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One World with Zain Asher

Access To St. Peter's Square Is Now Closed; Cardinals To Pick Next Pope During Conclave; Trump's Threats Unify Canadian Voters Ahead Of Election; U.S. Envoy Meets Putin Amid New Russian Strikes On Ukraine; Nigerian Farmers Embrace Technology To Combat Food Insecurity; Pope's Coffin Procession Will Pass Rome's Historical Landmarks After Funeral Mass; Cubans Hold Mass To say Goodbye To Pope Francis; Pope Francis' Appreciation For Humor And Comedy; Aired 12-1p ET

Aired April 25, 2025 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[12:00:33]

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, everyone. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga. Zain is off today. You are watching the second hour of ONE

WORLD.

Final preparations are underway for mourners to bid an emotional farewell to Pope Francis. You're looking at live pictures of the Vatican where

access to St. Peter's Square has now been closed.

One hundred and fifty thousand people have already passed through the magnificent St. Peter's Basilica, where the Holy Father is lying in state

for one more hour. The Basilica must be cleared for a coffin-closing ceremony scheduled to begin in about two hours' time.

Now, this all comes hours before Saturday's funeral mass at the Vatican that will bring together dignitaries and worshipers from around the world.

CNN's Ben Wedeman is live for us from Rome. And Jeff Zeleny is standing by in Washington. Ben, let's start with you. The opportunity for people to pay

their final respects has now come to a close, and the coffin-closing ceremony, as I noted, is about to begin. What does that ceremony entail?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that involves senior members of the clergy, including the Secretary of State of the

Vatican, who will be on hand for the closing, the ceiling of that very simple wooden coffin, in which Pope Francis has been laid.

So it will not be a funeral with an open coffin tomorrow. And tomorrow, we are expecting this. Tomorrow will probably be one of the biggest gatherings

of world leaders in quite some time. There's going to be 130 delegations with 50 heads of state and 10 reigning monarchs. The Vatican has just put

out a very long list of those who -- VIPs, who will be attending.

Now, in terms of how many people will be here tomorrow, what we know is that more than 150,000 people have already walked through St. Peter's

Basilica to pay their final respects.

Back in 2005, more than 300,000 people were here in St. Peter's Square and surrounding the areas for the funeral of John Paul II. It's hard to say how

many people will be here tomorrow, but I'm sure it will be at least 100,000, if not more.

What we have been seeing is that the Vatican has simply had to change the schedule for the amount of time that St. Peter's Basilica was open just to

handle the number of people.

Now, tomorrow's going to be very interesting because Pope Francis, unlike his predecessors, will not be buried inside St. Peter's Basilica, but

rather at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, which is six kilometers from here.

So, his funeral procession, which will probably be very well attended as well, given it's a Saturday, the weather is decent, and of course he was a

very popular pope, particularly here in Italy, that procession is going to be going through old Rome, through Imperial Rome, passing through Piazza

Venezia, going by the Roman Forum and the Colosseum, before going up the hill to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.

A Basilica that Pope Francis, every time before he went on a trip and when he returned, he would always go there to give his thanks.

So, it seems only fitting that that will be his final resting place. Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: You will be there covering it for us, Ben Wedeman, along with our full coverage, as we will be commemorating the funeral tomorrow of Pope

Francis.

Let's go to Jeff Zeleny in Washington, D.C. Jeff, the president first lady, left not a long time ago, for what is his first trip, I believe, abroad in

his second term. He also had some comments, the White House lawn, about the pope, and though the two have butted heads in the past, he had some kind

words to say before he took off. What did he say?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFRAYS CORRESPONDENT: He did. I mean, when President Trump was leaving the White House here, he described the

pope as a fantastic man. And really, the U.S. President Donald Trump has not been talking extensively about the Pope's legacy this week, but every

time he has mentioned it, it's been in the positive. He was hardworking. He was well-loved, beloved.

So, the reality here is the relationship between now the U.S. President and the pope was strained by immigration. There is no doubt about it. The

president, as he was running for office, he would often tell the pope to stay in his lane, if you will. That did not stop the pope at all from

talking about building bridges not building walls and that was really the fundamental the centerpiece of his opposition to the Trump immigration

agenda.

[12:05:26]

But for now, the president is sending a message to U.S. Catholics. There's no doubt. And leaders around the world that he is back in the nation of

world leaders. This is his first trip abroad back in office. I think that is one of the reasons that he wanted to make the pilgrimage to a Rome to

attend the funeral. Of course, he has no role in the funeral. He will be sitting down and watching as other world leaders.

The question is on the sidelines, will he have any conversations with world leaders? Many have been eager to meet with him to talk, of course, about

Ukraine, as well as about the trade war and the tariff policy. But tomorrow, of course, the official business is the funeral. We will see if

any conversations happen.

But I should also note that former president, Joe Biden, is also traveling to Rome for the funeral. And he was very close to Pope Francis.

In one of his final acts in office, he awarded him the presidential Medal of Freedom. He visited the Vatican several times. They were aligned more

spiritually, of course, as well as on policy matters as well.

Joe Biden was the second Catholic U.S. president. Of course, John F. Kennedy being the first. So it's important to note that President Biden

also will be there. No other living U.S. presidents will be attending Barack Obama. I'm told considered it because he, of course, invited Pope

Francis here to the U.S. for his first U.S. visit as Pope, but he is not going to be making the journey.

But for President Trump, at least, certainly a gesture to Catholics here in the U.S. and worldwide by attending Pope Francis' funeral and paying him

the homage and respects he duly, duly deserves. Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. Among the other world leaders who will be there, we should note, President Zelenskyy of Ukraine as well. We'll be paying attention to

see if there's any interaction between the two men.

Jeff Zeleny, Ben Wedeman, thank you so much.

Well, Cardinals gathering at the Vatican this morning days from now they'll be meeting for the Conclave, the highly secretive process for choosing a

new Pope. It is a ritual that steeped in tradition, as CNN's Nick Watt explains.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A new pope to lead the world's 1.4 billion Catholics will be chosen by just around 130 cardinals in a

mysterious, many-centuries-old rite, the Conclave. Conclave "with a key."

REV. THOMAS REESE, S.J. SENIOR ANALYST, RELIGION NEWS SERVICE: They're locked in the Vatican and all their phones are taken away. They're not

allowed to communicate with the outside world until they elect a vote.

WATT (voice-over): Every cardinal, under the age of 80, is summoned to Rome for this and must swear an oath of secrecy punishable by excommunication.

REESE: It's a secret ballot. The cardinals don't even know who voted for whom.

WATT: Father Reese says the movie "Conclave" got it almost right.

STANLEY TUCCI, ACTOR: You have to commit to a side.

WATT: Except a secretly elected cardinal would never be allowed in. And the cardinal's robes were slightly the wrong color.

REESE: I think Hollywood got it better than the Catholic Church. I like the deeper red.

WATT (voice-over): By day, the cardinals will sit in silence and prayer in the Sistine Chapel under Michelangelo's magnificent ceiling. Two votes in

the morning, two in the afternoon until one candidate wins two-thirds of the ballots.

By night, they stay in a boarding house nearby where the horse trading happens late into the evening.

REESE: Different cardinals will go around, pushing for the candidate that they would like to see become pope. Your friends have to do that for you.

You cannot do that yourself.

That would indicate a level of pride that would be unacceptable in a pope.

WATT (voice-over): The pope just has to be male and Catholic, but since 1389, the cardinals have always elected one of their own.

After every inconclusive round of votes, the smoke from the chapel chimney is black. Ballots are burned with some chemicals thrown into create the

color. When a new pope is chosen, the smoke is white. At the last Conclave, there was a problem.

REESE: The monsignor in charge of the stove didn't follow the directions and the smoke came out gray and everybody in St. Peter's Square was

scratching their heads.

WATT (voice-over): So they rang the biggest bell in the square as well.

REESE: And as soon as you see it swinging, you know it's over.

WATT (voice-over): The new pope chooses a name and is ushered to the Room of Tears.

REESE: And in that room, they will have three sets of papal garments, the white cassock that the pope wears, one small, one medium and one large.

WATT (voice-over): For the new pope to wear when he walks out onto that famous balcony in St. Peter's Square.

[12:10:06]

WATT: So the Conclave will convene in just a little over two weeks from now. How long they'll take? Well, that's an open question. You know, back

in the 1200s, they once took nearly three years, that was to elect Pope Gregory X. Recent years, it's more likely two or three days. That's going

to become the norm.

Now, the fact that there's no clear frontrunner, that might add a little time, something that might take away a little time, is 80 percent of these

electors, these cardinals, were appointed by Pope Francis.

So there's a decent chance they might be on a similar page. And remember, these cardinals are not just choosing the next pope. They're essentially

also choosing the direction that the church is going to take over the next few years.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: Our thanks To Nick Watt there for that report.

Well, joining me now is Christopher Bellitto. He's a professor of history at Kean University in New Jersey. It's great to have you back on. I love

that we've gotten to spend so much time with you over the past few weeks.

And tomorrow, obviously, will be an event that millions upon millions will be watching around the world. And it was interesting. I thought it was

quite funny how you told our producer at the end of the day, a funeral is just a funeral. This will just be a larger scale funeral.

But in all seriousness, walk us through what we can expect tomorrow and what will look different from what we saw during the last papal funeral.

CHRISTOPHER BELLITTO, PROFESSOR OF HISTORY, KEAN UNIVERSITY: Well, you know, four centuries, papal funerals were like huge events like a King or a

Queen or an emperor being buried.

In more recent history, the pope was laid out, if you will. What you're seeing right now is just a huge wake, what some traditions and cultures

call of viewing. But there is a slight difference, important to Francis, that in the past, the pope's body laid on top of a table so you could kind

of see the whole body.

Whereas Francis is laid within a coffin. You have to get pretty close to peer in to have a look. And my sense is that he wanted to be presented as

another Christian, just another Christian. Of course, it's kind of strange to say that about the pope.

And so again, in the past, he's very elaborate rituals for since 1978, Paul VI really toned things down. He was buried in a simple coffin with an open

book of the gospels on top of it, the wind off and turning the pages dramatically.

And every papal funeral since then has seen that, the second papal funeral of John Paul I, the smiling pope of 33 days, did the same. John Paul II in

2005, Benedict the 16th in 2013. So those are all going to be the same.

Apart from that, it's the same funeral ritual as there would be for any Catholic, the difference being that some of the readings refer specifically

to the pope's role as the Bishop of Rome.

So for instance, the first reading, which is going to be taken from Acts of the Apostles, is Peter's proclamation of Christ as Savior. So, of course,

isn't that what the Bishop, what the preacher, what the chief shepherd does?

The Psalm will be the Lord is my shepherd. The gospel from John is the story of after the resurrection, Jesus saying to Peter, do you love me

three times, Simon Peter, feed my sheep, feed my sheep, feed my lambs, kind of the commission to be pope.

GOLODRYGA: Can we expect the majority of the funeral to be conducted in Latin?

BELLITTO: Yes, a lot of it will be in Latin. And -- but the readings will be in various languages. One of them will be in Spanish. The second reading

will be in Spanish. And the prayers of the faithful are in quite a variety of languages.

Let me read them to you. French Arabic, Portuguese, Polish, German, and Chinese. And then at the ends, when there are the prayers of what are

called commendation, it is time to finish the funeral. And now we're going to take the body to its final resting place.

There will be prayers in Greek. Remember that this pope, like the last several popes, had very close relationships with the Eastern Greek

churches.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. And that is something that actually Vladimir Putin first noted upon news of his death as well, how the Eastern Church there, and

which had been sort of following a different branch of Catholicism, how this pope had made effort to align the two closer.

The number of cardinals is also going to be larger than before. The procession I read accompanied the coffin when John Paul died was 157. Now,

there are currently 252. Not all are expected to attend. But how is that going to impact the procession?

[12:15:12]

BELLITTO: Well, it will make everything longer. That's for sure. But that is really the -- you know, that's the direction that the church is going,

that we're going to have a larger College of Cardinals as we have incrementally had over the last elections and that that College of

Cardinals will be far more international than it has been started with Paul the VI really took off under John Paul II and particularly under Pope

Francis.

GOLODRYGA: And quickly, just in terms of the who's who, the dignitaries from around the world, how closely will you be following their body

language and their seating arrangement? What does the seating chart look like?

BELLITTO: Well, I'm not going to be following that as much as other people I can -- I can tell you because it's not a day about the political leaders.

This is a day about Francis.

GOLODRYGA: Of course. Well, we see them there. The President of the United States, President of France, Chancellor of Germany, just to name a few.

Christopher Bellitto, thank you so much. Appreciate the time.

BELLITTO: It's good to be with you again.

GOLODRYGA: Thank you.

And still to come for us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He's got a good sense of humor. And well, I can't share all his jokes. They were all clean.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: The people's pope was known to crack a joke. Just ahead, a look at the pontiff's humor throughout his papacy.

Then Canadians go to the polls on Monday to determine which party will lead their government. So, why is Donald Trump emerging as a major factor in the

race? Here's a hint.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER HAMILTON, CANADIAN VOTER: The biggest thing in Canada is we have friends all over the world. How many friends does Americans have right now?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GOLODRYGA: We have more breaking news to bring you. It's just into CNN.

Disgraced former U.S. Congressman, George Santos, has been sentenced to 87 months in prison after being convicted of aggravated identity theft and

wire fraud.

Last year, Santos pled guilty to the charges which stemmed from fraudulent activity during his midterm campaign in 2022, including misusing campaign

funds.

Santos, who represented parts of Long Island and Queens, sparked shock and controversy in Washington over revelations that he fabricated large parts

of his life story, including significant portions of his resume.

[12:20:03]

Well, on Monday, Canadians head to the polls to decide whether Prime Minister Mark Carney's liberal party will continue to run the government,

or whether conservatives will return to power for the first time in nearly a decade.

Donald Trump's tariff policies and his inflammatory comments have become a major factor in this race, but the U.S. President isn't backing down on

tariffs, which Canada's Prime Minister says are a non-starter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK CARNEY, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: The President's ideas in his head is designed, wants to break us so he can own us. The question is, who's going

to stand up to that? I'm ready to do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Trump's threats and tariff policies have not only unified Canadian voters, they have also prompted a surge in patriotism. CNN's John

King takes a look at the impact that the U.S. President is having on Canadian elections.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Rock Maple Lodge spans 200 acres, more than 2,000 maple trees, 11 miles of lines to

carry the syrup back to be boiled, filtered, and bottled.

HAMILTON: There we go.

KING (voice-over): This is Peter Hamilton's business and his escape.

HAMILTON: Every year, we've got to drill another hole.

KING (voice-over): He also farms wheat, soybeans and corn, sells some timber.

HAMILTON: So to be here 54 years and absolute just thrilled that we're able to do this.

KING: Sounds like you're working harder now though.

HAMILTON: I would like to go back one more time to play some hockey.

KING (voice-over): A proud Canadian now more than ever. Yes, a lifelong conservative but Canada first is Hamilton's motto as voters here pick a new

parliament and a new prime minister.

HAMILTON: The bottom line is, the liberals and the conservatives got to work together here. They can't be nit-picking and arguing amongst each

other. We have to work together to make this country go ahead.

KING (voice-over): Work together he says because suddenly the United States feels so far away. Rock Maple Lodge is in Ontario just 65 miles from

Toronto. It's just 100 miles to the border and Buffalo, but it doesn't feel that close with Donald Trump in the White House.

HAMILTON: There is no friends no more. The biggest thing in Canada is we have friends all over the world. How many friends does Americans have right

now?

KING (voice-over): The Trump effect on Canada's election cannot be overstated. You see more Canadian flags now. More of these signs too.

Federal elections here are often defined by East versus West. Urban versus rural. English versus French. Liberal versus conservative. But Trump versus

Canada defines this one.

Just weeks ago, some of the flowers here at Lola Blooms came from the United States. Not anymore. Sisters-in-law Lindsay Smith and Kaitlynn

Strain are buying elsewhere now. Their answer to Trump's threats of tariffs or making Canada the 51st state.

LINDSAY SMITH, CANADIAN VOTER: It's more Donald Trump. I feel like he's a bully in this situation. We're supposed to be allies. We thought we're on

like a friendship level.

KING (voice-over): Some of the vases and other hardware still come from the states. But Smith and Strain are looking for alternatives.

KING: And when you hear him call your Prime Minister Governor or say that, you know, this would make a great 51st state, what's that make you think?

KAITLYNN STRAIN, CANADIAN VOTER: Very insulting.

SMITH: We need a strong leader who won't stand up for bullying.

KING (voice-over): They both traditionally support the Green Party, but both are leaning liberal this time.

KING: If the liberals are going to win or the conservatives are going to win, you want them to win by what? A healthy enough margin --

STRAIN: Exactly.

KING: -- so that they're viewed as a strong leader?

SMITH: Yes.

STRAIN: Yes, very much.

SMITH: You put your vote where it counts a little more in this situation.

KING: And is that just because of Donald Trump?

SMITH: Yes.

STRAIN: Yes. Unfortunately.

SMITH: Yes.

KING (voice-over): Canadians see this as much bigger than who gets the most seats in parliament and gets to pick a prime minister. It's about spending

more in the military, buying local, finding new markets and new partners. Dropping any thought the ruts with Trump can just be smoothed over.

TOBY GORMAN, CANADIAN VOTER: I put up a flag myself. I never thought I would put up a Canadian flag. But I think when it comes down to crunch

time, Canadians really gather up.

KING (voice-over): Toby Gorman is an environmental journalist and author and a pickup hockey player from the Canadian Beer League.

Passionate about the climate crisis but likely to pass on his top choice this election in hopes he can help liberals win a big enough mandate to

counter Trump.

GORMAN: If it was any other election without the U.S. situation, without, you know, the crisis we had going on, I would probably go with green.

Just push it.

KING (voice-over): Gorman says he is hardly alone here in rethinking everything.

GORMAN: We're just sick of him, you know. And it's only been three months into the term and, you know, he's getting to an excess, he wants to crush

us economically.

I think, at first, it was kind of like losing your best friend or it's like, you know, what just happened? Like, what's happening? But now, I

think, we're at the point where it's like, well, we can move on.

KING (voice-over): That's a big shift.

This election defined by the belief Canada and the United States are suddenly more rivals than neighbors. Suddenly, no longer skating in the

same direction.

[12:25:07]

John King, CNN, Courtice, Ontario.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GOLODRYGA: Russia is pounding Ukraine with another round of strikes, a day after it launched its deadliest bombardment of Kyiv in months. At least

eight people were killed in today's drone attacks across the country.

Separately, officials confirm a senior Russian general has been killed in a car blast just outside of Moscow. No one has claimed responsibility so far

for the bombing. The attack appeared similar in nature to previous assassinations of Russian officials.

Well, news of that blast came just before White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff met to the Russian President in Moscow for three hours. A Russian

presidential aide said the meeting was quote, very constructive and very useful.

Now the visit comes as the U.S. President says a peace deal is pretty close after previously voicing frustration. Donald Trump spoke before heading to

Rome for Pope Francis' funeral.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm going to try and get out of war so that we can save 5,000 people a week and that's what my aim is. I

want to say 5,000 young men. They happen to be mostly Ukrainian, Russian, 5,000 young Ukrainian and Russian men. And that's a big honor if I could do

it. And I think -- I think we're pretty close.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: In a new interview with "TIME" Magazine, President Trump says Crimea will stay with Russia and that the Ukrainian president understands

that. Any move to recognize Moscow's control of the peninsula would reverse a decade of U.S. policy. And Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has

long made it clear that he can't do that.

[12:30:16]

CNN's Kylie Atwood joins us now from Washington, D.C. Kylie, any more reaction to some of these headlines that we're seeing from the president

and his interview with "TIME" Magazine where he not only said that any end to the war would be with Crimea belonging to Russia, but also going back to

Russian talking points that it was Ukraine's insistence on joining NATO that led to the war to begin with.

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN U.S. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. These are things that President Trump has been saying for quite some time now, but

the fact that he continues to reiterate them on the record very publicly, very aggressively while these talks with Ukraine and Russia are ongoing,

demonstrates just the insistence that President Trump actually has on some of these parts of the proposal, the framework that the United States has

put on the table to try and drive an end to the conflict.

We've reported that part of that U.S. proposal would be a U.S. recognition of Russian control of Crimea. That is an element, of course, that Ukraine

is saying would be completely unacceptable to them.

But it does appear that that is something that President Trump isn't willing to drop, even after those objections very clearly from the

Ukrainian president earlier this week, Trump reiterated those comments in that "TIME" Magazine article.

Of course, what we're watching to learn as well today are just some more details of that meeting between Steve Witkoff and President Putin. Their

fourth meeting in Russia, we're learning from the Russian side, that they did discuss the possibility of resuming direct talks between Ukraine and

Russia.

That's an area for us to watch. If the Ukrainians agreed to talks before a ceasefire, before a framework is agreed to, that could possibly happen.

But the sequencing here does matter. The Ukrainians obviously would prefer there to be a ceasefire in place before those talks would take place. There

are also questions of what those talks would actually entail.

What are the contours of that kind of discussion and how productive it could actually be at this time? So we're watching to hear more from that

Witkoff meeting today, as we wait and see what President Trump's reaction is to that meeting following, of course, the meetings that took place

earlier in the week between the U.S. and Ukrainians and the Europeans in London.

GOLODRYGA: We know that President Trump and President Zelenskyy will both also be attending the Pope's funeral in Rome this weekend. And we'll be

watching for any sort of interaction those two may have there as well.

Kylie Atwood, thank you.

Well, time now for The Exchange. We want to take a closer look at this three-year war. Susan Glasser joins me now from Washington, D.C. She's a

staff writer for "The New Yorker" and co-author of "Kremlin Rising: Vladimir Putin's Russia and the End of Revolution.

Susan Glasser, it's good to see you. So it's pretty notable that despite the president being embarrassed by Vladimir Putin, having publicly, you

know, if you want to call it shame or admonish, however you want to describe it, in a post on Truth Social, telling him that the timing of this

attack on Kyiv wasn't good and for him to just stop for these attacks to continue. And then that Steve Witkoff still came to Moscow to meet with

him, what does that suggest to you about where this president stands regarding this war right now?

He's trying to play a role of neutrality that doesn't appear to be the case. But also, he seemingly would like an end to this war sooner than

Vladimir Putin would.

SUSAN GLASSER, STAFF WRITER, THE NEW YORKER: Yes. I mean, I think it's very striking that again and again and again, what you've seen from President

Trump is an extreme reluctance to criticize Putin in any way. That did make his statement notable, but it had more the feel of a plea rather than a

criticism, you know, almost begging Putin.

You know, Putin's rubbing Trump's nose in it, arguably that, you know, he's so desperate for a deal that Putin himself is not particularly eager for,

even after the United States has made concession after concession.

If you look at the things we are talking about just now, for example, U.S. recognition of Russia's rights to Crimea, this would be a reversal, not

only from Ukraine's position, and it is as President Zelenskyy pointed out, illegal under Ukraine's constitution for him to do so, but I would point

out that it would be a reversal of the policy of the United States from Donald Trump's own first term when his secretary of state released

something called the Pompeo Declaration in the summer of 2018, saying that the United States would never, ever recognize Russia's attempt to illegally

annex Crimea.

How remarkable then that Donald Trump is willing to trade that away? And remember, that was our policy even before Russia's full-scale invasion of

Ukraine.

[12:35:06]

So you have, again and again, when it comes to the policy, Trump seeming to give concessions without asking for any.

GOLODRYGA: I saw an interview this morning with Matt Miller, the former spokesperson for the State Department under President Biden. Obviously, not

an objective point of view, given that he worked for a different administration. Administration, we should note, that President Trump, every

single day, continues to attack and also blame for this war.

But his take in all of this, over the past few months, and the behavior and the language out of this administration suggested, well, he said point

blank that this administration appears to have switched sides, that now they are supporting Russia in this war, as opposed to the U.S. policy in

supporting Ukraine.

Is it as simple as that in your view? And is that how European allies see it?

GLASSER: I think if you look at the reported elements of the agreement that Donald Trump is pushing right now, they are not the elements that a

supporter of Ukraine would be pushing. And, of course, the America's national interest is not the same as Ukraine's national interest.

And I think, you know, the Biden administration would say that, the Obama administration would say that, the Trump administration would say that. You

know, these are not the same things.

But right now, it's striking that again and again and again, whether it's amplifying Russian talking points about who's to blame for the conflict or

looking for the terms of resolution, what Trump is doing is he's preparing to agree to not all of Putin's demands, but many of them. And that is very

different than the position that someone who was a supporter of Ukraine's would be taking right now.

GOLODRYGA: You mentioned the reversal of some of President Trump's own policies from his first term, something that caught my attention this week

was the reporting that the United States is perhaps considering even lifting sanctions on Nord Stream 2, that controversial Russian gas pipeline

delivering gas from Russia to Europe.

President Trump had been highly critical of that deal, specifically of Angela Merkel, for greenlighting it.

If that in fact happened, if the United States lifted sanctions, what are the consequences of that? We know that President Putin is not happy with

the decline in oil prices right now, which have really funded his war given Trump's tariff policies.

What position would that put Europe in if that does transpire?

GLASSER: Well, again and again and again, remember that the United States has been pushing Europe for years prior to the war to increase its energy

independence from Russia. And this was a long-term theme from Donald Trump, from Obama, from Biden, criticizing and, you know, pushing our European

allies and partners to separate themselves.

So they were so dependent on Russian energy and gas that this was a tool, a lever of power for the Kremlin. And so it would be extraordinary to reward

Putin's act of aggression, his invasion of his neighbor by doing anything to reopen this pipeline.

Now, Europeans won't necessarily go along with it. And that's the other dynamic here. I think Donald Trump is finding it much harder than he

thought he would to simply click his heels and end the war on his terms around Putin's terms.

And in many ways, what we're seeing in the last few months, as Trump has consistently criticized Zelenskyy, has he is consistently criticized

Ukraine, you've seen a much closer partnership emerging between Ukraine and our Western European allies who are concerned that the United States is in

fact switching sides in the war.

So just because Trump might now change America's tune completely when it comes to Russian energy, doesn't necessarily mean that Europe having now

realized its own national security vulnerabilities will change course and go back to relying on Russian energy.

GOLODRYGA: You're speaking to a lot of sources there in Europe among Western allies. How are they reading this continued threat from the United

States that if there isn't some ceasefire soon, some deal made imminently that the United States will step out of the role of trying to mediate this

war?

Are they viewing this as the United States continuing to support militarily and intelligence-wise, but just not taking part in talks? Or are they

viewing this as a United States abandoning its -- all of its support for Ukraine?

GLASSER: That is the key question. And nobody knows because Trump and JD Vance and the other Trump administration officials who've threatened to

walk away from the effort to broker a peace deal, they have not been specific.

And I've heard from many friends of Ukraine this week who said, listen, if it means walking away, but continuing U.S. support on some level,

definitely the intelligence support, which I've heard from every possible source is really key for Ukraine to be able to keep fighting even more so

in some ways than the weapons.

[12:40:13]

If it -- if it means the U.S. is still supporting Ukraine, but just not doing the talks, that might be a good scenario considering Trump's

willingness to adopt Russian positions in the negotiations.

However, I think it's also very clear reading the politics back here in Washington that there is just no appetite or ability to pass additional

military assistance and security assistance through the Republican- controlled Congress at this point, even if the Trump administration were to support it.

And so given that, it's hard to see that there's a very long timeline for the U.S. and Ukraine to keep working together in the way that they have

been, given where Trump stands on this war.

GOLODRYGA: And that may be exactly how Vladimir Putin is reading this as well, taking his time drawing this out, playing the long game there.

Susan Glasser, thank you so much. Good to see you. Have a good weekend.

GLASSER: You too.

GOLODRYGA: Up next, the United Nations says that it has run out of food in Gaza. That announcement from the World Food Program comes two months into

Israel's full humanitarian blockade of the enclave.

The agency says it's delivered its final food stocks earlier today, and the kitchens are expected to use those supplies within the next two weeks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SALAH AL-MACHOUN, GAZA RESIDENT (through translation): Because of the shortage of aid and the closure of crossings, the situation only gets

worse. People are more hungry and closer to death than to life. We call on everyone, all nations, the United Nations, President Trump, the entire

world, Britain, the entire world, France, whoever have influence, to save this people. This is a people that has been wronged, deeply wronged, and

our situation keeps deteriorating.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: The World Food Program says it has 116,000 metric tons of food at aid corridors on the border, waiting to get into Gaza.

I'll be right back after this short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GOLODRYGA: Across Nigeria, farmers are adopting and adapting to new technology, whether sewing seed, spraying pesticides or gathering real-time

data. Drones are the latest essential in the toolkit.

The threat of food insecurity in Nigeria means embracing change is no longer optional, it is a necessity. CNN takes you Inside Africa.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[12:45:09]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In Nigeria, where 70 percent of households rely on crop farming, agricultural challenges are a daily reality.

At the 2025 agrofood international trade fair in Lagos, industry leaders, businesses, and smallholder farmers, get together to build connections and

shape the future of food in Africa.

One entrepreneur is revolutionizing the industry with the help of drones.

Femi Adekoya, known as the Flying Farmer, is the founder of Integrated Aerial Precision, a startup using drone technology to empower farmers.

FEMI ADEKOYA, FOUNDER, INTEGRATED AERIAL PRECISION: I am a farmer. I know what farmers face. I know the (INAUDIBLE) challenges the farmers face, and

it is with the power of technology that we can combat those challenges.

We leverage drone technology to provide precision agriculture solutions and sustainable farming services to farmers. I'm not about something new. I'm

about something that makes the difference.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Using multi-spectral sensors, drones can help farmers protect their crops from invisible threats before they escalate, helping

farmers save time, labor and resources.

ADEKOYA: While the drone is flying, it collects data, which are the images. B, it's how GB images does visible camera images that are colored, or

multi-spectral images that comes with specific bands in the spectrum of light to be able to see what our eyes would not be able to see in the

spectrum of light, specifically, red edge and near-infrared radiation.

Food security comes in quantity, in quality and accessibility. And that really leads to scale. So we can be able to manage scalable agricultural

with drone technology. Because it saves time, provides efficiency, precision and sustainability.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GOLODRYGA: Well, in just a few minutes time, St. Peter's Basilica will close to the public. More than 150,000 people have spent the last two days

streaming in to pay their final respects to Pope Francis. Then in an hour, his coffin will be closed as Vatican officials prepare for his funeral

tomorrow morning.

[12:50:09]

We want to take you through the final preparations for Saturday's funeral for Pope Francis. This is what his final journey will be when his casket

makes its way from St. Peter's Square in Vatican City to his beloved Santa Maria Maggiore, the Pope's final resting place.

City officials confirm the procession will travel through the heart of Rome's ancient city. The Pope's coffin will pass many historic landmarks,

including the Piazza Venezia and the Colosseum.

Well, now, to a cathedral in Havana, where Cubans came together to say goodbye to Pope Francis. A mass was held in his honor on Thursday. CNN's

Patrick Oppmann was there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So people are beginning to arrive to Havana's cathedral for a mass that is going to be held for Pope Francis. He

was a pope that left a mark on Cubans. He visited as Pope this island on two occasions, but even more than that, played a major role in the re-

establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States, actually holding some of those secret negotiations at the Vatican.

When he came to this island, something like covered, he traveled across the island with Cuban leader, then Cuban leader, Raul Castro, at his side. And

they struggled something of a friendship, according to both of the men that was somewhat unexpected.

This, of course, was an atheist country throughout the first decades of the Cuban revolution, and only in the last several decades has relented in a

lot of more religious freedom.

Pope Francis, though, was able to crack the door open even further. He pushed throughout the years for the release of people considered to be

political prisoners.

And actually, just in January, hundreds of them were released at this specific request of Pope Francis. So he really showed that this kind of

quiet diplomacy, this contact that he had with the upper Cuban leadership, that it paid dividends.

But as someone who was, of course, Argentine, spoke Spanish fluently, he really connected with the Cuban people. And that is why we're seeing people

coming here to attend this mass, where they will say goodbye to this Pope who had such an impact on Cuba.

Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Havana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: And finally, before we go, we want to share with you some jokes from the Pope. Many people may not know that Pope Francis loves to crack a

good joke. The late pontiff spoke about humor several times throughout his papacy, and even wrote an essay on the subject a few months ago.

Our Randi Kaye has the laughs that Pope Francis has shared through the years.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): During his pontificate, Pope Francis showed heart, but also a sense of humor. He liked to laugh a lot.

Without wine, there is no party, the Pope told those party goers. He joked about whiskey when he and CBS's Norah O'Donnell discussed their family

heritage.

POPE FRANCIS, HEAD OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator): They say the two Irish migrated and brought the whiskey. The Italians migrated and

brought the mafia. It's a joke. Don't take it badly.

KAYE (voice-over): The Holy Father found humor in tequila, too. When religious students from Mexico who were visiting the Vatican asked him how

his knee was, given his bad knee, Pope Francis didn't miss a beat. Do you know what I need for my knee? Some tequila, he told them.

On that same theme during his flight to Mexico, Pope Francis entertained the Vatican's press corps by donning a sombrero. It had been gifted to him

by a journalist and embroidered with a map of the Americas.

The Pope surrounded himself with humor whenever he could. Even world leaders like President Barack Obama took notice. The two shared plenty of

laughs.

OBAMA: He's got a good sense of humor. Well, I can't share all those jokes. They were all clean.

KAYE (voice-over): Last June, Francis shared some light-hearted moments at the Vatican with comedians from around the world.

POPE FRANCIS (through translator): Pray for me, in my Savior, with a smile.

KAYE (voice-over): In 2015, at the World Meeting of Families, the Holy Father lit up the room while teasing about mothers-in-law.

POPE FRANCIS (through translator): Families, we quarrel. And sometimes plates can fly. And children bring headaches. I wont to speak about mother-

in-laws.

KAYE (voice-over): Francis amused these astronauts at the Vatican. They'd spoken with him from space. Then later when they brought him his very own

flight suit, Francis told them, OK, you will plan my trip.

[12:55:05]

Even when the joke was at his expense, the Holy Father seemed to relish it, like when this 3-year-old from Atlanta met the Pope in Rome. He went to

kiss her, and she grabbed his skull cap right off his head.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She says, mommy, I saw the Pope. I got his hat.

KAYE (voice-over): Pope Francis's reaction? Pure joy. As he continued to fill the world with laughter.

Randi Kaye, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: I love that package. What a great smile he had as well and great sense of humor.

Well, join CNN for Pope Francis's funeral on Saturday. Our special coverage begins at 8:00 A.M. in Rome, 7:00 A.M. in London. That's 2:00 A.M. here in

New York.

And that does it for this hour of ONE WORLD. I'm Bianna Golodryga. Thanks so much for watching. "AMANPOUR" is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END