let's bring in cnn's phil mattingly in the east room of the white house. , obviously, in the last few minutes we've seen a lot of movement, ukrainian diagnosis, secretary austin, secretary blinken coming in. >> yeah, it's an indication when the top two leaders have their security teams come in and sit down. the meeting scheduled for 2:15, inside the oval office with the pool, looks like it ran longer than expected. given the issues that the two leaders needed to address, needed to work through. there's two critical elements here as they get prepared to speak at this press conference, take questions from reporters, and that is, the intent to make very clear the unity of the steadfast support for the u.s. and its western allies will continue to provide. but also to capitol hill. where the president zelenskyy will be heading after his press conference, making it very clear after lawmakers consider an additional $45 billion in assistance, economic and defense assistance to ukraine, that it is unity that needs to be maintained here in the united states and in th

phil mattingly, cnn, the white house. >> vladimir putin's reaction, we haven't heard any. we didn't get the reaction some had feared, some sort of escalation in the war whilst zelenskyy was in d.c. >> not yet but we certainly got a sort of confirmation from the russian side that what phil mattingly was talking about, this is not going to end any time soon. ze llenskyy isn't either. president putin spoke in front of his members. one of the original justifications of the war, russia believes it's been under siege by expansionist nato that is fighting not just ukraine but the west as well and secondly big expansions from the russian military. money is no object. they're going to increase from a million to a million and a half. there will be a new military disstrikt on the border from finland where nato is going to expand extending the hap perfect sonic missile and there was nuclear talk. >> translator: we need to continue to support and improve the readiness on nuclear units. this is the main guarantee of our sovereignty and territorial integrity. a strategic priority is the

cnn's chief white house correspondent phil mattingly was there in the room. but let's start with cnn's national security correspondent kylie atwood. and kylie, specifically on the war in ukraine macron has been a very important partner with the u.s. in making sure that the ukrainians have the support that they need to fight off this invasion. >> well, that's right. and the two leaders, president biden and president macron, really in lock-step when it comes to the need to continue support for ukraine with president macron pledging to provide more military and more economic assistant to ukraine. president biden of course doing that as well. and it's notable, however, that the two have approached president putin in different ways, with biden saying just there that he has no immediate plans to speak with president putin. he would only do so if there was an indication that putin wanted to discuss a way out of this war and so far there has been no such indication. then of course you have macron, who has been in touch with putin but specifically on issues related to

cnn's phil mattingly is live for us at the white house right now.nd, phil, this is obviously a massive celebration on the south lawn of the white house. and i assume president biden is going to take out many pens so that he can share them with the dignitaries there. we see vice president harris there on the right. congressman jerrold nadler, senator tammy baldwin, the first out lesbian in the senate. nancy nancy pelosi who has been advocating for same-sex marriage rights. and senator chuck schumer. and obviously, secretary of transportation pete buttigieg who is married and has two kids. >>. >> reporter: yeah, i would also note the republicans that were in that picture which underscores, i think, the significance of this moment that goes beyond what the actual legislative text says. what the president actually signed into law. and more just the evolution of this issue, politically, of the drive toward getting this bill across the finish line. to your point, jake, this is not everything that lgbtq advocates wanted. what they were pushing for. it's no

. >> phil mattingly, you've got to get inside the white house. we'll see you in a couple of minutes as well. will, stay with us, and i want to expand the conversation and bring in cnn's nick payton wall ch, stephen fifer, former ambassador for ukraine. mr. ambassador, let me start with you and then i'll fget thi from you as well, major. diplomatically, talk about the timing, why now? why this trip, the first one out of ukraine to the u.s. for president zelenskyy? >> yeah, i believe there are several factors. one is to have a face-to-face conversation with president biden. from kyiv's point of view, you know, washington is the leading element of this effort to support ukraine and do things like impose sanctions on russia. so it's a sense for the two leaders to get together. i think president zelenskyy will be expressing gratitude for americans' support. he's also going to be asking for more. he's in a situation where he needs more american arms, if they're going to continue to push the russians back as they have over the last three months. and i t

we want to start with phil mattingly. what are you reporting, phil? >> you know anderson, there were months of fits and starts, arduous negotiations, where this really crystallized over the course of the last 72 hours. just a few days ago, brittney griner was removed from a penal connally to moscow, a clear and concrete signal to administration officials that what had long been thought as a possible deal was very much coming together. they summoned cherelle griner to the white house, telling her that she was going to get an update. national security adviser, jake sullivan, about ho w things were going. however, cherelle griner arrived, she was actually lead back into the oval office not knowing exactly what was going on. there, she was met by president biden, it was president biden who had told his team, he wanted to deliver the message. the message that the deal had been complete. britney griner was on her way home, the two were speaking when president biden was actually informed by his aides that brittney griner was securely in the hands of the u. s

let's go to cnn's phil mattingly. phil had, not surprisingly, an 81 lifting message. he expressed the hardships that americans are facing now? >> reporter: yeah, it underscored what white house officials have been feeling inside the white house over the course of the last several weeks after the return to normal holiday party after holiday party after holiday party has been welcomed not just because they're happening, but because people feel that they're able to do what they haven't been able to do over the last several years. to some extent that extends over the country. interestingly, texting a biden administration official during the speech, my response, what's your sense of how this came to be, this is pure biden. obviously, when you listen to the remarks, the optimism, the family elements, the loss elements, his personal loss, and reflections on those that might be dealing with loss and loneliness at this time. and also, the importance of holidays and trying to push forward in his mind, his view, a better future ahead. there's a genuine belief, inside the white h

it's across the finish line and now it's the law of the land, phil mattingly. >>> the u.s.ent of education is having to tell millions of people their student debt still stands. they're having to correct an email that was mistakenly sent out. >> joe biden's plan is currently held up in court. the department of education received 26 million applications for relief. while millions have already been approved, these 9 million still have to wait. the supreme court can't move forward. >>> there's new hope against the fight against cancer. a personalized mrna vaccine in begin -- combination with a treatment by moderna and merck. this is for patients who have had surgery. >>> coming up, found and it's a dust up on the red planet. we'll explain. >> you'll need to. >> we will. the choice. sirloin salisbury steak and all-natural salmon. perfect for lunch or dinner. only at ihop. downloadad the app and earn free food with every purchase. we all need fiber for ouour digestive health, but less than 10% of us get enough each day. good thing metamucil gummies are an easy way to get prebiic,

cnn's phil mattingly has our report. >> reporter: for any u.s. president there is no question the first state visit, the first foreign leader welcomed, having the red carpet rolled out for them, it is a very symbolic moment, very substantive moment. there's no question both of those elements will be front and center when french president emmanuel macron comes to the white house. this is a later first state dinner due to covid. however, no less important to the white house given the state of the relationship between the two leaders. there's no question when you talk to white house officials they point to france's role inside the eu and inside a critically important trans atlantic relationship. also the relationship between the two men. several meetings on the sidelines of big summits, multiple phone calls between the two in regular contact over the course of the last several months. there are foreign policy issues to deal with. there's no question about that. there are also very real domestic issues president macron is going to bring to president

phil mattingly, cnn, white house. >>> today marks the last day of brittain's prince and princess of wales are visit. the royal company will meet with president biden and prince william will present the second annual earth shot environmental award. their trip has been overshadowed with disturbing reports of racism at buckingham palace. what do we know about this meeting with the president and to what extent is it all being over shadowed by this controversy where we are? >> yes. we're expecting that meeting to take place later this afternoon and normally we would be talking about the prince and princess of wales meeting with president joe biden. we would be talking about the earth shot a twhards william and kate founded last year that gives cash prizes to encourage solutions. but now we're talking about an entirely different crisis. crisis taking place at buckingham palace. are allegations of racism against an 83-year-old woman which is prince william's god mother. we had the release of harry and meagan, the duke and duchess of sussex's dock u series trailer. with very little dialogue it ma

phil mattingly is back with us. phil, what is president biden planning to do. >> jake, officials are seeing may happen in less than a week. the request is part of a broader funding request in the middle of congressional negotiations to try and assist in border management for technology infrastructure, surging personnel down to the border, something that's been underway. all part of an inhetensive behi the scenes process officials have been engaged in for the last several weeks for this minute. ed mentioned there is questions in terms of how the kwcourts wi end up for administration officials. they aren't necessarily paying attention to the questions. >> how is congress responding to the request so far from what you can tell? >> reporter: the complication is republicans said their overall assessment how the white house handled the border made them reluctant to engage on requests that have been made however, it's currently part of funding negotiations that are underway right now when you talk to white house officials,

let's bring in cnn's phil mattingly. phil, just to remind the viewers, title 42 expires wednesday.um seekers immediately back. the biden administration is pushing back on calls to extend the policy, why, given that they've been using it all this time? >> yeah, when you talk to biden administration officials, they say two things, one, they are very clear this is what the court has ordered. and they will comply with that court order, and also that they're very much prepared or preparing in the course of the last several weeks for the order to be lifted on wednesday. while this is certainly problematic. administration officials being candid will acknowledge there will be a surge nearly double the number of migrants over the border that they've been seeing over the course of the last several weeks could be coming starting on wednesday. they also acknowledge there's a resource issue. they've been asking congress for more than $3 billion in additional funding, pressing republicans to agree to go forward. with personnel, technology, infrastructure in critical areas of the border going for

phil mattingly, cnn, the white house. >> phil, thanks for that. house democrats making it through wednesday electing new york democrat hakeem jefferies to replace mp nancy pelosi's position. >> we seek to find common ground whenever and wherever possible and we hope our colleagues on the other side of the aisle, as they temporarily inherit the majority in the next congress, are willing to proceed with that same spirit of cooperation, fortitude and mission centered focus to get things done for everyday americans. >> jefferies ascension marks the end of nancy pelosi's leadership. she will be a rank and file member. >>> the white house is expanding a training program for ukrainian traps. they will train 2500 troops in germany. the u.s. will be training larger groups of ukrainian soldiers in more sophisticated battlefield tactics, including how to coordinate infantry maneuvers. cnn's selma abdel a indonesia in london. >> reporter: when i saw this information, a plan that is still under consideration of course by the biden administration, the first que

cnn's chief white house correspondent phil mattingly is joining us right now. phil, the white house is obviously keenly aware of the impact these rate hikes have on american consumers and on the u.s. economy, so what's the reaction over there to this latest move by the fed? >> yeah, wolf, there's no question about that. and on the heel of the first positive signs inflation's grip may be finally starting to recede somewhat, federal reserve officials voted to slow what has been a months long effort on a very aggressive side of things to cool the u.s. economy down. however, they made clear they believe inflation would be stubborn in its hold going forward and more rate hikes would follow. inside the white house the fed's willingness to slow down that campaign was positive news, positive news on the heels of that very clear signs in the data that inflation was starting to release some of its grip here. but there is a recognition any optimism about what may be happening next is somewhat cautious knowing that over the course of the last several years there's been a lo

i'm phil mattingly in for fredricka whitfield. we begin watching several major stories unfolding. catholics around the world mourning the death of the pope emeritus, benedict xvi. the former pontiff passing away today at the age of 95. he was the first pope to resign his post in nearly 600 years, stunning the catholic faithful when he stepped down in 2013. his death coming days after the vatican announcing his health had been deteriorating. much more on that in a moment. >> good evening. >> i'm barbara walters. this is "20/20." >>> tears being head today for a pioneering journalist, barbara walters. she died at the age of 93. she became the first female anchor of a news program in 1976, and her journalism career spanned more than five decades. walters passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by family. >>> but there is also joy and celebrations around the world as countries are starting to ring in the new year. we're counting down until 2023. but it's worth noting, the biggest bash, new york city, always, of course. new york city, come on. it's happening in new york city. glo

and phil mattingly is joining me with more. give us the details on the president's response on losing a democrat in the senate just days after cinching a clean majority? we hear that as i noted that she gave that white house a head's up. what has the response been? >> yeah, a whip saw of a week if you think about over the course of the last 72 hours. and two things can both be true. from a symbolism perspective, a democrat leaving the party with a very narrow majority even a one seat expanded one is not a good look, not something -- to some degree it is an indictment of where the party may be headed. but when you talk to white house officials, they make clear that they appreciated the head's up, it is very much in line with how they operated with senator sinema. even on issues where they end up not agreeing legislatively. but too just a great rundown of why the most port issues for the white house on the technical side of how the senate operates, they don't believe that there will be a major shift. so what does it mean for the

i do want to begin with phil mattingly because he is live at the white house. phil, what more are you learning here as zelenskyy is preparing to go home? >> you know, it was a consequential and to a very dramatic day when president zelenskyy gave his remarks to that joint meeting of congress. it was one that white house officials here we're watching very closely. president biden was watching the remarks live. top security officials were as well. in part because of just how keen their level of kenow earnest is about how important those members, those lawmakers that were gathered are for the future of the u. s. support when it comes to ukraine, and also when it comes to the durability of the public support in the u. s. for the war in ukraine. president biden has been unequivocal for months, and again, once again repeated it today in public comments standing next to president zelenskyy. the u. s. will support ukraine for as long as it takes, no matter how long it takes. but that is required to have congressional support as well. and congressman, and senators are ve

cnn's phil mattingly is standing by at the white house.ting to hear from the president, fiphil? >> reporter: victor, this thereby an assessment of where things stand at the end of the year. after an historic day yesterday after the visit with president zelenskyy, it looks very clearly that his significant $1.7 trillion spending package is on the pathway to passage. we're looking out a year for the white house officials, they viewed as particularly when you compare it back to maybe january of this year where much of the legislative agenda seemed dead. it felt like they were in pretty bad shape economically, and there were very real political questions going into what was going to be a midterm year, the president and his team feel like they're going to be in a you have many better place right now. something that was underscored by the economic numbers that they've seen over the last couple of weeks including the gdp revision earlier today. we're going to see an element of looking back a little bit, by also looking forward, and perhaps most i

phil mattingly at the white house how does this message zelenskyy delivered today, how does it square with the current white house message? how aligned are they? >> i think broadly they're very aligned, and i think white house officials going into this day, throughout the course of this day and certainly at the end of president zelenskyy's remarks were willing to acknowledge this was a critical moment for these messages to be delivered, a moment where there is no sense that there is an end game here for a war that continues to grind on. it's gotten more grueling day by day. and i think when you look at the dynamics of the battlefield right now and talk to u.s. officials about that, they've looked at the escalations we've seen over the last couple of weeks targeting civilians and civilian instruct. they look at the number of troops russia is calling up in this moment despite their battlefield defeats over the course of the last several months, and they recognize this is going to be a major and significant battle for months if not longer, and that is why this moment, this moment that pr

. >> that is a -- joining us now is phil mattingly at the white house, there is an intentional messagehat president biden and the french president macron were trying to send the world tonight. what was it? >> anderson, there is no question about it. it was clear, it was unequivocal, and it was unified in terms of its support and its long-lasting and intent to keep that support as long as the war takes and lasts. that's critical because of just how important these two nations and this bilateral relationship is to the entire response from the west, that unified response we have seen throughout the course of the nine months, but one at this moment in time face is very real and very acute challenges, obviously. the brutality on the ground in ukraine, the targeting of civilians in the lead up to a very difficult winter it has created problems on its own, boost endo's problems out into europe, where european countries are struggling economically, are struggling with energy prices, are struggling with a looming winter. this show between two critical countries in that transatlantic alliance wa

i do want to begin with phil mattingly because he's live at the white house, and phil, what more are you learning here as zelenskyy is preparing to go home? >> reporter: it was a consequential and dramatic day as president zelenskyy gave his remarks. president biden was watching the remarks live, top national security officials were as well in part because of just how -- their level of keen awareness about how important those lawmakers that were gathered are for the future of the u.s. support when it comes to ukraine and also for the durability of the public's support in the u.s. for the war in ukraine. now, president biden has been unequivocal for months and once again repeated it today in public comments standing next to president zulen skae, the u.s. will support ukraine for as long as it takes, no matter how long it takes. but that is required to have congressional support as well. and congressmen and senators are very responsive to what their voters say and want. and therefore, at the white house as they watch these remarks play out, some of the remarks weren't necessarily welco

cnn's phil mattingly joins us live from the white house. aring how the white house is preparing for what washington is going to look like by the time president biden gets back from this vacation? >> reporter: yeah. i think there's a keen understanding that it's going to be a very different town. a very different political atmosphere when president biden comes back, just one day before house republicans are expected to vote on the speaker's race. i think that race itself kind of gives a window into some of the preparations going on behind the scenes here at the white house and the fact they don't actually know who's going to be the next speaker. the expectation long been kevin mccarthy would win that race, as he's continued to be short of votes, white house officials are watching. not getting involved or put their thumb on the scale in any way, shape or form but using it as an illustration what a house majority will look like and how to interact with that majority. you know this building as well as anybody right now. they are planning how to

phil mattingly is live at the white house. good morning, phil. hope you had a good christmas with all those little ones running around. what's your reporting on the president? >> yeah, me coming to work on this monday is an opportunity to exhale. >> can i just for a moment tell you i told my husband, i got to go to bed. i've got work. >> really tough to get away from the house on this one. while normal human beings were preparing for this weekend, you noted the house passed this $1.7 trillion spending package. the consequence is not just the package itself. a major spending package will fund the government through the end of september, changes to the electoral counteract which are significant when you consider this congress started with the january 6th attacks in 2021. i thlk to white house officials what this hammers home is the progress they've made over the course of the last two years, despite the politics, despite the partisan warfare. this president and his team have been able to get through more substantive legislation both on a partisan b

cnn's phil mattingly at the white house starts us off tonight. il, what do we know about this visit, which is already beginning? >> yeah, president zelenskyy already on his way to the united states, according to two sources. and while the history and symbolism are undoubtedly very obvious here, the substance here too is also critical. john, keep in mind president biden and president zelenskyy have spoken by phone more than a dozen times. spoken by videoconference several times as well, but have not met in person since the invasion of ukraine. and president biden has been explicit that the u.s. support which has now total in order than $20 billion in defense and security assistance over the course of the last nine months would last for, quote, as long as it takes, and that will be on vivid display when the two leaders are standing right next to each other tomorrow here on these white house grounds. now there is two elements of this. one is the actual interactions between president biden and zelenskyy and their two teams. there are expected accordin

phil mattingly is standing by. have a happy new year. tastes gr iced coffees too.ows a little easier. (moo) mabel says for you, it's more like 5:15. man: mom,m, really? it's the subway series menu. 12 irresistible subs. the most epic sandwich roster ever created. ♪ it's subway's biggest refresh yet! for expedia members, travel doesn't end at booking. it's getting a discount on your trip, plus points for your future travels. so you can think about the next trip. and the next trip and the next next trip. so wherever you go, you'll know you're getting the most out of your travels and you can keep thinking, “where next?” just look around. this digital age we're living in, it's pretty unbelievable. problem is, not everyone's fully living in it. nobody should have to take a class or fill out a medical form on public wifi with a screen the size of your hand. home internet shouldn't be a luxury. everyone should have it and now a lot more people can. so let's go. the digital age is waiting. >>> good saturday morning. thank you so much for joining me. i'm phil mattingly in w

brianna. >> phil mattingly at the white house, thank you.es is joining us from along the u.s.-mexican border. rosa, it's really important to note here that all of this is happening as we're seeing a surge in migration. what are you seeing on the ground right now? >> reporter: well, brianna, there's just so much anxiety on both sides of the border that i want to go straight to live pictures from our drone pilot al meshberg. what you're looking at is mexico where nows of migrants are waiting for the lifting of title 42. ave been in contact with migrants there as well as a nonprofit organization that's helping all the migrants, and the director of the nonprofit tells me that there's about 2,000 migrants there living in squalor, a lot of them living on the streets or camping out in those tents that you're taking a look at from the air. now, according to two migrants who i just got off the phone with who are in that camp and who are living in the streets, they were jumping with joy because the supreme court kept title 42 in place. this f that sou

ka kylie atwood and phil mattingly, thank you. >>> terry jackson -- actually, he's not with us right now. we're going to go to evelyn farkus as a former deputy assistant secretary of defense. evelyn, good to see you. we'll go to terry jackson in a minute if we can. let me get your perspective here on what it means for, one, vladimir putin after all of these months to finally agree to this exchange for viktor bout, but also to make sure that it was only brittney griner coming home, and not paul whelan. >> yeah, bianna, i think i have a different take on this which is to say that vladimir putin was never going to give us paul whelan. all along he probably knew he was only going to give us brittney griner in exchange for viktor bout. he definitely wanted viktor bout so there was going to be an exchange, and it's happening now because vladimir putin wants this to happen now. he needs a win. he needs a victory in russia because he is having trouble convincing the russian people it's a good idea to be at war with ukraine. i think all of this back and forth negotiation was just typical of t

. >> phil mattingly of cnn. >> thank you, mr. president, welcome, mr. president, mr. president, to start with you. your advisors often talk about how important and critically important you view face-to-face interaction. after spending two plus hours face-to-face with president zelenskyy, what you learned or took from the meeting that perhaps you couldn't glean or learn in the phone calls or video conferences and somewhat tied to that, was there any discussion related to the u.s. assessment that russia would not take escalation now that patriots are being sent, will the patriots be delivered? >> let me answer the first part of your question. you know i get kidded for sharing there is all politics is personal. it's all about looking someone in the eye and i mean this sincerely. i don't think there is any, any, any substitute for sitting down face-to-face with a friend or a foe and looking them in the eye and that's exactly what is happening at this moment. we've done that more than once. we're going to continue to do it and the winter is setting in and putin is increasi

i'm phil mattingly in for fredricka whitfield.e are watching several stories developing at this hour. it's a moment of sadness for millions of catholics around the world. pope emeritus benedict xvi has died at the age of 95. the former pontiff passing away after what the church calls a period of ill health. benedict was the first pope to resign as the leader of the church this nearly 600 years, stepping down in 2013. also this morning, mourning the loss of a tv legend. >> good evening, i'm hugh downs. >> i'm barbara walters and this is "20/20." >> trailblazing tv news anchor barbara walters has died, known for her insightful, tough interviews. she became the first female anchor of a network evening news program and paved the way for women in broadcasting. a spokesperson says she passed away surrounded by family at the age of 93. but there are also celebrations this hour. the world welcomes in a new year. several nations already celebrating as the clock strikes midnight ushering the start of 2023. right now live pics you are seeing

governor, you heard from phil mattingly.ased on what you know, do those options feel like a place negotiations could restart? how do negotiations restart to try to get paul whelan home? >> well, you have a very good reporter. i can't confirm anything. i was a little bit on the sidelines but aware of pushing both the russians, the administration as a catalyst, trying to find some common ground. look, i am confident are again, i'm going to say this, trevor reed about four months ago, a marine, we exchanged him with the russians. now brittney griner. i am not going to predict the time, but i think that paul whelan will get out. but it's going to cost. it's going to be another prisoner exchange. and i feel goauilty for paul whelan because we tried, my center, for four years, and always at the last minute something went wrong. but i commend the president. for the making the tough decision to bring brittney back. i commend him for trying very hard to get whelan back. there were a lot of combinations that were tried. but i'm confid

i'm phil mattingly in for fredricka whitfield.

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phil mattingly is bringing the story live from the white house. what might zelenskyy hope to accomplish with this visit to washington? >> jake, well, you heard what he was telling his troops on the ground earlier today. that is a message it looks like he will be able to deliver directly in person to president biden. right now planning is under way for president zelenskyy to visit the white house, to meet with president biden face-to-face. a visit that will coincide with the announcement of a new security assistance package, a package that will include something zelenskyy has long asked for and over the course of the last several weeks the white house and the biden administration has moved closer to agreeing to deliver. that's the patriot missile systems that white house officials and the department of defense have been weighing over the course of the last several weeks, and have been moving towards signing off on. now this planning is still tentative, and no final decision has been made yet. but this is something that has been very closely held an

phil mattingly, who will be at today's event. initially into hot water, but now it's coming full circle. >> reporter: the obama campaign didn't appreciate it, but the former president taking a lesser of a tone, biden recalling in a memoir, that president obama then he may have gotten over his skis, but that's exactly who he brought on to be husband number two on the team. over the decades, this transformative shift has put in a very different context. if you want to know how important those words were from the vice president, coming from such a senior member of the u.s. government, also a very devout catholic, as he's always been clear about, they will be commemorated on a card handed to the thousands of guests on the south lawn here. those very comments from "meet the press." i think it underscores what the president seeing as an important part of his legacy, whether it's in personnel policy, cabinet officials, members of his senior team, in terms of executive actions, and now the able to sign something that was done on a bipart

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i want to begin at the white house with phil mattingly. what more are you learning about zelenskyy's visit? and the crucial question as to why now? >> i think the significance of this moment, according to sources i've spoken to, is most important to note, not just symbolic. and the symbolism obviously is very real, very palpable. first trip out of ukraine since the invasion back in february. that trip to the united states who's been the number one supporter on ukraine and defense and economic assistance over the course of the last nine months. but it's the substance behind that visit. one source wanted to make that abundantly clear that this visit is a visit that coincides with something that president zelenskyy has repeatedly requested including in his most recent telephone call with president biden on december 11th, making clear particularly given the way russia has ramped up its attacks on ukrainian civilian infrastructure. this was an absolute necessity at this moment. the u.s. administration has really done a reversal on its willingne

michael smerconish, jess ica dean, phil mattingly, thank you very much.re to watch smerconish tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. eastern only on cnn. >>> we'll have the latest on how basketball star brittney griner is doing now that she's back in the united states and what she went through while being held captive in russia. >> and we'll also get reaction to brittney griner's safe return from the wnba commissioner, kathy ingleberg. stay with us. you're in "the situation room." . a plan that includeses all your accounts soso you can enjoy whatever comes next. that's the plalanning effect. from fidelity. aubree: i'm aubree. i went to st. jude because i had a cancerous tumor. casey: these kids, they don't deserve to have to go through this. my beautiful little redheaded girl has cancer. you don't know what's going to happen. narrator: please call or go online and become a st. jude partner in hope for only $19 a month. christen: i think it's the most worthwhile place to put your money, when it comes to childhood cancer. merry christmas to each and every one of you

phil mattingly at the white house. thanks so much.g up, how a doctor's misdiagnose almost cost my daughter her life. what you and other parents need to know to protect your children, and the new study showing just how prevalent misdiagnosis is in the united states. stay with us. i cacan't! i'm just telling everyone! hehey! use your vision benefits before they expirere. visionworks. see the differencece. we're carvana the company who invented car vending machines and buying a car 100 percent online now we've created a brand new way for you to sell your car whether it's a year old, or a few years old we want to buy your car so go to carvana enter your license plate answer a few questions and our techno wizardry calculates your car's value and gives you a real offer in seconds when you're ready we'll come to you pay you on the spot and pick up your car that's it so ditch the old way of selling your car and say hello to the new way at carvana ah, these bills are crazy. she has no idea she's sitting on a goldmine. well she doesn't know tha

bring in mark zandi, chief economist for moody's analytics and chief white house correspondent phil mattingly. let me start with you, mark, and get you to respond to what we've seen from the fed today. this was widely expected but it comes after a slew of data that shows inflation is, in fact, cooling. does that give you any hope that we could, indeed, see a soft landing and perhaps avoid a recession overall? >> yeah, it does, beyan na. i think i'm much more optimistic today than i was a month or two ago, because those inflation numbers we got yesterday were about as good as they get. it does indicate that inflation is cooling off. inflation is still high, it's still a problem for many americans and it will for the next year and the federal reserve still has more work to do, and that's what they were saying today, they will raise rates further going forward, but feels like we're going down the soft landing path. maybe soft landing is not the right word. it will feel uncomfortable but not a path that includes a recession. i'm growing more optimistic that we can make our way throughout without

phil mattingly at the white house.> coming up, we'll go live to georgia with just five days to go before the high-stakes senate runner. former president barack obama tonight headlining a rally, hoping to close the deal for incumbent raphael warnock. that's the one. at uniniversity of phoenix, you could earn your master's degree in less than a year for under $11k.. learn more at phoenix.edu i grew up an athlete, i rode horses... i really do take care of myself. i try to sta in shape. th's really important, especially as you age. i noticed after ds that my body tally changed. i started ticing a little pudge. so i took action! coolsculpting targets, freezes and eliminates treated fat for good. no needles, no incisions. discuss coolsculpting with your provider. some common side effects include temporary numbness, discomfort and swelling. you've come this far... coolsculpting takes you further. visit coolsculpting.com my a1c stayed here, it needed to be here. ray's a1c is down with rybelsus®. i'm down with rybelsus®. my a1c

biden: phil mattingly of cnn. reporter: thank you, mr. president. welcome, mr. president. mr. president, to start with you. your advisers often talk about how important, how critically important you view face-to-face interaction. i'm wondering after spending two-plus hours face-to-face with president zelenskyy what you learned, or what you took from the meeting that perhaps you couldn't glean or learn in the phone calls and the videoconferences. and somewhat tied to that, was there any discussion related to the u.s. assessment that russia would not take escalatory action now that patriots are being sent, the patriot battery will be delivered? pres. biden: let me answer the first question,

let's go to phil mattingly, who is at the white house for us. phil, our chief white house correspondent. what are we hearing about the runoff and the very close results from president biden? >> it's as close as things are right now. over the course of the last hour, he has picked up some cautious optimism from white house officials as they're looking at where the pole stand. the places where the vote has not been counted, where it's outstanding, the president has been on air force one for the past several hours. but one official has told me he's been regularly briefed on what his presidential team is seeing. and those briefings clearly left him very optimistic as well. he just complained after landing at joint base andrews. and shortly before his motorcade back to the white house, he was asked how he was feeling about georgia. take a listen. >> [inaudible] >> how do you react to the georgia senate race? >> [inaudible] >> we can't hear you. >> the joys of trying to get sound when air force one is nearby with a large motorcade. but the president sa

phil mattingly of cnn. reporter: thank you, mr. president. welcome, mr. president. mr. president, to start with you. your advisers often talk about how important, critically important you view face-to-face interaction. i'm wondering after spending two-plus hours face-to-face with president zelenskyy what you learned or took from the meeting that perhaps you couldn't glean or learn in the phone calls, video conferences and somewhat tied to that, was there any discussion related to the u.s. assessment that russia would not take es callaer to action now that patriots are being sent, the patriot battery will be delivered? pres. biden: let me answer the first part of your question. you know i get kidded for saying there's all politics is personal. it's all about looking someone in the eye. and i mean this sincerely. i don't think there's any, any substitute for sitting down face-to-face with a friend or foe. and looking them in the eye. and that's exactly what's happening at this moment. we've done that more than once. we're going to continue to do that. and the winter is se

let's get to phil mattingly. il, what's the president saying about the numbers which are better than expected? >> on the top line, better than they expected and worth noting that the white house economic team is very cognizant of the fact that numbers too good to the extent that's possible for any white house particularly on the wage side, which we saw in the report today, could be problematic in the long term based on the federal reserve's potential for raising rates faster and longer. however, there is no question when you look at these jobs numbers, you saw them, 2 63,000 unemployment rate 3.7%, the white house is making clear this is more evidence of a successful economic recovery, one that is nowhere near a recession and one that you have also picked up a level of confidence for a white house that has been battling various economic issues over the course of the first two years in office that they feel like they are in a very good place now, particularly compared to the rest of the world. perhaps no better win

. >> let's begin at the white house with our chief white house correspondent phil mattingly. phil, again, the historical relationship and the bond between these two men is great, but there are some very real issues. >> reporter: look, the symbolism is very rich, very intentional. i think the relationship is very real, very tangible. the issues, though, while maybe not on the surface, maybe not over arching are also very significant and that is in large part with the two leaders and their teams working through right now and that bilateral meeting that's been ongoing for more than an hour. you have the pomp and circumstance of this morning of the major welcome and everything that goes along with it and glitz and glamour to some degree of the dinner later tonight but this is the moment that matters on a substantive basis. there are a myriad of foreign policy issues they are mostly aligned on when it comes to ukraine, when it comes to china, some divergences there that are important that they want to discuss. there's no question about that but it's on those economic issues where y

first, let's bring in kylie atwood, and phil mattingly.ylie, from all of the reporting we've gathered, these negotiations just wrapped up in the last 48 hours. walk us through what happened. >> that's exactly right. this has been months in the work. you'll remember that cnn reported over the summer, the united states, the biden administration put an offer on the table for both paul whelan and brittney griner, as part of that trading viktor bout, this convicted arms trafficker, but what they ended up wasn't that initial proposal. it's a different one, with paul whelan remaining in russia, and u.s. officials today are clearly saying this was the only option, that over the course of the last few weeks, as russia and the united states were going back and forth, it became clear they had to move on this deal. secretary of state, he was in the oval office today when cherelle griner had a chance to speak to brittney griner. he called that to an unforgettable experience. he spoke what it mentality for bringing her home, but also it meant leaving pa