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Connect the World
Scientists: Climate Change Sends Temperatures Soaring; Zelenska Shows Pictures of Victims of Russia's War on Ukraine; Ukraine's First Lady Addresses U.S. Congress; Planet Earth Facing Heat Emergency; Leaders of Russia and Iran Tout Increased Cooperation; Final Two Candidates in Race to Replace UK's Boris Johnson. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired July 20, 2022 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: And a very warm welcome back to the show. We are waiting for the Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska to
address the U.S. Congress any minute now. She spent Tuesday at the White House meeting with President Joe Biden and the U.S. First Lady.
Zelenska was invited to address Congress by a U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and will give her speech in the same room where her husband,
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke virtually in March.
Zelenska is expected to detail some of the atrocities committed by Russian forces on Ukrainian civilians, especially women and children. As soon as
she begins that speech we will get back to you.
Scorching heat is weathering drought raging wildfires. Now it may be cooler today here in London and in some other parts of Europe, but the impact of
what's being called a heat apocalypse is still being felt across this continent and will be for weeks if not months to come.
This is what it looked like overnight outside Athens, houses engulfed in flames. Fires like this are burning across a big swathe of Europe. In
Northern Italy the fire brigade using air power to fight the flames of fire in one town halls gas tanks to explode hundreds of people forced from their
homes.
And not far from where I am in the London suburb of Wennington, the homes burned in Tuesday's record smashing heat wave. The fire brigade there
saying it experienced its busiest day since World War Two.
One resident tried using a garden hose to fight back flames he was not successful. And unfortunately his home burned down. Luckily there were no
injuries in Wellington but extreme weather has killed more than 1100 people across Europe. The warnings are posted for at least 20 European countries
today is hot as it's been here. It's even hotter in parts of the United States and China.
As we've been telling you all week on "Connect the World" climate scientists warn this is the new normal. Melissa Bell picks up the story
from Paris for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A fire rages through a field in Spain as homes burned. In Greater London, a house is swallowed by
Wildfire. These are just some of the many sweeping across Europe, where temperatures have soared in a heat emergency that stretches across the
globe.
China's heat wave began last week with 51 cities including Beijing, now under the second highest heat alert level. European cities sweltered under
new highs in what is the continents second heat wave of the summer now entering its second week, Ireland seeing its hottest day in a century.
In the United Kingdom temperatures reached 104 degrees. At first with London's fire brigade declaring a major incident on Tuesday because of a
"huge surge and fires across the Capitol".
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think we just have to adapt. Our homes have to change our way of life has changed really, doesn't it.
BELL (on camera): Here in France, the temperatures reached 105 degrees difficult enough for Paris, which is not accustomed to such extreme
temperatures. But down in the southwest of France, the impact has been far more devastating.
The French president is do down by those wildfires that have been spreading for several days under pressure from local officials who accused him of not
having done enough, soon enough.
BELL (voice over): Down near Bordeaux, wildfires have continued to spread burning through still more of the parched pine forests that run all the way
down to Spain. Already tens of thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes in southern Europe, the extreme heat causing fires in
Texas and causing the plains to swelter all the way up to the Dakotas.
Temperatures are as high as 110, feeling as high as 115. Experts say that climate change can no longer be ignored.
DAVID WALLACE-WELLS, AUTHOR, and "THE UNINHABITABLE EARTH": We're talking about weather events that we probably would have expected to see a decade
or two down the line. But what's more striking than that, I think is how poorly we're preparing and adapting because we knew these temperatures were
coming.
BELL (voice over): For many people across the northern hemisphere this Tuesday brought those temperatures and those weather events into far
sharper focus, Melissa Bell, CNN Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well Elinda Labropoulou is connecting us this hour from Parga in northwestern Greece. Salma Abdelaziz is in Wellington where you saw those
houses go up in flames. Elinda, let's start with you, a very dramatic wildfire on the outskirts of Athens. It is burning now for a second day in
a row.
[11:05:00]
ANDERSON: As I understand it, authorities are being beginning to get that contained, what efforts are being taken at this point? I'm not sure that
Elinda can hear me.
Let's get you to Salma and see whether we can reconnect with Elinda in Greece. Salma it's just about 15 miles out of London in Wennington.
Tuesday, the busiest day for London's fire brigade since World War Two, how are people holding up there now?
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: London fire brigade was absolutely stretched to its limits yesterday fielding more than 1400 calls; hundreds of
firefighters were out about 16 of them had heat related issues heat related exhaustion.
So this was a massive effort, especially when you look at the fires that surrounded the Capitol all around London, including of course, here where
I'm standing now, dozens of people were evacuated from their homes, as firefighters for nearly nine hours try to fight that fire.
Now we are seeing cooler temperatures today, Becky, so that means that yes, these fires are contained; people are finally getting a break. They're
getting a bit of relief. But it's more than just these fires.
As you know, yesterday, many - as well many rail services were closed trains unable to run those rails can buckle under that heat under that
pressure. That means people are being asked to stay at home but many people don't have AC at home.
So that means even staying at home becomes dangerously hot in this situation. And these numbers that we're seeing again, you had 40 degrees
Celsius over 40 degrees Celsius, that's 104 Fahrenheit.
That is a record breaking temperature here in the UK, and you don't have the infrastructure to deal with it. And we're seeing that as well across
other parts of Europe.
In Spain, the Spanish Prime Minister visiting the affected areas today, warning everyone to take extreme caution in the coming days. He said some
500 people have died in this recent heat wave in France as well.
French President Emmanuel Macron stepping out to see some of these affected regions, these affected areas in Bordeaux wildfires, covering an area twice
the size of Paris there and again, issuing warnings trying to set up for the future.
But all of these European leaders while they're trying to deal with it here, and now they're also looking to the future, Becky, because climate
scientists are warning this is only going to get worse and many European cities simply don't have the infrastructure to deal with these extreme heat
waves.
ANDERSON: Well, that's Britain in the aftermath of its hottest day. Elinda, I think I've got you back. You're on the outskirts of Athens, where we've
seen images of a wildfire burning. Pretty dramatic stuff, what efforts are being taken by authorities to contain it?
ELINDA LABROPOULOU, JOURNALIST: Well, authorities have been evacuating the outskirts of Athens since yesterday when the fire broke out. It is
estimated that over 90,000 people have been evacuated; about 34 people have suffered minor injuries.
And we had a real tragedy in this fire as well. There was a man who decided to take his own life. And he did this as his wife and neighbors, the Greek
media because it was a third time that he saw his house burning and he said he just couldn't take it another time.
And his story is almost a reminder of something that has been going on in Greece for a long time now. It is a country that had suffered a lot from
wildfires of recent mostly years, four years ago, we had a deadly fire.
They cost over 100 lives and that was also in the outskirts of Athens. So as you can understand what has been happening in these last 24 hours has
been bringing back all these memories. We're still in July, Greece have wildfires throughout the summer.
And we know there's a large heat wave that's actually now heading towards Greece. Its moving east. What we saw in northern Western Europe is now
heading south.
ANDERSON: All right.
LABROPOULOU: So we're expecting temperatures of 40 degrees over the weekend. So people are very worried about these fires.
ANDERSON: Yes, absolutely. Elinda, thank you as Salma is in Wennington. Right, let me just move away from this story for the time being. The
Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska was about to address U.S. lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Let's get you there live.
OLENA ZELENSKA, UKRAINIAN FIRST LADY: Good morning. And dear Madam Speaker, dear members of the U.S. Congress, ladies and gentlemen, I am grateful for
the opportunity to be here and address the Congress of the United States of America.
[11:10:00]
ZELENSKA: I know this is the first time when the wife of the president of a foreign country has the honor to address you within these walls. This is
really important for me, and for my country.
And today, I want to address you as politicians and party representatives, as well, as mothers and fathers, grandfathers and grandfathers, daughters
and sons. I want to address you not as First Lady, but as a daughter, and as a mother.
No matter what positions and titles we reach in our lives. First of all, we always remain a part of our family. We always remain children to our
parents. And no matter how old we are, they love us as they are children.
And we are always parents to our children, and no matter what happens to them, they will always remain our children. This is the great truth of our
life. Our family represents the whole world for us, and we do everything to preserve it.
And we are happy when we succeed in it. And we cry when we cannot save it. And we remain completely broken when our world is destroyed by a war. Tens
of thousands of such worlds have been destroyed in Ukraine.
I am waiting for a picture to be demonstrated. This is Lisa. I met this girl before Christmas when we were preparing greetings of Christmas, Merry
Christmas for children.
I remember her just like she is here, a cheerful, playful little rascal. The other video was made by Lisa's smother, whose name is Irina. When she
took her children, her child to school and she asked her, where are we going sweetie?
The daughter calls the names of her favorite teacher. Lisa was only four years old. She is no longer with us. Here is the stroller of Lisas. On July
14, Lisa was killed by a Russian missile attack on our city of Vinnytsia in the center of Ukraine. 25 people were killed almost 200 injured.
Lisa's mother is in serious condition and for several days nobody dare to tell her that Lisa has died. This is where the world where are we going has
been ringing in my ears for six days ever since it happened.
Usually the wives of presidents are exclusively engaged in peaceful affairs, education, human rights, equality, accessibility, and maybe you
expected from me to speak on those topics.
But how can I talk about them when an unprovoked invasive terrorist war is being waged against my country of Russia is destroying our people. Here is
another rocket launch and here is the city of - in the south of Ukraine.
The residential area was hit by a missile. This girl is Eva she liked to draw pictures. She was only five. Another Russia missile, Eva was killed
along with her grandmother.
These young faces are the faces of employees and visitors of the shopping mall in Kremenchuk. They are no more. And there is no shopping mall because
the Russian market burned them down and killed them all.
This is a journalist, her name is Vira. She has worked in the Ukrainian metal area for 20 years the last four years in the cave bureau of Radio
Liberty. She died in Kyiv from another missile attack.
Since the beginning of the World War, Russia has launched over 3000 different cruise missiles on Ukraine. But to destroy somebody's family, you
don't need a missile. Maybe shrapnel will do it.
This boy's name is Andriy. Fortunately he is alive. He is now in Germany. He is three years old. A few days ago he celebrated his birthday on the
eighth of July. You may ask what he is doing in Germany. He is learning there how to use prosthesis, a three year old boy.
[11:15:00]
ZELENSKA: A Russian plane dropped a bomb on the house where the family of Andriy spent the night and he was there, together with his parents and his
sister --. How many children like him are there in Ukraine?
How many families like this may still be destroyed by the war? Those are Russia's Hunger Games, hunting for peaceful people in peaceful cities of
Ukraine. They will never broadcast this on their news. That's why I'm showing it to you here.
Here is the family of policemen, policemen Oleh Fedko. His father, mother wife, six year old daughter as well as one and a half month old son.
All of them were shot by the Russian occupiers in the car when they were trying to evacuate from Nova Kakhovka.
Then I met with Oleh, he said, he told me a terrible story. The adults died right away. While children for the next one and a half hours were crying in
the car until they died. Nobody was allowed to approach them to save them.
Here is Sophia, the girl from Bucha, who lost her mother during the occupation and her arm and now she's suffering from Phantom Pains. The
family of Oleh Sukhnenko, she was the village head in Kyiv region that saved her fellow villagers from the Russian invaders until the last.
And then was killed by Russians along with her son and husband a family from Odessa where three generations of women are killed by one missile.
Valeria Goldan, her mother and a three month old daughter.
And a 96 year old Borys Romanchenko, can you imagine this person survived for Nazi concentration camps, including book involved and died in Kharkiv
from Russian shell.
So, dear ladies and gentlemen, the American people and American families, the Congress and President Biden have already done a lot to help us to
stand up to the enemy and protect millions of Ukrainians.
We are really grateful that the United States stands with us in this fight for our shared values of human life and independence.
You help us, and your help is very strong, while Russia kills America saves. And you should know about it. We thank you for that. But
unfortunately, the war is not over, the terror continues.
And I appeal to all of you on behalf of those who were killed on behalf of those people who lost their arms and legs on behalf of those who are still
alive and well. And those who wait for their families to come back from the front, I'm asking for something. Now I would never want to ask.
I'm asking for weapons, weapons that would not be used to wage a war on somebody else's land, but to protect one's home and the right to wake up
alive in that home.
I'm asking for air defense systems in order for rockets not to be killed, not to kill children in their strollers in order for rockets not to destroy
children's rooms and kill entire families.
I know that you ladies and gentleman will be leaving for the traditional congressional recess in a week. And all of you will be able to return to
your offices in the fall and probably all of you have already your calendar and scheduled for September, this is normal.
And it is precisely this normalcy that we Ukrainians are deprived of now. Will my son be able to return to his school in the fall? I don't know like
millions of mothers in Ukraine.
Will my daughter be able to go to university and at the beginning of the academic year and experience normal student life, I cannot answer. What
should Ukrainian teachers prepare for to work in classrooms boy in bomb shelters, we would have answers if we had air defense systems.
[11:20:00]
ZELENSKA: In fact, the answer is right here in Washington, DC. America, unfortunately knows, from its own experience what terrorist attacks are and
has always sought to defeat terrorism.
Help us to stop this terror against Ukrainians. And this will be our joy, rate, victory in the name of life, freedom and the pursuit of happiness of
every person, every family.
This is what I'm asking for and what my husband is asking for not as a presidential couple, but as parents and children of their parents. Because
we want every father and every mother to be able to tell their child goes to sleep peacefully, there will be no more airstrikes, no more missile
strikes.
Is this too much to wish for? The fact that I am here as the first leader of my country and have this opportunity to talk to you about weapon is a
manifestation of the greatest equality.
This is the equality among free people, people who know what they are protecting; they know what they live for. I hope you heard me today. And I
hope that your decisions will be speedy. Thank you for your attention, glory to Ukraine.
ANDERSON: Well, that was Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska addressing Congress. And she said she did that not as First Lady, but as a wife and
mother. And she presented images of mostly women and children impacted by Russia's war on Ukraine, images of women and children killed or maimed by
Russian missiles. She thanked U.S. lawmakers for their support but appealed to those gathered for continued support specifically for air defense
systems to as she put it help the Ukrainian fight against what is Moscow's onslaught.
Well, CNN's Ivan Watson is joining us from Ukraine. Explain where you are and what you took from that speech?
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This was an attempt to get American lawmakers to keep them engaged with Ukraine. The Ukrainian
society is fighting against Russia's invasion. It recognizes that Ukrainians first and foremost are the ones who are going to have to fight
and die and bleed on the frontlines to protect their territory.
But they also know very well that they need international support. And it has been coming and the line that I hear consistently is that Ukrainians
are grateful, but they need more they want the help to keep coming.
The weapons system that has been getting a lot of discussion of late is the American long distance the high marsh rocket system, which the Ukrainian
military claims has been used to strike at least 30 Russian command points and ammunition depots deep behind enemy lines.
But the Ukrainian defense minister this week has said we need 50 of these types of weapon systems if we want to maintain these long front lines which
run for some 2500 kilometers and if the Ukrainians want to maintain to mount a counter offensive that they would need 100 of these.
In her speech, the Ukrainian First Lady talked about the need for anti-air defenses because there is this deadly and very frightening missile war
being fought where Russia has been raining cruise missiles on Ukrainian cities.
She specifically talked about the city of Vinnytsia, which was hit last week at least 24 people killed there. And she showed a photo of this four
year old little girl whose funeral was held on Sunday, Lisa Dimitrova, a girl that she had actually met she says before last Christmas.
One of the many victims of that single cruise missile attack and she showed an image of Lisa stroller pink stroller knocked over in the wake of that
deadly strike. So this was an effort to try to connect as a human and to try to explain the human toll of this to U.S. lawmakers to ensure that they
remain engaged with Ukraine in what is an existential struggle here trying to prevent their country from being ripped to shred.
ANDERSON: When you speak to people on the ground and as you have rightly pointed out there has been an awful lot of support for Ukrainians.
[11:25:00]
ANDERSON: But is there a sense on the ground and as you say, this was an attempt to ensure by the First Lady that there is continued support from
U.S. lawmakers. Is there a sense on the ground that they that the world is becoming fatigued by what is going on there, and a concern that that
support won't be as forthcoming as it has, in months to come?
WATSON: If there is worry, there is concern about that that the next crisis could take over. I think that first and foremost, what you see on the
ground here is that Ukrainians are working to help each other.
For instance, I've been looking at the enormous population of internally displaced people when they come to this city, the southern city of Kryvyi
Rih. And they're arriving now some five months into this war, to the tune of about 400 a day, people fleeing the frontlines in Russian occupied
territory.
And that's just to this one city. They're greeted by Ukrainians by Ukrainian volunteers, who are gathering humanitarian assistance, who are
trying to find them shelter places to live, trying to help set up schooling for their children, medical support and food.
They're getting some international support for this, but they recognize that they have to help each other first. But the resources here are finite
because this is a war that is devastating large parts of the Ukrainian economy.
The tax base has shrunk, people's salaries have disappeared. So everybody does seem to be pitching together. But they still need help to support
large percentage of their population, which is on the run having to rely on the kindness of strangers. And that's again, where it comes into needing
the support of the international community to keep the government's finances afloat, to keep salaries paid, to keep people under rubes and fed
and medicine, not to mention the colossal war effort of the munitions that are being expended on these long frontlines in what has kind of settled
down into a war of attrition.
We don't see huge breakthroughs from either side right now. And it's a contest of resources and willpower. And that's again, why Ukraine a smaller
country fighting for its life is going to allies seeking help and continues to help.
And what we've heard from the U.S. Defense Secretary is that more U.S. weapons are on the way for more of these high Mars systems, more air
defense systems. But the Ukrainians will always be asking for more help, Becky.
ANDERSON: Ivan Watson's on the ground for you, Ivan, appreciate it. Thank you. Well, this just into CNN we now finally know the two candidates in the
race to succeed Boris Johnson is British Prime Minister.
It's the former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak versus Liz Truss. Now conservative lawmakers announced the outcome of their vote moments ago. And
it means the UK will get either its first British Asian Prime Minister or its third female leader in the country's history.
We'll get more analysis on this story from CNN's British politics expert, Bianca Nobilo later this hour. Well, you're watching "Connect the World"
with me Becky Anderson live from London.
Still ahead are Europe and other parts of the world swell to and burn there's new information out that shows certain population groups are
impacted worse than others. Want to talk to a climate expert about that, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:30:00]
ANDERSON: Right. You're watching "Connect the World". I'm Becky Anderson. The time in London is half past four. Planet Earth is in the middle of a
global heat emergency.
Demonstrating the climate change is here and much sooner than most scientists thought. An impressive record setting heat wave causing
wildfires and buckling streets in Europe, destroying crops and suffocating COVID workers in China and triggering heat warnings and advisories for at
least a third of the U.S. population. That's the scope and scale of this thing.
The U.S. president has announced is expected to announce steps to combat climate change later today. But White House officials say he will stop
short of declaring a national emergency which would have unlocked new resources to fight climate change.
So what if anything? Well, this announcement due CNN's Kaitlan Collins spoke to White House National Climate Adviser Gina McCarthy earlier, take a
listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GINA MCCARTHY, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL CLIMATE ADVISER: We have to recognize that this is a problem for our health. It's also an opportunity, however,
to grow good jobs and strengthen our economy and make us more secure.
And so that's what today all is about. And make no mistake, the president isn't going to take no for an answer when it comes to climate action. This
is an emergency and he's going to treat it as such.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And Gina, if he's going to treat it as an emergency, we are told he's not going to declare a
national climate emergency. Why not?
MCCARTHY: Well, that's just not the announcement today. The announcement today is going to be about making the case that climate change is an
emergency outlining action that we're going to be moving forward over the coming weeks.
And the president will make very clear again, that this is an emergency and we are going to act but the president is going to outline that at his pace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, there are calls from all around the world for leaders, not just in the states, but around the world to do a lot more. Joining me now
from Leeds in England is Mike Childs, Head of Science, Policy and Research at the Environmental Campaigning Organization, Friends of the Earth.
And you've got to, you know, you'd be forgiven for being slightly confused as to why it is that the U.S. president wants people to think this is
emergency without him actually declaring a national climate emergency. What's your sense here?
MIKE CHILDS, HEAD OF SCIENCE, POLICY & RESEARCH, FRIENDS OF THE EARTH: Well, the reality is, as your clip showed, Becky that you know, there is a
heat wave across much of Europe and U.S. other parts of the world. Earlier this year, we saw temperatures of 49 and 50 degrees in Asia, extraordinary
temperatures way ahead of what climate scientists were predicting would happen so soon.
You need to remember when you had one degree of global warming so far, and the way policies are heading, we're heading to two or three degrees of
warming. So it's going to get much, much worse unless we take action on it.
And the reality is, we've seen too much during the day, whether that's by politicians here in the UK, or politicians in the United States, or
politicians in other countries as well.
And the people on the front line, of course are those who haven't caused this problem. It tends to be the poorest people, people of color. The most
vulnerable people in our society who tend to use less fossil fuels cause less of a problem, but they're on the frontline of the impacts.
ANDERSON: And I want to revisit that momentarily. Before I do, I spoke to Amos Hochstein earlier on the Biden Administration's Energy Adviser. You've
been highly critical of his role on the U.S. EU Task Force for energy security. Have a listen to a part of what we discussed just earlier on
about the President's announcement later today.
[11:35:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMOS HOCHSTEIN, U.S. PRESIDENTIAL COORDINATOR ON ENERGY STRATEGY: We need the timeframe to be shortened between when we can move on from fossil
fuels, there's no doubt that we still need them. And we don't have enough, both renewable energy for the power sector and, and electric vehicles for
the oil sector.
But we need to do those quickly. And what he's going to demonstrate today is that we can take coal plants and other fossil plants and transition them
in a way that still maintains jobs for the workers that were there.
And to transform us into that next phase of being better stewards of our planet and our climate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Yes, this will be a domestic audience, of course, that the American president is specifically talking to, and he's talking about the
impact on jobs here of a greener environment going forward, but your thoughts on the argument?
CHILDS: Well, we understand, you know the politics that are involved in every country in terms of trying to move this agenda forward. But what is
very difficult to understand is why decision makers aren't, politicians using every lever they can within their power as quickly as they can to
move forward on essentially when.
And it does seem as though we're deferring and delaying and actually also pretending that there's a fantastic future ahead for the fossil fuel
industry. We know the climate science has been clear on this for decades now.
We cannot continue to be keep burning fossil fuels, we just cannot otherwise, that the physics is absolutely clear, we heat up more and more,
we'll see more wildfires, more heat waves, more floods.
And as I said, the people on the frontline will be those who weren't responsible. But the reality is the rest of the world we're looking at
countries like the U.S. and the UK and saying, we're dying here, guys, this is dreadful situation.
We can't grow our crops, is getting the air and living in our country becoming unlivable. And yet you're squabbling, delivering, delaying not
taking the action as needed.
And future generations and current generations aren't going to thank current political leaders unless they show a bit more backbone and less
exemplified time and unless they start investing properly in renewable energy and energy efficiency and the things that we know work.
ANDERSON: Yes, and as we discussed, your organization also found that people of color are four times more likely to live in areas vulnerable to
extreme heat than white people.
And as an organization, you've discussed how governments can address inequality in the fight against climate change. We'll do that again when we
have you back on. Thank you for joining us today.
Well, a show of unity. But what comes next, the real implications of that meeting between Russian Iranian and Turkish leaders is just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:40:00]
ANDERSON: Well if you are a regular viewer of the show, you'll know that the team and I are constantly looking for ways to break down what are the
complex realities of this world in a clear and understandable way.
Sometimes we get lucky and a video comes along that captures the essence of a story in seconds.
Well, there he is, Vladimir Putin waiting and waiting, this goes on for 48 seconds. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is one who he is waiting
for. And the Turkish president putting his Russian counterpart in a holding pattern on Tuesday before they eventually sat down for talks on the
sidelines of what was a trilateral summit in Tehran.
This video was put out by the Turkish presidency and in less than a minute shows or shows how times have changed you see the whole, make the accounts
a pathway. For you is a trick right out of Mr. Putin's playbook.
He last played it on Erdogan in 2020 when the pair met in Moscow. Now it's the Turkish president, a key NATO player still on friendly terms with
Moscow seems to have the upper hand when it comes to the optics game.
Well, a long wait didn't dampen the mood, the Russian president thank Mr. Erdogan praising Ankara's mediation attempts between Russia and Ukraine
over trapped grain, while ignoring the fact that it's Putin's own invasion, which is keeping millions of tons of grain stuck in Ukraine.
Well, my next guest writes in an article "At the end of the day, the trilateral talks were short on major breakthroughs. However, they did
achieve their aim of drawing attention to Russia's continued reach and influence within the multipolar politics in the Middle East".
Well, Sanam Vakil is the Deputy Director of the Middle East North Africa program at Chatham House, and she joins me now live. I live in the UAE and
I have watched now for some years, if not more than a decade, the opportunism that Russia finds the opportunistic behavior by Moscow under
Putin, in the Middle East region, we are seeing that once again.
You also wrote in your article that Iran's pro-Russian posture could be the nail in the coffin for the JCPOA. Let me just say, get you some sound from
Robert Malley, who is U.S. Special Envoy for Iran, this is what he told CNN earlier.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT MALLEY, U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR IRAN: The chance is there. But it's a chance that by definition diminishes by the day. And President Biden said
it very clearly during his trip, are still our objective is to get back into the deal and to hope that Iran will do the same; we'll come back into
compliance with the deal. That is still a strong preference. But that's not an option that's going to be available forever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: What happens next?
SANAM VAKIL, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, CHATHAM HOUSE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA PROGRAMME: Well, Putin is in the Middle East, showing that he is still a
man of stature, that he still has friends. He's seeing two important regional countries, Iran and Turkey. And he is trying to demonstrate that
he's not isolated.
And of course, while the JCPOA was not on the public agenda, since the war broke out, the JCPOA has definitely stalled. And there seems to be no
momentum and getting that deal on line.
So where we go from here is the slow death of the JCPOA and an uptick of escalation in the Middle East. And this comes on the back of Biden's visit,
where he wants to show that America is still engaged.
ANDERSON: Mr. Putin has scored some victories or at least perceptually. If you look at the sort of a headline grabbing news that came out of this,
you've got a resounding backing from Iran's supreme leader for his war in Ukraine.
And Tehran and Moscow announcing a series of steps to increase their cooperation, albeit mostly MOUs, Memorandum of Understanding is both
countries of course, feeling the pinch of Western sanctions. What should we make of this relationship between Tehran and Moscow?
VAKIL: Well, this is a marriage of convenience, a relationship that has had deep historical tensions. But in this moment and this opportunity of the
war, with Iran also being under sanctions, both sides see possibility for greater economic ties and to push back against the West.
Both countries have a shared worldview that the West is trying to unseat them and destabilize their spheres of influence, so that brings them
together.
[11:45:00]
ANDERSON: You see from the region at an effort to de-escalate president talking about the Iranians, I'm talking about the rest of the region, the
Gulf and the wider Middle East.
An effort to de-escalate and sort of come together to build back better as it were going forward, given the perceived vacuum that the U.S. has left or
is leaving, or potentially will leave in the region going forward.
This isn't a de-escalation, as you rightly pointed out, what we are seeing here is some fairly sort of bombastic optics, if not actual rhetoric
itself. And of course, this trip by President Biden came straight after Joe Biden's visit into the region.
The administration's effective energy adviser said this when I spoke to him earlier about whether he thought that Biden trip to the region had been a
success. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOCHSTEIN: The agreement between in OPEC is that there'll be zero additions of supply starting September one. So we're hopeful that those changes based
on the conversations we had leading up to the trip.
And during the trip, I have every confidence that we will see some of those announcements in the coming weeks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, the Biden Administration to be able to lean heavily on the Saudis, which of course, they quite frankly, haven't been able to pump more
gas which they - which they can't, because they haven't got the capacity to do so.
That would have relieved that Biden Administration some more of the need to get this Iran deal done and get Iranian oil and gas back on the market,
wouldn't it?
VAKIL: Yes, well, Iranian oil is on the market at discounted prices. But the great irony here is it's competing also with Russia, who is forcing the
Iranians to further discount the price.
So it just shows the complexity of the relationship is not black and white, but without a JCPOA. Russia can exploit Iran's weaknesses, and Iran can
offer Russia sanctions busting strategies that it's honed very well.
And the reports that Russia might use Iran as a land corridor to export to India and to Asia. So there are a lot of opportunities here for the both
countries to take forward.
ANDERSON: Opportunities. And we started by suggesting the Russians can be very opportunistic in the Middle East. And I think you've neatly laid out
where they see some of those wins as it were in "should they get them".
Thank you very much indeed for joining us and for an even closer look at it. Russia and Iran's complicated relationship and it is a complicated one,
make sure to take a look at CNN's Middle East newsletter.
That's meanwhile in the Middle East cnn.com/middleeast and do subscribe. It's a jolly good read. Up next, the big goodbye! Britain's Outgoing Prime
Minister bids farewell to what was his dream job. We'll take a look at Boris Johnson's declaration mission largely accomplished, that after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH CARETAKER PRIME MINISTER: Mission largely accomplished. For now, I want to thank you, Mr. Speaker; I want to thank
all the wonderful stuff that's going on. All my friends and colleagues, opposite Mr. Speaker, I want to thank everybody here and Hasta Lavista,
baby, thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[11:50:00]
ANDERSON: Boris Johnson bidding farewell to the political front line in the British Parliament a short time ago was political theater at Bob's
raucousness and as you can hear, it got some applause at least from one side of the chamber.
The outgoing UK Prime Minister was taking a bow during his final time at the dispatch box. Well, earlier this month, Mr. Johnson said he would
resign after his scandal ridden administration lost in support of many in his ruling conservative party in the race to replace him then it's down to
the final.
Two candidates, former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak versus Foreign Secretary Liz Truss well, CNN's Bianca Nobilo pretty much eat sleeps, eats
and sleeps British politics these days here to join me.
There is absolutely no chance that he will be back anytime soon. I saw some talk today that these two candidates for his job could possibly be joined
by Boris Johnson himself as a third?
BIANCA NOBILO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Or even the cadence of the way. He said his departing remarks the missions accomplish for now, I want to thank, it
almost sounded like he could be saying you might be back like Arnold Schwarzenegger.
But definitely for now, it is these two candidates; one of them will become prime minister. There was this outpouring of support from Boris Johnson
last minute from the Conservative Party around 2000 members wrote and said that they wanted him to be an option for the next leadership contest.
But that's not happening. And there's a big question mark over what the prime minister is--
ANDERSON: He's been shouting gifts, or at least one gift.
NOBILO: Yes. Well, so he was presented with volumes written by Winston Churchill about the Second World War. We know that Boris Johnson is a huge
Churchill fan has modeled him in some ways.
Those who are close to him say on Winston Churchill. And he did say Churchill that history will be kind to me, because I intend to write it and
Boris Johnson likes to write books about him and figures in history. So who knows, you might have a very interesting to me about the last few years
coming out soon.
ANDERSON: Well, I wouldn't be surprised in the least I have read quite a lot of what he's written, actually. He's a very good writer. That's
bombastic.
NOBILO: Yes, bombastic stuff, I got something in my office.
ANDERSON: So how will we remember Boris Johnson as prime minister?
NOBILO: The legacy at the moment depends entirely on who you ask. Obviously delivering Brexit it will depend on whether or not you thought that was a
good idea or a bad idea. He broke the deadlock.
But that's still an open question. The Northern Ireland protocol isn't sorted. That is one of the biggest issues going forward. He'll be
remembered for that for bringing the Conservative Party towards a historic election victory and success bringing over voters they've never had before.
But then he lost it. He lost it all. I think mainly he'll be remembered for perhaps his hubris and some pyrrhic victories he had. And the fact that he
had so much within his grasp and so much potential.
But it seemed to have been squandered by character flaws and impulses that he had and the fact that he felt that he was different. So when we look
ahead at these two candidates, neither of them stacks up at the moment in terms of their ability to dominate the political scene in the way that
Boris Johnson did there.
They just don't come across in a way that's particularly charismatic either than Rishi Sunak is a bit more of a slick operator. But it's been quite a
nasty battle so far, and the Conservative Party is deeply divided in large part because of Johnson. So the next few weeks are likely Becky to be even
worse.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NOBILO (voice over): Knives out and bitter rivalries. The battle for Britain's Prime Minister is now in the knockout round. First up the
establishment candidate Rishi Sunak slick some say to slick former chancellor worked in investment banking, Oxford and Stanford educated
fiscal conservatives, calling tax cut promises.
RISHI SUNAK: It's a fairy tale.
NOBILO (voice over): In the other corner hawkish Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who says that she'll call Putin out directly. Remainder turns Brexit
here, libertarian pro tax cuts sometimes gaffe prone.
TRUSS: In December, I'll be in Beijing opening up new pork markets.
NOBILO (voice over): Held several high profile government positions and claims.
TRUSS: I am ready to be prime minister from day one.
NOBILO (voice over): It's been a dizzying fortnight in British politics. First, the resignation of Boris Johnson - triggering a leadership contest
in which candidates pounded each other. 10 days of knockouts and dropouts, as conservative members of parliament voted in five rounds are shrinking a
field of 11 potential prime ministers to two, choosing not just a leader of their party, but a prime minister too. The public punch up within the Tory
party has been nothing but damaging.
TRUSS: Rishi, you've have raised taxes to the highest level in 70 years?
SUNAK: its tax that tax and another tax and it will all be OK. But you know what? It won't.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been on the front line in Afghanistan and Iraq.
SUNAK: It's not just wrong, it's dangerous.
FREDDY GRAY, DEPUTY EDITOR, THE SPECTATOR: It is a fight to the death; it's a political death match. And we're now into the final two. And given how
nasty it's been so far, I think we can only expect it to get nastier.
[11:55:00]
NOBILO (voice over): Who wins the last round will be up to less than 200,000 Conservative Party members.
NOBILO (on camera): Rishi Sunak is the clear favorite. He has had MPs in his corner from the start, but having served as Boris Johnson's Chancellor
for two years; he is most closely associated with them.
Liz Truss is often compared to Margaret Thatcher, the iron lady. She's been emphasizing traditional conservatism to mop up votes on the right. Sunak
and Truss hold neck and neck with party membership, so this will be a close one.
NOBILO (voice over): The countdown is on until the fifth of September when the next prime minister will be announced, the head to head contest likely
to become an even bloodier barrel.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, Bianca Nobilo calling the shots inside the room there. Thank you very much indeed. And this The Gathering Storm by Winston
Churchill is the, not just bedtime reading.
But one assumes a garden reading for the former prime minister going forward when he is, that is Boris Johnson and that is the end of the show
for you folks. See you same time tomorrow.
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[12:00:00]
END
