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The Brief with Jim Sciutto
South Korea Chooses Next President; Musk Blasts Trump Agenda Bill; War In Gaza; U.S.-Iran Nuclear Talks; Ukraine Attacks Crimea Bridge; Yoshua Bengio Warns About The Safety Of A.I.; Russia's War On Ukraine; Trump May Include Pharmaceuticals In Trade Wars; Erin Patterson Questioned For A Second Day; 2025 French Open. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired June 03, 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]
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. And you're watching
"The Brief."
Just ahead this hour, South Korea chooses Opposition Leader Lee to become its next president, six months after his predecessor plunged the country
into chaos by briefly declaring martial law. A disgusting abomination, that's what Elon Musk is calling President Trump's domestic agenda bill
days after leaving the White House. And a look inside Ukraine's latest daring operation. This one's striking the bridge, connecting Russia to
Crimea with underwater explosives. That conversation and plenty more coming up.
But first, a new president for South Korea. The Liberal Party's Lee Jae- myung has won the country's snap presidential election with just over 49 percent of the vote. His conservative rival received 41 percent.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEE JAY-MYUNG, SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT-ELECT (through translator): I will uphold the mission of fully overcoming the insurrection and ensure that a
military coup that threatens people with weapons would never happen again. I will work to restore democracy in this country, to build a society where
our citizens are respected as sovereigns and the society where we live together, not with hatred and hostility, but with cooperation and
solidarity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: The election follows the removal of the former leader, Yoon Suk Yeol, over his short-lived declaration of martial law. Voter turnout
reached nearly 80 percent. A president serves a single five-year term in South Korea. Mike Valerio is in Seoul with more.
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim, good morning from Seoul. And I'll tell you the first priority for South Korea's new president on the
world stage is to reassure South Korea's democratic allies that something like martial law that we saw declared in December of last year will never
happen again.
But also, Jim, this new presidency in South Korea could spell changes for how the country interacts with the United States, China, and also North
Korea.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VALERIO (voice-over): He's South Korea's choice to lead the nation out of a storm. Lee Jae-myung, South Korea's newly elected president, taking off his
six months after his predecessor declared martial law and later was impeached, a move that challenged South Korean democracy and sparked huge
protests.
JAE-MYUNG (through translator): Dear Citizens of the Republic of Korea, I sincerely thank you. I will never forget the mission you have entrusted in
me. And I will carry it out faithfully and thoroughly. I will uphold the mission of fully overcoming the insurrection and ensure that a military
coup that threatens people with weapons would never happen again.
VALERIO (voice-over): Lee has two immediate priorities on the world stage. They are stabilizing South Korea's economy, still in the tempest of a trade
war, and reassuring international allies taken aback by martial law that South Korea's democracy stands firm.
DUYEON KIM, ADJUNCT SENIOR FELLOW, CENTER FOR A NEW AMERICAN SECURITY: I think a long cleanup job awaits this current South Korean president because
the society is highly polarized. It's coming on the heels of martial law.
VALERIO (voice-over): Lee once described himself as a South Korean version of Bernie Sanders. Lee is a progressive leader whose views were forged
growing up as a poor factory worker, his family without enough money to send him to middle school. And Lee's left wrist was crushed in a machine
when he was a boy on a baseball glove assembly line.
Lee became a human rights lawyer, mayor, and then governor of South Korea's most populous province. He rose to prominence as a vocal critic of South
Korea's conservatives and led the charge to impeach South Korea's former President Yoon Suk Yeol after Yoon's martial law fiasco.
JAE-MYUNG (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): It was brief, but South Korea was at a crossroads, whether a true democracy, one of the world's top 10 economic
powerhouses, a culturally recognized nation, was going to fall into becoming a backward third world country or to recover to normalcy.
VALERIO (voice-over): Lee takes power at a perilous time. Tech titan South Korea could have its economy take a major hit if trade tremors continue.
[18:05:00]
There's also North Korea, newly aligned with Russia. Lee supports a less confrontational approach to relations with Kim Jong-Un. A departure from
South Korea's last president.
Still for many, the election was about something deeper, the restoration of normalcy after a brush with authoritarianism.
SHIN KA-RAM, VOTER (through translator): I'm not in the generation that participated in the previous Democratic movements, but I felt that
democracy was under threat and that feeling pushed me to come and vote today.
VALERIO (voice-over): For years, Lee's been dubbed by allegations of bribery, election law violations, and a land deal scandal, charges he
denies. It's unclear if presidential immunity will shield him. For now, a weary nation moves forward. Lee tasked with twin priorities, to deliver
stability and a reset for South Korea's democracy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VALERIO (on camera): OK. So, Jim, as for what happens in the next few hours, Lee Jae-myung is going to be taking the oath of office in the heart
of South Korea's democracy, the National Assembly, where we saw those troops enter the building during martial law in December.
Over the next couple days, watch to see how he begins to negotiate a trade deal with the United States. He said that perhaps South Korea doesn't need
to rush into a deal with the United States. That could be his first major impact on the world stage. Jim.
SCIUTTO: Thanks to Mike Valerio. Joining us now, Sydney Seiler, senior adviser with the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International
Studies. Thanks so much for joining.
SYDNEY SEILER, SENIOR ADVISER, CSIS KOREA CHAIR: Oh, thanks for the invitation, Jim.
SCIUTTO: So, let's talk for a moment about Lee's approach to not just the region, but the U.S., the world. He criticized his predecessor as being too
submissive to Japan and too antagonistic towards China. That's, of course, led to criticism from the conservative party that he will perhaps concede
to them in some way. How big a shift do you expect under him?
SEILER: I think we have to wait and watch right now. You know, listen, in so many people's interest to portray Candidate Lee Jay-myung as a radical
left anti-U.S., anti-Japan, pro-China, pro-North Korea figure. And certainly, there were some comments from his kind of more progressive base
who thinks President Yoon made big mistakes in aligning himself with the United States like he did over the past few years.
Yet at the same time, we hear some very encouraging pragmatic statements from President Lee as well talking about his understanding of the value of
the US-ROK alliance. His desire for peace with North Korea doesn't really contradict our desire for peace. His -- he even made some positive comments
on the relationship with Japan.
So, there's areas where we'll have to see now that he's been elected and he's no longer talking to voters what direction he takes the country's
foreign policy.
SCIUTTO: I wonder about his efforts to pursue perhaps a new sunshine policy with North Korea. I mean, he talks about the best of all is to make peace
and make it unnecessary to fight. He is not, of course, the first South Korean leader to say that, but previous sunshine diplomacy efforts have
failed. And North Korea, if anything, you might say more antagonistic these days. And it has this alliance with Russia, with China, with Iran. Does he
have any more chance of having success with that approach with North Korea than his predecessors?
SEILER: Unlikely at this time. In many ways, he faced the same dilemma, I think that Obama term too faced, as well as the Biden administration. And
what I think the Trump term too faces in terms of North Korea just not wanting better relations, particularly if they come at a cost.
In 2019, after that year of remarkable historic meetings and summits and summits in Singapore and Hanoi, North Korea was pretty consistent in its
message to South Korea. Three parts to it. Stop cooperating with the United States. Stop letting the nuclear issue be on the Inter-Korea table. The
nuclear issue is not an Inter-Korea issue. And stop letting sanctions become an obstacle to exchange and cooperation. In all three areas,
President Moon knew he could not move any forward without any evidence North Korea was putting denuclearization anywhere near the table, and I
think that's what is going to be inherited by Lee Jae-myung.
It'll be a challenge. I think there's room for cooperation with President Trump in particular. There might be some creative outreach, even if the
opportunity for success, the probability is low, but it is better than a do nothing, don't talk policy.
[18:10:00]
SCIUTTO: I wonder when it comes to the U.S., you have President Trump considering reducing the U.S. military footprint on the Korean peninsula.
Does that lead him? And there's quite public discussion about this in South Korea to feel that it's necessary not to depend to the same degree on the
U.S. for South Korea's defense. And might that even lead South Korea -- lead its new leader in the direction of considering acquiring nuclear
weapons, which is, of course, a subject to public conversation in Korea as well?
SEILER: Well, without being too much of a historian, just looking back at the U.S. loss in Vietnam and the withdrawal in 1973, the fall of Vietnam in
1975. Since then, Korea has always had a bit of tension in terms of how much they can trust and rely upon the U.S.-ROK relationship.
That said, you know, we're in 75 years of the relationship or so. We continue to be the -- particularly our nuclear umbrella that we provide,
the extended deterrence. For any South Korean leader to seek total independence of the relationship with the United States and be able to
match the threat posed by North Korea extremely expensive, extremely high costs.
So, I think the pragmatist Lee Jae-myung will see the value of the relationship for now, but have an eye toward the future where reduction in
forces is not, you know, completely off the table.
SCIUTTO: Sydney Seiler, thanks so much for helping us understand it all.
SEILER: Thank you. Have a great evening.
SCIUTTO: Well, back here in the U.S., Elon Musk is out with his harshest attack yet against President Trump's self-described big, beautiful spending
bill that is now up for debate in the Senate. Musk called the bill, quote, these are his words, "a disgusting abomination." This in a post on X. He
said, quote, "Shame on those who voted for it," when it passed the House. Of course, Republican members of the House.
Musk, if you remember, first criticized the bill during a TV interview last week. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he disagrees with the tech
billionaire.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: With all due respect, my friend Elon is terribly wrong about the one big, beautiful bill. We had a
long conversation yesterday, he and I. Spoke for, I think more than 20 minutes on the telephone, and I extolled all the virtues of the bill, and
he seemed to understand that. Elon is missing it. OK. And it's not personal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Kevin Liptak joins me now. I mean, the thing is Musk -- this is quite traumatic language for him to use considering they had that, you know
-- I don't know if quite a love fest in the Oval Office last week, but it was a friendly departure. He's not alone in criticizing what is the math of
this bill. It's going to add to the deficit. You have Republican members of the Senate saying the same thing. But the split between him and Trump, the
thing is about Trump does not like public criticism.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Not at all.
SCIUTTO: How's he going to respond?
LIPTAK: Not at all. Particularly from the world's richest man who he, as you mentioned, just spent, you know, five days ago, very much lauding in
the Oval Office on his way out of the office. So, you do see this sort of slow rolling rift between Trump and Musk as he departs the government and
returns to his companies.
And I think it's important to note why Musk is opposed to this bill. He says publicly he's opposed because it would explode the deficit, which
Trump denies, which Republican leaders in the House and Senate deny, but which the Congressional Budget Office says would happen. It would add
trillions to the deficit.
Musk also stands to, you know -- this bill would hurt his businesses potentially. It would eliminate some of the credits for electric vehicles.
That's something that, you know, some members of Congress oppose, some Republican senators oppose, but this could have a big effect on Tesla's
business.
And so, he's not an uninterested party in all of this. And so, I think the timing of his criticism coming out now as Trump really starts to put the
pressure on Republican senators it is really important. You know, he was on the phone yesterday with Josh Hawley from Missouri. He's going to meet
tomorrow with Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee. All really starting to put the press on these Republicans to come in line and to come
along with him on this bill. So, the timing of Musk's opposition I think is pretty interesting.
SCIUTTO: You know, what's interesting about it is that part of the threat that Trump and Republicans used prior when they were trying to get
Republicans in line, say, for instance, on some of the confirmation votes was, if you vote against this, Musk is going to finance your primary
challenger. This is the difficulty here, because Musk is the checkbook. He's not the only checkbook, but he is the biggest checkbook.
LIPTAK: And in fact, he's saying exactly the opposite. He pushed it after that thing you mentioned that in November next year, we fire all
politicians who betrayed the American people, essentially saying exactly what Trump was saying, that he would potentially primary any of these
Republicans who vote against the bill. Now, Musk is suggesting he will primary any Republican that does vote for the bill vote.
So, if you're a member of Congress here trying to figure out where to land politically, you're kind of in a bind. Do you go with the money or do you
go with the political influence of President Trump? I'm not sure where I would go if I was a Republican.
SCIUTTO: Or maybe with the facts and your conviction. Oh, sorry. This is was --
LIPTAK: I don't know about that.
SCIUTTO: Kevin Liptak, thanks so much.
[18:15:00]
Well, the U.N. is calling for an immediate independent investigation into the killing of Palestinians seeking aid in Gaza. For the third straight
day, Palestinians heading to a U.S.-Israeli-backed distribution site came under fire. Gaza's health ministry and medics say at least 27 people were
killed just today. The IDF says, Israeli troops open fire as several, quote, "suspects" move toward them, deviating from the designated aid
roots.
Jeremy Diamond joins us now from Tel Aviv with the details. There has been so much, as you know, back and forth over this so many claims and
counterclaims, Jeremy. You've looked into this in depth. What do the facts show about the circumstances of the shooting of these people nearby the aid
sites?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, indeed for the third day in a row now we have seen these crowds of people who have been
heading to this aid site in Tel al-Sultan, in the southern part of Gaza, coming under fire. And for the third day in a row, eyewitnesses on the
ground as well as doctors at local hospitals are saying that it was the Israeli military that opened fire.
And today, unlike on Sunday, the Israeli military is actually acknowledging that they did, in fact, open fire on at least some of the people who were
headed towards this site about a half a kilometer away from this aid distribution site. They acknowledged that they opened fire. They say they
first fired warning shots and then ultimately, fired at people who they say we're advancing suspiciously towards their troops.
They don't talk about a casualty number, but the Palestinian Ministry of Health has said that at least 27 people were killed and dozens injured in
the gunfire. And among them, there clearly are civilians. A mother of eight, for example whose son was mourning her alongside her body. She had
gone to this -- she was trying to get to this site in order to feed her family.
And all of this, of course, speaks to the ongoing desperation that we are seeing in Gaza. The fact that, you know, a week and a half into this Gaza
Humanitarian Foundation, people are still crowding by the thousands to these to this aid site in Southern Gaza. Because clearly, there still is
not enough food yet in the Gaza Strip.
And interestingly, you know, while the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has, you know, really tried to suggest that everything is still going hunky dory
in the Gaza Strip as it relates to their operations. We maybe saw the first acknowledgement that it's not from them. Tomorrow, they plan on closing
down this very same aid site. A GHF spokesman saying that they're closing it to make logistical preparations to better handle the large number of
people who are arriving.
And also, the Israeli military will be making, quote, "preparations" on the access routes. Those are the very same access routes where crowds of
Palestinians have come under fire for three days in a row now. So, clearly, there seems to be some acknowledgement that things are not going
swimmingly, to say the least. Jim.
SCIUTTO: Jeremy Diamond, thanks so much for diving into the facts on this. Well, Iran's foreign ministry says uranium enrichment is a non-negotiable
red line for his country. He claims that Iran's defense capabilities deter Washington, and perhaps Israel, from attacking its nuclear facilities. This
comes amid renewed nuclear talks between the two nations. Our Fred Pleitgen takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Momentum appears to be fading in the nuclear negotiations between the Trump administration
and the Iranians as a senior Iranian official has described to see it in the first proposal that was put forward by the Trump administration seeking
to curb Iran's nuclear program in return for sanctions relief as both incoherent and disjointed.
And essentially, there are two things that the Iranians have an issue with. One of them is the mixed messaging that they're feeling that they've been
getting from the Trump administration, where on the one hand, they have discussions they say behind closed doors, where certain things are then
said. And then other things are messaged to the public in a very different way.
One of the people that they do have an issue with is Steve Witkoff, the negotiator for President Trump, where they said that some of the statements
that he has made in the past, saying that Iran is not allowed to have any nuclear enrichment at all. That for them, that is indeed a red line.
Of course, president Trump himself has come forward on the Truth Social network and also said that there would be no nuclear enrichment by Iran
under a deal, including the Trump administration. Now, the Iranians say that for them nuclear enrichment is an absolute red line. It's a technology
that they say they have developed. It's a technology that they say they have sacrificed for. And it's also a technology that they say they have a
right to have and certainly not something that they're willing to give up.
[18:20:00]
Now, CNN has also learned that part of this proposal could actually see the United States investing in Iran's civilian nuclear program and creating a
sort of consortium involving the U.S., involving some Middle Eastern countries, but also involving the International Atomic Energy Agency that
would oversee nuclear enrichment that could happen on Iranian territory.
But the Iranians are saying that for them the technology needs to be completely in their hands. It's something that they say that they're not
willing to walk back on.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Appeared to be lots of issues to be worked out still in those talks. Well, straight ahead, Ukraine bombs a vital bridge from Russia to
Russian occupied Crimea. This in the country's latest high-tech daring attack.
Plus, the CEO of A.I. giant DeepMind speaks out about the effects of artificial intelligence on jobs. All that and more right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: Welcome back to "The Brief." Checking the action on Wall Street today. U.S. stocks finished Tuesday session higher led by gains in tech,
all this ahead of what could be another consequential day on the trade front. The White House confirms it has asked countries to hand in their
best trade proposals to the U.S. by tomorrow. The deadline to the 90-day tariff pause runs out next month.
President Trump's decision to hike steel and aluminum tariffs to 50 percent, double them, in fact, also takes effect on Wednesday. Tariffs on
British steel and aluminum though will remain at 25 percent. A trade framework reached last month between the two countries, allows those
tariffs to eventually drop to zero, but that deal has still not officially been implemented. Lots of question marks.
One of the so-called godfathers of A.I. is out with a new warning about safety surrounding the technology. Yoshua Bengio told The Financial Times
that new A.I. models are showing evidence of deception, lying, and self- preservation. Alarming. He says, quote, "We're playing with fire right now."
The CEO of Google DeepMind is also speaking about A.I. safety and the technology's effect on society. He sat down in London with Anna Stewart.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Just last week, the CEO of Anthropic warn that half of all entry-level white-collar jobs could be wiped out in the
next one to five years.
[18:25:00]
Well, I sat down with Google DeepMind CEO, Sir Demis Hassabis, at the South by Southwest conference in London, and asked if he agreed with that sort of
job apocalyptic view.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEMIS HASSABIS, GOOGLE DEEPMIND CEO: No, I don't. I don't know. I think my view is we -- that what we know for sure is there's going to be huge
change. We -- and in the past when this has happened, industrial revolution, internet era, it's going to be at least of that magnitude
advent of an --
STEWART: In a shorter period of time?
HASSABIS: Shorter period of time and it may be a bigger change than that. These tools initially will be incredible enhancers for productivity. So,
people using these tools for their creativity and other things will be almost superhuman in their capabilities in the next five, 10 years. But
then beyond that, you know, we may need things like universal high income or some way of distributing all the additional productivity that A.I. will
produce in the economy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEWART: He had a more optimistic view on jobs, but there are other risks that concern him, especially if AGI is achieved. That's human level
Artificial General Intelligence. Now, the top two he says, are, one, bad actors repurposing AGI for harmful ends/ And two, retaining control of the
A.I. itself as it reaches new levels of autonomy.
AGI is the ultimate goal for Sir Demin and his team, and it has been long before Google acquired DeepMind in 2014. The company has a huge breadth of
A.I. projects. You may know its large language model called Gemini, but also it has projects in coding, drug discovery and science. Sir Demis was
awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry just last year. And more recently, they've been working on multimodal A.I. like Project Astra and A.I. video
generation with Veo 3. And each project is picked with purpose.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HASSABIS: The North Star is cracking this general intelligence and then using it for scientific understanding. So, everything that feeds into that
is something that we will attempt to do.
STEWART: And Google will be first?
HASSABIS: I hope so. That's the idea. But the most important thing is to make sure it's done responsibly for humanity, given what's at stake.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEWART: Well, Sir Demis says AGI is five to 10 years away, but the heads of Anthropic and OpenAI have shorter timeframes. It feels a bit like a
race. It's a big engineering challenge, but Sir Demis says it's perhaps an even bigger policymaking challenge and creating guardrails matters. Who
achieves AGI? Where in the world that is and how it's deployed may determine whether AGI brings about a utopia or dystopia.
Anna Stewart, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: And we'll have more news right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:30:00]
SCIUTTO: Welcome back to ""The Brief." I'm Jim Sciutto. And here are more international headlines we're watching today.
The Liberal Party's Lee Jae-myung has won South Korea's presidential election, which just over 49 percent of the vote. His term starts
immediately after the National Election Commission certifies that vote tally. The snap election came following former President Yoon Suk Yeol's
ouster over his declaration of martial law.
The Dutch government has collapsed after far-right leader, Garrett Wilders, withdrew his party's support from that coalition. The firebrand politician
says he quit the coalition because members failed to back tougher immigration policies. The Dutch Prime Minister has resigned and will stay
on now in a caretaker role. The Netherlands will likely have new elections in the coming months.
The family of the man suspected of attacking a Jewish event in Colorado has been taken into custody now by U.S. immigration authorities. Court filings
show that Mohamed Soliman and Egyptian National, has a wife and five children. Soliman is accused of attacking people with a flamethrower,
homemade, and Molotov cocktails. 12 people were hurt. Police say the victim's ranged in age from 25 to 88.
Ukraine has carried out yet another daring attack just after -- just days after striking military targets deep inside Russia. This time, Ukraine's
Security Service says it hit the Crimean bridge with underwater explosives. You see the explosion there. The SBU says, the operation took several
months to plan.
The Kerch Bridge is a key supply line for Russian troops connecting Russia to the Crimean Peninsula, it has occupied since 2014. It has not just an
operational value, but also symbolic value for the Russian president. Nic Robertson has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): Ukraine's latest spectacular attack, targeting the Crimea bridge, vital to Russia's
war in Ukraine. 1,100 kilograms of explosives hidden under water, a month's long operation, according to Ukraine's Security Service.
It's not the first time Ukraine has tried to take out the 12-mail rail and road bridge that links mainland Russia to Annex Crimea. In 2022, Ukraine
blew up the roadway, briefly disrupting Russia's flow of war fighting materiel.
In 2023, Ukraine again tried to take out the bridge. Pioneering new technology, a so-called sea baby or water drone, hitting the bridge at
water level. But the bridge held. The estimated $3.7 billion link was opened by Russian President Vladimir Putin 2018, four years after he
illegally annexed Crimea during Russia's first invasion of Ukraine.
Roughly the size of Maryland, Crimea is hugely important to Putin. Home to Russia's strategic Black Sea Fleet and a key hub in attacking Ukraine.
Since his 2022 Ukraine land grab, Putin has also secured a land link to the island like peninsula. Ukraine has vowed never to give it up.
Ukraine's Crimea bridge attack comes days after another spectacular strategic strike hitting Russia's long-range bombers at air bases thousands
of kilometers from Ukraine. But on the grinding battle front, Ukraine is incrementally losing ground, nowhere faster right now than around the
northern city of Sumy.
Russian artillery now so close, they are striking the city center. At least four civilians killed, about 20 injured Tuesday, according to city
officials.
[18:35:00]
ROBERTSON: With peace talks effectively deadlocked, Ukraine's strategic moonshots definitely a boost for morale and a hint they still have some
hidden cards to play. But this as Putin seems intent to ignore President Donald Trump's calls for a ceasefire. Putin opting instead for a war of
attrition.
Nic Robeson, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Ukraine has been engaging in high-tech asymmetric warfare against Russia taking on a much larger invading force that has more weapons, more
ammunition, more troops. For this in depth, let's look at a modern-day David versus Goliath on the battlefield.
Many of the most daring and impactful attacks have involved drones such as the 2023 drone strike on the Kremlin, the very seat of Russian leadership.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denied his country was responsible for that strike. However, U.S. officials assessed a Ukrainian
group may have been involved.
Ukraine has claimed responsibility for numerous drone attacks in the Black Sea, destroying ships and submarines. And so, a country with no Navy has
pushed Russia's formidable Black Sea fleet virtually out of the Black Sea. And last year, another category of Operation Ukraine assassinated a senior
Russian general from afar. Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov was in charge of Russia's radiological biological and chemical forces. Ukraine killed him
with a bomb detonated remotely just a day after charging him in absentia for using banned chemical weapons inside Ukraine.
We are getting new insight into how Ukraine managed to carry out Sunday's attacks across Russia. Nick Paton Walsh has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR (voice-over): A bird's eye view of humiliation. Ukrainian drones halfway across Russian Siberia,
seconds from hitting the Kremlin's, most prized bombers.
But the data was bad for Moscow. 117 drones hitting 41 long-range bombers across Russia, a Ukrainian security source said. A torn up skyline here in
Belaya, exactly what Moscow dreaded and Ukraine needed a boost to its flagging morale. Damaging Russia's war machine for sure, but maybe also
it's calculus in peace talks.
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Our operation Spider Web yesterday proved that Russia must feel what its losses mean. That is what
will push it toward diplomacy.
WALSH (voice-over): Ukraine hit Irkutsk, 4,500 kilometers away from Ukraine, where Google Earth still shows similar propeller driven aircraft
in the open, but they also struck Olenya right on the Arctic Circle. Similar planes also on Google. Another example of something that just was
not meant to happen in Russia's brutal war of choice.
The how was as extraordinary. Ukraine's security service head, Vasyl Malyuk, commenting here.
VASYL MALYUK, UKRAINE SECURITY HEAD (through translator): How beautiful it looks, this airbase Belaya.
WALSH (voice-over): And releasing these images of the wooden mobile homes they used, the roof cavities of to hide the drones. Before their release,
once Ukraine said all their operatives were out of Russia. The planes hit mainly the Tupolev 95 and Tupolev 22. A Ukrainian source said, aging, easy
to damage, hard to replace.
They were partly behind the nightly terrors that beset Ukrainian civilians. Whether these strikes make a dent in this daily toll will take weeks to
learn. But it may also damage the Kremlin quicker away from the frontlines. Its pride hit hard. Although state TV put on a fierce display of why Russia
has been pummeling Ukraine so relentlessly. It may also, too, change its thinking perhaps towards peace talks that continued Monday in Istanbul. And
of how long Russia can sustain this war if Ukraine keeps throwing painful surprises its way.
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: In politics, the Netherlands is heading towards new elections. This, after the leader of the far-right Party for Freedom quit the ruling
coalition. That move then triggered a collapse of the Dutch government and the resignation of the prime minister. The coalition came apart over an
issue that's been central to the politics there in recent years, migration. Floor Bremer from C nine affiliate RTL Netherlands has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FLOOR BREMER, RTL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: This coalition of four parties we have in the Netherlands is not a coalition that necessarily wanted to work
together. It was, what you would say, a rocky road right from the beginning. But up till this week, they overcame all their differences with
a lot of talking and even some talking that took the whole night.
[18:40:00]
Geert Wilders is the leader of the biggest party in the country and also the biggest party in a coalition, and his PVV party is a far-right-wing
party. He's politically aligned, for instance, with Victor Orban in Hungary.
Last week, he unexpectedly held a press conference. He wanted stricter rules on migration. And the other three coalition parties did not want to
sign his 10 points plan that he presented there. They said, your party has the migration minister, so let her do it, or bring your plans to
Parliament, but we are not going to renegotiate.
But that was not what Geert Wilders wanted to hear. So, this morning, he told the others, I'm stepping out of this coalition and my ministers will
do the same. So, that means that by the end of the year, we will have new elections in the Netherlands.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Another close elections to watch closely. Still ahead, President Trump says he could soon expand his global trade war include
pharmaceuticals. Experts say that could lead to chaos in the global supply chain for essential medications. All that and more, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: The OECD is out with a new warning on the effects of Donald Trump's trade war. The economic body is cutting its 2025 growth forecast
for the U.S. from 2.2 percent to 1.6 percent, as you can see here, and it says growth will be even weaker than that next year.
As the trade battles continue, concern is growing that key pharmaceutical ingredients, many of which come from China, could be caught in the
crossfire, disrupted. Kristi Lu Stout reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTI LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the most prescribed antibiotic in the United States. Amoxicillin is used to treat everything from chest
and sinus infections as strep throat, and China controls 80 percent of the raw ingredients needed to make it.
DR. BRUCE Y. LEE, PROFESSOR OF HEALTH POLICY, CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK: It's not an insignificant percentage of antibiotics. And also, things like
heparin are imported from countries like China.
STOUT (voice-over): Along with antibiotics like amoxicillin, blood pressure medications like ARBs and pain relievers like ibuprofen all are medications
that medical experts say are often traced to China.
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: There's going to be a tariff war all put up.
[18:45:00]
STOUT (voice-over): That's a major vulnerability, as U.S. President Donald Trump threatens to impose tariffs on imported medicines and a bit to move
more drug manufacturing back to America.
TRUMP: We don't make our own drugs anymore. The drug companies are in Ireland and they're in lots of other places, China.
STOUT (voice-over): As the world's factory, China has dominated the global drug supply chain and the production of the chemical compounds for active
ingredients and the ingredients themselves.
Hong Kong University Professor Qingpeng Zhang has identified the factors behind China's dominance, including a government policy that puts a
strategic focus on advanced biotechnology through nurturing top stem talent and building a robust pharma supply chain.
QINGPENG ZHANG, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG: It's also super expensive and costly to try to reshape this very well-established global
supply chain. So, it may take five to 10 years and a very high cost to actually to manufacture those generic drugs in the U.S.
STOUT (voice-over): To be clear, China has made no threat about weaponizing the supply chain, but one Qinghai (ph) University professor has suggested
China could use its, quote, "leverage" to intentionally limit drug supplies to the U.S.
DR. LEE: If there is a cutoff in terms of the actual supply from China or from any other country for that matter, that actively supplies medications
to the United States, you could see shortages.
ZHANG: It is a moral obligation because this actually directly linked to people's -- to patients' lives. And on the other hand, it is also very -- I
mean, currently it's very profitable.
STOUT (voice-over): So, far, pharmaceutical products have been spared from Trump's tariffs.
STOUT: Now, amoxicillin is already in short supply with only one manufacturer in the United States. Whether Beijing pulls the trigger or
not, it is a choke point that China is holding over the U.S.
Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Now, to Australia where Erin Patterson appeared as a witness for her own defense in a trial that's captivating that nation. She is accused,
you'll remember of killing, three of her estranged husband's relatives by serving them poisonous mushrooms. Patterson was on the stand for a second
day on Tuesday and is expected to take it again soon. CNN Affiliate Seven Network's Estelle Griepink has more from just outside the courthouse.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ESTELLE GRIEPINK, SEVEN NETWORK: Well, it's been a big day of evidence here in the Morwell courts in Victoria where Erin Patterson has been giving
evidence in the witness stand for her own triple murder trial. She has just told the jury that she accepts there must have been death cap mushrooms in
the lunch she served to four family members back in 2023.
She has also told the jury that she picked up the habit of foraging wild mushrooms back during the 2020 pandemic lockdowns and that she had taken to
drying mushrooms in a dehydrator, and then adding those mushrooms to a container that's sometimes already contained other dried mushroom.
Now, Erin Patterson has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder and one of attempted murder relating to this lunch. Her defense team have long
maintained that this was a tragic accident. Now, other evidence that we have heard today in court includes that Erin Patterson now admits that she
did not have ovarian cancer. That's after the jury was told that she invited those four lunch guests over to her home to share a health
diagnosis. But today, she said she has never had ovarian cancer.
Other things we heard from the accused triple murderer include an explanation of why she has a mistrust of the health system. She also spoke
about her relationship with her in-laws who she's accused of murdering. She said that they treated her like a daughter-in-law and still loved her even
after her marriage with their son, Simon Patterson, broke down.
So, Erin Patterson is expected back in the witness stand tomorrow for another day of evidence. It's been a highly anticipated murder trial here
in Australia, and certainly, one that a lot of international media have also been paying attention to.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Well, some of the biggest names in tennis clinching semi-final spots at the French Open, we're going to have all the highlights coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:50:00]
SCIUTTO: Japanese sports fans are mourning the loss of a true baseball giant. Shigeo Nagashima, one of Japan's most celebrated baseball players
died on Tuesday in Tokyo at the age of 89. He was a star player for the famed Tokyo Yomiuri Giants. The team that won nine straight Japanese series
titles in the '60 and '70s. He hit 444 home runs and it was nicknamed Japan's Mr. Pro Baseball. Los Angeles Dodgers superstar, Shohei Ohtani,
posted a picture of him with Nagashima on Instagram in tribute.
All right. Let's take a swing at the French Open in today's Field of Play. Defending men's champion, Carlos Alcaraz continues his march. On the
world's -- the women's side, world number Aryna Sabalenka defeated the Paris Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen.
Patrick Snell's been covering. What's it looking like over there?
PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: All right. Jim, yes, we're getting to the real business end, aren't we, of the French Open in Paris. And as you
rightly say, Carlos Alcaraz just looks relentless right now. He's in terrific form.
On Tuesday, the young Spanish player just powering his way to victory over America's world number 12, Tommy Paul. This was all very one-sided indeed,
as Alcaraz showing absolutely no mercy racing through the first two sets without -- well, he only dropped one game in the process. Paul did make a
fight of it in the third, but Carlitos would close out the match in three sets to reach the semi-finals. Alcaraz seeking, well, yet another Grand
Slam title. Lorenzo Musetti on Friday for a place in the final, that's his next opponent.
Now, the Italian player reaching a semi, Jim, but not without controversy. He was already a set against the USA player Frances Tiafoe. But then comes
a moment of controversy as Musetti kicks the ball in frustration. Look at this. He hits a line judge. But he wasn't penalized though he did receive
an unsportsmanlike conduct warning. Musetti may well consider him rather fortunate there when you remember what happened to Novak Djokovic at the
2020 U.S. Open, he was defaulted. There's no denying though Musetti's brilliance can be absolutely paramount at times. Terrific play from the
Italian there. Tiafoe with no answer to that. Musetti true the last four in four sets.
Aryna Sabalenka just too good in the end for Paris Olympic champ Qinwen Zheng of China to set up a blockbuster semi-final clash with defending
women's champ Iga Swiatek. Sabalenka maybe with a points to prove after suffering a first loss to Zheng in seven career meetings, that was in Rome
in the quarterfinals last month. She would go behind early in the opening set here.
And I will say a half full Philippe Chatrier court. The Belarus superstar digging deep though and edging a close for tie-breaking to take the opener.
There was only going to be one winner from here on in as Sabalenka closes out the match in straight sets. Next up though, it's that match with Iga
Swiatek.
Swiatek really is amazing. The four-time champ has just recorded her 26 excessive win at Roland-Garros after emerging victorious against Elina
Svitolina of the Ukrainian. Straight sets out there on the famed terre battue, that's the red stuff they have at the French Open. Svitolina made
to work for this win. Though Swiatek was in no mood for any slip up. So, just 24 years of age. The 24-year-old from Warsaw. Incredible. Now, closing
in and what she hopes will be a six-career Grand Slam singles title. Jim. All getting very exciting in the French capital as I send it right back to
you.
SCIUTTO: No question. Wish I was there watching. Thanks, Patrick Snell.
SNELL: Oh, me too.
[18:55:00]
SCIUTTO: It is Tuesday, TACO Tuesday to be exact, but that's not the only reason why Democrats have sent a taco truck to their rival's headquarters
here in Washington, D.C. They're playing off a new meaning of the word taco on Wall Street standing for the TACO trade, Trump Always Chickens Out. The
term coined over U.S. presidential -- President Trump's reversals on tariffs and their -- too many of them to list here, honestly. Nothing like
free street tacos served with a side of politics.
Finally, something you don't see every day. You might think this video of a zebra is straight out of a safari, but the truth not so black and white.
This runaway zebra is actually in the State of Tennessee on the loose after its owners acquired it just one day earlier, according to local media.
Reports said on Monday that the animal is still unaccounted for. Not quite sure how's zebras do as pets.
Thanks so much for your company today. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. You've been watching "The Brief." Please do stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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