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Vance Defends Trump After He Called Zelenskyy a Dictator; D.C. Prosecutor Says He'll Probe Anyone Who Threatens Trump Allies; Judge Hears DOJ's Motion to Dismiss Charges Against Mayor Eric Adams (D-New York City, NY). Vatican: Hospitalized Pope Francis Shows "Slight Improvement"; Dangerous, Record-Breaking Cold Grips Central U.S. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired February 19, 2025 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:00]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, breaking news, President Trump's top allies are rallying around him after he falsely called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a dictator. Vice President J.D. Vance warning Zelenskyy against, quote, disgraceful criticism of President Trump's plans to end the war.

Plus, a top prosecutor appointed by President Trump is vowing to investigate anyone who threatens the president or his allies. CNN has a copy of a stunning internal email from the U.S. attorney here in Washington singling out Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for potential scrutiny.

And in New York City right now, a federal judge declined to make an immediate ruling after hearing the U.S. Justice Department's motion to dismiss the charges against Mayor Adam Eric Adams. Stand by for details from the courtroom.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in The Situation Room.

And we begin tonight with breaking news, fallout from President Trump's stunning attack on the Ukrainian, his Ukrainian counterpart, calling Volodymyr Zelenskyy a dictator just one day after U.S. and Russian diplomats excluded Ukrainian negotiators from peace talks. Now, Trump allies, like Vice President J.D. Vance, are piling on, warning Zelenskyy against, quote, bad mouthing Trump in the media. And Mr. Trump's National Security Adviser Mike Waltz is admitting the relationship between the two leaders is clearly going in the wrong direction, while emphasizing Trump won't tolerate any criticism over his plans to try to end the conflict in Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE WALTZ, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Well, it's one that's frustrated right now and clearly is going in the wrong direction. But what President Trump is focused on is ending the fighting, going to a ceasefire, and having a broader having a broader agreement.

I don't think anyone should be really, I don't know, criticizing the president for trying to drive this to a diplomatic solution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Meanwhile, the mood in Russia is clearly upbeat right now, with the country's diplomatic fortunes on the rise, thanks to Trump.

CNN's Senior International Correspondent Fred Pleitgen has our report from Moscow.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Breaking news on Kremlin-controlled T.V. Even the anchor can hardly believe her eyes. U.S. President Donald Trump calling Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, quote, a dictator in a social media post.

Attention, this is incredible, the host says. Trump is obviously angry. Having had modest success as a comedian, Zelenskyy, writes the U.S. president, couldn't have won in the Ukraine conflict, and the U.S. was giving him money in vain. Zelenskyy is doing his job poorly. Donald Trump now called Zelenskyy a dictator. This is what he wrote.

Many Russians now hoping the Trump induced thaw in U.S.-Russian relations could bring fast sanctions relief. At the Skazka (ph) souvenir shop in Moscow, Bos Alexander (ph) is rearranging the Matryoshka dolls, according to what many here hope could be the new world order.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our president, an American president, and also we have the Mohammed Bin Salman, Al Saud also, so all friends of Russia.

PLEITGEN: On the street, much praise for President Trump, sometimes maybe a bit too much.

What do you think about Donald Trump?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think maybe small Stalin.

PLEITGEN: You think small Stalin, why?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why, but character.

PLEITGEN: Of course, I like Donald Trump, this man says. He's a positive president. He will change America and make it great again.

Moscow's leader is optimistic, saying they believe the Trump administration understands their view of the Ukraine war.

Russian troops continue to make modest gains, this Russian Defense Ministry video purporting to show drone units hitting Ukrainian positions in Russia's Kursk region.

[18:05:05]

Russian Leader Vladimir Putin visiting a drone factory also praising Trump, saying a face-to-face meeting is in the works.

We're not in a position where it's enough to meet each other, have tea or coffee and chat about the future, he says. We need to make our teams prepare issues that are crucial for both Russia and the U.S., including the Ukraine conflict, but not only it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN (on camera): And, you know, Wolf, the Russians are very open about the fact that they want more than just an end to the war on Ukraine on Russia's terms. They want nothing short of a full reset of U.S.-Russia relations.

At the same time, there are politicians here in Russia who say they believe that the Trump administration's views on the conflict in Ukraine are actually much closer to the position of Russia than they are to the position of America's own European allies. Wolf?

BLITZER: Fred Pleitgen reporting from Moscow for us, Fred, thank you very much.

Our political team is here with me in the Situation Room. We'll get some serious analysis right now. And, Lulu Garcia Navarro, let me start with you. What do you make, what do you make of Trump's decision to attack Zelenskyy publicly as a dictator as he parrots the talking points of the Russian dictator, Vladimir Putin?

LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, that's it. I mean, there's only one dictator in that relationship, and it is Vladimir Putin. And so it is surprising, and even to some of us. President Trump's own allies in the Senate, for example, who have criticized the language that he's been using, how he has been moving towards Vladimir Putin and Russia. I mean, let us remember that Russia invaded Ukraine, tens of thousands of Ukrainians have been killed, it's a sovereign country, and the United States has been an ally of Ukraine because of what -- the position it occupies vis-a-vis its proximity to Europe.

So, you know, the very idea that our foreign policy is being so radically changed, I think, is very unnerving to many, many people.

BLITZER: Let me let Shermichael Singleton weigh in on this. Shermichael, Ukraine is clearly the victim in this war. Russia invaded Ukraine. They started the war. And so why is the president, President Trump, for that matter, right now going after President Zelenskyy and the way that he is?

SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, Wolf, look, I don't think you can have a never ending war, but I do think you have to side with an ally who's closer to our standing in terms of a free society and democratization. One thing we know is that we're seeing a decrease in democratized nations across the globe. Lulu, you've written about this, you've covered this. That worries me. Russia and China strengthening partnership and relationship, that also worries me, particularly as we see China increases its spending and productivity on military arms and beefing up their military. And so if I were advising the president, I agree that we need to bring this to a closure. I agree that, strategically, we need to know when is this conflict going to come to an end, but I would not get my foot off of Russia. I think we have to maintain the pressure on Vladimir Putin. Because if we give him any room, Wolf, the next question becomes, well, where will he go next?

BLITZER: And that's a serious concern among U.S. national security officials, to be sure.

Mondaire Jones, you're a former Democratic Congressman. You've covered this issue. You've watched it very closely. We're seeing right now, some Republicans actually defend President Zelenskyy and Ukraine against Trump's attacks. Listen and watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MANU RAJU, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: He called him a dictator, Zelenskyy a dictator.

SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): I didn't hear that. All other people use their words. It's not a word I would have used.

RAJU: Is it accurate that Ukraine started the war?

SEN. KEVIN CRAMER (R-ND): It's clearly not. I mean, it is so clear that Vladimir Putin, a dictator, who wants to reassemble the Soviet Union or his version of it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Do you think this Republican criticism of Trump is going to amount to much?

FMR. REP. MONDAIRE JONES (D-NY): No. Look, Republicans knew what the policy of Donald Trump would be were he to win election to the White House at the time that the campaign was being run. And, you know, they tried not to talk about it. Those who share the Republican orthodoxy in terms of foreign policy towards Russia and now the best they can do is make statements to the press, but not do anything beyond that because they are to a person worried about a primary challenge and they don't want to be distracted by this, in their own view.

Democrats have to do a better job of explaining to the American people why it is important to stand with the free people of Ukraine. Russia, by its own actions, is an enemy of the United States. We do not want our enemies to become more powerful. And it is critically important that people view what's happening in Ukraine not in isolation but as a direct impact on our own national security interests as the United States of America. I've traveled the world to rally support among our allies in support of this, and it's just really devastating to see this radical transformation in foreign policy in this way.

[18:10:01]

GARCIA-NAVARRO: But the bigger question is, why is this happening? What is motivating Donald Trump to make nice with Vladimir Putin, who has been repressive to his own country, who has invaded a sovereign country, who has been a menace to our own elections? Why would he be bolstering him and sort of making it easy for him to have this situation?

And so, I think that is the broader question that we have to, you know, ask.

SINGLETON: I mean, Lulu, I think the president wants to bring closure to the conflict. He did campaign on that. And I think a lot of Americans, if we look at some of the data, including from The New York Times, have really had quarrels with how much money we have sent to Ukraine. A lot of Americans have asked, well, how long will we continue to send such a large volume?

I would argue, Mondaire, that the president would be open if some Republicans were to say, Mr. President, we agree, let's bring this to an end. But let's strategically do so where it's in America's best interest.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: But you know the money that we've spent, just to be clear, the money that we've spent has actually gone back to our defense industry, has helped American defense, our defense industry, you know, kind of, come back from the ashes. So, it's not like this was a blank check that was being given to Ukraine.

SINGLETON: Look, I take that point, but I would just simply say, for the average person, average layperson out there, they turn on CNN and they see a hundred plus billion dollars and they look in their neighborhood and they're thinking, holy smoke, shouldn't that money be coming here versus overseas? That's the way that layperson sees this.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Isn't there a broader question though? Isn't there a broader question that if you see a country invade another country, a democratic country, don't you worry? Where is that going to stop? As you rightly mentioned, the idea always with this is Vladimir Putin going to be emboldened by a success in Ukraine, and then go to Poland, and then push farther into Norway, into Finland?

JONES: And will China be emboldened to invade Taiwan if they see the United States and our European allies allow Russia to get away with the annexation of Ukraine, which, by the way, is not going to stop at Ukraine. Obviously, Poland is right next door.

I mean, Vladimir Putin's ambitions are significant. He wants to restore the Soviet order. He wants to remake Europe. He is upset about the way the Cold War ended. And if we allow the conclusion of this war to, in any way, shape, or form, result in Ukraine giving up any of its territorial integrity, that is not a resolution that we want to see happen.

BLITZER: Lulu, is Vice President Pence right to say that President Zelenskyy made a major mistake by saying Trump existed in a, quote, web of disinformation?

GARCIA-NAVARRO: I think Vice President Vance has always made his views clear on Ukraine and has been no fan of Zelenskyy or the spending that's happened there. In this case though, I don't think a war of words is going to help President Zelenskyy's case. At the same time, he has to stand tall for his own people. He is a wartime president. And so his own people are looking at this and wondering where exactly their future lies.

BLITZER: I said Vice President Pence, I meant Vice President Vance, to be clear.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Hard to keep them straight.

JONES: I didn't even notice.

BLITZER: Just to be precise, you know what I mean? Make sure we don't screw that up.

Shermichael, President Trump ended in another sensitive issue.

SINGLETON: Yes.

BLITZER: Ended New York City's congestion pricing issue today. Governor Kathy Hochul promised legal action in response, writing this, we are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king.

The White House responded with this, showed a photo showing Trump wearing a crown and saying, long live the king. Is that an appropriate message?

SINGLETON: Maybe a little hyperbole. Look, Wolf, I don't live in New York, but I did look up some local polling out of the state, and a lot of New Yorkers, some are supporting this, some are not.

You know, as a conservative, you know, I have my quarrels, if you will, with the federal government overstepping its boundaries as it pertains to states' rights. Even if I disagree with a state such as New York, which leans more to the left, I think you should allow states to do what they believe is necessary in terms of how they select certain laws and how the governor wants to approve or disapprove with her signature. I would say let New Yorkers figure that out. I don't think the president needs to really step in here.

BLITZER: Mondaire, how do you see it?

JONES: Look I've been critical of this congestion pricing program as implemented. I think that New York communities west of the Hudson River, for example, are not being treated fairly where they lack adequate public transportation infrastructure. But I agree with Shermichael that the federal government is overreaching when it tells the state of New York how to implement its own transportation policy.

And to the issue of polling. I mean, we've seen elsewhere in the world that, yes, initially congestion pricing schemes, so-called schemes, programs are unpopular at first, but they become very popular over time. We've already seen traffic reduced. We've seen actually more foot traffic in these areas. GARCIA-NAVARRO: And why, again, is President Trump getting involved in this? I just, I find it absolutely baffling from a party that is all about states' rights.

[18:15:00]

This, to me, it goes again against everything Republicans have stood for.

SINGLETON: Well, I think they're looking uniquely tied to the current state of the economy. And to your point, a lot of people look at this and say, look, we need some relief here. Mr. President, step in. But, again, as a conservative, I would just say let the state do what the state's want to do.

BLITZER: And we'll see what the state decides to do on these issues, very sensitive issues. Guys, thank you very, very much.

Just ahead, there's more breaking news coming into CNN with the top federal prosecutor here in Washington, D.C., now suggesting opening an investigation into the Senate's top Democrat, Chuck Schumer. We will talk with Schumer's deputy, Senator Dick Durbin. He's standing by live.

Plus, new drama tonight surrounding New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a judge refusing to immediately dismiss the criminal charges against the mayor while questioning Trump officials over allegations of a quid pro quo.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:20:00]

BLITZER: There's more breaking news coming into the situation room right now. The Trump appointed us attorney for Washington, D.C., says he'll investigate anyone who threatens President Trump or his allies. And according to an internal email obtained by CNN, Prosecutor Ed Martin singled out Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for potential scrutiny.

Joining me now is Democratic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois. Senator, thanks so much for joining us. What's your reaction to these comments from this Trump-appointed interim U.S. attorney suggesting that Senator Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, could be investigated over the claim that he led a rally to attack U.S. Supreme Court justices?

SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL): I was at that rally, and let me tell you, Wolf, this had nothing to do with the threat to the Supreme Court justices. It was a clear political disagreement, and that's all it was. Chuck Schumer's made that extremely clear. And this comes from President Trump's administration, where the president himself, as candidate, has unleashed threats on a regular, daily basis on people all around.

So, let's get down to serious business with the people. Let's manage this country, get the economy back on its feet, and let's try to work together to solve the problems we face.

BLITZER: This prosecutor, Senator, has been nominated by President Trump to be D.C.'s top prosecutor on a permanent basis. Do you have concerns about that?

DURBIN: I certainly do. And let me tell you, J.D. Vance, when he was a senator, decided to establish the Vance Rule, which really slows down the appointment of U.S. attorneys nationwide. So, I've already told the White House Counsel and others, we've got to work this out. J.D. Vance stopped judges under Biden -- pardon me -- U.S. attorneys under Biden. And if we're going to resume anything close to normal, we need a discussion about the rules of the game.

BLITZER: Let me turn to another sensitive issue, Senator, while I have you, President Trump's decision to falsely call President Zelenskyy of Ukraine a dictator, and blaming him for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Why do you think Trump is doing this?

DURBIN: It's disgraceful. Let me tell you, he's calling into question the foreign policy of the United States over the last 75 years starting with the NATO alliance and their relationship. We've avoided a third world war because of that alliance. For him to argue that we've got an Atlantic Ocean to keep us safe is a misunderstanding of history. maybe just a rejection of history.

And when it comes to a future, if Donald Trump believes that our future lies with the dictator, Vladimir Putin, who has been branded a war criminal, he's dead wrong. This man is not going to stop with Ukraine. He'll be invading Poland and the Baltics and we'll rue the day that we walked away from this NATO alliance.

BLITZER: Some of your Republican Senate colleagues have actually come to Zelenskyy's defense in the wake of Trump's attacks. Do you get the sense at all, Senator, that they are willing to break with Trump in a meaningful way when it comes to the issue of Ukraine?

DURBIN: Well, let me tell you, the fact that they would break away is so newsworthy that we had to report it tonight on something as outrageous as calling Zelenskyy a dictator and alleging that he invaded his own country or some other Trump musing.

The fact of the matter is that we need to have bipartisanship in foreign policy regardless of who the president is in the United States.

BLITZER: Do you think President Trump actually wants Ukraine to win this war against Russia?

DURBIN: I don't know. For him to ignore the fact the Ukrainian people have given up 46,000 lives, brave, courageous Ukrainians fighting for their own country against the invader, Vladimir Putin, and President Trump doesn't even understand that. I mean, to think that Zelenskyy is put out by what he said is no surprise. He's the one who's had to count the body bags and count the blood that's been shed on behalf of his country. I respect him for it. He's shown great leadership. I think he's a good man. BLITZER: Before I let you go, Senator Durbin, I want to ask you quickly about Kash Patel, Trump's pick to run the FBI, who's now one step actually closer to confirmation after clearing a key procedural hurdle yesterday. At least two Republicans have said they are undecided right now. Do you think he will become the next FBI director?

DURBIN: I don't know. We've heard that more than two Republicans have questioned whether they're going to vote for him. I hope they take a hard look at his record. This man does not have the experience to lead the FBI. This is a ten-year appointment. He has no background in that kind of capacity. And what he's done repeatedly is to get even with his political enemies over and over again.

He even published a list, a hit list of 60 people in a book that he released. I've read that book. He picked on Democrats and Republicans who are truly good citizens of this country. He does not have the temperament to head the number one criminal investigative agency in the world.

[18:25:00]

BLITZER: Senator Dick Durbin, thanks so much for joining us.

DURBIN: You're welcome.

BLITZER: And coming up, the future of New York's mayor is uncertain tonight as a judge decides whether to go along with Trump's Justice Department officials and drop his criminal charges or keep the case alive.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Let's get to the breaking news in New York City right now. A hearing over the fate of the U.S. Justice Department's case against Mayor Eric Adams ends without a ruling from the judge.

CNN's Kara Scannell is in New York following the case for us. Kara, you were inside the courtroom. What did the judge say?

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the judge over this hearing that lasted just under an hour-and-a-half said that he understood that he had a limited role to play here, but he said he was not yet ready to make a decision.

[18:30:07]

He said, I'm not going to shoot from the hip right here on the bench. I want to take the time that is necessary to carefully consider everything that you have put before me and said today. The judge said, though, that it also didn't benefit anybody for this to be dragged out even further.

But this whole hearing was really remarkable. The courtroom was packed. You had Emil Bove, the deputy attorney general, sitting alone at the table, but also inside the courtroom, you had Todd Blanche, who was expected to take that job once confirmed by the Senate and also the head of the FBI field office in New York, whose agents brought this case, that the judge had Mayor Adams stand up, swear under oath to answer questions, and Adams told the judge that he was not promised anything and he was not threatened with anything to have this case dismissed.

And Emil Bove stood up and told the judge that that made it undisputable that there was no quid pro quo, and he told the judge that he traveled up from Washington so he could look him in the eye and answer questions. Bove said that the only thing the judge has to decide is that the prosecution is not acting in bad faith, and he said he was here to make that representation.

Now, Bove also pointed to President Donald Trump's own federal charges. He said a judge overseeing the case involving January 6th, that the judge in that case agreed to dismiss those criminal charges without prejudice, the same thing that they're asking the judge to do here for Mayor Adams. Bove said, if that was okay for the president of the United States, it should be okay here.

And the judge also asked Bove, what are the limits to what he is offering here? Because the arguments that the Justice Department put forward is that the case should go away because it was distracting and interfering with Adams' ability to do his job running the city specifically as related to public safety and national security and carrying out Donald Trump's immigration enforcement. The judge said, would you say that this standard applies where you would not move to bring charges against someone if it related to a police commissioner of the city? Bove said, absolutely. He was also asked if the same standard would apply to a governor of a border state where immigration is an issue, and Bove again said, absolutely, this is something that the Justice Department would take into consideration when bringing any other charges.

So, definitely expanding a little bit more about the Justice Department's thinking as it's looking across the Board of Enforcement. But the judge again saying he was not ready to rule, but we should expect a decision from him shortly. Wolf?

BLITZER: And we will find out. Kara Scannell in New York for us, thank you very much.

I want to get some more from our Senior Legal Analyst Elie Honig, who's here with me in The Situation Room.

What are Judge Ho's options, Elie, in this case?

ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Well, Wolf, he has three options. So, from most to least likely, one, the judge could say, I accept the dismissal. And I think he seems like he's leaning that way, as Kara reported. I think what he would say is something like, it's really not my decision as the judge. It's really DOJ's decision. They're part of the executive branch. They get to decide which cases to keep and which cases to get rid of.

Second, and I would have liked to see him do this, he could have said, I need more facts here because what you're telling me, Mr. Bove, is very different from what I've seen in the public letters from those prosecutors who resigned. And so I want to hear from them. That's theoretically possible.

And then the third and I think least likely possibility is the judge could reject this, say, I'm not dismissing it. But in that case, DOJ would just respond by saying, fine, but we're not staffing the case. So, it would essentially be over.

BLITZER: New York Governor Kathy Hochul, as you know, has the power to remove Mayor Adams from office, even though he was democratically- elected, but that's never happened in New York before. So, what would that actually look like?

HONIG: It would look like a mess. And here's why I think the governor is unlikely to do this. This is based on a very old law. And what's clear is the governor does have the power to tell the mayor of New York City, I'm hereby seeking to remove you. She has the ability to suspend him for 30 days. But from there, all the law says is -- and then there needs to be some sort of hearing. The mayor's entitled to some sort of hearing. But we have no idea what that hearing would look like.

So, Governor Hochul would have to invent some process. Eric Adams surely would fight it. This would drag on for weeks and months. So, if she just had the unilateral power to say, you're out, maybe she would do that, but it's way more complicated than that.

BLITZER: I didn't realize how complicated it was.

As you know, hundreds of former Department of Justice prosecutors have now slammed the decision to drop Adams' corruption case. Why is this case so important?

HONIG: It's about so much more than just this one defendant. I mean, public officials get indicted. We've seen indictments of senators, governors, mayors before. It's the thing that Kara said at the end of her report there. The judge asked DOJ, is it okay for you, do you plan to take the defendant's agreement or disagreement with your policy views, with your immigration agenda, with your political views in the future. And Bove said, yes, we do. Yes, we are going to ask the same questions. And that is a wholesale change from what DOJ does. You're supposed to charge cases based solely on the facts and the law. Whatever the president wants to do politically is supposed to be completely irrelevant. And now DOJ has announced we're changing that.

[18:35:00]

BLITZER: Why are the -- what are the chances, I should say, other parties besides the Department of Justice and Adams' defense team will get involved in this case?

HONIG: Very, very low. There have been some groups of lawyers who filed what we call amicus, friend of the court briefs, urging the judge to reject this dismissal, but the judge sort of gave those the back of his hand today. Usually at the trial court level, trial court judges are not going to consider the opinions of outsiders. So, there have been a lot of I think well-intentioned lawyers trying to make their opinions known, but the judge did not seem particularly interested in that thing.

BLITZER: Elie Honig, former assistant U. S attorney of the Southern District of New York --

HONIG: Same office.

BLITZER: So you know this issue well. Thank you very much for joining us.

And just ahead, a closer look at the very volatile relationship between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy from an infamous 2019 phone call to this morning's false dictator comment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:40:00]

BLITZER: More now on our top story, the growing war of words between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. One key Trump adviser acknowledging the relationship between these two men is now, quote, clearly going in the wrong direction.

Brian Todd is joining us right now with a closer look at their rather long and complicated history, Brian, the tension between Trump and Zelenskyy is nothing new.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the tension goes back almost six years to the first Trump administration, when Volodymyr Zelenskyy found himself caught up in an almost Shakespearean political drama with President Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice over): In Donald Trump's first term as president, there was already personal friction with Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump pressured Zelenskyy to investigate Hunter Biden during a 2019 phone call about U.S. aid for Ukraine.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: It was a perfect phone call.

TODD: Zelenskyy was drawn into a fracas.

SUSAN GLASSER, STAFF WRITER, THE NEW YORKER: The entire beginning of Zelenskyy's presidency was overshadowed by Donald Trump's effort to, in effect, blackmail Zelenskyy and Ukraine into getting U.S. military support in exchange for political favors for Donald Trump. That's what led to Trump's first impeachment.

TODD: Zelenskyy tried to stay out of it.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: I'm sorry, but I don't want to be involved. Nobody pushed me, yes.

TRUMP: In other words, no pressure.

TODD: Democrats alleged a quid pro quo, and Trump was impeached but acquitted.

MICHAEL BOCIURKIW, THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL: I think that left a bit of a bad taste in Mr. Trump's mouth, because he has a long memory. He's like that.

TODD: Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Trump has falsely blamed Zelenskyy for the conflict Putin ignited.

TRUMP: He should never have let that war start. That war's a loser.

JULIA IOFFE, PUCK: Compared to Vladimir Putin, Zelenskyy just doesn't measure up in Trump's mind. Zelenskyy is not the kind of leader that Trump admires. Zelenskyy is closer to the leaders of Europe in style and substance. And Trump is nothing but scorn for those leaders. He sees them as weak, as effeminate.

TODD: Zelenskyy has not always been able to hide his frustration, a year ago, telling CNN this.

ZELENSKYY: I can't understand how Donald Trump can be on the side of Putin.

TODD: And in September, Zelenskyy told The New Yorker, quote, Trump doesn't really know how to stop the war. Trump took note of the insult.

TRUMP: He's making little nasty aspersions toward your favorite president.

TODD: Now, the two leaders may have hit a roadblock, with Trump's national security adviser saying the relationship between the two is, quote, going in the wrong direction.

IOFFE: There is probably no amount of groveling or flattering that Zelenskyy can do to win back Trump.

BOCIURKIW: Even if Mr. Zelenskyy had more positive warm time with Mr. Trump, at the end of the day, it's Vladimir Putin, who Mr. Trump admires the most.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: But Analyst Michael Bociurkiw also believes Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made his share of mistakes in the relationship. He says Zelenskyy put too much stock in the Democrats in last fall's U.S. election, believing they were going to win, and he says regarding this latest back and forth, it would have been better if Zelenskyy hadn't accused Donald Trump of living in a, quote, disinformation space. He says that was a tactical error that just riled up Donald Trump even more. Wolf?

BLITZER: Brian Todd, excellent report, thank you very much. It brings back a lot of memories, indeed. Let's discuss this and more with the former U.S. State Department spokesperson, Ned Price, who's joining us live right now. Ned, thanks very much for joining us.

What do these comments attacking President Zelenskyy tell you about which side of this war President Trump is favoring?

NED PRICE, FORMER STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: Well, Wolf, it certainly doesn't send reassuring signals to the Ukrainians, to our allies, frankly, to any Americans who care about the stakes of this brutal war of aggression that Russia's been waging against Ukraine.

Look, I think it's pretty clear as day what has transpired here, and Vice President Vance really copped to it earlier today. President Zelenskyy has bruised President Trump's fragile ego. And he did that by essentially telling the truth, by making clear that President Trump has been peddling Russian disinformation and propaganda for some time now, but the pace has really accelerated over recent weeks. President Trump earlier this month said that NATO expansion was to blame for Russia's invasion, or, alternatively, that President Biden somehow precipitated Russia's incursion, reinvasion of Ukraine that started in 2022.

Of course, those of us who served in the Biden administration have a real unique perspective on this. In the winter of 2021, we went around the globe, but certainly to Ukraine, to Europe to places in between, to make clear to our Ukrainian partners, to our European partners that this Russian invasion was imminent and we were doing everything we could to stop it. We actually had to convince the Ukrainians that this Russian invasion plan was real and that they needed to work with us to do everything we could to stop it.

The idea that President Zelenskyy somehow precipitated this, or as we heard from President Trump today, even started it, it just strains credulity.

[18:45:00]

Even saying that President Zelenskyy somehow instigated an incursion, an invasion that has since taken thousands upon thousands of his countrymen, that its decimated his economy, that's ruined his infrastructure, Wolf, it's really hard to believe that these things come out of the mouth of the president of United States.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Do you buy the argument, Ned, that comments like these from President Trump are part of an actual strategy to try to get Putin open to making some sort of peace deal?

PRICE: Wolf, I have a hard time buying that argument, and I say that for a couple reasons. Number one, there has seemed to be very little strategy behind the administration's approach to Russia, and it has been an approach precisely to Russia that has really excluded the Ukrainians, and of course, our European partners as well.

If you look at what Secretary of Defense Hegseth told our NATO allies just last week, I believe it was he really took off so much of the leverage that we have in these negotiations, giving concession after concession after concession to the Russians. And President Trump has been asked many times, the question it's very clear what you're asking the Ukrainians to give up. But what are you asking the Russians to give up? And there has been no clear answer to that yet.

So it's hard to think of this being some version of 3D chess. I think, Wolf, its charitable to even call this checkers. This doesn't seem to be a strategic approach. It seems to be an approach of President Trump shooting from the hip, really cozying up to a strongman, a dictator he has long admired, probably for that very reason and really taking it out, as Brian Todd just said on President Zelenskyy, whom he has long seen as perhaps even responsible for his first impeachment in his first term.

BLITZER: Former State Department spokesperson Ned Price, thanks very much for joining us.

PRICE: Thanks, Wolf.

BLITZER: And coming up, Tonight, dangerous record breaking cold is gripping the central United States as winter weather pummels millions of Americans from coast to coast. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:51:05]

BLITZER: An encouraging update from the Vatican tonight. Pope Francis is showing slight improvement in the hospital where he's being treated for double pneumonia.

I want to bring in CNN Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb. He's joining us from Rome right now.

Christopher, give us an update.

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf. Yes, we have had some positive signals about the pope's condition from the Vatican this evening, saying there has been a slight improvement.

We're also told that the pope met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni this afternoon for a 20 minute meeting. Giorgia Meloni saying the pope was alert and reactive. They were able to crack some jokes together. He still has his sense of humor, she said.

So these are all positive signs. But of course, the pope is 88 years old and is battling pneumonia in both lungs. He has a history of respiratory infections, and it's not clear how long the pope is going to be in the hospital. He's already been there for six days.

And there are also questions about what kind of recovery and convalescence period there will be for Francis, and what that means for his leadership of the Catholic Church. He is a pope who likes to do a lot to get things done. How is it going to work if he has to spend a lot of time recovering?

So lots of big questions that are being asked in the Vatican at this time. It's very uncertain period. People are not alarmed so much, but worried and very concerned. And were expecting more updates from the Vatican in the coming days, Wolf.

BLITZER: Anything specific on when we will get the next update?

LAMB: Well, we're expecting one tomorrow morning Friday. At the moment, we're getting around two updates a day. A formal one in the afternoon and a more informal one in the morning. The moment, we simply have what we've received this evening, which is that there is this slight improvement and that the pope is doing some work and has met with the Italian prime minister.

We're hoping to hear more about any future visitors the pope might have in the hospital, but it's all very much a waiting game, Wolf.

BLITZER: Let's hope the improvement continues.

Christopher Lamb, thank you very much for that update.

And coming up, an update on deadly weather across the United States right now with dangerously cold temperatures on the horizon.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:58:00]

BLITZER: Tonight, dangerous record breaking cold is gripping the central United States as winter weather pummels millions of Americans from coast to coast.

Our meteorologist, Derek Van Dam, has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Back to back winter storms turned deadly in the last week across the Central and Eastern U.S., as a new threat of dangerously cold temperatures and snowy weather emerges. Major interstates in Oklahoma at a standstill as over a half a foot of snow fell, prompting authorities to respond to multiple wrecks and jackknifed 18 wheelers.

This crash in LaPorte County, Indiana, involved nine semi-trucks and four passenger vehicles.

BROOKE WATSON, MANAGER, THE COUNTY LINE GRILL: It was a little slippery. It was mostly when I got here, though. It was about 3:00 and it was still a snow mainly, not ICE. Now it has dropped a lot and it's a little worse than it was this morning.

VAN DAM: Residents across Kentucky and Virginia still in cleanup mode as the weeks first storm, dumped over a months worth of rain in less than 24 hours. Bursting levees and flooding homes.

MAYOR HAPPY MOBELINI, HAZARD, KENTUCKY: We had warning that we were going to be flooded. We just didn't know it was going to be this extensive. VAN DAM: Now, dangerous arctic air is descending on the flood ravaged

Ohio River valley as the coldest air of the year sets in.

The Kentucky governor sending out this warning.

GOV. ANDY BESHEAR, KENTUCKY: It's going to get dangerously cold tonight and into tomorrow. Friday is going to be really cold, too. So this is really two days of very concerning low temperatures.

VAN DAM: Frigid temperatures of up to 30 below normal will be felt throughout the region, which will complicate recovery efforts across the hardest hit areas.

BESHEAR: If you cant safely heat your home, call friends, call family, go stay with them or contact one of your local shelters. We will find a place for you to stay, but it is going to be dangerously cold.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAN DAM (on camera): The widespread snow, Wolf, has come to an end across the state of Kentucky, but not before producing over a half a foot in some locations.

It is snowing hard, however, across Virginia Beach, where if we do receive double digit numbers in terms of snow, that will be their largest snow storm in decades. But the big story will certainly be the cold air. Look at these wind chill values tomorrow morning and repeated once again for the day on Friday. That's not just cold, that's dangerously cold. Especially for these hard hit areas across the Ohio River Valley -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Very cold indeed.

All right. Derek Van Dam, thank you very much.

I'm Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Thanks very much for watching.

"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts right now.