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Hamas Will Not Attend Ceasefire Negotiations; Father Loses Wife and Newborn Twins in Israeli Airstrike on Gaza; U.S. Inflation Falls to Lowest Level since 2021; U.S. Presidential Candidates Set to Pitch Economic Policies; Ukraine Says Forces Advancing in Russia; Sudan Peace Talks Kick Off in Geneva; Footballer Vinicius Junior Offered $1 Billion Plus to Play in Saudi Arabia. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired August 14, 2024 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN London, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): Yes, this is the second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson in London, where it's 3pm, 10 am in
New York, 6 pm in Abu Dhabi, this show's usual home. Your headlines this hour.
A diplomatic source tells CNN Hamas will not officially attend negotiations tomorrow for a ceasefire and hostage deal with Israel. What they are
prepared to do is coming up.
Ukraine says its forces are pushing further into Russia and controlling more territory.
And annual inflation in the United States slows to a level not seen in more than three years.
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ANDERSON: One day ahead of what are critical Gaza ceasefire negotiations a diplomatic source tells CNN that Hamas will not be attending. Now the
source says they are open to meeting with negotiators or mediators after the negotiations.
So in the lead up to these talks, Hamas had been unclear on its intentions with one source saying they've been intentionally ambiguous. Meantime high-
ranking U.S. officials are in the region and they are making a last-ditch effort to secure a deal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMOS HOCHSTEIN, STATE DEPARTMENT SENIOR ADVISER FOR GLOBAL ENERGY SECURITY: We have to take advantage of this window for diplomatic action and
diplomatic solutions. That time is now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Right.
We are just learning that CIA director Bill Burns also expected in Doha this week where those talks will go ahead. Kevin Liptak is at the White
House, Nic Robertson back with us from Tel Aviv.
Nic, very briefly before I get to Kevin and we sort of look at what this -- what's being negotiated, what the framework of this plan is this week, what
do we understand Hamas' position to be at this point?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, their sticking points are that there's a framework that President Biden has put forward. And if
Israel talks about that and moves toward endorsing that and embracing that, then they're willing to meet with the mediators afterwards.
This sort of separate and sequential meetings is normal. But this is an indication that if Israel does what they would like it to do, then they're
willing to engage; if not, the implication is they won't. And what they're looking for is that Israel is not going to put on the table demands that
they can continue to control the border with Egypt.
The Philadelphi corridor, which they control right now, that Israel will not demand that it will control the Rafah crossing. That's the principal
border crossing into Egypt from Gaza, that there will be a right, a free, right of return for displaced people in Gaza, even to the north.
Carrying with them whatever they want to carry, even if -- and this is what got was a sticking point last time -- its weapons. And they also want --
they also want to have a sort of full humanitarian rebuilding.
If those points aren't met and additionally, the issue of Palestinian prisoner release, they don't want Israel to have a veto over who gets
released.
If those issues come up, this is what we understand, if those issues come up, then, for them, that's going to -- that's going to imply that Netanyahu
isn't really about engaging and is just, what, in their words, essentially, talking, is essentially playing for time.
ANDERSON: Well, let's, Kevin, bring you in. The U.S. president first publicly put forward the details of this deal in May. And Hamas responded
in kind at the beginning of July. Little progress has been made.
What are we hearing from the U.S. president out of these talks?
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, he's being fairly frank that the talks are getting harder and that progress is getting harder even
though, when you talk to American officials, they do continue to insist that the differences between these two sides are not that large on paper.
And in fact, President Biden, when he was traveling yesterday in New Orleans, kind of addressed this for the first time in several days. Listen
to just a little bit of what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)?
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's getting horrible.
We'll see what Iran does. And we'll see what happens if there's any attack.
[10:05:00]
But I'm not giving up.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) together?
Do you have the understanding that Iran could (INAUDIBLE) doing an action if a ceasefire deal was talked about?
BIDEN: That's my expectation. And we'll see.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIPTAK: So you can see there the president linking this potential reaction from Iran to this ceasefire deal really gives you a sense of how important
and how central the White House views these hostage negotiations.
They really do believe this is the linchpin to lowering tensions not only in Gaza but across the entire region. And of course, President Biden has
made this sort of a central facet of his remaining months in office.
Now that he's not running for president, his focus is very much in Gaza. It could unlock this broader normalization agreement that he's trying to
pursue between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
It's part of the reason that he has dispatched these very senior officials, Amos Hochstein, who you heard from in the lead-in there but also Brett
McGurk to the region to try and come up with what they're calling a bridging proposal to help these two sides come to some kind of agreement
and put aside their differences on Thursday in Doha.
ANDERSON: Joe Biden's assertion that ceasefire and hostage deal may stop Iranian retaliation for the assassination of the Hamas leader is somewhat
contradictory to what we have been hearing from sources behind the scenes.
Can we just provide a little bit more detail?
ROBERTSON: Yes. Look after the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Iran vowing that it would respond and a senior Hezbollah commander killed
the day before in Beirut and Hezbollah vowing to respond and strike Israel.
There was a real flurry of intense diplomatic activity to try to talk and get both Hezbollah and particularly Iran away from those kind of actions.
There was put into play this diplomatic play to try to say to Iran, look, we'll get something positive out of ceasefire talks over Gaza.
That will give you an opportunity to sort of save face and walk away, saying you're putting the Palestinians' welfare and well-being ahead of
your own desire and as they say, right to respond to Israel.
So that was out there. But I think as we got closer and closer to talks, the reality has been that the talks don't appear to be any different, so
far, at least, than anything we've seen so far. And for that reason, the expectation behind the scenes is that this won't stop Iran striking back in
Israel.
What it may do is minimize the type of strikes, something that will be within the bounds of international sort of military conflict; i.e., not
striking a civilian location and then incurring a massive response from Israel.
But even though that's not clear. As far back as 24 hours ago now, diplomatic sources in the region were saying that there was a possibility
that Iran could still take a maximalist position.
ANDERSON: And these are high stakes talks in Doha. There is a lot going on in the region and a lot of it is frankly quite unclear at this point. It is
clearer, for example, the U.S. position is in all of this. We await more as we move through the next hours. Thank you both.
Talk of a ceasefire, of course, is a very long way from an actual ceasefire. And Israeli strikes continue across Gaza. Hamas health officials
estimate nearly 40,000 Palestinians have been killed since this war started.
In the past 24 hours alone, the ministry says more than 30 people were killed in Israeli strikes, including 3-day-old twins and their mother.
CNN's Jeremy Diamond has what is a heartbreaking report.
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JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: How do you console a man whose whole world has been shattered?
A man who hours earlier was locked in the warm embrace of his wife and newborn babies. But now cries out in agony begging to see them one last
time.
His new horrific reality is too much to bear. His wife and twin babies are dead, killed in an Israeli strike on their apartment in central Gaza
according to hospital officials.
Aysal (ph) and her brother Aser (ph) were just three days old. The Palestinian ministry of health says they are among 115 infants born and
killed during the war in Gaza.
Hours earlier, their mother, Jumana (ph), a pharmacist, was blissfully responding to congratulations and well wishes on Facebook.
"I feel like it was a miracle, Alhamdulillah sister.
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Everything is going well."
Jumana (ph), Aysal (ph) and Aser (ph) now lie here in a room consumed with Mohammad's inconsolable grief.
"These are the birth certificates," he says. "While I was getting them, I received a phone call telling me our apartment was targeted and that my
wife and children were at Al-Aqsa Hospital."
Neighbors are still sifting through the aftermath of that strike. Hospital officials saying Israeli shell hit the building. The Israeli military did
not respond to CNN's request for comments.
The victims of several other strikes in central Gaza also pour into Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital where more parents grieve the deaths of their children.
"How can I live after you, my son," this mother cries.
Amid the grief there is also anger and exasperations including from a dead man's father.
"The entire unjust world does not care about this. That's all I can say," Hassan says. "Just numbers. We are just numbers. But for God we are
martyrs."
One by one, their bodies are brought out of the morgue so the living can pray for the dead, including nine-month-old Jamal (ph) and his father, Uday
(ph).
Mohammad is performing the same rituals for his wife and twin babies. But prayers offer little comfort for a man who has lost everything, for a new
father with no children to raise.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN -- Haifa, Israel.
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ANDERSON: Ukrainian forces say they are on the move and picking up more territory in Russia. Russia says it's stopping Ukraine from going deep into
its territory. Ukraine also says it attacked Russian airfields and shot down a Russian fighter jet. The Kremlin claiming it destroyed more than 100
Ukrainian drones.
Kyiv's offensive in the Kursk region is now in its second week. As Ukraine says, it is creating a security zone on Russian soil. An emergency
declaration is now in place nearby in Belgorod as thousands flee. We have seen a lot of activity today. Let's turn to CNN's Fred Pleitgen for more.
Fred, you and I have been talking for a week now and more about what was a surprise Ukrainian incursion into Russian territory, into Russia. Surprised
the Kremlin, surprised the West.
What are you hearing very specifically about what is happening on the ground?
And why?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think there's several things that are so surprising for everyone, Becky, is the fact that
first of all, Ukrainians were completely able to mask the fast of this incursion into Russian territory was going to take place.
But the other thing is really how much momentum there still really is. And you're absolutely right, there's a bunch of events that have happened today
that really are remarkable, considering we are now on day eight of this incursion that is taking place.
The Ukrainians, once again today saying that they are continuing to take territory and they are continuing to take Russian prisoners of war. Of
course, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, he has said that the Ukrainians want to exchange those prisoners for Ukrainians who are being
held in captivity by the Russians.
The Ukrainians for their part are not showing any signs of wanting to slow down. They do say they are seeing resistance from the Russians, that the
Russians are trying to push them back. But they also say that their forces are still advancing.
I want to listen in to a little segment of a video call that happened between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his top general earlier today, let's have a
look.
It looks like we don't -- we don't have that sound bite there. But I'll paraphrase it for you. Essentially, what Oleksandr Syrskyi told the
Ukrainian president is, he said that the Ukrainians had advanced about one to two kilometers just on this day alone.
That's starting on Wednesday. And that they taken at least 100 Russians as prisoner just in the early hours of today. So the Ukrainians definitely
still moving forward. The Russians saying they're repelling all that.
One of the things that were seeing, Becky, again today is the Russians putting out video of their air force bombing Ukrainian positions. They
showed a bombed out Ukrainian vehicle as well. But at the same time more evacuations on Russian territory and the Ukrainians saying they're moving
forward.
And also trying to help that move forward, also, with those attacks on those Russian airfields that you were talking about as well, Becky.
ANDERSON: Where does this leave the war more than 2.5, nearly 2.5 years in?
We will have more on that.
Thank you, Fred.
I'm going to talk with Carl Bildt of the European Council on Foreign Relations just a few minutes from now.
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Ahead on CONNECT THE WORLD, a positive inflation report for the U.S. economy as inflation drops to a point not seen in more than three years.
What that will mean for the presidential candidates, who are, of course, locked in a very tight race.
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ANDERSON: Annual inflation in the United States has eased to a level not seen in over three years. The Consumer Price Index or CPI shows that prices
increased 2.9 percent for the 12 months ending in July.
And that is the first time the CPI has been below 3 percent since March of 2021. And with less than three months to go until the presidential
election, these numbers are surely going to be scrutinized by the candidates.
Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are both set to make economic pitches to voters this week. Trump gives a speech later today in North Carolina where
he is expected to focus on economic achievements during his own presidency.
Harris set to lay out her economic policies on Friday. So let's talk more about these numbers and the political impact. Julia Chatterley joins us,
anchor of "FIRST MOVE" for her here on CNN, and Eva McKend covering the Harris campaign.
I think, Julia, let me start with you, because we need to do a bit of a deep dive on what we've learned today from this data, because I want to
talk about how these presidential candidates are likely to work with it this week.
And I think there's stuff in there for both campaigns, frankly. Just explain.
JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN ANCHOR: I couldn't agree more with you, Becky, on that point. And I will explain. What we're seeing is trend is your friend,
the rising prices that we've seen are softening but of course, prices are still going up.
This is a better-than-expected number at 2.9 percent annualized. The monthly move though was all about the cost of housing, what we call
shelter. That rose more than double what we saw last month. And that's going to remain a thorn in the Federal Reserve's side for a presidential
candidate or prospective one.
How about we talk about some affordable housing? That might be an idea. Gas prices were expected to hurt us. They didn't. They were flat on the month.
My overall view on this is it's consistent with a quarter of a percentage point cut from the Federal Reserve in September though nothing more.
So you could argue that helps the Biden administration at this time. What hurts and what is a great talking point for the former president is not
really what's in this number. It's what it says about how far prices have gone over the last two years.
I can show you some of the costs that people are facing and how things have risen. Shelter is up 13 percent over the last two years, electricity up 10
percent, food and beverages up 8 percent, transportation up 18 percent.
So I know I'm telling you that these numbers are good and fine. We hope to see a rate cut from the Federal Reserve in September.
[10:20:02]
But for voters out there, these are the pain points and this is what they're dealing with on a daily basis.
So when we hear from both candidates this week, Becky, how about some solutions rather than just sympathy and how you tackle these -- ?
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Absolutely. Absolutely.
Julia talking about the cost of living on Main Street, of course, and why policy going forward is going to be really important to voters.
Eva, we saw what was billed the Kamala crash, the crash of the stock markets or the rout in the stock markets beginning of last week. The
Republicans, very specifically the Trump campaign, likes to concentrate on Wall Street perhaps more so than on Main Street.
They were calling what happened on Wall Street last week the Kamala crash.
How is she trying to prove to Americans that she is the right person to lead this economy?
And are they listening at this point?
EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Becky, as you can imagine, they push back against that characterization and they argue that
it is them and not Republicans that are principally concerned about the everyday American worker.
They argue that a second Trump administration would bring more tax cuts for the rich. She is going to roll out her economic policy formally on Friday.
And what we expect her to do is talk about eliminating taxes on tips for hospitality workers.
That of course, getting a lot of attention and because that's something that president Trump also supports. She'll talk about her legacy of taking
on price gouging. She was attorney general in California prior to becoming vice president, a senator as well. And that was a real area of focus for
her.
She'll talk about banning hidden fees and surprise late charges. And then maybe most consequentially, Becky, she'll talk about taking on corporate
landlords by capping unfair rent increases.
One of the consistent and persistent issues we hear from American voters is the high cost of living, the cost to buy a house but also the cost of rent.
And so she has a plan that she's previewed.
She talks about it on the campaign trail, to really aggressively go after these corporate landlords, buying up all of these properties and making it
so difficult for Americans to buy and to rent.
ANDERSON: And Eva, those cost of living issues that you've just described, Julia will back me up on this, resonate here where I am in the U.K., very
specifically things that were talked about in the last election when the Labour Party took over from the Conservatives.
And promises being made on some of what you have been discussing here in the U.K. as well. It's going to be really interesting to see and to listen
to both these candidates. Both, of course, in North Carolina, coincidentally, over the next couple of days. This economic policy is going
to be really important, particularly to those voters who haven't already made up their minds.
Good to have you both. Thank you very much, indeed.
Ukraine, on the move inside Russia. Yep, you heard me right, as Kyiv claims law territory. We'll talk with Swedish diplomat Carl Bildt about what this
move by Kyiv inside Russia and on Russian facilities means for this conflict.
Plus new peace talks aimed at ending Sudan's war kick off in Geneva as the humanitarian crisis continues to worsen in the African nation. More on that
coming up.
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ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. Here is what war is looking and sounding like in Russia.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Ukraine says it's taken another kilometer or two of Russian territory today while pounding Russian airfields with drones
overnight. Russia says, it is keeping Ukrainian forces from advancing too deep and has destroyed more than 100 drones and missiles.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well my next guest writes in an essay in "Foreign Policy," coming out later today, about the political implications of the offensive.
Carl Bildt says, and I quote him here, "The offensive has demonstrated that the war isn't a long and painful road to an inevitable Ukrainian defeat --
the Kremlin line that is being echoed by many in the West, including U.S. vice presidential candidate JD Vance -- but very much an open affair.
"In this situation, it is important to look at every way in which Ukraine's backers can increase their support with the clear and now more realistic
aim of shortening the war."
Carl Bildt joins me now from Croatia today.
And Carl, it's good to have. You pointed out the stark difference in the territory Ukraine has managed to take in Russia in a matter of days,
compared to what Russia has taken on the front lines in Kharkiv in the last three months.
And let's be quite frank. This is the first time in a very long time, if not in the entire war, where we've seen Ukraine really on the front foot.
Are you confident they can sustain their efforts while holding on to their positions in their own territory?
CARL BILDT, FORMER SWEDISH PRIME MINISTER: OK.
ANDERSON: Can you hear me?
We are going to get Carl Bildt back for you.
Let's have a look at what else is on your radar right now. And we'll get back if we can to Carl Bildt.
These are our stories. In Tokyo, Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida announced that he will not run for reelection of his party and will step
down as prime minister next month. There were calls for him to resign as leader of the long ruling Liberal Democratic Party after a string of
political scandals.
A report in Thailand has removed the country's prime minister from officer. He was accused of violating the constitution by appointing someone who had
served prison time to his cabinet. The ruling coalition will now nominate a new candidate.
The Bangladesh accord has opened a murder investigation focusing on the former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and six other top figures. That's
according to state media, who say the case involves the police killing of a man during recent protests before Hasina fled to India.
Right.
I want to explore a story that has the potential to move diplomatically for the first time in a very long time. To do so we must understand what
connects Geneva to Khartoum (ph) right now. Long-delayed Sudan peace talks are being convened in Geneva by the U.S. special envoy to Sudan.
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Along with multiple partners from the region where this show is based, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Now these talks, just about the only glimmer of hope in more than a year of war, were delayed because neither warring party seems committed to finding
peace. The Rapid Support Forces or RSF, at least, showing up in Geneva.
The Sudanese Armed Forces, the country's military that's come to be known as the SAF, isn't even represented. U.S. special envoy Tom Perriello called
that out this week.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM PERRIELLO, U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY TO SUDAN: We could not continue to delay these talks and that the trajectory of those delays were not to the benefit
of the Sudanese people. Quite frankly, I don't think they were to the benefit of SAF either. But I will leave that to their judgment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: But he says partners are determined.
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PERRIELLO: it is still our goal to do everything we can along with our source and Saudi co-hosts and the participation of Egypt, the UAE, the
African Union, the U.N, that we can make progress this week.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: But what would that progress look like?
Here he is again, with more.
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PERRIELLO: We will draw on the partnerships and consultations that got us here, focus on the international and regional road map, working with many
of the people who have -- countries and multilaterals that have been most intensely engaged in trying to solve this crisis.
To work on what we can do together for a cessation of violence and humanitarian access and, again, convening these technical experts, many
from the region, as well as from here, who can really dig into where we can find breakthroughs, that get food and medicine and civilian protection to
people who live in fear every day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Here on CONNECT THE WORLD. I've spoken to many of those technical experts that know what needs to be done. In May, I heard from the
World Food Programme's deputy executive director and CEO, Carl Skau. Here's what he told me.
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CARL SKAU, DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME: I mean, security is one concern, no doubt.
But we are also ready to take risks when we need to, to save lives and to avert famine. And so we're ready to go. We really need is clearance and
permission to move from all the different parties.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Will the access issues faced by the WFP be on the table at these talks in Geneva?
We plan to stay across it over the next 10 days to see exactly where and how small breakthroughs may be made because, with one warring faction not
even showing up, there is, of course, little hope of fundamental change.
Of course more on that as we get it. Right. We were talking about Ukraine's surprise incursion that continues into Russia and what this might mean for
the war now, 2.5 years in.
Carl Bildt is a diplomat, Swedish diplomat, joining me now from Croatia.
And Carl, we were talking about a piece that you've penned for "Foreign Policy," in which you pointed out the stark difference in the territory
Ukraine has managed to take in Russia in a matter of days compared to what Russia has taken on the front lines in Ukraine in the last three months.
This image encouraging for those who want to see Ukraine succeed, of course.
How confident are you that Kyiv can sustain their efforts in Russia, and let's discuss what they mean by those efforts, while also holding on to
their positions in their own territory, sir?
BILDT: That, of course, remains to be seen. I think the significance of what has been happening the last week with the -- with the first offensive
(ph) is primarily political. What it will mean militarily remains to be seen. But the fact that they are still holding on and indeed expanding of
the week is indeed remarkable.
But it has changed the entire political picture. I mean, Putin has, since the rather unsuccessful Ukraine in terms of the counter offensive last
summer, he has tried to build up the narrative that sort of, village by village, we will grind down Ukraine. There was really no way they can
succeed.
It was only a matter of time until he could win. That's what he's been trying to build up inside Russia and national. And then suddenly, out of
the blue, comes this and destroys that particular narrative.
ANDERSON: What do you understand to be the consequences of this change in narrative?
I'm trying to get to why it is that Ukraine has pushed this incursion now.
[10:35:00]
And what it means for the war and the potential for some sort of brokered peace going forward?
BILDT: Well, I think it changes the political atmosphere. It changes the morale, the spirit. And in Kyiv (ph), it's up obviously, where it's been
somewhat subdued for a couple of months. And in Moscow it's disarray and pessimism, where it is heading.
So I think it's a completely different picture of the war where it's heading. While before the Kursk offensive, there was these, a lot of
peoples or grad in part to Ukrainian defeat. Now, it's a different race, it's a different situation.
ANDERSON: Carl, one has to assume -- and we can't stand this up for sure - - but I think it's a good assumption the Western supplied weaponry is being used at this point.
Should what Western weapons be used to attack inside Russia?
There was a very big discussion about that when Ukraine had been pushing in its, the first 18 months for extra supplies about whether or not they
should ever be used in and on Russia or on Russia, in Russia.
And how concerned are you that the use of Western supplied weapons could actually trigger a wider escalation between Russia and the West?
BILDT: I'm not overly concerned about that, I have to confess. It was -- it had been one thing if the Ukrainians have said we have that to conquer
Ukrainian -- sorry -- conquer Russian territory forever.
But they make clear that they have no intention to conquer Russian territory permanently. This is part of the defense of Ukraine. It's an
offensive operation that changes the political logic of the war.
And as such, I think we should see it as part of their role in defense of Ukraine, that we are and should be supporting even more in this particular
situation, where we see they are actually achieving results.
ANDERSON: I've just got some new information into CNN from Dmytro Kholod, who is the Ukrainian military command or a Ukrainian military command.
I just want you and our viewers to have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DMYTRO KHOLOD, UKRAINIAN MILITARY COMMANDER (through translator): The Russians are now trying to stop our advance. They have pulled in reserves
which has benefited our Defense Forces in other areas because it's become easier to work there.
We have information that reserves were pulled from the Zaporizhzhya, Crimea and Kharkiv regions to stop our advance. Of course, it will be harder for
us to advance further. But we will still advance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Carl, what one would expect that Russia would respond to this sort of move by Ukraine.
But what do you make of what he has just said?
BILDT: I think it shows the strength of the Ukrainian offensive, that the Russians are now forced to draw forces from other parts of its war. That
might have been sort of a byproduct that Ukrainians were aiming at.
But it clearly shows that the Russians' already difficult position there are forces in the Kursk (ph) region, evidently unable to contain the Russia
-- the Ukrainian incursion.
And they have to draw forces from other parts of the front. Let's see what happens. But this was an development that I think was broadly expected. I
expected a couple of days ago to be quite frank.
ANDERSON: Yes, fascinating.
Carl, it's good to have you, always a pleasure. Thank you very much indeed.
Carl Bildt in the house for you. We will be right back.
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ANDERSON: Well, take a look at this number: $1 billion. That is how much Real Madrid football star Vinicius Junior has been reportedly offered in a
lucrative deal to play in Saudi Arabia.
I mean, I use the term "lucrative" loosely here. Reuters reports a five- year contract offer is worth around $218 million per season, plus bonuses. The 24-year-old Brazilian has become one of the club's standout players in
recent years. He is reportedly studying the offer.
You may recall last year French striker Kylian Mbappe reportedly rejected a $775 million deal to join Saudi club al-Hilal. That's one of the four
founding teams of the Saudi Pro League, which are majority owned by the country's Sovereign Wealth Fund.
Well in today's parting shots for you, the Paris Olympic showed us not only that sport is booming in the Middle East and North Africa but the athletes
from the region can compete with the world's best, just a few examples.
French born Algerian Kaylia Nemour became Africa's first ever gold medalist in gymnastics, taking gold for her performance on the uneven bars.
Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco successfully defended his gold medal in the steeplechase.
Egypts Ahmed Algendi topped the podium in the men's modern pentathlon after setting world record with 1,555 points.
And Qatar's Mutaz Barshim secured his fourth ever medal, becoming most decorated high jumper in Olympic history.
Those are just some of the ways that Arab athletes shined in the Summer Games.
That's it for CONNECT THE WORLD, normally broadcast from Abu Dhabi. This week in London for you. Stay with CNN. "MARKETPLACE ASIA" is up next.
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