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Ukraine: Russian Missile Attack Kills 1, Injuries 2 In Kyiv; North Atlantic Council Meeting To Kick Off This Hour; Trump: Memorandum Of Understanding With Iran "Is Over". Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired July 08, 2026 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:31:23]

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. And while top NATO leaders are currently gathering in Turkiye, Ukraine says that its capital has been hit by another deadly Russian missile attack. Kyiv's mayor says that the strikes sparked fires in a storage area as well as a nonresidential building on both sides of the Dnipro River.

Local authorities are saying that at least one person has been killed and two others were injured. This is just the latest in a series of Russian launched attacks against the capital of Ukraine and its surrounding regions.

Let's discuss now and head to Kyiv and speak to Oleksandr Merezhko. He's the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Ukrainian Parliament. Alexander, thank you so much for taking the time to join us.

OLEKSANDR MEREZHKO, FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE CHAIR, UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT: Thank you for having me.

SANDOVAL: This is certainly a critical NATO summit for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Air defense systems I assume certainly going to be a priority for the Ukrainian government as they speak with members of various European allies. What are you hoping to come out of some of these meetings happening in Turkiye?

MEREZHKO: Well, of course it's a tremendously important event for Ukraine. We remain very hopeful, especially when it comes to direct face to face meeting between American president and Ukrainian President.

First of all, we hope that the NATO countries will continue to provide us with military aid, especially when it comes to patriot systems, interceptors which enhance our air defense system and which helps us to defend to protect our civilian population. Because Ukraine is being targeted deliberately by Russians practically each day and each day civilians including children, are being killed by Russians.

That's why we need such support from our allies and in particular from the United States. We hope to receive license from the United States which would allow us to produce the Patriot systems. Also, I'm very hopeful about the meeting between President Trump and President Zelenskyy because we need to put maximum pressure on Putin to make him to negotiate in earnest and to stop killing Ukrainians to stop Russian aggression against Ukraine.

SANDOVAL: Just in the last several days, we've seen the confirmed deaths of dozens of Ukrainian civilians during this recent launching of strikes from Russia. Now, in terms of the sense of urgency coming from the Ukrainians this time at this summit, how would you characterize it? How does President Zelenskyy really underscore the need for action when it comes to President Trump putting any possible pressure on Vladimir Putin?

MEREZHKO: It is extremely urgent because we are talking about human lives. The thing is that at the moment, because we lack Patriot missiles for Russia, it's becoming easier to kill our civilian population and to destroy our critical civilian infrastructure. It's difficult for us to intercept ballistic missiles from Russia without having Patriot missiles. That's why it's extremely urgent. It's about human lives.

As for meeting between President Trump and President Zelenskyy, I hope that President Trump will go back to his initial idea with regard to unconditional ceasefire. I hope that he will put maximum pressure on Putin and will implement sanctions against Russian allies which buy Russian oil and gas and thereby feed Russian war machine.

[04:35:09]

SANDOVAL: Ukrainian forces also responding with an escalation of their own, targeting various targets inside of Russia. Oleksandr Merezhko, thank you so much for taking the time.

MEREZHKO: Thank you.

SANDOVAL: And still of come here on CNN Newsroom, what we can expect from day two of the NATO summit and this is Donald Trump demands more loyalty from some of the allies of the United States.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANDOVAL: All right. Let's return now to Ankara, Turkiye, where U.S. President Donald Trump made a number of explosive comments just a few moments ago. What was the second day of the NATO summit, most importantly on Iran. President Trump responding to a reporter's question on the ceasefire with Iran, saying in his view, the memorandum of understanding, quote, "Is over." And he made several derogatory comments about Iran's leaders, calling them, among other things, scum and evil, as well as sick people.

Let's bring in CNN International diplomatic editor Nick Robertson, who joins me live there from the summit. Nick, I wonder if we could just start right away on Iran where you are. I mean, are there any growing concerns now that some of this fiery language could have some, some serious consequences to these technical talks?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes. Look, Mark (inaudible), secretary general of NATO's kind of spelt it out when he came in this morning. He said, look, this is going to get discussion. And inevitably, you know, when the United States and Iran trade more than sort of 80 missiles backwards and forwards, it's going to get on the table.

This is going to be a concern for the European leaders here, not a surprise because of this sudden escalation, that it's now going to sort of take up time on the agenda, take up the oxygen, the talks. But think about it from this point of view. There's been a frustration over the last six months, maybe four or five months this year by European leaders and particularly by President Zelenskyy, who's seen the sort of air defense systems that he so desperately needs, Ukrainians feel they desperately need. You know, you had the strikes over the weekend.

[04:40:31]

Almost half Russia's ballistic missiles, dangerous, deadly ballistic missiles, got through. Ukraine wants those air defense systems. But it's sort of voice has been drowned out because President Trump's focus has been on Iran. The missile systems, defense systems themselves have been going to United States allies in the Gulf to defend themselves from Iranian missiles.

And suddenly here you are when the agenda seems to be turning back towards Ukraine again, it gets upended by circumstance. And the president obviously taking questions it and venting his frustration about what he sees going on in Iran, that they've been playing out for time. He's talking now about just wanting to get the job done. This is what he said a few minutes ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is the ceasefire done? Is the MOU dead?

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: It's a very interesting question to me. I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them anymore. They're scum.

You know what scum is? They're scum. They're sick people. They're led by sick people and they're vicious, violent people.

And if they had a nuclear weapon, they'd use it. As far as I'm concerned, it's so --

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON: He did say that the negotiators want to keep on talking. And I think we, till we hear from the sort of mediators, you know, the Pakistanis who've been doing the mediating over the last number of months, the Qataris as well, they clearly will be trying to work behind the scenes to tamp all this down, to put an end to the, you know, to this escalation in attacks overnight.

And that was the sentiment of a lot of the leaders going in here, various prime ministers saying, look, let's proceed. Let's -- let's hopefully get this on a diplomatic track. That's the way that this confrontation needs to be resolved.

But, you know, when it comes to the oxygen in the room, this is it. We've also heard from President Trump speaking again, doubling down on his belief that Greenland is better off as part of the United States. Denmark doesn't need it quoting what happened during world war to as a rationale for the United States earning it.

And also just mentioning here, Spain. Clearly a lot of ire from the President for Spain for not making up their native spending the way that he wants it, threatening to cut off trade completely with Spain. Not sure how he can do that when they trade as part of the European Union, but that's what the President said.

SANDOVAL: It is quite telling to Nic. As you point out, we heard multiple mentions of Greenland during this last availability, but no mentions of Ukraine whatsoever. Nic Robertson, thank you so much for putting everything into context as always.

And we're back with more in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:46:22]

SANDOVAL: All right, welcome back. Let's get you some of your headlines here in the United States. Calls are currently growing for Senate candidate Graham Platner of Maine to step aside.

A former girlfriend alleging that Platner behaved violently when they dated more than a decade ago. And that follows allegations of rape by another woman who dated Platner just off and on between 2019 and 2021.

He says that the claims of rape are categorically false and says that he's previously denied the ex-girlfriend's allegations of any sort of physicality. Platner also says that he's reflecting on the best path forward in the Senate race. I want you to listen to part of Jake Tappert's exclusive conversation with his former girlfriend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LYNDSEY FIFIELD, PLATNER ACCUSER: This is a man who is so hostile to the feelings of women and he is disgusted by any show of emotion.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR, THE LEAD: When Jenny told her story, what, if anything, aligned with your experiences?

FIFIELD: The eyes. It was almost like looking at, like a pit bull where they just, there's -- it's nothing but not just nothing, but like a capacity for violence and you see it and you know it's there and it's terrifying. And I -- but also, yes, a deafness to anything that, you know.

TAPPER: In a sense.

FIFIELD: Yes. Like I'm going -- like this is going to happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: And Platner is under mounting pressure to end his Senate campaign. And Democrats, they're making plans as CNN's Arlette Saenz reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Graham Platner's bid for U.S. Senate in Maine on the brink of collapse.

KATE DALEY, MAINE VOTER: It's extremely disappointing and troubling and I think probably disqualifying.

SAENZ: So do you think you should drop out at this point?

DALEY: I do, unfortunately.

SAENZ (voiceover): One person close to the campaign tells CNN, I think he knows it's over, but he thinks I built this thing and wants to use the movement he created to have a voice in who is going to replace him. The claims have sparked a cascade of Democratic backlash from Washington to Maine.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So many people's feeling about it, obviously now is that Graham Platner has to, has to drop out.

SAENZ: Do you think Platner should drop out?

JONATHAN TAUBE, MAINE VOTER: It's a tough call. He'll have to make that decision. But the party is abandoning him on a national level and on the state level. I don't think he has a choice.

SAENZ (voiceover): The latest revelations come less than four months before the election against Republican Senator Susan Collins, leaving Democrats scrambling for a resolution.

ALEXANDRA LASH, MAINE VOTER: I think we were all rooting for change and hoping that would come in the form of Graham Platner. So I think it's really disappointing because nobody that I know wants Susan Collins any longer.

SAENZ (voiceover): Democratic leaders in Maine are preparing for the possibility of replacing Platner on the ticket, potentially by holding a mini convention or caucus to select the next nominee.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have a very short window here to pull ourselves together and find somebody and just praying to the universe, to the stars that we can pull it together.

SAENZ: Do you think he should drop out of the race?

IAN MACRAE, MAINE VOTER: That's a tough call. Only because I don't know who's the replacement's going to be. And we went through this with Harris when we, you know, it was a Biden-Harris ticket, and then Biden stepped out, moving Harris to the front, and then the other side could say we didn't even get to vote for her. (END VIDEOTAPE)

[04:50:02]

SAENZ: Graham Platner would need to drop out of the Senate race by next Monday, six days away, if Democrats were to try to find a way to replace him as the party's nominee. Democrats would need to put forward a new nominee by July 27, really highlighting the calendar crunch that the party is facing right now as they grapple with their next steps in their attempts to battle Republican Senator Susan Collins in November. Arlette Saenz, CNN, Portland, Maine.

SANDOVAL: All right, another break and then we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANDOVAL: New York officials say that they are confident that temporary shoring has helped to stabilize an unstable midtown Manhattan high rise. Fire department officials are saying that the building was evacuated after structural columns buckled during construction on Tuesday. You see crews going in there to assess the situation.

The New York City department of buildings commissioner says the crews have begun adding new steel supports. Their hope is that will allow workers and materials to move safely into the structure.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AHMED TIGANI, NYC BUILDINGS COMMISSIONER: But right now, we have been in a consistent, stable and safe situation. We have been able to bring in a plan and materials to stabilize the impacted floors and looking to extend that stability to other parts of the building.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[04:55:10]

SANDOVAL: And a federal judge has blocked a Justice Department subpoena for information on 2020 election workers in the state of Georgia. Federal investigators are alleging that some counties didn't preserve images of ballots for the time required by law. According to the judge, they also claim that some ballots seized during a search warrant looked suspicious. The judge called the scope of this request staggering, saying that using a subpoena was not legitimate given the statute of limitations.

It's the most recent loss for the Department of Justice, who's been tasked by President Trump to investigate claims of mass election fraud in 2020. But there has been no evidence of widespread or outcome changing voter fraud.

Well, Britain's Prince Harry losing a high stakes case against the publisher of the Daily Mail. The Duke of Sussex was in London in support of the Invictus Games when high court issued this ruling. Well, he and six others, including Elton John, accused the publisher of gathering information illegally using private investigators to tap their phones and intercept voicemails. Well, the judge said that the allegations were serious, but that the group did not adequately prove that the publisher used illegal tactics. The publisher calling the ruling a vindication of the Daily Mail's journalism. But Prince Harry denounced it as, quote, "A complete and obvious whitewash."

And back here in the States for the second time in three months, crews are draining the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. And that move follows weeks of problems and algae blooms as well as green water and allegations from the Trump administration of vandalism at that historic site.

Well, an Interior Department says that it's hired the same contractor that previously drained and painted the pool blue for the latest repairs. However, it's still unclear just how long the work will take, hopefully before next 4th of July.

Thank you so much for joining me the last hour. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York. Our coverage continues with CNN Headline Express.

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[05:00:00]