Return to Transcripts main page

One World with Zain Asher

Ukraine: Attack on Russian Training Camp Kills at least 66; Marco Rubio: We Can't have Ebola Reach the U.S.; Secretary of State Rubio Heading to NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting; U.S. Secretary of State: Cuba is a National Security Threat; DRC Hospital Treating Ebola Patients Set on Fire. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired May 21, 2026 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: Hello everyone, live from New York. I'm Bianna Golodryga.

ZAIN ASHER, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: And I'm Zain Asher. You are watching "One World". The U.S. President is weighing his next move in Iran six weeks

after a fragile ceasefire took effect.

GOLODRYGA: Donald Trump says Wednesday that he's not frustrated by the back and forth talks if it helps save lives. A U.S. official says President

Trump pressing the pause button led to a tense phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who's pushing to resume military

operations.

ASHER: You know this comes as new U.S. intelligence finds that Tehran is rebuilding its military capabilities much faster than expected. Sources say

that Iran has already restarted production of drones.

GOLODRYGA: Senior National Security Reporter Zach Cohen joins us now live from Washington, DC. This is part of your reporting, Zach. And U.S.

officials told you that, according to intelligence estimates, that Iran could fully reconstitute its drone attack capability as soon as six months.

What more are you learning?

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yeah, guys, so we're told by multiple sources that Iran is actively rebuilding its production

facilities and weapons capabilities that were largely destroyed in those U.S.-Israeli strikes. And they're doing so more quickly than the U.S.

intelligence community initially estimated that they were capable of doing.

And look, this includes things like rebuilding and replacing missile sites, launchers, these weapons systems and capabilities that have allowed Iran to

pose a threat to regional U.S. allies, including Israel, throughout the war, and also imposing its will on the Strait of Hormuz.

But as you mentioned, I'm told too that Iran, as a demonstration of how far ahead of schedule Iran is, that they are already producing some drones,

these attack drones, and that they could restore their full drone attack capability within six months. And now that is a very accelerated timeline

based on where the U.S. intelligence community believed Iran was before the conflict started.

And it also diverges from what we've heard from top Pentagon officials, including Admiral Bradley Cooper, who is the Central Command top Central

Command Commander. He testified just this week that because the U.S. and Israel have destroyed 90 percent of Iran's defense industrial base, that

they would be set back years before they could reconstitute. Take a listen to what Admiral Cooper told House lawmakers just on Tuesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADM. BRAD COOPER, COMMANDER, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: Operation Epic Fury significantly degraded Iran's ballistic missiles and drones, while

destroying 90 percent of their defense industrial base, ensuring that Iran cannot reconstitute for years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: So, we're told now that U.S. intelligence agencies believe that Iran is actively rebuilding its defense industrial base at a rate that is --

will allow it to reconstitute those capabilities in a matter of months, not years.

And it's also worth noting that we're told by sources that Iran still maintains significant ballistic missile and drone capability assets that

were not destroyed in those U.S.-Israeli strikes, so allowing it both to pose a threat to Israel and other U.S. allies in the region in the short

term, while also accelerating their pace at restoring its level of threat and capability to threaten those same allies going forward in the future.

GOLODRYGA: All right, Zach Cohen reporting exclusively now with this new report from CNN. Thank you so much.

ASHER: All right now, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is about to depart for Sweden for the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting tomorrow.

GOLODRYGA: Rubio's attendance comes amid ongoing tensions between the U.S. and NATO. A spokesperson explained that he will attend to discuss shared

economic and security interests in the Arctic, but his visit comes as the U.S. canceled a deployment to Poland and threatened to pull troops from

Germany.

ASHER: That NATO meeting comes as fighting intensifies between Ukraine and Russia. Kyiv says at least 65 trained Russian drone pilots and instructors

have been killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on their training camp.

GOLODRYGA: The camp is located in a Russian-occupied town in the Donetsk region in Eastern Ukraine. Wednesday's drone strike there follows Ukraine's

deadly drone attack near Moscow last weekend. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reports from Kyiv.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, it's an important reflection here of what Ukraine says is its increasing

range, ability to strike targets here in occupied Ukraine, but areas where possibly a year or two ago Russian troops would have felt were entirely

safe.

[11:05:00]

The incident you're referring to is in a place called Snizhne (ph) in the Donetsk area, where it appears that 65 drone cadets, according to some of

the video filmed on the ground, possibly Chechen Cadets from that area of Russia, were hit by a drone schooling in the art of attack drones in an

area, as I say, where Ukraine is finding increased efficiency when it comes to hitting Russian supply lines and troop gatherings.

We've heard a lot about Ukraine's deeper strikes into Russia, Moscow, oil fields around the country, potentially thousands of kilometers at times

that they're able to fire these drones. But it's the medium range ones hitting Russian supply lines again and again, enabling Ukraine to sort of

slow down Russia's advances to, frankly, a cruel or negligible amount in recent weeks or so that are becoming key. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as

well, using today.

GOLODRYGA: All right, we are going to go right now to Miami, where Secretary of State Marco Rubio is speaking to reporters before he departs

for a NATO meeting in Europe.

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Have signed on to our resolution. We were in China last week, we mentioned this about the tolling, they're

against it. No one in the world is in favor of a tolling system. It can't happen. It would be unacceptable. It would make a diplomatic deal

unfeasible if they were to continue to pursue that, so it's a threat to the world if they were trying to do that, and it's completely illegal by the

way, go ahead.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Secretary is Cuba's drone fleet posing a national security threat to the U.S.?

RUBIO: Well, I hope not, given the fact that we're sitting here in Homestead, Florida, only about 180. No, look, I'm not going to comment on

military matters or national security threats directly linked to the United States in specificity. Here's what I can tell you.

Cuba not only has weapons that they've acquired from Russia and China over the years, but they also host Russia and Chinese intelligence presence in

their country, not far from where we're standing right now. So, Cuba has always posed a national security threat to the United States.

They, by the way, have been one of the leading sponsors of terrorism in the entire region. You look at the groups that work out of Colombia that have

destabilized that country over the years with full support from this regime over there. So, Cuba has consistently posed a threat to the national

security of the United States. And the other thing that poses a threat to the national security, United States is to have a failed state 90 miles

from our shores run by friends of our adversaries.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Secretary, are you -- is the U.S. administration offended that the regime has not taken you up on the offer of $100 million

in humanitarian aid yet?

RUBIO: Are we offended that the Cubans have not accepted our 100 million? Well, they say they've accepted it. We'll see if that means it, because

here's the thing: we're not going to do humanitarian aid that falls into the hands of their military company that they have, and then they take that

stuff and they sell it at the dollar stores and put the money in their pocket. That's not going to work that way.

So, I was in Rome a couple weeks ago and met with the Catholic Church again. They're prepared to step forward. A bunch of other NGOs. I have a

letter in my pocket right now from a humanitarian organization that's already operating inside of Cuba, that's prepared to do the distribution.

We were able to do about $6 million after that. Well, 3 million -- 6 million, we dedicated to it. Three of the 6 million were distributed inside

of Cuba after the hurricane through the Catholic Church. Obviously, there's another 3 million that's being held up by the way by the Cubans through

their permitting process.

We might have just gotten a few days ago permission to do the other 3 million, but we're prepared to do more. But it has to be distributed by

groups that are not linked to the regime or to that military company, Gaiser, because they'll just steal it and it'll never get to the people.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- Mr. Secretary on Ebola. You told us two days ago, when you stopped by the bullpen, that the W.H.O. was a little late, were

your words, I think, in identifying this strain. The W.H.O. Chief has now responded. He said it might be because you don't understand the global

health policy system. Your response to that?

RUBIO: The World Health Organization has unfortunately not done well around the world. I think they failed miserably during COVID. They covered for

China, and that's how we're getting out of it. That said, we're going to work with anybody who wants to fix that problem. Our number one objective

on Ebola, before anything else, and we think it's terrible what's happening there to the people.

We've been very involved with DRC on the peace deal with Rwanda, and so forth. But our number one thing has to be, we can't have it affect the

United States, we can't have Ebola cases coming here. So, you saw we're now not allowing people to come in. In fact, I think we had a flight last night

headed to Detroit that was diverted because we have to protect the American people.

So, objective number one is to make sure that Ebola never reaches the United States. Objective number two is do what we can to help the people of

DRC and neighboring countries, so it doesn't spread. And I think we're up to 600 confirmed cases. There are probably more. We'll learn more about it.

We're providing, I think, we've offered to fund the first 50 clinics that pop up and are ready to step forward. So, I wish we would have gotten

started on this two weeks ago, that the alert had gone out sooner. I also recognize that this, the outbreak began in a war-torn country in a very

rural area that perhaps doesn't have to some of the support networks that some of the other places have.

[11:10:00]

But again, I want to repeat to everybody, we care about Ebola. We don't want anyone dying or being affected by Ebola. But our number one priority

will always be making sure it doesn't come to the United States. That's our number one obligation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On NATO, Mr. Secretary.

RUBIO: On what?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On NATO.

RUBIO: NATO?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are some reports that the U.S. is going to say this week that it will reduce its contribution to the NATO force model to

shrink the number of forces available in the cross --

RUBIO: First of all, any changes to our posture in NATO would not, for me, for me to announce that's something that the president, the Department of

War would do. This is a foreign ministers meeting; we'll talk about some of those issues. I don't think anyone is shocked to know that the United

States and the President in particular is very disappointed at NATO right now, and what it has meant.

Understand that I've been a strong supporter of NATO my entire career. I've defended it. I believe it's important. I believe it's important, but the

number one thing I used to tell people was the reason why NATO is good for America, because that's the question. Anytime you join anything, your

number one answer has to be, why is this good for America?

The reason why NATO is good for America, I know why NATO is good for Europe, but why is NATO good for America? Because it gives us bases in the

region that allow us to project power during a contingency in the Middle East or somewhere else.

So, when that is the key rationale for why you're in NATO, and then you have countries like Spain denying us the use of these bases. Well, then why

are you in here? That's a very fair question. Now, in fairness to other questions-- other countries in NATO have been very helpful, but we need to

discuss that.

That needs to be addressed, and that's what I hope to address, and to set the table for the leaders meeting, which will be happening in Turkey, I

think, next month, if I'm not mistaken.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does the administration still believe that your NATO allies are cowards?

RUBIO: That what?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does the administration still believe that your NATO allies are cowards?

RUBIO: I think the president's been very disappointed. Understand that there are many countries in NATO that agree with us that Iran can't have a

nuclear weapon, that Iran is a threat to the world. So, the president said, fine, I'm going to do something about it. He's not asking them to commit

truth, he's not asking them to send their fighter jets in.

But they refuse to do anything, and so I think the president looks at that and says, hold on a second. If all these countries around the world agree

with us that Iran can't have a nuclear weapon, that this regime is a threat to world peace and security, that already have missiles that can reach

Europe, they don't have missiles that can reach America yet, but they have missiles that can reach Europe.

We're actually stepping forward and do something about it, and everyone goes into hiding. Yeah, I think we're very upset about that. The president

has made that very clear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- India has been deeply affected by the energy supply, the shutting of the Strait of Hormuz. Can the U.S. provide more energy

itself, or what else can the U.S. do with that?

RUBIO: Well, we want to sell them as much energy as they'll buy, and obviously you've seen, I think we're at historic levels of U.S. production

and U.S. export. We want to be able to do more. We were already in talks with them to do more. We want them to be a bigger part of their portfolio.

We also think there's opportunities with Venezuelan oil. In fact, it's my understanding that the interim President of Venezuela will be traveling to

India next week as well, so there's opportunities. There's a lot to work on with India. They're a great ally, a great partner. We do a lot of good work

with them, and so it is an important trip. I'm glad we're able to do it, because I think there'll be a lot for us to talk about.

And we'll also meet with the Quad there, which is important. Something I think my first meeting as Secretary of State was with the Quad, so I

believe, like, I went, I got sworn in, I did the thing in the lobby, and then I went right upstairs, and I was my first meeting, and I'm glad we

were able to do it now in India, and we're going to do one later in the year as well.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come back to Iran finally, just the latest on the negotiations, the Iranian state media suggesting that the U.S. proposals

close some of the gaps, or is potentially closing gaps?

RUBIO: Well, I don't want to get ahead of it to make here. Here's, I think we've made some progress, but obviously we're dealing with a system that

itself is a little fractured, so the Iranian system. And so, but that said, there will be a couple visits. I understand, I believe the Pakistanis will

be traveling to Tehran today, so hopefully that will advance this further.

The president's preference is to do a good deal, that's his preference. It's always been his preference. If we can get a good deal done, that would

be great. I'm not here to tell you that it's going to happen for sure, but I'm here to tell you that we're going to do everything we can to see if we

can get one.

But if we can't get a good deal, the president's been clear, he has other options. I'm not going to elaborate on what those are, but everybody knows

what those are. But his preference is always a deal, his preference is always an agreement, his preference is always diplomacy. So, let's see if

we can get there.

There's some good signs, but we understand this. I don't want to be overly optimistic as well. So, let's see what happens over the next few days.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And how do you intend to get Raul Castro to the United States?

RUBIO: Well, that was the grand jury in South Florida returned an indictment of Raul Castro. Nothing to do with us. It's a grand jury. The

evidence is clear. He admits to it. Raul Castro openly admits and brags about he shot down civilian, gave the order to shoot down civilian

airplanes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible)

RUBIO: Well, I'm not going to talk about how we're going to get him here. If we were trying to get him here, why would I say to the media what our

plans are about that? I know you have to ask, but why would I answer that. The bottom line, there's a lot -- he's -- at that point he becomes a

fugitive of American justice.

[11:15:00]

And what you know? If there's an announcement of probably it will tell you, we'll tell you afterwards, not before. OK, a couple more, and I got to get

on. Just go on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- conversations with Raul Castro's grandson, or --?

RUBIO: We remain -- here's the problem we have: we'll engage with the Cubans. We have our ambassadors met with them recently. The CIA Director

was down there a few weeks ago. There's some State Department communications that occur. I just don't see a lot of, at the end of the

day, they got to make a decision.

Their system doesn't work right? Their economic system does not work. It's broken, and you can't fix it with the current political system that's in

place. They just don't comprehend how to do it, and it's a failed state, like their economy, and the model they're trying to follow in Cuba doesn't

resemble what anyone is doing anywhere in the world.

I mean, there are other ways to do it that can provide the people of Cuba prosperity and opportunity, and it's what I said in the video to them the

other day. You look at Cuba and the Bahamas and Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, here in Florida, Cuba is surrounded by places where people have

the right to do things like own a business, work for themselves, and be able to vote, and for the leaders that govern them, and or replace them.

So, if that's possible all-around Cuba, why is it impossible? Why is that not possible inside of Cuba? And right now, there just doesn't seem to be

people over there in charge of the regime who are in any way open to any of those changes, and the things they talk about economically are cosmetic in

nature.

They're not real, because that's what they've gotten used to all these years, is just buying time and waiting us out. They're not going to be able

to wait us out or buy time. We're very serious, we're very focused. As I told you a moment ago, in the context of Iran, the president's preference

is always a negotiated agreement that's peaceful. That's always our preference.

That remains our preference with Cuba. I'm just being honest with you. You know, the likelihood of that happening, given who we're dealing with right

now, is not high. But if they have a change of heart, you know, we're here, and in the meantime, we'll keep doing what we

need to do.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It sounds a lot like nation building. The administration doesn't believe in using force for nations buildings?

RUBIO: It's not nation building, it's -- we are addressing something that's directly related to the National Security United States. We are involved in

places all over the world. You're asking me about Ebola, important, but Ebola is in Africa. Cuba is 90 miles from our shores, so if you have a

systemic meltdown in that country, which is where they're headed.

Their power plants, by the way, the reason why their power plants break down, they've been having blackouts for years. They had major blackouts

last year, and they were still getting free Venezuelan oil. They haven't spent a penny in fixing their energy production, their electrical grid.

They don't spend any money on that stuff. They pocket it. They have a private military company named Gaiser, who's sitting on $18 billion of

assets, and not a penny of that transfers over to the state budget, not a penny of that goes over to help the people of Cuba, not one cent.

So, even if they had all the diesel in the world, they still wouldn't be able to generate energy because they've stolen the money and haven't

invested in their energy infrastructure. So, you're heading for a failed state, that's what you have now, but it's 90 miles from our shores, so

we'll be impacted by the migratory crisis, by any violence and instability that happens there, it's a direct -- it directly implicates the United

States national interest.

So, the future of Cuba belongs to the people of Cuba, in terms of how they're governed, what the system looks like, and so forth. But the

national security threat, that's 100 percent something we're going to focus on, because that's about America. All right, last one, guys.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- do you see the likelihood of the use of U.S. force to achieve a change in the Cuban political system, as growing --?

RUBIO: Our preference in Cuba and anywhere in the world is a negotiated diplomatic settlement OK. And that's what I would say to you. The president

always has the option to do whatever it takes to support and protect the national interest, the national security of the United States.

He has the option to do that if there's a threat to the national security of the United States, and he has shown his willingness to do that when he

identifies such a threat. That said, our preference is always a diplomatic solution, always. And going on a negotiated agreement, that's always our

preference.

But to answer your question, if there's a threat to the national security of the United States, the president not just has the right, he has the

obligation to address that national security threat. All right, let's go. You guys ready?

UNIDENTIIFED FEMALE: Thank you.

ASHER: All right, you've just been listening to Secretary State Marco Rubio speaking to reporters there. He's on his way to a NATO meeting in Sweden.

Obviously, he was asked about Cuba in the wake of Todd Blanche, Acting Attorney General, announcing the indictment of Raul Castro, the brother of

Fidel Castro, but on top of that, Former President of Cuba and also Defense Minister back in the mid-90s during the downing of two civilian jets, the

"Brothers to the Rescue" jets.

They were on a humanitarian mission; Raul Castro accused of being directly involved in the downing of those jets. One of the things that Marco Rubio

touched on there is that look, the preference of the Trump Administration is some kind of negotiated settlement, just in terms of being directly

involved with changing the political and economic model in Cuba, saying the people of Cuba absolutely deserve to have their own business, that the

communist system of Cuba, it's time to sort of do away with that.

[11:20:00]

And obviously he did touch on NATO. He's on his way to a meeting in Sweden on NATO, coming at a time, by the way, where the U.S. is actively drawing

down troops in Europe.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, wouldn't touch on any specific policy changes, says that's up to the President, and the Secretary of Defense also touched on the war

in Iran, saying that negotiations are moving in a positive step now, though the U.S. always reserves the right to strike once again kinetically.

And he also said that a toll over the Strait of Hormuz would be counterproductive to any sort of negotiations going on right now between

these two countries. He touched on a lot of issues, including Ebola. We will continue to be following his travels. In the meantime, we're going to

take a quick break and come right back with more.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: As we just heard from the Secretary of State, U.S.'s main priority with the Ebola outbreak is keeping the virus out of the United States, and

he was highly critical of the response from the World Health Organization.

GOLODRYGA: And the Democratic Republic of Congo, a lethal Ebola strain has torn through communities claiming over 100 lives.

ASHER: Larry Madowo is in Nairobi, Kenya, for us with some new reporting. So, Larry, you know we're in the United States, and some of the sort of

main headlines we're seeing here is this idea of the fact that this American doctor was infected with Ebola is now being treated in Germany,

and obviously, of course, we wish him well, and we hope he has a speedy recovery.

But it is important to note that the vast majority of Congolese people do not have the luxury of getting on a flight and being treated in Europe by

some of the best doctors in the world. The health care system in the DRC, not only is that country ravaged by war, and that obviously puts a massive

strain on health care, but it is chronically underfunded, and of course, overwhelmed as well. Larry, give us your take on that.

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's absolutely right. And for people in the DRC, especially who have seen 17 Ebola outbreaks, there's some

exhaustion with it. We have some new reporting now. There was a protest, and some tent set up to treat Ebola patients set on fire in Ituri, in the

Northeast of DRC.

It all began when a young man, who is believed to have died of Ebola, the family arrived at the scene and tried to claim his body back, and obviously

medical authorities did not allow them to do that. It degenerated into a protest with the local community.

In that confusion and chaos, it is believed that several patients may have escaped from this treatment facility in Rwampara at a hospital in the

Northeast of DRC. The government spokesperson for the DRC, Patrick Muyaya, saying that yes, they did attack the medical facility because the

authorities did not allow them to take back this body.

Ebola often spreads at the funeral of Ebola victims, and that's actually believed to have been the cause of the current outbreak. It's believed that

a super spreader event on May 5th at a funeral could have led to what we're talking about right now. I want you to listen to this local politician who

happen to be on the scene, describing what happened, and you can see some fire and hear what appears to be gunshots.

[11:25:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LUC MALEMBE, WITNESS: I'm at Rwampara Hospital. We're locked down here. Look at the protesters, they're angry. They're setting fire to the tents of

Ebola patients because they want to forcibly retrieve the bodies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MADOWO: So, that is what the authorities in the DRC are dealing with. Some in the local community don't always believe in the restrictions set in

place when there's an Ebola outbreak. Some even believe that it's a white man's disease, and they don't understand why they cannot be allowed to take

the body and bury it using local traditions. That is what they're up against.

Anyway, next door in Uganda, Uganda just announced a short while ago that the one person who was receiving treatment for Ebola has now tested

negative. Uganda, saying they have no more Ebola cases in their country that no local infections.

But in the meantime; they have suspended all flights between Uganda and the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo just to keep their local

population safe. And a short while ago, President Museveni even telling Ugandans not to shake hands, just to make sure they're not spreading the

disease.

ASHER: Gosh, there was a lot packed into your reporting there, Larry. Thank you so much for that. We appreciate it.

GOLODRYGA: So, incredibly frightening. All right, do stay with us. "CNN Creators" is next, but then we'll have more "One World" at the top of the

hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:30:00]

(CNN CREATORS)

END