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The Brief with Jim Sciutto
CNN International: Trump Said He Won't Negotiate Ukrainian Territory with Putin; Russia Makes Gains in Ukraine Ahead of Trump-Putin Summit; National Guard Troops Expand D.C. Presence; Mexico Transfers 26 Alleged Cartel Figures to U.S.; Israel Reportedly in Talks to Resettle Gazans; Chinese Tech Giant Tencent Reports Strong Q2 Results; Zelenskyy Outlining Key Principles for Peace Talks; Trump to Host Kennedy Center Honors; WH Order Review of Smithsonian Museums. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired August 13, 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]
ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Erica Hill in New York. Jim Sciutto is off.
You're watching "The Brief."
Just ahead this hour, European leaders try to set the tone with President Trump ahead of this weekend's summit on Ukraine with Russia's Vladimir
Putin. President Zelenskyy refusing to give up the Donbas region, fearing another war. More National Guard troops set to patrol the streets of
Washington, D.C. tonight. And we're now hearing their presence could actually lost beyond an initial month. And what do Sylvester Stallone,
Gloria Gaynor and the rock band Kiss have in common? They are all now Kennedy Center honorees. President Trump personally set to host that award
show in December. That conversation and plenty more coming up.
We are now less than two days away from Donald Trump's first face-to-face meeting with Vladimir Putin in years. The U.S. president now saying if
Friday's summit in Alaska goes well, there will be another meeting, almost right after, and that one will include the man President Putin has waged
war with for three years, Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I would say the second meeting, if the first one goes OK, we'll have a quick second one. I would like to do it almost
immediately. And we'll have a quick second meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy and myself if they'd like to have me there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Earlier Wednesday, President Zelenskyy received a warm welcome from the German chancellor and other European leaders before their virtual talks
with President Trump. And we're hearing now from European diplomats that the U.S. president suggested he would push for an unconditional ceasefire
when he meets with Russia's leader and that he won't negotiate the issue of Ukrainian territory.
Nick Paton Walsh joining me from Kyiv. The fact that President Trump, as we heard from President Macron, had said that he basically recognized it would
need to be Ukrainian leaders who would negotiate anything dealing with land. Likely well received in Kyiv, and yet, I would imagine as well,
there's a fair amount of hesitation around what could come on Friday.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I mean, look, we don't have any clear assurance from President Trump that he
isn't going to end up striking some kind of bargain with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He's talked about the possibility of a follow-up meeting.
He's talked about the possibility of deciding within two minutes that he might think Putin's not interested in a deal. And then, there's also this
possibility of a trilateral meeting immediately afterwards.
All of this changes day by day, ultimately. I should remind people that a trilateral between Trump, Putin, and Zelenskyy was proposed by Zelenskyy
back in May, rejected by Putin, even though Trump supported it. What's different now, well, there is the threat potentially of secondary
sanctions, if Trump doesn't like what he hears in Alaska on Friday, he did say that if he didn't feel there was enough progress towards peace, he
didn't set exact threshold.
Does there need to be an immediate ceasefire or more talks about a ceasefire or some kind of specific progress? If he didn't like what he
heard, he said there would be very serious consequences, but didn't spell out what they were.
Now, I understand from a European official familiar with the talks that Trump had earlier that day with European leaders that they felt, quote,
"the threat is still on" of secondary sanctions. Feeling the threat against India, a key customer of Russian oil and gas had an obvious effect on
Moscow's behavior. So, that's an important part of the calculation to bear in mind.
But today has been about really the Europeans shoring up international support in front of President Trump for Ukraine. Zelenskyy flying to Berlin
to appear in video conference calls with other European leaders alongside Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor. Zelenskyy reaffirming he's not going
to be giving up Donetsk territory as part of a deal with Russia that had been hinted at by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff after reports emerged of
his meetings at the Kremlin last week. That left frankly, the readouts of those meetings.
Many European officials concerned, confused. One European official said to me that negotiations are a lot less confusing when Witkoff is not involved.
Another described Witkoff's approach as amateurish on a matter of utmost importance. It's taken the Europeans days, frankly, to understand what that
Kremlin meeting actually proposed.
[18:05:00]
And now, edge towards getting President Trump to hear from these European leaders, many of whom he's personally very friendly with exactly what they
want to emerge from Alaska. Merz was clear that the legal recognition of Russian occupied parts of Ukraine as being part of Russia is off the table.
Although there have been background noises suggesting there might be some kind of de facto acceptance that Russia hangs on to territory that it
holds. But the Europeans want to ceasefire first, without a doubt.
Here, the air raid sirens again in Kyiv, we've been hearing. It's been a long time, frankly, since we've heard them consistently and there are
concerns, potentially we might see an uptick in violence after the Alaska summit on Friday. But many Ukrainians dealing with this kind of noise every
single night.
Great Anxiety too about the frontlines as well, where we've seen Russia make progress in exactly the areas that might be under negotiation in
Alaska, adding to the general sense here that Putin is simply buying for time and not serious about peace. Back to you.
HILL: Yes. Nick, I will let you and your team get to a safer space as we hear those sirens. We'll continue to check in with you. Appreciate it.
Thank you. Nick Paton Walsh live for us in Kyiv at this hour, where of course, as you can hear, those air raid sirens are going off.
Senior White House Correspondent Kristen Holmes is at the White House and joins me now. Kristen, a lot has been made about the shift in tone and the
shift in language that we've heard from President Trump, that is really one constant with the President that there can be a shift. Is there a sense
from the White House tonight about how much of what came out of this meeting today with European leaders, with President Zelenskyy will in fact
be carried by the president into his meeting on Friday with President Putin?
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I do think at this point, Erica, that the president and the White House do believe this is a
listening session. As you heard President Trump, as you heard the press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, say about the sit down between President Putin
and President Trump. The question is whether or not it stays that way.
Now, President Trump, he has been consulting European leaders. You're seeing a very different mindset going into this meeting than what we saw
the last time he sat down with Vladimir Putin, his first term in office. At that point, he both believed that he knew best he was not really consulting
outside factions and he thought that he had a relationship with Putin. So, it was easier for him just to talk to him one-on-one. Now, you are seeing a
lot more support for having these conversations with Zelenskyy, having these conversations with European allies, running things by them, and a lot
more skepticism when it comes to the Russian president, and that's part of why he wants to sit down with the Russian president because he does believe
that this back and forth on the phone is going nowhere.
And one of the things that we've heard from President Trump over the past several months has been this escalating frustration when it comes to
President Putin. You've heard him say he's all talk, that he'll say one thing and then the next thing you know he is bombing or dropping bombs,
that he didn't think he could be trusted. At one point saying he made absolutely no progress during a phone call with Vladimir Putin. It does
appear that those phone calls have been getting shorter and shorter. At one point, they were almost three hours. The last one was under one hour.
So, you can tell here that that is not going the direction President Trump wants it to. And there is a belief among President Trump and his team that
he can kind of sus Putin out when he sits down with him, that he can see if he's serious, he can see if he wants to make a deal, and potentially then
take whatever messaging Putin has, work through it and then bring it to President Zelenskyy.
Of course, there are still concerns among European allies and even U.S. officials that Putin will be able to charm President Trump as he has in the
past. I mean, we know that on the world stage, Vladimir Putin is somebody who has kind of figured out how to talk to President Trump, particularly in
these one-on-one kinds of settings. But again, President Trump has been kind of pumping the brakes when it comes to this meeting and talking
through it as though it is not going to be some kind of breakthrough, but instead, tamping down those expectations. Erica.
HILL: All right. And we'll all be watching as we count down to Friday now. Kristen, appreciated. Thank you. Well, the White House official tell CNN
the National Guard will significantly expand its true presence in Washington, D.C. this evening as part of President Trump's move to place
the city's police department, pardon me, under direct federal control. Excuse me.
Armored vehicles are already being deployed near the Washington Monument as part of the law enforcement takeover. The ultimate scope of the appointment
though remains unclear. On Wednesday, President Trump continued to defend the move saying he will ask Congress to approve an extension of that
operation past the current 30-day limit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We are going to need a crime bill that we're going to be putting in and it's going to pertain initially to D.C. It's almost -- we're going to
use it as a very positive example. And we're going to be asking for extensions on that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[18:10:00]
HILL: D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser says the federal takeover of the police is a warning to other cities, and called it a, quote, "authoritarian push."
Brian Todd joins me now from Washington. So, Brian, you know, more deployments expected. Where do things stand today?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erica, we are at a major staging area right now. This is the U.S. Park Police Facility in the Anacostia section
of Washington, D.C. Federal units, National Guard units and local police units have been staging from this area. It's been a real beehive of
activity since my photojournalist, Andrew Smith, and I have been here. That vehicle just pulled up.
But you can see these armed -- these armored Humvees from the National Guard right here. There are three of them right in front of us. There are
National Guard personnel there waiting to be deployed. We have seen -- we'll just kind of pan to our right here. You could see Metropolitan
Washington Police vehicles here. We have seen U.S. Capitol Police, Metro Transit Police, we've seen FBI personnel coming in with Kevlar vests and
other things. So, it's a very serious deployment from this facility here in Anacostia.
One of the key questions is, where are they going to be fanning out? According to a White House official the National Guard presence in D.C.
will be significantly larger tonight than it has been in past nights. And another key question, this area here where we are, Anacostia, is one of the
hardest hit areas for crime and poverty in the city over the past several decades. It's not gotten much better in recent years.
A key question is, what will their presence be, federal and local agents, in this section of D.C. where crime has been a particular problem? What we
can tell you also, Erica, is according to a White House official last night, there were 43 arrests made in the district, that has doubled the
number from the previous night. And as -- I'll step out of the picture while I give you some of these stats, Andrew will again show you where
these troops here are getting ready to deploy in the evening hours tonight.
So, 43 arrests last night, double the number of the previous night. According to this White House official, the operation surpassed 100 total
arrests last night, since the start of the operation last Thursday, August 7th. The charges among these more than 100 arrests include one for
homicide. There were 33 firearms violations, seven narcotics related charges, and several other types of charges. But again, as we told you,
significantly larger National Guard presence here tonight in Washington. They'll be fanning out. And we're going to be found out with them. Erica.
HILL: Brian, just really quickly, we're tight on time, but you could -- can you just put that in context? Is that a significant change in the
number of arrests from what is typically seen on an evening in Washington, D.C.?
TODD: It's not a significant change from the number of arrests in Washington. It's not. I don't know the exact number of the average arrest
in Washington, D.C. on a given night. It doesn't seem to be a very significant change. But, again, you know, they're touting -- these are 43
additional arrests since this task force was assembled last Thursday and since it started working last Thursday. So, they're saying that this is --
you know, this is part of the positive trend in the stats here.
HILL: Sure.
TODD: One other thing to clarify about the National Guard, they are not going to be making arrests according to a White House official who we spoke
with. They're here to assist other officers and create a safer environment for the other officers.
HILL: All right. Brian Todd there for us on the scene, really appreciate it. Thank you. Also, want to turn now to some breaking news coming to us
out of Texas where emergency crews are on the scene of a crash involving a school bus. This is in Travis County, Texas. CNN affiliate KVUE reporting
15 people have now been taken to the hospital, 42 children and one adult were on the bus at the time of that crash, this according to local
emergency services. We'll continue to follow those developments and we'll bring you more details as they come into us here.
Mexico is extraditing 26 people to the United States of people who the -- who it says are high ranking drug cartel figures. This is all part of a
deal with the Trump administration. So, in return, the U.S. Justice Department has agreed not to seek the death penalty here. This is at least
the second major extradition in recent months.
Valeria Leon joining us now live from Mexico City with more of these details. So, tell me more if you could, Valeria, about these 26 individuals
and also about this deal between the two countries.
VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Erica, that's correct. This is the second time this year that Mexico has handed over more than 20 high ranking cartel
figures to the U.S. underscoring a major deal with the Trump administration and increasing pressure on its southern border. And here's an interesting
detail, this time it was the U.S. Justice Department that released that full list of names of the criminals while Mexican authorities kept the
names secret until now.
The list includes figures linked to the Sinaloa cartel, particularly the faction known as Los Chapitos, led by Joaquin El Chapo Guzman sons. And
among them is Juan Carlos Felix, who happens to be the son-in-law of Ismael Zambada, one of the founders of the Sinaloa cartel who's also in U.S.
custody.
[18:15:00]
And the suspects were flown North Tuesday. Mexico's attorney general's says the handover only happened after the U.S. promised not to seek the death
penalty. And Mexico security secretary revealed just a few hours ago in a press conference that they decided to transfer them because inside Mexican
prisons they continued operating their criminal organizations. The latest transfer of people came just a few days after it was revealed that Trump
had signed a directive to the Pentagon to begin using military force against certain Latin American drug cartels that the U.S. government has
designated as foreign terrorist organizations.
There are six Mexican cartel that are targeted that way as terrorist organization by the Trump administration. And this morning, President
Claudia Sheinbaum said that the transfer to the U.S. of these 26 members of drug cartels was for the security of the country. Let's take a listen of
what president said this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, MEXICAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We can say that in all these cases, the cases of extradition or the transfer of these
members of organized crime, the decision is for our country's safety. These are sovereign decisions and are not related to a request from the U.S.
government, although many of them do have such requests and there are many others who still have requests. The decision made by Mexico's National
Security Council is intended to help ensure the security of the country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEON: And this move comes in lockstep with ongoing negotiations between the two countries in the midst of the near constant tariff hike threats
from the U.S. on Mexican exports. And while Mexico has managed to fend off the latest round of tariffs by a month and a half, so, the hope in Mexico
is that the Trump administration will be kept happy by these extraditions for now. Though, the concern is that they will only increase the U.S.
administration's appetite for further concessions from the Mexican government. Erica.
HILL: Valeria, appreciate it. Thank you. Turning our attention out to Israel, which is reportedly floating the idea of moving Palestinians from
Gaza to South Sudan. That is what multiple sources are telling The Associated Press. South Sudan denies the allegations. However, Israel has
made similar resettlement proposals to other African nations. In an interview, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seemed to make the
argument for resettlement, but without mentioning South Sudan. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I think that the right thing to do, even according to the laws of war as I know
them, is to allow the population to leave and then you go with all your might against the enemy who remains there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Oren Liebermann has more now from Jerusalem on Israel's plans to further escalate the war in Gaza.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Israel's military chief has approved what the military called his main concept for a new attack plan as
part of the next phase of Israel's operation in Gaza, which will mark a major escalation after nearly two years of war. It was just days ago that
the security cabinet approved the decision to occupy and take over Gaza City in Northern Gaza over the objections of Israel's Military Chief
Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir. He had warned that such a phase in the military operation would risk the hostages, it would risk soldiers, it
would also burden a military that's exhausted after nearly two years of war, as well as worsening Israel's international standing and risking
worsening the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
Despite his warnings, the security cabinet led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed forward with those plans saying the first phase is the
evacuation of Gaza City up to a million Palestinians, and then the military part of the operation will begin. Now, the IDF didn't give any details
about what this plan is that the military chief had approved, but the intention is clear Israel is pushing forward with this plan despite the
warnings of the military.
As we see this happening, New Zealand's leadership saying Netanyahu has lost the plot when it comes to the war in Gaza, and saying these plans for
Gaza City are, quote, "utterly, utterly unacceptable." So, you see another member of the key U.S. led security alliance, the Five Eyes, warning of the
consequences here. But realistically, none of this has been able to head off Netanyahu and his plans for the next phase and escalation of the war in
Gaza, a takeover of Gaza City. And he said just a few days ago that after that might come, the occupation and takeover of the central camps in Gaza,
signaling that least as the situation stands now, an end of the war is not something we will see imminently.
Oren Liebermann, CNN, in Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[18:20:00]
HILL: Still ahead, one of China's most successful tech firms is out with its latest results. We'll take a closer look at the outlook for Tencent and
its A.I. expansion plans, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: Welcome back to "The Brief." Checking the action on Wall Street Wednesday. U.S. stocks Finishing the session in the green. The NASDAQ and
the S&P hitting fresh record highs and growing hopes the Fed will cut interest rates in September. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent telling
Bloomberg News the benchmark rates should be at least one point a half percentage points lower than it is right now.
President Trump also is saying that he is narrowing his pick now for a new Fed chair down to three or four names with an announcement coming, quote,
"a little bit earlier than anticipated." That said, Fed Chair Jerome Powell's term, of course, does not officially end until May.
Meantime, a solid quarter for one of China's leading tech companies, Tencent, the gaming giant and parent company of mobile payment and
messaging app, WeChat, reporting stronger than expected earnings and sales. It also says its artificial intelligence expansion plans are firmly on
track despite the uncertainty in China over the future supply of U.S. A.I. chips. Tencent was up almost 7.5 percent on Wall Street today.
Paul La Monica joins me now. He's a senior markets writer for Barron's. Paul, great to have you. Strong results, I mean very strong, a 15 percent
jump in Q2 revenue. What does Tencent's quarterly report tell us overall about the strength in Chinese tech?
PAUL R. LA MONICA, SENIOR MARKETS ANALYSIS WRITER, BARRON'S: Yes, I think it's a very good sign. We're going to wait and see whether or not other big
Chinese tech firms like JD.com, a search company that's going to be reporting results tomorrow if they are able to have solid numbers as well.
Everyone waiting for Alibaba, of course, too.
But I think really what's important here is that it clearly demonstrates that Chinese techs, much like their American counterparts, are aggressively
spending on artificial intelligence in order to bolster some of their existing product lines. Because with, you know, Tencent obviously huge in
gaming and social media because of WeChat and a lot of those -- are being, you know, deployed to help improve those types of businesses.
You know, Tencent spending, you know, more -- their capital in the quarter, really just goes to show how much money they are throwing at A.I. right
now.
[18:25:00]
HILL: This is the money they're throwing at A.I., but there is still a fair amount of uncertainty, right? Especially as we're looking at, you
know, what will ultimately happen between the U.S. and China when we talk about tariffs, we talk about chip sports. I mean, how is that playing into
what we could see?
LA MONICA: Yes, it is still a concern. I think there are growing hopes that in the same way that the Trump administration has struck deals with
many other trading partners, that there could be some big sweeping deal with China at some point as well, which would obviously benefit companies
like Tencent, Alibaba, JD, Baidu, other big Chinese tech companies, and also, you know, American tech firms that do a significant amount of
business in China as well.
But it obviously remains to be seen when a deal is going to be struck, what the terms will look like. And obviously Tencent, like many other companies,
is also faced with the challenge of competition from, you know, lower priced A.I. solutions. Remember, DeepSeek back earlier this year kind of
spooked the global markets because of the promise of cheaper A.I.
HILL: Yes, absolutely. Paul, always appreciate it. Thank you.
LA MONICA: Thank you.
HILL: Stay with us here. "The Brief" continues with more news after quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: Welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Erica Hill. Here are the international headlines we're watching today. European sources tell CNN
U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to suggest he will push for an unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine when he meets with Russian President
Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. That territory swapping is not for him, for Trump to negotiate.
Wildfires continue to tear through Southern Europe. Firefighters battling flames from Portugal to Greece. Europe is on track now for its worst
wildfire season on record. Already more than double the average amount of land has burned this summer as the climate crisis creates hotter, drier
conditions.
[18:30:00]
Typhoon Podul has made landfall in Mainland China after striking Taiwan earlier today. Taiwan says at least one person is missing more than 30
others were injured. The Typhoon could bring flooding and landslides to China's Fujian and Guangdong provinces.
Ahead of Donald Trump's summit with Putin on Friday, and following today's virtual sessions with the U.S. President and European leaders, Ukraine's
President Vladimir Zelenskyy is outlining key principles for peace talks. He said they must be trilateral, meaning of course, that Ukraine is
included. That there must be a ceasefire along with reliable security guarantees. And he added, Russia cannot have a veto over Ukraine's European
and NATO prospects. And that sanctions should be ramped up against Russia if a ceasefire agreement is not reached at Friday's Summit.
Even as President Trump and Putin are getting ready for this meeting, one- on-one in Alaska, Russian forces have been making gains in Ukraine's Eastern region. CNN's Fred Pleitgen has the view now from Moscow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Russia is calling efforts by the U.S.'s NATO allies from Europe, and also by the
Ukrainians insignificant as they try to enter the diplomatic process between the U.S. and Russia. The Russians are also saying that they believe
that those nations are essentially trying to sabotage that process between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian Leader Vladimir Putin. Of course,
the two are set to meet in Alaska at the end of this week.
Now, as far as the Russians are concerned, they say that obviously the conflict in Ukraine will be one of the main topics at that meeting.
However, they also say that the two leaders should be dealing with accumulated issues between the U.S. and Russia. One of them of course, also
being possible normalization of relations between those two countries. And as far as the Russians are concerned, of course, sanctions relief as well
and possible business deals in the future.
The Russians also saying another very interesting thing, and this comes in the form of a spokesman for Russia's foreign ministry, and he said that
Russia's territory is enshrined in its constitution. Now, that seems to indicate that the Russians might be pouring cold water on one of the things
that President Trump has been saying, namely that he believes that Russia and Ukraine could swap territories that either sides holds right now in the
conflict of Ukraine.
Russia, of course, considers four Ukrainian regions, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk to be Russian territory in their entirety, in their
administrative borders, and it's unclear whether or not Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, is going to budge on that issue.
On the whole, the Russians have been saying that they've made significant gains on the battlefield over the past couple of days, and they believe
that Russia's leader will be in a very strong position when he meets with President Trump.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Ivo Daalder is a former U.S. ambassador to NATO and joins me now. It's good to have you here tonight. When we look at where things stand
today, President Zelenskyy was very clear today in terms of land swaps, right? It said clearly that can't happen, and there was an understanding
coming out of the meeting, President Marcon saying that Donald Trump understood that and agreed that Ukraine needed to be a part of any of those
discussions. How much of this do you anticipate will actually carry through to the meeting on Friday?
IVO DAALDER, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO NATO AND SENIOR FELLOW, HARVARD'S BELFER CENTER: Well, no one really knows. On the one hand President Trump
has reiterated as if all -- as people in the White House, that this is not a negotiation about territory, that this is something that the Ukrainians
will have to do with the Russians, because of course the Russia and Ukraine are a party to this war. And yet, on the other hand, the President has
repeatedly talked about swapping of territory. And indeed a U.S. proposal that was put on the table a few months ago explicitly talked about
recognizing Russian territory, both de facto the territory of the four provinces that your correspondent just mentioned, as well as de jure that
is legally the territory of Crimea, which Russia illegally ceased back in 2014.
So, we don't really know what the negotiation is going to be. It's going to be one-on-one. Probably no U.S. interpreters, let alone experts in the
room. We'll have to wait and see.
HILL: There was certainly a fair amount of confusion and concern coming out of Steve Witkoff's most recent meeting, the fifth meeting when it came
to discussion of land. When we look at what has come out of these meetings with Steve Witkoff, the special envoy, do you believe that has helped or
hurt efforts to end this.
DAALDER: I think it has hurt. Steve Witkoff has now had many meetings, five as you mentioned, with Vladimir Putin. Every time he comes out of this
meeting, he either misinterprets what the Russians have told him or has taken the Russian line -- hook, line, and sinker.
[18:35:00]
Not that long ago he was talking about the fact that these four territories had referenda and that therefore, the people who are really Russian
speakers and should be part of Russia, that is a flat out Kremlin talking pointed at his wrong in every way you possibly can.
There have been no referenda that -- other than at a time of occupation. The people may speak Russian, that doesn't mean they want to live in
Russia. And the latest, as you rightly said, the latest, it was very confusing what exactly Vladimir Putin was willing to concede. And as we now
hear, the answer is nothing. He's not willing to concede in any territory. He is not willing to concede on the issue of security guarantees. He's not
willing to concede even of having a discussion with the Ukrainian president.
So, it's really questionable why President Trump decided that this is the time for him to have a negotiations with Vladimir Putin. Not just with
Vladimir Putin per se, but on U.S. territory. Territory that normally an invitation to the United States is something that needs to be earned, not
given for free.
HILL: So, then, given where we are in this moment, do you think this could backfire?
DAALDER: Well, I think it could backfire on President Trump and I'm worried that it could backfire on the entire process. What we may find out
is that President Trump looks at this conflict and decides that Vladimir Putin is right, that he will once again, as he has done repeatedly in the
last six months, side with Putin and blame Ukraine for not willing to accept what. Trump thinks is a good deal, but in fact it's a terrible deal
and stop any more aid and assistance to Ukraine.
So, yes, I think this can backfire in a very negative way when the situation is quite clear. Russia is the aggressor. The United States should
stop -- stand with Ukraine.
HILL: President Trump was asked earlier today whether Russia should face consequences if Putin does not agree to end the war. He said very clearly
yes and went on to say they would be, quote, "severe consequences," but didn't confirm what those consequences would be. There's been so much talk
about secondary sanctions. Is that enough in your mind to be considered, quote/unquote, "severe"?
I think secondary sanctions on China, which is the country that is importing and exporting a lot of dual use technology that is fueling the
war machine and importing oil and gas that makes it possible for Russia to buy that would be very important. I don't see that happening. I think the
president has made clear that he wants a deal with Xi Jinping, he's just extended the deadline for tariffs on China for another 90 days.
And you know, when it comes to severe consequences, we've heard that message before. Indeed, it was just on Friday that the deadline for severe
tariffs and more sanctions was reached. And rather than imposing those pressure points on Russia, the president of the United States agreed to
meet with Vladimir Putin, an indicted war criminal, on U.S. soil. So, I don't have a lot of faith that even if this meeting doesn't produce the
results that the President Trump hopes it will produce that then, finally, we will get the kind of pressure that until now the U.S. president has been
unwilling to exert on Russia.
HILL: Russia seems unwilling to give up its push of requiring that it's some sort of a deal to end this war that Ukraine should not be allowed to
join NATO. President Zelenskyy very clear today, Russia should have no say in whether it is part of Europe, whether the European Union, whether it's
part of NATO. And yet, this is still part of the conversation. Do you see a moment where this current administration will push back firmly on that
idea, the idea that Russia should have any sort of a say in those decisions?
DAALDER: I'm afraid that we've seen already the secretary of defense and others, including the president of the United States himself saying that
Russian fear of Ukrainian membership NATO is somehow legitimate and that the United States doesn't think that Ukraine should be a member of NATO.
Here's the point, if Ukraine is an independent, sovereign country, which is presumably what all of us want it to be, then the decision on whether it
wants to join NATO cannot be Russia's, it has to be Ukraine's, and of course, NATO. NATO has to agree to it. But that is a decision between NATO
and Ukraine, not a decision that Russia has a say over. And if Russia does have a say over it, then of course Ukraine is no longer sovereign, it's no
longer independent, and Russia has achieved what it fundamentally wants, the subjugation of Ukraine, which is what this war is about.
So, I do hope that the president does not provide that kind of relief to President Putin and gives him that kind of say over what is, after all, a
sovereign and independent decision of Ukraine and not of Russia.
HILL: Ivo Daalder, always appreciate your insight and your expertise. Thank you.
[18:40:00]
DAALDER: My pleasure.
HILL: Just ahead here, President Trump announcing the celebrities who will be -- and the artists who will be recognized in this year's Kennedy Center
Honors and also his new role in that ceremony, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: President Trump once again said to be the star of his own show announcing he will host the year's -- this year's Kennedy Center Honors in
December. This is one of America's highest recognitions for the arts. Here's more about what the president had to say in terms of his new role.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: So, I have agreed to host. Do you believe what I have to do? And I didn't want to do it. OK. They're going to say he insisted. I did not
insist. But I think it will be quite successful actually. It's been a long time. I used to host the "Apprentice" finales and we did rather well with
that. I wanted one. I was never able to get one. This year -- it's true actually. I would've taken if they would've called me. I waited and waited
and waited, and I said, the hell with it. I'll become chairman and I'll give myself an honor. Maybe I'm going to honor -- next year we'll honor
Trump. OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Well, this year's honorees are country music star, George Strait, actor Sylvester Stallone, disco star Gloria Gaynor, the rock band Kiss, and
Michael Crawford, star of "The Phantom of the Opera," which of course is one of Trump's favorite Broadway musicals.
Trump does seem determined to leave his stamp on D.C.'s cultural scene, the White House, also ordering a review of certain Smithsonian Museums across
the capitol, saying it would, quote, "ensure alignment with the president's directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive partisan
narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions."
Joining me now is CNN Chief Media Analyst Brian Stelter. Brian, so as we dive in here, let's start with the Smithsonian if we can. The White House
doesn't actually have a lot of say over the Smithsonian.
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Not technically. Officially, the Smithsonian is not part of the executive branch. It was created by
Congress, you know, hundreds of years ago. It is funded by Congress. It is not a part of Trump's executive branch. However, Vice President J. D. Vance
does serve on the board that oversees the Smithsonian and the museum institution has said so far that it's going to work constructively with the
White House and this content review.
[18:45:00]
So, I'm very curious to see if those are just platitudes or if the museum leaders are really going to follow through. How constructively are they
going to work with the White House or is there going to be an attempt to stonewall behind the scenes?
This may become another one of those tug of war situations that we've seen between institutions and the White House. You know, I've covered this with
public broadcasting and other examples, and frankly, the White House has been able to win again and again.
So, in this case, it's a Smithsonian. And if I were a curator, for example, at the National Museum of African American History, I'd be on pins and
needles right now. I'd be worried about the Black Lives Matter exhibit, for example. I'd be concerned about some form of censorship. But we do not know
what these Trump appointees are going to do, what they're going to say, and whether their ideas are actually going to be followed through on.
I know one thing for sure though, Erica. I know that some of the people that like to go to the Smithsonian like to check out these exhibits,
they're going to be keeping a closer eye on things. They're going to be wondering now if there is a kind of Trump interference happening or not.
So, this is going to create a little bit of a shadow over the Smithsonian Institution for months to come.
HILL: Yes. Whether it's an effort to rewrite history and to write out perhaps the less desirable parts of American history, which are equally
important in the reality of the country that we live in. All right. Let's move on to the to the Kennedy Center Honors. It was an interesting moment
today, the president even noting at one point he shouldn't make it political, but he did. And then going on and on about how he had to be
convinced to be the host. This is not our typical announcement ceremony for the Kennedy Center honorees.
STELTER: And in some ways this is a much more lighthearted story, but it's very much related to this Smithsonian because it's about President Trump
wanting to have entrenched cultural power in Washington. If you think back to his first term, he was rejected by D.C. Rejected by D.C. elites and
Hollywood A-listers. This time around, he's made himself the chairman of the board of the Kennedy Center, and he is appointed his friends to run the
joint. So, he very much is in command. It's a symbol of what he has tried to achieve across the U.S. in recent months.
And it is notable he said he vetoed some, quote/unquote, "wokesters" from the list of Kennedy Center honorees. So, you might think of this list,
including George Strait, as you know, Trump approved stars that will be honored this December. Now, this is usually a big television to do. It airs
on CBS every year. And with Trump as the host, it does remind everyone of "The Apprentice." I always thought when Trump was running in 2016, that if
he lost Hillary Clinton, he would end up as a television host. He would end up as a cable news host.
There's clearly a part of him that wants to be that TV star. He puts on a show every day at the White House, and this Kennedy Center thing is more of
a formal version of that. But I do think it is of a piece with the Smithsonian story, it shows that he is trying to have not just a fleeting
impact, but entrenched cultural power in Washington and beyond.
HILL: Yes, absolutely. Brian, appreciate it. Thank you. So, the best way to prevent A.I. from ever turning against its creators could come down to
just some basic human feeling. The so-called godfather of A.I., Geoffrey Hinton, telling an industry conference in Las Vegas that the technology
will become smarter than us. And he says, the tech industry's current efforts to keep A.I. submissive, he says that's not going to work. His
solution, build maternal instincts into A.I. models so they care about people and have a sense of compassion. CNN Tech Reporter Clare Duffy has
more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE DUFFY, CNN TECH REPORTER: An alarming warning from one of the original and leading voices in the A.I. space. You'll remember that
Geoffrey Hinton has been warning about some of these existential risks that he sees from A.I. since he decided to leave his job at Google two years
ago. But now, he's sort of taking shots at what he calls the tech Bros that are leading A.I. companies right now, saying they are taking the wrong
approach to A.I. safety by trying to ensure that humans remain dominant over A.I. systems.
Instead. in his mind, as -- or if, I should say, A.I. becomes smarter than humans, which many people think that it will, he worries that it will be
able to manipulate us and prioritize its own interests and ability to function over humans needs. Instead, he thinks that humans need to be
training A.I. systems to be more like our mothers, to prioritize our wellbeing even when they are smarter and more powerful than us.
Let's take a quick listen to some of the comments that he made at this A.I. conference in Las Vegas on Tuesday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEOFFREY HINTON, "GODFATHER OF A.I.": I think people have been looking at this all wrong. So, people have been saying -- because they're tech bros.
They've been saying we have to stay in control of these A.I.s. We've somehow got to be stronger than them. We've got to be dominant and they got
to be submissive. That's not going to work. They're going to be much smarter than us. They're going to have all sorts of ways of getting around
that. So, we need to reframe this problem. It's not that we have to be stronger than them and stay in control of them, we have to make it so that
when they're more powerful than us and smarter than us, they still care about us.
[18:50:00]
So, the right model is the only model we have of a more intelligent thing being controlled by a less intelligent thing, which is a mother being
controlled by her baby.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DUFFY: Now, he doesn't necessarily make clear how he thinks these tech companies should be training A.I. systems to have that maternal instinct.
And I do think it's worth noting that there are leaders in the A.I. space who disagree with Hinton about how much of an existential risk A.I. truly
poses to humans. Certainly, at this point, A.I. systems continue to get sort of basic tasks wrong. So, it's still rather hard to think about them
being that much smarter, that much more powerful than humans, but certainly, a stark warning from one of the most prominent voices in this
space. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: It certainly is. Clare, appreciate it. Just ahead here on "The Brief," Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain clashing with Europa
League winners Tottenham in the Super Cup, and we've got the highlights.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: PSG beating Tottenham in the UEFA Super Cup on penalties after a dramatic comeback. This is, of course, the annual match between the winners
of the Champions League and Europa League. CNN Senior Sports Analyst Darren Lewis has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DARREN LEWIS, CNN SENIOR SPORTS ANALYST: When something looks too good to be true, it normally is, and that certainly was the case for Tottenham
Hotspur on this occasion. They led twice in this superb Super Cup showdown in Italy, but they were pegged back in regular time. And in the penalty
shootout to surrender the Super Cup to PSG, the champions of Europe, who showed a real touch of class to fight their way back into contention and
ultimately to go on to win.
Their heroes in regular time were Goncalo Ramos and Kang, both of whom came off the bench to score. And in the shootout, it was Nuno Mendes with the
decisive goal. As far as PSG are concerned, they were a little bit undercooked because they had been on their summer holidays until just a
week ago, but they showed why they are the kings of Europe. So much quality, so much class, so much more to expect from them this coming
season.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: McDonald's in Japan are running into unexpected problems with a Pokemon themed Happy Meal promotion. A number of customers bought those
happy meals simply to get their hands on the limited edition Pokemon cards. Then they threw the food away, sparking, understandably, a public outcry.
Some people also made bulk orders as a speculative mood. Keep in mind here, Happy Meals cost the equivalent of about $3.50 cents in Japan. Scalpers
listing those Pokemon cards from the Happy Meals on eBay for nearly $30 each.
Finally, for you today in the Good Brief, stargazers gathering for a brilliant annual meteor shower in the Balkans. Take a look. The Perseid,
the timelapse footage capturing dozens of these bright meteors, leaving long streaks in the sky. Look at that.
[18:55:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOMISLAVA DVORNIK, VISITOR (through translator): So, my husband, daughter and I came here to the observatory to take a look at this phenomenon and we
saw about a dozen stars. I made a wish, but for now, let's keep it a secret.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: You have to keep it a secret or it won't come true. The meteors appear to shoot out from the constellation of Perseid. The peak last night
happening just after the conjunction of the two brightest planets in our solar system, Venus and Jupiter. Good news, if you happen to miss this
week's phenomenon, your next chance to see the meteors, that should come your way in early October.
Thanks so much for your company this hour. I'm Erica Hill. We appreciate you having you with us here on "The Brief." Stay tuned, CNN continues after
the short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:00:00]
END
