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U.S.-Iran Tensions; Trump Suggests a "Softer Touch" after Minneapolis Shootings; Vance: Don't Let "Crazy People" Get Nuclear Weapons; Savannah Guthrie Posts Video, Pleading for Mom's Safe Return; Boxer Imane Khelif on the Culture War on Gender; Ukraine Reports Starlink Terminals Used by Russia "Cut Off"; The Impact of AI and Digitization on Future Generations; Handwriting Provides Insight into Personality and Character. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired February 05, 2026 - 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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ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome to our second hour of the show. I'm Eleni Giokos.
It's the final day here at the World Governments Summit in Dubai. From artificial intelligence to geopolitics, global leaders have been converging
in this city, navigating a new post-Davos world, where back-channel diplomacy and real-world dealmaking are increasingly shaping our shared
future.
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GIOKOS: All eyes here on the U.S. and Iran, preparing to hold talks tomorrow and in case the stakes weren't high enough already, Donald Trump
giving an ominous warning to Iran's supreme leader.
The U.S. president previously threatened military action following Tehran's clampdown on demonstrations last month. Speaking to NBC News, he insisted
the U.S. is on the side of the protesters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM LLAMAS, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: Should the supreme leader in Iran be worried right now?
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I would say he should be very worried. Yes, he should be. As you know, they're negotiating with us.
LLAMAS: I know they are but the protesters have said, you know, where are the Americans?
We promised them we would have their back. Do we still have their back?
TRUMP: Well, we've had their back. And look, that country's a mess right now because of us. We went in, we wiped out their nuclear.
LLAMAS: We wiped them out, yes.
TRUMP: So listen, if we want -- we have (ph) peace in the Middle East.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Iran's foreign minister says talks with the U.S. are scheduled for this Friday in Oman. Negotiators having moved from Istanbul and at Iran's
request. Tehran also saying the only matter we will discuss is its nuclear program. CNN's chief national affairs correspondent Jeff Zeleny for us.
He's in Washington.
And Jeff, location changed, now in Oman, quite important but also in terms of what will be on the agenda.
And just talking about Iran's nuclear program, is that going to be enough to seal a deal?
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, we will see if it's enough to seal a deal. I think skepticism going into the talks
certainly is warranted.
But the fact that the talks are even happening, certainly significant, marking the first time that conversations will be happening between Tehran
and Washington since the 12-Day war last June; of course, since the attack on the nuclear facility.
So yes, president Trump there is saying the supreme leader should be very worried but it is very unclear how much the U.S. has the back, if you will,
of the Iranian protesters. This is something that the president has given a bit of bluster to.
But it's very unclear really how much he is committed to defending the protesters. But the talks on Friday in Oman, certainly are significant;
Steve Witkoff, the president's top envoy to really -- basically everything is back in the region and he will be leading the talks there.
So we certainly have our eye on the White House. There will be a briefing later on. The president has been speaking this morning, as you can see
there on screen, for more than an hour at something called the National Prayer Breakfast.
Speaking to Republican lawmakers and some other faith leaders, he's not mentioned Iran yet specifically. He's touched briefly on immigration. Of
course, that is something here in the U.S. that has been front and center, a big challenge for this administration.
But he has not repeated something that he said yesterday in an NBC News interview about the situation on the ground in Minneapolis. Let's take a
listen to that, which was a very significant moment in that interview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I learned that maybe we can use a little bit of a softer touch but you still have to be tough. These are criminals. We're dealing with really
hard criminals.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: So president Trump there, saying that he could have used more of a softer touch, is really one of the biggest acknowledgments so far that the
president -- and his strategy, his approach to the aggressive enforcement of immigration law has been a failure, at least politically speaking.
And heading into this midterm election year here in the United States, immigration has always been a political strength for the president, really,
for the last decade or so. It now is a political weakness, largely given the events on the ground in Minneapolis, of course, the federal agents
killing two American citizens there.
So the president saying that he wished he would have used a softer touch. We will see if the policy actually changes on the ground or if he keeps up
these ICE raids across the country.
Again, the president not really mentioning the immigration in his speech with faith leaders this morning but immigration obviously front and center
as a challenge for the president, even as, globally, the Iran talks tomorrow are front and center for the White House as well.
GIOKOS: Yes.
Yes, a lot happening domestically and internationally as well. Jeff Zeleny, thank you for bringing us all sides. Good to have you on.
ZELENY: Sure.
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GIOKOS: So for more on what we can expect from the U.S.-Iran talks and the political temperature in Iran right now, I want to bring in Negar
Mortazavi. She's a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy and host of the "Iran Podcast."
Great to have you with us. I mean, this is really important. We're seeing the talks that are going to be occurring in Oman. Iran is also insisting
that they just focus on the nuclear issue. But I want you to listen to what U.S. secretary of state Rubio essentially saying, the exact opposite of
that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCO RUBIO (R-FL), U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: I think in order for talks to actually lead to something meaningful, they will have to include certain
things. And that includes the range of their ballistic missiles.
That includes their sponsorship of terrorist organizations across the region. That includes the nuclear program and that includes the treatment
of their own people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: All right. So it sounds like the United States and Iran are not on the same page in terms of what they're going in this meeting.
But what does it spell for the talks tomorrow?
I mean, are we -- are we worried about perhaps nothing coming of it?
Do you think that they could find common ground here?
NEGAR MORTAZAVI, HOST, IRAN PODCAST: I think there's a possibility -- well, from the Iranian side, they're taking these talks very seriously.
I've spoken to sources in Iran and I think both sides have learned some lessons from the past.
So that's important, going into talks with a little bit of fresh thinking. There's a mismatch in the format of the talk. President Trump likes direct.
He likes public. He likes, you know, to be able to say that this happened in a meaningful way.
For the Iranians, it's the opposite. They feel like meeting face-to-face with this administration in itself is a concession. It was something that
they weren't willing to do the last time.
It sounds like this time that may change. I'm hearing from sources that, throughout the talks, if Iran feels seriousness from the U.S. side and
progress, they may be even open to changing it to direct negotiations.
As far as the content of the talks, Iran's position has been and still is that they want to first focus on the nuclear program. But again, learning
lessons from the past, I think they're open to broadening the scope.
But overshadowing all of this is a very serious threat of military attacks and war. And essentially what one senior official told me, they're coming
into these talks with seriousness but also with a finger on the trigger, essentially expecting a military attack and being ready to respond and
potentially even escalate.
GIOKOS: Yes. And that's a really important point. We saw the drone incident earlier this week. And importantly, you've got Abraham Lincoln
just off the coast of Iran.
So how real is the specter of a U.S. attack and the probabilities of that, based on what we're hearing?
MORTAZAVI: Well, I think the threat of war is very serious. And it's ironic because neither side really wants war as their first preferred
option. But they're essentially locked and loaded, facing each other and ready to engage.
Iranians have made it clear that their policy has changed. If the U.S. attacks them, they feel like in the past they've shown restraint. They've
shown calculated de-escalatory moves.
And this time around, they're not going to do that. They're going to do the opposite. They want to escalate in the case of a U.S. attack, because they
feel like that is what's going to project strength and essentially prevent further attacks in the future.
They feel like they have restrained, have invited even more attacks on what they call quote-unquote, "bullying" from the United States.
I think the threat of military attack from the U.S. side is also fairly high and the problem is that the two sides are really facing each other in
a volatile situation. There's very little communication between the two sides.
This can lead to misunderstanding, miscalculation and just mistakes happening without either one really wanting to start a war. Wars sometimes
start with mistakes. So I think it's very dangerous. And right now the goal going into negotiations is de-escalation.
GIOKOS: Yes. And that's really important. You know, a mistake could escalate things very quickly.
But there are two camps within MAGA that have Trump's ear. You've got the neocon hawkish wing, perhaps best encapsulated by Lindsey Graham, who
believes Trump should see this through to the end of the Iranian regime.
And then the America First camp that is worried about America getting back into war and, of course, intervening in Iran.
JD Vance actually seemed to address those concerns head on. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J.D. VANCE (R-OH), VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Listen; 2003, went to Iraq in 2005. I am very cognizant that the Middle East leads to
quagmires. Trust me, so is the president of the United States. And we're hearing that. We know that's out there.
But more importantly, we know the history. And the president does not -- he has no interest in repeating the history of Iraq. What he does want to make
sure is that there's a totally separate issue, which is, you don't let crazy people get nuclear weapons and then lead to a nuclear arms race all
over the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Yes. So he says that, you know, president Trump doesn't want to repeat the mistakes of the past.
[10:10:00]
So what are your thoughts listening to that?
MORTAZAVI: Absolutely. And I think polls in the U.S. have shown that there's no appetite for another big, endless, chaotic war in the Middle
East. So this camp, the JD Vance camp, which I think the president is also leaning on this side, on the side of no military action and diplomacy.
As the White House press secretary has also said, I think this camp has the upper hand if you look at the voters, if you look at the polling. But
again, the problem is that there's a mismatch between the two sides on what they want to talk about, what they can agree, what the demands are.
The Iranians feel like in the last round of negotiations last year, the goalposts started to move. Initially, the president was saying they can't
have nuclear weapons, which they agreed to discuss. And then the goalposts moved to no enrichment or essentially no nuclear program.
The Iranians have insisted they want to keep a civilian nuclear program. And that's really the core of the problem.
Is this something the U.S. is going to insist, to bring it to zero to no nuclear program?
And it's something that the Iranians are going to agree, having learned the lesson from the past.
Or is this going to become a sticking point?
And then also the format of the negotiations, are they going to be able to move into direct and, as president Trump and his staff have called it,
meaningful talks, the way the president wants?
Or is it going to be more of that indirect, back-channel or private discussions that the Iranians have preferred?
But I think both sides are going into this with seriousness. The fact that Jared Kushner is involved this time, next to the special envoy, Witkoff,
that also shows seriousness from the U.S. side.
And the fact that the Iranians asked to move this to Oman also shows seriousness, that they want to do serious bilateral talks with the U.S.
without the presence of so many other neighbors in the region.
And one final point is that the neighbors are worried because they understand that this can get out of hand. And it will spill outside Iran's
borders and it can impact everyone in the neighborhood.
GIOKOS: All right, Agha Mortazavi, thank you so much for your time. Appreciate it.
Now to a tearful plea from NBC anchor Savannah Guthrie and her siblings, begging the person who kidnapped their mother to bring her back home, they
posted an emotional video message on social media on Wednesday. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you and we are
ready to listen. Please reach out to us.
Mommy, if you are hearing this, you are a strong woman. You are God's precious daughter, Nancy. We believe and know that, even in this valley, He
is with you. Everyone is looking for you, Mommy, everywhere. We will not rest. Your children will not rest until we are together again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Authorities believe 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie was kidnapped from a home in Arizona this past weekend. Investigators have not yet identified a
suspect. CNN's senior national security analyst Juliette Kayyem is following the story for us.
Juliette, I mean, absolutely gut wrenching, watching that video. You can feel the emotion, just the pain. I want you to bring us up to speed on
what's happened today and what we should make of this video, responding to alleged ransom notes.
JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Yes.
Yes, it seems to me clearly in coordination with law enforcement, the family has reason to believe that the ransom note at least has some
legitimacy. That video, which, as you said, I may have -- I've seen that video six times.
And each time I'm just catching my breath because of the rawness and the fear that you're seeing in not a famous person but just a human being who
does not know what happened to her -- to her mother.
That and what, you know, what they're asking for is proof of life. Unfortunately, because of misinformation, disinformation, horrible human
beings who take advantage of situations like this, they -- they're not confident that the ransom or whatever letter or whatever overture they've
gotten is proof of life. And that's what they're asking for.
So that video did two things. It was a demand, you know; if you want to discuss a ransom, you got to prove that you have Nancy.
But the other was it was humanizing, Savannah Guthrie, her brother and sister are behind her, they're not famous.
You -- she talks about her mother, says "Mommy." And part of that is to try to humanize Nancy to the captors or to people who may know where she is,
that this is a vulnerable, elderly woman who needs her medication and is probably in pain right now without it.
[10:15:07]
GIOKOS: Yes. I mean, absolutely horrific. I can't imagine what it must be like.
In the meantime, I want you to listen to how one of the Arizona reporters, who was -- emailed the alleged ransom note, described it to our Erin
Burnett.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARY COLEMAN, ANCHOR, KOLD 13 NEWS: I think a lot of people were questioning the legitimacy of it. And while they're still looking into the
legitimacy of it, they're taking all tips into consideration.
We do know there are a few things that we can share as far as what the contents were. A lot of it is information that only someone who is holding
her for ransom would know, some very sensitive information and things that people who weren't there when she was taken captive would know.
So, those are things that are concerning. We immediately sent that information over to the sheriff's department. And they're, of course,
looking into the legitimacy of it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: So Juliette, I mean, Mary Coleman there was describing -- there's certain information that was included in the letter, which, I mean, it was
really interesting. We don't know what that is.
But how do investigators know and how do they figure out whether this note is actually real?
KAYYEM: So they're going to be doing a couple of things. One is exactly, you know, verifying, how could this letter writer have known about certain
details and could they have only known if they were the kidnapper?
In other words, there might have been people in the house who could describe the house. There might have been a housekeeper or a delivery
person. So they need to make sure that the information in the letter is related Specifically to the kidnapping.
They also look -- in national security and law enforcement, you're not negotiating without proof of life. You're not. And that is exactly -- it
was the correct stance by the family. It's the correct stance by law enforcement.
You simply can't send a letter and say, I have her, give me the money.
And so the next step is going to be can they get legitimate proof of life?
And then the third is, of course, using the letter as a piece of evidence. Perhaps there's something disclosed in it unwittingly. Perhaps there's a
way that it's written that might be familiar. And so they're doing all sorts of investigation on that.
For example, the fact that the letter was sent to local media and not us or not, you know, not national or international says to me, OK, well, that is
someone who is local. That is someone who knows those reporters or knows of them.
And that's little hints like that that can, if done right, you can put the pieces together and maybe get a better picture. But you're not going to go
forward without proof of life.
GIOKOS: I mean, fascinating. And just picking up those details from what we already know, it's five days. I mean, Trump, in the meantime, has
directed federal law enforcement to help find Nancy.
How much of a difference is that going to make?
KAYYEM: So I noticed that, you know, the police went back into the house yesterday and people thought, oh, they have a breakthrough. I'm a little
bit worried that it meant that they needed to look again, that the pieces were not coming together or that they were being directed by whatever this
letter says.
So look, it is exactly what you said. Time is not on any, you know, is not on the good guys' side, so to speak, in the sense that you have an elderly
woman who apparently is without her meds, who had a heart pacer.
They know that. You could you can feel that in Savannah Guthrie's voice. You know, this is -- this is pressing and the fact that they really haven't
come out with even a hint of a suspect, hint of a person of interest, there haven't been any formal press conferences.
I don't -- it could either mean the case is about to break through but more often it means that that they have nothing to share or, you know, and are
just working through the family to try to figure out whether this note is real.
I will say one thing because you can hear my anger. You know, people who mess with this stuff, who send fake letters or ransom letters or the fake
news that we're seeing about her or the rumors are like a special kind of disgusting in my mind.
And so you know, I think validating that ransom letter is going to be key. And if it's fake, prosecute the people who sent it.
GIOKOS: That's a brilliant point, Juliette. All right. Well, thank you so much for giving us insight on this story.
And still to come on CONNECT THE WORLD, Olympic boxer Imane Khelif wants to fight but only in the ring. That may not happen unless she takes a genetic
test to compete in 2028.
[10:20:00]
CNN's exclusive interview with Imane next.
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GIOKOS: It's an Olympic battle in and out of the ring for Algerian boxer Imane Khelif. Since she took gold at the 2024 Paris Games, Khelif has been
subjected to a sustained campaign of abuse and invasive scrutiny driven by some of the world's most powerful figures, including president Trump.
She says she's not prepared to take a test to prove that she's a woman. CNN's Christina Macfarlane spoke with Imane about her journey and her
response to repeated attacks by Trump as well as others.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN SENIOR SPORTS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An Olympic champion banned from her own sport, caught in a culture war about
what it means to be a woman.
Mocked by the world's most powerful man, and now gold medal boxer, Imane Khelif faces an ultimatum. If she's to compete again, she must confirm she
is female.
IMANE KHELIF, OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL BOXER (through translator): The truth is I have nothing to do with transgender. I know myself. I was born female. I
was raised as a girl. I went to school as a girl. I played sports as a girl. I have always been female.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): For the first time, she opens up about private details of her troubles and her plan to fight back. We meet in Paris where
18 months ago she clinched the Olympic victory.
MACFARLANE: What's it like to be here again and to have all those memories?
KHELIF: Yeah, Paris, for me, it's my story in Olympics 2024.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): It made her an icon in her home country of Algeria, where as a child she sold scrap copper to pay for her training.
KHELIF: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Congratulations.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're so beautiful.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): But then, boxing's ruling body banned her last year, saying she needed to take a controversial so-called sex test to prove
she is eligible to compete. False and hateful rhetoric continues to this day by U.S. President, Donald Trump.
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: You won the gold medal. There were two transition people. They both won gold medals.
The whole thing is ridiculous.
KHELIF (through translator): It is really hurtful to see the president of a country talking about you like this. I want to explain one thing. I have
nothing to do with transgender.
MACFARLANE: The president has repeatedly referenced your Olympic victory as a landmark case to support his push to ban transgender women and girls from
women's sports in America.
KHELIF (through translator): I want to clarify to people, to the president, and to all the politicians who are exploiting my image as if I'm
transgender, that I have nothing to do with transgender. I'm just an athlete.
[10:25:00]
My dream is to play sports. Please do not exploit me in your political agendas.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): If she wants to compete at the 2028 Olympics in L.A., she may have to submit to that test for Games in Trump's America.
Experts have called the test misguided and recently, the IOC vowed it would not bring back a practice it had dropped nearly 30 years ago.
MARK ADAMS, INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE SPOKESPERSON: We're not calling for people to go back to the bad old days of sex testing, I think, which
was a terrible, terrible thing to do. And I'm sure we all agree that that is not the way forward.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): Despite that, she tells me she is ready to face a test, but only if the IOC run it.
KHELIF: (Speaking foreign language).
MACFARLANE (voice-over): Boxing's ruling body provided no justification for its insistence on the disputed test. It came after a 2023 report alleging
that Khelif had XY chromosomes was circulated online. She says it's fake.
KHELIF: You see the report?
Personally, you see?
MACFARLANE: I have not, no.
KHELIF: The report -- it's not clear, is just the test, genetic test, with company, small company of testes. But it's not clear.
(Speaking foreign language). MACFARLANE (voice-over): While Khelif maintains that test is modified, she reveals that she has naturally higher testosterone levels; currently, a key
test in regulating women's sports.
KHELIF: (Speaking foreign language).
MACFARLANE (voice-over): You'll know that there are some people who believe that having high testosterone should exclude you from competing in women's
sport. They believe that it gives you an unfair advantage.
What do you say to them?
KHELIF: (Speaking foreign language).
MACFARLANE (voice-over): But even after her struggle to box, as a woman in conservative Algeria, the abuse has been deeply traumatic for her.
KHELIF: (Speaking foreign language).
MACFARLANE (voice-over): One place Imane finds comfort is among her boxing fans.
MACFARLANE: What do you say to young girls who want to be like you, who want to be an Olympic champion?
KHELIF: (Speaking foreign language).
MACFARLANE (voice-over): -- Christina Macfarlane, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: And ahead on CONNECT THE WORLD, a potentially critical development in Russia's war on Ukraine tied to Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet
system. What Ukraine says just happened and how it could impact fighting on the front lines. We'll be right back.
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GIOKOS (voice-over): Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Eleni Giokos. Here are your headlines.
NBC News anchor Savannah Guthrie and her siblings have made an emotional plea on social media for safe return of their kidnapped mother in response
to reports of a potential ransom note.
Savannah Guthrie said, quote, "We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen."
Investigators have not yet identified a suspect.
With his political future on the line, British prime minister Keir Starmer has apologized to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein for appointing Peter
Mandelson as U.K.'s ambassador to the U.S.
Starmer accused Mandelson of lying about the strength of his ties to Epstein. Mandelson was removed from his post last year.
The second round of talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States has concluded in Abu Dhabi. A Ukrainian negotiator describes the trilateral
meetings as truly constructive. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says a third round of talks will be held in the near future.
Ukraine's defense ministry says Starlink terminals used by Russia have been cut off. CNN previously reported on Russia's practice of mounting Starlink
systems on attack drones, which allow the weapons to bypass Ukraine's electronic defenses. Ukraine's defense ministry calls it a catastrophe for
Russian forces on the front lines.
Starlink owner Elon Musk said this week he was taking steps to stop Russia's unauthorized use of Starlink.
I want to talk more about this. We've got Oleksandr Komarov, president and CEO of Kyivstar Group, Ukraine's leading digital operator.
Oleksandr, great to have you with us.
OLEKSANDR KOMAROV, CEO, KYIVSTAR: Thank you for inviting.
(CROSSTALK)
GIOKOS: -- and good to see you in Dubai. There's a lot happening. But I have to say, as a telco, you're actually a lifeblood, the lifeblood of the
Ukrainian communication system. I mean, this is how, you know, people in a wartorn country are able to, you know, in some way, tell their stories.
Tell me, give me an idea of what is going on the ground and, importantly, what kind of trends you're seeing in terms of the way consumers have
adjusted their lives, based on the war in Ukraine right now?
KOMAROV: Oh, of course, it's a quite difficult situation in Ukraine. So resilience and redundancy is probably one of our top priorities. I will
give you only one example.
We have procured and installed 240,000 batteries across our network and, right now, 25 percent of our infrastructure connected to the generator.
This is just one of the elements.
We can literally run our network 10-plus hours without electricity during the total blackout across the country. This is just one element, of course,
because telecommunication, communication is so important from the humanitarian perspective.
You know, people are relying on the communication. And one of the trends people are connecting second SIM card. The people want to stay connected
during the war.
GIOKOS: Yes, absolutely. I mean, I want to talk about what we're seeing with Russia and Starlink. And, you know, Elon Musk came out and said he's
doing everything he can to ensure that Russia doesn't use Starlink. But actually what they're doing is piggybacking off your system.
How are you able to avert this?
KOMAROV: They're piggybacking on the Starlink system because Starlink is authorized in Ukraine and they are using unauthorized devices on the
territory of Ukraine for communication, for -- to equip their drones with communication.
You know, so -- and right now, the current development is very positive for Ukraine. With the white list in place, OK. I think that we will limit
Russian ability to communicate and to manage their drones.
(CROSSTALK)
GIOKOS: But they're using it at the moment.
(CROSSTALK)
KOMAROV: They're using it at the moment. But this is a kind of -- quite often, quite often. I'm sure that Starlink right now is one of the most
important communication tool for the Russian army, you know, across the front line.
GIOKOS: So when you say quite often, is it constantly, every single day?
(CROSSTALK)
[10:35:00]
KOMAROV: Yes, yes. For some extent.
GIOKOS: Yes, to some extent.
How are you able to monitor what's going on?
KOMAROV: Oh, actually we have a lot of evidences. For example, we have a lot of drones. OK. That that are actually fighting by our anti-missile
system. OK. So we have a lot of evidences.
And moreover, we can monitor the front line to some extent (INAUDIBLE) Ukrainian army can monitor and to see what is going on. OK. And that's why
this is a major step from our ministry of defense for Mr. Fyodorov, from Elon Musk, OK, to stop this unauthorized use.
(CROSSTALK)
GIOKOS: But you can't stop it outright, can you?
KOMAROV: I think this -- they can limit it up to the minimum, I'm sure.
GIOKOS: So let's talk about your, you know, connection in occupied territories and what you're doing there.
KOMAROV: We are not working there.
GIOKOS: At all?
KOMAROV: At all.
GIOKOS: Even Crimea?
KOMAROV: Even Crimea we are not working anywhere. So if territory is not under control of the Ukrainian government, OK, so we are cut from this
territory.
GIOKOS: You know, you listed on the Nasdaq.
KOMAROV: Yes.
GIOKOS: In mid-October -- August, pardon me, last year. And I was trying to think of any other company that has gone public in the United States in
the middle of a war and I can't think of any.
Why did you do that?
And how much appetite was there for your stock?
KOMAROV: I'm quite sure that we are the first one and I'm 100 percent sure that we are the first pure Ukrainian company listed on the American Stock
Exchange. So somehow we are the first one from two perspectives. OK.
So for us, it's, you know, it's not the kind of -- it's not only a liquidity point, it's a credibility point. OK. So we were able to prove
that Ukraine is investable on the market. And I'm sure that Ukrainian entities will follow. OK.
And we see quite strong interest from the international investors to invest in Ukraine. We just went through the secondary public offering, OK. And
actually we were oversubscribed five times versus our proposal.
GIOKOS: Cyber attacks, how prolific is that?
KOMAROV: It's one of the major dangers; if you will consider a list of our risks, cyber risk will be among top three. And we went through the biggest
cyber terrorism act in the history of the global telecom. We were down for 36 hours, OK, at the end of 2023.
And I think that from the, you know, protection perspective, we are one of the well-equipped telco in the world.
GIOKOS: Trilateral discussions wrapping up in Abu Dhabi. I mean, I don't know how you feel about that, what you've heard, you know. And importantly,
you are here.
What are you doing here?
And are -- you know, how much interest is there to invest in Ukraine?
KOMAROV: Of course, I have hope that it will be a stable, peaceful resolution of the Ukrainian war. OK. This will lead Ukrainian people to
come back. This will probably raise investment interest, you know, investment community interest toward Ukraine. And that's why I'm here.
We were running a second Invest in Ukraine Forum here on Monday just before the World Governments Summit. We have invited plenty of, let's say,
investors, OK, to consider Ukraine, to consider Kyivstar. OK. So as a kind of potential target for their investors.
GIOKOS: Is there any interest?
KOMAROV: I think it's a strong interest. If you look at our stock behavior, OK. So we are stable, OK. Despite the war, OK. So we are growing.
And I think this is probably the best evidence for the global community that it is possible. And for Ukrainian business that it is possible.
GIOKOS: Oleksandr, great to have you with us. Thank you so much.
KOMAROV: Thank you for inviting me.
GIOKOS: Great to have you on the show.
All right. So we're going to a very short break. We'll be back after this. Stick with CNN.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:40:00]
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GIOKOS: So much focus here at the World Governments Summit on artificial intelligence. It's a huge part of the conversation in Dubai and it's also
about how the world can balance progress with safety in order to protect future generations.
My colleague, Becky Anderson, sat down with two leaders, advocating for a clear-eyed approach.
Badr Jafar is the special envoy for business and philanthropy in the UAE.
And Margarita Louis-Dreyfus is the founder of the Human Change Foundation, an organization dedicated to protecting children from harmful technologies.
Here's part of the conversation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BADR JAFAR, SPECIAL ENVOY FOR BUSINESS AND PHILANTHROPY, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: To put things into perspective, total AI spend and investment in
2025 alone eclipsed the inflation adjusted costs of the moon landing program and the atomic bomb program combined. Right.
But here's the problem: with over $3 trillion invested in AI globally, less than 1 percent of that was directed into social impact. And more than
90 percent of that went into high income countries. That represents less than 17 percent of the population of the global population.
And that's not a problem with technology. That's a problem with alignment, which is why the UAE government got together a group of stakeholders from
across government, business and philanthropy in Davos, to think of a new operating model that we called the AI Impact Flywheel.
That's where government can come set the guardrails, create the enabling environment, help philanthropy as catalytic capital to come and de-risk.
And then help business capital crowd in to scale.
And, you know, as they say, Becky -- and Davos is a place where the world's elite comes to debate, well, the UAE is a place where the world comes to
really implement an action.
That's exactly what we're doing here at the World Governments Summit, bringing together this multi-stakeholder group to be greater than the sum
of our parts and to deliver benefits, the benefits of AI and technology to a much broader base.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: I want to bring in Margarita here. You were also in Davos, very much involved in these conversations. Your focus is on
protecting kids from the risks of digitization.
And you've been pushing for a shift toward technology that prioritizes children's well-being over what some might describe as this raw
technological advancement. Just explain.
MARGARITA LOUIS-DREYFUS, FOUNDER, HUMAN CHANGE FOUNDATION: We have already data about it, how it impacts children. For example, now recent research
showed that 72 percent of teens in the U.S. have already AI as a friend.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: What, a chatbot?
LOUIS-DREYFUS: A chatbot, AI chatbot, yes, exactly -- as a friend. I would say, for me personally, when -- I have twins, girls 9 years old, I speak as
a mom of five children and two of them are in the school age.
And I started to see what -- something is going wrong. My 6-year old daughters came from the first grade in Swiss school and explained to me
that the best solution in life for all problems is to commit suicide. And they were explaining me in details how --
ANDERSON: This is at 6 years old.
LOUIS-DREYFUS: Six years old.
ANDERSON: Having been at school with their friends.
LOUIS-DREYFUS: Yes.
ANDERSON: And these are the conversations that are being had?
LOUIS-DREYFUS: -- being not -- no, they had no contact at home with technology. So they got it from friends in school, friends maybe 10 years
old, you know, older children, explaining to the younger, what is a -- what is a life about?
This is how I started to care about it. And I created Human Change Foundation, where we have global experts on children's psychology,
sociology, teachers to collect the data globally and to understand what is going on.
JAFAR: Just quickly building on what Margarita said, technology doesn't care where it goes. Right?
We do. So when people ask me about AI, I don't talk about the technology, partly because I'm still trying to figure it out.
But I talk about the telescope, right, when the great astronomers of the Golden Age, people like Ibn al-Haytham and Ibn Yunus, was 500 years before
Galileo pointed their telescopes at the sky.
[10:45:00]
They didn't invent the stars, right?
They revealed them. So AI is our telescope.
And the question is, where are we going to point that telescope?
ANDERSON: What are you doing at the Human Change Foundation to help ensure that the risks that you see don't become omnipresent?
LOUIS-DREYFUS: For me, this human change, you know, many people worried about climate change and rightly so. But I worry if, honestly, we worry
more about human change because it is such a quick evolution which is going on, supported by the data of our experts.
I personally see human change today as the biggest risk for humanity because we are creating young generations. They are already not only
children, already young generation is there, which don't have skills to create any long-term relationship, any long-term commitments to each other,
this is for me the biggest risk today.
We are speaking about all this; AI will bring our so much good. We are going to be healthy. But if we are going to be so lonely and aggressive
against each other. I don't know if it will help us.
So again, I'm speaking only about children. If we will give them right skills, they will find out what to do with AI. But if they have no
emotional skills, the risk of social unrest is just too big.
ANDERSON: And just to be clear, your lens is wider than AI. You and I have talked about the impact of social media, the impact of gaming not just on
young men but on young women as well but particularly on young men. These are the things that worry you. This is societal.
LOUIS-DREYFUS: I call it digital childhood, the impact of digital childhood. It is -- digital childhood, for me in reality, what is the
percentage of time, of children spent in the virtual world?
They give still 24 hours. If AI one day will bring them 60 hours a day, maybe I say OK, they have a couple of hours for this. But they have only
still 24 hours a day to develop crucial skills for the rest of their life.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: All right, ahead on CONNECT THE WORLD, can handwriting reveal an insight into character as well as behaviors?
We'll chat with the leading handwriting experts on the importance of the skill. We'll be right back.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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GIOKOS: Welcome back.
So our handwriting has been described as being as unique as our fingerprints. The study of handwriting, called graphology, has provided an
insight into people's personalities. The coordination it involves between the brain and the hand can be seen as an extension of body language.
But in the age of technology and social media, handwriting and other practical human skills could be at risk. Graphologist and handwriting
expert Emma Bache has analyzed the handwriting of global leaders.
Recently, she warned of the risks of AI and the loss of human creativity. And she joins me now.
And Emma, you've also analyzed my handwriting.
EMMA BACHE, GRAPHOLOGIST AND HANDWRITING EXPERT: I have.
GIOKOS: (INAUDIBLE) public information but --
BACHE: You passed the test.
(CROSSTALK)
GIOKOS: OK. So you know, I want to get into the importance of handwriting because I think, you know, a lot of people just don't write on paper
anymore. I do. I have thousands of notebooks everywhere. But just explain why it's so important for us to engage in this activity.
BACHE: Well, because.
[10:50:00]
It's a very intuitive thing to do. And the fact is that, when we write, when we actually handwrite, it helps our memories. It embeds what we're
trying to remember, what we're trying to say. And also it's a keepsake. And everybody loves getting a letter.
GIOKOS: I mean, they used to, I don't know.
Do you write letters --
(CROSSTALK)
BACHE: I do, actually.
GIOKOS: Maybe you guys should send me messages on social media and actually write notes for me and post them.
BACHE: Yes.
GIOKOS: That's what I want to do.
OK, so we've got some signatures of global leaders that I want you to analyze because you've done some great work on that. And it's actually in
your book, "Reading between the Lines," which is super fascinating. I want to start with president Trump.
BACHE: Yes. Everybody does.
GIOKOS: We do. We want to take a look at his signature because it's very unique and distinct.
BACHE: It's very distinct. And I would say it's probably the most distinctive handwriting and signature in the world currently trending. It's
all angles. And when I look at president Trump's handwriting, it's more like a cardiogram than an autograph.
GIOKOS: I'm never going to look at it the same again, actually.
BACHE: But it's all -- the angles mean aggression. It means somebody who's determined to get their way. And he's actually got something called shark
teeth, which -- because it looks a little bit like a shark teeth, pointing to the right and very sharp. You know, you wouldn't want to mess with this
person, obviously.
GIOKOS: Well, obviously.
(CROSSTALK)
GIOKOS: And we've got another one, which is Melania Trump as well as Donald Trump and his little notes. And there you see Melania signature at
the bottom.
What does that tell you about that -- ?
BACHE: Well, what I find extraordinary about this is because I think that we have the perception that Melania is very, very different in personality
from her husband. But the fact is actually she isn't.
Because when I look at the signature, it's so similar, in that she's also got not so much the shark tooth but she's got these very, very strong,
downward-pointing strokes. She is also very determined, more aggressive, if anything. But she has more outward charm.
GIOKOS: So I mean, when we see president Trump's signature and you see, you know, the confrontation that we're seeing globally, I mean, is there a
correlation?
I mean, are you able to tell --
(CROSSTALK)
BACHE: Well, the thing is, I get to have a look at all the handwritings of all the world leaders. And yes, I mean, I do think, you know, we're in
trouble here. And let's get more women leaders, because I think they handle or they have more empathy and I think a little bit more collaboration with
other people.
GIOKOS: So in terms of the, you know, the signatures and the handwriting that you've been able to, you know, look at, you're saying that men are
more prone to being --
BACHE: Men are more -- (INAUDIBLE) listen, don't get me wrong.
(CROSSTALK)
BACHE: We all love men. We all love men. But men find it harder to use their empathetic, empathetic skills. And they tend to see things in more
black and white terms.
GIOKOS: OK, so I've also got Vladimir Putin, which is interesting. I know that you've analyzed his handwriting. I mean, this is just a small example
of his signature.
But what I mean, what can you tell?
BACHE: Well, OK, so, first of all, with Trump, we saw narcissistic qualities but we also see narcissistic qualities in Putin. Now I have seen
his name (ph), funnily enough, I have seen the main text as well, not just the signature.
But if we look at the signature, it's pretty representative of his normal writing. And instead of those angles, it's one curve after another, a bit
like a very old-fashioned telephone, a telephone cord.
Now what that transcribes into is that, the way he is driven is something that a lot of countries may find, especially in the West, find quite
difficult to understand because it's love for his motherland, it's passion. Obviously it is narcissistic but it's passion for the motherland, whereas
Trump is its power and its money.
GIOKOS: I mean, it's so fascinating because when I see the state of the world and listening to you, it's, you know, you can see, you know, why
we're in the tension that we're seeing right now. I've also got Marco Rubio, which I think is quite interesting because it seems very different
to everything else.
BACHE: Well, it is actually. Now he's obviously used quite a distinctive pen. It looks like a felt tip or a marker. So immediately it's going to be
a broader, thicker stroke, more sensual. And it's very irregular. So this isn't somebody who -- he's got a lot of charisma but perhaps not the
attention to detail that you might think of somebody --
GIOKOS: So let's I mean, look, you've been focusing on handwriting and signatures and you really analyze these things. But you've also put out a
very big warning. And this is that we're all obsessed with our phones. We're writing notes on our phones. We're not writing anymore.
And you kept mentioning the word empathy.
Are you saying if we don't write, we will remove empathy?
(CROSSTALK)
BACHE: Well, I think -- I think if we do everything through AI and we do everything through technology, we will lose our natural empathy. And
handwriting is a really good way of actually connecting to the empathy.
[10:55:00]
The writer will feel empathetic and it brings up feelings of maybe thinking of the past, thinking very deeply about the person that they are writing
to. And, of course, the recipient feels special.
GIOKOS: So in terms of the new generation and, you know, I mean, your kids are getting iPads at school from a very young age. I mean, you're thrust
with so much digital things to kind of use.
Are you starting to see trends with the younger generation that are moving away from writing?
BACHE: Well, my children's generation, late 20s, early 30s, the good thing is they're journaling. And I think you mentioned that as well. They're
using notepads. So they are writing.
Now, the generation to come after that, who knows?
I don't know. But my generation, the problem is that we've stopped writing letters to people. And I would honestly advocate everybody just to write
one --
GIOKOS: Post offices are like literally losing business and they're shutting down globally.
(CROSSTALK)
GIOKOS: Well anyway, anyway, it's so fascinating. Thank you so much.
Now you know, get that notebook out and write notes. Don't do it on your phone.
All right, ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for joining us. I'm Eleni Giokos. That's it for CONNECT THE WORLD here from the World
Governments Summit in Dubai. "ONE WORLD" is up next. Stick with CNN.
END
