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The Brief with Jim Sciutto
CNN International: Iranian President's U.N. Address; Zelenskyy Trying to Reduce Russia's Ability to Finance War; China's Xi Arrives in U.S.; Trump admin. Committed to $14B in Taiwan Arms Sales; Moldova Seeks to Join E.U.; Top U.S. and Russian Diplomats Discuss Ukraine; White House Media Ban Hearing. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired September 23, 2026 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR, "THE BRIEF": Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Jim Sciutto at the U.N., and
you're watching "The Brief."
Still ahead this hour, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has just landed in the U.S. for his summit with President Donald Trump. Iran's president says his
country is the victim of terrorism, and denounces what he calls bullying by the United States. And lawyers for CNN, Politico, and MS NOW appear in
court to gain back access to the White House. Those stories and plenty more coming up.
We do begin here, once again, at the United Nations. And Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, says that his country will never submit to the U.S.. He
also said that Iran itself has been the victim of terrorism.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MASOUD PEZESHKIAN, IRANIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The United States president described us as terrorists. We have been the victims of
terrorism. They bombed a school. You see these children? These children perished under bombs with weapons used by the United States and Israel.
They were innocent
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Here you can see the lone U.S. delegate in the room at the time walking out during the Iranian president's speech. This comes, of course,
after President Trump threatened to annihilate Iran if there is no deal to end the war.
Also speaking today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyyy, he told delegates at the U.N. that he is trying to reduce Russia's ability to
finance the war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: For the first time in Russia's history, we now hear that its pride, its oil industry is running of fumes.
But oil itself is not Ukraine's target, not our target, not gasoline or diesel, not factories or ports as such. Our target is Russia's ability to
finance this war, to drag it out, to make it more brutal and more destructive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Well, just now Chinese leader Xi Jinping has arrived at Joint Base Andrews outside of Washington. He has left his plane, greeted by
President Trump and Melania Trump on their arrival. The two leaders scheduled a meeting at the White House on Thursday ahead of a state dinner.
Xi also expected to meet with executives from top U.S. technology companies, including OpenAI, NVIDIA, Apple, and Tesla.
Joining me now, Kristen Holmes. And, Kristen, of course we're not showing pictures of this arrival because of President Trump's ban of CNN and other
news organizations, therefore there's no pool coverage. But we have the president literally rolling out the red carpet for the Chinese leader.
Kristen, what substantive pro- progress or agreements does the president expect from this summit with the Chinese leader?
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, if we look back to what happened when President Trump was in China, there wasn't that
much substance that came out of the meeting. There were a lot of conversations. There were talk about specific deals that could be made. I
believe that there was the selling of United States Boeing jets to China. But there wasn't quite a lot that moved the ball forward. And so, if we're
going off of that model, it's really unclear what's going to come out of this.
Now, the most sensitive topic, which we know that they are going to have a conversation about, is A.I. But how productive that conversation can be
really is up in the air, particularly given that President Trump and President Xi have made it very clear that they are each other's competitors
in the field of A.I. And President Trump has continued to double down on this idea that any kind of guardrails around A.I. would just slow the
United States down in beating China in the race to -- on A.I.
[18:05:00]
Now, one other thing I want to point out here, what we've really seen President Trump doing in the lead up to President Xi's visit is downplaying
some of the criticism and some of the things that China has done to the United States and allegedly done to the United States and kind of walked
away from those things, including his own administration and him accusing China of meddling in the 2020 election.
We also know that from Pete Hegseth and General Caine's testimony that China, as well as Russia, was working with Iran in some capacity share
information sharing in terms of the war in Iran and potentially giving location of U.S. troops. And we know that China has continued to do
business with Iran, despite the warnings and the kind of economic, quote/unquote, "economic D-Day" that Scott Bessent laid out, the Treasury
Secretary, seemed to have no real consequences there.
So, it's unclear what's going to actually get done in this meeting. But we do know one thing, which is President Trump is really rolling out the red
carpet. He's there to greet him. I mean, again, it is a big deal that President Trump is there on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews. That is not
something that he does for anybody. I mean, and he didn't do it his first term.
Most presidents do not do that. I can't even tell you the time in modern history that a president has gone and greeted another world leader at Joint
Base Andrews. They usually wait for them to come to the White House. So, it just gives you an idea of how President Trump's head is at entering into
this meeting.
SCIUTTO: No question. And listen, he's shown similar red carpet treatment to Vladimir Putin, for instance, in Anchorage and didn't get much from it.
Similar with the many summits with Kim Jong-un. Kristen Holmes in Washington, thanks so much.
Well, other headlines we are watching here at the U.N., including Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying that the Trump administration is committed to
$14 billion in arms sales deals to Taiwan. Of course, President Trump delayed those sales at the summit in January. Here's what Rubio had to say
about those delays.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Any arms sales we do with anyone on the planet, here about Taiwan, with any country on the planet has to be
balanced with what our combatant commanders around the world are telling us are their minimum needs in case of a conflict in their region.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: We'll see if the president delivers to another part of the world in need of defense and weapons, Ukraine. While President Zelenskyy was
addressing leaders here at the U.N., Moscow struck a convention center in Kyiv, which hosts Zelenskyy's party headquarters. Officials in the
Ukrainian capital say other strikes killed two people and injured at least 43 others. These are daily events in Ukraine.
The city center and Kyiv University were among the targets. Another strike decimated a gas station. Officials say Russian forces dropped four bombs on
a village in the Donetsk region as well, which killed at least five people, damaging dozens of homes and buildings.
Russia's war in Ukraine, a major concern for many European countries as well, including its neighbor Moldova. Moldovan officials say they are
concerned about security in the region, particularly over energy and water supplies, this as they seek to join the European Union by 2030.
Joining me now is Moldova's Prime Minister Vasile Tofan. Thanks so much, Mr. Prime Minister, for taking the time.
VASILE TOFAN, MOLDOVAN PRIME MINISTER: Thank you for having me, Jim.
SCIUTTO: It was notable that President Zelenskyy specifically mentioned Moldova today as another country in Europe that is under threat from and
has been attacked by Russia. Tell me, what is the level of the threat to Moldova today from Russia?
TOFAN: Well, first, just to place Moldova, we share the longest border with Ukraine of any other countries to the west of Ukraine. So, in fact,
the southwest flank of Ukraine is our country, about 800 miles of border. So, in that sense, of course, it's strategically located. And it's no
surprise that Russia is trying to destabilize the region in order to get closer to Odessa and other points of interest for the country.
SCIUTTO: Do you believe that Russia might very well attack another European nation? And I know there have already been attacks underway, drone
attacks and sabotage, et cetera. But is Moldova fearful of the possibility of military, a military strike against its territory?
TOFAN: We don't think such an attack is imminent. What I think Russia is doing, they're probing NATO countries, lots of drones crossing over Moldova
heading to Romania. You're seeing similar attacks in Poland. So, what I think Russia is probing. At the same time, we don't think there's an
imminent threat for Moldova in terms of a potential incursion.
SCIUTTO: You did have this drone attack while Zelenskyy was sitting on the tarmac at an airport in Moldova. I wonder, as you've investigated that
attack, do you believe that was a deliberate Russian strike and that Zelenskyy himself might have been a target?
[18:10:00]
TOFAN: You see, the truth is, these drone incursions have multiplied. So, in August, we had more drone crossings over -- drones crossing over than in
the whole year of 2025. So, on the day when president's plane took off, it was a deliberate Russian strike. So, I don't think it's a deliberate
attack. Indeed, we had a drone hitting about 160 kilometers away from the airport. And I think such intimidations will continue.
SCIUTTO: Of course, Moldova is focused now on E.U. membership by 2030, not a member of NATO. But has this expanded hybrid war on Europe, has that
changed your calculus at all? Might Moldova reconsider and consider NATO membership?
TOFAN: Well, Europe is where we're focused on. European Union is our national project. We're trying to get the country into the European Union.
And for us, European Union is not only about accessing a big trade bloc, but also a security project.
Now, as to NATO, we're a neutral country. And for the moment, we plan to stay neutral. So, there's no plans to join NATO.
SCIUTTO: OK. Understood. When you look at Europe's response to Russia in terms of defending itself from these attacks, do you think the response has
been sufficient? Because if indeed Vladimir Putin is probing, and I've heard other European officials say the same thing, his habit, right, is if
he pushes and he doesn't get resistance, he pushes more.
TOFAN: Which I think increases the pressure on the Western world to stand firm and support Ukraine. Russia is not reacting to weakness. Russia is
only reacting to strength. And I think this peaceful strength formula also promoted by President Zelenskyy is exactly the approach that is needed now.
SCIUTTO: So, what is your view then of the U.S. response? Because President Trump was applying pressure not on Putin, but on Zelenskyy to
stop strikes on energy infrastructure. And we just learned today that the U.S. is going to invite Vladimir Putin to the G20 meeting in Miami later
this year. Do you believe the U.S. has shown sufficient strength against Russia and Putin?
TOFAN: That's a complicated puzzle to solve. I think, clearly, it's very clear who the abuser is, who the victim is. And I think there's numerous
leaders trying to resolve it. And we count on an even bigger involvement by U.S. in trying to resolve this conflict.
SCIUTTO: As Europe takes up more responsibility for its own defense, do you see U.S. leadership as waning in Europe as part of that, that U.S.
becomes less involved, perhaps less interested? It's difficult for me to comment on this overall.
TOFAN: What I'm grateful for is that U.S. has focused on specific areas that are relevant for Moldova, for example, focusing on energy
independence. So, a very important power line connecting us to Romania and further on to Ukraine is sponsored by U.S. We'd like to see more of
projects like that. I think this is also helping Ukraine to have a stronger Moldova.
SCIUTTO: I was in Germany last week before I came here for the UNGA. And, of course, you had another result with a right-wing AfD party winning in
another German state there. And, of course, this is not unique to Germany. You're seeing this in a number of other countries. I just interviewed the
foreign minister of Hungary, which, of course, had a right-wing government for 16 years. So, this has not gone away.
What is the significance of that for Europe? And do you think it's a danger?
TOFAN: Well, what I can say is that as a country that has been on the receiving side of a lot of Russian propaganda, Europe has to be prepared to
see more of that. And I think we're going to see it also in larger democracies like Germany and France, potentially.
SCIUTTO: And the U.S. too.
TOFAN: And U.S. too. So, -- but I can tell you that's why I'm so proud that our country managed to withstand, despite it being a David versus
Goliath type of fight. So, we won elections in a free, democratic electoral system. And Russia tried to destabilize our country. It has thrown hundreds
of millions of dollars at it. And still, pro-democracy, pro-Europe parties have won. And in that sense, I think Moldova is a sort of a lab for how to
resist this Russian informational aggression.
SCIUTTO: So, what was the secret? How did you manage? And what would you recommend to other countries who face a similar threat?
TOFAN: Well, I think it's a combination of having strong free media, which is the case of Moldova. So, we advanced quite a lot in terms of media
freedom, but it's also not being too naive about the tools that you're using. So, that's why you need very strong security services, which we are
having in Moldova.
SCIUTTO: Well, Mr. Prime Minister Vasile Tofan, we appreciate you joining the program. Wish you the best of luck.
TOFAN: Thank you so much.
SCIUTTO: Coming up on "The Brief," the Dutch Prime Minister prepares to address the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday.
[18:15:00]
I will speak to the Dutch Foreign Minister next about the Netherlands' support for Ukraine and their view of Russia's threat to Europe.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: Dutch Prime Minister Rob Gentzen is expected to reaffirm his country's support for Ukraine and address Europe's growing security
challenges while he addresses the U.N. on Thursday. The Netherlands is planning to provide Ukraine with $3.4 billion in military aid next year.
That's significant. It also plans to invest in its own air and missile and counter drone defenses and capabilities. While in New York this week, the
Dutch delegation is attending meetings on A.I., climate change and human rights.
Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen joins me now. Thanks so much for taking the time. I want to begin on the Russian threat to Europe because
the Netherlands has been the victim of multiple sabotage attacks in recent weeks by Russia on train lines, which is a tactic we've seen Russia repeat
in other countries. I mean, these could be deadly attacks, right, at some point. How do you categorize the war that Russia is waging on Europe right
now, this hybrid war?
TOM BERENDSEN, DUTCH FOREIGN MINISTER: What we've seen in the Netherlands, we've only seen the risk of cyber-attacks and espionage activities where
intelligence services are warning for the risks.
SCIUTTO: Yes.
BERENDSEN: What we see there is really that Russia is under pressure. They're escalating. And these hybrid actions, they fit in the image of that
they're under pressure. And they are meant for, you know, to scare us, to undermine our support to Ukraine and to divide U.S. And that's exactly what
we shouldn't let happen.
So, what we need to do is support Ukraine, put pressure on Russia, but not because we want to attack Russia or that we want to change something in
Russia, no, we want to put pressure on them to come to the negotiation table and find a solution.
SCIUTTO: Do you believe that Europe has answered the threat, has stayed together, stayed united in response?
BERENDSEN: I think we do. At the moment, I think we do. And we should continue to do it. What we do see is that financially to continue to do
support to Ukraine. I mean, it also makes that you need to have choices in your budget.
SCIUTTO: Of course.
BERENDSEN: You need to make budget cuts, or you need to get the money from another budget. And that is, of course, something you need to explain to
your citizens, to your people, to your national parliaments, is what we do.
[18:20:00]
And we do it because we know that the Russian threat is crucial, is a threat to us as well, and that supporting Ukraine in the end is not
necessarily only supporting Ukraine, but also investing in our own security.
SCIUTTO: $3.4 billion is a significant amount of money for a country of Netherlands size. Does the collection of aid, both financial aid, but also
military support for Ukraine, given the degree of the Russian threat right now, and Ukraine's shortage of air defense missiles, is that collective
effort enough? I mean, it's going to be a very tough winter for Ukraine.
BERENDSEN: It's not collective effort enough. They really need to have more Patriots and more ammunition to make sure that they can deal with the
attacks, the air attacks they're on right now. We see civilian losses almost every single day. We see the attacks on energy infrastructure,
knowing that we go towards winter, knowing that last winter was very heavy. But we see now that, of course, with pressure on the energy infrastructure,
they're going really into a tough winter.
They need our help. And we try to do that, not only on the military side, but, for example, also in investing in energy infrastructure, making sure
they can do repairs. That's something we do, that's something our partners do. But we really all should do more to support them. It's going to be a
crucial winter. And at the same time, I mean, look at where they are. It would have been a three-day special operation.
And after four and a half years, they're still standing, they're still managing, and they really deserve our support.
SCIUTTO: You have been an advocate for Europe taking more of the burden of its own defense, and you're not alone in that, and other countries are
doing that. I wonder, is that about fairness, but is it also about not trusting the U.S. commitment to Europe's defense? Because, of course, this
has been a priority for President Trump. He thinks allies should share, and you're answering that call. But is it also out of necessity that Europe
feels more on its own? I think we feel more responsibility.
BERENDSEN: I think Europe has been very naive, if you look at the dependency for our security on the U.S., for energy on Russia, for
technology and critical raw materials on China. So, it's our responsibility to have the responsibility of our own security on our own continent.
Conventional defense should be something we should be able to do ourselves.
And yes, the tone and the speed under the Trump administration changed, but it's not something new of Trump. I mean, previous administrations with the
pivot to Asia also were very clear to Europe that we needed to do more. And again, we don't do that because the Americans tell us to do it. Maybe we do
it faster than we were planning. We don't do it because of that. We do it because it's our responsibility to be responsible over our own security.
SCIUTTO: Because -- in part because of the ongoing trade tensions between E.U. nations and the U.S., you do see European nations, we see Canada as
well, looking to expand trade with China, in part to make up for any lost trade with the U.S. Do you have any concerns about that, given China's,
well, security risks from China and China's own behavior when it comes to trade, which is not exactly fair in many respects?
BERENDSEN: Yes. So, that's a discussion currently being held in the European Union, of course, with how trade with China could be in an honest
way, in a fair way, with a level playing field. The trade deficit is really out of it. What I'm concerned about is dependencies in technology, in
critical raw materials.
And that's something that we can also learn from China. You know, the way that they have been strategically looking ahead, planning what is important
for them, how they can decrease dependencies and also how they can make others more dependent on them, is something we can learn from as well. You
know, long-term planning, sticking to it, of course, in the way the European Union, the way the Netherlands works, it's not always as easy to
stick to a plan for multiple years in a row if your governments are changing.
But it's something, you know, being strategic, looking for the long-term and looking at decreasing dependencies and build your own strength, is
something I think we can learn from as well.
SCIUTTO: Well, speaking of political changes, you saw the results of the AfD in Germany, a second major victory for it. There is upcoming elections
in France, where Le Pen's party seems to be rising. And of course, the Netherlands has its own experience of right-wing parties in power.
How much of a danger is that to changing Europe's approach to all these issues that we're talking about, including Russia, right? Because those
parties have a very different, much friendlier approach to Russia, for instance.
BERENDSEN: Well, I think unity is the most important thing. Standing together, then we stand strong. I mean, if you look at the map of Europe
and the European Union, it's all post-temp countries, you know, they're very small. And we need to stick together. I think that's crucial.
[18:25:00]
What I think is the biggest challenge for political parties like myself, which is a centrist party, is that, you know, we need to come with
solutions for the problems that people see. If the center doesn't come with solutions, people will go to the flanks. So, I really see it as a
something, a task for ourselves, and also for our current government in the Netherlands, to come with the solutions for the big problems, for the
concerns of people, and then show that people don't need to vote for the flanks, they can vote for the center because we have solutions as well.
SCIUTTO: Yes. Well, you might try to send that message to American politicians as well, as we have our own elections coming up. Tom Berendsen,
we appreciate you joining the program.
BERENDSEN: Thank you very much.
SCIUTTO: Thanks so much.
BERENDSEN: Thank you for having me.
SCIUTTO: And we'll be right back after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: Welcome back to "The Brief," I'm Jim Sciutto, and here are the international headlines we're watching today.
Iran's president took center stage at the United Nations today, saying that the Islamic Republic will not bow down to the U.S. President Masoud
Pezeshkian told world leaders Iran will not yield, in particular on its nuclear program or missile defenses or control of the Strait of Hormuz,
where a fifth of the world's oil once flowed.
Disgraced movie mogul, Harvey Weinstein, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Wednesday. The 74-year-old was sentenced in New York for sexually
assaulting a TV production assistant back in 2006. A jury found Weinstein guilty at a retrial of the case last year. He has denied raping or sexually
assaulting anyone. Once, among the most powerful men in Hollywood, Weinstein's downfall came after sexual assault allegations in 2017 set off
the MeToo movement.
The son of the Israeli ambassador to the U.S. was critically injured in a suspected ramming attack in the occupied West Bank, this according to
regional authorities.
[18:30:00]
The incident comes one day before the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is scheduled to deliver an address here at the United Nations.
Authorities say reserve soldier Neria Leiter was manning a checkpoint near the settlement of Beit Horon at the time of the attack. The Palestinian
Ministry of Health says the driver of the car was a 29-year-old Palestinian. Authorities say he was shot and killed at the scene.
As we reported earlier, Iran's president called U.S. President Donald Trump a bully with the whole world watching and vowed that his nation will never,
quote, "bend the knee" to the U.S. President Masoud Pezeshkian said the world cannot allow war to replace dialogue and diplomacy. He says his
nation wants to use nuclear material only for energy and not for weapons.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PEZESHKIAN (through translator): We seek energy for progress. For years, there have been -- they have labeled centrifuges, international sanctions,
other labels when it comes to our nuclear technology. But for our country, peaceful nuclear technology is part of our inherent progress.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: We're now waiting to hear from Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, this evening. The speeches are running a bit behind.
Juan Carlos Lopez, anchor and chief correspondent for CNN en Espanol, joins me now. And it was notable from President Trump yesterday when he used that
language once again about taking Venezuela's oil, even going so far as to say to the victor goes the spoiled. He's not shying away from this. When we
hear from Venezuela's acting president, do we expect to hear any endorsement of that oil deal?
JUAN CARLOS LOPEZ, ANCHOR AND CHIEF CORRESPONDENT, CNN EN ESPANOL: Well, at least she had very positive words after a private meeting she had with
Trump yesterday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, Jim. And you know that international diplomacy takes very interesting turns.
But this case, you have Delcy Rodriguez, who nine months ago was the vice president, designated, not elected, designated by Nicolas Maduro. Nicolas
Maduro is now in a jail cell in Brooklyn. And she will give a speech at the U.N. after reaching an agreement that really isn't between the governments
of Venezuela and the United States. It's between a Venezuelan oil company and a company linked to the Pentagon. And she will be looking for that
legitimacy of being Venezuela's interim leader.
The question that many have is, will she get that legitimacy from this visit, from her praise of Trump, from the praise of the deal? And what
comes next? Will there be elections in Venezuela or not? Spoke to the foreign minister of Italy yesterday, Antonio Tajani, and he said they're
expecting elections in one or two years. And a lot of people in Venezuela weren't expecting that kind of timeline that seems to be where things are
going, Jim.
SCIUTTO: Yes. I mean, let's be frank, it's already been close to a year, right, since the operation to remove Nicolas Maduro. Where is the
Venezuelan opposition with all this? I've spoken with them, interviewed them. They are certainly pushing for elections. And I know that they don't
want to get on President Trump's wrong side so they don't publicly criticize him. But when they hear one to two years, I mean, that can't be a
welcome thought.
LOPEZ: Well, right now it's key. Maria Corina Machado, the opposition leader who couldn't run for president but was behind the candidacy of
Edmundo Gonzalez, hasn't been able to return. She hasn't gotten the green light from President Trump and the Trump administration, who has openly
said he's focused on this deal, over 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil to be extracted. And he said yesterday the U.S. and Venezuela control most
of the oil's world. So, that's where his priorities are. That's where the priorities are before this election.
And so, I guess the Venezuelan opposition is going to have to wait. But for now, there doesn't seem to be a call for elections. And Delcy Rodriguez
went to New York, she met with the president, published a picture with President Trump, and now she will be addressing the General Assembly as
Venezuela's interim president. So, power is in Delcy Rodriguez, and she is surrounded by the same people that were governing with Nicolas Maduro when
the U.S. considered that government a dictatorship.
SCIUTTO: Juan Carlos, thanks so much. And we'll, of course, continue to monitor the U.N. for those comments from the acting president of Venezuela.
Still ahead, my conversation with the European Commission vice president and foreign minister, Kaja Kallas. I asked her about the possibility of
kinetic Russian attacks on Europe and whether she thinks the U.S. has Europe's back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:35:00]
SCIUTTO: Welcome back. Russia says that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed Ukraine on the
sidelines of the General Assembly here today. Rubio has now invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend this year's G20 summit in Miami. Putin
has not attended a G20 since he launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUBIO: You know, these are very nice meetings, but nothing happens. In order to solve problems, you have to meet with people that you disagree
with or the people that you might have some issues with. So, we've invited President Putin to the G20. We think it's an opportunity for him to engage
not just with the president but with other world leaders. We hope that's an invitation he'll accept.
There's an opportunity in December if that happens. If there's another opportunity for them to meet. And there's a purpose behind the meeting,
that would be good. They've had conversations on the phone numerous now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: So, what's Europe's reaction? Foreign Policy Chief of the E.U., Kaja Kallas, I asked her earlier today for her response to that invitation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAJA KALLAS, EUROPEAN UNION'S FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF: It was very hard to hear. I mean, considering that a few days ago there were Russian
intelligence officers charged for murders of Americans on American soil. So, my question is, do these intelligence officers operate alone or do they
get orders from Vladimir Putin? And I can tell you they get orders from President Putin. So, really very, very hard to understand this treatment of
him.
SCIUTTO: How will the other partners respond? How should they respond?
KALLAS: Well, this is all very fresh. So, we need to discuss amongst ourselves. But it's very clear why Putin wants this. He wants to show that
nothing to see here. You know, I'm a leader amongst the other world leaders. There's nothing wrong. But actually, why would the Western world
want -- or the Americans want a person who has ordered killings of people in a situation where the last two months have been the deadliest for
Ukrainian civilians throughout this war. And why? Because they are not making advances on the battlefield.
So, they are attacking the civilians to cause as much harm and suffering as possible. And this is on the orders of Vladimir Putin.
SCIUTTO: Zelenskyy came here in part to ask for more help, including from the U.S. Do you believe he will leave here with any additional help?
Certainly, from Europe, but from the U.S. as well?
[18:40:00]
KALLAS: I certainly do hope that he gets more help from the Americans because I heard that they had a good meeting yesterday with President Trump
and hopefully so because they really need air defense to defend their people. And also, the calls for Vladimir Putin to actually do a ceasefire,
stop attacking civilians and sit down in a negotiation table. But they have to negotiate with Ukraine because they have to agree.
SCIUTTO: Yes. Tell me about Russia's expanding attacks on Europe. Has Europe figured out how to respond yet?
KALLAS: Well, we have a Russia hybrid strategy in place and we have actually, you know, different tools that we are using. We have these, of
course, sanctions that we are putting in place immediately. We have this information sharing to actually prevent these attacks from happening.
Also, you know, these so-called diplomats that are in European countries that are actually organizing this kind of petty criminals to do the
sabotage acts. So, we are also discussing the visas regime so that there wouldn't be touristic visas issued to Russians because actually this is
where, you know, it all comes together. So, we are working on different tools.
SCIUTTO: OK. The U.S. president, though, has not condemned these attacks. Not publicly, at least. Marco Rubio has said, well, perhaps we're
delivering other messages to Russia in private. Do you feel that the U.S. has Europe's back?
KALLAS: Well, it is, of course, hard to see that this pressure is not really there that we want to see because if we act together with the U.S.,
with the U.K., with Europe, then we are actually very powerful to push this through.
I mean, we are hopeful that this Graham Bill that is giving the president also the possibility to put harder sanctions on Russia that actually this
would be put into effect so there would be put more pressure on Russia so that they would actually negotiate in good spirit.
SCIUTTO: When -- as -- in public, at least, there seems to be some debate as to the possibility of a direct military attack on NATO allies by Russia.
You have some, including Estonian officials, saying, let's not exaggerate the likelihood of such an attack. Where do you stand on that? Do you think
Russia might very well carry out kinetic action?
KALLAS: Well, this is very much interlinked to the way we are preparing for our own defenses because the more we invest in defense and actually
procure the capabilities that we need, the more it works as a deterrence to Russia. So, the stronger we are, the more likely it is that Russia is not
taking the step. And again, I mean, we have to be really united, and there also U.S. has said that the NATO Article 5, attack on one is attack on all,
is really applicable. So, I think this acts as a deterrence.
But yes, we see that Russians have these plans, but we have to make sure that these plans will not materialize.
SCIUTTO: OK. You met with Iranians here as part of your work. Do you see a pathway to a peaceful end to the Iran war, to negotiations?
KALLAS: Clearly, there has to be a diplomatic solution because this war does not end with a military solution. The regional actors, I mean the Gulf
countries as well as us, we are constantly in contact to really actually give the message to both parties that there has to be a negotiated
solution. Now, the problem is that there is genuine mistrust between Iran and U.S., and that is not a very fertile ground to any kind of agreements.
SCIUTTO: With regards to the Strait of Hormuz, of course the E.U. has condemned Iranian attacks there. Do you believe the E.U. should contribute
more, whether that is right up to and including military assets to help open the Strait?
KALLAS: Well, our member states have given air defense capabilities to Gulf countries to actually fight back the missiles that come to their
direction. We have three military or naval operations, or actually one naval operation as speeders that is right now operating in the Red Sea, but
can also operate in the Strait of Hormuz.
[18:45:00]
So, it needs more naval assets. We are working on that, but we are willing to be also a security provider in the region.
SCIUTTO: A number of European officials, but also officials from America's allies in Asia and Canada as well, have said publicly and some have told me
privately that they don't trust the U.S. to the degree they did in the past to come to their defense as a true ally. Do you believe the U.S. can still
be trusted to fulfill that role?
KALLAS: Well, yes, trust is a very delicate thing. I mean, it's like a vase. If you break it, glue it back together, it's not the same vase,
right? So, clearly, there are issues with this, but at the same time also president's words matter. He has said that Article 5 is sacrosanct, so we
take the president of the United States of these words.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: My conversation there with the E.U.'s Chief of Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas. Last year the E.U. went out of its way to find a home in
Europe for Canada with the offer of associate membership. This comes as Ottawa faces tariffs and diplomatic and economic pressure from President
Donald Trump. I asked the Canadian Foreign Minister if the rift in that relationship will outlast Trump's time in office.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANITA ANAND, CANADIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: I would actually say that the relationship continues along a number of metrics. Trade is one of those
metrics. The prime minister and the president do speak frequently. I speak with Secretary Rubio frequently, and our respective counterparts are in
constant touch. And that's the reality of the Canada-U.S. relationship.
It's complex, it's longstanding, and we will continue to work where possible within this frame of principled pragmatism. And we look forward to
continue to work together. As I said in my conversation with Secretary Rubio this week, we were able to reach common ground on issues such as
Arctic security, an issue that's absolutely central to both of our countries. And this is the work we'll continue to do together. So, more
work ahead.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: You can hear the rest of my interview with the Canadian Foreign Minister, Anita Anand, in full on Thursday's show.
Still to come on "The Brief" tonight, the result of an emergency hearing over CNN and two other news outlets, White House access. We're going to go
live to Washington next.
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SCIUTTO: A federal judge did not yet issue a ruling after an emergency hearing into a lawsuit filed by CNN, MS NOW, and Politico. President Donald
Trump, you'll remember, banned all three news outlets from the White House last week. The judge says he will respond as soon as he can. The news
organizations argue the ban is unconstitutional. The Justice Department is citing national security concerns.
[18:50:00]
Joining us now is Katelyn Polantz, who's been covering this. And, Katelyn, it's an interesting, and one might say new, argument that the government is
putting forward, right? Because President Trump, when he announced the ban, said it was because the coverage, the news coverage by CNN and others, was
critical, too critical of him. But now they're doing this based on national security grounds? Explain.
KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: A new and very aggressive argument from the Justice Department, including to the judge,
the way they explained it at the hearing. This is Justice Department attorney Michael Vilcek. He told the judge that if a news organization,
even if it's not their White House press pass holders, their White House correspondents, if a news organization publishes classified information or
information, they believe could be a national security risk, that the White House teams could be a national security risk, that is a bridge too far,
and those news organizations would not be trusted by the president and thus should not be able to enter the White House grounds with a hard pass.
Now, that is quite an astonishing argument from the Justice Department. We've never heard something like this from them before in any of these
cases over the last 50 years related to press passes and access to covering the president. But this hearing, it actually could be something much less
grandiose that the judge needs to decide.
It could be a hearing that entirely is a question of whether the news outlets, CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, were given proper notice that their
White House press passes might be revoked and that they were given enough time for the journalists at those outlets who were White House press corps
members that they could respond.
The judge, there's pretty clear law that's existed for a long time on that regard. They can't just -- the White House just can't abruptly drop
people's press passes. That is the case law in Washington, D.C. that would also be binding on this judge here, Judge Timothy Kelly.
SCIUTTO: OK.
POLANTZ: As of now, the press passes haven't been restored, Jim, but we are waiting for a decision at any time from Judge Kelly about what will
happen next.
SCIUTTO: OK. And once that decision comes, is that the final word?
POLANTZ: It is very likely not the final word unless the White House were to back down or work out an agreement with the news organizations. We would
also have to see exactly what Judge Kelly would do. We're waiting to see how far he would go. Does he address First Amendment arguments? Does he
address the national security argument the Justice Department is making, or does he just make a decision based on they get the passes back or they
don't get the passes back? That's what's happening right now.
It's very possible, though, this case could go on and not just before Judge Kelly. It could go on before Judge Kelly. There could be more evidence.
There could be collection of information. And then, of course, the Justice Department has indicated already, and Donald Trump, too, has said if they
lose at this stage, they would very much like to appeal. Jim.
SCIUTTO: It wouldn't be the first time. Katelyn Polantz, thanks so much.
In today's Business Breakout, red arrows across the board on Wall Street with the NASDAQ pulling back from record highs. Stocks fell after the
benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yield jumped to over 5.1 percent. That is the highest level in almost two decades. Yields jumped after the release of
stronger-than-expected U.S. economic data. Fed Governor Michael Barr warned today that more interest rate hikes could be necessary to help bring
inflation down. Traders now see a 68 percent chance of another Fed hike next month.
In the energy markets, diesel futures fell on a report from Politico that the Trump administration will soon announce a 90-day export ban on the
fuel. The White House, however, denies that story. Diesel prices have risen to record highs due to the Iran war and Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy
facilities.
Checking some of today's other business headlines, the leaders of artificial intelligence firms OpenAI, Anthropic, and Hugging Face addressed
the U.N. General Assembly today amid growing debate and fears over A.I. safety. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told the Security Council governments must be
involved in regulating in A.I., saying safety is far too important to be left to the companies alone. Anthropic CEO Dario Amadei told the council
A.I. could indeed be a risk to humanity itself if humanity manages it poorly.
An A.I. scandal is unfolding now in the world of French publishing. Publishers of the novel "It Was Either That or Die" are defending its
author over accusations he used A.I. to write the bestselling book. The author denies that.
[18:55:00]
Allegations surfaced after a group said on X, formerly Twitter, that it ran passages of the book through an A.I. detection tool. That tool claims it
can detect A.I. writing with almost 100 percent accuracy. Royal Caribbean has announced a major investment in resort chain sandals. The cruise firm
says it will take a 50 percent equity stake in sandals for $3 billion. It's the largest deal in Royal Caribbean's history. This comes as the cruise
liner looks to expand its operations and cater to customers who prefer land-based resorts to floating out there at sea.
And finally, before we go this hour, money does not need to be hidden in a mattress. In Italy, police say they found more than 3 million euros in cash
hidden all over an apartment. It was under floor tiles, behind walls, and in secret drawers. Officers carried the bundles of 50 euro notes in mop
buckets. The raid in Naples led to 34 arrests. Police seized 11 Rolex watches, guns, and drug paraphernalia as well. The raid part of a month-
long sting operation.
Thanks so much for joining me today. Lots of news today. I'm Jim Sciutto at the U.N. You've been watching "The Brief." Please do stay with CNN.
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