in Paris are available for bargain prices. So what is the catch? The seller has to die for the transaction to take place, but not before the buyer goes all in.
CNN's Saskya Vandoorne explains how all of this works.
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SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN PARIS BUREAU CHIEF: On the day that Andre dies, will you be pleased that you'll be able to move in?
Buying an apartment in Paris isn't cheap, but there's a quirky, slightly morbid loophole that can land you on at half the price. You're essentially betting on how long the seller is going to stick around. It's known as "viager".
ILYA, BUYER: I have a lot of time in front of me.
VANDOORNE: Ilya was hoping to finally buy a dream home in Paris. After nearly a year of searching, she found a gorgeous south facing place for half the price of the others.
ILYA: And I think it's really well arranged.
ANDRE, HOMEOWNER: For such a small apartment, it's exceptional.
[01:54:48]
VANDOORNE: This place is owned by Andre, who has no intention of moving out.
ANDRE: I needed the money and I needed the place. So this system allowed me to stay here as long as I wanted and get the money I needed.
VANDOORNE: To buy Andre's apartment, Ilya gave him a single deposit in the range of 200,000 euros.
ANDRE: Once a year, there is a party here. The neighbors party. It's very pleasant.
VANDOORNE: But in a typical viager, a buyer pays an upfront sum and then small monthly payments to the seller who keeps living in the home until they die.
Viager sales make up just 1 percent of the French property market, but interest surged during COVID. And it's not just locals rolling the dice, more and more foreign buyers are getting in on the gamble, too.
Homa Ravel (ph), an American-Iranian, already has four viager homes for her kids. And she's eyeing her fifth.
HOMA RAVEL, AMERICAN-IRANIAN: I think in the beginning, friends and family were like, oh, really? You got involved with that?
But this is helping the person like me. This is a comfortable situation for them.
VANDOORNE: But it's quite a bet. The longer the seller lives, the more you end up paying and that upfront discount starts to shrink.
And you're comfortable with it being a gamble.
ANDRE: Oh, quite. After my death, I really don't worry about myself. The gamble is mainly for the owner.
VANDOORNE: It's all remarkably transparent. Listings don't just include the seller's age, they often estimate their life expectancy, too. Most cases are uneventful. But in one instance, a buyer was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in a case involving a madeleine INAUDIBLE) and the death of an elderly seller.
So does it take a special type of person or a special type of mindset to accept the viager system?
ANDRE: Because of the death issue, I think that's why people feel uncomfortable. It's not my case. I'm, as I said, I'm very lucky.
I'm really happy to have met you like this. I'm delighted.
For me, death is not an issue. It's just the end of life and it's ok.
VANDOORNE: Saskya Vandoorne, CNN -- Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTE: That's all I've got for you. Thanks for joining me and the team.
I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta.
I'll see you at the weekend. Until then, CNN NEWSROOM continues.
Rosemary, over to you.
[01:57:06]
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