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Early Start with Rahel Solomon
U.S.-Russia Talks on Ukraine Begin in Saudi Arabia; Canadian Prime Minister Says Trump Wants to Break Canada As He Calls for a Snap Election; White House Solicits for Sponsorship for This Year's Easter Egg Roll. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired March 24, 2025 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:00]
RAHEL SOLOMON, ANCHOR, EARLY START: Good morning and welcome to our viewers joining us from the U.S. and all around the world, I'm Rahel Solomon, it is Monday, March 24th, 5:00 a.m. exactly here in New York. And straight ahead on EARLY START.
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SEBASTIAN SHUKLA, CNN REPORTER: We know that today, the Russian and U.S. talks are going to begin in earnest. The form of shuttle diplomacy is going to take place.
MARK CARNEY, PRIME MINISTER, CANADA: I'm asking Canadians for a strong, positive mandate to deal with President Trump.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I will strengthen our country standing up to the Americans where and when necessary.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The White House is soliciting corporate sponsorships for this year's Easter egg roll. What's different this year is this explicit promise of logo and brand activations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: Diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war in Ukraine are now underway in Riyadh. That's where U.S. officials are reported to be sitting down with talks with Russia. Negotiators are trying to sort out the details of a proposed limited ceasefire. The Kremlin says that today's discussions will mainly focus on reviving the Black Sea Grain Initiative, and they come one day after Ukraine held its own talks with the U.S.
Ukraine says that it's working to make lasting peace a reality, and described Sunday's talks as, quote, "productive and focused", with key points including energy being discussed. And this all follows last week's phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. That call resulted in the Kremlin agreeing to temporarily halt attacks on energy infrastructure targets, but Moscow also stopped short of signing off on a broader ceasefire sought by the U.S.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE WITKOFF, U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY TO THE MIDDLE EAST: Lots of progress got made last week. The parties agreed to an energy infrastructure, a moratorium on attacks for energy infrastructure. I think that you're going to see in Saudi Arabia on Monday some real progress, particularly as it affects a Black Sea, more ceasefire on ships between both countries, and from that, you'll naturally gravitate into a full-on shooting ceasefire.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: OK, let's go to CNN's Clare Sebastian joining us live from London and following all of these developments. Clare, now that these talks have reportedly begun between the U.S. and Russia, what do we expect to come from them?
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think it's worth making clear, as you said, that we are still working backwards, essentially from the point less than two weeks ago where Ukraine agreed to a U.S. proposal for an unconditional full 30-day ceasefire. Then President Putin in a call with Trump last week essentially rejected that.
So, now the talks this week will be on technical issues related to a partial ceasefire. As you say, the Black Sea is a big part of discussions according to the Kremlin, the potential to revive a 2022- 2023 Black Sea Grain Initiative, where the U.N. and Turkey essentially brokered safe corridors for Ukrainian -- for international ships, rather, to export Ukrainian grain.
Russia then let that lapse, saying that it wasn't being given enough sort of room to export its own food products. There was some push for sanctions relief as part of that. So, look, clearly it's in Russia's interest to try to revive this. They -- their Black Sea fleet, their sort of military element in the Black Sea has been decimated by Ukrainian attacks so much so they've even had to move most of their assets away from their traditional base in Crimea.
So, that will be a big part of the discussions. The talks between the U.S. and Ukraine on Sunday did also focus on the issue of an energy ceasefire, which President Putin appeared to agree to last week. But of course, attacks did continue, so that may also come up. Expectations have differed quite a bit between the U.S. and the Russian side, as you heard there, Steve Witkoff talking about real progress.
He expects on the Russian side, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov tamping down expectations, saying that talks particularly on the Black Sea would be not easy, saying that there were a huge quantity of nuances that would have to be discussed. And I think, of course, for Ukraine, any moment where you see this bilateral track of negotiations between the U.S. and Russia is a moment of great concern, concern that the Russian sort of persuasion as to its view that Ukraine is the one standing in the way of peace, will work.
[05:05:00] And of course, when you hear comments like you heard from Steve
Witkoff speaking to Tucker Carlson over the weekend, he said that, you know, the Russians are in control of the territories -- talking about the four regions that they have claimed to annex. The question is, he said, will the world acknowledge that those are Russian territories? I think that raises significant concern for Ukraine that Russia will continue in its efforts to basically paint Ukraine as the impediment to peace here.
SOLOMON: Yes, and we should point out that the referendums that Witkoff had spoken about were internationally condemned as essentially a sham. Clare Sebastian live for us in London, Clare, thank you. Well, the Prime Minister of Greenland is slamming a planned trip there by U.S. officials that includes second lady Usha Vance.
The White House describing the trip as a cultural visit. It says that a U.S. delegation will be joining her to attend Greenland's national dog sled race, and also visit heritage sites. Source also saying that National Security adviser Mike Waltz is also expected to visit Greenland this week. But as Donald Trump expresses interest in annexing the Arctic island, the territory's PM calls the visit, quote, "highly aggressive".
A new Israeli airstrike hit Gaza's largest functioning hospital on Sunday night. Israel claims that a key Hamas figure who was, quote, "operating" inside the hospital was killed. But Hamas affiliated "Al- Aqsa TV" reports that he had been receiving medical treatment there.
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SOLOMON: As IDF operations in Gaza intensify, the Palestinian Health Ministry says that more than 50,000 people have been killed in the territory since the war began. And one displaced Palestinian feels that Gaza is standing alone.
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MAHMOUD AL-FERRA, DISPLACED PALESTINIAN (through translator): Fifty thousand martyrs because of world and international complicity and the Islamic and Arab silence, and because Gaza stands alone and is defending itself alone. The number of deaths and injuries is increasing, and the daily humanitarian struggle is worsening massively.
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SOLOMON: Now, amid the escalation in Gaza, Israel says that it has Washington's unwavering support. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday and discussed the release of hostages and Israel's new offensive in the enclave. Across Turkey, protests continued Sunday for the fifth night. This
follows the arrest and jailing of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Erdogan's most serious political rival. Police confronted protesters in the capital of Istanbul with pepper spray. State media report that Imamoglu when some 100 others associated with him, have now been accused of a list of charges, including belonging to a criminal group.
Supporters of the popular mayor, including the layer -- the leader of his own party claim the charges are politically motivated.
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OZGUR OZEL, CHAIRMAN, REPUBLICAN PEOPLE'S PARTY (through translator): By keeping Ekrem Imamoglu in prison for four days, sending him to court while Turkey was going to the polls for him and sending him to Silivri prison while Turkey was electing him. President Tayyip Erdogan defied not only Imamoglu, but millions and attempted to stage a coup.
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SOLOMON: Thousands gathered in Istanbul Sunday night at a rally held by Imamoglu's party, Turkey's main opposition bloc. The mayor has denied all the charges against him and vowed that, quote, "we will not bow down". All right, when we return, a pending deal between the IRS and Homeland Security could help agents track down undocumented migrants.
Plus, Pope Francis discharged from the hospital after more than a month fighting double pneumonia. We'll tell you why despite being out of the hospital, he's not out of the woods. And later, 23andMe filing for bankruptcy. Why the gene-testing firm is looking to expand its connections to stay afloat. We'll be right back.
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SOLOMON: Welcome back. Former U.S. lawmaker Mia Love, the first black woman elected to Congress as a Republican has died following a fight with an aggressive form of brain cancer. She was 49 years old. Her family announced her death on Sunday and posted a tribute on social media that said, in part, "in the midst of a celebration of her life and an avalanche of happy memories, Mia quietly slipped the bands of mortality, and as her words and vision always did, soared heavenward."
Catholics in and around Vatican City are set to gather in the coming hours for prayers concerning the pope's health. Pope Francis was discharged from a Rome hospital on Sunday where he spent more than five weeks struggling with double pneumonia. He did appear visibly frail and struggled to speak as he acknowledged the crowds outside.
The pontiff blessed them, but you could see lifting his arms appear difficult. Pope Francis will continue his recovery now at the Vatican. An appeals court in Washington will hear arguments today over the Trump administration's use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport certain undocumented migrants.
So, this law allows the U.S. government to deport non-citizens during a declared war or during an invasion or incursion by a foreign government. Justice Department is asking to lift a judge's order, temporarily blocking that law from being used to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members. Their families argue that the administration is violating their civil liberties.
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U.S. border czar Tom Homan, well, he's defending the move. He pointed to alleged murderers and violent crimes at the hands of undocumented migrants. Homan says that every single person on those deportation flights out of the U.S. last weekend was linked to gangs. The suspect accused of killing a mother of five in the suburbs of Atlanta is reportedly in the U.S. illegally.
An ICE spokesperson told CNN affiliate "WSB" that the 21-year-old suspect from Honduras was initially arrested for crossing the U.S. border four years ago, but then he was released. He is now being held without bond and facing a felony murder charge in the death of Camillia Williams.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp issuing a statement, saying in part, quote, "those who commit acts of violence against our people will face the full weight of our justice system, and if they are here illegally, we will not hesitate to work with our federal partners to ensure their removal from our state and country."
Students at Georgetown University are calling for a change after a professor was detained by ICE. Protesters gathered on campus Sunday demanding the release of Badar Khan Suri, accused by U.S. officials of being a mouthpiece for Hamas propaganda. But his attorney argues that Khan Suri is being targeted because his wife is a Palestinian- American.
Some Georgetown students and faculty now want the university to become a sanctuary campus, banning ICE agents and police from entering.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think there is definitely a general sense of unease, having someone from our own community taken is something I think our entire community is still processing. There is fear. We are seeing escalations in ICE actions around the country. To have it hit so close to home is definitely putting us in a difficult position on whether we actually have the freedom of speech or not.
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SOLOMON: The IRS, meantime, is closing in on a deal to share migrant data with the Department of Homeland Security. That is according to a person familiar with the matter. Now, the IRS usually guards tax filer information from disclosure. So, in an unprecedented agreement like this would mark a major shift at the agency. CNN's Amy Kiley reports now. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID LEOPOLD, IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY: I have real privacy concerns here.
AMY KILEY, CNN NEWSOURCE (voice-over): The IRS and Department of Homeland Security appear closer to finalizing an information-sharing agreement. A person familiar with the matter says it would enable ICE to submit names and addresses of people who might be in the U.S. illegally. The source says the IRS could then cross-reference and confirm that information.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: The goal of this appears to be speeding up President Trump's deportation efforts.
KILEY: The President's supporters say his immigration policies are what voters want.
PETE SEAT, FORMER WHITE HOUSE SPOKESPERSON FOR GEORGE W. BUSH: You have an administration and a president that is strong in their conviction that they have a mandate from the voters to act, particularly on the issue of illegal immigration.
KILEY: Critics say involving the IRS could endanger taxpayer privacy. The agency works under laws that usually prohibit the release of personal information.
MICHAEL MOORE, LEGAL ANALYST: There is a process in place for a court to look at that and decide whether or not that information should be released.
KILEY: This legal analyst notes President Donald Trump's attorneys fought in court to keep his own tax records private.
MOORE: And there was this huge claim that there would be, in fact, that this was some privacy information that should be let out under federal law. And so, that's the -- that's really the issue here.
KILEY: Many taxpayers have common names like John Smith, advocates argue that could cause errors if the IRS worked with ICE.
LEOPOLD: We're inevitably going to be encroaching on the taxes and the privacy of American citizens.
KILEY: I'm Amy Kiley reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOLOMON: The Trump administration is pushing for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine as it holds talks in Riyadh. Coming up, we are live from Odesa, Ukraine, with a look at what could come out of those meetings. Plus, Canadians will elect a new government next month as they stare down Donald Trump's threats to their country's sovereignty. Ahead, how the candidates are promising to fight.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [05:20:00]
SOLOMON: Welcome back. Another round of talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine is now underway as delegates from the U.S. and Russia sit down in Riyadh. Teams are trying to sort out the details of a proposed limited ceasefire. This comes just one day after the U.S. team met with Ukrainian officials in what the country's Defense Minister described as, quote, "productive talks".
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who visited with troops on the frontlines over the weekend says that the Russian President must be pushed to end the war. Joining me now from Odesa, Ukraine, is Michael Bociurkiw; global affairs analyst and Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council. He is also the former spokesperson for the organization for security and cooperation in Europe.
Michael, always a pleasure to see you. As I just said, I mean, these talks today follow the talks yesterday between U.S. and Ukraine. What are your expectations here? What are you watching?
MICHAEL BOCIURKIW, GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST & SENIOR FELLOW, ATLANTIC COUNCIL: Good to be with you. Well, these talks are taking place in the desert, in the Middle East, and if there's anything we have learned from modern history, very little comes from U.S. forays into the quick-sands of the Middle East.
The Trump administration has been in power only a few weeks, Gaza is a mess and Ukraine, Russia peace talks are in a mess, if you ask me. Now, the Ukrainians who emerged from talks last night came out with a very measured assessment of what happened. Technical talks, they called it, and the Russians will go in today.
[05:25:00]
But it's becoming clearer and clearer that the Russians are kind of on a two-track approach to these talks. One is to restore U.S.-Russia bilateral relations, which have really suffered since the full-scale invasion, and that could include things, for example, of getting Boeing spare parts for their aircraft going again. It could open up space for U.S. Airlines to fly over Siberia, things like that.
And then there's the separate track of a peace deal with Ukraine. But I would venture to say that it's the first track bilateral relations that they're really going to put a lot of effort to and see what happens with Ukraine.
SOLOMON: And on that second track, I mean, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff has said that the goal of these meetings is a 30-day full ceasefire that would pave the way for talks on a more permanent end. Does that sound realistic to you at all?
BOCIURKIW: No, not at all, and for a number of reasons. I mean, number one, they're pounding away at Ukraine as they've mentioned and as you mentioned. And then secondly, they're putting very difficult things on the table right now that no Ukrainian President could agree to. That is, for example, Russian control of the four oblasts, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Luhansk.
The latter two, they only control partially. And of course, legal recognition of Crimea. And then the other odd thing I noticed, because I live only a few blocks from the world port Odesa here, is the Russians want to restore the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Why? So that they can start shipping grain, a lot of it is stolen from Ukraine, from places like Mariupol, which they occupy, to other world ports, to Turkey.
I just had a look before we came on here on air at the live marine traffic, and there are dozens and dozens of Russian ships, shipping everything from oil to wheat from Russian ports to Turkey. Whereas from the Ukrainian side, there's very little. And one more factor here is that the Ukrainians have disabled about one-third of Russia's Black Sea fleet.
So, of course, the Russians want access to those Ukrainian ports they occupy so they can start shipping from there too without fear of fire from the Ukrainian side.
SOLOMON: Yes, so perhaps the economics of the war playing an outsized role here. Michael, I want to play for you a clip. This was Trump speaking over the weekend without kick.com. This is a platform that's owned by "Fox". They talk a lot about sports and American culture. Take a listen to what he said.
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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't think there's anybody in the world that could have stopped him except me. And I think I hope I'm going to be able to stop him. We've had some very rational discussions, and I just want to see the people stop getting killed. You know, they're losing 2,500 young kids a week. Yes --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes --
TRUMP: And they're Russian and they're Ukrainian.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
SOLOMON: So, he thinks he's going to be able to stop him. I mean, you've been in Ukraine, Michael, since the start of this war. Do you think that Ukrainians believe that Trump can get through to Putin, and at what cost?
BOCIURKIW: No, they don't. And I would venture to say that the Ukrainians are saying the Trump administration and -- has less and less a credible player in these negotiations. For example, where is the Trump promise of arming Ukraine to the teeth if the Russians don't get concessions? The -- I think that there's a growing feeling that the Saudis would be a much more reliable, trustworthy interlocutor than the American side, who, again, feel very happy to give as many concessions as possible to the Russians.
And it looks, again, like more and more so that they can restore bilateral relations on track, and then that Ukrainian peace deal is a secondary thing. Mr. Trump is very eager for some kind of foreign affairs win. As I mentioned, his efforts in Gaza have gone the opposite way, same here in Ukraine. So, there's a feeling here again that he may give away too much to the Russians just to have a quick win.
SOLOMON: You know, Michael, it's interesting as we talk and sort of try to understand what Russia wants from this. We've talked about the goal from the U.S. side of this. What would success look like from these talks for Ukraine? I mean, it sounds like -- and in all of our reporting has suggested that the two sides remain pretty far apart on the big issues.
BOCIURKIW: Yes, I mean, if you read, for example, CNN's Nick Paton Walsh's analysis, it looks very far apart. And I agree with him. What it would mean for the Ukrainians is an immediate laying down of the guns, because that's what Ukraine needs badly right now. The economy here including in an economically resilient place such as Odesa is on its knees right now.
The other thing that needs to happen, this could happen very easily, is for the Trump administration to ease off on the threat to lift the asylum protection for 200,000 or so Ukrainians currently in the United States. It's very difficult for them to come back here under these current conditions. And of course, Ukraine needs full access to sea lanes, to roads and railways as well to ship their stuff out.
