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One World with Zain Asher

Peace Talks Proceed as Russia, Ukraine Launch Strikes; Pentagon Threatens Senator Kelly Over "Illegal Orders" Video; U.S. Designates Maduro as Member of Foreign Terrorist Organization; Zelenskyy: "Many Prospects" for Peace after Talks with U.S.; New X Feature Amplifies Concern of Foreign Influence in U.S.; New Crystal Ball Unveiled for Times Square Celebration. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired November 25, 2025 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ZAIN ASHER, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: U.S. official says Ukraine has agreed to a deal to end Russia's war. "One World" starts right now. President Zelenskyy

says more work needs to be done on the peace plan as we wait to see Russia's official response while negotiations with the Kremlin are

underway.

Plus, the U.S. President has a new target as he ramps up attacks on his political foes. Senator Mark Kelly, a retired navy captain and a decorated

war hero. And some high profile social media accounts on X to identify themselves as America First may not actually be coming from America at all.

All right, coming to you live from New York. I'm Zain Asher, and you are watching "One World". We begin with an intense push to bring peace to

Ukraine and narrow the gap between Kyiv and Moscow to achieve that goal. A U.S. official says Ukraine has agreed to deal with only minor details

outstanding, but public statements from key players are actually much more nuanced than that.

Earlier in a social media post, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said there's a path to peace, but much work still lies ahead. Russia's

Foreign Minister says Moscow had welcomed Donald Trump's original 28-point piece proposal, seen as highly favorable to Russia, that plan has been

pared back to a 19-point plan after talks in Geneva, reportedly without some provisions deemed unacceptable by Ukraine.

Sergey Lavrov accused Europe and Ukraine of trying to twist the original plan. This also comes as the so-called Coalition of the Willing hold a

virtual call today, and as U.S. and Russian officials meet in Abu Dhabi to discuss the U.S. peace plan. A Ukrainian official says Zelenskyy could

visit the U.S. this month to meet the American President and finalize key steps of the deal, a deal that Russia has not yet agreed on.

Meantime, the war rages on. Russia launched a barrage of missiles and drones on Kyiv, killing at least seven people. Ukraine also launched a

drone attack on Russia overnight as well, killing three people. Let's bring in our Clare Sebastian, following all of these developments from London.

So, let's talk about some of the key sticking points. What we know so far is that an American official essentially said that Ukrainian delegation had

agreed to most of this plan, but there were some minor details remaining. The Ukrainians, on the other hand, saying they're actually quite

significant details that still need to be worked out. What do we know for sure at this point Clare? And what are some of those sticking points?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah Zain. I think that comment from the U.S. official this afternoon that Ukraine had apparently agreed to most

of a peace proposal is a bit of a red herring, because I think we already sort of knew that, in part, Secretary of State, Rubio came out of those

talks in Geneva on Sunday saying that a lot of progress had made, had been made.

There were a few things still outstanding, but they were not insurmountable. We've had also from the White House Press Secretary,

Karoline Leavitt, this afternoon, who said that there are a few delicate but not insurmountable details that must be sorted out she wrote on X.

And of course, the Ukrainian side is playing it down a little bit, saying that there's more work to be done the words of President Zelenskyy. And we

heard from one of the key negotiators, Rustem Umerov, who's a former defense minister, who said our delegation has reached a common

understanding on the core terms of the agreement discussed in Geneva.

So that is where we are. They are apparently making progress, but certainly the deal is not done yet. And we have to be very clear that even if the

U.S. and Ukraine do agree on a peace proposal, that doesn't mean there is a peace deal in place for a diplomatic solution to this war.

Because, of course, the big obstacle here, and the big obstacle that has been there throughout these nine months of the Trump Administration trying

to end this war diplomatically, is that Russia is not prepared to compromise.

And we have heard again from the Russian Foreign Minister today saying, look, there were agreements reached at the Alaska talks over the summer.

The 28-point peace plan, he believes, reflects those. And Russia, he said, would be in a different situation if the new peace plan, the revisions

reached in Geneva, are different to that, or deviate from that in any way.

So, in other words, they are sticking to their maximalist positions in that 28-point peace plan, where clauses such as Ukraine would have to withdraw

from territory it still controls, would have to commit to never joining NATO, all of which are unacceptable to Ukraine.

So right now, there's something that Ukraine might be mostly on board with, that the U.S. has proposed. Russia likes the 28-point peace plan that

leaked out next week, but nothing will be resolved unless they can both at least start negotiations based on one document, Zain.

ASHER: Yeah, and as you point out, Russia is obviously a key player in all of this. And despite what the Americans and Ukrainians end up agreeing to

the key question is, will Russia be on board with this sort of pearl back 19-point plan? Clare Sebastian, you have to leave it there. Thank you so

much.

[11:05:00]

All right, let's bring in, Inna Sovsun, a Member of the Ukrainian Parliament. She joins us live now from Kyiv. Thank you so much for being

with us. I just want to sort of -- sort of dive deeper into what our Clare Sebastian was saying. Obviously, to begin with, we got this 28-point peace

plan that was highly favorable to Russia, that's been watered down or ped back.

Now we have this 19-point peace plan that is a bit more favorable, of course, to the Ukrainians. But even then, we don't necessarily know what --

whether Zelenskyy is going to agree to all of it. It seems as though he says that there is still work to be done. We also don't even know at this

point, what the Russia response is likely going to be.

So, my question to you is, how confident are you that we could actually see a peace deal as a result of all of these negotiations that doesn't involve

Ukraine being forced to capitulate here?

INNA SOVSUN, UKRAINIAN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT: Well, as things go, we are, on the one hand, very grateful for the American, for the European, efforts to

bring peace. Trust me, nobody wants peace more than all of us. So, this night, we had yet another nightly attack on Kyiv again with seven people

killed. So, living in this nightmare for years is, of course, very difficult, and we want this war to end.

However, we need it to end on the conditions that will make sure that we will not end up in yet another war. We will not wake up on February 24,

2022 again, unable to defend ourselves and without, you know, any real support from our friends and allies.

So now we wish for this peace deal to come, you know, to come about, however, frankly speaking, there is not much pressure being put onto

Russia. The only concessions that have been debated is, what concessions is Ukraine going to make? What are the concessions that Russia is going to

make?

It seems like the only concession they're willing to make is to stop killing Ukrainians, nothing else. So, there is no real pressure on Russia.

So, when we are talking about like, will they agree to that or not? Why would they? What are they risking? They might continue the war as they're

going now.

They will continue to make money because there are no real, you know, significant sanctions that the EU potential decision on the Russian assets

is also, you know, very vague at the moment. There is no real pressure, on the -- on Putin and his team to actually stop this and to agree to some

concession.

So right now, to us, it seems like we are the only ones who are being pushed into concessions, and then we will end up with a deal that will not

be, you know, really beneficial to Ukrainians.

ASHER: So, let's assume that, you know, based on what you're saying, the Russians, look at this 19-point plan and say, no, we're not going to agree

to this. We're going to be, as our Clare Sebastian was saying, you know, sort of, we're going to force this max -- maximalist agenda. We're going to

be unyielding. We're going to be uncompromising.

And it sort of goes back to the potentially original 28-point plan, which, of course, Zelenskyy is not going to want to agree to. But just explain to

us what are some of the non-starters for the Ukrainian people? Is it this idea of giving up territory?

Is it this idea that Ukraine is going to be banned from joining NATO? Is it this idea of Ukraine being forced to pare back and shrink its military?

Just give us a sense of what are the red lines at this point for the Ukrainians?

SOVSUN: Well, in general, the red lines are basically any points that will risk a new attack for us and creating a situation where we are unable to

protect ourselves, be it the cap on our military. OK, so the 800,000 which are being discussed right now, theoretically, that's already a big army.

Let's imagine a new situation. Five years for from the deal, Russians start accumulating forces across near the Ukrainian border. Ukrainian army says,

OK, we don't have enough people. We need to mobilize new people and we go beyond this gap. And then the Russians are saying, OK, so Ukrainians

actually violating the peace deal, because they suddenly increase the size of their army.

So, we have the right to attack them. And technically they will be correct then, right? So, any cap on the military size is basically undermining our

ability to protect ourselves in the future. So that is very risky. Limiting our sovereignty. Where do we want, which alliances we want to join? How we

decide on our, you know, language policies and all of that.

That's basically just, you know, punishing us for taking up the fight. That that's something that you typically do to an aggressive state. However, the

limitations are being put into the country that has been attacked, and that's extremely unfair. That will create a very strong feeling of

injustice for Ukrainians who have suffered through so much.

And now being forced into a situation which are -- which leads to -- which will create Ukraine into a gray zone that nobody sees their future in. That

is very scary for all of us.

ASHER: And I think one of the other things that I think is quite difficult for the Ukrainians is this idea of not necessarily knowing whether they can

trust the U.S. as a reliable and steady partner, which it has been, obviously before this current administration.

[11:10:00]

Based on that, how does Zelenskyy sort of convince the Trump Administration that, based on what you're saying, Putin cannot be trusted, that there is

no guarantee that even when this document is signed, this peace plan is agreed to that Putin isn't going to circle back in a year or two years or

three years from now to start this war again.

SOVSUN: To be honest, when we read what President Trump is saying about the war, he continues to blame two persons for the war, that is President Joe

Biden and President Zelenskyy. It's so strange that he never blames Putin for attacking, even though that was the direct responsibility of Putin.

He was the one who made the decision to attack, to start the killing and all the other atrocities. But President Trump never blames Putin. He only

blames Zelenskyy and Biden. So, I'm not sure that President Trump is actually convinced that Putin is the real danger here, and that that is, of

course, very scary situation for all of us.

Until President Trump is holding the office with these beliefs, it's going to be very difficult for us to trust any security guarantees coming up from

the U.S. And here the point is, of course, that the U.S. is not even offering significant security guarantees right now.

What we have heard is they are offering an idea that if Ukraine is attacked again, they might have the right to use force, which is, excuse me, not

going to make it for Ukraine. It's not really a security guarantee. It's the -- you know, the Budapest Memorandum that we had, again, where we gave

up our nuclear weapon in exchange for security guarantees which never materialized.

And which led to, you know this breach of that promise has led to thousand people being killed, has to be much stronger security guarantee. And

frankly speaking, in Ukraine right now, people believe that the biggest, strongest guarantee we can have as a strong Ukrainian army.

Unfortunately, we wish there were something stronger, but as of right now, in this political context, I don't think we can fully trust any security

guarantees coming up from the U.S. alone. Maybe with Europe, maybe, if it's legally binding, maybe with the support to the Ukrainian military, but it

has to be, you know, some real strong guarantee for all of us.

ASHER: All right. Inna Sovsun, thank you so much. Appreciate it. All right, the Trump Administration is vowing to appeal after a federal judge

dismissed indictments against two of the president's perceived political enemies, the Former FBI Director, James Comey and New York Attorney General

Letitia James.

The ruling is a major setback to the president's campaign of retribution against his political foes. The judge ruled the cases were invalid because

the prosecutor who brought the charges, Interim U.S. Attorney Lindsay Halligan, had been unlawfully appointed. The Trump Administration says

Monday's ruling will not be the final word on the matter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAM BONDI, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: We'll be taking all available legal action, including an immediate appeal to hold Letitia James and James Comey

accountable for their unlawful conduct. I'm going to keep going on this. I'm not, you know, I'm not. I'm not worried about someone who has been

charged with a very serious crime, his alleged actions were a betrayal of public trust.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: James Comey says it's the government's actions that are a betrayal of American values. Here's how he responded to the judge's decision in a

video post on Instagram.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES COMEY, FORMER FBI DIRECTOR: The President of the United States cannot use the Department of Justice to target his political enemies. I don't care

what your politics are, you have to see that as fundamentally un-American and a threat to the rule of law that keeps all of us free. I know that

Donald Trump will probably come after me again, and my attitude is going to be the same. I'm innocent. I am not afraid, and I believe in an independent

federal judiciary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Letitia James also issued a statement saying I am heartened by today's victory and grateful for the prayers and support I've received from

around the country. I remain fearless in the face of these baseless charges, as I continue fighting for New Yorkers every single day.

Meantime, Senator Mark Kelly remains defiant after the Pentagon threatened to recall him to military service for a possible court marshal. The retired

navy captain and five other Democratic lawmakers released a video last week reminding service members that they have a duty to disobey illegal orders.

It prompted a furious response from President Trump, who called the lawmaker's actions seditious and treason. Kelly says he's standing his

ground and standing up for American service members.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARK KELLY, (D-NJ): So, I'm not going to be silenced. I'm not going to be intimidated. We wanted to just remind folks that they need to comply

with the law and be reminded and also explain to members of the military that we have their backs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[11:15:00]

ASHER: In his latest analysis, CNN's Stephen Collinson writes the Pentagon's move against Kelly, a war hero, shows that president's quest,

the President Trump's quest for vengeance, is endless. And Stephen Collinson joins us live now.

And Stephen, one of the other things you talk about your piece is this idea that there is this interesting juxtaposition, because you have, on the one

hand, this major setback for the Justice Department with its dismissal of these cases against Letitia James and James Comey. On the other hand, they

are back at it with Senator Mark Kelly.

Just explain that to us, because this is something that President Trump campaigned on. Essentially, he is doing exactly what he said he would.

STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Yes. And he is weaponizing the Justice Department and now the Pentagon against his political enemies.

That's something that we haven't seen before. Republicans would argue, well, this is only what happened to Trump under the Biden Administration.

But there were some serious indictments against President Trump and significant evidence, for example, that he tried to overturn the 2020

election. So, I don't think the comparison is particularly apt. I think what the administration's response to the throwing out of the James Comey

and Letitia James cases tells us is that they will continue this as long as they can.

In the case of Comey, who is accused of lying to Congress but has been feuding with the president really almost for a decade now. There are some

questions as to whether the statute of limitations on the alleged offense that is accused of have now lapsed. It may not be possible for them to keep

going after Comey on that same charge.

But I would expect sooner or later, Letitia James, who, let's remember, she achieved a civil judgment against the Trump Organization for fraud. I would

expect her to be charged again with these supposed infringements of mortgage law. So, Trump doesn't forget he's coming after his enemies. It's

a key point of his political program.

I think it's worth asking the question, however, is this what the American people want? Is this what Trump supporters want? And will this help him and

his political predicament that is in right now?

ASHER: I think that what probably surprises a lot of viewers who are watching this around the world is the lack of safeguards in place within

the American political system, the justice system that prevents the president from weaponizing his own departments the federal government,

against political foes.

COLLINSON: Yeah. And so much of the American system relies on the president and the people he appoints safeguarding the system yourself, if you like.

One of the issues that we've been having over this second Trump presidency is that the president recognizes no limits on his power.

He's appointed people who have swept away all the people in the Justice Department who would normally balk at following a president's orders.

There's supposed to be this invisible wall between the Justice Department and the White House, especially since the Watergate scandal in the 1970s

which led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

That has all been obliterated, and what Trump has done is challenge the checks and balance of the American political system by appointing people

who will do exactly what he says. And having a Republican Party in Congress, which is supposed to be another check and balance on the power of

the presidency that is completely abrogated its responsibility for political reasons, and is enabling the president rather than constraining

him.

So, I think when this presidency is eventually done, there's going to be a lot of conversation in Congress about, how do we reign in the president?

But we're at a point now I think when the presidency is more powerful, because of Trump and because of some Supreme Court decisions by the

conservative majority than it has been in many years.

And many people would argue that the system in the United States of checks and balances between Congress, the courts and the presidency is now out of

whack, at least as far as the founders envisaged it 250 years ago.

ASHER: And just in terms of this idea that you know, the U.S. Presidency appears to be all powerful at this point in time. How does it compare to

Donald Trump's first term? Because it appears, at least from my perspective, that he had his first term. He obviously took notes and really

studied what he was going to do the second time around.

And how to get away with it this time around? Just give us that perspective, because the thirst for vengeance this time seems a lot more

insatiable than in Trump 1.0.

[11:20:00]

COLLINSON: Yeah, I think during the first term, there were many more establishment figures who saw their role in the traditional role of

American cabinet secretaries or high officials, which is following the law as they believed it. The guidelines of the Constitution, people like the

Former Chief of Staff, John Kelly, the Former Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, James Mattis, the Former Defense Secretary, all of these people,

in some ways, reigned in the president's wildest impulses.

Trump believes that he was constrained and that they didn't allow him to do exactly what he wanted to do in his first term. So, he determined that

anyone that came into his administration in the second term would not challenge him and would do exactly as he wanted. That's how he got Pete

Hegseth, for example, a former Fox News Anchor at the Defense Department.

Pam Bondi, who you saw there in that clip, the Attorney General. These are people that are more interested in pursuing Donald Trump's agenda than

necessarily following a traditional view of what their jobs entail. So that is the kind of motivating force, as you say, behind Trump's second term.

What's quite interesting we're seeing develop now, though, is that when he came here and he had a very firm set of plans, a lot of this came from

conservative think tanks. Every day there were five or six executive orders. We've worked through that period now, and we're seeing, again,

something we saw in the first term, which is government by Donald Trump's whims, and that is making things a lot more chaotic, and it seems to be

hurting President Trump in the polls.

ASHER: All right, Stephen Commons. And that list, by the way, is very long. It also includes Lindsay Halligan, for example, Kash Patel, the list of

sorts of yes people that he installed this time around. Stephen Collinson, thank you so much. Well, much more on this next hour with our guest Miles

Taylor. He's a Former Chief of Staff at the Department of Homeland Security.

All right, still to come here on "One World", as the U.S. boosts its military presence in Latin America, could Donald Trump and the President of

Venezuela be set for a chat. A report from Caracas coming up for you. And little later, the Trump Administration's plan for refugees who asked for

protection in the U.S. My critics are calling it cruel.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:25:00]

ASHER: All right, we have an update on the jewel heist at the Louver. French police have detained four more suspects in last month's brazen

daytime robbery. Officials say two men and two women from Paris are now in custody and will be questioned. They join four other suspects detained in

October.

Thieves raided the museum's Apollo Gallery on October 19th, making off with crown jewels worth an estimated $102 million. Authorities have still not

located those jewels, by the way. Sources tell CNN, officials are looking at possible direct talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and his

Venezuelan counterpart, Nicholas Maduro.

But one official says that nothing's been set up yet. This comes after the U.S. formally labeled Maduro and his government as members of a foreign

terrorist group with alleged ties to a drug cartel.

The U.S. military has sent more than a dozen warships into the Latin American region and killed dozens of people in boat strikes as part of what

the Pentagon calls an anti-trafficking, anti-drug trafficking campaign, without providing any evidence. Maduro says support for his government is

growing in Venezuela despite American pressure.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICOLAS MADURO, VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT: It is impressive how a movement of solidarity is rising everywhere in support of the victorious effort of the

indestructible people of Venezuela in the face of these threats, psychological, political, diplomatic wars, whatever they do, however they

do it, wherever they do it, they will not be able to defeat Venezuela. We are invincible. Whatever they do, they have not been able to and will never

be able to defeat our homeland never.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Stefano Pozzebon has more on the escalating tensions between Washington and Caracas.

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: The Venezuela President Nicholas Maduro did not personally react to the designation of several members of the

Maduro government, including the President himself, Maduro himself, as members of a supposed foreign terrorist organization called De Cartel De

Los Soles, which is a collective name that members of the press and diplomats here in Venezuela used to refer to the fact that many government

officials in this country are accused of being involved in narco trafficking.

In his weekly TV show late on Monday, Maduro was more-keen to speak about other issues concerning Venezuela and when it came to geopolitics, he made

a reference to talks that he had with Xi Jinping, rather than addressing this new designation.

Earlier on Monday, his government brought in a statement that those accusations are laughable lies. But it's important to point out that

Maduro, especially in his shows and his appearances, as he appears on TV here, almost on a daily basis, is really portraying the message that

nothing of that pressure coming down from Washington is breaking through.

That nothing of these pressures is changing anything for regular Venezuela's who are going on, frankly, with our daily lives, even after 16

weeks of a standoff between Washington and Caracas. And all of this is happening as our team in Washington was able to confirm that the White

House has been given an option to hold a direct phone call between Nicolas Maduro himself and the President Donald Trump.

A direct phone call that would lead, of course, to more formal negotiations, even though, as we just said, Maduro has just been designated

a member of a foreign terrorist organization. We understand that President Donald Trump has not made a final decision on whether to take that call,

although he did say that he was open to speaking in person with Maduro in the past for CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Caracas.

ASHER: All right, still to come, an American official says Ukraine has agreed to deal to end Russia's war. But what is Moscow saying?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:30:00]

ASHER: Welcome back to "One World". I'm Zain Asher in New York. Here is in the headlines, we are watching for you today. A U.S. official is saying

Ukraine has agreed to a peace deal to end the war with Russia, with the exception of minor details that still needs to be sorted out.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier there was still too much work to do. A lot of work to be done. Ukraine, says Zelenskyy is

expected to visit the U.S. in the coming days to discuss the outstanding matters with President Donald Trump.

Russia launched a new wave of attacks on Ukraine overnight. Kyiv says 22 missiles and more than 400 drones were launched targeting the energy

industry civilian infrastructure and ports. Officials say residential buildings were also hit, leaving seven people dead and at least 13 injured.

The controversial U.S. and Israel backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says it's winding down its operations in the territory. The GHF had already

closed its food distribution sites after the U.S. brokered ceasefire took effect six weeks ago. Since the foundation began operating in May, its

attempts to distribute aid were plagued by problems and repeated deadly incidents. According to the UN more than 2100 starving Palestinians were

killed while seeking aid.

At least 19 people across Southern Thailand have died and thousands more on evacuation centers after what's being described as a once in a 300-year

storm. Most of those deaths were caused by electrocution and flood related accidents. Some areas have recorded nearly 400 millimeters of accumulated

rain, and the Thai Navy has been deployed to help flood victims.

All right, let's go back to our top story, the efforts to end Russia's war in Ukraine. An American official says the Ukraine has agreed to a peace

proposal, saying the only minor details, only minor details remain, according to Ukraine's President Zelenskyy, there's still work to do, but

he spoke positively about the prospects for peace after talking with U.S. negotiators.

Right now, discussions are taking place among the so-called Coalition of the Willing who have pledged to support Ukraine. We're expecting the

Ukrainian President is to address that meeting as well. The Ukrainian official says that Zelenskyy is expected to visit the U.S. very soon, to

hang out the remaining points of a deal with President Trump.

As for Russia, the Foreign Minister says any revised peace plan must reflect the spirit and letter of what was agreed to at the Trump Putin

Summit in Alaska.

[11:35:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: We have channels of communication with our American colleagues, and they are being used. And we are awaiting

their version, which they consider an interim version in terms of completing the phase of coordinating this text with the Europeans and

Ukrainians.

Then we will see, because if the spirit and letter of anchorage are lost in the key understandings we have documented, then of course, the situation

will be fundamentally different. But so far, I repeat, no one has officially communicated anything to us

on this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: For more on this let's bring in the Former Director of Policy Planning at NATO Fabrice Pothier. Fabrice, thank you so much for being with

us. We just heard Sergey Lavrov speaking there. So, this idea that the Russians are likely going to be uncompromising and unyielding with this new

sort of 19-point plan.

And wanting it to sort of revert back to the 28-point plan, is something that a lot of Ukrainians and a lot of experts who are watching this very

closely fear. I mean, based on that, how optimistic are you that we could actually end up with a peace deal after negotiations are said and done

here?

FABRICE POTHIER, FOREMER DIRECTOR OF POLICY PLANNING, NATO: The reality, frankly, is that we have been there. We have seen that already few times

where you had this big push by Trump, pushing both sides, but unfortunately, especially Ukraine. And then somehow European diplomats and

Ukrainian diplomats managed to save the day, come up with a better compromise and more balance draft.

And then Russia was kind of sitting and waiting to basically shoot down the final proposal. I think the bottom line, unless there is a dramatic change

in the Kremlin Vladimir Putin doesn't see the need to go for compromises. He is willing to see this and to go through a few more years of war with

the support of China and with the fact that his forces is not winning, but he's not losing either.

So, I think it will take something more dramatic coming from Washington and from your own president to put much more pressure on Vladimir Putin if we

are to come closer to peace.

ASHER: Yeah. What will motivate Vladimir Putin to compromise, especially given what's happening on the battlefield. You're right, the Russians

aren't necessarily winning. They're not losing, but they do have a massive advantage when it comes to manpower, and that is what's keeping them going

here, the sheer size of the Russian army.

So, based on that, what will actually get the Russians to be much more willing to compromise?

POTHIER: Well, sadly, it's not just the sheer size of the Russian army. Is the sheer capacity of accepting huge death toll and casualties every single

day. I think that's the thing that is really disturbing here, which no democracy, including Ukraine, fighting for its own territory, can accept. I

think what it would take is probably two things.

First is economic pressure, not especially coming from the United States, quite dramatic sanctions on both the oil and gas industry, but also

possibly on swift transaction. And then it will also take, I think, military, some form of military escalation, where the Ukrainians will be

given more means to exert more pressure and put more cost on Russian forces and Russian logistics.

That was the core of the tomahawk episode, which is already behind us, but you could see that the Kremlin was in panic mode when the tomahawk came

close to actually become a reality.

ASHER: And finally, when you think about some of the points that are in the 28 the original 28-point plan. This idea that Ukraine has to shrink its

army. This idea that it can't join NATO at a later date. Just in terms of that, I mean, that is a big issue for the Ukrainians, because there's no

guarantee that Russia isn't going to turn around in a couple of years from now and re invade Ukraine.

So how do we guard against that? That is a fear. I mean, I just spoke to Ukrainian MP about this. That is sort of the major fear at this point in

Kyiv.

POTHIER: Well, I think make no mistake, if Ukraine is not able to defend itself against a million plus soldier army, like the Russian army, Ukraine

will obviously be extremely vulnerable, but European defense and security also, and by extent U.S. interest, don't forget that Europe is not just a

place where you have U.S. soldiers.

It's an important platform for the U.S. global posture, including in the wider Middle East. So, I think Ukraine and then Europe being in danger or

being too weak will actually have repercussions all the way to Washington. And I think that's what some Indian Administration and the State of

Secretary Rubio was one of them have understood from the onset and have tried to correct.

[11:40:00]

ASHER: All right Fabric Pothier live for us there. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

POTHIER: Thank you.

ASHER: The Trump White House is planning to take an unprecedented step in its crackdown on immigration. Internal memo says the administration wants

to interview certain refugees admitted to the U.S. during the Presidency of Joe Biden. The move could reopen the cases of thousands who asked for U.S.

protection. Critics say subjecting them to a new review would be cruel. CNN's Priscilla Alvarez has more.

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Trump Administration is targeting one of the world's most vulnerable populations as part of its immigration

crackdown. This time eyeing refugees who have already been admitted to the United States. Now, refugees must show that they were persecuted or face

persecution in their home country.

They go through a process abroad and must go through rigorous vetting and checks before arriving to the United States. Now the Trump Administration

is moving toward and has ordered a review of all of those who were admitted during the Biden Administration.

Now, according to federal data between fiscal years 2021 and fiscal year 2025 which would again cover that period of time, there are around 235,000

refugees who entered the United States again having gone through that years-long process and being approved by multiple layers and checks.

Now what the administration is trying to do here is re-interview some of those as part of this review. Now those interviews are expected to ensure

that refugees met the criteria when they were admitted to the United States. And if they don't, the agency, in this case, U.S. citizenship and

immigration services could terminate their status. And according to the memo that we obtained, have no option to appeal that decision.

Another part of this memo is putting on hold pending applications for those refugees who are adjusting status. Now this is important and unique to

refugees in the United States. According to U.S. law, a year after refugees have entered the United States, they are to apply for permanent status in

the country.

So now the administration ordering that those applications be put on hold until some date yet to be determined. Now, I spoke to a refugee advocate

who said the following quote, just the threat of this is unspeakably cruel to threaten refugees with taking away their status would be re traumatizing

and a vicious misuse of taxpayer money.

Certainly, according to the sources I've been speaking to, this is a stunning turn for again, a population that does go through multiple checks

before ever arriving to the United States. The Trump Administration, however, taking this approach because they say it is to ensure that all of

those who were admitted do not pose a national security or public safety threat.

We reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and the White House for comment and have yet to hear back. Back to you.

ASHER: All right, thanks to CNN's Priscilla Alvarez for that report. All right, still ahead on "One World", X rolls out a new feature revealing

where social media accounts are actually located. We'll explain why the update is sending shock waves to the world of U.S. politics?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:45:00]

ASHER: All right, the social media platform X is introducing a new feature that allows users to see where other accounts are located. The update aims

to bring more transparency to sources of online information, and it's already begun exposing pockets of foreign influence in U.S. politics. CNN's

Hadas Gold explains.

HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The X Account MAGA Nation with nearly 400,000 followers, boasts itself as standing strong with President Trump

and America First. With post after post backing Trump, but one click shows it's based in Eastern Europe.

One of its most popular posts about the Epstein files has been viewed 1.9 million times. It's just one of a number of popular political accounts,

mainly pro Trump, outed when Elon Musk's X rolled out a new feature that shows where accounts are actually located. From Russia to Nigeria dozens of

accounts revealed to be based outside of the United States.

Another this account named America First featuring the image of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. It's operated by someone based in

Bangladesh, posting things like this image, saying President Trump will go down in history as the greatest president of all time.

Even President Trump himself reposting several accounts that are not from the United States on his Truth Social platform. Like this account called

Commentary Donald Trump posting about whether foreign born citizens should be barred from running for office. The account itself based in Africa.

The revelations bringing back memories of 2016 when Russian state-run networks of fake accounts and bogus online personas tried to influence that

year's election by boosting Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEH JOHNSON, FORMER U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: It's going to get worse before it gets better. And bad cyber actors all the time are more and

more ingenious, more tenacious and more aggressive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLD: While it's not clear any of these accounts are from a coordinated foreign influence campaign experts say there are financial and political

incentives behind such accounts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE SHAPIRO, PROFESSOR, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY: There are some people who hop on lots of different issues that can get attention and therefore drive

revenue and monetization and ads. And then there are people who have political goals, both benign and more malign foreign countries that have

organizations that are dedicated to try and shape U.S. politics.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLD: While X has suspended some of the MAGA accounts, the company did not respond to a request for comment. Its head of product said the new feature

is an important first step to securing the integrity of the global Town Square wall warning, there were still some kinks to work out on the

feature.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHAPIRO: Well, I think X and many other companies have an existential problem that's coming, which is it's going to become increasingly hard to

figure out what is real human and what is AI agents.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLD: We don't know yet whether any of these accounts are part of a coordinated foreign influence campaign. Researchers are now digging into

this data, but it's important to remember that X now incentivizes creators on its platform, so the more posts and engagement and followers that people

have, they can get paid actual money as a result of that engagement.

And a lot of these accounts that were revealed to be run from other countries, they posted a lot of sorts of questions and polls to try to get

people to engage with their content. But what this teaches us is that a lot of things on social media need to be viewed through a skeptical lens,

because a lot of accounts and even follower counts can be bought.

They can be automated. They can be generated by artificial intelligence, and as we're seeing from this news now, a lot of them can be run from

foreign countries. Hadas Gold, CNN, New York.

ASHER: All right, coming up, Christmas shopping season is upon us, and hefty price tags are affecting both buyers and sellers. We'll explain after

the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:50:00]

ASHER: One of Europe's most iconic squares is getting gussied up for the holidays as Berlin's Jen De Man Market. Christmas market returns to its

historic spot after a two-year location owed to renovation works. The market has reopened featuring angels suspended from cranes, live music and

festive characters.

Our security remains a concern after last year's deadly attack on the Magdeburg, Christmas Market, up to 1 million attendees are still expected

ahead of closing on New Year's Eve. And as Christmas markets welcome eager Christmas shoppers across Europe and the U.S., the High Street is also

bracing for the holiday season as well.

But it's not just gift buying that can be expensive. Sellers will also bear the brunt of hefty price tags as well. CNN's Anna Cooban explains.

ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS & ECONOMICS REPORTER: I'm standing on the most expensive retail strip in the world. New Bond Street in London has

overtaken Milan and New York as the priciest place to be selling stuff to the ultra-wealthy.

According to a new report from commercial real estate company Cushman and Wakefield, rents over the last year on New Bond Street increased by 22

percent to over $2,200 per square foot per year. Rents in New York on Upper Fifth Avenue stayed at around $2,000 per square foot.

And losing the top spot is Milan's Fashion District Via Monte Napoleon again, there have been no rent increases this year. So why are these luxury

brands scrambling for a spot on this sidewalk. Burberry, it's an iconic British fashion brand, and the company recently posted its first quarter of

growth in two years.

Now, his CEO, Joshua Shulman, has talked recently about the importance of going back to basics, displaying the iconic scarves and trench coats in the

shop windows. And the report by Cushman & Wakefield has made it clear that how important it is for brands to really lean into their flagship stores,

being in person, smelling, touching, sealing the clothes that is really good for business.

It's not just coats and scarves that are really pushing up the rents here. I'm here between Burlington Gardens and Clifford Street. Now this is the

most hotly contested slice of retail real estate in the world right now, and it's where you get your diamonds.

It's so easy to get swept up in the glitz and glamor before you remember the price tag. I guess I'll just settle for a spot of window shopping. Most

people will do their shopping a stone's throw from here, neither Oxford Street or Regent Street, but even there, there have been double digit rent

increases. So, it's going to be an expensive Christmas, not just for shoppers, but for the shops. Anna Cooban, CNN, London.

ASHER: New Crystal Ball will be dropped in New York's Times Square this year to ring in 2026. The ball unveiled Monday has almost 5300 water, food

crystals, nearly twice as many as the last one. It also has circular crystals for the first time as well. This is only the ninth time the ball

has been updated since the tradition began in 1907.

[11:55:00]

And finally, this hour, justice will be served at the White House. Next hour, as U.S. President Donald Trump spares a pair of Turkeys from

Thanksgiving Rose Gobble and Waddle will join the list of Pardons Trump has dished out as part of a yearly presidential tradition that provides some

levity in the midst of plenty of heavy political turmoil.

Weighing in at 52 and 50 pounds, respectively, the turkeys rode the gravy train to Washington from North Carolina before spending a lush night at an

intercontinental hotel suite close to the White House. This will be Trump's fifth Turkey Pardon. All right, stay with us. I will have much more "One

World" after the short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END