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Trump-Putin Summit Happening Today; Jimmy Lai's Trial Abruptly Adjourned Over Health Issues; Japan Commemorates 80 Years of the End of World War II. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired August 15, 2025 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

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UNKNOWN (voice-over): This is CNN Breaking News.

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of you watching us around the world, I'm Kim Brunhuber. Let's get straight to our breaking news.

We're just a few hours away from a rare summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. President Trump says he hopes the meeting will help bring an end to the grinding war in Ukraine following Russia's full-scale invasion more than three years ago. We expect to hear from both leaders in a joint news conference later, though President Trump says he could do it by himself if the meeting doesn't end well.

Trump, keeping expectations high, says he believes Putin wants to make a deal to end the war after White House officials earlier this week downplayed the one-on-one meeting as a listening exercise.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I think that President Putin would like to see a deal. I think if I weren't President, he would take over all of Ukraine.

Tomorrow, all I want to do is set the table for the next meeting, which should happen shortly. I'd like to see it happen very quickly, very shortly after this meeting.

We're going to find out where everybody stands, and I'll know within the first two minutes, three minutes, four minutes, two or five minutes, we tend to find out whether or not we're going to have a good meeting or a bad meeting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The presidents will meet at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. Russia's foreign minister and its ambassador to the U.S. have already arrived for the meeting, according to Russian state media. Now Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been meeting with European leaders as they

emphasize that no decision about Ukraine should be made without them at the table. We have more details on today's summit from CNN's Alayna Treene reporting from the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: As President Donald Trump prepares to head to Alaska for this high-stakes meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, he's been raising the expectations on what could come out of this. On Thursday, while speaking with Fox News' Brian Kilmeade, he said that he was hoping that there could potentially be a peace deal.

He said, quote, "I believe now he, he's referring to Putin, is convinced that he's going to make a deal." He went on to say he believes that he wants peace. He also added, however, though, that he's not sure that they will be able to reach an immediate ceasefire during the summit, something, of course, we know that European leaders as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said is a necessary concession in order for these talks to move forward.

But what the president also said, which will be welcome to some of the United States' European allies, Zelenskyy alike, is that he said that even though this meeting is important, he thinks the next meeting, he said the second meeting will be even more important. Listen to what he said.

TRUMP: We have a meeting with President Putin tomorrow. I think it's going to be a good meeting, but the more important meeting will be the second meeting that we're having.

We're going to have a meeting with President Putin, President Zelenskyy, myself, and maybe we'll bring some of the European leaders along. Maybe not. It's -- I don't know that it's going to be very important.

TREENE: So as you can hear there, the President sounding optimistic that if this Friday summit with Vladimir Putin goes well, the next meeting will include Zelenskyy, and he said even some European leaders. Now, the reason that's so important is because we know that European leaders and Zelenskyy, who spoke with the president on Wednesday during a phone call, have really been trying to bend his ear ahead of this. They are wary of not having a seat at the table in Alaska on Friday and want to ensure that not too much is not promised in that meeting before they can become a part of it.

Now, we also heard the president kind of share some of his mindset on this. He said that there are many different wars that he's intervened in during his second term, and he thought that this one would be the easiest. However, he said it's proven to be the most difficult.

And that's really, I think, what is important to note as we look at this meeting on Friday is that the President has for months tried to negotiate with the Russian leader, only to be disappointed and frustrated by his actions and by his duplicity of what Trump says is saying one thing on the phone with him and then continuing his bombing campaign on Kyiv after wrapping up their call. So it's very unclear what's going to happen.

But also just to give you a sense of what to look for on Friday, we know that there is going to be a one-on-one meeting between Trump and Putin that is going to take place first, we're told. And then after that, there will be a bilateral lunch with both the United States and Russia's respective delegations.

And then after that, they are expected to hold a joint press conference, something that is, of course, pretty remarkable that not only you're going to have the Russian leader on American soil, but that there's an opportunity for him to stand side by side with President Donald Trump and address the media.

[03:05:06]

Now, the President did also say that there is a chance things could go, you know, downward, they could go sour. And he expects to know that within the first few minutes of that one-on-one meeting, he said there's a 25 percent chance that this summit could end in failure. And he said if that happens, he is willing and ready to impose economic pain, potentially sanctions on Russia as a response.

All to say, though, it's very clear that right now neither side, the United States or Russia, knows exactly what is going to happen on Friday. But at least from President Donald Trump's point of view, he's looking at this as hopefully a first step in what could be a longer process to getting to an eventual peace deal.

Alayna Treene, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Russia is indicating it wants the summit to be about more than just Ukraine. President Putin and his aides are floating the idea of discussing nuclear agreements and economic cooperation.

But whatever the Russian leader's game plan is, he's setting the stage with one thing he's used before on Trump. That's flattery.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The current American administration, which, as everyone knows, is making, in my opinion, quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities, stop the crisis, and reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved in this conflict.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: I want to head now to Kyiv, where Ben Wedeman is standing by.

So, Ben, there must be many conflicting emotions there in Ukraine. Some Ukrainians hopeful, others fearful. What have you been hearing? BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Generally, I think

the expectations are low regarding this summit. There was a feeling when President Trump was inaugurated back in January that, according to his claims that he could end the war in 24 hours, he might be able to do something like that.

But here we are, months and months later, the war is still raging. And people watched, for instance, that volatile Oval Office meeting earlier this year between President Trump and President Zelenskyy. And the feeling was that definitely President Trump doesn't have Ukraine in his corner.

Now, since then, we've heard President Trump express unhappiness, disappointment with President Putin. But in general, the feeling is that the fact that Ukraine isn't even represented in this summit makes many people worry that President Trump is going to agree to something that is simply unacceptable to Ukraine.

Now, we did see a member of the Ukrainian parliament speaking with Jim Sciutto earlier today. And he told Jim that if President Trump is tough enough, he could end the war.

But the worry, of course, is that President Trump, when he gets in the room with Putin, his knees go weak. He is perennially, as one analyst described him, President Trump is overconfident and underprepared when it comes to meetings like this.

And we should juxtapose that with President Putin, a former KGB agent who tends to be very well prepared with nerves of steel and the ability to, it appears in the past at least, to really intimidate Trump, whose experience in the world of diplomacy prior to his time in the White House totals zero. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: Yes, good point. Ben Wedeman, thanks so much.

Alright, I want to bring in Stefan Meister from Berlin. He's the head of the Center for Order and Governance in Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia at the German Council on Foreign Relations. Thank you so much for being here with us.

So President Trump has been promising that Putin is ready to make a deal, but you're pessimistic about this meeting. I believe you called it a worst-case scenario. Why is that?

STEFAN MEISTER, HEAD OF THE CENTER FOR ORDER AND GOVERNANCE IN EASTERN EUROPE, RUSSIA, AND CENTRAL ASIA, GERMAN COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: I think Trump is going into this meeting with Putin in a moment when Putin has made no compromises and seems to see no necessity to make any kind of compromises. None of Trump's sanctions he has promised or he talked about has been implemented. So I think for Putin is the person who defines the agenda of this meeting, he is going into this meeting with maximum demands.

And I think this is a very negative recognition also of Putin as a great leader in a moment when Russian troops are heading forward in Ukraine. [03:10:007]

So I think it's another yes, for me, this is not a good moment for this meeting.

BRUNHUBER: Putin is getting plenty of prestige out of this meeting, meeting on U.S. soil here. Then the format of the meeting, without Ukraine or European allies at the table, I mean, some European officials have expressed concerns that Donald Trump could be swayed by Putin. Is there a vulnerability for Trump to be alone in the room with Putin?

MEISTER: I think there is such a threat that Trump alone will be manipulated by Putin. I think the former interviewer has already said Putin is a KGB -- a former KGB agent. He's well prepared for this meeting, he knows the weaknesses of Donald Trump and knows also how to negotiate; he has an agenda, he wants to get all of Ukraine and he wants to get this recognition.

For Trump, it looks more like a real estate deal. He wants to change some territories, wants to have a great meeting, and then we will see.

So I think we have here two leaders with very different agendas, and one leader, in my opinion, is much better prepared for this meeting than the other, and this is Putin.

BRUNHUBER: You talked about territory. I mean, there's growing talk about potential territorial concessions. I know you've had concerns that this could backfire and potentially make the conflict worse in the long run.

Why is that?

MEISTER: We all understand that Putin does not want to have just four territories, and then he is happy with the whole situation, but he wants the whole of Ukraine. So if he gains more territory without fighting for it, he will use also these new territories to attack other parts of Ukraine later.

So it will weaken Ukraine's ability to defend itself. Ukraine will lose if Russia gets the territory it wants. It will lose also key cities who are important for the defense of eastern Ukraine. So I think it will weaken also the military ability of Ukraine to defend other territories of the country.

BRUNHUBER: Let's talk about Europe, then. If this summit drives a wedge between the U.S. and Ukraine, I'm wondering where that leaves Ukraine's European allies. Are European leaders prepared to step into that vacuum?

MEISTER: I think they are more willing to step in. So they are willing to pay more for military support, for U.S. weapons. They also now the biggest financial supporter of Ukraine.

Also economic-wise, I think they support a lot of. But they cannot replace the U.S. So if you talk, for instance, about security guarantees, which is crucial for any kind of ceasefire agreement, Europeans have neither the armies nor the military capabilities or intelligence to give this security guarantees.

So they can only act in cooperation with the U.S. If the U.S. withdraw from Europe, from the support of Ukraine, Europe can only partly step in.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, that's a vital point about the security guarantees there. I really appreciate this. Stefan Meister, thank you so much.

MEISTER: Thank you.

All right. Ahead here on "CNN Newsroom," pro-democracy advocate and media mogul Jimmy Lai appears in a Hong Kong court, but the proceedings were quickly halted. We'll explain why.

Plus, inflicting statements about alleged talks over resettling Palestinians. You'll get the latest details on the war in Gaza. All that and more coming up, stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: The trial for Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai came to an abrupt halt earlier after a judge paused proceedings until Monday. Closing arguments were set to begin, but Lai's defense attorneys raised concerns about his health, specifically his heart. The 77-year old appeared thin and frail during court, and the judge ruled that it wasn't prudent to carry on until Lai's medical needs had been attended to.

CNN's Kristie Lu Stout reports from Hong Kong.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm standing outside the court where the national security trial of Jimmy Lai is hearing closing arguments. A number of people are standing outside waiting in line, raving the high humidity and occasional rain to bear witness to this event.

Security is tight. Police officers, police vehicles are out in force. People across Hong Kong and around the world are watching this trial very closely.

LU STOUT (voice-over): Jimmy Lai was the media mogul who risked his fortune for Hong Kong's freedom.

Now awaiting his fate in jail, he is a flashpoint between the U.S. and China. Before his victory in October 2024, Donald Trump, in a phone interview with Hugh Hewitt, vowed to secure Lai's release, saying he would do so, quote, "100 percent yes." And as president, Trump pledged to raise Lai's case in trade talks with China. TRUMP (on the phone): I think talking about Jimmy Lai is a very good idea. We'll put it down or we'll put it down as part of the negotiation.

LU STOUT (voice-over): In a radio interview with Fox News this week, Trump said.

TRUMP (on the phone): I'm going to do everything I can to save him.

LU STOUT (voice-over): Two people campaigning for Lai's release say that they were told U.S. officials did bring up Lai's case during the talks. Since those talks, the U.S.-China trade truce has been extended. But China is standing firm. Its U.S. embassy spokesman saying, "we strongly oppose external forces using judicial cases as a pretext to interfere in China's internal affairs or to smear and undermine Hong Kong's rule of law."

A rabble-rousing tycoon behind a popular pro-democracy tabloid, Jimmy Lai had long been a thorn in the side of Beijing.

His high-profile trial, which began nearly two years ago, is now coming to an end. He's charged with two counts of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security, along with a separate charge of sedition. He's pleaded not guilty.

[03:20:08]

His arrest after a sweeping national security law imposed by Beijing, which China and local leaders said restored stability to Hong Kong after months of anti-government protests in 2019. At that time, Lai had lobbied foreign governments to apply pressure on China and made this direct appeal to President Trump.

JIMMY LAI, FOUNDER, "APPLE DAILY": Mr. President, you're the only one who can save us. If you save us and stop China's aggression, you also save the world.

LU STOUT (voice-over): Prosecutors say Lai's actions amount to lobbying for sanctions against Hong Kong and China, which is banned under the national security law. His lawyers argue he stopped doing so after the law came into effect. Day one of closing arguments was adjourned due to concerns for Lai's health.

Lai has spent more than 1600 days in prison, much of it in solitary confinement.

SEBASTIEN LAI, JIMMY LAI'S SON: If you put a 77-year-old man in a concrete box in solitary confinement -- solitary confinement, by the way, is a form of torture, right, so 15 days of solitary confinement is prolonged solitary confinement. You put him in a concrete box under the Hong Kong sun for essentially close to half a decade, it is detrimental to his life. That's not a conjecture, that's just a basic fact.

LU STOUT (voice-over): The Hong Kong government says Lai had requested his removal from the general prison population, and "the remarks by Sebastien Lai regarding Lai Chee-ying's solitary confinement are completely fact-twisting, reflecting a malicious intention to smear and attack the HKSAR government."

Lai faces a possible sentence of life in prison, and for the 77-year- old, life would most likely mean life. Lai has already been in jail for nearly five years.

Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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BRUNHUBER: Protesters burned tires and blocked traffic in Tel Aviv on Thursday. They were calling for the release of all Israeli hostages still held in Gaza; police say at least a dozen people were detained during the demonstrations. Those comes after Israel's Ministry of Health warned this week that the hostages are in a quote, immediate life-threatening situation; 20 hostages out of the 50 that remain in Gaza are believed to be alive.

Meanwhile, the Israeli prime minister says Israel is in talks with several countries about taking in Palestinians displaced by the war, but some countries are pushing back, saying those discussions aren't happening. Critics say moving Palestinians out of Gaza would amount to a violation of international law and even ethnic cleansing.

Benjamin Netanyahu's resettlement remarks come amid growing outrage over Israel's plan to take control of Gaza City, which is home to more than one million Palestinians. CNN's Oren Liebermann reports from Jerusalem.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has several times talked about what he has described as a voluntary emigration from Gaza, something he says other countries should accept and be willing to take in Palestinians who want to leave. But he's never given any real details on this, and it's never been clear if this plan might actually come to fruition or if there's even any traction behind it.

We've learned from a senior Israeli official that Israel is in talks with at least five different countries about the possibility of this plan. Those countries include South Sudan, Libya, Ethiopia, Somaliland, and Indonesia.

The problem is a number of these countries have already rejected these talks. For example, South Sudan just a few days ago rejected the idea of talks about the displacement of Palestinians, Somaliland did the same several months ago, and Indonesia within the last week or two said they could take in about 2000 Gazans, but it would be for temporary treatment, and then they would return to Gaza.

So it's not clear that any of the countries with which this official tells us Israel is discussing this plan are willing to entertain this beyond mere discussions. Still, Netanyahu is pursuing this.

We first really heard about this in terms of a goal of Israel when it was in fact President Donald Trump who mentioned it earlier in his term at the beginning of the year. But he appears to have since cooled on the idea.

Israel, meanwhile, is pushing forward, insisting this is not an ethnic cleansing of Gaza, it's not forcing people out. Netanyahu is saying this would be voluntary.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): First of all, inside Gaza, we are not pushing them out either, but we are allowing them to leave.

UNKNOWN (through translator): It is happening very slowly.

NETANYAHU (through translator): You need the receiving countries. We're talking to several countries, I can't detail it here. The most natural thing would be for all those who say they're concerned for the Palestinians and want to help the Palestinians to open their doors.

Why are they coming and preaching to us? Open your doors.

[03:25:00]

LIEBERMANN: Israel has never laid out a clear day-after plan for Gaza, what would happen for more than two million Palestinians in the besieged territory. This potentially is as close to a day-after plan for what to do with the Palestinians in Gaza as Israel has ever come.

The problem is it's unclear if this really has any possibility of happening, not to mention the fact that for this to happen, you need Palestinians willing to permanently leave their home and permanently leave Gaza, and it's simply not clear that that's the case.

Oren Liebermann, CNN, in Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: The European Union and the U.K. are slamming Israel's controversial plan to build thousands of new homes in the occupied West Bank. They say it's a breach of international law which would split the West Bank in half. Israel's far-right minister announced the move during a Thursday news conference on the site of the planned construction; he said it would, quote, "permanently bury the idea of a Palestinian state."

Donald Trump is set to meet with Vladimir Putin in just a few hours, and the stakes have perhaps never been higher as he seeks to bring an end to Russia's war on Ukraine. Our coverage continues after a quick break.

Plus, Moscow is reportedly pushing for more territory in Ukraine ahead of the summit. So we'll look at the situation on the front lines and the areas the Kremlin has its eyes on.

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[03:30:01]

BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us around the world, I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is "CNN Newsroom." Let's check today's top stories.

U.S. President Donald Trump is set to host Russian President Vladimir Putin for a rare one-on-one summit in the coming hours. The two leaders will meet on U.S. soil in Anchorage, Alaska, to discuss the war in Ukraine. President Trump says the talks are aimed at setting the table for another meeting that would involve Ukraine's president.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is confirming that talks are underway with several countries about taking in displaced Palestinians. A senior Israeli official tells CNN the countries are South Sudan, Somaliland, Ethiopia, Libya and Indonesia. It's not clear how advanced any of these discussions are and if they are likely to pan out.

The trial of media tycoon and pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai has been delayed for the second time this week. The 77-year-old appeared frail and thin after arriving in court today for closing arguments, but the judge quickly adjourned the hearing after defense lawyers raised concerns over Lai's health. Court is adjourned until Monday.

Germany's chancellor is calling on Russia to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine at the Alaska summit. Friedrich Merz says the meeting between Presidents Trump and Putin provides an opportunity for peace and to meet with his Ukrainian counterpart.

In a statement released a short time ago, he says, quote, "the goal must be a summit in which President Zelenskyy also participates." President Trump has threatened Russia with, quote, "very severe consequences if Putin doesn't agree to stop the war."

I want to bring in CNN's Sebastian Shukla live this hour from Berlin. So Sebastian, let's drill down on the Russian perspective here. What are they saying about this summit?

SEBASTIAN SHUKLA, CNN PRODUCER: Yes, good morning, Kim. From the Russian perspective, this is their reintroduction into the international diplomatic order. Remember, after the February invasion in 2022 of Ukraine, Russia was put on the diplomatic international naughty step where talking to Moscow was and talking to President Putin was viewed as something as a complete and utter no-go.

Today, in Anchorage, a U.S. military base in a formerly Russian colony, President Vladimir Putin of Russia will take the stage next to Donald Trump, seen as one of the most powerful men and the head of the most powerful country on the planet. And that is a very symbolic picture that we will see coming out of today.

As regarding the talks, how they will unfold, we know that there will be a discussion between the two men one to one with through interpreters only that will be followed by a sort of roundtable between each adviser, there are five advisers on each side. We've seen in recent hours now the Russian delegation arriving. We've seen video now of the Russian foreign minister, Wiley, erstwhile, long experienced Sergei Lavrov arriving in Alaska for -- ahead of these talks.

But what will be crucial, though, is the guarantees and what will come out of this summit. What we are waiting to hear and we will learn is just about what the positions from either side will be. From the Russian perspective, Kim, President Putin has said for a long time that only the way to resolve the Ukraine crisis is if core issues about the Ukraine crisis are tackled head on.

What that means for Moscow is basically an existential problem for President Putin and something that the Ukrainians and the Europeans are diametrically opposed to. President Putin has also said that he would like to see the whole of the territory that has been claimed by Russian forces ceded to Russia. That has been a big red line for the Europeans and they went out of their way this week, Kim, to make that point to President Trump before he came here.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, and Sebastian, is there daylight then between President Trump and what the European leaders are saying?

SHUKLA: Well, there shouldn't be. That was the messaging that was supposed to have taken place here in Berlin when we saw President Zelenskyy alongside Chancellor Merz here, very symbolically, because obviously President Zelenskyy is not invited to this summit where his fate and his country is going to be discussed. The Europeans wanted to send this message that regardless of what's happening in Alaska, we are still standing resolutely by you.

[03:34:50]

And here in Berlin, a series of virtual roundtable meetings were held between European leaders and then crucially between President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, where the message that seemed to have come out of them is that President Trump listened to the European concerns, which was very simple. There cannot be any agreement to territorial land swaps without there being a ceasefire. That was categorical.

And Friedrich Merz said the same again this morning. I'll read you a little bit of that statement, which is

"The goal of this summit must be in which President Zelenskyy also participates. A ceasefire must be agreed there.

Ukraine needs strong security guarantees. Territorial issues can only be decided with the consent of the Ukrainian people."

Very clear message came from the Europeans that that is their red line and that the message had been conveyed. Kim, we just don't know whether President Trump will convey that message to President Vladimir Putin or whether President Putin may just launch into a long diatribe about the sovereignty of Ukraine and how it is in Russia's sphere of orbit and whether Trump will just take that at face value. We don't know.

European leaders here will be waiting and hanging on their mobile phones, I'm sure, because President Trump said he will update them and President Zelenskyy as soon as the summit is over. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, so much on the line, I appreciate all that. Sebastian Shukla in Berlin, thanks so much.

Well, President Trump has suggested that a Ukraine ceasefire deal could involve some land swapping. But Ukraine made it clear that surrendering any territory to Russia is a nonstarter. CNN's Clare Sebastian explains which areas could be on the table.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, here's what's at stake as Trump and Putin get ready to sit down in Alaska. Now, the territory you see in red, that is what Russia currently occupies. It's about 19 percent of Ukraine, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

And that includes these four regions here that Russia claimed to annex in 2022. And, of course, Crimea down here, where it's had de facto control since occupying the territory in 2014. Parts in yellow, meanwhile, is the land that Ukraine has recaptured from Russia since 2022.

Now, patchy details have come out of a Russian peace offer potentially involving Ukraine giving up the Donbass region. That is these two regions here, Donetsk and Luhansk. But this week, Russia's foreign ministry also said that its war goals haven't changed, which involve Ukraine also ceding Kherson and Zaporizhzhya in the south.

But here's the thing, take a look at this map. Large parts of Donetsk, as well as Zaporizhzhya and Kherson, are not occupied by Russia, they're still controlled by Ukraine. You can see that the regional borders run above that red section here.

And if Russia demands that Ukraine pull back from all of those regions, then in practice that would mean Ukraine withdrawing from cities that it spent three and a half years and thousands of human lives defending, abandoning some of its best defenses, including the so-called fortress belt in this part of Donetsk, and pulling back to a less defensible line, something Zelenskyy said would simply create a springboard for future Russian aggression.

Now, it could also mean giving back territory like this down here in Kherson that Ukraine has actually taken back already from Russia militarily in the first year of the war. Now, this week, after over a year of trying to take the Donetsk town of Pokrovsk, if we zoom in there, Russia seems to have pushed through Ukrainian defensive lines just here, heading towards the town of Dobropillia.

The Ukraine has stressed that this is not a major breakthrough and is now stabilized. Ukraine is still warning, though, that Russia in this area alone has about 110,000 troops stationed, a force larger than the entire British standing army. So far from the ceasefire that Trump may push for in Alaska, it is, according to Ukraine, preparing to launch new offensives, an effort potentially to force Ukraine into big concessions.

Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: In the last hour, I spoke with Oleksandr Merezhko, a member of Ukraine's Parliament and chair of the Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, and I asked him specifically about those territorial concessions. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OLEKSANDR MEREZHKO, UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER AND CHAIRMAN, UKRAINE PARLIAMENT'S FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE: First of all, it's absolutely impossible to cede any territories of Ukraine because, again, it's impossible from the constitutional perspective and it's impossible from the perspective of international law, let alone morality and political situation.

But the biggest mistake which President Trump seemingly is making is that he thinks that it's another kind of business deal, that if Ukraine cedes parts of its territory, it will appease the aggressor, it will appease Putin.

Putin will stop and will agree to ceasefire or maybe peace. It's a huge mistake because it's not about additional territories of Ukraine to Russian empire. That's absolutely different issue because Putin's ultimate goal is not about grabbing more territories of Ukraine.

[03:40:03]

His goal is to subjugate Ukraine as a whole, to establish control over Ukraine and then to move further, to reestablish hegemony of Russian empire over the whole Europe. This is his primary goal. So it's not about parts of Ukrainian territories and it will not appease Putin.

BRUNHUBER: Given what you said, let me ask you this, because many experts we've spoken with here have expressed skepticism that there will be any kind of deal, but there is fear that if there is one, it could be in Russia's favor. So where are you on the scale of hopeful or fearful about what might come out of today's meeting, especially given what you've said about your skepticism over Donald Trump's ability or his wanting to make a type of business deal, as you've said?

MEREZHKO: There is such a risk, unfortunately, because if President Trump wants to settle the matter quickly, hastily, of course, it can be done only at the expense of the weaker party, which is Ukraine, the victim of the aggression. And sometimes it seems as if he wants to restart negotiations and restart relations with Russia. And Ukraine is an obstacle for him.

And if Ukraine is off the table, he can make a big deal with Russia with regard to natural resources, doing business and so on. And again, it's a huge mistake. It will never happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: All right, still to come here on "CNN Newsroom." Today marks 80 years since Japan's military surrendered to the Allied forces, bringing an end to the Second World War. Look at how V-J Day is being commemorated, next.

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BRUNHUBER: Japan is marking the 80th anniversary of its surrender that ended World War II. In Tokyo, the country's emperor and Prime Minister took part in a solemn ceremony.

[03:45:04]

The events coincided with a series of memorials across Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where survivors from the nuclear bombings advocated for nuclear disarmament. Other countries also have plans to commemorate the end of World War II in the Pacific.

CNN's Hanako Montgomery is live in Tokyo. And Hanako, a somber, emotional day there in Japan, right?

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kim, you're absolutely right. It's, of course, a very somber and solemn day for Japan. Millions across the country are commemorating and really remembering the lives lost during the Second World War.

Now, Japan commemorated this anniversary with a solemn ceremony in Tokyo early on Friday. It was attended by families of those who died during the Second World War, by the Japanese Emperor, Naruhito, and also by the Japanese Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba. He delivered a speech that really emphasized the importance of peace and, of course, also commemorated those who died during the war.

Now, for allied nations, Kim, the announcement of Japan's surrender 80 years ago was actually very welcome news. It was celebrated news because it finally meant an end to the fighting.

Now, these allied powers, of course, include the United States, the U.K., France, and Australia. In fact, here's what the Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said earlier on Friday about that moment 80 years ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY ALBANESE, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: 80 years ago today, Prime Minister Ben Chipley began his address to the nation. It was a sentence of perfect simplicity but infinite power. Fellow citizens, the war is over.

The signing of the surrender was some weeks off, but the darkness that had engulfed the world and made its last stand in the Pacific was at last lifted.

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MONTGOMERY: Now, significantly, Kim, the end of the Second World War for Japan also ushered in a new era for the Asian nation. It marked a departure from its past as a militarily mighty country to one that emphasized peace. It also marked the beginning of U.S. occupation in Japan, under which Japan became a democratic country and also one with a lot of industrial and economic might.

But despite all of these changes, Kim, Japan hasn't fully acknowledged some of the wartime atrocities that its imperial army committed during the Second World War in places like China, Korea, Taiwan, other parts in Southeast Asia. And because it hasn't fully acknowledged these atrocities, it's caused some political tension between Japan and its Asian neighbors even to this day.

So it really goes to show how, even though it's been 80 years since the end of the Second World War, Japan's military past very much influences its present. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: Yes, the reverberations still very much live on. Hanako Montgomery in Tokyo. Thank you so much.

A sudden heavy rainstorm left at least 46 people dead and more than 200 people missing in Indian Kashmir. The flood washed away a community kitchen and a stopover on a popular pilgrimage route in the Himalayas, local officials said the flooding occurred around lunchtime when many people had gathered to eat. It's the second major flooding event in India in just over a week after a mudslide engulfed a village in the Himalayas.

We have more news here on "CNN Newsroom" coming up, stay with us.

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[03:50:00]

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BRUNHUBER: Scientists in Chile say they've found the remains of an ancient mammal that could help further our understanding of evolution. The tiny, mouth-sized mammal lived over 60 million years ago.

Scientists from Chile University found a small piece of its skull and a tooth. One expert says teeth are an important tool for understanding evolution. This is the third mammal species from the age of dinosaurs to be found in the region.

Well, it's a milestone for Hong Kong's first locally born giant panda cubs. This fluffy duo is officially turning one. The cubs are being bottle-fed formula since they're still too young to digest solid food.

But now big sister Jia Jia and little brother De De are playing around with bamboo, copying their mother by biting at the leaves. The park is inviting children who share the same birthday to join the festivities. A history was made last year when their mom Ying Ying became the world's oldest first-time panda mother at age 19, which is 57 in human years.

Robots are competing in the world's first humanoid robot games in China. The unique competition kicked off in Beijing Thursday, 280 teams from 16 countries are going head-to-head in 26 different events, including sports like soccer, track and field, and boxing.

During the opening ceremony, the humanoid robots showed off their skills in martial arts. They also played keyboards, guitars, and drums, and danced to hip-hop. One human team member described the rules for robotic apparel.

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GAO QIAN, DIRECTOR OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS, BEIJING DANCE ACADEMY (through translator): We definitely based it on the original Terracotta Warrior, including its appearance, color, and material texture. At the same time, we had to take measurements for the robot. Since the robot wears the costume with added weights, it cannot exceed three kilograms.

We also had to address heat dissipation on its back and ensure the robot's 40 degrees of joint flexibility. Our costume cannot interfere with the robot's joint movements.

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BRUNHUBER: The world's first humanoid robot games will feature a total of 487 matches before the event wraps up on Sunday.

Ominous scientists are witnessing some surprising moments as they use a robot to help them study the mating rituals of crabs. CNN's Shannon Hodge introduces us to Wavy Dave.

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SHANNON HODGE, CNN SCIENCE CONTRIBUTOR (voice-over): It's crab versus machine. As researchers at the University of Exeter built this robot, dubbed Wavy Dave, to study how male fiddler crabs compete for female attention.

[03:54:59]

DR. JOE WILDE, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE STATISTICIAN, BIOSS: Male fiddler crabs have an enlarged claw, and it can weigh up to 30 percent of their entire body mass. They wave it about to attract the attention of female crabs, and the female crabs prefer males that wave faster and have a longer reach.

HODGE (voice-over): Scientists placed Wavy Dave on a mudflat teeming with thousands of crabs and gave the robot claws of varying sizes to wave near a real male's burrow.

WILDE: I was very surprised at how they reacted because the pessimist in me thought they won't see this as a crab, that, you know, they'll see through it, that we're essentially trying to pull a magic trick on them, and I didn't think that it would work.

HODGE (voice-over): Cameras captured how the crabs adapted, finding that the males abandoned their normal routines and continued waving their massive claw to compete with the robot.

WILDE: Adapting your strategy and kind of rolling with the punches, that's not something that's special to humans. We know how males are responding to this robot. They're lengthening their courtship bounce, so they're signaling for longer and they're spending less time in their burrow.

HODGE (voice-over): The results of the study, published in the journal "Proceedings of the Royal Society B," show that while some males were less likely to compete when a rival had a larger claw, others would not back down from this robotic intruder.

WILDE: The fight between the fiddle crab and Wavy Dave, I wasn't expecting it when the individual did manage to break the claw off. I thought it wouldn't be strong enough. That just goes to show that you should never try and predict what's going to happen when you're working with animals.

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BRUNHUBER: All right, thanks so much for joining us, I'm Kim Brunhuber in Atlanta. "Early Start" with Polo Sandoval is next.

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