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Trump on His Way to Alaska for Summit with Putin; Trump Spoke to Putin Ally Lukashenko Ahead of Summit; Israeli Minister Confronts Jailed Palestinian Leader; D.C. Residents Protest Federal Takeover of U.S. Capital. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired August 15, 2025 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:07]
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN London, this is CONNECT THE WORLD.
CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Welcome to the second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Christina MacFarlane in London where the time is
just after 3:00 p.m.
U.S. President Donald Trump is on his way to Alaska for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin that he summarized in two words in social
media before leaving. "High stakes."
There is potentially a lot on the line as Mr. Trump tries to convince his Russian counterpart to end the war in Ukraine. Here's what the president
told reporters on board Air Force One before leaving.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think along with Europe and other countries, not in the form of NATO, because that's not going to, you
know, there are certain things that aren't going to happen, but I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine. I'm here to get them at a table. And I'm not
doing this for my health. OK? I don't need it. I'd like to focus on our country, but I'm doing this to save a lot of lives.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said today, "We are counting on America," pointing to this summit as a pathway to a trilateral
summit involving himself, Putin and President Trump. But there remains skepticism in Europe about whether Putin has any desire to reach peace on
terms Ukraine and European leaders will be willing to accept. U.S. official tells CNN that all options are on the table today in Alaska, including
President Trump walking out of the summit early if he doubts Putin is serious about ending the war.
Well, CNN international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson joins me now from Washington.
And, Nic, you know, Russia appears to be going into this summit with a more solidified position than the United States, who've been approaching this in
a much more organic way. And I think that is reflected in a lot of the conflicting messages we've heard from Donald Trump even in the past hour or
so on board Air Force One.
Can you bring us up to date on everything we've been hearing?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, it's tracked all the way from sort of territorial exchanges to this is going into a
listening phase. That's what Trump said he's going to do with Putin, see if Putin is serious about a ceasefire. He said that he wants to get a
ceasefire. That's the only thing that counts. Then he wants to get that quickly. He said that he'll learn in the first two, three, four, five
minutes if Putin is serious.
But there's a lot more that sort of freighted in on this for both leaders, particularly President Putin, who really wants to by every measure of his
past performance and what his troops are doing on the battlefield in Ukraine is buy time to continue to make incremental advances inside of --
inside of Ukraine.
And for President Trump to come out of this with something that he can sell, that says he is a peacemaker, that he is capable of working with
President Putin, somebody he's previously described as somebody he understands who he feels close to, you know, to the point that we've heard
from President Trump before the meeting, shortly before this meeting, saying that if all goes well on the Ukraine front, then they'll get to talk
about bigger economic issues.
This is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We get along. There's a good respect level on both sides. And I think, you know, something is going to come of it. I notice he's bringing a
lot of business people from Russia, and that's good. I like that because they want to do business, but they're not doing business until we get the
war settled.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: So of course this is what really unsettles European leaders and President Zelenskyy that, you know, when they had the Coalition of the
Willing meeting just a couple of days ago to sort of preset their views on what they hope come -- comes out of this meeting today between Putin and
Trump is quite simply a ceasefire first. This is what must happen if there's going to be negotiations.
This is the litmus test for the Europeans. And it will be a litmus test, not just of Trumps ability to persuade Putin or get the ceasefire in
Ukraine, but really of transatlantic relations. If Trump is unable to walk out of this high stakes meeting, as he says, without a gain, something on
the table, a ceasefire, that is really -- that is really going to damage Europe's relationship with Trump, which is already damaged. It's not over
by any stretch, but it really sets it back another step.
MACFARLANE: Yes. And there is a lot of concern that, you know, this summit is going to be more about optics rather than substance. And as we consider
the European position, I mean, we've been hearing messages from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the last hour saying he is counting on Trump to
convince Russia to end the war.
I mean, what is the feeling of there being any chance of progress coming out of this meeting that is going to be advantageous towards the Ukrainian
position?
[10:05:08]
ROBERTSON: It really comes down to that very simple fact. If Putin is willing to stop the war and call a ceasefire and negotiate, and as Ukraine
would like, negotiate his way back out of Ukraine, which includes Donbas, which includes Kherson, which includes Zaporizhzhia regions, which he's
absolutely not willing to do. There's every indication he plans to push forward and we kind of got a sense of that from the Russian Foreign
Minister Sergey Lavrov, his sort of sartorial statement, if you will, on his shirt going in USSR.
Diplomatically truculent, if you will, is how it would be interpreted in many places. The statement is quite simply, USSR. You know, the Soviet
Union, Moscow ran Ukraine. What are the -- you know, that Russia's top diplomat goes in with that meeting, what sense can you possibly take from
that or is intended to be taken that Russia is in -- is in the mood for backing down.
So, you know, it is -- it is for Trump to be able to do something with Putin that Putin doesn't think Trump will be able to do. Putin thinks he
has the upper hand. He has it diplomatically. He has it in intelligence terms, and Trump clearly values the economic potential prospects with
Russia. His reference that today, we were just listening to it. So both leaders will come out of this and play this as a win for themselves, for
their countries.
What was hugely interesting when they met in Helsinki, that bilateral meeting back in 2018 is we heard President Trump's version, and then
shortly after, through Russian media and the Russian press conferences, we heard the Russian version, the Kremlin's version, and actually it gave
insights into things that President Trump wasn't speaking about. Didn't mention that they discussed inside the meeting.
So it will be very interesting to listen to both of them, and particularly to how the Kremlin characterizes and gives details from the meeting because
last time that was not quite on message with Trump. If they're standing side by side this time, that could be different. But both of them are going
to come out and try to play this as a win. That's clear.
MACFARLANE: And just talking briefly about what might come from this summit beyond just talks of peace with Ukraine, I mean, Donald Trump was speaking
there on Air Force One a short time ago, saying, it looks like the Russian delegation are bringing a lot of financial economic experts to Alaska, I
mean, if we look at those individuals that Putin is bringing to the summit, what does that tell you about his intention to cut economic deals, restore
diplomatic relations with the U.S.? And what might they be focused on in that regard?
ROBERTSON: Yes. Number one goal for Putin is to be able to win the war in Ukraine and to diminish Ukraine's economic stability, to prevent NATO or
NATO nations having any military presence inside Ukraine whatsoever. Number -- that's his number one mission. Number two is to be able to come out
looking like he's on top, and that would -- if he succeeded in number one, then number two he will. But he wants to be able to improve relations with
the United States because he wants to divide the United States from Europe.
And, you know, President Putin in his relations with President Xi in China, both leaders would like nothing better than to see a weakened transatlantic
alliance. And that will be a win for Putin if he can persuade Trump that somehow they can do good things for peace in the world. The new START,
strategic arms limitation agreements, due to expire next year. Russia abrogated the terms of it a couple of years ago. Putin suggesting that
could be back on the table for discussion.
By using that as a context to suggest these are two great powers. The two countries are much more aligned. It's NATO, it's the European partners that
are the troublemakers, that are trying to stir up trouble in Ukraine and make a mess that Trump is coming to clear up. You know, if Putin can
persuade Trump of that, that's another win for Putin. He wants to weaken every opposition to him. And that particularly is NATO. And that is
particularly driving a wedge between European partners and the United States. And this, that is, as Trump says today, it is high stakes.
MACFARLANE: Yes. Nic, we appreciate you joining us there live from Washington.
[10:10:02]
Let's get the view now from inside Ukraine as CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is reporting any peace deal would need to involve an agreement on the
territory Russia currently occupies.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Any peace deal in Ukraine is going to ultimately be about land. When President Trump
talks about swapping territories, this is Russian occupied areas. But it's these three parts here, black surrounded, that have always been part of
Russian President Vladimir Putin's most maximalist war goals. It's what he wants. The lines we've drawn as best as we can here, but the stakes are
incredibly high. Any minor inaccuracy of my pen could be a place that thousands of people have fought and died for, or still live.
Now in just recent days, there's been a tiny advance here by the Russians, but it's significant and caused some concern and even denials and
reinforcements sent from Kyiv. But this Donetsk area is potentially, if we understand what the Kremlin's proposed, somewhere they want Ukrainians to
withdraw from entirely in exchange for a ceasefire. And look at it. It's a huge area. What could they give back? These tiny border parts occupied by
Russia, a buffer zone, President Putin calls it. But it's hardly a fair exchange.
And so the real hard to solve question, what happens to Zaporizhzhia here and Kherson? Now Russia occupies probably about two-thirds of each, but
Putin wants all of it. They were kicked out, the Russians, here in the first year of the war.
But it's impossible to imagine Ukraine deciding to pull out of massive areas like this, and equally impossible to imagine that Russians will give
up a big strategic gain of a land corridor that they managed to take when the big invasion began down to Crimea that they've held since 2014. That's
the sticking point. And there's very little obvious way through it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: And we'll have more reporting from Nick live from Kyiv later in the show.
To bring us up to speed on how President Trump is approaching this meeting, let's head straight out to senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes
is joining us live from Anchorage, Alaska.
And, Kristen, before we get to details of how this summit is going to play out, we have some new reporting in in the last few minutes saying that
President Donald Trump spoke by phone with a top global ally of Putin ahead of this summit.
Can you tell us what you know and which individual this was?
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this is the president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko. The two of them spoke on the
phone on Air Force One as President Trump is heading to the summit. And of course, Lukashenko is one of Vladimir Putin's closest allies. And they've
grown increasingly closer since this war in Ukraine.
It tells us two things. No matter where this call is coming from, whoever initiated, you can tell both sides are taking this very seriously. This is
somebody who could serve as an intermediary, talking to President Trump, likely to feel out where he is going into this meeting. But President Trump
likely also feeling out where Vladimir Putin is. They are both trying to get a sense of where the other stands as they go into this.
And we've heard President Trump a number of times really express much more frustration when it comes to the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, in
recent weeks, particularly around the situation in Ukraine. This is somebody, President Trump, who said for months that he could solve the
issue within 24 hours, he could end the war in Ukraine. And now he says that Putin only has offered him lip service, that the two of them have
spoken on the phone, and then he has gone and done something completely different from what he said.
So likely there is some feeling out of this Putin ally on both sides, so that they can get a sense of where the other stands, again as they go into
this critical meeting. And just to give you a sense of what we expect to see today, we know that both leaders will land in a number of hours, and
then they will sit down for a one-on-one meeting. We expect them to possibly make brief remarks. You'll have cameras in there.
Given the fact that the stakes are so high and that the leaders are Putin and Trump, it seems likely that they'll talk to the cameras briefly, and
then they're going to go behind closed doors. After they meet one-on-one with interpreters, they're going to then have an expanded lunch bilateral,
and then they're going to potentially have this press briefing, this joint press briefing. And of course, I use the word expected because no one knows
how this meeting is going to go.
President Trump has left the option open, I'm told by White House officials, to simply walk out and not do anything alongside the Russian
president if it doesn't go well. President Trump, just to note, he really believes that he'll be able to suss out whether or not Putin is being
genuine, whether or not he actually wants a deal once they're sitting face to face. Obviously, we'll see how that goes in just a number of hours.
MACFARLANE: And it depends, doesn't it, on what the spectrum of the deal is going to encompass? We were just speaking there about the Russian
delegation who'll be in attendance at the summit.
[10:15:05]
Can you talk to us about who will be joining President Trump in Alaska and what their presence might tell us about the readiness for the Americans to,
you know, agree to economic deals and diplomatic relations?
HOLMES: That's right. So, of course, we have the Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Middle Eastern envoy Steve Witkoff. But notably, you also are
going to see the secretary of Treasury, Scott Bessent, and the secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick. These are the two men who would likely be
responsible if there was any kind of economic deal.
We know that Putin is looking for some kind of economic deal with the United States. He wants to increase their economic presence in the U.S. And
so these are the two men that would be brought in to have those kinds of conversations.
Now, I do want to also note that Bessent is in charge of sanctions. His division would be in charge of secondary sanctions and leveling those if
this does not go well. So something to keep in mind there.
One of the things that we have heard from a number of U.S. officials is that there's been discussions in the White House as to what exactly could
be offered to Putin to try and get a deal. One of those things, of course, being on the economic side as we continue throughout this, we know that
President Trump has now said that he will not be discussing or making a deal to any kind of land swaps, that he said that that's something that's
up to Ukraine, not up to him, and that he wasn't there to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine. He was there to bring Putin to the table.
MACFARLANE: And on the subject of secondary sanctions, I mean, we know that deadline for Russia came and went with Donald Trump. You mentioned Bessent
is going to be there. I mean, is there still -- is this still a credible option for the U.S. administration to put secondary sanctions on the table?
HOLMES: I think it's absolutely a credible option. I think that that's probably one of the only options when you hear President Trump talk about
these punishments or severe consequences if Putin is not serious about making a deal. Part of the reason we did see that deadline come and go is
because they were negotiating to have this sit-down meeting. So that was put on the back burner in terms of they didn't want to be enacting these
secondary sanctions if the two men were going to sit down and come to some kind of a deal. But that is still certainly out there in the ether.
There's not a lot that President Trump can do to offer consequences or punishment to Russia. We don't do enough trade with Russia to actually put
tariffs on them or even sanctions on them. But these secondary sanctions are things that would impact China, India, which we know they've already
enacted those, as well as major other foreign powers. So the idea there, of course, would be to try to get Putin again back to the table or at least
getting closer to a deal because he's be being squeezed by other world leaders as well.
MACFARLANE: All right, Kristen Holmes, for now, thanks very much there live from Anchorage.
And these are live pictures of Maidan Square in Kyiv, where people are anxiously waiting to see how today's summit goes.
And after the break, I'll speak to a member of the Ukrainian parliament. Plus Itamar Ben-Gvir, a member of Israel's Cabinet is sparking new outrage
among Palestinian officials. I'll be talking live to the president of the Palestinian National Initiative just a little later in the show.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:20:34]
MACFARLANE: We are just a few hours away from the summit between U.S. president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin, where the pair
will discuss parameters for a ceasefire in Ukraine without any representation from the Ukrainians.
My next guest is Maryan Zablotskyy, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, who is joining us now live from Kyiv.
Thank you so much for your time.
MARYAN ZABLOTSKYY, MEMBER OF THE UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT: Thank you for having me.
MACFARLANE: As we look ahead to this summit now just hours away, can you describe for us how you feel about this summit about to take place without
your president in the room?
ZABLOTSKYY: Well, very worried, of course, because we are not invited to talks about our future. And of course, we know the Russians, they will for
sure try -- will try to sell something to the United States that benefits maybe both sides in expense of us. So, of course, this is very worrisome.
And the meeting place itself, in Alaska, which is close to the Arctic, which clearly is currently the interests of the United States, it's a
potential economic deals which -- and we are just afraid that Ukraine can be sold out for this economic deal. So that's the biggest fear currently.
MACFARLANE: Yes. I mean, look, we've been hearing in the run-up to this summit about concerns over the front line positions for Ukraine. And
yesterday, Secretary Marco Rubio said that there are changes happening on the front lines that do not favor Ukraine.
How badly do you need a ceasefire to come from this summit?
ZABLOTSKYY: Well, look, we never asked to be involved in war. We are under invasion. And as for Donbas area, where there are currently some
breakthroughs from the Russians, we've been defending it for the last 11 years. It's been 2013 since the last invaded. So the supposed second most
glorious army in the world cannot take over a single region for the last 11 years.
We can hold them. We do that quite creatively and quite honestly we do that currently, mostly with Ukrainian weapons. So I'm pretty confident we can
still hold on. But if there is any chance of a peace deal for sure, like we are just fighting off, we would be glad if Russians would stop attacking
us.
MACFARLANE: Yes, and your president has of course said that he has flatly refused to cede any territory in the Donbas region, saying Russia will only
use that in effect for a potential launch pad once again to continue the war.
Are there any terms Ukraine is willing to agree to in order to reach a peace deal at this stage?
ZABLOTSKYY: Of course, if you look at any polls conducted amongst Ukrainians, Ukrainians are willing to make some good concessions, sizable
concessions, but only in exchange for security guarantees.
Now Russia invaded us for the first time since 2014, 11 years already, and they've broken every single peace deal since then. Ceasefire deals,
whatever. So we know that in order for us to repel them, we need to have some concrete security guarantees.
Now, previously, for us, it was nuclear weapons which we voluntarily gave up. Did not really work for us. So now we need something very concrete. So
if we do make concessions, this doesn't happen again. I'm sure that we will not give up the rest of Donbas, the best fortified region in Ukraine to
repel the Russians, in exchange for some temporary ceasefire.
MACFARLANE: Maryan Zablotskyy, we really appreciate your coming on and speaking to us in these crucial hours ahead of the summit. Thank you very
much.
I want to turn now to bring in Andrei Kozyrev. He served as Russia's foreign minister under President Boris Yeltsin. He's joining us now live
from Washington.
Thank you for your time, sir. I know you have been obviously watching and following very closely and given your time in office, I want to get your
thoughts on Russia's position. But first, I just want to ask your opinion on Donald Trump's negotiating position heading into this summit. In
agreeing to meet with Putin under these conditions, what has Donald Trump already given away to the Russian leader, in your view?
[10:25:01]
ANDREI KOZYREV, FORMER RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: Well, it's President Donald Trump's style, like a little bit improvisational and emotional, and
I, for one, think that he was a little bit probably misled on Putin's intentions. Maybe even by his own envoy in Kremlin. But otherwise, yes, the
meeting in America, like hasty, looks like hasty. In my time, I would be immediately fired from the position of the foreign minister if I would not
meet American secretary of state before summit and prepare documents, or at least on paper. Position papers and other things.
In this case, I don't know. But what I do know that Putin sees his visit to America, especially for historical reasons, to Alaska as a win for him.
Even whatever happens there, he is now pretending to be a great leader of a great power, which he is not of course.
MACFARLANE: I mean, Donald Trump believes that, in his words, Putin is going to make a deal, and that may be so. But Putin has consistently
refused to compromise on his war goals. I mean, understanding him and knowing him as you do, how do you get Vladimir Putin to change? What does
Donald Trump need to do in order to force him to change?
KOZYREV: Well, the president of the United States has all the potential to use force, be it economic force, but mostly military force. Of course not
boots on the ground, but giving Ukraine, the people of Ukraine, the Ukrainian army heroically stands for three and a half years and proved its
ability to push Russians back. But if they were given a most powerful weapons and not nuclear weapons, but so-called conventional weapons, but
long range missiles and all kind of weapons to win, not just to stand, not just to survive, but to win.
And America has plenty of this kind of weapons. And Europe now promises to be able to finance this kind of military support. So of course, President
Trump can do it, but Putin will listen only to force and not in words, but in deeds. You have first imposed sanctions if you want sanctions or
tariffs, then first give Ukraine those weapons and then, only then Putin will respect the situation.
MACFARLANE: Sergey Lavrov was your deputy during your time as foreign minister. You'll have seen he arrived today in Alaska wearing a former
Soviet Union shirt, which is a pretty bold statement ahead of this summit. What does that signal to you? And knowing him as you do, how will Lavrov be
playing into this summit?
KOZYREV: Well, it only signals that Putin is brazen in his approach. He, somehow believes, maybe because there was very big response so far from
previous administration and from this administration. They tend to believe that they are in a winning position and unfortunately their invitation to
America kind of, in their minds, it confirms that they are in a winning position, that they could dictate the conditions of the deal.
While in reality it's opposite. But the problem is that American side until today, I hope it changes today, didn't use its force to install peace in
that part of the world and not, you know, a deal of pieces, that is piece of Ukraine for Putin.
[10:30:01]
Any piece of Ukrainian territory of Ukraine for Putin would be encouragement for him to go further. Maybe after one month interruption,
maybe not even, but they see out there talk about the so-called swap of what? Of already occupied by them territories as a weakness.
MACFARLANE: And as we consider this sort of historical context in which this summit is playing out, I just want to show our viewers, once again, a
photo that we actually have, Andrei, of you and Lavrov standing side by side. I don't know what year this was. But some place back in history and
of course we all wait to see how history will unfold today in Alaska in the hours ahead.
Andrei Kozyrev, we appreciate your thoughts on this today. Thank you.
KOZYREV: Thank you.
MACFARLANE: All right. Just ahead, high profile Palestinian prisoner Marwan Barghouti faces taunts from a top Israeli official. Reaction has been
swift. The president of Palestinian National Initiative joins me live after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MACFARLANE: Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD. Here are your headlines this hour.
U.S. President Donald Trump is on his way to Alaska for a high stakes summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He told reporters on Air
Force One he thinks some progress will be made towards ending the war in Ukraine, although he said it wasn't going to negotiate on Ukraine's behalf.
International condemnation is growing as Israel moves ahead with a controversial plan to expand its settlements in the occupied West Bank. The
E.U. implored Israel to reverse course on the plan to build more than 3,000 new homes. The U.K. calls it an illegal move that would divide a future
Palestinian state in two.
Israel's far-right National Security minister confronts a prominent Palestinian leader held in an Israeli prison. And we're hearing from the
Middle East that Palestinian officials are enraged after Itamar Ben-Gvir visited Marwan Barghouti in his cell, telling Barghouti, quote, "You will
not win."
I want to play you that moment just here, have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ITAMAR BEN GVIR, ISRAELI MINISTER OF NATIONAL SECURITY (through translator): You will not win. Whoever will mess with the people of Israel,
whoever will murder our kids, whoever will murder women, we will erase them. You need to know that throughout history.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Well, described by some media as the, quote, "Palestinian Nelson Mandela," Marwan Barghouti is a prominent Palestinian political
activist jailed for life by Israel for murder.
[10:35:05]
But some Palestinians and Arabs believe he could be a potential future leader of post-war Gaza.
CNN spoke to his son, Arab Barghouti, a few months ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARAB BARGHOUTI, MARWAN BARGHOUTI'S SON: My father hasn't started, you know, struggling for the Palestinians rights for a year or two. He's been doing
that for more than 50 years now. And as Sofia mentioned, he didn't only play a role in leading the Palestinian people for any uprising, but also in
the peace process.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Well, let's have a look at who he is. Marwan Barghouti is a senior leader of Fatah, the secular nationalist faction of the Palestinian
Liberation Organization. The 66-year-old became a key Palestinian player, organizing the political aspects of the first intifada that began in 1987.
He served as liaison officer between the PLO and Fatah, and was once expelled by Israel for six years.
After the Oslo Accords of the mid-1990s, Barghouti became Fatah secretary general in the West Bank. Two years later, he was elected to the
Palestinian Legislative Council. Barghouti continued his political and resistance activities against the Israelis, who accused him of being behind
several deadly attacks. They arrested him in 2002. He has been in Israeli prison for over 20 years now, serving five life sentences following his
conviction in an Israeli court for the murder of five Israelis and other charges.
Barghouti has denied any involvement in the killings. His image among Palestinians remains strong.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GERSHON BASKIN, MIDDLE EAST DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITIES ORGANIZATION: When the Palestinians have their next national elections,
whenever it is, it is very likely that Marwan is going to be elected president of Palestine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Well, Barghouti is the most popular Palestinian presidential candidate in a hypothetical election. That is, according to polls by a
leading Palestinian polling institute. He was also seen as someone who could take a leading role in Gaza because he is not associated with Hamas.
But this is a different, difficult scenario to envisage as he sits, of course, in an Israeli prison. Even now, Israel's separation war with the
West Bank is adorned with murals of this high profile Israeli prisoner.
Right now I want to bring in Mustafa Barghouti, president of the Palestinian National Initiative. He is also a distant cousin of Marwan. Of
course, the Barghoutis are a prominent Palestinian family.
Thank you so much for joining us, sir.
DR. MUSTAFA BARGHOUTI, PRESIDENT, PALESTINIAN NATIONAL INSTITUTE: Thank you.
MACFARLANE: I just first would like to get your reaction to seeing this image of your relative for the first time in a decade and under these type
of conditions.
M. BARGHOUTI: Well, what we have seen is something most awful. Israeli fascist minister Ben-Gvir intimidating a Palestinian national leader who
has been incarcerated in solitary cell in Israeli prison for more than two years and who has been in Israeli jail for 23 years.
When we -- when we see what Ben-Gvir did, it gives you an idea about the behavior of this whole Israeli government and the way Marwan looked so
thin, so weakened by the fact that he's being starved in his prison. And by the way, I met with so many Palestinian prisoners who came out of jail, and
they all reported, all, without exception, reported how all Palestinians prisoners since this Israeli government came to power, are subjected to
starvation, torture, beating, humiliation and deprivation of medical care and medical aid.
That's why 69 Palestinian prisoners have already died in Israeli prisons under the supervision and control of Ben-Gvir. This is a very serious
matter, but it will not -- I'm sure it will not affect the morale or the resilience of Marwan Barghouti.
MACFARLANE: Yes. As you rightly point out, it does speak to perhaps the conditions that thousands of other Palestinian prisoners are enduring right
now.
What, in your view, motivated Ben-Gvir to humiliate Marwan Barghouti in prison at this moment?
M. BARGHOUTI: Well, in my opinion, he didn't humiliate Marwan. He humiliated himself and he humiliated Israel. And its image, and he
humiliated the image of this Israeli government and exposed its reality. You can't humiliate a person who is weakened by being put in a -- in a jail
and in a cell, and he didn't manage to force Marwan to say anything wrong. In reality, he humiliated the Israeli government by this behavior.
[10:40:06]
But why did he do that? Maybe he wants to promote his position among the extreme fascist, radical people in Israel. Maybe because he wants to show
how much he's punishing Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. But all in all, it's a reflection of a fascist policy of this Israeli government that
has already killed 62,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including 20,000 children. This is the reality of this government.
MACFARLANE: And you'll have seen, of course, in the last 24 hours, Bezalel Smotrich has announced Israel is moving ahead with those E1 plans for a
massive expansion in the West Bank, which would sever east Jerusalem from the rest of the territory and split the territory from north to south. I
mean, many have called it the doomsday plan that would make a Palestinian state virtually impossible. European countries have condemned this, but
ultimately, until America accepts that this is illegal, can anything halt this?
M. BARGHOUTI: Christina, thank you for this question. Let me explain, what Smotrich declared and what is going to be implemented by the Israeli
government is a plan that will not only expand illegal settlements in the West Bank, but as you said, it will separate the West Bank into two
separate pieces without any communication or connection between them. It will isolate Jerusalem, East Jerusalem, completely from the rest of the
occupied territories, and it will also bury forever the idea of a Palestinian independent state.
And that's what Smotrich declared. He didn't hide it. He said he's doing this to bury forever the possibility of peace, the possibility of a
compromise, the possibility of a two-state solution. He claimed that he's doing that also in response to the fact that many Western governments are
going to recognize Palestine. But actually the Western governments who were hesitant about recognizing Palestine started to do so because they see that
Israel is destroying the very last opportunity of a Palestinian state.
In reality, the recognitions are useful, but they are not enough. And condemnations and statements mean nothing to Netanyahu and to Smotrich.
What's interesting is that Smotrich said that his settlement plans are coordinated fully, not only with Netanyahu, but with the American
administration. The only thing that could restrain Israel from destroying the potential and possibility of peace in this region is imposing sanctions
on it.
Without sanctions from Western governments on Israel immediately we will not see any change. And the big question here is, why 11,000 sanctions on
Russia? Why, in the case of Russia and Ukraine, nobody just did only statements, but they started sanctions on Russia in two months? Within two
months, 11,000 sanctions, while in the case of Israel, all we see are statements that are useless and do not make a difference.
MACFARLANE: Yes.
M. BARGHOUTI: What we need are sanctions immediately.
MACFARLANE: And that's a -- that's a good point because I wanted to ask you, on this day when Ukraine and Russia are front and center, what your
message is to Donald Trump, who has personally got engaged in trying to solve the conflict between those two countries, but has not when it comes
to Israel and Gaza?
M. BARGHOUTI: My message to Donald Trump is that you are using double standards. You are using different standards when it comes to Russia and
Ukraine, and that when it comes to Palestine. And my message to President Trump, you will be held responsible historically if you allow Israel to
continue this horrible massacre in Gaza, the starvation of children, the death of children because of starvation, and the continuation of the
illegal occupation of Palestinian land, and now the illegal settlements that are going to destroy any potential for peace.
If President Trump wants peace, he should immediately, immediately, pressure Israel. And he's the only one who can restrain Netanyahu within
hours.
MACFARLANE: Mustafa Barghouti, president of the Palestinian National Initiative, we very much appreciate your time. Thank you.
M. BARGHOUTI: Thank you.
MACFARLANE: The stakes are high in Alaska for President Trump, but even higher for the whole of Ukraine. We'll bring you the latest on the Trump-
Putin summit after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:46:49]
MACFARLANE: Returning to our top story this hour, Donald Trump is heading to Alaska for a much anticipated summit with his Russian counterpart
Vladimir Putin. On board Air Force One, Mr. Trump said he wasn't going to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine, but hoped to get Mr. Putin to the table.
Well, earlier, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is counting on America. He's expected to meet with his French counterpart,
Emmanuel Macron, after the summit.
Let's bring in CNN's Fred Pleitgen live from Moscow.
Fred, it feels like there's been quite a lot of diplomatic back and forth behind the scenes in the run-up to this summit. Bring us up to speed on
what the latest is from the Russian angle, what Putin is trying to get out of this meeting, and what success would look like for the Kremlin.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. First of all, you're absolutely right. I mean, there's been a lot of diplomatic back
and forth between Russia and the United States, between Ukraine and the United States, between the Europeans, Ukraine and the United States. So
certainly a lot of that has been going on, and in many ways, for a lot of people, this is really decision day to see what all of this is going to
bring.
And I think for Vladimir Putin, you can see that this is a very important summit for him. It was quite interesting because the spokesman for the
Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov, he came out not too long ago and told a Russian reporter that Vladimir Putin was definitely going to take off for Alaska on
time. That in itself is important because of course we know that Vladimir Putin is known for being notoriously late.
And at the last summit, in the first Trump administration between Putin and President Trump, I think he kept President Trump waiting for a little over
an hour before landing in Helsinki. So certainly the Russians are saying this time that's not going to happen. And just a couple of minutes ago,
Vladimir Putin laid flowers at a memorial for American and Soviet airmen in the town of Magadan in the east of Russia.
Vladimir Putin currently on a working trip there. He visited a factory, an industrial complex there, and then he's going to take off and fly about
another four hours from Magadan to Alaska.
And if you're asking what success would look like, I think from the Russian point of view, they believe that Vladimir Putin is going to be able to hold
his own and impress his version of what is going on in Ukraine and what needs to be done in Ukraine to achieve some sort of ceasefire and some sort
of peace on U.S. President Donald Trump.
Sergey Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia, he's already in Alaska. And earlier today he was asked what the Russians hope would come out of this
meeting. And Lavrov said, look, we're not going to make any predictions, but we have very strong arguments. And of course, the Russians, from their
perspective, and I think this is the main difference, or things that could be a big difference between President Trump and Vladimir Putin that would
be difficult to overcome is that President Trump has said he wants an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine.
The Ukrainians have also signed up to that as well. But the Russians are saying they want an extended process, at the end of which would be a larger
peace agreement. And of course, during the negotiations for which the fighting would still continue. The Russians, of course, also want massive
territorial concessions as well. It's going to be interesting to see into what level of detail the two leaders are actually going to go -- Christina.
MACFARLANE: All right, Fred, appreciate it for now. Obviously, everything is very fast moving, and Fred will be back for CNN's special coverage of
the summit. That will begin at 7:00 p.m. here in London, 2:00 p.m. in New York.
[10:50:01]
All right. Coming up, people in Washington, D.C. --
(INAUDIBLE) agents show up outside a news conference by California's Gavin Newsom and the Democratic governor insists it's no coincidence.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MACFARLANE: President Trump declared a crime emergency in the capital and sent in the National Guard, as we know and we've been talking about all
week.
Brian Todd has been looking at how this move is being received.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Open tension on the street between D.C. residents and local and federal officers as President Trump's
law enforcement surge in Washington ramps up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is your badge?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How's that work?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What -- for what part of the government do you work for?
TODD: Metropolitan D.C. police and federal agents, some wearing masks, set up a checkpoint in an area popular for bars and restaurants, stopping
motorists, handcuffing and detaining at least one that we saw as furious local residents screamed at the officers.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you guys go (EXPLETIVE DELETED)? What the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) are you doing out here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anything for a check, right?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Go home now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go home.
TODD: The spur-of-the-moment protest was nonviolent, but residents got angry when we relayed that one of the commanders told us this was a routine
operation.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hell, no. I've lived here for 17 years off of this street, and this has never happened.
TODD: The president's law enforcement surge clearly getting more aggressive Wednesday night and Thursday. Early Wednesday evening CNN did not see
significant federal units in the Anacostia section of D.C., one of the areas hardest hit by crime. But late at night, we saw six FBI vehicles pull
a motorist over and question him in Anacostia. We tailed a caravan of Metro police and federal vehicles as they snaked through the area looking for
criminal activity.
The president and his team on Thursday applauding the daily arrests and getting criminals off the streets.
TRUMP: People are so happy to see our military going into D.C. and getting these thugs out.
TODD: On Thursday near the Lincoln Memorial and the Kennedy Center, where President Trump's motorcade and a lot of tourists often pass by, bulldozers
uprooted a homeless encampment. Its occupants forced to move out.
DAVID BEATTY, REMOVED FROM D.C. HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT: And the idea that he's targeting us and persecuting us feels wrong to me.
TODD: The president said he wants to move the homeless out of the city and give them places to stay far away from the capital. One homeless person we
spoke to doesn't hate the idea.
LONDYN STEVENS, HOMELESS D.C. RESIDENT: It would be a place to live, for one. I won't be outside. If it takes me having to move to get a place, I'm
all for it.
TODD: D.C. National Guard troops also out in greater numbers on Thursday. A National Guard official telling CNN, for now, these troops will be
stationed near the monuments at Metro train stops, and have not been asked to deploy to high crime areas. The Guardsmen could help with crowd control
and could detain people if needed, the official says, but won't make arrests or carry firearms.
Law enforcement sources tell CNN that some rank and file FBI agents are now worried that the deployment of FBI agents on the streets of D.C. will pull
those agents away from investigation into terrorism and other high priority cases. But President Trump is downplaying those concerns, saying those
agents aren't being pulled away from anything.
[10:55:03]
The president again claiming that the streets of D.C. are now safer.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: Well, California's Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, formally kicked off his push to redraw his state's congressional maps on Thursday.
He promised it will offset the five U.S. House seats that Republicans want to flip in Texas. But as he and his allies were laying out their
redistricting plan, masked federal agents showed up outside the venue and even made an arrest. Newsom addressed their presence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D), CALIFORNIA: You think it's coincidental?
AUDIENCE: No. No.
NEWSOM: Donald Trump and his minions, Tom Homan, a tough guy, coldly decided, coincidentally or not, that this was a location to advance ICE
arrests.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem insists the agents were there as part of a planned operation.
And that'll do it for this hour of CONNECT THE WORLD. Thank you for joining me. Stay with CNN. "ONE WORLD" is up after this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
