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>> it's monday, february. >> 24th, right now. >> on cnn this morning. >> what we are witnessing are illegal actions by elon musk. >> the majority. >> of the american. >> people want to make sure that their taxpayers are being used correctly. >> respond or resign. it is deadline day for millions of federal workers scrambling to answer an ominous email from elon musk that may determine the future of their. >> employment. >> plus. >> after three. >> years of war, questions mount about ukraine's future and the security of an entire. >> continent. >> why ukraine's president says he's ready to step down under certain conditions. and pope francis in critical condition. we'll have the latest vatican update on the new health issue facing the 88 year old pontiff. >> it is 5.

>> a.m. here on the east coast. you are looking at a live picture of the capitol dome here in washington, d.c. good morning everyone. i'm kayla tausche in for kasie hunt. it's wonderful to have you with us. already reeling from firing threats, layoffs and funding freezes, the federal workforce now faces a new deadline to justify their jobs by email or be let go. the deadline comes as 2000 usaid workers were laid off sunday night, and the vast majority of remaining full time staffers were told they are now being placed on administrative leave. >> this is. >> the chainsaw. >> for bureaucracy. >> and elon musk isn't done with his chainsaw. setting off another moment of panic for the federal workforce. over the weekend, the world's richest man firing off a post saying all federal employees must respond to an email detailing what they got done last week. failing to respond by midnight tonight will be taken, musk says as a

resignation. the effort seemingly getting the full support of president trump, who sent out this meme starring spongebob squarepants where he implied the responses from workers might include things about crying, like crying about trump or reading some emails. but not every agency is playing. along with musk's latest attempt to slice the federal workforce. senior leadership at several agencies, leaders that were in many cases appointed by president trump himself, are telling employees not to respond, including the fbi, the state department and the national security agency. republican senators are also pushing back. alaska senator lisa murkowski calling out musk on social media, saying he should, quote, learn about the jobs he's trying to cut, adding, quote, our public workforce deserves to be treated with dignity and respect for the jobs they perform. the absurd weekend email to justify their existence. wasn't it?

>> if i could say one thing to elon musk, it's like, please put a dose of compassion in this. these are real people. these are real lives. these are mortgages. we it's a false narrative to say we have to cut, and you have to be cruel to do it as well. we can do both. >> joining me now is kevin fry, washington correspondent for spectrum news new york one. kevin, good to see you. thank you for being here. so what did you make of this latest missive from musk? after what appeared to be several deep cuts and wide cuts across several agencies, probationary employees, now they're going after non essential workers. and now it appears the entire federal workforce. >> right. >> i mean it's just another moment. >> of. chaos for a lot of these federal workers. i was texting with one last night and she said that this is incredibly stressful and that her anxiety is at a different level because of this. so she was already concerned, based on the various emails and orders they were getting. and this just adds another, um, element to that. the thing that's rather remarkable that you just kind of touched on was the fact that this is now creating this sort

of, um, the potential for internal fighting within the administration where you have different fiefdoms basically pushing back on elon musk. so you have various factions of the trump loyalists, essentially, that are running these various agencies, basically saying, you know what? don't comply with what elon musk is doing, and does that set up potential fights down the road is something i would be keeping an eye on. the other component about this that is, uh, quite interesting is the fact that this is, um, well, it's it's sending kind of a message to these workers that look, uh, your job should be very simply a list of five bullet points. and what are you doing to comply with that? and it's just not clear that. >> they need to have an elevator pitch for your. >> last week. >> of work. um, what's interesting is veteran pollster and communications strategist frank luntz also talked about some of these cuts and the risk that the trump administration is facing from the public as some of these attacks on the federal workforce seem to mount daily. um, i want to play what he said and get your response to it.

>> the overall objectives and the goals and the general policies behind what's been happening is approved of the way it's being communicated to the american people. no, they don't want to chainsaw drop brought to the government. they don't want this this seeming meanness as part of public policy. they do want the objectives. they do want less waste, less fraud, and most importantly, less corruption. and so they back the president and his administration generically on what he's trying to do. but the language and the communication, the messaging is over the top. >> is over the top. i mean, what what essentially do you think is the mandate from the american people based on your reporting? and how does that potentially jive with the way that musk is going about this? >> i mean, that's the thing like, this is where the rubber meets the road, right? i mean, like you talk in conceptual, you campaign on conceptual that there's all this waste, fraud and abuse. but when you start

actually like impacting people's lives and cutting services and reducing, uh, you know, the workforce and putting people in this kind of traumatizing position that creates the potential for political backlash, which is what we're seeing at some of these town halls over the last few days where people, members of the american public. now, whether or not this becomes replicated and it actually is kind of a tea party sort of response, or if this is just a few select cases, remains to be seen. but this creates the environment where you can see pushback from the american public. and democrats, i should say, are also kind of latching on to this. um, luntz just kind of hit on something that senator schumer has been making, one of his main pitches, which is that rather than going with a scalpel, they're coming with a meat cleaver, and that creates the possibility of people getting hurt in the process. and you can see democrats kind of ramping up that messaging. >> and ultimately, the decision maker might end up being the judicial system. with many of these actions in the courts and even one republican lawmaker telling his constituents over the weekend, look, the courts are going to decide this in the end. >> and that got a lot of

pushback because they're like, aren't you one of the three branches of government? shouldn't you be providing some of the backlash here? >> exactly. not over yet, kevin fry, we appreciate it. thank you so much. coming up on cnn this morning, pope francis in critical condition and asking for prayers after a worrying new diagnosis by his medical team. plus a new direction for germany. conservatives coming out on top in sunday's election. and on the three year anniversary of russia's invasion, ukraine prepares for a possible future without u.s. support. >> if it's about peace in ukraine and you really want me to leave my position, i am ready to do that. secondly, i can exchange it for nato if there is such an opportunity. >> welcome back. >> have i got news for you? new saturday on cnn. >> with fatigue. >> and lightheadedness. >> i knew something was wrong. >> then i saw. >> my doctor. >> and found out i have a fib. and that means there's about a

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>> i have a feeling we won't be running out of those anytime soon. >> a new season of united states of scandal with jake tapper. march 9th on cnn. >> three years ago today, russia invaded ukraine. now president trump is trying to negotiate an end to the war with russia without inviting ukraine to the table. he also falsely claiming president volodymyr zelenskyy is a dictator, leaving ukraine's security and future in a precarious place at best. and now, zelenskyy says he's ready to step down if it means peace or nato membership. >> if it's about peace and ukraine and you really want me to leave my position, i am ready to do that. secondly, i can exchange it for nato. if there is such an opportunity, i'll do it immediately without a long conversation about it. i am focused on ukraine's security today and not in 20 years. i don't plan to be in power for decades. therefore, that's my aim and my dream.

>> cnn's claire sebastian joins us live from london. claire, those comments yesterday come as g7 leaders are arriving in kyiv. there is a call this morning which french president emmanuel macron will participate in from here in washington, where he and the uk prime minister are making this mad dash of shuttle diplomacy with president elect trump. what is on the table for that alliance? >> well, look, i think we can safely say, kayla, as you alluded to, that diplomacy is in overdrive, matching the pace, i think, set by the trump administration, which, of course, held its first direct talks with russia last week. we see on the one hand, as you say, macron is in washington today set to meet with trump at keir starmer. the uk prime minister is heading there later in the week as well. we see this g7 call happening this morning. we also see eight european leaders, along with the prime minister of canada and eu top officials in kyiv today holding a summit, i think, for ukraine. the key points are number one, to make sure that its voice is heard.

this is also crucial for europe. this is why you see these leaders heading to washington this week. and secondly, the issue of security guarantees how to make sure that a ceasefire is lasting. now, zelenskyy has been very clear that he doesn't think security guarantees will be effective without the u.s., but he is still calling on his european allies to step up. and he continues to make the point. and i think that's why that comment on, you know, stepping down in favor of nato was so telling that nato is the best and the cheapest way, he said, to ensure ukraine's security going forward. and he said in this summit happening in kyiv today, that if nato membership remains closed to ukraine, we will have no choice but to build nato in ukraine. so he's talking, of course, about potential boots on the ground from european countries, a contingent, as he calls it, that will guarantee ukraine's security going forward. so it's about keeping their voices on the table. both europe and ukraine, and trying to make sure that their agenda is heard, as the trump administration, of course, tries to accelerate the path towards peace talks.

>> and the u.s. defense secretary said in recent weeks that nato membership for ukraine is off the table, that it wouldn't support that. so clearly, there's a lot for them to discuss when it comes to trump generally. cnn's nick paton walsh asked zelenskyy yesterday at a press conference about his personal relationship with trump. here's what he said. >> my relationship with president trump. it's never was in such. best way. >> clearly struggling to find the most diplomatic words to describe that. claire. but what do you think president zelenskyy's approach now to president trump needs to be? >> well, look, i mean, i think this is going to call on all of his skills, his leadership skills, his rhetorical skills, his diplomatic skills that he has shown over the past three years. that comment that you played initially when he said,

you know, he would himself step down if it meant nato membership. i think that along with various other things he said, show that he is trying to rise above these personal attacks that we've seen from the trump administration. those two leaders have beef dating back to the first trump administration. i think it's clear that some of this is personal even now. but zelenskyy, you know, he is facing escalating russian attacks not only on the front lines, but in terms of drone attacks on cities. they hit a record in terms of the daily number over the weekend. so he has to rise above this. he has to continue to try to salvage as as he hopes, the transatlantic alliance between the u.s. and europe and try to push european leaders to step up in the event that he doesn't manage to negotiate a deal with the u.s. to continue military aid, perhaps in return for access to ukrainian critical minerals. there's just so much at stake, several fights at once for the ukrainian president at the moment. >> and that will be no small task. we will wait and see how those talks go this week. claire, we appreciate your time. clare sebastian from london straight ahead on cnn this

morning, an update on the condition of the pope francis now dealing with a serious new health concern while battling double pneumonia. plus, why an american airlines flight was diverted and escorted to rome when it was supposed to land in india. >> twitter breaking the bird march 9th on cnn. >> got one more. >> antoine with usps ground advantage. it's like you're with us every step of the way.

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for pain. call 1-800-530-2299. that's one( 800) 530-2299. >> it's the news. >> welcome back. >> but it's also kind of not the news. >> we don't fact check here. we don't care, man. >> why sell the information. >> on this show so terrible. >> have i got news for you saturday at nine on cnn. >> this morning, pope francis remains hospitalized in critical condition. the vatican sharing over the weekend that blood tests showed mild signs of kidney failure. the 88 year old pontiff is also battling pneumonia in both lungs.

>> i am very, very sad. i don't know how you can continue normally at this moment. i would just stay in prayer. all of us in prayer for him. for me, he is a special person. i truly have no words. >> cnn's barbie nadeau joins us live from rome. barbie, what more can you tell us about his current condition and the prognosis going forward? >> you know, we really haven't heard anything about a prognosis going forward yet, but this is very concerning these diagnoses. he came into the hospital here behind me in rome on february 14th with a respiratory infection. three days later, diagnosed with double pneumonia. pneumonia in both lungs. of course. he's missing half of one of his lungs, which was removed when he was a young man. then we find out he had a critical respiratory issue on saturday morning. and yesterday we hear that he has the beginning or the slight signs of a of kidney failure, which the

vatican says is under control. of course, it's all very, very worrying for everyone. this week is begins the lenten season. wednesday is ash wednesday. you know, normally he would be out there leading the procession at a church here in rome. obviously, he's going to still be in the hospital. we were told, at least through this week. you know, we understand, though. he's awake. he was resting this morning that he is getting treatment and that he has been in the days past working with his closest collaborators here. he has a suite of rooms up here on the 10th floor of the hospital gemelli behind me, and that he's been very much still in charge of the business of the church, making decisions, having conversations. he didn't deliver his his angelus prayer on sunday, but he did write it. and he thanked those who are offering prayers for him. and he thanked those medical staff who are treating him and trying so very hard to to help him recover from this very, very difficult health crisis. >> how often are we expecting updates from the vatican as his

condition evolves? >> well, we get a sort of a short update every morning that comes on the vatican's telegram channel. and then, uh, late afternoon, we get more of a detailed medical report. that's when we found out yesterday that he'll that he had this, this slight kidney failure and that it was under control. but still, we also learned that he had some blood transfusions related to anemia. of course, he's under heavy, heavy medication, um, and under under very critical care right now. so we're expecting in the next couple of hours this afternoon to get another health report, another more detailed medical report, and then probably nothing until tomorrow morning. >> and we will await the news of that afternoon. report. barbie nadeau in rome. barbie. thank you. it is 25 minutes past the hour. here is your morning roundup. two italian fighter jets escorted an american airlines flight en route to new delhi, but diverted it to rome. officials say it was due to a, quote, security concern. the

plane was inspected and then allowed to leave for india. a death threat against several speakers critical of president donald trump forcing the evacuation of a political conference in washington, d.c. over the weekend. the conference is known as the principles first summit. it bills itself as a cpac alternative. organizers of the event received a threatening email on sunday. police say the threat was unfounded. another shakeup to fbi leadership. late last night, president trump named dan bongino as deputy director at the bureau. bongino is a former secret service agent turned conservative media personality. in a post celebrating bongino's hiring, trump said the podcaster is, quote, willing and prepared to give up his popular podcast and radio show to take the new job. and in this morning's weather across the pacific northwest, heavy rainfall could bring 3 to 4in of rain, and some areas could receive up to seven inches. that rain may cause

flash flooding, landslides, and even avalanches. more than 4 million people across the region in the northern rockies remain under flood alerts through this afternoon. coming up on cnn this morning, angry voters speaking out against president trump and elon musk. one congressman feeling the heat at a town hall. plus, the far right in germany making substantial gains. >> i'm very. >> grateful for what j.d. vance said. >> addressing the. >> democracy is at stake. and free speech. >> in germany. >> is really under pressure. so we're very, very thankful for everything jd vance did and said and for elon musk as well. >> cnn is central today. >> at. >> 7:00 eastern. >> time to press. rewind with neutrogena rapid wrinkle repair. it has derm proven retinol expertly. >> formulated to target skin cell turnover. and fight not. >> one. but five signs of aging. >> with visible.

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acid prevention. choose nexium. >> cookbooks. >> corporate fat cats. >> swindling socialites. doped up cyclists? then yes. >> more crooked politicians. >> i have a feeling we won't be running out of those anytime soon. >> a new season of united states of scandal with jake tapper. march 9th on cnn. >> 5:31 a.m. here on the east coast, you're looking at nashville, tennessee. 4:31 a.m. central time in music city, usa. good morning everyone. i'm kayla tausche in for kasie hunt. it's wonderful to have you with us. anger and frustration at town halls across the country this week, members of congress are likely to get an earful from voters feeling the impact of president trump and elon musk's big doge cuts. >> are you going. >> to subpoena him at some point? >> you don't. >> have a. >> voice in congress. >> it's been just over a month since the beginning of trump's second term, and since elon musk began taking a metamorphic metaphorical chainsaw to federal

spending and jobs. but according to cnn's latest poll, about half of americans say that it was a bad thing for trump to give the world's richest man such a large role in his administration. late last week, voters in georgia confronted republican congressman rich mccormick, meeting him with questions and even some boos. >> we are. all freaking off about this. you're going to hear it and feel it. >> why is a. >> supposedly conservative party taking such. >> a radical. >> and. >> extremist and sloppy approach. >> to this? >> tyranny is rising in the white house, and a man has declared himself our king. >> unless they're. >> lying to me. and you. >> can say. >> they are so. so who? >> okay. >> so. apparently so. apparently, you know more than i do. >> joining me now, michael chanel, congressional reporter for the hill. and tim mitchell, washington bureau chief for the atlanta journal constitution.

ladies, good to have both of you with us. tia, i just want to start where we heard from those voters in roswell, georgia, grilling congressman mccormick. how much does what we heard just then represent the views of the electorate there? >> yeah, i mean, i think they're very representative representative of the views, particularly of voters who naturally are more skeptical of donald trump. we know that his base remains with him, although i think even staunch, tried and true republicans have some concerns to the way this doge stuff has unfolded. but we know that at least half of the electorate, probably a little bit more, were always kind of skeptical or not supportive of trump from the jump. and those are the types of people who came to that town hall last week and said, hey, we have questions, particularly for members of congress, that we expect to be a checks and balances on the white house. and that's not what we're seeing right now. >> so what role are republicans taking in this, and is there

some unease starting to grow, michael, because even some of trump's longest allies, like congressman jim jordan, have had some tough words for him. i want to play what the congressman said and get your reaction to it. >> so maybe there have been some mistakes made, but i think. >> the intensity. >> and. >> the focus. on getting rid of the wasteful. >> spending. >> the one. >> guy who can unlock people. >> who somehow get. >> locked in a restroom. >> at a national park. this is ridiculous. so the. arguments i think you're seeing from. >> the left are pretty darn. >> pretty darn. >> crazy. >> pretty darn crazy to attack what they're doing. but he also acknowledges there have been some mistakes made in this process. >> that's right. which is significant for somebody like jim jordan, who, as you correctly pointed out, is such a staunch supporter of president trump. i think that this underscores the the new reality that elon musk and doge are in washington. elon musk has come in in a capacity that we really haven't seen someone come in in previous administrations. they have vowed to make these significant slashes to the federal bureaucracy, and they're

carrying through with it. we heard a lot about this on the campaign trail through rhetoric, but logistically, there were a lot of questions of what would this actually look like? elon musk's role and what he would do, how would that truly be carried out? so we're starting to see these cracks develop. i suspect that they'll grow this week because a lot of what had happened with elon musk, particularly that email that went out to federal workers saying, explain what you accomplished over the past week that went out when congress was out of session. lawmakers come back this week. i suspect they'll get a lot of questions about it. we heard from lisa murkowski over the weekend who called it an absurd email. i'm curious to see if that will grow. i suspect it will. >> and then you also have some of the opposition, or perhaps just, um, uh, wariness from the department of homeland security, the fbi, the state department, the ntsb, which has multiple investigations going on, all of whom had supervisors tell their employees, hold off, do not respond to this. we are figuring out how to proceed. >> yeah, i think it was very interesting. kash patel, you

know, one of the most controversial and, you know, maga nominees to be confirmed recently told the fbi employees, hey, let's hold off. let's let's figure out what this email was about. so even in trump world, super maga world, there is, you know, a little bit of dissension about the email and what it meant, because these trump appointees, as political as they are, are facing the reality of having to manage a workforce and actually do this work. and i think a lot of them felt that the email this weekend, for many reasons, was not helpful and confusing. >> and elon musk, um, posting about the email and making it appear relatively innocuous, saying that, you know, many of these employees, we don't think they're checking their email regularly. they're off doing other things rather than the job that they were hired for. so perhaps this is just trying to see who is actually reading their email on a saturday. but all that to say, there's also a very real concern, michael, about the possibility that there is information about classified

activities or undisclosed activities that ends up getting sent to this unclassified email address. so what is some of the risk that's being raised about the approach here and some of the loopholes? >> yeah, it's all the things that you mentioned, these concerns that again, i suspect are going to grow when lawmakers return to washington this week. and it's the unconventional ness of it. you know, we haven't seen something like this. and i think this gets back to the fact that on the campaign trail, trump was very clear he wanted to root out waste, abuse and fraud. he wanted to slash the size of the federal government very significantly reduce it, which is all fine and good when you say it. but then when you try to actually put that into place and when the rubber meets the road, that's when some of the difficulties emerge, which i think we're seeing at agency over agency trying to find the synergy between the specific agencies and elon musk, and then trying to carry out what they're actually trying to accomplish. >> and then we will see this week when congress is back, whether they decide to erect that check and balance to elon musk or take a continued wait and see approach, we will see. michael chanel, tia mitchell,

thank you both for being here. we appreciate it. the conservatives are returning to power in germany, with the far right making substantial gains after snap elections held on sunday. the big issues for germans. immigration, the economy and donald trump surging to second place was the far right afd party, doubling its support, followed by chancellor olaf scholz. social democrats in third. conservative party leader friedrich merz says his absolute priority as new leader is to strengthen europe and achieve independence from the u.s. >> we need to be able to act very soon so that we can do the right things domestically so that we are present, uh, in europe, so that the world takes notice and sees that we have a reliable government. >> cnn's melissa bell joins us live now from berlin. melissa, what is the main takeaway from

sunday's vote? we are waiting to get melissa back from berlin right now, but certainly quite a searing comment from the likely next chancellor of germany, who suggested that the country need to seek independence from the united states and also rued the outsized role that washington played in public opinion of late, with vice president jd vance making some very controversial comments at the munich security forum just a few weeks ago. melissa, what do you see as the main takeaway from sunday's vote? >> kayla. in the end, after an extraordinary set of results last night, the germany is going to have a more stable and faster government than anyone might have thought imaginable. when we were looking at this election just a few weeks ago, or indeed in the run up to last night. and that's because the figures this morning, when you exclude the parties, that did not mean that meet that 5% bar to get into parliament. and you look again

at the parliamentary arithmetic, it seems that the center right cdu will be able to form its traditional so-called grand coalition with the social democrats. and that is a surprising result, because whilst it's likely to take a few more weeks, we heard friedrich merz speak last night about the fact that he hoped to have a standing coalition, a functioning coalition, by easter that is looking this morning much more likely than it was last night. so the main takeaway that germany is heading towards more political stability than anyone had thought, and more than the far right leader, co-chair alice weidel had predicted, she said after the astonishing results that the right wing afd had regionally last september. and again, she repeated it last night that there could be no more stable government here in germany without them. still, friedrich merz was clear last night that fire will will stand, and yet they will manage to form a more stable coalition than they had, simply because it's going to be formed with two parties rather

than the three in the coalition that collapsed at the end of last year. kayla. >> melissa. incumbent leaders across the west have been decidedly unpopular for several years now, but outgoing chancellor olaf schulz did make some comments on his party's third place finish, and specifically what it means for ukraine. let's take a listen to that. >> he's a legislator. >> this legislative period has been marked by enormous challenges. two flight hours from us. a terrible war is taking place. we and the government, led by me, have guided germany safely. as a supporter of ukraine, but also as someone who ensures that the war does not expand. >> what do you make of his comments, melissa? especially given where public opinion is right now? >> i think the results of last night clearly shows us that these this former consensus that had existed in europe of strong social democratic parties, the

strong social net that support for ukraine, all of those issues, strong support for brussels in the european union, all of those issues are no longer popular with the electorate. the strong showing of the afd, of course, last night tells us that, but so does the collapse of olaf scholz. olaf scholz, his support there is and this is something that we've seen concentrated here in the german campaign in vote of last night. but it is fairly symptomatic of what's happening elsewhere in europe. there is a growing and very strong rejection of the consensus that has dominated european politics since the end of world war two, and a very strong rejection of many of the center centrist parties that have dominated politics for that period, too. kayla. >> melissa bell in berlin. melissa, thank you so much. we appreciate it. ahead on cnn this morning, making marking three years since russia launched its brutal full scale invasion of ukraine, how the west is now responding to america's sudden reversal on support for the ukrainians. plus, federal workers facing a new deadline

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>> that's 1-800-530-2299. >> guys do crazy. >> things with the puck. the best. >> way to score. >> is a dangle. dangle a slap shot. i love bar down, ski bar down, baby. forehand, backhand. >> in between. >> your legs. >> catcher, goalie. >> off guard. michigan. >> nhl on tnt and stream on max wednesdays. >> closed captioning is brought to you by purple. greatest sleep ever invented. >> we've been out of a job. >> that's because purple mattresses are made with patented gel flex grid technology. >> do not go to purple.com. >> do not. >> visit a purple store. this morning. >> we are defending. >> our country alone. >> just like yesterday, the most powerful country in the world looked on from a distance. russia was hit with sanctions yesterday, but these are not enough to get these foreign troops off our soil. only through solidarity and determination can this. >> be achieved. >> that's ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy. three years ago, the day after russia

invaded his country. three years later, ukrainians are commemorating the fallen with more than 45,000 dead and millions displaced. zelenskyy, realizing this, writing this in a social media post. quote three years of resistance, three years of gratitude, three years of absolute heroism of ukrainians. i am proud of ukraine. he also addressed allies gathering today in kyiv. >> putin this year. >> should be the year. >> of the beginning of a. >> real, lasting peace. putin will not give. >> us this peace. he will not give it to us in exchange for something. >> we must. >> gain peace with strength, wisdom and unity through our cooperation. peace cannot simply be declared in one hour. it cannot be declared in one day. today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow. >> but zelenskyy is facing mounting pressure not only from the front lines, but also directly from the trump administration to repay the u.s. for its financial aid and military support. >> so this agreement is much

about repayment for all that we have done on behalf of the ukrainian people. and and that's the way the president sees it. i expect to see a deal signed this week. you saw president zelenskyy waver in his commitment towards that. a week ago, the president sent a message to him. he's not wavering anymore. >> joining us now is cnn's kim dozier. kim, this mineral deal is one that zelenskyy, as trump's foreign envoy mentioned, had previously resisted. he didn't want to give away some of the most valuable assets from the country. but what does it entail now and why? the change of heart. >> well. he's agreeing to. >> work and. negotiate on this deal. he's not saying no to it, but with the current terms. he told the country yesterday in a press conference that the current terms are extortionate and would require ten generations of ukrainians to pay it off. it would essentially

require, according to him, a $2 payback for every dollar that the u.s. invested. and so far, there's no promise of future military support. essentially, the trump administration is billing him for everything the biden administration decided to give. and in a very real sense, sort of victim blaming, holding ukraine responsible for the damage and for holding off russian aggression. and, you know, russian troops and firepower. so at this point, yes, he is moving ahead with the negotiations, but he hasn't said yes. and he's trying to drive for a better bargain. meanwhile, gathering all of his european allies around him to ask them, what should i do? which way should i go? but behind closed doors. >> and we're looking now at live pictures from kyiv, where many of those european leaders are gathered. the head of the european commission, ursula von der leyen. you also have

outgoing canadian prime minister justin trudeau. but that summit is happening as president macron of france arrived in the u.s. last night to meet with trump. and the uk prime minister is arriving next week. generally, what do these european leaders believe they can accomplish? and what do you see as feasible in this moment for american foreign policy? >> well, these are the two countries that have traditionally been the closest to the united states. and trump has a relationship with macron. it's been up and down, but macron knows him well enough to not come in with a lecture. i spoke to one european official who said macron is going to come in with a very collaborative conversation. he's going to present to trump the what europe is planning to do for its own security, and also with the plans that france and the u.k. both have talked about publicly

bringing their own troops into ukraine as guarantors of any future peace in, in any sort of peace deal that is minted with moscow. so that if moscow wants to invade in future, this would be a trigger that would trigger all of nato. if they attack ukraine, they'd be attacking nato troops too. >> there are some democrats weighing in as well. maryland senator chris van hollen spoke about the u.s. position on the world stage. at this moment, i'd love to get your reaction after we hear from the senator. >> and allies and others from around the world who believe in. freedom and democracy. >> they're wondering. >> whether this is just rhetoric or whether this is a real shift. my warning. >> to them. >> is i think this. >> is reality. i think trump is much closer ideologically to putin and other autocrats around the world than he is to democratic countries. >> kim, how much of trump's recent, uh, posturing and

positioning on ukraine and on the west more broadly, do you believe is just simply his transactional nature, trying to get this summit with putin on the books, or do you think that this is truly a step change for how the u.s. will be seen in the world? >> well, this is a man who's never spent a lot of time lecturing the public on democracy. unlike president biden and european leaders are clearly signaling that they are seeing a permanent break. the first time he was elected, they passed it off as an unfortunate fluke. i've talked to diplomats who say, now that you've elected him again, we know that this is a permanent feature, not a bug of american society, that you like this kind of a leader. and as you saw from the incoming german chancellor, the leader of the christian democrats said overnight that europe has to be prepared and planned to go it

alone without the united states. they really think that we're seeing a permanent departure from the pax americana, where the u.s. provides for european security, and they've got to stand on their own because they can't count on who's going to be in the white house next. >> kim dozier, our thanks to you this morning. we appreciate it. up ahead on cnn this morning, the cia assessing the damage, how the agency is examining whether the white house's efforts to slash their payroll may have exposed undercover agents. plus, federal employees against the clock to justify their jobs to the world's richest man. >> the arguments i think you're seeing from the left are. >> pretty darn. >> pretty darn crazy. >> i can name five things. >> i did. >> so anyone can name five. but if you're some federal worker working remote, you should be able to name those things too. >> i'm valerie leon in. mexico city, and this.

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800) 845-4316. cookbooks. corporate fat cats swindling. >> socialites, doped up cyclists and yes, more crooked politicians. i have a feeling we won't be running out of those anytime soon. >> a new season of united states of scandal with jake tapper, march 9th on cnn. >> it's monday, february 24th right now on cnn this morning. >> these are real people. these are real lives. these are mortgages. >> can you answer the question? what did you do at work last week? federal workers have just hours left to justify their jobs to elon musk or lose them. plus, this. >> he's getting rid of the die. >> by. >> republican lawmakers facing angry voters back home, expressing their frustration with the trump administration is the republican honeymoon over? then this.