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One World with Zain Asher

Trump Honors Fallen Heroes At Arlington National Cemetery; Trump Says Putin "Has Gone Absolutely Crazy" In Post; Israeli Military Warns Of "Unprecedented Attack"; Man Charged With Torturing Victim For Bitcoin Password; Macron Dismisses Video Of Apparent Shove From Wife; Minneapolis Marks Five Years Since Floyd's Death By Police. Aired 12-1p ET

Aired May 26, 2025 - 12:00   ET

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

[12:00:28]

ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: Quote, what the hell happened to Vladimir Putin? "ONE WORLD" starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He's sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don't like it at all, OK?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Donald Trump lays into the Russian president. The Kremlin dismisses it as emotional overload.

Also ahead, war in Sudan. The latest on a forgotten crisis.

And later.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We didn't have the closure, but now we have the closure, so now he's home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Eighty-one years in the making, an American airman finally returns home.

All right. Life from New York, I am Zain Asher. Bianna is off today. You are watching "ONE WORLD."

U.S. president Donald Trump is honoring those service members who paid the ultimate price.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Freeze. Ten. Freeze. Hut.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: This is video from last hour at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, where he laid a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Vice

President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also accompanied the president.

Trump is going to be speaking soon at an amphitheater today. We're going to bring you those remarks as soon as they happen.

There are growing signs the White House is getting visibly frustrated with Vladimir Putin after being unable to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine,

despite high-profile efforts. The Kremlin is brushing off President Trump's ire, suggesting he might be emotionally overloaded.

It comes after Trump not only criticizes the Ukrainian president, but lashed out at his Russian counterpart in a rare rebuke on Sunday, calling

him absolutely crazy. He also had this to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: And I'm not happy with what Putin's doing. He's killing a lot of people. And I don't know what the hell happened to Putin. I've known him a

long time. We're in the middle of talking and he's shooting rockets into Kyiv and other cities. I don't like it at all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: It all comes as Russia dramatically escalated its attacks on Ukraine over the weekend. Moscow launched the largest aerial assault on its

neighbor since the full-scale invasion more than three years ago.

He sent hundreds of Russian drones, swarmed the skies across Ukraine. All bombers released missiles.

Officials say at least 29 people were killed during the bombardment that lasted over the course of three nights. The assault coming despite the

largest prisoner swap of the war being completed.

On Sunday -- CNN's Kevin Liptak joins us live now from the White House.

So just in terms of these remarks by the U.S. President, it's very rare to hear Donald Trump rebuke Vladimir Putin. We don't hear him do that very

often. And a lot of people are saying that, you know, this is Trump essentially finally realizing that Vladimir Putin can't be trusted. Words

are one thing, but will he actually do anything about it in terms of sanctions, Kevin?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes. And I think that's the big open question today. You know, yesterday, the President was asked

directly if he would be now willing to apply new sanctions on Russia, and he said, yes, absolutely he would be.

But the President has also been raising the prospect of doing that for the last several weeks, and you haven't seen gone into -- anything gone into

effect quite yet.

I think there's also an open question of what's left in Russia to sanction that would have a material effect on Putin's thinking. There have already

been massive amounts of sanctions applied on Moscow since the start of this conflict, and obviously it has done almost nothing to deter Putin so far.

And so as the President is contemplating his next steps here, I think that is certainly in his mind.

I think the other question that a lot of people in Washington have is whether this will cause President Trump to change his view about providing

military assistance to Ukraine. That's something that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said is still necessary since he came into office.

President Trump hasn't approved any new weapons packages for Kyiv, and he hasn't spent the remaining roughly $4 billion that Congress has already

authorized for that purpose. But I do think his message in that Truth Social post yesterday towards Zelenskyy saying that everything out of his

mouth causes problems doesn't necessarily give you the sense that he's ready to accede to Zelenskyy's demands.

[12:05:01]

I think probably the most likely course of action that the President will take, just based on what he has been saying, is to continue to try and sort

of disavow himself of any mediating role in this conflict. You saw that happen last week, one week ago today when the president spoke with Putin by

telephone, sort of backing away from the U.S. role in trying to broker a peace agreement saying that it would have to be between Russia and Ukraine

directly to secure a peace deal.

Last night in his Truth Social, the president continued really trying to back away from this, saying that this wouldn't have happened if he was

president and that this is Zelenskyy, Putin, and Biden's war, not Trump's saying that he was only helping to put out the big and ugly fires.

I think bottom line, the president clearly frustrated here with Putin really going as far as he has ever gone before and suggesting that the

Russian leaders' attitude and approach had changed.

You know, European leaders had been warning Trump about this for months, really, saying that the Putin that he is trying to negotiate with now is

vastly different than the Putin he was dealing with during his first term in office.

For so long, it didn't seem as if the president had internalized that, but now, clearly, the president voicing that very concern himself, Zain.

ASHER: All right. Kevin Liptak live for us there at the White House. Thank you so much.

All right. Let's bring in Matthew Schmidt. He's an associate professor of national security at the University of New Haven and he joins us live now

from Connecticut. Matthew, thank you so much for being with us.

So just in terms of the scale and the scope of this Russian attacks, this is the largest aerial bombardment in about three years from Russia to

Ukraine, obviously, it comes at a time when Vladimir Putin is dragging his feet when it comes to these peace talks.

What is Putin signaling to Trump here?

MATTHEW SCHMIDT, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF NATIONAL SECURITY, UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAVEN: Thanks. It's great to be here. I think that's exactly right that

this is a kind of conversation with weapons that's going on. And I think the first thing that Putin is trying to signal is to Ukraine, which is that

he's willing to continue the fight, at least for the next several months. And that he has the capacity to -- to continue that fight with this level

of intensity.

He's also continuing in what I think is his long-term strategic aim, which is to put pressure on the United States and on the European public to split

NATO, right, to continue to push America away from its leadership role there. So those are the two big signals that I see coming out of last

night's attack.

ASHER: How long can Russia maintain what it views as its present military advantage over Ukraine? Because you think about the fact that Russia is

facing critical shortages when it comes to weapon when it -- weapons, rather, when it comes to manpower.

I mean, we've seen Vladimir Putin recruit soldiers from other countries in order to help the war effort. So, how long can he actually keep up this

fight at this level of intensity?

SCHMIDT: Yes. This is a -- a critical question. And what we're expecting is an intense, you know, four to five months where Russia is trying to push

its current advantage. In the longer term, Russia is running out of its stockpiles of weapons, and it's really pushing its manpower capacity, like

you said.

So the expectation is, is that those stockpiles really run out sometime late this year, early next year. And what that means is replacing losses

will be dependent on production in factories that aren't yet up and running.

And really, the expectation is that's why Russia is pushing the ceasefire, not pushing it yet, but expected to accept one later, because it needs a

couple of years to build up production again.

ASHER: A lot of people are wondering whether or not with Trump's latest comments about Putin, obviously calling him absolutely crazy, saying that

he's essentially gone rogue and, you know, looking at these -- these attacks and -- and not really understanding what Vladimir Putin's game plan

is, what are you wondering whether or not this will mean that Trump will step up pressure on Vladimir Putin?

We know that sanctions haven't really worked in the past. If Donald Trump were -- was to actually implement more sanctions, how can those sanctions

be tailored in such a way to exert maximum pressure on the Russian economy?

SCHMIDT: Yes. Donald Trump's words are -- are not trusted anywhere, not in Kyiv or Moscow or Europe. And so the expectation is that his pattern of

flip-flopping, after these speeches or sort of these outbursts, you know, is something that everybody is really looking at, right?

We don't expect Trump to have some kind of strong strategic role here. He may have just, you know, blurted this out in the speech.

As far as sanctions go, they've been slow. They've had a lot of lag in their effect on Russia. And it's not clear that there's much more you can

ratchet up. Really what you'd have to do is put sanctions on third-party countries that are supplying Russia places like China. And no one expects

president Trump to do that in the middle of a trade war.

[12:10:12]

So I think your correspondent before is exactly right that the -- the likely response here is that Trump will choose the safe political move and

-- and just sort of back off, right? He may engage in some more of this speech. I would expect him to move back and forth between criticism and

praise but not do a lot.

The one thing I think he might do, if his advisors press him, is to reopen that $4 billion and -- and start that flow of weapons again.

ASHER: And if he doesn't do that, if he doesn't send more military aid to Ukraine, I mean, what does that state for Kyiv here?

SCHMIDT: Kyiv is in a tough spot. As the attack showed, they need an increase in their anti-air defenses in order to protect civilian

infrastructure and more importantly, the civilian population. So that's the first thing they're looking for. And they're looking for Europe to provide

it. The Patriot system that the U.S. provides is really the best system out there, so they'd really like that.

And, you know, beyond that, what you've seen in the last couple of months is that public opinion in Ukraine has really begun to support Zelenskyy

again. And so there's a willingness to continue the fight right now and we'll see what happens.

Of course, Ukraine is facing an equipment shortfall, but they've been fighting that way for three years now. And, you know, the other thing is

the manpower situation. And we'll see if the recruitment drive that's currently underway will bring fresh soldiers into the front.

ASHER: All right. Matthew Schmidt live for us there. Thank you so much.

All right. Let's go to the Arlington National Cemetery where President Trump is speaking to honor soldiers killed in the line of duty.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Military person. Members of the cabinet, members of Congress, members of the United States Armed Forces, veterans, and many other

distinguished guests. We gather today to honor the incredible service members who rest in glory in this cemetery and burial grounds around the

world, and in a thousand lonely places known only to God.

In every hour of peril, in every moment of crisis, American warriors have left behind the blessings of home and family to answer their nation's call.

They've offered all that they had within them and given their last breaths to each and every one of us that we might live safe and breathe free.

This morning we pay tribute to their immortal deeds. We share in the sorrow of their beloved families. And as one nation, we give thanks for the

ultimate gift they have so selflessly given to all of us.

These warriors, and that's what they are, is great, great warriors, picked up their mantle of duty and service, knowing that to live for others meant

always that they might die for others. They knew that. They asked nothing for it. They gave everything. And we owe them everything and much, much

more.

Each of the service members who have made the supreme sacrifice for our nation has also left an unfillable void and an unbreakable silence in the

lives of all who love them.

For the families of the fallen, you feel the absence of your heroes every day and the family. These are great families. These are wonderful families.

In the familiar laugh, no longer heard, the empty space at Sunday dinner or the want of a hug or a pat on the back that will never come again.

Every ghost our family fights a battle long after the victory is won, and today, we lift you up and we hold you high.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: All right. President Trump speaking at the Arlington National Cemetery, essentially honoring those who have lost their lives while

serving in the U.S. armed forces. This is what American presidents tend to do every single Memorial Day.

All right. I want to turn now to another one of our top stories that we are following.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SIREN)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: All right. This was the scene overnight in Gaza City after Israel bombed a school where people were sheltering. At least 20 people were

killed according to local officials who say most of the victims were women and children.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALAA KABEJ, DISPLACED PALESTINIAN (through translator): Last night we were sleeping. At 1:00 A.M., we were directly targeted without prior warning.

Without warning, we were targeted. All those who were targeted were civilians. None of the murders were affiliated with any organization or

military, children, my nephew was murdered. He was eight years old. Those who were murdered were children and we were injured.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[12:15:16]

ASHER: Now, the situation looks like it could get even worse. The Israeli military has issued fresh evacuation orders for a huge part of the enclave,

and says an unprecedented attack is coming.

Our CNN's Jeremy Diamond is joining us live now from Jerusalem.

So just in terms of this attack, obviously, you had a lot of people killed, a lot of people were injured. Most of them, as we understand, women and

children. Israel is saying that it was essentially targeting militants who was operating from the school. What more do we know?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes. These are absolutely horrific scenes that we are seeing in Gaza today, following other horrific

scenes that we saw over the weekend in Gaza. I mean, the toll on civilians is just becoming absolutely staggering.

And today, we saw that it was a school in Gaza City that was serving as a makeshift shelter, as so many in Gaza currently are, that was struck by the

Israeli military overnight.

Now, the military claimed that Hamas and Islamic Jihad were using this school as a command and control center. They claim to have taken

precautions to avoid civilian casualties, but the facts on the ground show a very different picture.

Hospital -- the director of the Al-Ahli Hospital, which received the bodies of the dead and the injured, said that a majority of the victims were women

and children. At least 20 people were killed in this strike, and the scenes were absolutely grisly.

We see in video from the scene, civil defense workers battling the flames at this school, and where they also found charred bodies of women and

children. And those were some of the flames that they were trying to douse were the flames coming from those bodies.

The Israeli military today also issuing evacuation orders for basically the entirety of the southern part of the Gaza Strip. This area encompasses

Rafah, which had previously been largely evacuated, although some Palestinians do indeed still remain there.

And then the entirety of the city of Khan Yunis and much of the Khan Yunis governorate. The Israeli military is now warning of a quote, unprecedented

attack that it will mount against Hamas in that area and is calling on Palestinians to move to the Al-Mawasi coastal area, which is an area where

the military has previously directed Palestinians to leave to.

This is the latest evacuation order the military has issued for the city of Khan Yunis. And it is urging Palestinians to follow this evacuation order

this time, although we are seeing that many are choosing to remain because of what has happened to them before. They have been forced to be displaced

so many times before in the Gaza Strip, and sometimes even following those evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military does not guarantee safety.

And so many are now choosing to remain where they are.

All of this is happening, Zain, as these negotiations between Israel and Hamas are continuing, but do not appear to be yielding real concrete

progress yet.

In fact, just today, there was a Reuters report that Hamas had agreed to the latest U.S. proposal for ceasefire and hostage release deal, but I

spoke directly with Steve Witkoff, President Trump's Special Envoy for these negotiations, who told me that what he has seen in terms of Hamas

agreeing to some deal is quote, completely unacceptable.

He said that Israel will agree to a temporary ceasefire in hostage release deal that would see half of the living and half of the deceased hostages

returned in exchange for a temporary ceasefire and substantive negotiations to reach a permanent ceasefire, meaning an end to the war.

He said that he would -- has even agreed to preside over those negotiations. But he made very clear that as of yet, Hamas has not yet

accepted this deal. He said the deal is on the table and Hamas should take it.

Now it is important to note, of course, that he didn't provide details about exactly how long this temporary ceasefire would last, which is one of

the issues of contention here, but so clearly some more pressure being brought to bear, which is also clear no deal yet. Zain.

ASHER: All right. Jeremy Diamond live for us. Thank you.

All right. Still to come, a kidnapping involving crypto. This time, a Manhattan townhouse turned into a torture chamber to gain access to the

victim's Bitcoin password. We have a live report for you just ahead.

Plus, French President Emmanuel Macron is downplaying an apparent shove from his wife. What he says happened.

And --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stay light. Let your light shine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Five years after the police killing of George Floyd, supporters are remembering him to ensure that his legacy is not forgotten.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:20:38]

ASHER: New York police say a crypto investor is facing multiple charges, including kidnapping and assault after allegedly locking up and torturing

another man for weeks in a Manhattan townhouse in a scheme to gain access to his Bitcoin password.

Officials say that John Woeltz, seen here, was arrested Friday after the victim escaped and flagged down a traffic officer. Prosecutors say Woeltz

allegedly bound, drugged, beat, and even electrocuted his victim.

Joining us live now, CNN's Gloria Pazmino.

Gloria, just walk us through what happened here.

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Zain, the -- the details are quite disturbing, and it's sort of a bizarre scene when you put it all together.

We're told that the suspect, John Woeltz, 37 years old, originally from Kentucky, lured his victim to a New York City apartment and kept him there

for several weeks, torturing him, threatening to kill him and his family if he did not agree to give up his Bitcoin password.

Now, we're seeing video of John Woeltz there being walked out of the precinct in lower Manhattan after being arrested on Friday. He's facing

charges of kidnapping, assault, unlawful imprisonment, and a criminal possession of a firearm.

And we are told that he lured the victim to this apartment, and in the past several days, the victim was kept there against his will. At one point, he

was tied up with chicken wire. At one point, he was told that his family would be killed. He was held at gunpoint. He was shocked with the taser. He

was threatened over and over.

And then on Friday, for a brief period of time, the victim thought that he was going to be killed. He finally gave up the password to his Bitcoin, and

that allowed the suspect to go into another room to look into a computer, which then gave the victim an opportunity to run out and ask for help. He

was able to flag down a traffic cop out on the street, and that's how he was able to get away.

Zain, one key question that we're still trying to get an answer to here is exactly what their relationship was between these two men, were they

business partners, that they have a personal relationship, and how much money were we talking about that this suspect kept this man who's yet to be

identified, held hostage against his will for so many days, apparently torturing him.

[12:25:59]

Some of the evidence that was found following his arrest inside that house, he said -- they said that they found ammunition, the chicken wire that he

used to tie up the victim, a saw, body armor, night vision goggles, and perhaps most importantly, as evidence is concerned, Polaroid photos of the

victim tied up with the gun pointed to his head were also found inside the house.

John Woeltz was ordered held without bail on Saturday. He is currently in custody, has not yet entered a plea, and we expect him to appear back in

court next week. Zain.

ASHER: Gosh. What a story. Gloria Pazmino live for us. Thank you.

French President Emmanuel Macron is dismissing a viral video of he and his wife onboard a plane in Vietnam where it appears that his wife is pushing

him away, what is being described as a playful moment between husband and wife has critics questioning what looks like a marital spat.

CNN's Saskya Vandoorne has more from Paris.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN SENIOR FIELD PRODUCER: This short video of President Macron and his wife, Brigitte, pushing his face as they land in Vietnam is

going viral and has caught the attention of Russian trolls.

Later, Macron appears to offer his arm, but France's first lady opts to hold the railing instead. The Elysee palace initially denied anything

unusual had happened, calling it a moment of togetherness and playful teasing in a statement.

Macron later told journalists he was surprised by the attempt to twist the moment.

EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): There is a video now which opens, we're in the middle of bickering and rather joking with my

wife. And I'm surprised by how this becomes a kind of geoplanetary catastrophe.

VANDOORNE: French officials say the moment will likely feed the mills of conspiracy theorists and Russian trolls.

It's already become a target for pro-Russian accounts and Russian state media who viewed it as a possible opportunity to spread misinformation.

And this isn't the first time, earlier this month prominent Kremlin officials claimed Macron was using cocaine on a train trip to Kyiv with

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz.

French officials say a crumpled tissue was mistaken for a bag of drugs. Macron's office debunked the rumor with humor, tweeting, "This is a tissue

for blowing your nose."

Officials say these efforts are part of a wider Kremlin campaign to undermine Europe's steadfast support for Ukraine in the war against Russia.

Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: All right. Coming up here on "ONE WORLD," a region in disarray. We'll look at the brutal conflict in Sudan and tell you how some men

deported from the U.S. are caught up in a fraught situation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:30:25]

ASHER: All right. Welcome back to "ONE WORLD." I'm Zain Asher.

I want to bring you the latest in a region of the world that has arguably one of the most dangerous places to be today because of the war.

Let's talk about Sudan and South Sudan, which have been torn apart by unrest and conflict for years. South Sudan is currently caught up in Donald

Trump's effort to deport migrants out of the U.S. A group of deportees were supposed to arrive there last week, but a U.S. judge objected to the move

and their flight was diverted to a U.S. military base in Djibouti instead.

As the court battle over the deportation continues, the Djibouti government is getting increasingly frustrated that it is being used as a way station.

The U.S. says it is imposing new sanctions on Sudan over claims its military has been using chemical weapons in its fight against a

paramilitary group. The announcement didn't have any details of the chemical attack, but "The New York Times" says it was chlorine gas and that

the Sudanese military has deployed it on at least two occasions.

CNN's Ben Hunte has more on the brutal civil war that has devastated Sudan over the past two years.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): There are signs of war everywhere in Khartoum.

The embattled city has been a major stronghold in the two-year civil war between Sudan's government forces and the paramilitary group, Rapid Support

Forces or RSF.

Two years ago, the RSF captured Khartoum. And two months ago, the army took it back.

But for the thousands of people returning to the city, many are shocked to see how much damage there is. But what may be most disturbing is what's

hidden in the rubble.

ABDELAZIZ ALI, FORMER KHARTOUM SCHOOL EMPLOYEE (through translator): Why wouldn't I be afraid? Every day, I find two containers filled with

ammunition and RPG rockets and other explosives, all in here. And this is a school, a children's school.

HUNTE (voice-over): Sudanese and U.N. clearance teams are combing areas under government control, looking for ammunition and missiles that are

scattered across streets, homes, schools and shops. Places that won't be safe to inhabit again until the ordinance is cleared.

AL-HELO ABDULLA, HEAD OF WAR REMNANTS COLLECTION INITIATIVE (through translator): We have received a lot of requests and worked on them. Every

day we have around 10 to 15 requests, so we try to remove as much as possible each day.

HUNTE (voice-over): According to Sudan's National Mine Action Center, more than 12,000 devices have been located and destroyed since the beginning of

the war, with thousands more discovered in areas recently retaken by the army.

But there are still many places that haven't been cleared, and some funding for the demining efforts has been in jeopardy, especially after the

disruption of U.S. foreign aid earlier this year. So, many civilians have risked clearing their homes on their own.

Dozens of people have reportedly been killed or injured by munitions explosions in recent weeks, including this man's 16-year-old nephew, who

suffered severe wounds after a blast.

AL-NOURANY MAHMOUD, UNCLE OF WOUNDED CHILD (through translator): We heard an explosion. It was a 23 millimeter anti-aircraft round. Since I am a

soldier, I know these things. He was sitting on a chair and suddenly it exploded without warning.

HUNTE (voice-over): The dangers at home, only amplified by the ongoing fighting in other parts of the country, with the RSF still holding large

parts of Western Sudan.

The fighting is far from over, but in Khartoum, each munition taken out of harm's way could make civilians feel a little safer.

Ben Hunte, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: All right. Time now for "The Exchange." Let's dig deeper into what's happening with this conflict. Joining me live now is Cameron Hudson. He's a

senior fellow in the Africa program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Cameron, thank you so much for being with us.

[12:35:11]

My first question to you is the fact that chemical weapons have been discovered to be in use in this war, particularly chlorine gas, how does

that change the dynamics of this conflict do you think?

CAMERON HUDSON, SENIOR FELLOW, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: Well, I don't think that the chemical weapons have really changed

the -- the -- the outplay of this conflict. Let's remember that these were alleged uses of chemical weapons last year. This was reported by the Biden

administration in the weeks before the end of that administration. It then handed over to the incoming Trump administration who reported it to

Congress as well.

And so what we are seeing now with these sanctions is the sort of last step in an investigation around the use of these chemical weapons last year, not

to defend the regime in Khartoum at all, but this does not seem to be a -- a common feature of the conflict right now.

But obviously, it's a concerning sign that these -- that these weapons could have been used. I think we would all like to see more revelations

around the circumstances under which they were used, where they were used, when they were used, what the exact details are around their use, because

that has not yet been released.

So we have the Sudanese government essentially denying their use, which is not really advanced the conversation about how do we take them out of use

in the country.

ASHER: And a lot of people refer to the conflict in Sudan as a forgotten crisis, a forgotten war, simply because not everyone, a rare people rather,

are really talking about this.

When you think back to 12 years ago when Bashar al-Assad was accused of using chemical weapons against his own people in the city of Ghuta, there

was so much outrage. I mean, even Barack Obama talking about that being a red line.

Why hasn't there been the same level of international outrage this time around?

HUDSON: Well, I think there's a host of reasons, right? I think that you can obviously point a finger at the war in Ukraine and the war in Gaza as

having, you know, sort of taken up all of the international intentions.

Certainly, all of the international humanitarian assistance has been directed to those conflicts, which started before Sudan. So that's a big

factor.

I think there's also some Sudan fatigue in the international community. This is not the first time Sudan has faced war. You'll recall they had a --

a brutal North-South civil war, which led to the independence of South Sudan. And then, of course, a -- a genocide in Darfur.

So for many of us, we have been contending with war in Sudan for -- for more than 20 years now. This latest conflict is by far the most expansive,

the most costly, the most brutal of any of the previous conflicts, but it comes at a moment in time also when you see the United States retrenching

from its role in -- in international affairs.

It has traditionally played the lead role in trying to end conflicts in Sudan and in Africa more broadly. And I think as you saw, first, the Biden

administration, even the Obama administration, you know, stepping back from that role in the world. We're seeing now an acceleration of that -- of that

United States that's no longer playing the same role in trying to mediate these conflicts.

Again, because I think the Trump administration is saying that these are not strategic interests to the United States. This idea that we have a

moral obligation to intervene does not seem to be gaining much traction in the United States right now.

So I think this confluence of factors have meant that Sudan is simply not getting the humanitarian assistance it needs or the attention it needs to

get to resolution.

ASHER: And in the meantime, the -- both sides are essentially stuck in a stalemate, which means that the civil war is going to continue to drag on.

I mean, what is it going to take to move the needle in terms of actually seeing a peace process evolve from this?

HUDSON: Well, I think we have to -- to kind of not think about an internal peace process right now. The two belligerent parties have demonstrated over

the course of the last year that they're not interested in talking to each other.

And as long as they are receiving sufficient backing from powerful players outside the country and outside the region even, that's going to continue

to fuel this conflict.

And so just in the last few days this month, we saw tit for tat drone strikes against each other's, you know, prime bases, those drones on one

side, the Rapid Support Forces getting drones from the United Arab Emirates, on the army side getting drones from Turkey, from China.

So you've seen a real internationalization of the conflict in the last year or so, which means that there is sufficient fuel. There's new, you know, a

new -- a new influx of advanced weaponry, both drones and surface-to-air missiles.

So we're moving beyond the kind of old-school, traditional, conventional battle on the ground between tanks and technicals and -- and -- and, you

know, easy to determine battle lines as the -- as the conflict moves across the country.

[12:40:11]

Now we're seeing a drone war where there's no corner of the country that is safe for civilians, where you could have strikes as we saw just in the last

few weeks, 1,200 miles apart on, you know, different days. So really, the whole country has become a battleground. That's not what it was before.

ASHER: So just given the fact, I mean to your point, the fact that you have anti-air missile systems being provided by the UAE, being provided by

Turkey, by China, by Russia, the fact that there is now the sort of internationalization, if you will, of this conflict, what can be done about

that?

Because if that aspect of it is tackled, then surely we move further towards possible, not either lasting peace or at least the absence of war

in the country.

HUDSON: Absolutely. I think the best thing that we can do, and the United States can do right now, in particular, is to focus on those outside actors

that are enabling this conflict, right? And I think here, the Trump administration actually is well positioned if it wanted to use some of the

leverage that it's had -- that it has. Countries like Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE are all playing a role in this conflict. Those are all

countries where -- where the president has recently undertaken successful visits, but also where he has good relationship with those -- with those

leaders.

I think there's a -- a responsibility now, especially if the president wants to try to make Middle East peace. If he wants to bring Saudi Arabia

into the Abraham Accords, if he wants to reach out to Iran and other countries, all of these countries are on opposite sides of the battle lines

in Sudan.

So if he has ambition for broader Middle East peace, I think he has to try to at least mediate among these allies of his who are fighting on opposite

sides of the war in Sudan. That would be the best thing we can do right now to kind of slow the weapons flow into the country and force the -- the

parties who don't want to talk into some kind of dialogue. But it's going to take bringing along their backers as part of a process that's much

bigger than just the two parties.

ASHER: In the meantime, of course, it's the civilians who suffer, 12 million people displaced, thousands of people obviously killed, the specter

of famine as well. The list goes on.

Cameron Hudson live for us. Thank you so much. We appreciate it.

HUDSON: Thanks.

ASHER: The E.U.'s trade chief is expected to share a phone call today with the U.S. Commerce Secretary. It comes as U.S. President Donald Trump walks

back on threats against the European Union. He now says that he is delaying a planned 50 percent tariff on European goods after a call with E.U. Chief,

Ursula von der Leyen. Both she and Donald Trump are praising their phone chat on Sunday. And an E.U. spokesperson says that both sides are ready to

talk.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAULA PINHO, CHIEF SPOKESPERSON, EUROPEAN COMMISSION: They agreed both to fast track the trade negotiations and to stay in close contact.

Now, in terms of what were the details of the discussions, we will not enter into -- into that. But what I can say, we are talking about, of

course, the world's single largest and closest trading in relation. So these negotiations are complex.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: And the new deadline is July 9th.

All right. Still to come, five years after the police killing of George Floyd, hundreds gathered to remember him and vowed to keep fighting racial

injustice.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN CRUMP, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: We will not turn back. Justice for George Floyd. Say his name.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:45:14]

ASHER: Family, friends, and supporters of George Floyd are remembering his life and legacy five years after he was killed by a white police officer

while being detained.

46-year-old Floyd was pleading that he couldn't breathe while a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes. He was

pronounced dead a little later.

Crowds gathered Sunday in Minneapolis, Minnesota at a memorial marking the site where he died.

His death sparked widespread protests around the world in 2020. And while attending an anniversary event at Floyd's gravesite in Texas, civil rights

activists vowed to keep fighting for racial justice.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AL SHARPTON, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: Police reform and justice for the George Floyds in the world will not be trumped. We're going to keep

fighting.

CRUMP: We are not deterred. We are recommitted. So do whatever you're going to do with the Department of Justice. We will not turn back. Justice for

George Floyd. Say his name.

ALL: George Floyd.

CRUMP: Say his name.

ALL: George Floyd.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: George Floyd's death sparks policing reforms across the U.S. But last week, the Trump administration announced it was ending federal

oversight agreements and dropping investigations into major police departments.

Samie Solina reports from Minneapolis, Minnesota where residents say they will choose joy over fear.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAMIE SOLINA, KARE 11 NEWS REPORTER (voice-over): Five years after a dark day, there's also light at the rise of a Remember Festival. The community

not only recalls the pain.

APRIL GRAVES, MAYOR OF BROOKLYN CENTER, MINNESOTA: Relentless drives, varying hope where fear resides.

SOLINA (voice-over): April Graves, Brooklyn Center mayor, says joy has sprouted too.

GRAVES: Because I really do think that love is much stronger than hate.

SOLINA (voice-over): She says though lately, it may feel easier to succumb to the latter but they won't let that happen.

GRAVES: With some of the recent changes at the federal level and some of the rumors around potential pardons and issues around the consent decree,

you know, it's like an intentional re-harming of the community. But that doesn't mean that we're going to allow it to break us.

SOLINA (voice-over): So there's strategy today, joy.

ANTONIO DAVIS, FORMER NBA PLAYER: As a black man, I was sad. I was crushed. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to scream. I wanted to fight. I wanted

to do a lot of things, but I'mma show up with joy.

SOLINA (voice-over): Former NBA player, Antonio Davis, and Alberder Gillespie helped lead organizations dedicated to players and their

families.

ALBERDER GILLESPIE, CIVIL RIGHTS DIRECTOR: I think it also comes from, we are determined to move forward. We are determined to let not the pain that

was here be the last word, but joy be the last word.

DAVIS: At times when things happen, we have to do this.

GILLESPIE: Yes.

DAVIS: You know, we -- we got to do this. We can't run in opposite direction.

SOLINA (voice-over): They say there's a long road ahead for healing, but they'll walk it together.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stay light. Let your light shine.

Samie Solina, KARE 11 News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:50:23]

ASHER: All right. More than 80 years after a young U.S. military pilot was shot down in Papua New Guinea during World War II, his family never gave up

hope that his remains would be found.

Now, thanks to some of the impressive technology and DNA testing, they can finally bury him this Memorial Day in his hometown of Livermore,

California.

Anser Hassan reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANSER HASSAN, ABC 7 NEWS REPORTER (voice-over): He served in World War II, 81 years later, he's finally coming home.

SANDY ALTHAUS, U.S. ARMY AIR FORCES LT. THOMAS KELLY'S COUSIN: I believe he was dead, but then there was a bit that said maybe he's still alive, you

know. And so we didn't have the closure. But now, we have the closure. So now he's home.

HASSAN (voice-over): In March, 1944, U.S. Army Air Force Lieutenant, Thomas Kelly, who grew up in Livermore, was deployed to Papua New Guinea. On the

morning of March 11, his plane was shot down.

Sandy Althaus, Lieutenant Kelly's first cousin, was just three years old when he died. Growing up, she says it was too painful for the family to

talk about Lieutenant Kelly who they affectionately called Toby (ph). Then came Memorial Day, 2013.

SCOTT ALTHAUS, U.S. ARMY AIR FORCES LT THOMAS KELLY'S RELATIVE: And on Memorial Day, 2013, I started a few hours of internet research that very

quickly found information about the -- the final mission. And -- and that started what would become a 12-year journey.

HASSAN (voice-over): Sandy says Scott is a professor at the University of Illinois and researches wartime communications. He'd been working on

military casualty data from World War II, which piqued his interest and his own family.

Using the information they found, they reached out to Project Recover, which helps research and return missing U.S. military personnel.

PATRICK SCANNON, PROJECT RECOVER: We were fortunate that in spite of the catastrophic nature of the crash, that enough of it was held together to be

able to do the recovery.

HASSAN (voice-over): With the help of the U.S. Navy, Project Recover used advanced robotics to search Hansa Bay, where they found Kelly's plane 215

feet underwater, along with part of his skull and right leg.

DNA testing confirmed it was Lieutenant Kelly. On Friday, his body was returned to the U.S.

ALTHAUS: His sacrifice in the service for our country. He sacrificed so we could be free. And he -- he -- that was his job. And he said, if I can help

my country, it's worth it all. I love you, Toby. And it's so great to see you again and have you here to welcome you home. This is where you belong.

HASSAN (voice-over): Lieutenant Kelly will be buried on Monday in Livermore, in the East Bay.

Anser Hassan, ABC 7 News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: And before we sign off this hour, I want to pause to honor the brave men and women who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces on this

Memorial Day. And each of their lives, a reminder of the cost of freedom their courage lives on etched into the soul of a grateful nation.

[12:55:11]

I'm Zain Asher. Thank you so much for watching "ONE WORLD."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END