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Zelenskyy Speaks to CNN About Iran War's Impact on Ukraine; HHS Secretary RFK Jr. Testifies on Capitol Hill; Arctic Sea Ice Drops to Alarming New Low. Aired 11:30-12a ET

Aired April 22, 2026 - 11:30   ET

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

[11:30:00]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: New this morning, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaking out on the impact of the Iran War as the Trump administration clearly has shifted its focus from Ukraine to the Middle East, at least right now. I want to go straight to CNN's chief international anchor, Christiane Amanpour.

Christiane, I know you just had a chance to speak with President Zelenskyy only a few moments ago. What exactly did he tell you?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well, a couple of important things. First of all, on the good news side, and there's very rare good news, so I do want to put it out. The defeat of the right-wing prime minister, the pro-Russian prime minister of Hungary, has unblocked an enormous amount of money from the E.U. to Ukraine, something like just over $100 million for them to buy things like weapons that they need, weapons systems that are short -- in short supply since the war in Iran, et cetera. And to -- you know, to bolster up their defenses.

Then I asked him about, you know, having to compete for America and other attention while their focus is on Iran and the war on Iran by the United States and Israel. This is what he said to me, because he admitted that it is a competition right now for them to get the kind of defensive weaponry that they desperately need.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: We support ceasefire. We are -- in this case now, America, they shifted to the Middle East, and they are deeply in the Iranian question. And I know that we have communication on the tactical level with their negotiation group and my group, and they have talks, and they had, for example, yesterday, some phone calls, et cetera. But we hope that we can organize the meeting.

I don't see now, you know, the opportunity to meet today or tomorrow until the question -- the case of Iran will not be closed, or some fundamental ceasefire, something like this.

AMANPOUR: Well, that's having to really rely on another war until you end yours. You have said that President Trump does not want to irritate Putin and is trying to act like a negotiator rather than to take sides. Tell me what you think now about the United States, the reliability of the Trump administration. Who are you depending most on now?

ZELENSKYY: First of all, I think that it's another -- it's big risks when you think that you have to close one war and then, you know, mediate another. I think that it doesn't work this way because, I mean, you have to think about security. We don't have too much negotiation group from the United States. And in this case, I think it's a challenge that the same group is trying to manage both. And I think what is important not to forget about Ukraine because we have really full-scale invasion and big war on the land.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: So, basically, Wolf, that's what he was saying. And he was referring, obviously, without naming names, to President Trump's essentially one negotiating team, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff in Iran. Of course, he's aided by J.D. Vance, the vice president.

But he was saying, President Zelenskyy, that we can't just put our war on hold because there isn't enough attention and bandwidth from the United States diplomatic process right now. He's pleased that they can buy weapons. He says at least the United States has not stopped sharing intelligence and sending some weapons.

[11:35:00]

But it's very, very -- you know, very limited. But he's always grateful for whatever he gets. But it's getting more urgent because, as we know and you all know, Russia is using this moment to benefit from the rising price of oil, from the apparently temporary but nonetheless lifting of sanctions on some of its oil, and on the fact that it keeps pounding Ukraine every single day with hundreds of casualties and hundreds of missiles all over, you know, the country. So, it's a really critical time for the Ukrainians.

BLITZER: It certainly is. All right. Christiane Amanpour, excellent work as usual. Thank you very, very much. And a reminder to our viewers around the world, you can always watch Christiane's full interview with President Zelenskyy later today, 1:00 p.m. Eastern, on her show "Amanpour." It airs on CNN International. It's also streaming on our CNN app and at cnn.com/watch.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Wolf, coming up, bridging the gap.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. HOBERT HOYER, ONCOLOGIST, UCHEALTH: Shortage of doctors, that's a huge issue. There's just not enough doctors, specifically oncologists.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Meet the cancer doctor who is heading the road to meet patients where they are.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:40:00]

BROWN: Happening now, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is facing lawmakers in a hearing that has, at times, has been pretty fiery on Capitol Hill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MAGGIE HASSAN (D-NH): Did President Trump authorize you to do that?

ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: DPC did. Which is the Domestic Policy Council, which is in the White House.

HASSAN: So, the Domestic Policy Council did, but have you discussed with the president?

KENNEDY JR.: I don't know if it may -- it was elevated to the presidential level, but it was --

HASSAN: So, you're making extraordinary changes to the vaccine charter so that you will be able to bring on quacks and conspiracy theorists to guide vaccine policy in this country, and you haven't discussed it with the president. Look, I am asking these questions because it appears to me --

KENNEDY JR.: We're required to upgrade the charter every two years.

HASSAN: This is my time, sir. I'm asking these questions because it appears to me that you're focused on promoting yourself over everyone else, promoting your own theories over actual scientific inquiry, promoting your own unqualified lackeys over doctors and scientists, and promoting images where you think you look cool rather than messages that will help people live healthier lives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: All right. So, that is just one of two hearings Kennedy is set to testify at today. I want to go live now to CNN Medical Correspondent Meg Tirrell. So, Meg, he was also asked about rural hospitals. What did he say about that?

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Pamela, he emphasized that the Trump administration is putting huge investment into rural health care. But there have been a lot of questions to him over the past week, when, of course, he's been in multiple other hearings, and this morning, about the impact of cuts to Medicaid. He says there are no cuts to Medicaid that are coming, and that is a dispute in itself. But, Pamela, listen to this exchange with Senator Cortez Masto about the impact of rural hospitals.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO (D-NV): Let me tell you the reality of my state, Mr. Secretary, with respect to the Medicaid cuts. Effective May 1st, Boulder City Hospital in my state will no longer be able to support inpatient stays longer than 24 hours, and will transform into a rural emergency hospital rather than retain the current designation as a critical access hospital. According to the CEO, it is because of the financial constraints exacerbated by the upcoming Medicaid provider tax cuts due to HR 1. 71 people will lose their jobs because of HR 1 and those Medicaid cuts.

This is one of my rural communities. This is going to be devastating for so many, and this is the first that we're seeing in my state. My question to you is, what are you going to do to make sure that our rural communities aren't left in a health care desert without a reasonable way to access those services?

KENNEDY JR.: We're putting the largest investment in history into rural hospitals. There's never been anything like it prior to the rural health transmission --

MASTO: Apparently, that's not true for my rural hospital in Boulder City and many other concerns, so you don't have an answer for that either.

KENNEDY JR.: Those rural hospitals are closing at an alarming rate around the country long before President Trump got in here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TIRRELL: Now, Pamela, this is indicative of many of the exchanges we've been seeing, and it is true that rural hospitals have been closing. This has been a huge and growing problem, but it's also true that there are warnings that more will close as a result of expected Medicaid cuts, and those are disputed, but what we know is that in the big, beautiful bill, the increase in Medicaid spending over the next decade is expected to be less than it would have without that legislation, Pamela. So, there are concerns that there will be a major impact to rural hospitals and health care.

BROWN: All right. Meg Tirrell, thank you so much. Wolf.

BLITZER: And you just heard that exchange over the state of rural health care in America. Millions of Americans often have to travel dozens or even hundreds of miles simply to see a doctor. CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta recently profiled a cancer doctor who's taking his expertise on the road to try to help patients with few other options.

This story was done in collaboration with the Global Health Reporting Center with support from the Pulitzer Center. Dr. Gupta has more from Colorado in this Situation Room special report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In rural America, cancer care can be hard to find.

[11:45:00]

That's where Dr. Robert Hoyer comes in.

DR. HOBERT HOYER, ONCOLOGIST, UCHEALTH: Unplug, and here we go.

DR. GUPTA (voice-over): In Colorado, there are no licensed oncologists in the eastern part of the state. So, every month, Hoyer and his team leave home in Colorado Springs to spend a week on the road, covering more than 400 miles to care for cancer patients in two rural clinics.

DR. HOYER: 15 years ago, I was kind of -- I guess the best way to put it was voluntold to go to Lamar, and I said, where's that?

DR. GUPTA (voice-over): Across the country, nearly half of all rural hospitals operate at a loss. Closures and service cuts are common. Since 2014, more than one in five rural hospitals have stopped offering chemotherapy, and rural Americans are nearly 10 percent more likely to die of cancer.

DR. HOYER: The situation of rural health care in the U.S. is not good. Many patients just opt to just see how it goes and hope for the best and hope this gets better.

DR. GUPTA (voice-over): Before Dr. Hoyer started coming to town, Sherry Jones (ph) was one patient who thought she had no options.

SHERRY JONES (PH): We live a lot of miles away from anything. It's all wind and blow dirt and miles and miles of nothing. When people are that sick, it is horrible, the travel. I am not one to go to the big cities anymore. I didn't want to be a number on a medical record. I wanted somebody to care about me.

Can I give you a hug?

DR. HOYER: Of course, of course, of course.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you doing?

DR. GUPTA (voice-over): Dr. Hoyer and his team have over 750 patients in this region in limited time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, this is the scan that you just had done.

DR. GUPTA (voice-over): The traveling team is small but dedicated.

DR. HOYER: We have Rose, our nurse practitioner, and she's an expert in supportive care oncology. Then we have Preston, our medical assistant.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right. we're just going right in here.

SHANA VARNER, CANCER PATIENT: How are you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm good, how are you doing?

VARNER: I'm good, thank you. I will get boils once in a while on my chest, and I got a bump. And one day I was just scratching, and it kind of hurt. So, I was like, I need to have that checked.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning. She was scared to death that she was going to die from this. She's a young girl, and she said, I've got to live to help her grow up.

VARNER: I can't work. I don't have a vehicle right now. I mean, my sister will take me, but, you know, she works too. So, I'm better now. I can walk because I almost lost the use of my legs and everything, and my hair.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You must be looking forward to finishing up this round.

VARNER: Yes, and working again. Come and see Mom. I have a little girl. She's seven. I'm a little miracle baby. I don't know. It's scary if they weren't here because I might not be able to get through this and be here for her to watch her grow up.

Rose has seen me cry. She's seen me laugh. She's comforted me because I really thought at one time I was dying. And she took my hands, and she told me I was going to be all right. And that's pretty special, I think. I'm sorry.

DR. GUPTA: Let me get you a tissue.

VARNER: I feel good now. I was scared for a while, but I feel a lot better now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And going right in here. Your medication's still the same.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just his presence last week.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to let you know this is my last trip down here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's sad for us. She has built her relationship over the last eight or 10 years with people.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's like losing a friend.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm going to clinical trials. So, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who knows? I may see you there.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You might, yes. All right. Have a good rest of your day.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Take care.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You too.

DR. GUPTA (voice-over): It will be tough to replace Preston, and recruiting full-time staff in rural areas is hard.

DR. HOYER: Shortage of doctors, that's a huge issue. There's just not enough doctors, specifically oncologists.

DR. GUPTA (voice-over): In January, Dr. Hoyer retired from his main job at the hospital in Colorado Springs, but he's agreed to keep up the traveling clinic for now.

DR. GUPTA: At some point, you're going to move on?

DR. HOYER: Probably. UCF has done some recruiting to try to identify a replacement. To my knowledge, that person has not yet been identified. I'm hoping to continue for at least a couple years, is my thought.

DR. GUPTA (voice-over): Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[11:50:00]

BLITZER: And a special thanks to Sanjay for that report, really important.

BROWN: Really important and just amazing, the work that that doctor and the nurses do to help those rural patients.

BLITZER: Yes.

BROWN: Absolutely. Well, coming up, we have some other news. Shrinking sea ice. Scientists are especially worried about the Arctic and its rapidly melting glacier. CNN's Bill Weir is up there now with a first-hand look at the issue for Earth Day.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:55:00]

BROWN: Well new this morning, are there signs of life on Mars? Rocks analyzed on the red planet had the most diverse collection of organic molecules ever found there. Now, this analysis was done in 2020 and scientists are now sharing the results. Of the 21 molecules detected in the sample, seven were new. It's important to note scientists don't know if those molecules came from a biological source, but this discovery is more confirmation that Mars had the right chemistry, at least, to support life at some point.

BLITZER: Very interesting indeed. Also happening now on this Earth Day, scientists are warning that Arctic sea ice is alarmingly low this year. Over the winter months, ice typically builds up in the region, but this year, roughly half a million square miles of ice is missing. That's about twice the size of Texas.

BROWN: The last 19 years have seen the lowest sea ice levels on record, and CNN reports that scientists are really concerned about the global impact here. CNN Chief Climate Correspondent Bill Weir is getting a firsthand look at all of this from Norway.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: Greetings from a most gorgeous corner of the top of the world. Welcome to Svalbard, Norway. We're about 79 degrees north, way high in the Arctic Circle, in this gorgeous fjord that is framed by the Lilliehook Glacier.

Albert I of Monaco came here way early in the 1900s, took a picture of this glacier because he was into ice, and he used to go around the corner. He couldn't even see the end of this glacier. His grandson came back, photographed the same fjord just to show how much ice is disappearing up here as a result of man-made global warming.

And this season is emblematic of the changes. When we landed in Longyearbyen, Norway, this is sort of a central town, the melt had come a month earlier than anybody had expected. So, snowmobiles, dogsleds for tourism were all parked in the mud. Best guides could do was offer boat rides, and that's sort of a trend these days. As the landscape melts and changes, as the economies shift, coal mines are shutting down, there's a lot of interest in sort of the precious minerals, rare minerals that exist in this part of the world, and prospectors are talking about that. Of course, when Donald Trump says he wants to take Greenland, that makes the Arctic a geopolitical hotspot.

But what's interesting is that Russia has been ejected from the Arctic League of Nations for its invasion of Ukraine. Donald Trump has frozen, no pun intended, all climate science funding and research trying to kill anything that has a whiff of climate science. So, that's 50 percent of the Arctic. Russia and the U.S., not really at the table these days. So, you've got scientists from other countries, European countries, Japan, South Korea, doing amazing work up here, trying to measure the changes, at great discomfort and danger.

Luckily, no polar bears up here today. But that's another interesting story about what's happening. 10 years ago, we thought the polar bears would all be starving by now because the sea ice holds rain seals, that's their main prey. But these bears have adapted to hunting reindeer now or foraging along the seashore, going after duck and goose eggs. And some Svalbard polar bears are as fat as they've ever been, but there's a limit to how fast they can adapt. And there's fear that this population could crash like the polar bears we're seeing in Canada.

But for the human population, the scientists up here that I've been talking to, there's such frustration about the politics, especially in the United States, reversing on climate change, science, adaptation, mitigation, just as this whole landscape really melts beneath their feet hopefully this Earth Day is another chance for a wakeup call to realize that what happens up here connects all of us. It affects everybody, from Texas to Wisconsin to other hemispheres.

And if you think the price of oil is high now, oh, as one scientist told me, just wait until the North Pole melts. It's going to be ice free in our lifetimes. It could absolutely happen. So, we're here talking to folks trying to get a grip on it. We're here on this voyage. The Freya a Swedish flag. Vessel is our home on this amazing adventure, and we can't wait to share all these stories with you in the coming days.

Bill Weir, CNN, Svalbard, Norway.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And a special thanks to Bill for that report. He mentioned that the tourism. Is slowing down a little bit up there in the Arctic area of Norway. Tourists want to go there.

BROWN: Yes. No, absolutely. And I also thought it was interesting what he said about the polar bears, that it was thought 10 years ago they would be extinct. They are adapting but flowed to adapt. I'm glad he didn't have any run-ins with polar --

[12:00:00]