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U.N.-Backed Group Declares "Manmade" Famine in Parts of Gaza; Putin Expects Full Restoration of Relations with U.S.; FBI Searches Home of Former Trump Adviser John Bolton; Dow Soars to First Record High of the Year; Think Tank Reports Secret North Korean Missile Base; Funding Loss Threatens Efforts to Find Missing Ukrainian Children; South Korean President Visits Japan for Bilateral Talks; Chilean Police's New Recruit Ready to Purr-Tect and Serve; Hero Postal Carrier Brings in Washing from the Rain. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired August 23, 2025 - 04:00   ET

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

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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome to all of you watching us around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.

Israel rejects a declaration of famine in parts of Gaza as Palestinians brace for a fresh Israeli offensive.

Plus, the transcripts are out. What Ghislaine Maxwell told the Feds about president Trump and Jeffrey Epstein.

And a record finish for the Dow as embattled Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell hints at rate cuts. We'll have details.

Plus, what we could hear from the other central bank leaders in the coming hours.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: We begin this hour in Gaza, where Palestinian first responders say a series of Israeli strikes killed at least 18 people sheltering at a school in Gaza City on Friday.

Emergency services tell CNN the site was hit by artillery fire. The schoolyard was packed with tents of displaced people. Many were women and children. The Israeli military told CNN it was not aware of any incident there at the time of the strikes.

Now the strikes came on the same day a U.N.-backed monitoring group officially declared parts of Gaza, including Gaza City, are experiencing manmade famine. The report warns that the crisis is expected to worsen and spread in the coming weeks and months. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REIN PAULSEN, U.N. FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION: Across the Gaza Strip as a whole, over half a million people are facing catastrophic conditions and another just over 1 million people, some 54 percent of the population, are facing what's classified as IPC emergency phase four.

By the end of September this year, September 2025, famine is projected to further expand to the governorates of Deir al-Balah and Khan Yunis.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The Israeli government is rejecting the report's findings, calling it biased and one-sided. Want to bring in Nada Bashir, live in London.

Nada, walk us through that report and the reaction.

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We've been hearing the alarm bells being sounded for months now over the course of what is now 22 months of war in Gaza, from humanitarian organizations, from health authorities on the ground.

And, of course, from U.N. officials around the crisis surrounding malnutrition and starvation in the Gaza Strip.

We've heard those mounting testimonies from those organizations and authorities and we have seen, ourselves, those harrowing images of emaciated civilians, including children, struggling to survive as a result of the on-and-off blockades that we've seen on the amount of aid being allowed into Gaza.

Now, of course, there has been several blockades put in place. What we are seeing now in Gaza is some aid being allowed in through the Gaza humanitarian aid foundation, which, of course, is backed by the U.S. and Israel and highly controversial.

There are some private sector mechanisms and a small number of intake of U.N. mechanism aid distribution points.

But again, what we've been hearing from many of these organizations is that simply isn't enough. We are seeing a trickle of aid being allowed in. It is not enough to alleviate the starvation and hunger crisis that we are seeing in the Gaza Strip.

And clearly it has not been enough to avert what is now being confirmed by the U.N.-backed IPC report as famine in parts of the Gaza Strip.

Now this report has focused on the Gaza governorate, where it says this is where they have been able to confirm cases of famine or famine situation, as you just heard there.

They are expecting this to spread beyond the Gaza governorate, which includes Gaza City, which is now the focal point of Israel's new intensified military campaign and where some 1 million people are being told to evacuate once again.

But this situation of famine could indeed spread further south, including areas like Deir al-Balah, which is completely overrun with makeshift tent cities. And, of course, as you mentioned, Kim, what we've heard in response from the Israeli authorities is a complete rejection and denial of this report.

They have accused the U.N.-backed report of being one-sided, on relying on information provided by Hamas and for not taking into account and consideration an uptick in the amount of food, water and medical supplies being allowed into the Gaza Strip by the Israeli authorities over the last few months and the last few weeks in particular.

But again, what is being underscored by many of these humanitarian organizations and, indeed, the U.N., as I have said, is that that simply isn't enough. And clearly there hasn't been enough to alleviate the hunger crisis that we are seeing now.

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The fear is that this could continue to develop, expand and worsen. We have seen distressing projections by this U.N. report for the hunger crisis into 2026, including tens of thousands of children who could be affected as a result of the continued blockade on the amount of aid being allowed into the Gaza Strip.

And, of course, this is all coming as we continue to see the Israeli military doubling down on its military offensive in Gaza. They have said that they have encircled Gaza City. They are ordering hospitals and other organizations to evacuate. Civilians are being told to evacuate.

The Israeli military says they believe Gaza City is still a Hamas stronghold and that this will be the focus of their intensified military campaign.

But the warnings that we're hearing from the U.N. is that this is going to make an already catastrophic situation in Gaza even worse. And, of course, this all coming as civilians are still struggling with this starvation crisis now being confirmed by that U.N.-backed report as famine.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. Desperate situation for so many, only likely to get worse, as you say. Nada Bashir, thank you so much.

U.S. President Donald Trump is giving his Russian counterpart a couple more weeks to say whether he'll meet with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. But Trump says Russia may or may not face consequences if there's no meeting. Here he is.

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DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: And it's going to be -- it's going to be a very important decision. And that's whether or not it's massive sanctions or massive tariffs or both. Or do we do nothing and say it's your fight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: In Ukraine, President Zelenskyy says his country needs security guarantees similar to NATO's Article V to end the war. He spoke as he met NATO secretary general Mark Rutte in Kyiv on Friday. Zelenskyy also said he's ready for a face-to-face with the Russian leader, with or without Trump. Here he is.

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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I'd like to have a trilateral format right away but if president Trump says that the format in which we can continue to talk is a bilateral track, then we are ready to support this.

And then we can have a trilateral track. Let's talk about the date and let's talk about the place. That's all I have for now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The White House originally aimed to hold that meeting as early as this week. It said just days ago that plans for it are being made, even though Russia repeatedly clarified that no meeting is in the works. As Ben Wedeman reports, the U.S. push for the Zelenskyy summit is running out of steam.

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BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: First, there was this summit in Alaska, where president Donald Trump played the gracious host, rolling out the red carpet for Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Then three days later, a whirlwind of meetings, consultations and speeches as President Zelenskyy and European leaders made the pilgrimage to the Oval Office, where there was much talk about unity and purpose and progress, leading eventually to peace between Ukraine and Russia.

The American president dropped demands for a ceasefire and said he was going straight for a peace deal. The severe consequences for Russia, he had vowed, if it didn't cooperate, evaporated. The White House confidently declared the next goal is a bilateral Zelenskyy-Putin meeting as early as this Friday.

Then, perhaps, within two weeks. And now that meeting is looking ever more unlikely. Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov told NBC the time is not right.

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SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: Putin is ready to meet with Zelenskyy when the agenda would be ready for a summit. And this agenda is not ready at all.

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WEDEMAN: On security guarantees, the messages are equally contradictory. American officials coming out of the Alaska summit suggested Russia had agreed to security guarantees for Ukraine. European leaders saying that would involve Western troops stationed in post-peace deal Ukraine.

But Russia insists any foreign forces on Ukrainian soil would be unacceptable. Thursday, Russia fired its biggest barrage of drones and missiles in more than a month, with two cruise missiles hitting a U.S.-owned company in Western Ukraine, wounding almost 20 people.

After all this, Russia continues to question Zelenskyy's legitimacy as president and demand Ukraine cede territory and never be admitted into NATO, basically, Putin's demands before he met Trump. His position hasn't shifted at all.

All this sound and fury that started with the Alaska summit may end up signifying nothing -- I'm Ben Wedeman, CNN, reporting from Kyiv.

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BRUNHUBER: Vladimir Putin seems confident that diplomacy is going his way. Russian state news outlet Tass reports that he expects a full- scale restoration of relations with the U.S. under Donald Trump. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translator): With the arrival of president Trump, I think that a light at the end of the tunnel has finally loomed.

The next steps now depend on the leadership of the United States. But I am confident that the leadership qualities of the current president, president Trump, are a good guarantee that relations will be restored.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: He also talked about possible joint Russian-U.S. projects in Alaska but he made no mention of president Trump's peace initiative or meeting with the Ukrainian president about stopping the war.

Well, there are more questions than answers after the U.S. Justice Department released the transcript of a recent interview with Jeffrey Epstein's coconspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell. She's serving a 20-year sentence for helping him groom and sexually abuse underage girls.

But during her interview, she appeared to be treated as a credible witness. Maxwell, who wants a pardon, praised president Donald Trump. And listen to her response about this question about Epstein's client list.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TODD BLANCHE, DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL, DOJ: During the time that you

were with Mr. Epstein and even in the 2000s when you were around less frequently, you never observed or you never saw any list or black book or a list of individuals who, you know, linked to certain masseuses or anything like that?

GHISLAINE MAXWELL, JEFFREY EPSTEIN ACCOMPLICE: Absolutely no. There is no list.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: She repeatedly said she couldn't remember key details from her relationship with Epstein. Here she is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAXWELL: I just don't remember what it's called. I don't remember that. I don't remember him doing either. I want to tell you that I don't remember. I don't remember ever seeing anybody that I would characterize as a child. I don't remember the letter. I don't remember it at all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: And significantly, Maxwell said she didn't believe Epstein died by suicide. But she added she didn't think his death was related to blackmail. She also denied claims that underpinned her conviction, saying Epstein didn't pay her to recruit young women for him. CNN's Kara Scannell picks up our coverage.

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KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: During the nine-hour interview, Ghislaine Maxwell said she witnessed no inappropriate behavior by any of Jeffrey Epstein's powerful friends, including president Donald Trump and former president Bill Clinton.

Maxwell said she never saw either man receive massages by anyone and she said there is no client list. Maxwell called Trump a gentleman while distancing the president from Epstein.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAXWELL: I think they were friendly like people are in social settings.

I don't -- I don't think they were close friends or I certainly never witnessed the president in any of -- I don't recall ever seeing him in his house, for instance. I actually never saw the president in any type of massage setting.

I never witnessed the president in any inappropriate setting in any way. The president was never inappropriate with anybody. In the times that I was with him, he was a gentleman in all respects.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SCANNELL: Maxwell said President Clinton was her friend, not Epstein's. And while he traveled on Epstein's plane, she said Clinton never visited any of Epstein's properties, including his private island.

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MAXWELL: So they spent time on the plane together and I don't believe there was ever a massage on the plane. So that would've been the only time that I think that President Clinton could have even received a massage and he didn't because I was there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCANNELL: During the interview, Maxwell categorically denied any wrongdoing. She admitted she recruited women to massage Epstein but said none of them were underage.

Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of sex trafficking of minors for recruiting, grooming and at times sexually abusing underage girls with Epstein. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence. Maxwell was not promised anything as part of the interview but she is hoping for a pardon -- Kara Scannell, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: FBI agents spent hours searching the home and office of president Trump's former national security advisor, John Bolton.

Sources tell CNN it's part of a renewed investigation into whether Bolton shared classified information in his 2020 book. Bolton became an intense critic of president Trump after he was fired in September of 2019.

The president says he didn't know about Friday's FBI search.

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TRUMP: I saw that just like everybody else. I try and stay out of that stuff. I'm allowed to be and I'm chief law enforcement officer, believe it or not. You know, I don't like to go around saying that but I am. That's the position. But I purposely don't want to really get involved in it. I'm not a fan of John Bolton. I thought he was a sleazebag, actually.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: President Trump has threatened to jail Bolton over his book.

In it he writes, quote, "Trump is unfit to be president.

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"If his first four years were bad, a second four will be worse."

The Justice Department investigated Bolton during president Trump's first term but the case was dropped by the Biden administration.

President Trump is naming some of the cities he plans to target in his federal crackdown on crime after deploying the National Guard in D.C. He told reporters on Friday, Chicago is next. Here he is.

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TRUMP: The people in Chicago, Mr. Vice President, are screaming for us to come. And so I think Chicago will be our next. And then we'll help with New York.

Now you look at what the Democrats have done to San Francisco. They've destroyed it. We can clean that up, too. We'll clean that one up, too.

We've already had calls from other cities, quiet calls, calls from Democrats. We'd love you to come here because they've lost control of their cities. I'm not going to say it because I don't want them to lose their elections.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson says there are many things the government could do to help the city deal with crime. But he says sending in the military isn't one of them.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Defense Secretary has told National Guard members patrolling the streets of D.C. to begin carrying their weapons. It's a notable shift by the Pentagon, which has suggested that troops could be armed only if it becomes necessary.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland resident wrongfully deported to El Salvador, has been released from criminal custody ahead of his trial. He was arrested on human smuggling charges after being returned to the United States in June.

Abrego Garcia has now held an emotional reunion with his family at an undisclosed location but his attorneys say he's far from safe. U.S. officials could deport him again. Abrego Garcia expressed gratitude for those who have helped him after his release. Here he is.

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KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA, MARYLAND RESIDENT (through translator): My name is Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Today has been a very special day, because, thanks to God, I have seen my family again after more than 160 days.

And I would like to thank all the people who have been supporting me, because, after so much time, I realize that many people have been on my side with positive things and I am grateful to these people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

The Texas Senate has approved a new Republican-drawn congressional map that launched a nationwide battle over redistricting.

Governor Greg Abbott plans to sign the Trump-backed bill in the coming days. It could help Republicans keep control of Congress by securing five more House seats for the party in next year's midterm elections.

Texas Democrats are vowing to fight the new map in court. They're expected to begin filing lawsuits shortly after the governor signs the measure into law.

With a hint at possible U.S. interest rate cuts, the Federal Reserve chairman sent U.S. stocks and bond markets soaring. We'll have the details on that and more coming up after the break. Please stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: U.S. markets were up significantly at the close on Friday, with the Dow soaring by more than 800 points to a record high. The other major indices also fared well, with the S&P 500 snapping a five- day losing streak.

Investors were encouraged by the prospect of an interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve. That prospect came from Fed chairman Jerome Powell on Friday. CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich has the story.

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VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, a possible rate cut sent the Dow into a new record.

Fed chair Jerome Powell, for the first time, floated the possibility of a rate cut at the annual Central Banking Forum meeting in Jackson Hole.

A rate cut would mean lower borrowing costs for everyday Americans. And just the possibility of that rate cut helped the Dow hit a new record high, closing up 846 points. Here's Jerome Powell and what he said in Jackson Hole.

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JEROME POWELL, CHAIRMAN, FEDERAL RESERVE: With policy in restrictive territory, the baseline outlook and the shifting balance of risks may warrant adjusting our policy stance. Monetary policy is not on a preset course.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YURKEVICH: The reasoning behind that is a softening in the labor market, which Powell called curious and unusual, where there's both a lack of demand and supply for workers.

He also said that tariffs have raised prices but that inflation was stable yet still above the Fed's target rate of 2 percent. President Trump was asked about Powell's indication of a possible rate cut and here's how he reacted.

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TRUMP: Well, we call them too late for a reason. He should have cut them a year ago. He's too late.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YURKEVICH: Investors are pricing in that rate cut in September but it's not set in stone. The Fed still has a jobs report, consumer and producer inflation, before their next meeting. A hotter jobs market and hotter inflation could pour cold water on that possible cut -- back to you.

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BRUNHUBER: All right. For more on this, I'm joined live by Ryan Patel, senior fellow of the Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University.

Great to see you again. Thanks so much for joining us. So it looks like the markets loved what Jerome Powell had to say but he didn't actually promise to cut the rates, as we heard there, you know.

So what exactly did investors hear that got them so excited?

RYAN PATEL, GLOBAL BUSINESS EXECUTIVE: Yes, he signaled a shift. Now he didn't commit to it; he had softened language. So he hadn't done that before. And I think kind of he's not saying he's feeling the pressure.

But the, you know, the upcoming inflation and jobs data that's upcoming, Kim, is what he's kind of laying out. And so the markets then went and ran with this and said, well, 25 basis points.

Let me tell you what they're saying, 25 basis points in September. And then more to come.

But Jerome Powell didn't necessarily say that. It's "maybe there's a cut" and maybe we'll wait and see and then we'll see. And I think that's kind of where the Wall Street's at right now. And they took that as a good news because Jerome Powell hasn't really said very much in the last couple of months on what the outlook will be.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, that's right. As our reporter said, I mean, nothing is set in stone. Powell seemed to be walking a tightrope here, acknowledging the job market's getting shaky while also worrying about the Trump's tariffs pushing inflation back up.

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So how does the Fed navigate when these two big concerns are kind of pulling in opposite directions, as I see it?

PATEL: Yes. I mean, if you think of the Fed, you know, I think this is where we get lost a little bit in translation, when people are saying the risk isn't about rates moving up or down; it's really the credibility of the Fed being independent, right?

It has a global, you know, impact to all these things. And so I think when you think of central banking and monetary policy, you know, Powell can't miss here and has to really give a clear -- a clear answer on what they're going to do, should they cut the rates in September.

And -- but you still see the data is all over the place for him, for them. And so I don't know, I feel like if they're going to cut the in September 25th basis points, they should be really sure that they're going to have another cut really soon.

BRUNHUBER: You mentioned a key word there, independence. So I want to drill down on that a bit more, because we're hearing Trump's team is already interviewing potential replacements for Powell, including James Bullard.

But Bullard says he'll only take the job if the Fed can stay independent from political pressure.

I mean, is that even realistic, given everything that the president has said, including wanting to have more say in Fed decisions, even threatening to fire the man he nominated himself?

PATEL: Yes, you know, but you've seen the pattern right from the administration, right?

They're going to -- they're going to find -- to put their person in. And, you know, you still need the independence. The administration knows that this can't, I mean, well, overall, it can't be driven from the president unfortunately.

And I think you've got to have the right person that the administration likes, because, Kim, what happens is, if it's -- if it's not independent, it has this -- you know, we're intertwined to Europe, to Japan, to, you know, not only to the rest of the world when it comes to central bankers, it has a big impact on ripple effect.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, absolutely. And if that credibility is undermined, I mean, it has huge financial consequences around the world, right?

PATEL: Yes. And, you know, we're going to see, you know, you're going to see that the central bankers come out later today, talking about what, you know, what's going to be interesting to see what the E.U. does, you know and what Japan does.

You know, there are all different types of markets in the U.K. And so to me that will be interesting to see how they react to the U.S., Jerome Powell statements.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. And you mentioned that. I mean we'll hear specifically from the heads of Europe's central banks plus Japan. I mean, lots of issues on their plates. Europe's still battling inflation. Japan's trying to move away from years of deflation.

So what will you be listening for when they speak later today? PATEL: I mean, for me, like you mentioned, Europe's still fighting

inflation.

U.K. is balancing the growth risk. And Japan, you know, is its own thing. So I feel like we have to take all three of those.

I think Japan may, you know, diverse -- go away from what the Fed is easing where Japan tightens.

Do you see the Bank of England?

I think they will apply, align more with the cautious flexibility. With Jerome Powell and then you think about Europe's inflation challenge, as you mentioned, it has been more stubborn than the U.S.

So I feel like they're going to emphasize more policy discipline. And the word independence, which I think that they will talk about. And so, to me, that's the road plan.

If they go anywhere away from that, I think it then asks the credibility of the U.S., is -- are they -- is the U.S. the leader in -- when it comes to these things?

And so to me, that's what I watch for.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, that's the question. We will be watching. Great to check in with you again, my friend. Really appreciate it. Ryan Patel, thanks so much.

PATEL: Appreciate you. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Well, North Korea puts on an emotional show to acknowledge what's been no secret to the rest of the world. Still ahead its top leader amidst the Hermit Kingdom has lost troops in Russia's war against Ukraine. That story and more coming up. Please stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.

North Korea is finally acknowledging it has lost troops fighting alongside Russia in the war against Ukraine. An estimated 4,000 killed or wounded, according to Western officials. Those losses have hardly been a secret except inside North Korea, until now. Will Ripley has the story.

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WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Russia unleashing one of its heaviest bombardments in weeks.

Hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles slamming into Ukrainian cities. And more than 4,000 miles away, North Korea, for the first time admitting its own soldiers died in Vladimir Putin's war, staging a high-octane performance, complete with a military band visually illustrating the death and destruction.

Once a national secret, now a national spectacle, Kim Jong-un's troops hailed as heroes.

Stories glorifying soldiers who shot themselves in the head or pulled grenade pins to avoid capture.

The message dying for their leader, even by suicide, is the ultimate sacrifice. For nearly a year, Pyongyang rarely acknowledged that its troops were even fighting for Russia, despite estimates of more than 11,000 sent into battle. Western officials say as many as 4,000 killed or wounded.

Now they're remembered in public ceremonies. Kim pinning medals on portraits, consoling, grieving families. More than 100 faces on this memorial wall, each one tied to a war North Korea barely acknowledged until now.

Why do you think it's taken so much time for North Korea to publicly acknowledge what the rest of the world has known?

COLIN ZWIRKO, SENIOR ANALYTIC CORRESPONDENT, NK NEWS: Kim Jong-un has to completely control the narrative inside the country because he's very afraid of backlash against himself.

RIPLEY: Meanwhile, the war in Ukraine shows no sign of slowing, even as U.S. president Donald Trump pushes for a face-to-face peace deal that so far is going nowhere. Instead, Moscow is tightening its wartime alliance with Pyongyang. Kim sending troops and artillery, Putin sending money and missile technology.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies uncovered this. A secret North Korean missile base under construction for two decades, potentially capable of hitting any city in the U.S. Seth Jones with CSIS says Russia may be helping bankroll it.

[04:35:00]

SETH JONES, THE CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: Russia is providing missile technology to the North Koreans and North Korea is now gaining battlefield experience.

RIPLEY: Kim's meeting with returning generals suggests this may be just the beginning. Propaganda preparing his country for more war in Ukraine and perhaps beyond.

Ukrainian and Western intelligence believe as many as 30,000 more North Korean troops could soon be sent to Russia. Analysts say Pyongyang's new narrative could be laying the groundwork for a surge of reinforcements -- Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei. (END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Moscow is putting on a nationwide show of patriotism as the fighting in Ukraine grinds on. Russia celebrated its flag day Friday, a holiday marking the restoration of its traditional white, blue and red banner. As Fred Pleitgen reports, many events were centered on what's happening in Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Russia continues to bring out the patriotism, for instance, on Russian flag day, where, as the name says, Russians celebrate their flag.

But they also have festivals like this one, which is all about patriotism. What you see behind me is a stand from the so-called Narodny Front, which means the People's Front, an organization founded by Vladimir Putin.

And right now, those folks there are making trench candles, which they say are very important for participants of what Russia calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We are the very youth who promote these values that our country so needs to defend. The volunteers' job is to make trench candles. That is a whole tin can with cardboard folded in it. It's filled with paraffin. These candles will be sent directly to the special military operation zone.

PLEITGEN: Now, of course, in all of this, there's always a military aspect to it. You can see their stands here, for instance, where people can learn how to take apart guns, how to generally deal with weapons.

All of this to show also what's going on the front lines but also because, of course, the Russians are trying to create that feeling of defending the country to their people.

There's actually a lot of people who came here and a lot of people who are also volunteering, actually, of all ages. And if we look over in the other direction, we can see people who are making camouflage nets for the front lines. Those, of course, right now, very important.

Especially as drones are being used by both sides, which, of course, are a threat to soldiers on the front lines. You see a lot of folks there who are making nets but also some who are actually knitting socks for soldiers, to keep warm in the cold months.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: One of the most pressing issues in Russia's war on Ukraine is the status of thousands and thousands of missing children. The International Criminal Court has indicted Russian President Putin and his commissioner for children's rights, Maria Lvova, on charges of forcibly deporting them to Russia or areas in Ukraine controlled by Russia. The Ukrainian government says it's verified nearly 20,000 cases of

children who have been taken. Now the actual number is thought to be much higher. These kids are among the mere 1,500 that have been returned.

Melania Trump raised the plight of children in Ukraine and Russia in a personal letter to Putin that, we're told, included a reference to those who are missing. Yet at the same time, funding cuts by her husband's administration threatens one organization that's helping to track them.

On that, I'm joined by Nathaniel Raymond. He's the executive director of the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health. It documents alleged violations of international law and war crimes by Russia aligned forces in Ukraine as part of a conflict observatory program and joins us by phone.

Thank you so much for being here with us. So your team are tracking tens of thousands of Ukrainian children taken by Russia. As I mentioned, both president Trump and the first lady are calling for their return. But Trump's administration just cut your government funding.

So walk us through what that means for your ability to document these cases.

NATHANIEL RAYMOND, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HUMANITARIAN RESEARCH LAB, YALE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: Well, what it means is that, right now, we're running on fumes. If it wasn't for online donations by average Americans, we would be out of business.

But now we have the help of thousands of ordinary Americans, been able to get back in the fight. And we're tracking locations where children are held, trying to update those numbers for the Ukrainian government as quickly as possible.

We think there could be as many as 200 locations where children are held, over 3,500 miles inside Russia from the Black Sea, near occupied Crimea, all the way to the Pacific.

BRUNHUBER: Now I mean, as you say, I mean, it's a race against time in a way.

If your lab has to shut down or scale back dramatically, what happens to the so many families who are still searching for their kids?

How do they get answers?

[04:40:00]

RAYMOND: Well, the short answer is, unfortunately, they don't.

Right now, the work that we're doing at the Humanitarian Research Lab at Yale is critical for supporting Ukrainian efforts across multiple agencies to do three critical tasks. One, to get a new number of the total amount of kids that we think are

in Russia's custody. And right now, our internal assessment is the number is probably closer to 35,000.

The second big task we're working with Ukrainians to accomplish is to identify children by name, which is extremely difficult because they're hidden in Russian adoption websites, in many cases often presented as if they were Russian orphans, not what they are, Ukrainian.

And the third task is to figure out where Russia has moved them. They're basically playing a shell game like a ping pong ball underneath a plastic cup, moving the children around it, making it harder for us to detect where they are and how many they have.

BRUNHUBER: And when you when you list all those challenges, it sounds like an almost impossible task. I mean, it's incredible, up to 35,000 children. I mean, your team can document where these kids are if you're successful.

But how does anyone actually bring them home then?

RAYMOND: Well, that is the million ruble question. Really, the American role can't be overstated here. President Trump has an opportunity to really follow the lead of his party in Congress.

Republican senators Grassley, Ernst and Wicker have presented a resolution in the Senate that makes the return of these children a precondition for any successful negotiation.

The president, with the help of the first lady, can take a major leadership role here and make a difference for these kids and their families by making their return a bottom dollar requirement for any negotiations.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. I mean, surely if there is any issue that is bipartisan, you'd think it would be this one. You talk about the negotiations.

I mean, there's talk of this, you know, potential peace deals that could involve territory swaps with Russia, meaning that, you know, Ukraine would have to give up more of its land to, to get some of it back.

But if that happens, does it become even harder to locate and recover these children?

RAYMOND: Absolutely. Because let's talk about the heart of the matter here and what's at stake in the issue of Ukraine's abducted children.

It's not just about children abducted in this war from Ukraine; it's really about the meaning of the special protected status children have underneath the Geneva Convention, which means they can't be traded as hostages or in a spy exchange.

Children must be returned immediately with no preconditions. That's what the law says. If we put kids on the table here and trade them like poker chips in a dangerous card game, we're setting a tremendously disturbing and catastrophic precedent for all the wars of the future.

Meaning that kids can be taken to be used as hostages, just as Putin has done here.

BRUNHUBER: I talked about this being a race against time.

Do you have a firm date as to when you have enough money to continue until?

RAYMOND: Right now we can make it to January 1st. And so we are going to act like January 2nd will happen somehow, some way. At the moment, we have to move as quickly as possible because these kids, some were taken as young as 8 months. And now they're approaching 4 years old and going to kindergarten.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, just so tragic. Really appreciate you speaking to us about this. Nathaniel Raymond, with the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health, thank you so much for joining us.

RAYMOND: Thank you, sir.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Still to come, South Korea's president has arrived in Japan for his first official visit to the country since taking office. We'll have a live report from Tokyo on what to expect from the talks -- next.

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BRUNHUBER: South Korean president Lee Jae-myung has arrived in Japan for his first official visit to the country since his election victory in June. President Lee is expected to meet with Japanese prime minister Shigeru Ishiba to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries. Joining us now from Tokyo is CNN's Hanako Montgomery.

So Hanako, take us through what we're expecting here and what's at stake.

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Kim, it's good to see you.

This is a really historic summit, both for Japan and for South Korea. It's the first time that a South Korean president will visit Japan before heading to the United States for bilateral talks with the U.S. president.

Now during this summit, which is about to begin, the two leaders are expecting to announce deeper cooperation when it comes to the economy, to AI and to technology. So nothing extremely groundbreaking here. But again, it's really more the events that are going to unfold that

is significant, that is symbolic. Traditionally, Japan and South Korea have not had very good relations due to Japan's colonial past. Japan was a colony of South Korea for more than three decades.

And again, that strained Japan-South Korea relations. But analysts tell me that it looks as though they're setting aside history right now and trying to lead with more pragmatism, due to who's currently in the White House, the U.S. president, Donald Trump.

Here in Asia, Trump is known as a disrupter, someone who has challenged longstanding foreign policy and has also challenged the norm. So right now it looks as though the two -- the two Asian leaders are looking to develop stronger bilateral ties outside of this triangular relationship with the U.S. that often had the U.S. at the center.

Now, of course, this will be very key also for Japan and South Korea due to the ongoing security environment in the Indo-Pacific region. Both nations are very much concerned with China's increasing military prowess and also North Korea's increasing cooperation with Russia, especially in its invasion of Ukraine.

Famously, the former Japanese prime minister, Fumio Kishida, said that Ukraine today could be East Asia tomorrow, referencing a potential Taiwan contingency at the hands of China.

So again, it will be critical for these two nations to deepen cooperation with one another.

Now also at the summit, Kim, we could expect, for instance, the South Korean president, Lee Jae-myung, to ask for some tips on how to better deal with the U.S. president. Ishiba has already visited the U.S. back in February with his first summit with the U.S. president.

And there we saw him use his skills of flattery, of trying to strike a deal with the U.S. president. So again, we might see some kind of cooperation and tips exchange there on how to better deal with the U.S. president. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Appreciate it. Hanako Montgomery in Tokyo. Thank you so much.

Well, a postman in Australia went above and beyond the call of duty. Just ahead, a homeowner caught him on camera, bringing in her laundry.

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BRUNHUBER: A stray cat has become the newest member of a remote Chilean police force. Have a look. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Officers say they first noticed the kitten being chased by a pack of dogs. Scared and cold, the kitty was brought into the station and, since then, he's been embraced as a mascot, even earning his own police vest.

Officers say he's now an invaluable member of their team, providing calm and comfort to victims of crime and visitors to the station.

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BRUNHUBER: Paleontologists have identified a new species of dinosaur, one with an unusual but striking feature, a large bony sail protruding from its back. Researchers believe the sail may have been for show, possibly used to attract mates, much like peacocks' tails today.

Scientists say the dinosaurs stood about two meters tall and weighed a ton. Its remains were found on England's Isle of Wight. The sail- backed dinosaur roamed the Earth more than 120 million years ago.

A woman in Australia thought she'd come home to wet washing when a rainstorm hit. But thanks to a kind postal worker, the laundry stayed clean and dry. Have a look at this.

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VERRITY WANDEL, CONFUSED LAUNDERER: I drove in and there was no washing on the line.

[04:55:00]

And I went, did I hang it out?

I did hang it out. Am I going mad?

I just thought, he is just the kindest man.

That is a beautiful thing for somebody to do.

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Going above and beyond there.

Well, NASA is preparing for its second Mars simulation mission in October. A four-person crew will spend a year inside a 3D printed habitat in Houston, Texas.

The structure can't mimic the weaker Martian gravity but the team will participate in the same kinds of exercises and daily life as a future Mars crew. They'll be isolated from loved ones and make do with limited resources.

They'll even deal with a 45-minute communications delay talking with the outside world, just as they would on the Red Planet. The mission brings NASA a step closer to its goal of sending a crew to Mars in the 2030s.

All right, that wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more news in just a moment.