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The Brief with Jim Sciutto

Trump Will Attend Pivotal NATO Summit; Attacks Merely Cause Months- Long Delay In Iran's Nuclear Development, According To U.S. Intelligence; "Historic Victory", Netanyahu Claims Israel Achieved; Wary Eye Toward Russia, Latvia Supports Increased Defense Spending; Boeing And FAA Blamed By NTSB For Alaska Airlines' Failure; Zelenskyy Expected To Meet With Trump; As Iran-Israel Peace Persists, U.S. Markets Increase And Oil Prices Decline; Sean "Diddy" Combs On Trial. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired June 24, 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]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all over the world. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington, and

you're watching "The Brief".

Just ahead this hour, CNN has learned that core components of Iran's nuclear program may have survived U.S. strikes this weekend, this according

to an early U.S. intelligence assessment. The head of NATO tells President Trump that all its members have now committed to spending 5 percent of

their GDP on defense. I'll speak to the foreign minister of Latvia.

And defense attorneys for Sean "Diddy" Combs rest their case without calling a single witness in his sex trafficking trial. All of that and more

coming up.

We do begin though in the Netherlands where NATO leaders are gathering during a time of unprecedented global insecurity. U.S. President Donald

Trump arrived on Air Force One after a trip focused on the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran. But the president is, of course,

navigating other conflicts, including the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and an encounter there in the Netherlands with Ukrainian President

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and within NATO disagreements over defense spending.

All this comes at the White House defends its military operation against Iran after an early U.S. intelligence assessment suggests the U.S.

airstrikes did not destroy Iranian nuclear sites, that according to three people briefed on the intelligence.

Two of those sources said Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium was not destroyed. One of the three told CNN that centrifuges are largely

intact, which means that the program may only have been set back by a few months.

The White House Press Secretary quickly rejected that assessment saying this alleged assessment is flat out wrong and was classified as top secret,

but was still leaked to CNN by an anonymous low-level loser in the intelligence community, those are the actual words of the White House Press

Secretary.

Take a listen to what President Trump said about the operation before he left for the Netherlands.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I think it's been completely demolished. I think the reason we are here is because those pilots, those B-2 pilots did

an unbelievable job. Those targets were obliterated. Iran will never rebuild its nuclear. From there, absolutely not. That place is under rock.

That place is demolished.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Natasha Bertrand joins me now. Despite that language from the president, it appears that the intelligence assessment does not back that

up.

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, look, I mean, this is a very early intelligence assessment. There are 18 different

intelligence agencies in the intelligence community, and this is the assessment of one of them, the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Notably though it is the Pentagon's intelligence arm and it relied in large part on a battle damage assessment that was carried out by U.S. Central

Command in the aftermath of those strikes on the Iranian nuclear facilities. And what we're told is that they found that likely Iran's

nuclear program has only been set back by a matter of months, and that the core components of that program are largely intact.

So, the centrifuges, for example, the highly enriched uranium that everyone has been talking about so much, these key aspects of the program are still

largely there. And while there was significant damage that was inflicted by these bombs, they are 30,000-pound bunker buster bombs after all, that was

largely confined to the upper structures of these nuclear facilities, the above ground facilities, and that does include facilities that were used to

turn uranium into metal for bomb making.

So, again, a significant aspect o of the operation did manage to destroy some notable things, but the underground, deeply buried underground parts

of these facilities, they're very difficult to get at. And that's what U.S. intelligence and defense officials have been saying for years is the

problem with trying to strike Iranian nuclear facilities using airstrikes. And solely a military operation that does not involve boots on the ground,

is that these bunker busters are limited. They are very powerful, but they're still limited.

SCIUTTO: Yes, and that's the thing. The previous thinking had been, you would need not just a ground component, but the possibility of multiple

strikes to finish the job as it were.

BERTRAND: Yes, that's exactly right. And obviously that's something that President Trump does not intend at this point to do. He has not signaled in

any way that the White House is preparing to put troops on the ground in Iran.

[18:05:00]

But at the same time, he has overstated the case according to this DIA assessment about what the strikes actually did to Iran's nuclear program.

He didn't have to say that they were totally obliterated, right? That all of the nuclear components that Iran had assembled over the years have been

wiped out.

According to this DIA assessment, which is backed up by the Central Command assessment of the strikes that is simply not the case. And again, this is

early. We expect more intelligence to be gathered about this. But it also is the opinion of experts who have seen the satellite images and who have

been examining this, that, you know, the core components of this just weren't destroyed.

SCIUTTO: And I've been told that the Israeli assessment is quite similar, the Israeli BDA as it's known. Natasha Bertran, thanks so much.

Well, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that his country achieved, quote, "An historic victory and that Iran will never have a

nuclear weapon."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: We destroyed the main enrichment facility in Natanz, the uranium conversion facility in Isfahan,

and the heavy water facility in Iraq. Our friend, President Trump, joined our efforts in an unprecedented manner. Under his directive, the United

States military destroyed the underground enrichment site in Fordow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Israel's defense minister says, Israel will respect the ceasefire with Iran as long as Tehran respects it. Our Jeremy Diamond is live in Tel

Aviv. And I wonder, are you seeing things return to assemblance of normality there, or are folks still on pins and needles that perhaps

someone will break the ceasefire?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, it really does feel like quite a change here in Israel. I mean, we are seeing some of those

restrictions being lifted by the Israeli military's home front command. We are seeing plans to reopen Israel's airspace. People will start going back

to work, back to school.

And so, for the time being a kind of precarious, tenuous calm is indeed a setting in. But where we were earlier today, in the city of Be'er Sheva in

Southern Israel, it was really difficult to feel that return to normal. And that's because in the hours between when that ceasefire agreement between

Israel and Iran was announced and when it actually went into effect, we saw four people who were killed by an Iranian ballistic missile that struck the

top floor of a residential building there.

And for the people who we spent time with today, it was very much not back to normal. We went in with one couple who were going back into their

completely damaged apartments to try and retrieve what belongings they could still salvage. They had only just moved into that apartment nine

months ago, and now they are looking to prepare to rebuild their lives once again -- all over again.

And so, it was quite a difficult situation in Be'er Sheva today, but for the rest of the country, no question about it, Jim. There is a sense of a

return to normal, a calm that has set in. The question is how long will it last? And also, as we've heard the Israeli Prime Minister tonight, making

clear that he believes Iran's nuclear program has been dramatically set back but he did make clear that if Iran tries to reconstitute that program,

then Israel will act once again to thwart it.

SCIUTTO: That's a consistent message we're hearing from Israeli officials. Jeremy Diamond in Tel Aviv, thanks so much.

Well, our own Fred Pleitgen is in Tehran, the Iranian capital. He spoke to Iranians at a demonstration supporting that country's armed forces, and

here's his report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So, Iran's leadership is hailing the ceasefire between Israel, Iran, and the United

States as a victory for Iran. They say that they forced the U.S. and Israel into the ceasefire. They essentially say that President Trump came begging

for a ceasefire because of Iran's strong response, not just to the U.S. bombing Iran nuclear installations, but of course also by firing missiles

towards Israeli territory.

And the Iranians are saying that for them, they consider this to be a show of strength by their military. And the event that you're seeing right now

is actually Iran's leadership saying thank you to the military and thank you to the armed forces.

We've been speaking to folks here on the ground and many of them are hailing and praising the ceasefire, but others say that they're also

critical of the ceasefire and feel that Iran's military should have fought on.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Now, we're obeying the commands of the supreme leader, she says. Whatever he says, we will follow. If he orders Jihad, we

will follow. If he orders us to hold back, we will hold back.

The ceasefire has not been something good or profitable for us, he says, because we should have finished the story. We should have totally wiped-out

Israel.

[18:10:00]

We will crush their might, he says. We'll throw a punch into the mouths of the United States and the Zionists.

Our opinion is always peace, she says. Now, it depends on them how they behave.

PLEITGEN: One thing Iran's leadership has been very clear about is they say that Iran's nuclear program was not destroyed by those airstrikes conducted

by the Trump administration. They say, the knowledge of nuclear energy remains here in Iran and that its nuclear program will certainly come back

to life and even exists right now.

The other thing that the Iranians are saying as well, despite that the ceasefire is taking place, they do not trust the United States and

certainly don't trust Israel, and they say at any point in time, their finger is on the trigger. Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Tehran.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Strikes by Israel and the U.S. creating significant nationalist fervor in Iran. Some important contacts, however, it is rare to find public

criticism of the Iranian government on the streets with most activists and opposition voices suppressed there.

Here in Washington, the House has voted to block a Democrat led effort to impeach President Trump for carrying out military strikes in Iran without

authorization from Congress. Earlier today, lawmakers were scheduled to receive classified briefings on those strikes, but the Trump administration

abruptly postponed them, citing, quote, "Evolved circumstances in the Middle East." Senate Minority Leader, Chuck Schumer, called those last-

minute changes, outrageous.

Joining me now, Republican Congressman Tim Burchett, he's a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Congressman, thanks so much for taking the

time.

REP. TIM BURCHETT (R-TN), MEMBER, U.S. HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE: Thank you for having me.

SCIUTTO: So, first I wonder if I could ask your reaction to CNN's reporting that an early defense intelligence agency assessment shows that while the

damage to the Fordow facility, the underground nuclear facility was significant, it did not destroy the Iranian nuclear program and many

elements of it, including centrifuges survived those strikes. What's your reaction?

BURCHETT: Well, first of all, we have to realize that we have allies that are close to Iran. That if there was a nuclear fallout, that it would hit

them, and if they moved it, I think we know where they are, and I think Iran clearly knows our capabilities and the availability of American B-1

bombers are there. So, I think the message was delivered.

I've heard a lot of people talk about we need to destroy this or destroy that, but of course, it leaks into the water, into the sea. Our friends in

Bahrain and others could really be in a bad way. So, I think there's the containment issue is being brought into it, and I suspect that's part of

what the, you know, delay of the intelligence briefing was about.

SCIUTTO: I see. So, are you saying, just so I have you right, that given the risk of dispersing some of that radioactive material, that it was --

that the strikes were deliberately limited in some fashion to reduce the risk of that radioactive fallout or contamination?

BURCHETT: That's just my theory because I do know -- I know folks in those countries that do surround Iran, and there was some real concern there, as

it should be ours. I mean, we're -- who's going to be responsible for that cleanup? That's -- you get into some billions of dollars pretty quick with

that kind of thing. And in an international court -- in the international court, I just see that could be a real, real danger to us.

But I -- you know, I do agree though that we needed to hit them and they needed to -- we -- the world knows that Iran shouldn't have nuclear weapons

and they're -- even the folks that are closest to them realize that they are a bad actor and they should, in no way shape or form or fashion, have

nuclear weapons.

SCIUTTO: Israeli sources have told me, and you're hearing some of this in the public comments from Israeli officials as well, that if Iran were to

attempt to reconstitute its nuclear program, repair it, Iran might very well strike again. I wonder, do you believe the U.S. should reserve the

right, even express the right to do so as well? That if Iran were to try to rebuild some of these places that the U.S. should go back and hit them

again?

BURCHETT: Yes, if they have nuclear capabilities, I mean, they've clearly stated they're coming after Israel and of course the -- they'll spend their

missiles, the technology they have, I think it could get as far as Greece, of course Israel is within that parameter, but you have to worry about

dirty bombs and other things and cells that could be operating in this country. And the availability of that to them, I think is something of

concern as well.

SCIUTTO: You -- as you know, there were briefings planned today that they have been delayed. But there was also notice given to Republican members of

Congress around the time of the strikes that Democratic members did not get.

[18:15:00]

And you know, that the tradition in Congress has been particularly in times of military action abroad to share that information and those heads up in a

bipartisan way. Was that a mistake by the administration to infect give Republican members access and information that Democrat -- Democratic

members were not allowed to have access to?

BURCHETT: You might want to check your sources on that. They've gone back and reviewed the timestamps in an -- and several of the Democrat leaders

just did not pick up their phones, and that's their decision. If you see it's the White House -- when I see the president calling me, which is very

rare, but it happens, I generally pick up the phone. And that I believe is what has happened, and they're looking for a fight, and I believe that is

some false information that they've been able to put out.

SCIUTTO: I will say, I have talking -- talked to Democratic lawmakers who did say that they did not get such phone calls. But let's set that aside

for a moment because I do want to ask you about ongoing Russian military action against Ukraine because it's been notable that with the world's

attention focused on Iran, Russia has stepped up its attacks on Ukraine.

I'm sure you're aware that the drone strikes on Kyiv, missile strikes in recent days have been and deeply deadly, and again targeting civilian

infrastructure. Is it time for this administration to impose new sanctions on Russia? As you know, president Trump has been talking about that for

weeks, months, has not done so. Is now the time?

BURCHETT: I think any time is a good time for peace, and ultimately that's going to be left up to the president, and I believe he has the skills to

negotiate that. And I think at the proper time that'll happen. I worry about our engagement in the Middle East because of course we'll pull people

off from around protecting Taiwan, China would have a free shot there. And then that's -- they would love for us to be in a three-front war with

Ukraine engagement and of course Iran.

So, there's a lot of -- they are juggling a lot of balls right now in the air. And -- but I think Trump's done a pretty fair job of it. I don't like

Putin. I think he's a thug. I wish he was out of the picture but again, that's not our war. And I'm not sure what America's interest is over there.

SCIUTTO: You don't believe it's in America's interest to prevent Russia from absorbing the largest country in Europe which Putin has said is his

intention?

BURCHETT: I think it's disingenuous of America when we just turn our back on China, when we give them free reign in this country, economically and

otherwise. I mean, they own commissaries in our military installations. They own farmland, they own property near all of -- near a lot of our --

rather large military installations. They've owned blocks of land in east Tennessee, which is close to Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

So, again, politicians are being very disingenuous. They're taking the money. It's legal from the lobbyist, but China has a run. You can pretty

much look at any article of clothing or any computer chip or anything else, any of our military apparatus. And in fact, they have China -- Chinese

manufacturing stamped all over it. And for us to point the finger at anybody else, I think we better look within. We better start paying

attention to China a little more.

SCIUTTO: Congressman Tim Burchett, thanks so much for taking the time this evening.

BURCHETT: Thank you, brother.

SCIUTTO: Coming up just after the break, as NATO leaders come together in The Hague in Netherlands, Latvia, confirming support for Ukraine's self-

defense against Russia's ongoing invasion. We're going to hear from the foreign minister of a key European ally for Kyiv. Our conversation coming

up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:20:00]

SCIUTTO: Returning now to the NATO summit. Geographically, Latvia holds a key position within the alliance forming part of the eastern frontier of

the alliance with Russia. The country says, it is increasing defense spending to 5 percent of GDP, and it was already one of the top spenders on

defense relative to its size.

There was a reason for that. Latvia and its fellow Baltic states know Russian aggression all too well. They were occupied for decades by Soviet

forces, and they only regained their independence in 1991, at the end of the Cold War, and they raced to join NATO.

Latvia is a staunch supporter of Ukraine. Its foreign minister believes Russia does not want peace, and that it's bluffing by making impossible

demands for the U.S., for Kyiv and for others. The foreign minister of Latvia, Baiba Braze, joins me now. Thanks so much for joining.

BAIBA BRAZE, LATVIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: Hello there.

SCIUTTO: So, first I wonder what the reaction to the U.S. strikes on Iran has been at the NATO summit there. And is it possible to some degree that

those strikes give NATO allies some comfort that this president will take military action when he deems it necessary?

BRAZE: I think you hit the nail on the head, that's one aspect of it all. Second was the sheer power projection and the force of it, which was also

very important as a demonstration of strength and demonstration of the willingness to engage. But also, we all know that all the theaters today

are actually interconnected.

It's -- the Euro-Atlantic but it's also the Middle East. It's also Indo- Pacific or Africa. There are aspects and interest everywhere. The fact is, U.S. closest allies and friends are in Europe, and that is, I think, what

President Trump will hear today, what he heard today already at the dinner and also tomorrow at the summit itself.

And the -- basically, decisions that has been made, formally it will be confirmed tomorrow, that allies agree to spend 5 percent on defense and

security is the doing of Mr. Trump. And I think that is so important that allies actually commit to that because the threats are real. The threats

are real, both from Russia but also others. The challenges from China, the terrorists, and so on and so forth. So, we have to be serious about

security and defense to have prosperity and also the perspective of stability.

SCIUTTO: As you know, some leaders of NATO allies, the German Chancellor Merz, among them have been quite public in saying that Europe cannot rely

on U.S. leadership for its own defense anymore. And to some degree has to rely on itself. Go it alone. And I wonder if you share that concern.

BRAZE: Listen, I think we have to do several things at the same time. We have to be serious about defense spending and our own defense. In Europe,

as you said, the Baltic states, Poland, a number of others, including our generous hosts, the Netherlands, have made those decisions to clearly

advance on defense spending. And there are others who have done that.

So, tomorrow will be 32 of us. And that will lead us to having European and Canadian allies at 80 percent of NATO's defense spending. That is a number

we haven't had for a very long time, actually, most likely since Dwight Eisenhower time.

Som that is something that is historical, that is significant, and again that's because we have real threats. We have real threats, whether it's in

America, whether it's in Europe, in the Middle East, or in Indo-Pacific.

[18:25:00]

And we don't know where exactly what will arise. So, that ability to have the forces, the capabilities that we need, but also the culture of

readiness so that we exercise together, that we are able to project power and respond very quickly.

And you rightly said about the particular angle that the Baltic states have. We have that experience with Russia that we never wanted or with

Soviet Union at the time, but we also know that there were people who never believed that we will regain the independence, but we made it possible

because we believed in ourselves.

And that is something else also that we have to remember. The trust in NATO, belief in our own strengths, and that is why we need to invest and

that's what we are doing.

SCIUTTO: How about Ukraine? Because it's been notable that while the world's attention has been focused on Iran, it seems that Russia has

deliberately escalated it's already devastating strikes on Ukraine. Will there be unity at this summit among NATO allies on supporting Ukraine, or

will that also become more of a European rather than a U.S.-European priority?

BRAZE: Again, you are totally right, Jim. Ukraine is at the summit, both President Zelenskyy and the foreign defense ministers. We had dinner

tonight with the foreign minister in NATO-Ukraine council format, which is where Ukraine sits at the table among the allies.

And the point was very clear, that actually Ukraine currently is providing both defense and deterrence for Russian forces. Russia has lost a million

soldiers in that senseless war. Senseless war. Both killed and heavily injured, and in the same time, it has not achieved the Thames (ph).

Russia is not winning the war. It's Putin who believes that he can win, but actually they are not winning. So, in the same time, of course, Ukraine is

also suffering, as you rightly point out. Russians have increased the bombings. They are aiming civilians, they're aiming at hospitals, at

infrastructure.

So, we have to be very clear that there are three lines of efforts that we have to do, making ourselves strong, weakening Russia which is the cheapest

of all the work that we have to do. And in the same time, making sure that Ukraine endures as democratic sovereign state.

It's a living democracy despite the fact there is war on its territory, it still has a parliament that is working. You know, there is a freedom of

speech, they are debating, there are online chats and then there's criticism, there's opposition.

So, all these three parts of getting us to peace are equally important. And indeed, President Trump got ceasefire in the Middle East and we fully

support his effort to get peace in Ukraine, and that requires pushing Russia very strongly.

SCIUTTO: But he hasn't done that, right? I mean, he's been demanding that ceasefire for months now. And while he very quickly penalized Ukraine when

he perceived it was not signing onto a ceasefire quickly enough by withholding U.S. intelligence support, he's been threatening new sanctions

on Russia for months and they just haven't come. Is now the time for new, not just U.S. sanctions but European sanctions but European sanctions on

Russia?

BRAZE: Yes, European sanctions, the next 18 sanctions package will be adopted in the days to come. That is prepared. That is there ready. So, it

will go ahead. We do believe that absolutely is a big and beautiful sanctions package that is ready in the Congress should advance.

Again, the timing, it depends on the U.S. It's not for me to say when is the right timing in the U.S. assessment. We think that it would be right to

do it quite soon because Russia gains its money to finance war in the budget from its exports of oil, gas, and other resources. So, limiting that

capability to fight the war is advancing peace.

SCIUTTO: Foreign Minister Braze, we do appreciate you taking the time and wish you the best of luck as the summit continues there.

BRAZE: Thank you so much.

SCIUTTO: Just ahead, President Trump says he will probably speak with Ukraine's President Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO summit. I will

speak to a senior Ukrainian lawmaker next about their own hopes for what they'll hear from NATO.

(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.

U.S. President Donald Trump has arrived at the NATO summit in the Netherlands after securing a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. CNN has

learned that the U.S. strikes over the weekend did not destroy core components of Iran's nuclear program. Sources say, an early intelligence

assessment suggests the program was likely only set back by months.

There's been no let-up in the bloodshed in Gaza. Israeli forces killed at least 40 Palestinians, Tuesday, including a number of people waiting to get

emergency aid. 10 others were killed by an Israeli airstrike on a house in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City. Another 11 people killed by Israeli

gunfire in Khan Younis in Southern Gaza.

Democrats in New York City are heading to the polls today to pick their candidate for mayor. The race turning into a heated battle between former

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and left-wing candidate Zohran Mamdani, who's been steadily gaining in popularity in recent months. The winner may

not be known for days.

It was one of the most shocking midair accidents in the U.S. and recent memory. In July last year, a door panel flew off an Alaska Airlines jet,

leaving a sizable hole in its side. U.S. officials released their long- awaited report on that incident today saying multiple system failures were to blame. Pete Muntean has more the emergency door.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The final cause of the terrifying in-flight blowout on a Boeing 737 Max has now been

determined by the National Transportation Safety Board after a 17-month investigation that put Boeing quality control under the microscope. NTSB

Chair Jennifer Homendy says, it is a miracle that none of the 177 people on board Alaska Airlines flight 1282 were killed.

JENNIFER HOMENDY, CHAIR, NTSB: The crew shouldn't have had to be heroes because this accident never should have happened.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): For the first time, the NTSB revealed the passengers included three infants without their own seats, as well as four children

flying alone.

THOMAS CHAPMAN, MEMBER, NTSB: The potential for serious injury have been greater?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

[18:35:00]

MUNTEAN (voice-over): Investigators previously focused on the door plug, an optional emergency exit removed at the Boeing factory in Renton, Washington

and reinstalled without the four bolts meant to hold it in place. But now investigators say definitively that Boeing workers were inexperienced,

calling their work unstructured and undocumented.

MUNTEAN: Is this fundamentally a Boeing problem or is there something else that is symptomatic here?

HOMENDY: I mean, this is a problem within Boeing on procedures that really relied on a single point of failure.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): Investigators say, the plane was then a ticking time bomb. The door plug, making invisible movements over 154 flights until at

16,000 feet the forceful bang between rows 25 and 26 enough to bust open the cockpit door, making it nearly impossible for the crew to communicate.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Alaska 1282, we just depressurized, and we're declaring an emergency, we do need to descend down to 10,000.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): The NTSB is now laying out 19 new safety recommendations, calling on the Federal Aviation Administration to step up

its oversight of Boeing manufacturing which the NTSB called deficient. The NTSB also wants Boeing to redesign how the door plug attaches to the

airplane so the same failure cannot happen again.

HOMENDY: This could have been catastrophic. There was a lot that went right in a very terrible circumstance.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: Our thanks to Pete Muntean there. And we'll be back right after a short break and speak to a lawmaker joining us from Ukraine.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCIUTTO: Over the last 48 hours, Russian missile strikes have killed dozens of civilians across Ukraine. Roughly a thousand miles away, the Ukrainian

President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is in The Hague for this week's NATO summit. His country is still not a member, though it does want to join

someday. This, despite strong objections from Russia. President Zelenskyy will have to deal with his American counterpart, President Trump, possibly

being overshadowed by the U.S. recent airstrikes in Iran.

Joining me now is Oleksandr Merezhko, member of Ukraine's Parliament, where he chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee. Good to have you back, sir. Thanks

so much for joining.

OLEKSANDR MEREZHKO, UKRAINIAN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT: Thank you for having me.

[18:40:00]

SCIUTTO: So, first I want to begin with a step you've taken recently. You had nominated Donald Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize, but you recently

withdrew that nomination. Can you tell us why?

MEREZHKO: Yes, yes, it's true. I did. I nominated President Trump in the hope that he will do everything possible to bring true just peace to

Ukraine based on international law and the U.N. charter. But I was bitterly disappointed by Mr. Trump because he didn't deliver on his promise. He

himself said several deadlines, which he broke. And, you know, the thing is that Ukraine is under attack each night, and I don't hear the words from

President Trump.

I would like to remind my American friends the famous phrase by Martin Luther King. He once said that in the end, we will remember not the words

of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. And unfortunately, we have this silence from President of the United States which encourages Putin to

continue to kill civilians in Ukraine on a daily basis.

SCIUTTO: Do you expect any change to that from the NATO summit and if not from President Trump, then some sort of fulsome statement from the NATO

alliance, NATO allies that they stand by Ukraine and are willing to give it what it needs to defend itself?

MEREZHKO: We do hope because at stake is our survival. And the only reliable guarantee of our survival as a nation, as a state is NATO

membership. And I strongly believe that it shouldn't be off the table under any circumstances.

Actually, from my perspective Ukraine membership in NATO could put an end to Russian aggression, and that's why we appreciate and grateful to our

allies within NATO, mostly European countries who continue to support us on this path to join NATO and who believe that this journey, this path is

irreversible.

SCIUTTO: Of course, Russia and Iran have been cooperating, and Iran has been sending weapons to Russia for the war in Ukraine, including those

deadly Shahed drones. Do you believe that Russia will come to Iran's rescue to some degree following the U.S. and Israeli strikes?

MEREZHKO: I doubt this because Russia is absolutely unreliable in all respects. And yes, Iran is an accomplice of Russian aggression by providing

Shahed drones which kill Ukrainians, it's true. But at the same time, I don't believe that Putin will come to rescue to Iran. He didn't come to

rescue to his ally in Syria, Syrian dictator. And it means that Putin is totally obsessed with destroying Ukraine, and he can disregard even his

closest allies to accomplish his major ultimate goal to destroy Ukraine.

SCIUTTO: Is it possible that U.S. strikes on Iran this past weekend send a message to Putin as well? Is it possible from your standpoint that it shows

Putin that President Trump might take military action in other circumstances? Let's say if -- for instance, Russia were to invade a fellow

NATO ally.

MEREZHKO: These strikes has demonstrated that if there is such a need, President Trump can behave in decisive, resolute manner. And it's good

because it sends signal to Russian dictator that Trump, if he wants he can be very decisive and resolute as a statesman.

But on the other hand, we don't see this. A comment from President Trump with respect to Ukraine, because we know that Russia and Iran are their

close allies and Iran wants to destroy Israel. But Russia, Iran's ally, wants to destroy Ukraine, and we would like to see the same actions or at

least support on the part of President Trump in support of Ukraine and our survival.

SCIUTTO: Given that President Trump has expressed no desire for Ukraine to join NATO, do you believe that dream is over or just delayed?

MEREZHKO: I believe that American people -- I recently returned from California, I talked to Americans and they support Ukraine and they support

Ukraine membership in NATO. We have many friends in the United States and the United States as a country, as people still remains our closest friend.

And we have no right ourselves just to give up on our NATO membership because it's the only guarantee of our survival.

So, we will continue to knock on this door until the door will be opened.

SCIUTTO: Oleksandr Merezhko, we do appreciate you joining. Thanks so much.

[18:45:00]

Well, coming up after a short break, the jury get a break in the Sean "Diddy" Combs sex trafficking trial. Closing arguments set for Thursday,

we're going to take a look.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCIUTTO: Welcome back to "The Brief". On Wall Street, U.S. stocks rallied on hopes for a lasting Israel-Iran ceasefire. Oil prices continued to fall,

currently down some 5 percent today. On Capitol Hill, Fed Chair Jerome Powell stood his ground saying again that the time is not right to cut

interest rates. Powell says, inflation should pick up later this summer due to tariffs. If that does not happen, he says the food -- Fed could change

course and cut.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEROME POWELL, CHAIR, U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE: We'll get a number for June -- you know, an inflation number for June. We'll learn something then, we'll

get it for July. As we go through the summer, we should start seeing this. And if we don't, I think we're, you know, we're perfectly open to the idea

that the pass through will be less than we think, and if so, that'll matter for our policy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: Powell's position puts him not only in alliance (ph) with the president, but with two other Fed officials who say the Fed should consider

cutting rates as soon as next month. We should note, both officials were appointed by President Trump who continues to blast Powell for not cutting

rates.

Tom Porcelli joins me as the Chief U.S. Economist at PGIM Fixed Income. Thanks so much for joining.

TOM PORCELLI, CHIEF U.S. ECONOMIST, PGIM FIXED INCOME: Yes, thanks for having me.

SCIUTTO: So, first question, just on what your read is of inflation, because the tariffs have been in place for some time now. And to date, they

have not rocketed up inflation, right? We see a little bit of increase here and there. Is that a lag effect?

PORCELLI: Yes, it just hasn't showed up yet. Mostly because it -- tariffs were really only implemented relatively recently. So, it's just a little

too soon for the -- for it to show up in the inflation data. It likely will over the next couple of months.

But again, I think that this is where, you know, sort of Powell is right. I think, you know, they have time, right? Time is sort of on their side for

right now, at least for the short window. So, I think that it affords them the ability to sort of sit on the sidelines and see, you know, to the

degree to which it does show up. But I would stress, even when it does show up, I mean this really represents a one-time shift higher in the inflation

rate.

You know, a year from now, assuming we don't get any new tariffs, you know, the -- it will fall out of the inflation rate. I mean, that's just how the

year-on-year math works. So, I think patience is right. I think they're really waiting for labor to crack, and I think that's what would usher in

any cuts.

SCIUTTO: Understood. Labor, meaning to see a significant increase in joblessness.

PORCELLI: Yes, that's exactly right. And then thus far we're not really seeing that. I think that there are signs that labor is starting the

process of showing these little cracks. You could see something like continuing jobless claims which are on the rise. You could see layoff

announcements which, you know, seemingly continue on a pretty persistent basis over the last several weeks.

[18:50:00]

PORCELLI: So, I do think that there will be scope for the Fed to cut rates later this year, that remains our call but that's not for today.

SCIUTTO: I wonder, it's not new for President Trump to beat up the Fed. He wants them to cut rates. It would help him, right? I mean, help him -- it

would help dull the effects of his trade wars and tariff policies to see two fed officials now say similar and those two fed officials be ones who

are appointed by Trump. Are you worried that politics are influencing the Fed which was designed to be insulated from politics?

PORCELLI: You know, it's a -- it's the right question. And what I would say is this, whether or not they're doing it for political reasons or not this

is of course you're referring to Fed Governor Bowman and Fed Governor Waller. Whether they're doing it for political reasons or not is certainly

debatable, but at a minimum, saying it when the data don't really support cuts just opens themselves up for that kind of question, for that kind of

criticism.

So, you know, if I think about the, sort of, the majority of -- the vast majority of the committee, no one else is speaking that way. I mean, I

think everyone else is sort of in Jay Powell's campus, which is to say have patience and let's see how this unfolds.

SCIUTTO: Tom Porcelli, Chief U.S. Economist at PGIM Fixed Income. Thanks so much for joining.

PORCELLI: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: Well, the sex trafficking trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs is about to enter a new phase after the defense rested its case without notably calling

any witnesses. Closing arguments are set for Thursday after more than six weeks of testimony during which the jurors had to watch more than 40

minutes of sometimes explicit videos.

Combs has pleaded not guilty. If convicted of the most serious charges, he faces up to life in prison or a minimum sentence of 15 years. Gene Rossi is

a Former Federal Prosecutor, Former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. Gene, good to have you back.

GENE ROSSI, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR AND FORMER ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY, EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA: Good afternoon.

SCIUTTO: So, very simple question, based on your reading has the prosecution successfully made its case?

ROSSI: Well, I always look at the indictment, Jim. And there are five counts, count one is the RICO, counts two and three are the -- it's

basically sex trafficking with fraud, coercion and force. And then counts four and five are the Mann Act where it doesn't involve fraud, coercion, or

force. It's just you're having somebody cross state lines for the sole purpose of sex for money, basically.

And I think for counts four and five, which called the Mann Act, I think they put on a pretty good case, the government. Counts two and three, a

decent case, not a slam dunk. But I -- I'm a little skeptical of count one, the RICO, because that requires an enterprise. It requires a pattern, a

racketeer, and activity that are relevant to each other.

I'm not sure that beyond a reasonable doubt, they prove that count, but they do have a shot. I will say this, Jim, in the government's closing,

they better focus greatly on the elements of count one RICO. They got to walk that jury through the elements and they have to walk through the

evidence that the government says supports that.

Now, the defense, their argument was this is shiny objects, this is deflection, this is a bunch of witnesses who have said various things that

are inconsistent, both in court and outside the court. They were all in, that's their theory here. They were all in. Nobody had a -- had to, you

know, persuade them to do these freak offs and all that.

They were attracted by the glow of celebrity in the name of Sean "Diddy" Combs, and that's their argument. Is -- was he violent? Is -- was he

violent and a bad person? Sure. But that's not a crime.

SCIUTTO: Let me ask you this, and this is more a read than a legal question, but you spend a lot of time in a courtroom. Do juries, in

situations such as this where there's a range of charges from the more serious, harder to prove to something more, I mean, low hanging fruit, if

that's the right description, do they sometimes pick something to convict on, even if they can't -- even if the prosecutors don't get them over the

hump as it were on the more complicated charges like the RICO charges?

ROSSI: I'll give you one great example and then I'll get to this case. I had a possession with intent to distribute 400 grams of heroin. And the

defendant was a 50-year-old woman, who was frankly very sympathetic. The jury found the lesser included of possession. I think I set a record -- it

was in D.C. federal court, I think I set a record for possession.

But in this case, I guarantee that jury knows that the RICO count is the big enchilada. They know that. And Jim, they hit the nail on the head.

[18:55:00]

Are they going to compromise and say, you know what, we can't acquit him across the board. There's just too much there. But we may find him guilty

of one count of Mann Act, that's either four or five, and one count of the violence, sex trafficking force, coercion and fraud.

They may find them guilty of one of those counts. But they may be hung, they might be hung on the RICO. I'm not sure they're going to find him not

guilty completely on RICO. But you may have two or three jurors that hang on the first count.

SCIUTTO: Gene Rossi, that's why we bring you on experience in the courtroom. Thanks so much for joining.

ROSSI: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: And thanks so much to all of you for your company today. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. You've been watching "The Brief". Please do stay

with CNN.

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[19:00:00]

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