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The Situation Room

Now: Pres. Trump On His Way To Alaska Summit With Putin; Erin Becomes This Year's First Hurricane In The Atlantic; American Austin Tice Still Missing 13 Years After Syria Kidnapping. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired August 15, 2025 - 11:00   ET

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

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[11:01:20]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, breaking news, crucial Trump- Putin summit. It is now just a few hours away. We're going to bring you the very latest on this pivotal meeting and how Ukraine is reacting.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We want to welcome our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer with Pamela Brown, and you're in The Situation Room.

And right now, the President of the United States is on his way to one of the most important meetings of his second term. A one-on-one meeting with the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin. The high-stakes summit at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, right near Anchorage, Alaska, will focus on a possible ceasefire in Ukraine.

But neither Ukraine nor its European allies, for that matter, will be directly involved in today's talks. The future of Ukraine, and even the security of Europe, could be shaped by today's talks. More than three years ago, Russia's military ambitions unleashed the deadliest fighting in Europe since World War II.

And new this morning, President Trump's traveling party includes his top two economic advisors. They have been at the center of brokering new global trade deals for the President. And Russia has been clear that it wants to improve economic ties. Here's what the President said just a little while ago about that while he was aboard Air Force One.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We get along. It's a good respect level on both sides. And I think, you know, something's going to come of it. I noticed he's bringing a lot of business people from Russia. And that's good, I like that, because they want to do business. But they're not doing business until we get the war settled.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: We're following all the developments of this important story as it unfolds. CNN's Jim Sciutto is in Anchorage for us, along with our senior White House correspondent, Kristen Holmes. And Kylie Atwood is here with us in The Situation Room. Let's begin with Chief National Security Analyst Jim Sciutto.

Jim, this morning the Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said, and I'm quoting him now, we are counting on America. It's really hard to overstate the stakes right now, isn't it?

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR & CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: No -- no question, Wolf. And I think there is no one following these talks more closely than the people of Ukraine. It is, of course, their nation's fate which hangs in the balance here. So, as you listen to the White House, it has been alternating between tamping down expectations, calling the meeting initially just a listening session, but then raising them.

President Trump himself said this morning that he believes that Putin does want to make a deal, and he put the odds of failure here at just 25 percent. A short time ago, a senior European official told me that the President and his team are, quote, well prepared and well aligned with Europeans, end quote. That's notable, given Trump and European leaders have had very public disagreements over the war in Ukraine in recent months.

The President has suggested that if he and Putin make progress today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could then join them in Alaska for a second meeting. Zelenskyy and his European allies, including the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, have said that the U.S. and Russian leaders can make no deal without Ukraine's approval.

Zelenskyy, he wants to see an immediate, unconditional ceasefire today. President Trump, of course, has long demanded a ceasefire and would like to secure a second meeting between Zelenskyy, Putin and possibly himself.

As for Putin, he has attempted to expand the scope of the talks to include resetting U.S.-Russia relations. In addition, he hopes to maintain control of the four regions of Ukraine that Russia has invaded.

[11:05:08]

Joining me now, Kristen Holmes, senior White House correspondent for CNN. You know, it's interesting, when you hear the President there say that no economic talks can proceed without a stoppage to the fighting in Ukraine, that -- that's notable because he -- it seems that he wants something immediately from the Russian president.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And I think one of the things that we know is that when you're talking to these various U.S. officials as well as European officials, there is a belief that President Trump would have to offer something in exchange for him to agree to any kind of ceasefire.

And looking at the map right now, if Putin was to continue the fighting the way it is, it would be likely that he would gain more and more territory. So what is the incentive for him here to actually back down? Well, the incentive might be economic.

Could President Trump, could the White House make an economic proposal to him in terms of a kind of deal that would make it so that Putin would look at a ceasefire or at least talk about looking at a ceasefire? As -- as you and I were talking about during the break, I mean, Putin is likely to drag this out as long as possible because that's what he wants to do.

But is there any kind of way for Trump to turn the page here? And if that requires offering something economic --

SCIUTTO: Right.

HOLMES: -- it looks like they're willing to do that.

SCIUTTO: Is -- is the most likely carrot a relaxation of sanctions on Russia? Because the most recent reporting is that Russia's economy is -- is really suffering right now and -- and that Putin himself feels economic pressure. That -- that would be the most immediate way, would it not, to -- to give Putin something?

HOLMES: Well, I think that is definitely true. And also, you know, there's a lot of talk here about Bessent and Lutnick being there in terms of economic deals. They're also the ones who would be in charge of tariffs or sanctions, secondary sanctions or relieving any kind of sanctions that are already there.

So that's another reason that they're there as well. They provide both aspects of economics. And, yes, that would be something that they could offer. But we also know that one of the things Putin has talked about is wanting an economic deal or economic involvement with the U.S. So that could be something they dangle from.

SCIUTTO: And that would be quite a swing, would it not, because Trump had set his most recent deadline for imposing new sanctions on Russia just -- just last week. So the swing from no new sanctions to perhaps a relaxation of sanctions, that would be something for Russia.

Kristen Holmes, thanks so much. We will, of course, be keeping close tabs on all the developments here as Trump and Putin meet, well, at the airbase just behind us here in Anchorage. Pam?

BROWN: Very busy day, consequential day there in Anchorage. We'll check back in with you soon. Thanks so much, Jim.

In the meantime, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron have agreed to meet after today's summit. And the British defense minister says the U.K. is ready to put boots on the ground in Ukraine if Russia agrees to a ceasefire after today's meeting.

But just a short while ago, President Trump told reporters that he's not traveling to Alaska to broker a deal on behalf of Ukraine. And CNN national security correspondent Kylie Atwood joins us now. So you've got some breaking news on who will not be attending the summit, right? KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: That's right. So the White House put out the list of folks who are traveling with President Trump to Alaska this morning. We also learned that the secretary of defense, in addition to that crew, is going to be meeting him in Alaska.

One person who's not on that plane and who isn't going to be meeting the president in Alaska is Keith Kellogg. That's a special envoy for Ukraine for the Trump administration. He has been central to maintaining dialogue with the Ukrainians, particularly when it was troublesome to get the Russians to agree to anything in terms of future talks.

He had his finger on the pulse of what the Ukrainians wants, Ukrainians wanted to drive an end to this conflict. So the fact that he's not going to be in Alaska at all is a significant development. Now, I talked to a senior administration official about this this morning who said, look, he's perceived as someone who is favorable to the Ukrainians.

And so he could be counterproductive to Trump to have in that meeting. It could frustrate the Russians unnecessarily when President Trump is trying to see where they can come to some sort of agreement here. But I did also talk to Europeans who say it's unfortunate that he's not there.

He wanted to be in the room. He wanted to be present. He has key expertise in terms of what Ukraine might actually be willing to entertain that Russia could potentially put on the table. So the fact that he's not there is something that Europeans this morning are not necessarily happy about.

BROWN: Yes, no surprise there. Kylie Atwood, thank you. Wolf?

BLITZER: And Pamela, there's breaking news just coming into The Situation Room right now. Significant developments, Erin is now the first Atlantic hurricane, hurricane of the season. The storm is now making its way towards the northeastern Caribbean. I want to go live right now to see if there's Derek Van Dam in the CNN Weather Center. He's tracking all of this for us. What's the latest forecast?

[11:10:01]

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, Wolf, as anticipated, Erin, now the first Atlantic hurricane of the 20 -- 2025 season likely to become the first major hurricane going forward as a period of rapid intensification is officially forecast by the National Hurricane Center. This is the 11:00 a.m. update.

The latest information that we can pass on to you still clocking west northwest at 18 miles per hour. Here's the Leeward Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico there on the side of your screen. This is a minimal category one hurricane, but it is entering very warm waters like jet fuel for strengthening hurricanes.

And the National Hurricane Center is picking up on that as well. Remember, rapid intensification. You need to increase wind speeds by 35 miles per hour in 24 hours. Look at this forecast track as we go from tonight through Saturday evening. That's well over 35 miles per hour. So it could be a major hurricane before starting its eventual northerly turn, an important and very crucial forecast for the east coast of the U.S.

One thing's for sure, Wolf, we'll feel the impacts of waves for the entire eastern seaboard next week.

BLITZER: We'll see what else happens. All right, Derek Van Dam. Thank you very, very much. Pamela?

BROWN: Coming up right here in The Situation Room, 13 years after his abduction in Syria, the family of Austin Tice is still looking into every possible way they can get him home. His mother will join us in The Situation Room up next.

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[11:15:48]

BLITZER: August 13th marks 13 years since American Austin Tice disappeared in Syria while working as a journalist covering the civil war there. Since 2012, his family has fought tirelessly for the U.S. government, spanning four presidential administrations, to do everything possible they can to find him and bring him home.

BROWN: The fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime in December renewed hopes for Austin's return home. But still, there are very few answers to his family's many questions. Austin's mother, Debra Tice, spoke at the National Press Club on the 13-year mark of her son's kidnapping. Watch what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEBRA TICE, SON AUSTIN TICE HAS BEEN MISSING IN SYRIA SINCE 2012: Austin Tice is alive. Austin Tice is treated -- treated well. And there is no doubt about that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: All right. Joining us now is Debra Tice. Debra, thanks so much for joining us. First, we are so, so sorry that it's been 13 years now since you saw your son. He was taken captive by someone in Syria, as we all know. Give our viewers a little context on what we've heard from various presidents, including President Trump, in his first term and then President Biden, back in 2023, about your son. Let me play a few clips. Listen to this.

TICE: OK.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We have one young gentleman, Austin Tice, and we're working very hard with Syria to get him out. We hope the Syrian government will do that. We are counting on them to do that. JOE BIDEN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As a consequence of Austin showing the world the cost of war, he's been detained in Syria for nearly 11 years. It's simply wrong, it's outrageous, and we are not ceasing our effort to get him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: That was at the White House Correspondents Association dinner. You were there, I was there. It was a very, very moving evening, as we both remember. As you reflect on the 13 years since Austin's kidnapping, how are you feeling that three American presidents still have not been able to give you a concrete answer on where he is?

TICE: Well, yesterday we had a big event at the press club. It was all day long, because in April, my husband and I were open to all of the intel about our son. It was 32 inches of paper. Our government has known where our son was since the day he was taken.

And so, trying to get past the fact that all of those secrets were kept from us, and nothing was done about the information that we had, you know, we're -- we're working through the pain of that, and it is exceedingly painful to know what we know now.

So, you know, I think it's going to be much more difficult to find Austin now than it would have been when we had all of the intel about exactly where he was. The Syrians had told us exactly how -- what they wanted to negotiate for. They told us that at the very beginning.

They never changed their mind. And it was troops, it was sanctions, it was diplomatic rapprochement.

BROWN: So, just to follow up on that, can you tell us a little bit more about what those intelligence documents said that you received from the Trump administration?

TICE: Well, I mean, there was information about when he had a dental issue, and he was taken to a dentist. And when he had some stomach issues, and they took him to the Sisters of Mercy. And, you know, I mean, it was very -- what do they call it, very tight information. And it was all intel, and it was -- it was all coming through to the United States government.

And I -- I was -- we were really -- we were glad to be allowed to find out. But 12.5 years in, it was very painful to know that they had known about our son. When they had been telling us, you know, the Syrians won't admit they have him. Even though we always knew the Syrians have him, the Syrian government.

[11:20:07]

BLITZER: The Syrian government, Bashar al-Assad.

BROWN: Yes. And -- and I know after reviewing these intelligence files, obviously it raised a lot of questions. You said that the Syrian government reached out to then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in August of 2012, shortly after Austin disappeared, asking for her to come and get Austin, but that she declined.

Now, I do want to note that two former U.S. officials with knowledge of the case said that no such offer was ever made and that the Syrian government never acknowledged holding ties to the U.S. government. We've also reached out to Hillary Clinton. But why, from your view, would the U.S. refuse to get Austin back then, back in 2012?

TICE: Well, it was an election year in -- that August. And, you know, engaging with Syria would be not prudent if you were having an election that year.

BLITZER: Syria was seen as a state sponsor of terrorism.

TICE: Not yet, but, you know, there are other issues behind not engaging with Syria.

BLITZER: As you know, though, Debra, after the fall of the Bashar al- Assad regime in Syria, the ousted leader -- the new leader Bashar -- the ousted leader Bashar al-Assad, fled to Moscow. I know you've written to Putin before asking him to speak with Bashar al-Assad about your son. What's your message to President Trump now about Austin Tice, your son, as he prepares for this summit with Putin later today in Alaska?

TICE: Oh, I really hope -- I really hope that President Trump will ask Putin to engage with Bashar and Maher al-Assad.

BLITZER: Bashar al-Assad is now a refugee in Moscow.

TICE: Right, and so is Maher. Maher is with him.

BLITZER: Yes.

TICE: And so we feel like they could be able to give us information. Although, you know, when all the -- when Damascus was breached, now Austin could be anywhere. So, you know, it would have been so much easier when we had all that intel, knowing exactly where he was, if we would have negotiated in the, you know, in the way that the Syrian government was inviting us to negotiate with them.

BLITZER: Is the new regime in Damascus of any help at all?

TICE: Yes, they're helpful in so many ways. And I met with Ahmed al- Sharaa before he was --

BLITZER: The new -- the new leader.

TICE: Yes, in the presidential palace, but he wasn't yet president. And he is an amazing man. He has a very positive vision for his country. You know, he -- he wants peace. He wants peace. He really wants peace.

And he's got an agency going for looking for hostages that were in the prisons. And he's very serious about it, and he would very much like to find Austin Tice, you know, another way of getting in good with the United States government, which is still stepping back quite a bit. So anyway, yes, I think he's an amazing young man. He's one year younger than Austin.

BLITZER: Austin's now in his early 40s, right?

TICE: He's 44 this week on August 11th. He was 44 years old. Last time I hugged him, he was 30.

BLITZER: Geez.

BROWN: Wow.

TICE: Yes.

BLITZER: And a lot of people don't realize that Austin Tice is not just a journalist. He's a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, right? He served in the Marines.

TICE: Yes, and an Eagle Scout and the first of seven children. So he's a primo, you know. Yes, he has a lot of credentials.

BLITZER: Yes, this has to be a high priority for all of us, including, of course, the U.S. government, to do whatever is possible to bring him home so he can be with you.

TICE: And to make our family whole again, because in -- in all these years, we don't miss him any less. You know, we still feel like a broken family because he's -- he's a primo, you know, and all of his siblings looked to him.

BROWN: Yes, it's --

TICE: Yes.

BROWN: -- unbearably difficult.

BLITZER: Yes.

BROWN: Tell us a little bit more about the Trump administration and how you feel like it's helping you find Austin. You know, it handed over those documents in April, as you discussed. Do you feel like more should be done or are you satisfied?

TICE: Well, it's really interesting because in his first administration, President Trump was very, very eager, working on it. And as we know now, you know, that Bolton and Pompeo were running interference on him in any way of him getting engaging with Syria, speaking to Bashar al-Assad, any of that.

And, you know, then four years passed, and now a lot of people are whispering in his ear, you know, it's too late and it's too late. It's not too late. President Trump, it is not too late. I promise you. And so I do think there are people around him that are whispering in his ear and saying it's too late.

[11:25:19]

BLITZER: You still believe he's alive, right? TICE: I absolutely believe my son is alive because I think mothers get a twinge of knowing, you know, which way to go. And I've never had a twinge of -- of Austin not coming -- not walking home.

BROWN: I want to follow up because, as you know, there were these headlines in June when --

TICE: I can barely hear you.

BROWN: Oh, I'm sorry. There were these headlines back in June from a member of Assad's inner circle who spoke to American officials and said that Austin was killed in 2013 on Assad's orders. Now, I should note U.S. officials say that is unsubstantiated. You have tried to meet with this member. Tell us more about why you would like to meet with him. You have said he fed the FBI a story that they just wanted to hear.

TICE: So, first of all, I should tell you, on Mother's Day, I was told that they had found Austin's grave, but they didn't have any DNA on it yet, but it still went into the news.

BROWN: Who told you that?

TICE: No DNA.

BROWN: OK.

TICE: I believe that it was -- well, I don't think I'm supposed to say names.

BROWN: Oh, OK.

TICE: But anyway, a little kid that we haven't liked very much the whole time. And then Father's Day, we got the gift of the Bassam Hassan message. The way I look at the Bassam message is that a young FBI agent went in and fed Bassam this story that they wanted to hear.

Bassam sarcastically gave him a story. But with the 32 inches of paper of intel about Austin, we have intel as recent as the 10th of December 2024 of Austin being alive. So, you know, if you want to be in the 2013 club, you need to move it up a little because we have, you know, intel from the United States government of Austin being alive.

BLITZER: But are U.S. officials still telling you they think the best intelligence they have is that he's dead?

TICE: Why would they do that? Because I really just think they went off the hook. That's how I feel about it.

BLITZER: That they're giving up hope to find him, you mean?

TICE: Right, that, you know, they're ready to move on.

BLITZER: An American citizen, a journalist who was on assignment, doing a great job reporting articles, including for "The Washington Post," and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran that they wanted off the hook? TICE: You know, I think about Bob Levinson.

BLITZER: Former FBI agent who disappeared in Syria. Yes.

BROWN: What do you love and miss the most about your son?

TICE: Oh, my goodness. How much time do we have?

BROWN: I know every mom wants to talk about their child, right?

TICE: Yes.

BROWN: And we'd love to hear more about him.

TICE: You know, he -- he loves being the oldest. He loves babies. He loves to take babies from people and, you know, this little guy. Just a sweetie. Very smart young man. So much fun to be with, always. You know, also very opinionated. You know, and I -- I -- he had a poster above his bed when he was very young that says, check the -- check the ground before you stand on your feet. You know, because once he had made a decision, he was there.

You know, he was very loud. A really loud laugh. A fantastic laugh. There's a -- there's a video of him where he says, and he's dancing, and he says, this is why I've never needed drugs. You know, just to find just a fine, fun brother, uncle. Very happy to be an uncle. He's just a really good guy.

BLITZER: And we hope, all of us hope that you're reunited with your son very, very soon.

TICE: Thank you, Wolf. Thank you.

BROWN: Thank you, Debbie.

BLITZER: Whatever we could do to help, just let us know.

TICE: Thank you.

BLITZER: We're with you.

TICE: Be careful what you offer.

BLITZER: I'm offering. My -- I want -- I want them back home. Yes.

TICE: Oh, so do we.

BROWN: We all do. We all do.

TICE: Thank you so much.

BLITZER: Thank you so much.

BROWN: We'll be right back.

[11:29:41] BLITZER: I'll give you a hug later. Thank you.

TICE: Go ahead.

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