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The Situation Room
Trump-Zelenskyy Tensions Explode In Unprecedented Oval Office Clash; Russian Officials Gloat After Trump-Zelenskyy Clash; World Leaders Rally Around Zelenskyy After Trump Berates Him; U.S. Official: Trump-Zelenskyy Relationship "Seems Irreparable"; Vatican: Pope Francis On A Breathing Machine. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired February 28, 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 HOST: Happening now, breaking news, U.S.-Ukrainian relations are in shambles after tensions between Presidents Trump and Zelenskyy explode in the Oval Office with Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance rebuking Zelenskyy and then booting him from the White House. Officials in Vladimir Putin's Kremlin are now cheering and gloating.
We're covering the global fallout and what this all means for Russia's war against Ukraine. Our correspondents and guests, including the House Democratic leader, Hakeem Jeffries, they are all standing by.
Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in The Situation Room.
First of the breaking news, a truly stunning showdown in the Oval Office as President Trump berates Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the long awaited meeting between the two leaders ending early after President Trump ordered the Ukrainian delegation out of the White House. Take a look at the moment everything went off the rails.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: What kind of diplomacy, J.D., you are speaking about? What do you mean?
J.D. VANCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: I'm talking about the kind of diplomacy that's going to end the destruction of your country.
ZELENSKYY: Yes. But how --
VANCE: Mr. President, with respect, I think it's disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office and try to litigate this in front of the American media. Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the frontlines because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict.
ZELENSKYY: Have you ever been to Ukraine that you say what problems we have? VANCE: I have been to -- I have actually watched and seen the stories, and I know what happens is you bring people, you bring them on a propaganda tour, Mr. President. Do you disagree that you've had problems bringing people into your military? And do you think that it's respectful to come to the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration that is trying to prevent the destruction of your country?
ZELENSKYY: A lot of questions. Let's start from the beginning.
VANCE: Sure.
ZELENSKYY: First of all, during the war, everybody has problems, even you. But you have nice ocean. And don't feel now. But you will feel it in the future. God bless. God bless. God bless, you do not have a war.
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Don't tell us what we're going to feel. We're trying to solve a problem. Don't tell us what we're going to feel.
ZELENSKYY: I'm not telling you. I'm answering all his questions.
TRUMP: Because you're in no position to dictate that. You're in no position to dictate what we're going to feel. We are going to feel very good.
ZELENSKYY: You'll feel influenced.
TRUMP: We are going to feel very good and very strong.
ZELENSKYY: I'm telling you'll feel influenced.
TRUMP: You're right now not in a very good position. You've allowed yourself to be in a very bad position that he happens to be right about.
ZELENSKYY: From the very beginning of the war --
TRUMP: You're not in a good position. You don't have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards.
ZELENSKYY: I'm not playing cards.
TRUMP: Right now, you don't have playing cards. You're gambling with the lives of millions of people. You're gambling with World War III. You're gambling with World War III. And what you're doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country. That's back to you. Far more than a lot of people said they should have.
VANCE: Have you said thank you once this entire meeting?
ZELENSKYY: A lot of times.
VANCE: No. In this entire meeting, have you said thank you? You went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the opposition in October, offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who's trying to save your country.
ZELENSKYY: Please, do you think that if you will speak very loudly about the war --
TRUMP: He's not speaking loudly. He's not speaking loudly. Your country is in big trouble. No, you've done a lot of talking. Your country is in big trouble.
ZELENSKYY: I know.
TRUMP: You're not winning.
ZELENSKYY: I know.
TRUMP: You're not winning this. You have a damn good chance of coming out okay because of us.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: All right. Let's get some analysis from CNN's Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour, who's joining us from London. Christiane, what's your reaction to what we saw in the Oval Office today?
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well, look, it can only be described as an unmitigated disaster. The only hope is that somehow Zelenskyy and allies and those who are close to Trump can try to fix this relationship.
What happened in full view of the world is that the Ukraine-U.S. relationship is to be splintered and Europe is very concerned.
[18:05:08]
They are also very worried that the U.S.-Europe-Ukraine relationship is cut. And what they're doing is now Giorgia Meloni, who's the prime minister of Italy and a very, you know, friendly to Trump, a Trump ally in Europe, is calling for a U.S.-Europe summit to discuss Ukraine because saying that all of this basically is just catnip for America and Europe's adversaries, i.e. Putin and the others who want to divide the west.
So, she's calling for an immediate summit at a very high level. And also Keir Starmer here in the U.K., he is called, apparently, according to his office Both presidents, Trump and Zelenskyy. We don't know exactly what it is, but all the European leaders, I mean, literally, there's been avalanche of support for Zelenskyy. All of them have said, we stand by Zelenskyy, we stand by Ukraine. We know who the aggressor is. We know who the (INAUDIBLE) is, and we have to support them.
One more thing is that Kaja Kalals, the former president -- sorry, prime minister of Estonia, a Baltic frontline state, had (INAUDIBLE) a call for a new leader of the free world. I mean, this day could not have been more catastrophic for the values that the United States and its allies hold and seek to defend. And furthermore, President Trump continues to double down on saying that Ukraine holds no cards, that it cannot win and that it, you know, it's going to lose its country.
You know, clearly, President Zelenskyy has, and fact-checking has just been done, thanked the United States at least 33 times for the massive help that it's given. So, it's a very, very bad moment. One can only hope that in the, you know, calm of the ensuing hours and days, this strategic relationship, not personalities who clearly rubbed each other the wrong way, but this strategically -- this strategic relationship needs to be repaired.
BLITZER: Christiane Amanpour, thank you very, very much.
I want to bring in our political experts right now for some more analysis. And, Kaitlan Collins, you're our Chief White House correspondent, I want to play for you and for our viewers what President Trump just said moments ago as he was leaving the White House. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We don't do anything, he's going to have to make peace, but he's dealing with a very weak set of cards. If we sign, he's dealing with a very strong set of cards, and then he doesn't want to make peace. So, that's where we are, it's very simple. I'm not looking to get into anything protracted. I want immediate peace. President Putin is going to want to make, and he wants to make -- he wants to end it. And you saw what I saw today. This is a man that wants to get us signed up and keep fighting, and we're not doing that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: We could hear what he's saying, even though the picture was frozen right there. He's clearly not backing down at all despite the uproar that he and the vice president created in the course of this meeting.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It was such a remarkable moment, Wolf, to be there because CNN was the pool today, so we were standing just over the shoulder of the vice president and the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, who were seated on that couch.
And this had been going on for about 40 minutes. It was actually nearing its end. President Trump had called for the last question from a reporter. And then Vice President Vance asked if he could say something. And that is when he and President Zelenskyy got into that heated exchange that then obviously ended with President Trump shouting at Zelenskyy and Zelenskyy pushing back and this just remarkable moment playing out where everyone else in the room was completely silent. No one was saying a word. No reporters were trying to ask questions, just watching this moment unfold.
And what we've learned about what happened after is everyone left the room, the Ukrainians went into a separate room as a standard during a visit. Trump huddled with his top advisers and he decided that he did not want the meeting to continue. So, they did not have the lunch that was planned. The food was sitting out in the hallway inside the West Wing. We could see it. And the Ukrainians, I was told, wanted to stay but Trump told them that he did not believe they could continue negotiating in this manner. And so then they left and that was the end of it.
And so you heard Trump there saying that he did not feel that Zelenskyy wanted peace. Obviously, a lot of the allies of Ukraine would disagree with that, as Christiane just laid out. But it is a complete breakdown in a relationship that already was not on good footing,
BLITZER: Total breakdown. And, you know, David Chalian, and I've spent many, many years, spent seven years as a White House correspondent, but for 30 years I've been covering these Oval Office kinds of meetings with foreign leaders who come to the White House to meet with a president of the United -- I've never seen anything like this before. It was truly unprecedented.
DAVID CHALIAN, CNN WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF: Oh, there's no doubt about that. And it also was totally discordant from what President Trump previewed about this meeting yesterday. I mean, when he was with the British prime minister and he was asked about, he said, 11:00, I think it will be a good meeting, we're going to strike this.
[18:10:02]
I mean, the tone from President Trump yesterday in anticipation of this meeting was somebody who thought he was going to get a win to tout here with this rare earth minerals deal and try and get this Russia-Ukraine war on to some sort of a process that can find its way towards a conclusion, as tricky as that is clearly going to be. But this -- I mean, Kaitlan, you will forever have this as history that you were in the room for it, but it was astounding to observe this.
And I have to say, it also is just so telling to me that in the immediate aftermath, Wolf, the White House went into full court press P.R. mode, like Lindsey Graham on the driveway touting talking points, the White House put out multiple times today fact sheets and quotes from supportive corners inside the cabinet and on Capitol Hill. You hear all the Republican or a lot of the Republican members singing from the same song sheet. They went full bore afterwards, because I think that they saw that they needed to move to an aggressive posture to try and frame what we all saw with our own eyes today.
BLITZER: The president, President Trump, immediately posted on social media a statement saying, I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for peace if America is involved. And then he adds this. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He cannot come back when he is ready for peace. He cannot come back when he is ready for peace. What stood out to you, Nia?
NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Listen, I mean, I think the aggression that we all saw there directed at Zelenskyy, who is an ally, who is fighting for the sovereignty of his country. It's obviously a country that is an ally that America has supported, that all of Europe supported. It was, I think -- you know, people always talk about how Donald Trump seems to want to change the direction of where the country is in terms of its allyship with either the west or with Putin.
This was, I think, the biggest example we have seen of that he does want to tear America away from the traditional allies with the west, with Europe, and stand much closer to Putin. You saw from the Kremlin, people in Moscow cheering what they saw. You heard in some of the language used in the Oval Office too parroting some of Putin's talking points and then cheering it on.
So, I think this is going to go down as a real historic moment. It was what, 15 or 20 minutes or so at the end of this meeting. But in terms of the trajectory going forward and what this means for America's relation to the west, where America's relation to Europe and America's relation to Putin, I think this is going to be a pivotal moment.
BLITZER: You know, it's interesting, Dana, we're just getting this clip in from Fox. President Zelenskyy just gave an interview to Fox and President Zelenskyy was asked if he owes President Trump an apology. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENSKYY: The president and I respect American people. And if -- I don't know if -- I think that we have to be very open and very honest, and I'm not sure that we did something bad. I think maybe sometimes some things we have to discuss out of media, with all respect to democracy and to free media. But there are things that where we have to understand the position of Ukraine and Ukrainians. And I think that is the most important thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: That was not a yes. He certainly did not say that he was going to apologize. And, you know, the point that he was just making about it being open to the press, you know, I don't believe that meetings between two allies generally get that contentious, whether it's in front of the camera or behind the camera.
They definitely have discussions and they have serious disagreements, which they try to work out but, you know, I know you said earlier that it was genuine. I totally agree with you that Donald Trump's and J.D. Vance's -- well, Donald Trump in particular, his reaction was genuine, that he was genuinely angry, but the fact that the cameras were allowed to stay for as long as they were.
The Trump administration, the president himself, clearly, in fact, he sort of suggested he wanted the American people to see this moment. He had been against a lot of the support for Ukraine for a long time. Certainly, J.D. Vance had been against the U.S. staying involved in Ukraine. And so we can never forget that even though he is the president of the United States of America, he is very much focused on the people who brought him to the dance. And those people, a lot of the voters who supported him, even more than that, the majority of the American people, they're done with supporting Ukraine.
I'm not so sure that those same people were comfortable with the interaction between a U.S. president, a vice president, and an ally the way that it devolved like that, but I think that we always have to keep Trump's political reality in mind.
[18:15:13]
And also the fact that he thought he was going to be the -- Trump thought he was going to kind of be the victor here in creating this economic deal that he thought was a done deal, and then all of a sudden, they got into this spat about something really basic and really fundamental, which is, can you trust the Russians if you have any kind of deal? And Zelenskyy was trying to say, no, here's the history. We can't trust them.
BLITZER: And he gave the history.
BASH: Exactly.
BLITZER: You know, it's interesting, Kaitlan, because Russian state media, and this is no surprise, is celebrating this very angry, heated meeting. This is what the former Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, wrote about Zelenskyy and I'm quoting now, this the insolent pig finally got a proper slap down in the Oval Office. What's the feeling inside the Trump administration right now about the reaction that is coming in?
COLLINS: I think, you know, as someone who covered Trump round one and covering round two, we're often asked, what are the big differences? We saw it on display today. Because quickly after this, all of the cabinet secretaries who were in the room for that, Secretary Bessent, Secretary Rubio came out and were touting what happened. And we're saying that they were proud of Trump for sticking up for the American people. But, really, the one thing that was the biggest difference was Vice President Vance himself. I mean, that might have been the most significant minute of his vice presidency that we have seen. That is not something you would have seen from Vice President Pence had he still been in that position.
And I should note, for people watching this, we've had a lot of world leader meetings. You don't often see the vice president speak up. Every now and then he's asked a question, he was with the British prime minister the other day, but you don't always see him weigh in. But he was so inflamed by what Zelenskyy was saying and how Zelenskyy was correcting Trump at times, whether it came to trusting Putin when it comes to a ceasefire agreement, as Zelenskyy was arguing you couldn't, Vance interjecting himself and taking that moment to say that Zelenskyy was being disrespectful to the president, that is what changed the entire tone and tenor of this meeting. You would have never seen that before. And it does speak to how differently the people who are around Trump are now compared to his last term.
CHALIAN: And, Kaitlan, you were in the room, I don't know if you were able to see it, but watching the video of it come in, it seemed to me like the president, it took him a moment to catch up to J.D. Vance when the meeting turned. Like you could see President Trump sort of assessing the change in the room, like a beat behind it happening, because, you are right, Vance amped it, amped it up. BLITZER: He started it.
CHALIAN: Yes, and just like turned this. And for a moment, it was unclear to me as a viewer if Donald Trump, the president, was going to join and accelerate it or stand down. He obviously did accelerate the moment.
I would just also say one thing. I keep thinking back, Kaitlan, to your town hall with Donald Trump nearly two years ago and the question you asked him about who he wanted to see victorious in this conflict. And so this has been --
COLLINS: Which he did not answer.
BLITZER: Which he did not answer,
COLLINS: Which I actually asked Zelenskyy about when I interviewed him a year ago, and he said that, essentially, he argued to me that Trump doesn't understand Putin in the way that Zelenskyy argues that he personally does, because he says Trump has never fought Putin.
And he was kind of making that argument today to Vance, saying, you know, you've never been to Ukraine. He was kind of twisting that. I mean, he certainly wasn't also trying to tone it down, to be clear. I think Trump was just letting -- he knew what Vance was doing in his position. I think he was just letting him take that moment.
BASH: Well, I think, I mean, just to be blunt about it, Vance saw an opportunity. He jumped in. As you said, that doesn't normally happen. A vice president usually sits there and is vice presidential, which means quiet. He made a decision to get in there because he's had a point of view on Ukraine for a long time. And he knew the cameras were rolling and it could have ended if Zelenskyy didn't respond, but he took the bait.
HENDERSON: But it's also true that Trump and Zelenskyy have their own history, right? This was the subject of the first impeachment. Trump tried to bully Zelenskyy into doing something, to do his political bidding and Zelenskyy stood up to Donald Trump.
You know, I also think there is some misgiving about the way that Zelenskyy himself is standing up to Putin. This is something that Donald Trump himself hasn't been able to do. And so here he was, somebody who in some ways has crossed Trump. That's what he sees. So, I don't think it was a lot for J.D. Vance to be able to get Donald Trump in there because he has such misgivings towards Zelenskyy in the first place.
BLITZER: Excellent analysis from our all-star panel. Guys, thank you very, very much.
Kaitlan, of course, will be back later tonight, 9:00 P.M. Eastern, for her excellent program, The Source. Among her guests tonight, the secretary of state, Marco Rubio.
[18:20:02] And Dana, of course, will be back Sunday morning, 9:00 A.M. Eastern, on State of the Union. Among her guests, the House speaker, Mike Johnson, and Democratic Senator Chris Murphy.
And we'll be right back with more on the breaking news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Let's get some more now on our top story. Joining us now, the former Obama national security adviser, Susan Rice, she's also a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Ambassador, thanks so much for joining us.
What do you make of this heated and shocking Oval Office clash that occurred today between President Trump and President Zelenskyy?
SUSAN RICE, FORMER PRESIDENT OBAMA NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Well, Wolf, in my estimation, it was a setup. Let's recall the sequence here. Zelenskyy reluctantly agreed to a bad deal regarding his mineral wealth for which he got nothing in exchange, not as bad a deal as the original one that the Trump administration proposed, but still nothing in it for Ukraine.
[18:25:06]
He nonetheless was prepared to sign it to come to Washington to have the opportunity to try to persuade Donald Trump before negotiations get really underway that Ukraine desperately needs security guarantees.
So he came hat in hand to the Oval Office. Donald Trump kept the pool spray in there for 40 minutes and was saying things that were outrageous, like, you know, Ukraine started the war and Russia's not the aggressor. And he obviously, in my opinion, gave the permission to J.D. Vance in advance to try to provoke Zelenskyy, which he tried to do.
And to start a rumble that would have two purposes, one, to appeal to Trump's base, which is why at the end of the meeting, Trump said, oh, this is great television, and they'd been sending all of their lackeys out to tout how wonderful it was, when, in fact, it was a massive embarrassment for the United States of America, but the other audience was Vladimir Putin. And my understanding, and correct me if I'm wrong, is that the Russian state news agency, TASS, was in the room as part of the pool spray, but A.P. and perhaps Reuters were not. That tells you that the other audience was very much in Moscow. And you already indicated how delighted they are at the outcome.
This was a setup designed to humiliate and antagonize the Ukrainians and Zelenskyy, and to give Donald Trump a pretext for what he has already indicated he is intending to do, which is to stop military assistance to Ukraine. So, we are in a really dangerous not to mention shameful situation where yet again, in word and deed, Trump is aligning the United States of America with Vladimir Putin, and by extension, his best buddies, China, North Korea, and Iran, and abandoning our NATO allies, abandoning Ukraine, abandoning our principles, our values, and democracy and throwing our lot in with an autocratic dictator and an axis of authoritarians. It's dangerous and shameful and we will pay for this day and all that preceded it for many years to come.
BLITZER: And the White House, as you know, Ambassador, immediately canceled the scheduled joint news conference at the two leaders we're supposed to have after this meeting, canceled the luncheon that the president was supposedly going to host for President Zelenskyy, basically kicking him out and telling him to leave the White House.
I want you to listen to this -- yes, just listen to this clip that we just got. This is more of this interview that Zelenskyy gave Fox.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: You want to continue fighting. Do you want peace? And if you had the opportunity to go back to the White House right now, would you do it?
ZELENSKYY: No.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: What do you think all this means for the future of the relationship between the United States and a democratic ally, namely Ukraine?
RICE: Well, first of all, Wolf, let's be clear. Donald Trump ended the meeting because he got what he wanted, which was a pretext, cut off Ukraine and cut off NATO. What this means is we are in very dangerous territory. The United States of America no longer puts primacy on our NATO allies, on Ukraine, on democracy, values. And instead we're selling out our interest to Putin, and by extension, to Xi and North Korea and Iran.
Understand this is just a piece of a whole. Today is not to be looked at in isolation. Consider that, you know, Vice President Vance goes to Munich and basically tells NATO to go to hell and indicates that can't be relied on to participate in Europe's defense. He's trying to antagonize our NATO ally, Denmark, by seeking to annex Greenland, our NATO ally, Canada, by threatening to try to turn it into the 51st state. He's starting massive trade war with our closest allies and partners in Europe as well as Canada and Mexico, putting higher tariffs on them than even on China.
He is withdrawing the United States from the global playing field by shutting down USAID, one of the most beneficial instruments that we have for national security through its ability to advance, you know, greater stability, greater democracy, greater well-being among partners around the world. And he is calling for an 8 percent annual cut to the Defense Department.
[18:30:03]
BLITZER: Yes. RICE: Now, if you put all those things together, it weakens our national security, undermines our economy and hands the United States interest on a silver platter to Putin.
BLITZER: Ambassador Susan Rice, as usual, thank you very much for your analysis.
We have more news coming up. Coming up, a live report from Kyiv, in Ukraine, as air raid sirens sound in the Ukrainian capital, and our one-on-one interview with the top Democrat in the House of Representatives, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, all that coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: More breaking news we're following, air raid sirens sounding in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, as Russia continues to bombard the war-torn nation.
[18:35:05]
CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is in Kyiv for us. Nick, what can you tell us?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we've had air raid sirens on in the past hour as part of nightly bombardment that has been hitting Kyiv, 200 drones launched last night. And I should point out to you since Trump called Zelenskyy a dictator falsely, 47 civilians have been killed by Russian strikes.
But, Wolf, we are learning about some of the backdrop to this extraordinary meeting. A source familiar with the negotiation says that Trump's envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, tried to suggest that maybe the relationship between Trump and Zelenskyy wasn't ready for an Oval Office high-profile meeting like this, but the Zelenskyy team pushed forwards. A senior U.S. official separately telling me that they don't think this is something they can fix. It's going to be down to Zelenskyy.
We've heard that Zelenskyy has, from a Ukrainian source, spoken to French President Emmanuel Macron, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, many calls here Downing Street in London saying that he's spoken to U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer. A lot of diplomacy here from Europe trying to fix this, many statements of European support, But a huge gulf here and an immediate crisis here in Kyiv, many talking about Zelenskyy stepping aside if he can't fix this. Deep concerns by what it means on the frontlines, Wolf.
BLITZER: Nick Paton Walsh reporting, excellent reporting as usual. Thank you very, very much.
And joining me now, the House Minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries. Leader Jeffries, thanks so much for joining us.
I want to play a little bit more from this truly extraordinary Oval Office meeting earlier today. Watch and listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: You have to be thankful. You don't have the cards. You're buried there. You're -- people are dying. You're running low on soldiers. Listen, you're running low on soldiers. It would be a damn good thing. Then you'd tell us. I don't want a ceasefire. I don't want a ceasefire. I want to go and I wanted this done.
Look, if you could get a ceasefire right now, I tell you, you take it so the bullets stop flying and your men stop getting killed.
ZELENSKYY: Of course we want to stop the war.
TRUMP: But you're saying you don't want a ceasefire.
ZELENSKYY: But I said to you, with guarantees.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Leader Jeffries, I want to get your reaction to this shocking White House meeting between President Trump and President Zelenskyy.
REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): It was a shocking and extraordinary exchange. American support for Ukraine is anchored in our own national security interests. America is stronger when Russia is weaker. And we, of course, are weakened when Russia is stronger. And we cannot allow Russian aggression to succeed here. And that is why we've supported the bravery and courage of the Ukrainian people.
Ukraine is also standing on the side of democracy, freedom and truth. Russia is standing on the side of tyranny, oppression and propaganda. And America, of course, should always be aligned with the interests of those principles, those principles of democracy and truth and freedom.
BLITZER: Do you believe, Leader Jeffries, that the relationship between the Trump administration and president Zelenskyy can be salvaged?
JEFFRIES: It has to be salvaged for the good of the free world if America is going to continue to play that role. And, again, our leadership of the free world in the aftermath of World War II, to create a rules-based society all across the globe is in America's national security interest. It is designed to keep our people safe and secure and free of the type of global conflict that cost so many lives, including American lives, during World War I and World War II. And so it certainly is the case that we'll need to see some mature leadership from the Trump administration.
BLITZER: Do you think there will be some mature leadership from the Trump administration?
JEFFRIES: Congressional Democrats in both the House and the Senate will urge that this breach be repaired and that we stand by the Ukrainian people for the good of the American people, for the good of our national security, for the good of the free world and our continued leadership in that regard. We should not be bending the knee to Vladimir Putin and Russia. Putin is a sworn enemy of the United States of America. It's not in our national security interest to be supportive of him. It's in our national security interest to support the Ukrainian people and our allies in Western Europe and throughout the free world.
BLITZER: Democratic Congressman Mike Quigley says the U.S. is, quote, on the side of the bad guys now. Do you agree with him?
[18:40:00]
JEFFRIES: Certainly, as Congressman Quigley indicated, the fact that most recently in the United Nations, we voted with Russia as opposed to voting with democratic countries in Western Europe and throughout the rest of the globe is challenging, it's problematic and it's not in our own national security interest.
Look, what we've seen from the Trump administration over the last several weeks is just a flood of unprecedented extremism and a parade of horribles that continue to be unleashed on the American people. While at the same time, the Trump administration is not focused on solving the problems of everyday Americans. We're continuing to make sure that we focus on trying to make life better for everyday Americans fundamentally. That's why we were sent to Washington, D.C. We have to drive down the high cost of living. We have to secure the border. We have to keep communities safe. We have to protect our DREAMERs and farm workers and families. These are the things that matter, as opposed to creating crisis-like moments when we should be coming together and demonstrating leadership for the free world.
BLITZER: As you know, President Trump is due to deliver an address before a joint meeting of Congress on Tuesday night. Is the president berating an ally in the Oval Office, as we saw today, worth potentially boycotting the address?
JEFFRIES: It's not my expectation that you will see any formal boycott organized in connection with the joint address to Congress. That's our house. It's the people's house. It's the House of Representatives. And so it's certainly my view that you're going to see significant presence of House Democrats on the floor of the House to hear what the president has to say.
Now, I think our view is the president needs to lay out why has the Trump administration failed to do anything to address the cost of living in America when that was the signature promise. In fact, we were told that grocery prices were going to decline on day one. We also need to hear about this extraordinary assault on the American way of life that's underway and that understandably has so many people disillusioned with what's happening in this country right now. Although we're going to continue to make clear as House Democrats that we will forcefully push back in the Congress, in the courts and in communities all across the nation.
BLITZER: On another sensitive issue, Leader Jeffries, CNN has learned That U.S. intelligence now believes that Russia and China are actively attempting to recruit disgruntled or fired federal national security employees in order to work for them. What can you tell us about this? What kind of danger, potentially, does this present?
JEFFRIES: I haven't been briefed about this piece of intelligence. And it's my expectation that upon return to Congress next week, we will have a high level briefing to the extent this is underway.
Listen, hard working federal employees help to make sure that our government can provide the services necessary, including as it relates to veterans benefits and Social Security benefits and Medicare benefits that the American people have earned and rely upon in order to try to live the best possible life. But it's not my expectation that these patriotic individuals are going to fall prey to anything that is taking place related to China's efforts or Russia's efforts to turn them against America.
BLITZER: Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, thanks so much for joining us.
JEFFRIES: Thank you, Wolf.
BLITZER: And we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:48:13]
BLITZER: A U.S. official tells CNN the bilateral relationship with Ukraine seems irreparable after the disastrous meeting between Presidents Trump and Zelenskyy.
CNN's Brian Todd has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Disrespectful --
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A historically traumatic public falling out.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: You're gambling with the lives of millions of people. You're gambling with World War III. You're gambling with World War III.
TODD: A 180-degree turn from how President Trump had described Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy just the day before.
TRUMP: We're going to get along really well, okay? We have a lot of respect. I have a lot of respect for him.
TODD: Then today --
TRUMP: You're not acting at all thankful.
TODD: Tension that had been smoldering well before this oval office display.
SUSAN GLASSER, STAFF WRITER, THE NEW YORKER: There was personal animus that. You could see there, especially, from Trump.
TODD: A personal animus that dates back to Trumps first administration. Trump pressured Zelenskyy to investigate Hunter Biden during a 2019 phone call about U.S. aid for Ukraine.
TRUMP: It was a perfect phone call.
GLASSER: Their early interactions are Donald Trump attempting to blackmail President Zelenskyy, withholding hundreds of millions of dollars of U.S. military assistance while he pressed Zelenskyy to launch investigations of his political opponents.
TODD: Zelenskyy tried to stay out of the fracas.
ZELENSKYY: I'm sorry, but I don't want to be involved. Nobody pushed it -- pushed me. Yes.
TRUMP: In other words, no pressure.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The nays are --
TODD: Democrats alleged, a quid pro quo, and Trump was impeached but acquitted.
MICHAEL BOCIURKIV, FORMER SPOKESMAN, OSCE: I think that left a bit of a bad taste in Mr. Trumps 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 that Vladimir Putin ignited.
[18:50:00]
TRUMP: He should never have let that war start. That war is a loser.
JULIA IOFFE, WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, 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 has nothing but scorn for those leaders. He sees them as weak, as effeminate.
TODD: Zelenskyy has publicly expressed his frustration with Trump before a year ago, telling CNN this.
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: I can't understand how -- 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: Could Zelenskyy have managed the relationship better? GLASSER: This is almost certainly not how his advisers and supporters
in Europe advised him to handle Donald Trump, knowing of this tense history between them.
BOCIURKIW: Even if Mr. Zelenskyy had more fuzzy, warm time with Mr. Trump, at the end of the day, it's Vladimir Putin who Mr. Trump admires the most.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TODD (on camera): What could Volodymyr Zelenskyy do for his part to repair the relationship? Analyst Susan Glasser says Zelenskyy could try to go through Americas best friends in the region, Britain, France, Germany and Poland to solicit their help in getting back on Donald Trumps good side -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Brian Todd reporting -- Brian, thank you very much.
Coming up, there's more breaking news coming into THE SITUATION ROOM on the health of Pope Francis.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:55:40]
BLITZER: A concerning update from the Vatican on Pope Francis. The 88- year-old pontiff suffered what's being described as a sudden episode while in the hospital, causing him to be put on a breathing machine. A Vatican source tells CNN that Francis is not intubated, but is wearing a mask, and as the pope has remained alert.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: I'm Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM. I look forward to seeing you Monday morning, 10:00 a.m. Eastern, when THE SITUATION ROOM moves to mornings and expands to two hours.
Starting Monday, please join Pamela Brown and me every weekday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon Eastern. We'll be covering the most important stories from around the world and across the country. Until then, thanks very much for watching.
"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts right now.
