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Trump Meets With Ukraine's Zelenskyy And Israel's Netanyahu; Israeli Officials Calls Trump-Netanyahu Meeting "Very Positive; Zelenskyy: Discussed Air Defenses And Diplomacy With Trump. Aired 4- 4:30a ET

Aired July 29, 2026 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:33]

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, everybody. I'm Polo Sandoval, live in New York. And this is CNN Newsroom.

Donald Trump meets with Ukraine's president and Israel's prime minister for talks touted by all three leaders as positive. But will it lead to actual action in the wars in Iran and Ukraine? We'll discuss.

Plus, extreme heat threatening firefighting efforts in France will take you live to Bordeaux.

And a little later, an alleged bitter family battle for control of the world's leading luxury goods empire. LVMH Chairman Bernard Arnault sets the record straight.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from New York, this is CNN Newsroom with Polo Sandoval.

SANDOVAL: Let's begin with the U.S. President's Day of diplomacy. The Donald Trump held separate closed-door meetings with Israel's prime minister and with Ukraine's president on Tuesday. U.S. and Israeli officials are saying that Trump's talks with Benjamin Netanyahu were positive and productive. But there have been some reports of tensions between the two leaders, with President Trump criticizing Benjamin Netanyahu on Fox News before that meeting happened.

In the meantime, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that he had a good meeting with the U.S. President with where they discussed air defense ideas and reviving diplomacy with Russia. CNN's Clare Sebastian is standing by in London for more on President Zelenskyy's meeting with Donald Trump. But first, let's head over to Eleni Giokos in Dubai with details of the U.S. President's conversation with Israel's prime minister and also Iran's recent strikes in the Middle East.

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, there's a lot going on. So let's talk about the meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Very consequential. And what is interesting to note, and you mentioned this, that Trump appeared on Fox and Friends and criticized the prime minister because it is alleged that Netanyahu has plans to share intelligence regarding Iran's rebuilding of its nuclear program.

What is interesting is that he also mentioned that Pickaxe Mountain is still something the United States is considering if Iran doesn't make a deal. But when it comes to the meeting with the Israeli prime minister, we also heard from White House press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, where she said it was a good meeting and it was high energy. I also want you to hear the feedback from Benjamin Netanyahu. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (voiceover): I have just finished an excellent meeting with President Trump. When I say excellent, it's not just lip service. It was a conversation of full partnership, of mutual support with an understanding of the shared goal to ensure that Iran will not have nuclear weapons and also other goals.

It was one of the best conversations I've had with the President of the United States, our friend Donald Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

All right, so positive feedback from Prime Minister Netanyahu which basically mimics what we heard from Karoline Leavitt about it being productive. But the timing is also very interesting because you mentioned these renewed strikes that we're seeing in the region. Not only a direct strike from Iran into Jordan, which CENTCOM says was a surprise attack. They were able to intercept all the incoming drones and missiles into Jordan, but also Iran activating its proxy network across the region, particularly over the weekend.

Yemeni Houthis targeting Saudi Arabia and then we saw Iranian backed Iraqi militia targeting Saudi Arabia and specifically oil infrastructure as well as the capital Riyadh. Interestingly, you've seen a significant move coming through Saudi forces joining up with CENTCOM to target eastern Iraq, targeting these militias. And it is very notable because the timing is important as well, Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington for these talks. But it also brings into question how President Trump is going to react to this.

We have seen a cessation of direct targets by the United States into Iran. Is that going to change? Does this close the window for diplomacy? Keeping in mind that Oman and Iran have been engaging in conversation around what happens in the Strait of Hormuz.

But these renewed attacks not only on Iraqi soil by CENTCOM and Saudi Arabia, but also Iran directly targeting Jordan really brings into question in terms of new fronts opening up and what this means for potential escalation. Polo.

SANDOVAL: Eleni Giokos, thank you so much for that live report from Dubai. So that's the latest on one meeting.

[04:05:02] Let's talk now a little bit more of the other high-profile meeting and head over to you, Clare. More on the Ukrainian president's visit to the U.S. is there a sense that President Zelenskyy left Washington with, you know, actual commitments from the Trump White House?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I would say we should characterize it as progress rather than actual commitments at this point, Polo. That we had sort of good noises coming out of this meeting from both sides. Zelenskyy called it a good meeting. President Trump said it was an honor to meet Zelenskyy and it went very well.

Well, in a post on Truth Social, I think it's interesting as well that the messaging was quite controlled around this, given that sort of open chaos and essentially arguing that we saw play out on camera and that now fated Oval Office meeting back in February 2025. This was controlled. It was closed press. President Zelenskyy then went on to speak to Sean Hannity on Fox News, which I think is continuing a theme that we're seeing from the Ukrainians of courting the sort of pro maga side of the U.S. Press. So that was certainly interesting.

In terms of concrete deliverables, there were two key things that they were looking at. One was the sanctions bill now being named after the late Senator Lindsey Graham that has now cleared a procedural hurdle in the Senate. It's not a done deal by any means. It probably will have to wait at least until the fall to see full passage. But it's certainly progress on a bill that has seen many stops and starts over the past year or so.

So there's progress on that would lead to sort of primary and secondary sanctions on Russia. So it would be a huge step forward in terms of the U.S. getting tough on Russia over the war in Ukraine. And then there's the issue of Patriot Interceptors.

Take a listen to what President Zelenskyy had to say about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Well, this is about the licenses and we began it in Ankara to give Ukraine licenses for the production of Petro. This is important because we need, we need more and quicker. And today we had very good meeting with President Trump. He accepted that he will give us licenses.

And then I had meeting with representatives of production, very strong military companies of the United States. I hope that we will do co production. This is very important.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: Very important of course because Ukraine is facing mounting ballistic missile attacks from Russia. And the Patriot Interceptors are really the best, most reliable weapon that they have to shoot them down. And they have very much dwindling supplies. And in fact, globally there are dwindling supplies largely because of the Iran war and the exhaustion of supplies there. But Ukraine is not stopping in terms of its own deep strikes. The Russian Ministry of Defense said that it averted some 295 Ukrainian drones overnight. And I want to show you some video, the aftermath that CNN has verified of a Ukrainian drone attack on a warehouse belonging to a company called Wildberries. This is the Russian version of Amazon, essentially that Ukraine says is allowing people to order military equipment for the front line.

On that, this is one of a series of strikes that we've seen over the past 10 days or so on this company. So this strategy from Ukraine is continuing, whether we continue to see momentum in terms of the relationship with the U.S. We know that President Trump has changed his mind on Ukraine in the past. I think certainly that will be a hope.

But Ukraine is keeping up its own efforts in the meantime. Polo.

SANDOVAL: Yes, it appears so, especially from that video. CNN's Clare Sebastian with that live report. Thank you. And a little later in the hour, we're going to discuss a little bit more of that apparent progress that Clare just mentioned as we speak to an expert about what came out of these meetings.

Let's go to Spain and France now where authorities there are facing their fourth heat wave of the summer. And it's now threatening to make wildfire conditions even worse. With no rain in sight in the forecast, Spanish firefighters that you see there in action, they are battling right now the country's largest wildfire in history, and it's burning near Madrid.

It's already burned more than 123,000 acres or about 50,000 hectares. Nearly 40 percent of the 63,000 people who were told to evacuate are now allowed to return home.

Meanwhile, in France, I want to show you some of the video here that shows the aftermath in the hard-hit Gironde region. And that's where officials say that a wildfire is stabilized but it's not yet contained. Heat warnings there have been issued in the wildfire areas with temperatures expected to peak in the hours ahead. Let's go live now to CNN's Nada Bashir, who is live in Bordeaux with the latest on firefighting efforts there.

Hey, Nada.

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning. And those firefighting efforts are continuing today. They have been continuing around the clock. And as you mentioned, we have had an official update as of 6:30 a.m. local time this morning.

Officials saying that the fires have stabilized, although are not yet contained. So those efforts by first responders and firefighters will continue throughout the Gironde region where we have seen mile after mile of forest land, farmland of open spaces being destroyed by these wildfires, as well as people's homes. And this is a region which typically at this time of year would be bustling with holidaymakers. And many of the areas in the surrounding region now feel like a ghost town.

[04:10:19]

And we have seen, of course, at least 200,000 people being forced to flee their homes and evacuate, many of them taking shelter in temporary camps that have been set up inside big recreational centers. For example, we did have some positive news yesterday from officials announcing that they had given the green light to at least three towns, allowing residents there to return to their homes. But there are still at least 20 towns and cities in this region where that evacuation warning is still in place.

And the concern is that that evacuation warning could expand to other areas if we do see fires restarting or spreading. Now, according to the official update this morning, we haven't seen that level of area expanding as much today or at least overnight.

But there is a concern that as we see temperatures peak today and as the heat wave continues to intensify, that might lead to fires restarting. Now, according to the French National Weather Service, we could be seeing inland temperatures of around 41 degrees Celsius, 105 degrees Fahrenheit. That is the expected peak. And that is why there is so much concern today and why first responders and the emergency services are on high alert.

They have described these weather conditions in their update as unfavorable. We're expecting the peak around 12:00 p.m. noon local time. And also what we've been hearing in this update is that, of course, there has been a further number of firefighters who have been injured, released 126 firefighters now, according to officials.

And what we've been hearing from experts and from authorities on the ground is that there is no clarity on how soon these fires will be tackled. This is a response effort overall that could go on for weeks. And of course, all eyes and everyone here will be waiting with bated breath today to see how exactly things pan out over the course of today and, of course, this week as the heat wave intensifies and whether we do indeed see yet more fires restarting.

SANDOVAL: Nada Bashir, our thanks to you and your team for continuing to cover that there. Nada reporting from Bordeaux, where it's just past 10:00 in the morning.

We're also tracking some severe weather across the northeastern United States. That's where more than 28 million Americans are under flood watches as thunderstorms slowly churn across the region. Places like Orange, New Jersey, you see them here. The conditions, they are already feeling the effect with cars submerged in floodwaters.

We've seen some steady rainfall here in New York City for the last several hours, where forecasters are expecting about 1 to 3 inches per hour, likely in the New York City area. And the most at-risk areas for flooding in the coming hours are parts of Massachusetts, Vermont and Connecticut.

And we are already seeing some travel impacts from the weather. More than 2,400 flights were canceled in the United States on Tuesday, and that's according to tracking website FlightAware. And there are nearly 400 that are already canceled for today.

So before you head to the airport, do make sure you check on the status of your flight. The precipitation, it is still falling in the region.

Japan's prime minister says that at least 13 people are confirmed dead after Tuesday's powerful earthquake. The 6.8 magnitude tremor struck the southern Kumamoto prefecture. Japanese media is reporting that at least two of the victims were young women who died in the partial collapse of a shopping mall where there was an explosion after the earthquake and where it's believed that others are possibly trapped.

And there are also reports of people missing at a paper factory that suffered some extensive damage. These are some of the aerial pictures of the devastation there. Transportation services are also disrupted, and thousands of military personnel have been mobilized to try to expedite those ongoing rescue efforts.

I want to go down to CNN's Kristie Lu Stout, who's been following all the reports coming out of the region. Kristie, just tell us a little bit about what some of the residents are telling our reporters on the ground. What's the mood there in the, in the quake zone?

KRISTIE LOU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the mood at the moment, as you can imagine, is quite somber, with the survivors of the earthquake anticipating more aftershocks to come. They're hearing about the risk of landslides. And of course, temperatures are very hot now there in southern Japan, which is affecting not only them but also the urgent rescue work that is underway.

The race is on to find survivors, especially there in the shopping center that partially collapsed in an explosion after that massive 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Southern Japan on Tuesday.

This is an earthquake that has taken the lives of at least 13 people. Dozens of people reported to be injured. Tens of thousands of homes are without power and electricity right now. At least 300,000 individuals have been sent to evacuation centers. And you're looking at live pictures there of one scene we've been looking at, watching very closely.

[04:15:13]

There are rescue efforts underway at this shopping center. And these are truly apocalyptic scenes of what happened after the earthquake. An explosion ripped through, exposing just steel beams there, sending debris absolutely everywhere. And we also have, in addition to the aerial footage of this shopping center, which is a massive shopping complex, and 200 stores are there.

We also have dash cam video, if we could bring that up right now. And that will show you the moment of the explosion.

And according to one eyewitness, they said that the explosion was deafening. Officials are looking into an investigation. It is believed because they sensed gas and the smell of gas was present, it is believed that a gas leak is to blame. That needs to be confirmed, though.

Also, it's not clear how many people remain trapped in the rubble, that we are also monitoring the risky effort at a nearby paper factory where there was a massive sort of industrial sized chimney fell down. Extensive damages there. Several people unaccounted for. Rescue efforts ongoing. Polo, back to you.

SANDOVAL: And sadly, this is, as you know, a region that is all too familiar with the aftermath of a deadly earthquake.

STOUT: That's right. It was not that long ago, in 2016, when this Southern prefecture of Kumamoto had a devastating earthquake that took the lives of hundreds of people. Of course, this prefecture, in addition to the prefecture Japan, lies in the ring of fire, the sort of U-shaped zone in the Pacific rim of these volcanoes, of these ocean trenches that is susceptible to this type of earthquake activity. So much so that around 20 percent of the earthquakes that are magnitude 6.0 or higher take place in Japan.

This is, sadly, a community that's no stranger to devastating tremors like this. Polo.

SANDOVAL: Yes. I remember we're reporting when the earthquake series, the deadly earthquake series, hit in Venezuela. There were teams being sent there to South America from Japan. And now obviously, for some of those rescuers potentially having to respond closer to home, it's just absolutely terrible. Last 24 hours. Kristie Lou Stout, thank you so much for following those developments for us.

STOUT: Thank you.

SANDOVAL: Well, world leaders and top U.S. officials, they gathered in Washington to say goodbye to Senator Lindsey Graham. The tributes to the South Carolina Republican after the break.

Also on the way here on CNN Newsroom, one of the most prestigious universities in Mexico is at the center of a massive cheating crisis. We're going to tell you all about it in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:21:42]

SANDOVAL: U.S. political leaders joined family and friends and constituents of Senator Lindsey Graham honoring his life. Funeral services for the South Carolina Republican who died suddenly on July 11 at 71. They were held on Tuesday at Washington's National Cathedral. You see, his casket was carried into the cathedral, followed by his honorary pallbearers as well.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune in attendance. He was among the speakers. Remembering his former colleague, he called him a quote, "towering figure in the Senate." Now, President Trump, also delivering remarks, paid tribute to Graham

and honored his decades of public service.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: For more than 30 years, nothing of consequence happened in this Capitol without Lindsey Graham knowing about it. Nothing of significance happened anywhere in the world without Lindsey Graham having a view on it. And no bill became law in the most exceptional republic in human history without Lindsey Graham having a say in it.

No matter how heated things got in Washington, virtually everyone, Republican or Democrat, liked Lindsey. Well, not everybody, but it sounds good. Not everybody. He was a tough cookie, okay? I have to be -- I have to veer from this for a second.

He was a tough Cookie, Darlene (ph). But he was beautiful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: After the service, Graham's casket was carried out of the cathedral and his body returned to his home state of South Carolina. In fact, in a few hours, he will be honored with a procession at the State House in Columbia before a private burial is held.

A new education bill is sparking debate among lawmakers in India. The proposed legislation was front and center as the lower house of parliament convened on Tuesday. And it comes after weeks of protests across India led by students.

They were outraged that entrance exam papers for prestigious medical schools were leaked and sold. And lawmakers. At least one lawmaker says that the proposed education bill does not go far enough.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABHISHEK BANERJEE, INDIAN TRINAMOOL CONGRESS PARTY LEADER: Support for this bill cannot be a substitute for accountability. A stronger law is necessary, yes, but by itself is not sufficient. If examination continues to be compromised by systematic failures, no amendment, however stringent, will restore the faith that millions of students have lost.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Those protests I mentioned, led by a youth campaign known as the Cockroach Janta Party, prompted the resignation of India's education minister on Saturday.

With a new school year on the horizon in Mexico, the country's largest university is now facing a major crisis. UNAM's first ever online admissions exam has raised questions after an unusual number of applicants received high scores. Well, now the Mexican government is calling for an investigation as protesters flood the streets.

Here's CNN's Valeria Leon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is one of Latin America's oldest and most prestigious universities. I'm at Mexico's National Autonomous University, UNAM, that's now at the center of a growing controversy over alleged AI cheating on their admissions exams.

[04:25:03]

For the first time in the university's history, the entrance exam was taken online instead than in person. And after the results were released, many rejected students started complaining about these unusually high scores.

LUISA DIAZ, REJECTED APPLICANT: It simply think they should have done it the way they did in previous years that way, the process wouldn't have been delayed, and throne wouldn't have been so many problems.

LEON, (voiceover): The accusations have sparked protests by students and parents demanding a full investigation.

LEON: Even Mexico's President, Claudia Sheinbaum, urged UNAM to conduct a full investigation.

CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, MEXICO PRESIDENT: They need to determine how this fraud was committed. Whether the company hired to administer the exam was involved. Or whether individuals used artificial intelligence on their own.

LEON, (voiceover): In an unprecedented move, UNAM announced it will review the exam results before confirming the final admissions list.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This doesn't just affect the university. It affects society as a whole.

LEON (voiceover): The decision comes just two weeks before classes are scheduled to begin, leaving thousands of students uncertain about whether they'll be admitted.

LEON: How does this decision affect you?

FRIDA PACHECO, INCOMING FIRST-YEAR STUDENT: It's affecting us because we're being deprived of the chance to start the school year, something we students had been looking forward to.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEON: More than 150,000 people took the exam, but only 15 percent secured a place. The UNAM is a tuition free public university often seen as a life-changing opportunity for many young Mexicans. Valeria Leon, CNN, Mexico City.

SANDOVAL: Still on the way, Israel's prime minister says that his relationship with the U.S. President is closer than ever. Still ahead, more on their meeting and reports of tensions between these two leaders.

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