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Russian State Media Promotes Upcoming Donald Trump-Vladimir Putin Summit; Growing Push To Revive Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Negotiations; D.C. Leaders And Donald Trump Administration Discuss Law Enforcement Surge; Chinese Ship Collide While Chasing Philippine Boats; High Temperatures, Winds Drive Fires in Greece and Turkey; White House Orders Review of Smithsonian Museums & Exhibits; K-pop Demon Hunters Scores Top Spot on Billboard Hot 100. Aired 2-2:45a ET

Aired August 13, 2025 - 02:00   ET

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

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[02:00:19]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world, and to everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead, final preparations are underway for this Friday summit between the U.S. and Russian presidents, but Ukraine's President still is not invited, and most E.U. members say that's a problem.

Calls are growing for urgent action in Gaza amid dire warnings of famine, and there's a renewed push for cease fire negotiations as well.

Also, tensions rise in the disputed South China Sea after a dramatic collision between military ships.

Plus, a glacial outburst in Alaska and a warning for residents nearby.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Good to have you with us. Well, in the coming hours, Germany is set to host a virtual meeting with the U.S., Ukrainian and European leaders with a focus on putting pressure on Russia to end its war in Ukraine. It comes just two days before U.S. President Donald Trump is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

The White House says the two leaders will meet one-on-one at a U.S. military base in Anchorage on Friday. U.S. officials are still sorting out the details of the Summit. President Trump is lowering expectations for that meeting, which the White House says will be a listening exercise. The White House says the talks will focus on ending the war in Ukraine, though the Ukrainian president will not have a seat at the table.

On Tuesday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine will not give up territory to Russia as part of any peace deal. He says abandoning the Donbas region in the East would open the door for Russia to launch future offensives. Ukrainian officials say small groups of Russian troops have pierced parts of Ukraine's defenses in the Donetsk region, as Russia appears to be making an 11th Hour push to grab as much territory as possible ahead of Friday's Summit.

More now from CNN's Fred Pleitgen reporting in from Moscow.

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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Kremlin controlled TV feasting on U.S. President Donald Trump's comments, calling Russia a, quote, warring nation ahead of his landmark summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They beat Hitler. They beat Napoleon.

PLEITGEN: The U.S. president is heating up interest with loud statements, the host says. Trump said that it is impossible to defeat Russia. State TV with a countdown to the summit sending a clear message -- Russia is winning in the trenches, showcasing recent accelerating Russian advances in eastern Ukraine. Moscow saying its forces are close to taking several strategic towns there.

And the defense ministry releasing this video of evermore new recruits signing contracts with the military undergoing medical checks prepared to go into battle for Russia's president, while Ukraine deals with serious manpower shortages.

Putin will go to the summit in Alaska as a winner, who holds the strategic initiative, this analyst says. The Russian armed forces are moving forward. Ukraine is retreating and leaving its territories. This is the most important factor that will influence the general background and the results of the negotiations.

Just days ahead of the Trump-Putin summit, the Kremlin uncharacteristically silent. The last official comment coming last Friday when Moscow vowed it hasn't changed its position on Ukraine, meaning no quick ceasefire. But demands for a major territorial concessions as part of any long-term peace deal.

On Moscow's streets, folks optimistic Vladimir Putin will get results.

We support our president, this man says we are for Putin because he is our president, president of the Russian Federation. We are defending our position.

I think they will both have an equal position at this meeting, he says. But President Putin won't make concessions if they will harm his interests. Therefore, I think his position is quite firm.

[02:05:04]

A firm position bolstered by recent battlefield successes. Russia's leader recently showing little appetite for an immediate end to the fighting in Ukraine.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Moscow.

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CHURCH: European leaders are expressing their support for Ukraine ahead of Friday's Summit. The heads of 26 E.U. countries, everyone except Hungary, said in a joint statement, the Ukrainians must have the freedom to choose their own future.

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DONALD TUSK, POLISH PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Ukraine cannot lose this war, and no one has the right to put pressure on Ukraine when it comes to territorial concessions or other decisions that would smell of capitulation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Let's bring in Steven Erlanger of the chief diplomatic correspondent covering Europe the New York Times. He joins us live this hour from Berlin. Appreciate you being with us.

So, ahead of President Trump's Alaska summit with his Russian counterpart on Friday, the U.S. president will join a virtual meeting in the next few hours with European leaders as well as Ukraine's President Zelenskyy. What concerns will Europe likely raise with Trump, given the White House is now calling Friday summit with Russia a listening exercise, and Trump's already talking about Ukraine giving up land to Russia for a peace deal and excluding Zelenskyy from Friday Summit?

STEVEN ERLANGER, NEW YORK TIMES CHIEF DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT, EUROPE: Well, the Europeans are trying to make a couple clear points. A cease fire has to come before any talk of territorial concessions which is against what Putin is offering, and Ukraine will not give up territory that Russia has not already occupied as Putin also demands.

My assumption is Putin has something else up his sleeve that may appeal to Donald Trump more, but the Europeans want to, in a sense, if I can put it this way, give Trump a spine and tell Trump that really he cannot dictate Ukraine's future by himself, that Russia is the aggressor in the war. It is one combatant. It's OK to talk with Putin, of course, but he has to not give away Ukraine and European strategic interests, because Ukraine is a European strategic interest. There is a lot of concern that if the war ends badly, that the Baltics will be next, and that will challenge NATO.

So, in general, as John Bolton has often said, Trump tends to listen to the last person who speaks to him. So, the Europeans are trying to be the last people that speak to him before he heads off to Alaska.

CHURCH: Right. And that is the concern here, isn't it? That Trump's desire to strike a deal, any deal, will override an effort to ensure a fair deal is reached for Ukraine. And let's look closer at what's at stake here when it comes to

territory swapping and concessions given for potential peace. I mean, how far might Trump go here in handing over pieces of Ukraine to Russia?

ERLANGER: Well, I don't think he can do that. That's the first thing. And my guess is that there will be a no to that, and Putin will come up with something else.

Basically, Putin is asking for Ukraine to surrender, because if they give over the rest of the Donbas, that is their main lines of defense against Russian troops to begin with.

So, the problem is, Putin thinks he's winning the war. Trump wants a cease fire. The big question is, how do you get a cease fire from a partner Russia which doesn't want a cease fire? You do it by putting pressure on Russia. Now that is something Trump has so far signally failed to do, and that is the one thing the Europeans are pressing him.

If you want a cease fire, you're going to have to increase the pressure on Vladimir Putin to understand that this is as far as he's going to get.

Now, Putin's long term aims haven't changed. He wants Ukraine to be a vassal state, to be less than independent, to have a smaller military to be like Belarus and not to be part of NATO or the Western world, but that is down the road, so I don't think Trump can unilaterally hand over land.

And frankly, when he says it's a listening tour, I suspect he understands that his freedom of action is fairly limited. The problem is, and what worries the Europeans and the Ukrainians is that Putin will say something to Trump that seems plausible. Trump will present it to the Ukrainians, who will reject it. And then, of course, Trump will blame the Ukrainians for rejecting the possibility of a cease fire.

[02:10:09]

CHURCH: And Steven, as you mentioned, Europe and Ukraine have all along wanted a cease fire put in place before any types of concessions are made, and that's clearly not going to happen.

So, why didn't Trump insist on a cease fire as a first step before agreeing to this summit, which, of course, hands Putin a win by giving him the optics, this one on one meeting with the U.S. president while conceding and promising absolutely nothing?

ERLANGER: Well, I think this is already a win-win for Putin, because he gets to show his own people and the rest of the world that he is somehow on an equal place with the American president. He is an, you know, indicted war criminal from the International Criminal Court, which the U.S. doesn't recognize, but the U.S. is hosting him on American soil, even though he's an antagonist in this war. Now, I don't think you know, Trump hasn't ruled anything out either,

and it may be that he says to Putin, we have to have the cease fire first. We don't know what Trump's going to actually say.

CHURCH: Right. We shall certainly see. Steven Erlanger joining us from Berlin. Many thanks for your analysis. Appreciate it.

ERLANGER: Thank you. The Israeli military says it struck an armed group posing as aid workers in central Gaza. This video released by the IDF shows at least eight men standing around a vehicle marked with the world central kitchen logo, a U.S. based non-profit.

The IDF says the strike, which took place last week, killed five armed terrorists. But it's unclear to what organization the group belonged. WCK has confirmed the vehicle is not connected to their operations, and says it strongly condemns anyone posing as their group.

With Gaza cease fire negotiations stalled indefinitely, sources say a Hamas delegation is heading to Egypt for further discussions. CNN's Oren Lieberman has details from Jerusalem.

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OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: We're seeing a big push now from Europe and from countries in the region here, not only to see if it's possible to avert Israel's planned occupation and takeover of Gaza City, but also to see if it's possible to get ceasefire negotiations back on track.

According to three Hamas sources, a Hamas delegation has headed to Cairo to begin talks with Egyptian officials about negotiations towards a ceasefire.

The question, where will this lead? We also know that U.S. Envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with the Qataris in Spain over the course of the weekend. The problem is there isn't concrete movement on this, as we saw towards the end of July before that ceasefire effort fell apart after the U.S. and Israel withdrew, blaming Hamas of acting in bad faith.

That had a tremendous amount of optimism around it, at least before it collapsed. We don't have that same sense that there is positive movement in the right direction to get a ceasefire on track. But clearly, you see the efforts are there.

And when it comes to Israel's plan, takeover of Gaza City, the criticism has been fierce with both countries and humanitarian organizations warning it would only lead to a worsening humanitarian catastrophe inside Gaza, and of course, specifically Gaza City.

In a public letter, 24 foreign ministers, mostly from Europe, but also from Japan and Australia, as well as the European Union wrote a letter saying, famine is unfolding before our eyes. They call on Israel to not only let in more aid, but also to allow in more humanitarian aid organizations to try to get aid to as many people who need it as possible. In the letter they write, all crossings and routes must be used to allow a flood of aid into Gaza, including food, nutrition, supplies, shelter, fuel, clean water, medicine, and medical equipment.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, five more people died of malnutrition on Tuesday. That brings the total to 227 in the besiege territory who have died of malnutrition, including according to the ministry, 103 children.

Oren Liebermann, CNN, in Jerusalem.

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CHURCH: Donald Trump's crackdown on crime is taking shape as the National Guard lines up on the streets of Washington, D.C. What the White House is saying about the operation.

Also ahead, a glacier outburst fueled by climate change is happening in Alaska, and residents are being warned a wave of water could be coming.

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[02:19:09]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. The U.S. State Department has released its yearly report on human rights concerns around the world, and it shows clear signs of the shifting alliances of the Trump administration.

For one thing, it's significantly shorter than past reports, omitting information it says is generally available on the internet. Among the beneficiaries, El Salvador, which has close ties to the Trump administration.

The State Department says there are no credible reports of significant human rights abuses in the country. The section on Israel contains sparse details on Hamas and Hezbollah and no mention of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's criminal trial. It cites traditional allies like the U.K. and Germany for deteriorating human rights situations and reports of serious restrictions on freedom of expression.

[02:20:04]

President Trump's crackdown on crime in Washington D.C. is moving forward with National Guard troops and vehicles now on the streets. The White House says more than 20 people were arrested on Monday as hundreds of officers and federal agents were deployed across the city.

But as CNN's Kristen Holmes reports, plenty of questions about the operation remain unanswered.

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KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, as well as D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith, sitting down on Tuesday with the Attorney General Pam Bondi, the Deputy Attorney General, and the FBI Director Kash Patel, to discuss some of what this federal takeover of the D.C. police force would look like. There are still a lot of questions as to how exactly this is going to work out.

In a press conference after this sit down, we heard from Bowser and Smith, who aimed to downplay this as a takeover. Instead, used words like partnership.

At one point, we even heard Bowser talking about how more police might not be a bad thing. More law enforcement could actually help them. You heard the police chief saying that they wanted to get illegal guns off the street and acknowledging that there was still crime in Washington, D.C.

On the other side, the White House also acting as though this wasn't a takeover, in some ways, talking about instead a partnership.

But there was one thing that both sides seemed to have a small discrepancy on although it's a large issue which is who is actually running the D.C. police force.

KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Terry Cole, as you heard from this briefing room yesterday is in charge of the Metropolitan Police Department, and he's working with the chief to ensure that law enforcement officers are allowed to do their jobs in this city.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you answering to Terry Cole?

PAMELA SMITH, D.C. POLICE CHIEF: (INAUDIBLE) I answer to Mayor Muriel Bowser.

MURIEL BOWSER, WASHINGTON D.C. MAYOR: Our organizational chart, how we do business, how we fund the police, how we make changes. None of that has changed.

HOLMES: What we heard from the Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt there was the hierarchy that actually went beyond just Terry Cole, and she says, is in charge. She said, but beyond that, it's Attorney General Pam Bondi, and of course, it goes all the way to President Donald Trump.

But on the other side, you're hearing Washington still say that they are in control. What we know here is that Mayor Bowser is aware that legally, there is not much that they can do about this takeover. So, she clearly here is trying to tow a line between really maintaining control over her city, but also understanding that where this is going federally, there isn't much they can do to stop it.

Of course, the big questions we have now are, what exactly is going to happen next. Karoline Leavitt was asked about this in that press briefing. She said, after 30 days, they would reassess where they were on crime. That would be when President Trump would have to bring it to bring it to Congress to extend this federal takeover. Then they would decide whether or not they were going to continue or end at that time.

Kristen Holmes, CNN the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE) CHURCH: And since Kristen Holmes filed her report, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser seems to have changed her tune. At a virtual town hall with community leaders late Tuesday, she called President Trump's moves an authoritarian push and urged residents to protect their autonomy.

Well, President Trump's pick to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics is no longer planning to suspend the monthly jobs report if he's confirmed to the role. E.J. Antoni had previously said the monthly jobs report should be replaced by quarterly data until the agency is able to ensure its monthly data is more accurate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE BANNON, FORMER EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN OF BREITBART NEWS: E.J. Antoni Have we put in our own person into BLS is a MAGA Republican that President Trump knows and trusts? Are they running the Bureau of Labor Statistics yet, sir?

E.J. ANTONI, SENIOR FELLOW AT THE COMMITTEE, UNLEASH PROSPERITY: No, unfortunately, Steve, we still haven't gotten there, and I think that's part of the reason why we continue to have all of these different data problems.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Antoni was nominated after President Trump fired the former BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer, claiming, without evidence, that the jobs report revisions for May and June were a scam and a vendetta against his presidency.

Confrontation in the South China Sea, two Chinese vessels collide while chasing a boat from the Philippines, highlighting the growing volatility in this key waterway. The details just ahead.

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[02:29:13]

CHURCH: The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for those in the path of potential flooding from a glacial outburst in Juneau, Alaska. The wave of water gushing out of a glacier is now threatening significant, potentially record-breaking flooding, and those in high risk areas are being urged to evacuate.

Officials explain that glacial outbursts occur when a lake of melting snow, ice and rain drain rapidly, describing it as pulling out the plug in a full bathtub. Glacial outbursts have become more frequent and have worsened considerably each year since 2023.

A Chinese warship collided with one of its own coast guard vessels in the highly contested South China Sea.

[02:30:00]

The vessels were chasing a Philippine Coast Guard ship at high speed when it happened on Monday. It is the latest incident that underscores growing volatility in one of the world's most strategically vital waterways. CNN's Ivan Watson takes a closer look.

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IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Two Chinese ships colliding at high speed. This crash took place on Monday in a tense part of the South China Sea. Video released by the Philippine Coast Guard shows a China Coast Guard ship with a water cannon and a gray Chinese PLA navy ship, both appearing to pursue a Coast Guard ship from the Philippines.

Chinese sailors hold a bumper at the front of the Coast Guard vessel when it suddenly smashes into the larger navy ship. Seconds later, no sign of those sailors on the heavily damaged bow of the Chinese Coast Guard ship. Aggressiveness and incompetence says 125-year veteran of the U.S. Navy.

TOM SHUGART, ADJUNCT SENIOR FELLOW, CENTER FOR A NEW AMERICAN SECURITY: There's a saying in the fleet, play stupid games, you win stupid prizes. And the PLA Navy has been engaging in what certainly the U.S. Navy has characterized as pretty unprofessional operations for quite some time and it seems like that may have come home to roost in this case.

WATSON (voice-over): The incident took place near Scarborough Shoal, which both the Philippines and China claim. These contested waters, the scene of frequent confrontations, which CNN witnessed firsthand last year.

WATSON: It is just after sunrise and as you may see, there is a large Chinese Coast Guard ship directly in front of this Philippines Coast Guard vessel.

WATSON (voice-over): It's a David and Goliath style contest where the Philippines faces off against the world's largest navy.

WATSON: That little boat in front is a Philippines resupply boat and it is currently being pursued by one, two, three, at least four Chinese ships.

WATSON (voice-over): They blast the boat with water cannons.

And it's not just ships from the Philippines and China that have come in close contact in the South China Sea in recent years.

WATSON: We're getting a close-up look at a Chinese fighter jet and it's been shadowing this U.S. Navy plane now for about 15 minutes.

WATSON (voice-over): CNN has also filmed U.S. and Chinese warships and planes operating in close proximity here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: U.S. aircraft, U.S. aircraft, this is Chinese Navy warship. You are approaching me. Keep safe distance away from me, over.

WATSON (voice-over): After Monday's maritime collision, Chinese State TV issued this statement from the China Coast Guard. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The China Coast Guard took necessary measures such as tracking, monitoring, blocking, and controlling to drive away the Philippine vessels. On-site operations were professional, regulated and legitimate.

WATSON (voice-over): No official mention of the crash or possible casualties, exactly the kind of incident experts have long warned could happen when huge ships play a dangerous game of chicken.

Ivan Watson, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Across Europe, the latest heat wave is sparking wildfires and pushing temperatures above 40-degrees Celsius in some parts. On Tuesday, several villagers and a hotel in Greece were evacuated because of the threat from fires being fueled by strong powerful winds. Officials in Turkey deployed emergency aircraft as flames threatened a forest in Izmir Province. The fires have forced the evacuation of hundreds of people fleeing their homes for safer ground.

The Trump administration takes aim at an iconic American institution. We'll look at what kind of changes could be coming to the Smithsonian.

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[02:38:28]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, the Trump Administration has ordered a review into one of the United States' most renowned and beloved cultural centers. It's putting the Smithsonian Museums and Exhibitions under the microscope to decide what should and should not be displayed. The Smithsonian Institution runs the nation's major public museums. White House aides wrote a letter to the Smithsonian secretary that reads, this initiative aims to ensure alignment with the president's directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions.

The review process lays out a multi-step timeline with deadlines in 30, 75, and 120 days. A final report is expected early next year. The Smithsonian tells CNN it is reviewing the letter and plan to work constructively with the White House.

Well, a song from one of the biggest movies of the year is now claiming the top spot on Billboard's Hot 100 chart and the group isn't even real.

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CHURCH: That is "Golden" from the K-pop Demon Hunters soundtrack and it's now a Billboard number one single. The animated feature film from Sony has taken the world by storm and is breaking streaming records.

[02:40:00]

"Golden" is also the ninth K-pop song to top the Hot 100 and the first with female lead singers. The last time an all-girl streaming records. Golden is also the ninth K-pop song to top the hot 100 and the first with female lead singers. The last time an all-girl group with three or more members nabbed the top spot was back in 2001 when Destiny's Child released "Bootylicious."

Thank you so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. "World Sport" is coming up next. Then, I'll be back at the top of the hour with more "CNN Newsroom." Do stick around.

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[02:45:25]

(WORLD SPORT)