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Volodymyr Zelenskyy In Paris For "Coalition Of The Willing" Meeting; Funicular Railway Crash Kills At Least 15 In Lisbon; Donald Trump Defends Tuesday Strike On Alleged Drug Vessel; Vladimir Putin And Kim Jong Un Hold Lengthy One-On-One Talks In Beijing; Anti-War Activists Rally At Israeli Leaders' Residences. Anti-war Activists Rally at Israeli Leaders' Residences; Netanyahu Moves Ahead With Gaza City Assault Amid Pushback; Scientists Say World's Largest Iceberg is Rapidly Breaking Up. Aired 2-2:45a ET
Aired September 04, 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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[02:00:37]
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, a coalition of unity, top European leaders are set to hold talks over Ukraine security, what we can expect from that meeting.
The Trump administration warns there may be more strikes against drug traffickers in the Caribbean.
Hundreds of Israelis protest Benjamin Netanyahu's government, demanding a cease fire deal in Gaza.
And the world's biggest iceberg just got downgraded. We'll tell you how it's shrinking.
ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.
CHURCH: Good to have you with us. Ukrainian allies in the so-called Coalition of the Willing are set to meet in Paris soon, where President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is seeking further support in the face of intensifying Russian attacks. Security guarantees for Ukraine, if a cease fire with Russia can be reached, will be the focus of the talks. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke about that issue ahead of the meeting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): We Europeans are ready to provide security guarantees for Ukraine and the Ukrainians the day a peace agreement is signed. The question now is to know the sincerity of Russia and its successive commitments when it proposed peace to the United States of America. (END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: U.S. President Donald Trump is set to speak with Mr. Zelenskyy and European leaders in the hours ahead. He also plans to talk with Vladimir Putin in the next few days, and offered a subtle warning when asked if he has a message for the Russian leader.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I have no message to President Putin. He knows where I stand, and he'll make a decision one way or the other. Whatever his decision is, we'll either be happy about it or unhappy, and if we're unhappy about it, you'll see, things happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: The U.S. has been pushing for the leaders of Russia and Ukraine to sit down and discuss an end to the war. Vladimir Putin now says he's willing to meet inside Russia, an offer Kyiv calls unacceptable.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Donald asked me if it was possible to hold such a meeting. I said, yes, it is possible. In the end, if Zelenskyy is ready, let him come to Moscow, such a meeting will take place.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Robert English is the Director of Central European Studies at the University of Southern California. He joins me now from Los Angeles. Appreciate you being with us.
ROBERT ENGLISH, DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL EUROPEAN STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: Happy to join you.
CHURCH: So, Ukraine's President Zelenskyy will meet with the Coalition of the Willing in Paris today, after China's very public show of force and unity with Russia's President Putin. What do you expect to come out of these critical meetings?
ENGLISH: The meeting of European leaders with Zelenskyy will provide moral support and probably some more specifics about a plan for security guarantees in the event there's a cease fire or a peace settlement.
But of course, that peace settlement or cease fire has to come first, or it's all just hypothetical, and that we don't see in the near future. The Ukrainians are ramping up their deep strikes on Russian energy facilities and to some significant effect.
And of course, we see Russia pushing ahead, not only on the ground, but in its air strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure. So, it looks as if the two sluggers are going to keep punching it out,
at least for the coming weeks and maybe months, until they're ready to compromise and put some of these plans into practice.
CHURCH: And of course, French President Emmanuel Macron says that Europe is ready to provide security guarantees to Ukraine as soon as a peace agreement is signed, if that happens, but he says the big question remains about the sincerity of Russia, and then, of course, on Wednesday, Putin said he's willing to meet with Zelenskyy in Moscow and offer Ukraine, clearly, cause unacceptable. How sincere was that offer from Putin?
ENGLISH: Probably, I mean, it's not really serious if the Ukrainians would agree, I guess it could happen, but he knows they won't agree to come to the aggressor's capital in the middle of a war. So that's kind of symbolic.
[02:05:04]
But what I like to call attention to is another problem, which is the gap between President Macron's commitment, what he says he's ready to provide, and that includes, of course, the British Prime Minister, the German chancellor and other leading European powers, they are all facing severe budget crisis, parliamentary crises. They might not even be in power in a few months and getting security guarantees, meaning foreign deployments of their troops to a conflict zone where they could conflict with Russia, and of course, the expense of those deployments when they're all facing massive budget crises is not a sure thing at all.
CHURCH: And Zelenskyy will also speak with President Trump in the coming hours. What do you expect to come out of those talks, given Trump has been hinting at what he calls some very interesting developments in bringing peace to Ukraine without offering specifics? What do you think he means when he says that?
ENGLISH: You know, we've seen President Trump threaten set deadlines with consequences, severe consequences, if Russia didn't come to the table, if there wasn't progress. But again and again, the deadlines have passed without effect. Maybe this time there will be effect.
President Trump has imposed some pretty stiff tariffs on India, trying to stop the Indians from importing Russian oil, which, of course, provides revenue for Putin's budget. He could hike those tariffs even higher, but that would really be an inflammatory step, because, of course, that's driving India, in the view of many analysts, into the arms of the Chinese into the arms of the Russians, and upsetting this delicate balance in Asia, where we have sought for 30 years to cultivate closer relations with India as a counterbalance to China.
So, our Asian policy is threatened by our Ukraine policy, if you see what I mean, they pull in opposite directions. So, President Trump has a real quandary. His weapons, his leverage is very limited because of the backlash.
CHURCH: And Robert, you mentioned the deadlines, last month President Trump gave Putin another two-week deadline to agree to a meeting with Ukraine's president or face potential consequences. That deadline expires Friday, but as we've been discussing, Putin is suggesting Zelenskyy meet him in Moscow, and despite Kyiv rejecting this offer, how likely is it that Trump would accept that that at least Putin has tried and therefore avoids any threatened consequences for Russia when Trump talks with Putin in the next few days.
ENGLISH: Good point. I share your suspicion that Trump may let Putin off the hook, so to speak, because at least symbolically, he agreed to a meeting.
But again, there's a lot of atmospherics, a lot of posturing here, and really what matters is not whether we have the leaders agreeing to meet, but whether they have agreement to halt the conflict.
And on that side, we are far from compromise. They remain far apart, which is why most diplomatic experts wonder why Trump keeps pressing for high level summit meetings when the working level the ministerial level officials have not yet narrowed the gap enough to make it worthwhile.
CHURCH: Robert English, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it.
ENGLISH: My pleasure.
CHURCH: Well, at least 15 people are dead and more than a dozen injured after a cable car popular with tourists derailed in Portugal. The crash happened Wednesday in Lisbon, and authorities say foreign nationals are among the dead.
And Joao Povoa Marinheiro reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOAO POVOA MARINHEIRO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's one of Lisbon's worst ever transit tragedies in what the city's mayor described as a tragic day for the Portuguese capital, when the Gloria funicular, a historic 19th century cable car and a tourist hot spot derailed and crashed into a building.
All of this happened in broad daylight in the busy city center, right after 6:00 p.m. during rush hour, which means that the incident was explicitly witnessed by many passersby.
Many of them actually attended the scene to help victims before the arrival of first responders that nonetheless were quick to get there.
Now questions arise as to the funicular's maintenance. Preliminary analysis from experts consulted by CNN Portugal point to the rupture of the cable that upholds the carriage that crashed.
The company responsible for managing Lisbon's traditional funiculars, has stated that all safety protocols have been met. However, recent and repeated warnings from the city's cable car workers related with maintenance issues have resurfaced. A series of inquiries from several authorities have now begun.
Lisbon's Mayor suspended all public access to the Portuguese capital's other historic funiculars as a precautionary measure.
Joao Povoa Marinheiro, CNN, Portugal, Lisbon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[02:10:07]
CHURCH: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the United States is, "Going to wage war on narco terrorist organizations." The comments come just a day after a U.S. military strike on a boat allegedly carrying drugs from Venezuela. The U.S. has offered no evidence about who or what was on that boat, but Rubio suggested the military took the most effective action.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Let me say this, the United States has long, for many, many years, established intelligence that allow us to interdict and stop drug votes. We did that, and it doesn't work. Interdiction doesn't work because these drug cartels, what they do is they know they're going to lose, you know, two percent of their cargo. They bake it into their economics.
What will stop them is when you blow them up, when you get rid of them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: New video into CNN shows a different scene, a joint operation with forces from Colombia, the Dominican Republic and the U.S., intercepting a vessel confirmed to be carrying nearly 450 kilograms of cocaine. Officials have suggested U.S. warships in the region will stay behind to deter drug trafficking, but experts warn smugglers could simply switch to a path through the Pacific instead.
CNN's Betsy Klein has more details on the Trump administration's response to the week's events.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: President Trump weighing in on a very significant and likely unprecedented escalation against a drug cartel operating in the Caribbean as video, dramatic video released by the Trump administration on Tuesday shows the moment that an alleged drug vessel was lethally struck by the U.S. military with 11 people, alleged drug traffickers on board.
Now, the Trump administration says that this boat was operated by Tren de Aragua, that is the Venezuelan criminal organization, and President Trump has taken significant steps since the beginning of his second term in office to crack down on Tren de Aragua, including a step earlier this year to designate Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization. But the President said in a post to social media that Tren de Aragua
is operating under the control of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. He said it is responsible for mass murder, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and other acts of violence.
But the President was pressed Wednesday on why he authorized this strike. Why not just take that boat round it and its drugs and the people aboard up, and he said that this was aimed at sending a message of deterrence. Listen.
TRUMP: It was massive amounts of drugs coming into our country to kill a lot of people, and everybody fully understands that.
In fact, you see it. You see the bags of drugs all over the boat, and they were hit, obviously, they won't be doing it again. And I think a lot of other people won't be doing it again when they watch that tape, they're going to say, let's not do this. We have to protect our country, and we're going to. Venezuela has been a very bad actor.
KLEIN: And speaking to reporters in Mexico City on Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that previous efforts to interdict these boats have not worked.
He went on to say that what will stop them, "Is when you blow them up." Rubio also said that this strike was specifically authorized by President Trump himself.
We also heard reaction from Venezuelan President Maduro on Tuesday, he says that the U.S. poses an extravagant threat to this -- his country. All of this, of course, could have major implications for the region.
Betsy Klein, CNN, in Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: A legal victory for Harvard University in its fight to restore more than $2 billion in federal research funding frozen by the White House. A federal judge ruled on Wednesday that the Trump administration unlawfully blocked the money. The judge rejected the administration's argument that it targeted the Ivy League University because of anti-Semitism on campus, calling that a smoke screen.
The Trump administration told CNN it will immediately appeal the judge's ruling.
Well, they went to Beijing for the parade, but stayed for hours to discuss their growing partnership. What Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un talked about in China, that's just ahead.
And it's the world's largest iceberg, but not for long. Scientists say this massive iceberg is starting to break up. We're back with that and more in just a moment.
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[02:19:07] CHURCH: Welcome back everyone. A hot microphone is providing an interesting glimpse into a conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
In Beijing on Wednesday, a translator for Putin said developments in biotechnology will soon allow for human organs to be transplanted so people can eventually become immortal.
Xi's translator then followed this by saying it's predicted that in this century, humans may live to be 150 years old.
Well, North Korean state media is hailing progress in a rare face to face meeting between Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin, video shows them shaking hands and hugging on Wednesday after the military parade in Beijing.
CNN's Senior International Correspondent Ivan Watson has more on what they discussed.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[02:20:02]
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A massive show of force in Beijing, choreographed to symbolize a new world order, at its center, two of America's fiercest adversaries in a public display of unity, Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un, all smiles and warm handshakes, meeting on the sidelines of Victory Day celebrations. The Russian leader thanks Kim for his country's support with Moscow's war against Ukraine.
PUTIN (through translator): I would like to note that we will never forget the sacrifices that your armed forces and the families of your servicemen have suffered.
On behalf of the Russian people, I would like to thank you for your participation in the joint fight against Neo Nazism.
WATSON (voice-over): Kim, for his part, signals that the cooperation will continue. Hopes for Ukraine peace talks led by President Trump seem to flounder.
KIM JONG UN, NORTH KOREAN LEADER (through translator): If there is any way we can assist Russia, we will certainly do it as a fraternal duty. We will spare no effort in providing help to Russia.
WATSON (voice-over): A ride in Putin's limo, another sign of their growing partnership and a message to Trump that this military alliance is stronger than ever.
Following a 2.5 hour meeting amid the smiles and hugs, Putin invites Kim to visit him in Russia. After all, North Koreans have fought and died for Putin.
Western officials estimate a third of the 12,000 troops believed to be a part of North Korea's initial deployment to fight Ukraine have been killed or wounded, many of them fighting in Russia's Kursk Region.
It's a price Kim Jong Un seems willing to pay as he enjoys new prominence on the world stage. While Kim has worked to further North Korea's powerful alliances here in Beijing, a girl believed to be his daughter, Kim Ju Ae was spotted by his side as he arrived.
The first public trip abroad for this mysterious young woman we know little about. Her presence fueling speculation she could one day become successor to her father's throne.
This was only the 11th time the North Korean leader has left his country since he assumed power in 2011, known for paranoia around security, his team was caught on camera by a Kremlin pool reporter carefully wiping away any traces of Kim Jong Un's presence after his meeting with Putin on Wednesday.
It's not clear why staff would clean the meeting room, but some genetics experts have suggested DNA can be used to collect valuable information about the health of world leaders. A glimpse, perhaps, of underlying anxiety still playing out beneath the show of strong man camaraderie.
Ivan Watson, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Israeli anti-war activists change tactics ahead of IDF's expected attack on Gaza City, taking their message to a place where political leaders can't ignore it. Stay with us for that.
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[02:27:57]
CHURCH: Scuffles broke out in Israel as anti-war protesters shifted their tactics on Wednesday, they took their rallies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, protesting outside the residences of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other key leaders. Those rallies kicked off four days of protests calling for a cease fire and hostage deal in Gaza.
It's happening as Israel prepares to launch an all-out assault to take over Gaza City, but Israeli officials say the country's military chief is strongly pushing back against the idea, and hundreds of military reservists say they'll refuse to report for duty because the operation will endanger hostages in Gaza.
For more, we're joined now by Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli Consul General in New York, and he joins us from tele. Good to have you with us.
ALON PINKAS, FORMER ISRAELI CONSUL GENERAL IN NEW YORK: Thank you, Rosemary, always good to be with you.
CHURCH: So, how significant are these massive anti-war protests in Israel targeting the homes of the Prime Minister and other leaders, with tens of thousands of Israelis unhappy with their government's plan to seize Gaza City, while also calling on their leaders to make a deal to bring home the hostages.
PINKAS: Yes, well, a new poll that came out yesterday showed that 65 percent, six-five, 65 percent of Israelis want the war to end now in a hostage deal to be struck. Of those, half of those who voted for Mr. Netanyahu, 50 percent of those who voted for him also want the water and for a hostage deal to be reached.
So, the public sentiment is clearly against the Prime Minister. But you asked how significant this is. It is significant in three ways. It is significant if it remains sustainable and durable.
Meaning, if this goes on for a few more days, tomorrow we'll certainly see some demonstrations, because tomorrow has this symbolic 700th day of the war since October 7th, 2023.
[02:30:00]
The second significant factor is that the IDF, the Israel Defense Forces, particularly the chief of staff is also -- has also major reservations about the wisdom and efficacy of such a military action in Gaza City. Yes, he has plans. Yes, effectively, the military operation began through the encirclement of Gaza City. But no, we haven't seen a large-scale operation yet.
The third, significant factor is, is that it provides the U.S., which is the major potential, and I emphasize potential actor here. It provides the U.S. administration with a justification to stop this before it escalates even further. So yes, it is significant. But no, if it stops, Rosemary, in two, three days, then it's as if it never happened.
CHURCH: And if --
PINKAS: The demonstrations.
CHURCH: Right. And if the Israeli government moves forward with its assault plans in Gaza City, in defiance of so many Israelis, and as you mentioned, the country's military chief, as well as some reluctant reservers, what might the consequences be in both Israel and in Gaza City?
PINKAS: Well, dire. In Gaza City, it's a matter of life and death. In Israel, it's more political, although there are bound to be many, many casualties, if Israel indeed launches a wide-scale operation, one that will take months by the way. The military has warned the government that this is a matter of 12 months. And the fact that Mr. Netanyahu is raising expectations with all kinds of platitudes and fortune cookie slips about a decisive victory, a moment of truth, we are on the precipice of the greatest triumph ever. That's not -- that's not only because he's, you know, has delusions of grandeur, which he does, but because he's deliberately and consciously laying the blame on the military if there's no success, and there won't be success because the immediate consequence, Rosemary, would be that Israel effectively occupied the Gaza Strip. And if you occupy 2.2 million people, even if it's only 70 or 80 percent of the territory in which they live, you own them. Meaning that you need to provide humanitarian aid and water and health, medical services and healthcare services and so on. So unless this stops before it begins, I mean, this new offensive, or unless it is very limited and then stops, which is also a possibility, the consequences are going to be an unresolvable, insoluble crisis that will be with us for the next year or so, even more.
CHURCH: In meantime, the world's leading Association of Genocide Scholars says Israel's policies and actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide and constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. Now while the Israeli government rejects those accusations, what's your response?
PINKAS: I'm not a genocide expert, but I do know the, you know, the U.N. convention from 1948 defining genocide and I'm very familiar with the South African appeal to the International Court of Justice. In order to determine or conclude that there's a genocide, you need to prove intent. Now, these scholars to which I defer because, as I said, I'm not an expert on the legality of the issue -- these experts say, as you correctly stated Rosemary, that it does meet the legal threshold because they took a series of statements by Prime Minister Netanyahu and by most of his ministers throughout 2024, even late 2023, after the war had begun. And they said that these statements, you know, annihilate Hamas, flatten Gaza, nuke Gaza one brilliant minister even said, these constitutes clear intent that the prime minister talks about Gaza being an existential threat qualifies as intent and therefore, these scholars conclude that it's genocide.
I honestly don't know. I think it's going to take a long time to determine whether this was or is or will be a genocide. I don't -- intuitively, I don't think it is, but that's more my wishful thinking, not wanting to believe that this is actually happening. As for war crimes, this is, I mean, it's bad enough as would imagine, Rosemary, but it's -- you know, the threshold is lower for what constitutes war crimes and those will be investigated.
Now, whether Israel had malignant intentions and -- I don't know.
[02:35:00]
I want to believe that it didn't. But the fact of the matter is that Gaza is devastated and over 65,000 people have died, at least 75 or 80 percent of which were non-combatants. So, you got to look at the facts too.
CHURCH: Alon Pinkas, thank you so much for joining us. And we'll be right back.
PINKAS: Bye.
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[02:40:00] CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. The world's largest iceberg is breaking up. Scientists say that A23a is rapidly breaking into several very large chunks near South Georgia, an island in the South Atlantic Ocean. The iceberg previously weighed nearly a trillion metric tons and was slightly larger than Rhode Island. Climate change has caused many alarming changes in Antarctica, but mega-size icebergs are so rare that scientists are not sure whether this breakup is part of a natural process or because of climate change.
I want to thank you so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. I'll be back at the top of the hour with more "CNN Newsroom." For now, "World Sport" is coming up next.
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[02:40:49]
(WORLD SPORT)
