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CONNECT THE WORLD
U.S. President Joe Biden Meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson; China's Rising Dominance High on G7 Agenda; Interview with former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Direction of Summit; Russian Court Labels Navalny Political Organization "Extremist"; Many Migrants Say No Choice but to Leave Honduras; Uganda Struggles to Get COVID-19 Vaccines; Prince Philip's 100th Birthday. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired June 10, 2021 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: Tonight, calm waters but will it be smooth sailing for world leaders?
You are watching a special edition of CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi.
ISA SOARES, CNN HOST: And I'm Isa Soares in Falmouth on the Cornish coast of England where the G7 summit is taking place.
ANDERSON: And that is where we're connecting you first this hour. The U.S. President and British prime minister are set to meet in the coming minutes
and this is an unprecedented time for geopolitics. It's the first in-person event for G7 world leaders since this pandemic began.
SOARES: Thanks very much, Becky.
And it's the pandemic that is right at the top of the agenda for this summit. Now global cases are on the decline for a sixth straight week.
However, we are seeing concerning numbers in several countries. Have a look at this.
Right here in the U.K., where world leaders are gathering, infections have spiked by 66 percent in the past week. You can see there just the rise
there. With the U.K. recording the highest number of new cases on Wednesday since February.
It will be a key talking point as you can imagine for the U.S. President and British prime minister Boris Johnson, who, as you heard Becky
mentioning there, are meeting later on this hour. We'll bring you that when this happens.
They'll also, of course, reaffirm ties with a new updated Atlantic Charter. That is modeled after the historic statement between Winston Churchill and
Franklin Roosevelt some 80 years ago.
Also on the agenda, Northern Ireland, President Biden expected to urge Prime Minister Johnson not to let a dispute over post-Brexit trading
threaten the fragile power sharing.
Arlette Saenz joins me now.
It's incredible to think these two leaders have never met before.
So what can we expect from this meeting?
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: One thing is just establishing that person to person relationship. President Biden is someone, his brand of
diplomacy, really, is those personal relationships that he is able to cultivate with leaders.
So while he and Boris Johnson have had a few phone calls since Biden has taken office, this will give them a chance to put that relationship on a
start and a path towards reaffirming that special relationship that we've heard the U.S. and U.K. speak about so often.
But as you mentioned, there's a host of issues the two leaders are expected to focus on, including COVID-19. And when it comes to vaccine, President
Biden has pledged half a billion vaccines that the U.S. will donate to countries around the world, as he was facing pressure for the U.S. to step
up their support of global vaccination and providing those vaccines as well.
And one thing that the White House is hoping is that that will urge other world leaders to follow suit.
There's also that area with Northern Ireland. And --
(CROSSTALK)
SOARES: That might be an awkward discussion, given where we know Joe Biden stands on this. He feels very close to Ireland as you can imagine but also
the importance of keeping the peace.
SAENZ: Yes, it's a personal issue for the president and he has, in the past, expressed concerns about Brexit and now is concerned about what
Brexit might mean for that peace agreement in Northern Ireland.
Senior administration officials have said that, while the president plans to bring this up, he doesn't plan on being confrontational in his tone with
Johnson. But we will see how these meetings play out. And it could be an area where the two could have slight disagreements.
SOARES: Yes, I think that's an understatement.
(LAUGHTER)
SOARES: But what is clear is that Boris Johnson is hoping for some sort of trade deal with the United States.
Do you think that President Biden will use some sort of -- will use Northern Ireland or the importance to get there in terms of the deal?
SAENZ: It doesn't seem there's going to be some massive trade deal that comes out of these set of meetings. That might be something that takes
place over a course of time but it could be something where he decides to leverage the future of that peace agreement in Northern Ireland,
potentially into the --
(CROSSTALK)
SOARES: Such different characters, aren't they?
So it will be really interesting to see the body language and actually how that relation, how that bond forms.
(CROSSTALK)
SAENZ: Yes.
SOARES: Arlette, thank you very much. We'll speak to you in the next hour or so.
Well, China, of course, (INAUDIBLE) because there's a huge list, a long list of -- to-do list here. And China is expected to be a major topic at
the G7. Some nations are very keen to find a way to counter its rising dominance, economically as well as geopolitically.
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SOARES: On the eve of the summit, Beijing has passed what Chinese state media describe as an anti-foreign sanctions law. A Chinese official says
the law is aimed at countering politically motivated sanctions against China.
He alleges complaints about human rights abuses in Xinjiang and Hong Kong are being used as a pretext. Let's bring in Kevin Rudd, former prime
minister of Australia. He's now the president of the Asia Society Policy Institute and has spoken out about China. And Kevin Rudd joins us from
Brisbane, Australia.
Thank you very much for joining us. Let's start off, if I could, with the discussion that's being centered here, the G7, the three Cs, coronavirus,
climate as well as China. If I can start with China, Scott Morrison, we heard, prime minister, had some very big rhetoric it's fair to say against
China.
What do you think he wants to hear from the G7 on the question of China?
KEVIN RUDD, FORMER AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: Well, the Australia bilateral relationship with China has gone through a very difficult period
over the last year or so. And you have seen a lot of rhetoric (ph) from the Australian prime minister.
You've also a lot of, shall we say, retaliatory positions taken by the Chinese government against Australia.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.
RUDD: I think the key question for the G7 is whether they wish to land in terms of their collective position in establishing a new modus vivendi with
the Chinese government under President Xi Jinping.
There of course, the outstanding questions will be the future stability in the Taiwan Straits, the outstanding questions will be those of human rights
and the outstanding question will be working with China at the same time on climate change.
SOARES: Yes, and, as you well know, Mr. Rudd, Europe is not as hawkish against China for economic reasons, let's say.
So do you think that Mr. Morrison's message will resonate with the rest of the leaders here at the G7?
RUDD: I'm not sure whether Mr. Morrison's message will resonate or not. I think President Biden's approach to the G7 meeting will be to achieve as
much of a common position in terms of the G7's relationship with the future of China on both human rights questions, on security questions but also
critically on climate questions as well.
Remember, within this overall frame, that both prime minister Johnson and President Biden will be working toward a large outcome at the climate
change conference in Glasgow at the end of this year.
I think achieving a solid G7 outcome on climate, therefore, including leveraging China to do more, will be critical in terms of the overall
outcome of the summit.
SOARES: Oh, I've heard Mr. Morrison call for a way to blunt China's economic coercion and one way he thinks that you can counter Chinese
competition is to reform the WTO, the World Trade Organization.
How likely do you think is this to happen?
How likely do you think others will follow suit?
RUDD: I think the difficulty with WTO reform processes, for those of us familiar with it, is they take forever, frankly because they're --
(CROSSTALK)
SOARES: Yes.
RUDD: -- sentence. The bottom line in terms of questions of economic coercion, it's trying to achieve, between Australia and China, a more even
and balanced relationship into the future. That is difficult.
But at the same time, when any individual state encounters, shall we say, bilateral economic coercion from China, it's important that there be a
collective position and response to that. I think that is the way through here.
And it will be interesting to see what the G7 summit leaders arrive at, by way of consensus on that. If you look at the draft, as it were, the U.K.
(ph) language being floated, it's quite unusual that its forward-leaning nature on China, it would be the first time, for example, a summit
communicated at the G7 dealt explicitly with the Taiwan Straits, dealt explicitly with questions of Xinjiang.
So I think, therefore, there is a sharpening in the G7 position. At the same time, as you rightly pointed out, the Europeans have a different
perspective on China, both on trade and investment relations but critically also (INAUDIBLE) united in wanting to work with China on climate, complex
challenge.
SOARES: Yes, it's more about those shared values, isn't it?
Let's talk if I may about COVID. Australia has been, I think it's fair to say, praised for its ability to largely stamp out the virus. It has very
strict border controls, which even limit citizens from returning. Borders, from what I understand, are not expected to open anytime soon.
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SOARES: And vaccination rates are very low. Meanwhile, Australia's emergency response davar (ph) is becoming some would say unsustainable and
no road map so far has been presented to reopening.
So what do you think is or should be Australia's COVID exit strategy here?
RUDD: Well, within the -- a G7 context, from which you're speaking, of course, there's a broader obligation in terms of the COVID crisis, which
was to agree on a package of measures for vaccination policies toward the developing world.
But let's step away from that to your specific question on Australia. I think it's going to take some time for Australia to, as it were, reopen its
borders, in large part, because the medical authorities in Australia, the chief medical officers of the federal and state governments, have been
fairly uniform in their advice in terms of keeping international borders highly restricted in the current period.
You're right to point out the slow pace of vaccination within this country, which has been quite slow against OECD standards, means that it does slow
the pace as well in support of reopening.
So therefore, I think when prime minister Morrison says we're not looking towards border reopenings until into 2022, he's probably speaking the truth
there. It could have --
(CROSSTALK)
RUDD: -- forward if the vaccination rate here was rapidly increased. And there I think the government --
SOARES: Yes.
RUDD: -- of Australia has been lacking.
SOARES: Let's talk climate change, if we may. What we have heard, what we've been hearing from leaders, is a commitment to net zero by 2050.
That's what we're hearing, net zero by 2050, net zero by 2050.
Mr. Morrison has, however, been somewhat resistant to set more ambitious climate commitments.
Do you think he'll be swayed by other leaders at the G7, Mr. Rudd?
RUDD: Well, prior to leaving Australia, Mr. Morrison has been very clear that he does not intend to be swayed, either by President Biden or by
others. But I think prime minister Morrison may well get mugged by reality here, by which I mean European Union is moving toward a border carbon tax,
for want of a better term.
That is of course nations, who are not doing enough to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions over time, either in terms of their midcentury
commitment on carbon neutrality or what's called their near-term commitments to reduce over the 2020s through until 2030, that a border
adjustment tax or a border carbon tax would be imposed.
Mr. Morrison is going to have to address that reality, A, from the Europeans and potentially from the Americans as well. And, therefore, he
would have to explain to the Australian community that, by being recalcitrant on climate change ambition himself, he's willing to wear the
economic penalties which flow from the rest of the world. I think that will be a hard message for him to sell with this present community.
SOARES: Yes, I suspect so, too. Kevin Rudd, the former prime minister of Australia, appreciate you taking the time to speak to us, sir.
(CROSSTALK)
RUDD: It's good to be with you.
SOARES: And that wraps up, for now, at least from Cornwall as we mentioned. The U.S. President and U.K. prime minister Boris Johnson are
meeting this hour. We'll take you to that when it happens. For now, I want to hand back to my colleague, Becky Anderson, for the day's other news.
Becky?
ANDERSON: Good stuff. You are in safe hands with Isa in Cornwall.
Thank you, Isa.
Let's go to the other big summit in only six days until a face-to-face meeting between President Biden and Vladimir Putin. But already the Russian
president and Mr. Biden getting their respective messages out there.
The U.S. State Department condemning a Moscow court for labeling groups supporting jailed dissident Alexei Navalny as extremist. Still, the White
House tells CNN that next week's Geneva meeting will go ahead.
Navalny and his team meanwhile vowing to push for political change in Russia. I'm connecting you to Moscow and to CNN's Matthew Chance.
What does this designation actually mean?
And what sort of impact should we expect it to have at this point?
Is it clear?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think it's pretty clear. The designation as an extremist group for Alexei Navalny's
political party and for his organization that is an anti-corruption network that's done all these exposes, that millions of people have viewed on the
alleged corruption of Putin's inner circle, has now essentially been outlawed.
So anybody who belongs to that organization, you know, from this moment going forward, if they organize protests or engage in any opposition
activity in the name of that group could be arrested.
They could be put in prison for up to six years. It's essentially banning anybody who is a member of this group or has voiced support for the group
or has funded the group from standing in any election locally in Russia.
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CHANCE: And that's important because, in September, three months from now, there are key parliamentary elections in Russia and the ruling party under
Vladimir Putin has been down in the opinion polls.
You can see this -- one of the main reasons, in fact -- you can see this as a concerted effort to eliminate effectively the political opposition in
this country when it comes to any elections, clearing the way for pro- government parties to sweep the board even more than they usually do.
And I think, as you alluded to, it's also the fact that this has happened just six days before the summit in Geneva between President Biden and
President Putin. It underlies that President Putin is going to that summit, with no plans whatsoever to back down on this issue or any other issues
that are likely to be raised when the two meet in Switzerland.
ANDERSON: Yes, and, of course, Belarus is likely to be raised; Belarus finding a key ally in President Putin at present, probably one of its only
key allies. And that is on the agenda.
The U.N. ambassador to Belarus warning additional sanctions will be coming. This all following the arrest of the activist detained on the diverted
Ryanair flight.
The question is, is Washington waiting until after this summit next Wednesday to impose these further sanctions?
CHANCE: Well, perhaps, but I don't think that this upcoming summit is going to stop them from moving ahead with the timetable they've got in
mind.
I think the important message of all of this, both with Belarus and Russia's support for Belarus and Russia's own crackdown on its own
dissidents, is that, while President Biden is talking about standing up to autocratic behavior around the world, President Putin -- and the timing is
incredible -- President Putin is doubling down on the autocracy over which he presides -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Matthew Chance is in Moscow.
Thank you, Matt.
We heard the U.S. vice president's warning to migrants, "Don't come."
Well, CNN went to Honduras and found some who are determined to make that trip. We'll look at that just ahead here on CONNECT THE WORLD.
And Peru's elections are down to the wire. But one of the presidential candidates is trying to have thousands of votes thrown out.
You're watching a special edition of CONNECT THE WORLD. We are live at the G7 summit for you in Cornwall and I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi.
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ANDERSON: Well, any moment we're expecting to see the U.S. President Joe Biden and the British prime minister Boris Johnson who will be sitting down
for their first face-to-face bilateral meeting. This kicking off President Biden's first international trip.
Meanwhile, back home, the U.S. border crisis is in the spotlight, with more than 180,000 migrants encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border last month.
President Biden's Vice President Kamala Harris was in Mexico and Guatemala earlier this week in what was also her first trip abroad since taking
office.
She had a stark warning to those in Central America hoping to head north to the U.S.: don't come. Matt Rivers went to Honduras to find out why some
are still making what is an extremely perilous journey, despite that warning.
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MATT RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Twin 17-year olds Gerardo (ph) and Salin (ph) were born and raised in Choloma, Honduras, in a gang-
run neighborhood in one of the most dangerous countries in the world.
They live in abject poverty. But for the boys, it is home and they will miss it because they are about to leave in the United States.
At the bedroom they shared, they show us their new prized possession, the brand-new shoes they will use to make the minimum 1,500 mile journey to the
U.S., mostly on foot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm leaving like the 17th or the 20th of this month with these clothes here that they're going to bring with them.
RIVERS (voice-over): Gerardo says, "It feels terrible because we're going to leave my mother but we have no future here."
They will join the tens of thousands of other Hondurans who streamed into the U.S. this year, leaving behind one of the poorest countries on Earth.
Northward migration isn't new but the conditions forcing people to flee, arguably, have never been worse, starting with twin category 4 hurricanes
that made landfall late last year, just two weeks apart, utterly decimating this region. People lost everything and half a year later, hardly anything
is back to normal.
We meet a family who built a makeshift shelter on top of their old home after it was subsumed by mud during hurricane flooding.
"We lost everything," says this man. "I want to leave because I can't find a job. There's no support from the government."
And just up the street, we meet another family, another home wiped out during the storm.
Water leaked right through the walls of their shelter made of old boards and tarps.
RIVERS: They sleep on mattresses that are on dirt floor in a house made out of makeshift supplies.
RIVERS (voice-over): "We're desperate," he tells us. "We don't have a choice," saying he will soon be forced to migrate north, too.
RIVERS: It's hard to believe that, more than six months after this hurricane, authorities have done so little here to try and help people
clean. I mean, look at this. What used to be a house got completely filled up with mud during the hurricane. And now, obviously, the family that lived
here can't come back.
RIVERS (voice-over): In response, the government told CNN they have been making repairs, giving us this video of some of their work. They said
repairs like this take time and that back-to-back hurricanes would be difficult for any country to deal with. Critics, though, from citizens to
NGOs, say their efforts haven't been nearly enough.
And making the recovery worse, all this damage came during a different kind of storm: the pandemic. A government mandated shutdown and COVID-19
restrictions meant unemployment soared. And around half of Hondurans now live below the poverty line, says the World Bank.
All those are some of the so-called root causes of migration. Vice President Kamala Harris is focusing on during her trip this week to Central
America. Across the region, people leave for all kinds of reasons; government corruption everywhere, there's a food shortage in Guatemala,
chronic violence in El Salvador and government repression in Nicaragua.
In Honduras, it's often a lack of opportunity.
"If they had more opportunities, people wouldn't have to leave this country," says this local priest.
And that's just it. So many people we spoke to, like the twin brothers, don't want to leave. But with no work and just a sixth grade education,
they say they don't have any choice.
Their mom, though, doesn't want them to go, crying, she says, "What can you do?
"It hurts that your children leave. You don't know if they will return or not but there's no other option."
For now, they will take the time they have with each other, because, in a few days, the boys will likely end up here.
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RIVERS (voice-over): A bus station, where, every night, a bus leaves for the Guatemala border. From there, many make a reluctant walk north. This
family of four plans to do just that.
"We can't take it anymore," this dad says, saying there's no jobs or a good education for his kids. "We've got no other option but to leave."
And so if there's one thing we've learned on this trip, all politics aside, if you want fewer migrants to come to the U.S., there has to be reasons for
them to stay -- Matt Rivers, CNN, Honduras.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That is the story in Honduras.
Let's get you up to speed on some of the other stories that are on our radar in that region; 99 percent of votes in Peru's elections are counted
and right wing presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori is taking legal action to have some 200,000 votes voided, alleging irregularities.
Left-wing candidate Pedro Castillo is urging his supporters to, quote, "not to fall to the provocations." He said he's ahead in the count by a very
slim margin.
The U.S. has slapped sanctions on several people close to Nicaragua's president Daniel Ortega, including his daughter. Mr. Ortega has been under
heavy criticism since Nicaraguan authorities detained several leading figures ahead of general elections there, scheduled for November.
Authorities say at least 58 people, including three police officers, have been killed in weeks of anti-government protests in Colombia. People took
to the streets in late April against a botched tax overhaul. Human Rights Watch are accusing Colombian police of committing egrarious (sic) abuse
against protesters.
You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. This is a special edition. We are live out of Abu Dhabi for you as normal and, tonight in Falmouth in England,
where the G7 summit is set to kick off, when we come back, we are just minutes from Joe Biden's first summit on foreign soil. A preview of his
meeting with Boris Johnson is coming up.
And Joe Biden takes steps to address security concerns when it comes to foreign apps. I'm going to tell you why he decided to withdraw what was the
Trump-era ban on TikTok and WeChat.
And why now?
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ANDERSON: All right. Welcome back to a special edition of CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi.
SOARES: And I'm Isa Soares in Falmouth, on the Cornish coast of England, where the G7 is taking place.
ANDERSON: And that is where we will begin this hour -- Isa.
SOARES: Thank you very much, Becky.
On the eve of that G7 summit, which, of course, starts officially tomorrow, the leaders of the United States and the U.K. are meeting right now. A
short time ago, Joe Biden and Boris Johnson looked over an updated Atlantic Charter.
And that basically reaffirms their country's friendship in the post- pandemic world and includes, as well, really, steps for restoring travel. Now President Biden is expected to bring up Northern Ireland and urge Mr.
Johnson really not to let a dispute over post-Brexit trading threaten Northern Ireland's fragile government.
We'll bring you much more from their meeting when we get it. We're waiting for those images. We want to bring in CNN's Nic Robertson, who is where the
two are talking right now.
And Nic, what more can we expect from this meeting between these two very different leaders?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, it is going to be something of a reset. President Biden once said that Boris Johnson was
essentially a mini-president Trump. So hardly starting off, at least historically last year, on the right footing. But they'll make up for that.
The Atlantic Charter is very important. It was first signed in 1941 between Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt. It's aged a lot over that
time. The world is a changed place since then and that's what they'll be addressing in the charter.
It will talk about the defense of democracy, supporting each other to have a stronger security. It will talk about the values of democracy. It will
talk about, you know, cyberattacks, all these sorts of newer issues that didn't really exist when the charter was first initiated.
Of course, Boris Johnson does want to get the travel restarted between the United States and the U.K. Those been hamstrung and, for the vast majority
of people, curtailed completely because of the pandemic.
And so that's, you know, will be an important issue. There will be symbolism in the bay just behind me, which is the bay that their talks are
looking over. We've seen the HMS Prince of Wales this afternoon sweep into the bay a couple of times.
That's symbolic because that, the HMS Prince of Wales, was the ship where the charter was originally signed. Of course, this is an updated
replacement. Indeed, this is one of Britain's flagship aircraft carriers, the biggest British warship built in British docks ever. So a lot of
symbolism.
So I think there's a lot to bridge over some of those gaps that exist. But the issue that you raise, of the Northern Ireland protocols, that's not
going to be easily bridged. They are on opposite sides of that.
Boris Johnson wants President Biden to support him in this post-Brexit wrangling with the European Union. What Boris Johnson wants jeopardizes
peace in Northern Ireland and it's firmly aligned with the Irish and E.U. position.
But, yes, this is President Biden's first conversation with a world leader outside of the United States. And it's a big coup for Boris Johnson to land
it.
SOARES: Yes, and there are differences. But like you pointed out, there is so much they see eye to eye on as well. But these are two very different
leaders. And it's a first time, of course, we're seeing them together at the G7 since the pandemic, of course.
But talk to us how they -- what we know about potentially their relationship.
Could we have -- obviously, Boris Johnson a very colorful character and, in Joe Biden, someone who is very pragmatic. He doesn't allow (ph) any sort of
malarkey.
So how do you expect to see that relationship between both of them, Nic?
ROBERTSON: You know, I think you can look at this meeting today and what's happening around the meeting and frame it in an overly simplistic way.
Boris Johnson is a showman, if you like. He likes the theater. He's a populist. So having that huge aircraft carrier off the coast is big. It's
big theater, it's big symbolism and it's important. So I think Boris Johnson is going to score well on the symbolism side.
But I think President Biden gets something on the substance side as well, because the sister ship of the HMS Prince of Wales is already on its way,
another aircraft carrier already on its way to the South China Sea; aboard it are U.S. F-35 fighter jets.
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ROBERTSON: So Britain has committed its newest in-service aircraft carrier to go and help United States project that message to China, that China
should not ramp up its own military claims and try to effect a military dominance in the South China Sea.
So you know, Boris Johnson, a little bit more about the show and style and President Biden about the substance. And I think they both walk away from
something in their meeting today.
SOARES: Nic Robertson there for us. Thanks very much, Nic. We'll come back to you.
I'm joined by White House associate Arlette Saenz.
I don't know if you heard what Nic was saying in terms of what they both get out of this.
What's important?
What's number one for Joe Biden when he goes back to the United States?
What does he want to get out of this?
SAENZ: President Biden wants to cultivate this relationship with the British prime minister as he is trying to show that these allies are behind
and working with the United States.
He said, going into that meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin, that he wants to show a united front with allies. And what he has said is
that he wants to reaffirm that special relationship that exists between the two countries when it comes to military and intelligence and there's also
trade items as well.
But the president and his team have also made clear that there are areas where he is willing to push a little bit when it comes to --
(CROSSTALK)
SAENZ: -- so to Northern Ireland, of course, being one of those where President Biden is very concerned about the post-Brexit world, what it will
look like as far as that peace agreement.
In that meeting he's having currently with Boris Johnson, reporters were allowed in there for a short bit of time. It was mostly just pleasantries.
They ignored questions from reporters when it came that peace agreement. They ignored questions from reporters on Alexander (sic) Navalny and
Russia's treatment of the opposition leader.
And also on that new set of travel moves that they are trying to push between the U.S. and the U.K. as they are trying to get back to some
semblance of normal. So now reporters are out of the room and it's where they get down to the nitty-gritty --
(CROSSTALK)
SOARES: And that's where we would really like to be a fly on the wall, Arlette. But let's talk about Russia here because he had a very direct
message in many ways, very clear for all of us to hear about what he wants to get out of this relationship with Russia, that he will tell Russia what
they -- what he wants them to hear.
And what is that exactly?
SAENZ: Well, the president wants to make clear to Russia that they are not going to stand by if there are any provocations or confrontations from
Russia to the U.S. One thing that the president has repeatedly said he wants to bring up with Vladimir Putin is the cyberattacks that have been
originating from Russia and the impact that they've had on the United States.
There is election interference, which dates back even to the 2016 campaign. There is the issues of human rights violations and when you look at the
treatment of Alexander (sic) Navalny in terming opposition party as these extremist groups. The President Biden really wants to push back on some of
these issues but also find those areas of agreement.
But bottom line here, this is the --
(CROSSTALK)
SOARES: I'm sorry to interrupt, Arlette. I just want to show our viewers images of coming in right out of President Joe Biden. So you can see there,
Carbis Bay in England. Meeting -- (INAUDIBLE) -- just a few minutes ago actually with prime minister Boris Johnson here at Carbis Bay.
This was just moments ago. And this is, you know, first time event for really these world leaders since the pandemic began. It's Biden's first
overseas trip as president. And, like Arlette was saying, it's really about bolstering ties with United States allies and really, after what has been,
I think it's fair to say, Arlette, very turbulent years during Trump.
But there you have prime minister Boris Johnson as well as President Joe Biden, having a look at Carbis Bay. Beautiful setting. Let's listen in.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE).
SOARES: And there you go. You can see it's a bit windy here. But these are unprecedented times for geopolitics. And there's a lot for them to tackle
here, isn't there, Arlette. But the first thing I think we'll see -- and I think Nic touched on this -- as the camera continues rolling -- is this
signing of the Atlantic Charter.
What does that -- explain to our viewers the importance of that.
SAENZ: Well, the White House has said that they are re-signing this new Atlantic Charter to face the threats of the 21st century. The last Atlantic
Charter was signed 80 years ago.
So there are certainly other areas and new threats that did not simply exist, especially when you think about some of the threats that have been
waged against democracy over the course of the last --
(CROSSTALK)
SOARES: We are -- keep going, keep going. We just want to show our viewers. That's talking about the Atlantic Charter right on point.
(CROSSTALK)
SOARES: Right on cue.
(CROSSTALK)
SOARES: There they are, reading the Atlantic Charter, the document that was signed in 1941 by Churchill and Roosevelt.
[10:40:00]
SOARES: Let's take a listen.
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Was that real (ph)?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's real.
BORIS JOHNSON, U.K. PRIME MINISTER: It's a terrible thing (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president brought his son along. He helped him, of course, (INAUDIBLE) and the key advisers, (INAUDIBLE) commanders.
(CROSSTALK)
BIDEN: I talked with (INAUDIBLE).
(CROSSTALK)
JOHNSON: Did you really?
(INAUDIBLE).
BIDEN: This went -- and at the very end of the war -- and (INAUDIBLE) --
JOHNSON: Because this was the beginning.
BIDEN: Yes, no, this was the very beginning.
JOHNSON: (INAUDIBLE) NATO, the United Nations.
BIDEN: Yes, no, I know.
JOHNSON: There was a whole -- the whole thing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The key -- the key article --
(CROSSTALK)
BIDEN: (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Number 5 has a focus on labor standards, Social Security, (INAUDIBLE) values in there as well, Mr. President.
JOHNSON: Churchill was a great believer in that. And they say that (INAUDIBLE) that one in.
BIDEN: Is that right?
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And on the way back --
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE).
SOARES: As you saw there, we are just trying listen in to what President Joe Biden as well as prime minister Boris Johnson. They were looking at, if
you're trying to guess exactly what they were looking for they were looking at a 1941 Atlantic Charter that was signed by Roosevelt as well as
Churchill.
And what we have now, what they're going to agree on, is a new version of that. And you were telling us what exactly that entails or involves.
SAENZ: And we'll see in a short while, perhaps once the meeting ends, what exactly is in this charter. But the White House has previewed that part of
it is addressing the threats of the 21st century.
There are so many different issues that the world is facing in this moment. And I think one thing that you also pointed out is --
(CROSSTALK)
SAENZ: -- watching the two of them for the first time together. You saw President Biden reach over. He is a tactile politician. He has explained
himself.
Another thing that was striking of that, both leaders, as they were outside at Carbis Bay, they were wearing -- they were not wearing their masks. They
were outside.
But now once inside, they are back with the masks. The White House has said that the president will be following all of the protocols. And that is
something we will see play out over the course of the next few days, as all of these leaders are coming here for the summit.
SOARES: I'm not a body language expert but they looked, you know, the fact that Joe Biden, President Joe Biden, touched Boris Johnson's shoulder, they
looked very at ease. How different in terms of personalities are they, Arlette. I mean, there are lots of things they see eye to eye on, perhaps
Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland protocol is a sticking point, we know that, we talked about that.
But in terms of their personalities, what do we know about them?
SAENZ: Well, one thing that will be interesting to watch, President Biden has cultivated a relationship with world leaders for really the past 50
years as both a senator and a vice president.
But this is the first time that he is sitting down face-to-face with the British prime minister. The two of them have spoken by phone several times.
They participated in a G7 virtual meeting earlier in the year. But one thing, you know, President Biden has spoken --
(CROSSTALK)
SOARES: Let's listen in. Apologies.
JOHNSON: What I think is your first big overseas trip since you've been --
BIDEN: It is.
JOHNSON: -- president.
BIDEN: I've been to this great country many times but this is the first time as President of the United States.
JOHNSON: Well, everybody is absolutely thrilled to see you.
BIDEN: Thrilled to be here. Thrilled to meet your wife.
JOHNSON: Yes, and they have gone off to do something else.
BIDEN: I told the prime minister we have something in common. We both married way above our station (ph).
JOHNSON: I'm not going to dissent from that one. I'm not going to disagree with the president on that or on anything else, I think highly likely.
Are we going to have a -- we can continue --
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: Mr. President, Mr. President --
JOHNSON: I think we generally agree --
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: Mr. President, Mr. President, do you --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, guys. Let's go.
QUESTION: Mr. President, do you see it as a test that Vladimir Putin has banned Alexei Navalny's political organization?
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let's go. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) travel --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you very much. Guys, thank you.
SOARES: So you could hear them, well, maybe you couldn't hear. All you could hear was reporters trying to ask some questions to President Joe
Biden and prime minister Boris Johnson.
But I can tell you (INAUDIBLE) we've seen already they're exchanging -- both exchanging pleasantries and a little detail. I don't know if you
caught this, that they both, Biden quipped, that they both, that he and Johnson had married up.
SAENZ: Yes.
[10:45:00]
SOARES: So the sense of humor is there, it will sit well with Boris Johnson. Before we showed the viewers that clip, we were talking about the
different personalities.
How would you -- how do you think that relationship will be strengthened in the next few days?
SAENZ: Well, President Biden has said one of his main focuses here is that he wants to focus on that special relationship between the United States
and the United Kingdom. There's been some reporting that prime minister Johnson doesn't exactly like that --
(CROSSTALK)
SOARES: No, he doesn't like it because he thinks it looks like the U.K. is looking down somewhat at the United States.
SAENZ: But it's going to be critical for Biden, who values that face-to- face interactions with people, to start his own personal relationship with Boris Johnson here in person as he is looking to cultivate so many areas of
agreement when it comes to the pandemic and climate change and also trying to confront China.
And so one thing that's also been so interesting, you know, President Biden once compared Boris Johnson -- he says that he was the physical and
emotional clone of former president Trump.
(CROSSTALK)
SAENZ: We know that Johnson shared very warm relations with the former president. So President Biden now is trying to step in and take the reins,
as he's trying to guide the United States' foreign policy and their objectives with the U.K., now also that president Trump is out of office.
SOARES: Arlette Saenz, I appreciate you sitting with me and going through these images. The first time we've seen these two together post-pandemic.
An important time in politics. Unprecedented time in geopolitics.
And that's it from me. I'll be back, of course, at the top of the next hour. For now, I would like to hand back to my colleague, Becky Anderson --
Becky.
ANDERSON: Thank you very much indeed. Good stuff. We are up and running at G7. More news coming up after the break. Away from that, a brutal second
wave of COVID infections rips through Uganda. Why the government there says wealthier nations could have done more to help prevent the crisis.
And we'll check in on one of the worst COVID outbreaks in the world. India finally begins to really account for the staggering toll of the disease.
You're watching a special edition of CONNECT THE WORLD, live from Abu Dhabi and Falmouth in England. Stay with us.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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ANDERSON: You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson.
Getting vaccines into arms around the world will be a top priority at what is the G7 summit in Cornwall over the few days, especially to people in
African countries. U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to announce later a big step for that effort.
U.S. officials say that the U.S. will donate 500 million doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine globally. They can't come soon enough in places
like Uganda, for example, where COVID infections have skyrocketed.
[10:50:00]
ANDERSON: The government believes that could have been avoided if rich countries hadn't hoarded vaccine doses. Larry Madowo now reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kampala's main stadium, now a temporary hospital for COVID patients. The Ugandan government says this makeshift
treatment center is only for mild to moderate cases. But CNN witnessed a body being carted away.
Last week, the World Health Organization says cases here were up 137 percent, the second straight week of triple digit spike in infections.
Across town, 40-year-old Stephen Ntambi was finally well enough to be taken off a ventilator just hours before we arrived.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN NTAMBI, COVID-19 PATIENT: Now that I have a second chance, people shouldn't play with their lives recklessly when it comes to COVID. The way
I feel now, I feel like God has given me a thousand more years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MADOWO: It's all hands on deck at this hospital. The ICU has been overcapacity for the last two weeks, even after adding 50 percent more
beds. They keep turning away new patients who need critical care.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERASMUS EREBU OKELO, INTENSIVIST, TMR INTERNATIONAL HOSPITAL: I believe we had a bit but then we got emergencies and we may have used up a bit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MADOWO: The calls keep coming.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MADOWO: How many similar calls have you heard today?
OKELO: I don't know. I would say about 15 calls just this morning.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MADOWO: Every patient in this wing of the small private hospital is on life support. It's also taking a strain on the staff, some of whom have had
to do 24-hour shifts because the need is far greater than the medical professionals available. The average age of the patients is 40, doctors
tell us. The youngest was only 18.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OKELO: Why exactly are we seeing young people? One is that for sure it's a more aggressive strain. But the other thing also could be that, you know,
after the first wave, we might have gotten quite excited enough to slack in on, you know, on our preventive measures.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MADOWO: It's a crisis that could have been avoided, says Uganda's top health official.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DIANA ATWINE, PERMANENT SECRETARY, UGANDAN HEALTH MINISTRY: If we got this vaccine at the end of last wave, our community would be much better than
what we are experiencing now.
MADOWO: Considering you have only vaccinated two percent of the Ugandan population, when will you have enough people vaccinated that life can
return to normal here?
ATWINE: I cannot answer that because I'm not in charge of I cannot access the vaccines. If I could access the vaccines, even tomorrow, would conduct
-- could conduct, you know, a national-wide campaign and vaccinate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MADOWO: With almost all Uganda's unvaccinated, the government warns that each positive person could infect between 80 to 100 people. Uganda has
strict social distancing guidelines but it's business as usual here in downtown Kampala.
People have to be here to make a living. It's impossible to work from home. But they may have little choice for the next six weeks, as Uganda is now in
partial lockdown again -- Larry Madowo, CNN, Kampala.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: A grim milestone in India, as that nation sets a new record for deaths in a single day from COVID-19. More than 6,000 deaths were reported
on Wednesday, bringing India's death toll from the disease to almost 360,000 people.
Part of that surge on Wednesday came from the state of Bihar, confirming deaths not initially connected to COVID. India has been criticized for
underreporting its COVID cases and deaths.
You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. After the break, some exclusive insight into Britain's royal family. What Prince Edward makes of that rift -- up
next.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:55:00]
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ANDERSON: Today's date, June the 10th, is an important one for the British royal family. It's Prince Philip's birthday today. He would have been 100
years old. The Duke of Edinburgh died in April.
His youngest son, Prince Edward, sat down with my colleague, Max Foster, to honor his father's legacy. And they talked not just about that but how the
family is coping through what has been a tumultuous year and that family rift. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAX FOSTER, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT: I don't want to pry to much in private matters but this is a private matter which is also very public,
which you'll be aware of. But that must have been, the family rift is something there, that must have been very difficult for her, too.
How is she coping with that, can I ask?
PRINCE EDWARD, EARL OF WESSEX: Well, it all depends on what -- are you euphemistically referring to Harry and Meghan?
FOSTER: Yes. Yes. I mean yes, the divide between the Sussexes and the rest of the family currently.
PRINCE EDWARD: You know, yes. I mean it's very sad. We have all been there before. We've all had excessive intrusions and attention in our lives. And
we've all dealt with it in totally different ways.
Listen, we wish them the very best of luck. It is a really hard decision. Fantastic news about the baby. That's great. I hope they will be very happy
with that. It's just -- listen, families are a families aren't they really.
FOSTER: They are. I think you're right. They do happen in all families. It's just the very public nature of this. I wonder how difficult that had
been for her?
PRINCE EDWARD: Listen, it's difficult for everyone. It is difficult for everyone. But as I said, that is families for you, sir.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: You can catch the full exclusive interview with Prince Edward online at cnn.com. That is the digital site.
I'm Becky Anderson. That was your first hour of CONNECT THE WORLD. But we are a two-hour show. So taking a very short break. Back after this.
[11:00:00]
END
