Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Sen. Tim Kaine, more

[0:01] I'm Margaret Brennan in Washington, and this week on Face the Nation, as the war on Iran [0:06] enters its second week, concerns about a global energy crisis are growing. [0:13] U.S. and Israeli forces stepped up their bombing campaign through the weekend, targeting [0:18] Iranian airports, oil depots, bases, and more. [0:21] President Trump promises an escalation of hostilities until Tehran offers a complete [0:27] and unconditional surrender. [0:29] It's where they cry uncle, or where they can't fight any longer. [0:33] There's nobody around to cry uncle. [0:35] But Iran's defiant leaders say they will never surrender, hitting back hard at U.S. [0:41] facilities and allies in the region, striking oil and gas infrastructure, putting pressure [0:46] on much of the world's energy supply. [0:48] We'll ask Energy Secretary Chris Wright about the potential for a serious global supply [0:53] shock and what it could mean for oil and gas prices in the U.S. [0:58] Plus, Israel. [0:59] Israel's ambassador to the U.S., Michael Leiter, will be here. [1:02] We'll ask him how his government's objectives square with U.S. goals. [1:07] And we'll also check in with Virginia Democratic Senator Tim Kaine. [1:12] Then, an offer from Ukraine. [1:15] This time, they want to help the U.S., offering expertise in countering Iranian drones. [1:22] Ukraine's ambassador, Olga Stefanishina, will join us to discuss that and more. [1:27] It's all just ahead. [1:29] Face the Nation. [1:31] Good morning and welcome to Face the Nation. [1:49] As we look ahead to another week, the war with Iran seems to be entering a new phase, [1:55] with critical infrastructure now being targeted in the region that could potentially impact [2:00] millions of people. [2:01] President Trump called the conflict a minor excursion and has not yet indicated the next [2:08] steps. [2:08] But there are signs that America's involvement in the conflict is deepening. [2:13] A third aircraft carrier is prepared. [2:15] It's preparing to deploy to the region. [2:17] And when asked whether he would send ground troops to secure nuclear material in Iran, [2:22] the president wouldn't rule it out. [2:24] We begin our coverage this morning with chief correspondent Matt Gutmann, who is in Tel Aviv, [2:29] Israel. [2:32] For seven days, the U.S. and Israel targeted regime leadership and military installations. [2:37] But overnight, towering flames cast an eerie orange glow over Tehran after Israel struck [2:42] what it said was an Iranian military fuel depot. [2:45] Drivers on this highway detouring around Tehran. [2:47] Video circulating seems to show sewers and streets on fire as well. [2:53] This morning, those fires still burning under blackened skies, a huge plume hanging over [2:58] the city. [2:59] And with over 1,300 dead in Iran, according to the Red Crescent, the country's clerics [3:03] have now announced they are close to selecting a new leader. [3:07] Support has recently crystallized around Ayatollah Khamenei's hard-line son, Mujtaba. [3:12] Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's adviser, Michael Eisenberg, with a blunt message. [3:16] SEN. [3:17] MICHAEL ISRAEL, Iranian President- The highest-risk job right now is to be the [3:19] new Ayatollah. [3:20] That's a high-risk job. [3:21] To be the new head of the Iranian military, the IRGC, those are high-risk jobs. [3:26] Don't take them. [3:27] JEFFREY BROWN, The President of the United States, They're going to be targeted. [3:28] SEN. [3:29] MICHAEL ISRAEL, Iranian President- Don't take those jobs. [3:30] These are high-risk jobs. [3:31] We're watching you. [3:32] JEFFREY BROWN, The President has demanded a say in the selection of Iran's next leader [3:35] and Israel's Netanyahu, using an address overnight to directly speak to the Iranian people. [3:40] He said, I have been speaking to you and for you for decades. [3:45] The moment of truth is approaching. [3:47] SEN. [3:48] MICHAEL ISRAEL, Iranian President- We seek to divide Iran, we seek to liberate [3:50] Iran, and live with it in peace. [3:53] In Lebanon, Iran's main proxy in the region, Hezbollah, has stepped up rocket and drone [3:57] fire at Israel. [3:59] Overnight, most of that intercepted. [4:04] In response, Israel has ordered some 300,000 residents of Hezbollah's stronghold in Beirut [4:09] to flee, taking out building after building. [4:12] JEFFREY BROWN, The President of the United States, Margaret, a short time ago, a bomb [4:15] lit from one of those cluster munitions landed in that building behind me. [4:19] You can see it flung a car up in the air there. [4:21] They're now in the process of moving it. [4:23] Israeli authorities telling me that Iran is now relying more heavily on those cluster [4:28] munitions, which spread out those bomblets high up in the atmosphere, and they're finding [4:32] those much more difficult to stop. [4:34] Margaret. [4:37] MARGARET WARNER, That's Matt Gutmann in Tel Aviv. [4:38] We turn now to senior foreign correspondent Imtiaz Tayeb, who's in Doha, Qatar. [4:42] IMTIAZ TAYEB, Well, Margaret, as the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran [4:48] intensifies, countries here in the Gulf continue to be targeted in Iranian attacks. [4:54] Including Kuwait City this morning, where a strike set the country's main Social Security [4:58] headquarters on fire. [4:59] Now, the UAE, Bahrain, and other Gulf states say their air defenses are still intercepting [5:05] Iranian missiles and drones almost every single day, some of those strikes also targeting [5:11] at least one vital water desalination plant, which would be a grave violation of international [5:16] law. [5:17] Now, on Saturday, Iran's president promised to stop striking Gulf countries. [5:21] He even apologized, but said... [5:23] MARGARET WARNER, The President of the United States, Margaret, a short time ago, a bomb [5:23] hit the Gulf, only if attacks on Iran did not come from their territory. [5:26] Now, it has to be said, most Gulf states host major U.S. bases, making that condition almost [5:33] impossible to meet. [5:34] The ongoing attacks has also triggered this huge economic shock wave right across this [5:39] oil-rich region and has seriously disrupted energy production. [5:43] Saudi Arabia has had to halt operations at a key refinery and is shifting exports to [5:48] bypass the Strait of Hormuz, where about one-fifth of the world's oil normally flows. [5:52] Iraq has had to shut some oil fields, and the UAE and Kuwait have begun scaling back [5:59] production. [6:00] Here in Qatar, the energy minister has warned, if the conflict continues, oil prices could [6:05] surge to $150 a barrel. [6:09] Now, overnight, President Trump spoke to the emir of Qatar, who emphasized to the president [6:14] the, quote, need for diplomacy and the need to de-escalate the situation. [6:19] The question now is whether the Trump administration can keep global energy production going. [6:20] He said... [6:21] MARGARET WARNER, The President of the United States, Margaret, a short time ago, a bomb [6:22] was fired in the center of the world. [6:23] I look forward to hearing what he has to say. [6:24] That's our MTS Tayyip. [6:25] JUDY WOODRUFF, The Press, I am here to tell you what I think is happening, and I think [6:26] it's a very important point. [6:27] We talk about whether the United States is going to have an economic crisis, whether [6:28] it's energy moving while this war continues, Margaret, or whether the economic shock spreads [6:29] far beyond the battlefield and into Americans' wallets. [6:30] MARGARET WARNER, The President of the United States, Margaret, a short time ago, a bomb [6:31] was fired in the center of the world, and it's a very important point. [6:34] That's our MTS Tayyip. [6:35] Well, we turn now to energy secretary Chris Wright, who joins us this morning from Denver. [6:41] Good morning to you. [6:42] CHRIS WRIGHT, Energy Secretary, Denver. [6:45] Thanks for having me, Margaret. [6:46] 50,000 U.S. troops deployed, six Americans that we know of so far killed in action, [6:52] civilians stranded. We look at our polling, Mr. Secretary, and we see that this is an unpopular [6:59] war among the majority of Americans. More than half of them, 56 percent, disapprove. [7:06] When you speak to energy executives about the scope and duration of American involvement, [7:12] what do you tell them? How long? [7:13] Oh, I tell them that for 47 years, Iran has waged war against the United States. [7:22] And throughout that 47 years, they've tried to undermine the energy development and energy [7:28] infrastructure of all their neighbors, as they're doing right now. And it's time to put it to an [7:33] end. So, yes, we have a temporary period of elevated energy prices, but it will not be long. [7:39] In the worst case, this is weeks. This is not months. And it leads to a much better place. [7:45] It leads to a much better future. [7:46] It leads to an Iran that's defanged, that can't threaten its neighbors, can't threaten American [7:51] soldiers, and can't continue to drive up energy prices by making a mess of the Middle East. [7:57] They can move to commerce, not conflict. [8:00] Well, but you have the moment we are in right now. And as you know, gasoline prices up 14 percent [8:06] in the past week, according to AAA. Reports the national average is $3.45. We've seen oil prices [8:12] spike. How high do you think oil and gas are going to go? [8:16] They shouldn't go much higher than they are here, because the world is very well supplied [8:24] with oil. There's no energy shortage at all in the Western Hemisphere. The United States is a net [8:30] exporter of oil, a large net exporter of natural gas. But refineries in Asia and Europe are seeing [8:36] an interruption from the normal crude flows. But there is massive energy stores around the world. [8:43] What you're seeing is emotional reactions and fear that this is a long-term war, [8:48] this is not a long-term war. It's a temporary movement. [8:53] Sorry, go ahead. Temporary movement? [8:57] No, I'm saying, look, we've seen previous administration have done everything they [9:01] could. They've begged, bartered, and bribed the Iranian government to stop its nefarious activity, [9:07] stop its murderous behavior. And it simply hasn't worked. And now they're expanding missile and [9:14] drone program that are rapidly growing to protect their desire to build a nuclear weapon. [9:20] So- [9:20] They're going to cross a threshold. [9:21] Where we can't put them back in the box, now is the time to end their risk to America and the world. [9:27] But as you know, when I asked you about energy prices, this is not a supply [9:32] problem. You said there's plenty of supply. The head of the International Energy Agency said, [9:39] a lot of oil, logistics are the problem. It's dislocation. It's a serious problem. [9:46] So what he's referring to there is being able to actually move it around. I know you said there's [9:50] one vessel that's gone through the Strait of Hormuz. 20 million barrels per day typically go [9:58] through it. When do you get back to that level? [10:03] Oh, I think it'll be relatively soon. Of course, I don't know exactly. All of our military assets [10:08] right now are focused on ending Iran's ability to kill their neighbors, threaten American soldiers, [10:15] and threaten ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. But that's going swimmingly well. [10:20] Their missile launches are down 90 percent. The drone launches, [10:23] are down over 80 percent. I think in the relatively near term, you're going to see [10:29] their capacity so low that we'll see more normal ship traffic return to the Strait of Hormuz. [10:35] So you don't think Navy escorts of vessels are necessary? [10:41] Oh, they might be. They might be. The U.S. is here to do everything we can to keep world [10:46] oil markets supply. When will you make that decision? [10:48] Yes, if they have some residual. We're in engagement right now with people that want [10:55] to get tankers moving out of the Gulf. And so, [10:57] yes, there could be, early tankers probably will involve some direct protection by the U.S. [11:04] military. But most important is to defang their ability to threaten these ships. [11:09] So the president had said he was open to tapping the American stockpile of oil, [11:15] the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. But I saw you on other networks this morning kind of [11:20] throwing cold water on the idea. You referred to it as depleted. Are you saying America doesn't [11:24] have adequate stockpiles? No, America still has over, [11:30] 400 million barrels of oil in our Strategic Petroleum Reserve and, of course, robust [11:35] production. We're more than happy to use that if it's needed. But as you said earlier, it's a [11:41] logistics issue. Where do they need oil? They need oil at refineries in Europe and in Asia. [11:46] And that's why we took a very pragmatic step. There's over 100 million barrels of floating [11:51] Russian crude waiting in line to deliver to China. That's going to be sold. It's going to [11:57] be refined. But that could be one or two months from now. [12:00] In a pragmatic way, with no change in U.S. policy towards Russia, we told the Indians, [12:06] bring that into your refineries. You know, if you're feeling a shortage of crude, [12:10] prices are being bid up, draw down that Russian crude stocks that are sitting right offshore. [12:14] Yeah. So on that point, the U.S. has temporarily suspended some sanctions to make that Russian [12:20] oil you say was already going to be sold anyway, make it available. But doesn't Russia still [12:26] financially benefit from that? Why isn't the U.S. seizing those Russian tankers? [12:30] If they are our adversary? Because right now, because right now we're worried about Iran [12:37] and fixing a 47-year problem there. And we're worried about American consumers. [12:42] We want to stop the rise in gasoline and diesel prices. [12:48] Well, there's been rumors of that. We don't know if that's true or not. Certainly, [12:51] they've gotten a strong message from us. These Iranian drones have Russian parts in them. The [12:55] Russians have been buying Iranian drones. That is very well documented. And CBS has confirmed [12:59] and reported that there was sharing of intelligence. Russia providing intel to [13:04] Soviet Americans. So how is Russia not part of this? [13:11] Russia's expert at causing trouble around the world. So I'm not saying they're not. I'm saying [13:15] I don't if they're helping Iran, it's not working very well. But we're not helping Russia by just [13:21] accelerating the sale of their oil to stop the rise of energy prices and keep European and Asian [13:27] refineries in oil. We're just doing pragmatic things to get through a short period that will [13:33] bring in an era of even lower energy prices. [13:37] A major energy producing region of the world, the Middle East, will no longer have a strong, [13:42] powerful Iran that can threaten their neighbors, that can threaten the United States of America, [13:48] and was not far away from a nuclear bomb. That's an unacceptable scenario. That's [13:52] the risk to energy prices. It's not doing anything. [13:55] So when the Qataris say you can see $150 barrel in oil, that's something America could [14:02] stomach. President Trump wouldn't say, I'm done with this war, because I can't stand [14:07] the political pressure and the American people saying, I don't like what I'm paying at the pump? [14:13] No, the president's going to continue to stay focused on ending a 47-year conflict, [14:19] stay focused on growing the global energy supply. This is actually part of that effort. [14:24] It does involve a temporary impediment to energy production. But on the other side, [14:29] it'll allow much more energy production and much lower energy prices. But this is not a [14:34] long-term conflict. Most presidents have just thought, ah, they'll kick the can down the road. [14:39] The risk is simply too great to kick that increasingly dangerous can down the road. [14:45] President Trump's bold leadership is, enough's enough. We're going to put it to an end. [14:49] I want to ask you about Venezuela. The U.S. deposed Maduro. He's sitting in a prison. [14:54] Just this past week, though, we had the interior secretary visiting Venezuela [14:58] and sitting across from Maduro's chief thug, Díaz-Dial Cabello. This is someone who has a $25 [15:07] million bounty on his head. He ran. [15:09] the prisons. He ran the militias. He was treated as a counterpart to an American official. [15:17] Is this the same playbook the Trump administration is going to run in Iran, [15:20] that you will deal with the same regime you've been telling me is terrible to deal with for 47 [15:25] years? We don't know what the regime will be in place at the end of this conflict, but we do know [15:34] that regime will not have a massive weapons arsenal. That regime will no longer be a massive [15:40] threat to Americans and to the Middle East and to global oil supplies. President Trump is using [15:46] bold leadership. We can't change the world at a blink of an eye, but we can steer it in massively [15:51] positive directions. And yes, Venezuela is a great example of that. Crime in the nearby Trinidad and [15:57] Tobago has plummeted already from our actions in Venezuela and President Trump's insistence [16:04] that he's going to work with our neighbors to reduce drug trafficking in the Western Hemisphere. [16:09] Leadership takes... [16:10] Mm-hmm. [16:10] ...in the Western Hemisphere. [16:10] It involves risks, but if you want to drive improvement, you've got to be confident, [16:15] you've got to have the right agenda, and you've got to have the courage to do it. This president [16:18] does. [16:19] Energy Secretary Wright, thank you for your time this morning. Face the Nation will be back in a [16:24] minute. Stay with us. And we're joined now by Israel's ambassador to the United States, [16:32] Dr. Michael Leiter. Welcome to Face the Nation. [16:35] Good to be with you. Good morning. [16:36] So your prime minister and the American president speak daily, according to President Trump. Have [16:43] they agreed to a deal? [16:44] Have they agreed to beginning and ending the war on the same timeline? [16:48] We've been collaborating now for months, I would say, even prior to Rising Lion, Midnight Hammer in June. And that collaboration includes daily conversations in which there's an assessment of how the war is progressing. And I assume that we're going to reach a complete understanding on the end of this war as well. [17:07] So you believe and trust that America will stay with Israel through the duration of this, even if there are strains on the American economy, like gas prices? [17:15] We've reached a level of collaboration that we've never seen between our two countries and between our two militaries. This is a very important operation that doesn't depend really on a timeline. You know, when you're doing something that's so critical, you're not going to look at a stopwatch. This has to be finished. This is a terror-sponsoring state that has to be brought down. And that's what we're focused on. [17:35] But you agree with the U.S. assessment from the secretary there? He said this is just a matter of weeks? [17:41] We believe so. We're seeing cracks in the edifice of this military security. [17:46] They're starting to have a very grave regime. They're starting to have very grave difficulties in conveying orders down through the system. There's arguments within the system about the appointment of a successor to the supreme leader. They're having grave difficulties. The fact that they're lashing out irrationally to all of their neighbors and firing these ballistic missiles into all of their neighbors, some 12 countries, into Europe, for crying out loud, is indicative of the fact they're having huge problems. We're having success in these attacks on their command centers. [18:14] So President Trump was speaking about the U.S. assessment of the war. He said this is just a matter of weeks? [18:16] He specifically asked yesterday about sending troops in to secure Iran's supply of enriched uranium. He said he's not ruling it out. Does Iran currently have access to the documented enriched uranium that exists inside the country? And what is Israel's plan to secure it? [18:35] Israel's plan is to secure it. That's for sure. How exactly is an operational issue? I don't think, Margaret, that you want me to discuss here on a Sunday morning and face the nation. We've got to do that. It's an objective that we have to accomplish. [18:47] We have to do is create a situation where we're going to be able to get to that enriched material and remove it. And that has to reach a point where there's less kinetic activity on the ground. It's obviously on our radar screen and we're going to take care of it. The whole objective here of this operation is to prevent a terror state from achieving nuclear weapons. So it's very much on our radar screen and that's what we're going to accomplish. But just to put a fine point on it, the concern is that that material could end up in the wrong hands if the regime collapses and it's a mess, right? So how do you secure it without ground forces in the country? [19:17] We're ruling out the possibility of this regime remaining in the position where they can endanger us and their neighbors, if that includes putting boots on the ground. Our preference is for the boots on the ground to be those of the Iranians. These are people who have been living under the boot of this regime now for 47 years. They want freedom. This is a whole generation out there that knows there's such a thing as freedom but has never tasted it yet. They need to put their boots on the ground. [19:47] They need to put their boots on the ground and ensure their future and the future of the region. [19:50] You mean the Iranian army? [19:51] The Iranian includes, no, I mean the Iranian people. 80% of the Iranian people are opposed to this regime. They just haven't been able to express themselves. [20:00] Well, and CENTCOM is telling Iranian civilians to stay home right now. Is there any organized or armed opposition inside Iran that Israel supports? [20:09] We've been talking to the minorities now for many years. [20:12] The minorities, meaning the Kurds and the Azeris? [20:16] The Kurds, the Baluchis, the Azeris. [20:16] But the Iranian people are not. [20:17] The Iranian people themselves, the Persians, we saw what they did two months ago. [20:20] There's a point of combustion where the people rise up and say, we've had enough. We want freedom. [20:25] So once we set the stage and there's no longer regime with a million armed people that are willing to shoot their fellow citizens in the back, [20:34] these people are going to rise up and say we want our country back. [20:37] Because President Trump said yesterday he does not want the Kurds to make up about 10% of the population within Iran. [20:43] He doesn't want the Kurds in neighboring countries to enter the conflict. [20:46] We don't want to make the war. [20:47] We don't want to make the war any more complex than it is already. [20:49] Turkey's foreign minister came and said he, he said he had spoken to Rubio about it. [20:54] But he said this, Israel's intentions in this matter are not so secret. [20:59] Turkey seems to think that your country is trying to get the Kurds to intervene here. [21:04] Is that accurate? [21:05] I wouldn't take the words of President Erdogan too seriously. [21:09] He's talking about his own caliphate spreading throughout the Middle East. [21:12] He's talking about taking over. [21:14] Well, that's it. [21:15] It's coming down from the president. [21:15] He's talking about taking over Saudi Arabia and Israel. [21:17] At the same time, look, we want a united Iran. [21:21] There's no question about it. [21:22] But we want to empower the minorities to have their say in the process, in the political process. [21:27] They've been denied of their freedom. [21:28] So it's not a matter of supporting this particular minority or another. [21:32] It's supporting all the minorities. [21:33] And what we're encouraging them to do is to coalesce, is to come together, to unify. [21:38] If over the past 47 years, the opposition of Iran would have unified, this regime would have come down a long time ago. [21:43] So we can help them coalesce. [21:45] We can help them unify. [21:46] We can help them come together. [21:47] And rise up and say, we're taking our country back. [21:50] That's ultimately the end game. [21:52] So your prime minister gave an address Saturday and said to the IRGC, [21:56] to those who lay down their arms, no harm shall come. [21:59] To those who do not, their blood is on their own heads. [22:03] If there are no Israeli ground forces, who do you want the IRGC to surrender to? [22:08] How does that work? [22:09] There are many precedents in history where the people themselves, like Romania, [22:13] they turned their guns around against Ceausescu. [22:15] When people are deprived of freedom, there's a certain point where they say, [22:18] enough. [22:20] And all they have to do is put down their weapons and not participate. [22:23] Look, they don't have to participate when the people rise up in shooting their own civilians, [22:27] their own neighbors, their own families in many cases. [22:30] So, look, the objective here is to achieve a situation where Iran is no longer an exporter of terrorism, [22:36] is no longer raining ballistic missiles down on its neighbors, [22:39] and is no longer in the pursuit of nuclear weapons. [22:41] That's achievable. [22:42] And together, the collaborative effort between Roaring Lion and Epic Fury, [22:47] we're going to accomplish that. [22:48] Ambassador, we have to leave it there for the moment, but we'll have more questions shortly. [22:52] We need to take a quick commercial break. [22:54] Stay with us. [23:03] Welcome back to Face the Nation. [23:05] We return to our conversation with Israel's ambassador to the United States, Dr. Michael Leiter. [23:11] Just to pick this back up, when we talk about what's coming next in Iran, [23:16] it has tremendous impacts potentially for the entire region and American interests there. [23:21] The president said when it comes to Iran's next leaders, most of the people we had in mind are dead. [23:27] The New York Times is reporting the Israeli strike that killed the Supreme Leader [23:30] also took out Iranian pragmatists, that was how they phrased it, [23:33] who were also in that same compound. [23:36] But the White House had hoped that those individuals might help lead a new Iran. [23:41] Were they intentionally targeted by Israel, or was this unintended? [23:45] No. [23:47] Pragmatists are very limited in their ability to influence in Iran. [23:51] There have been pragmatists all throughout the 47 years of this terror regime. [23:55] They've had absolutely no influence. [23:57] The people influencing, deciding for Iran are these ayatollahs who have a very apocalyptic view of the future [24:03] and don't really care about how many people they kill, of their own or others. [24:08] So, look, what we're hoping for is that we move into a period of a transitional government [24:13] where the minorities come together, where the majority of the people come together, [24:17] all the various opposition parties come together for a transitional government [24:21] where they can lead the country for a year or so, together with the guidance from the United States, [24:27] and Israel, and other regional allies who will no longer live under the fear of being hit by ballistic missiles, [24:34] and then move into a mode of a democratic process. [24:37] Let the people choose. [24:38] Let's not forget, the people of Iran are the most pro-Western people after Israel. [24:43] But when I hear this is going to take weeks, not months, referring to the combat, [24:51] what you're talking about takes a long time, that kind of transition. [24:55] So we're not just talking about a limited military operation. [24:59] U.S. pressure, Israeli pressure is going to have to be there for a long time. [25:02] Yeah, well, this isn't Iraq or Afghanistan, because in this case, 80% of the people oppose the regime. [25:09] They just need the ability to express themselves. [25:13] That's what we're emphasizing here. [25:14] This is not a repeat of forever wars. [25:16] They've got to put their boots on the ground, and they're beginning to be motivated [25:21] and to feel that they're going to be able to accomplish that. [25:24] They're beginning to move forward. [25:26] It's just going to take a little bit more time. [25:28] There's no long-term... [25:29] There's no long-term gain without some minimal pain. [25:31] Look, I know what war is all about. [25:33] I hate war. [25:34] I lost my son in war. [25:35] I don't want to see war. [25:36] None of us in Israel want to see war. [25:38] But we can't have a situation where our existence is threatened every day [25:41] by a regime that says they're going to eliminate us. [25:44] But just to put a fine point on it, did Israel intentionally target those other Iranian leaders [25:49] that the president had referred to as some of the people he had in mind to lead? [25:53] You know, Margaret, we're pretty good at precision. [25:54] I think we've proven that. [25:55] But the degree of precision where in this very same room, [25:59] we're sitting and those people sitting, we're not that good. [26:02] Ambassador, thank you for your time this morning. [26:05] Good to be with you. [26:06] We'll be right back. [26:11] There have been seven American deaths in the war with Iran so far, [26:15] six who died in combat. [26:17] Yesterday at Dover Air Force Base, [26:19] President Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, [26:22] and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth were on hand [26:24] to witness the dignified transfer of the Americans who have been killed in action. [26:29] They were all members of the Army Reserve assigned to the 130th, [26:33] and they were serving at a U.S. facility in Kuwait last Sunday [26:37] when it was struck by a drone. [26:38] Major Jeffrey R. O'Brien was 45. [26:41] Captain Cody A. Cork was 35. [26:45] Chief Warrant Officer Robert M. Marzin was 54. [26:49] Sergeant First Class Nicole M. Amore was 39. [26:53] Sergeant First Class Noah L. Teichens was 42. [26:57] Sergeant Declan J. Cody was 20. [27:00] And we thank you for joining us. [27:01] Thank you. [27:02] Thank you. [27:03] Thank you. [27:06] Thank them for their sacrifice. [27:08] We turn now to CBS News National Correspondent [27:11] and Chief Washington Analyst Robert Costa. [27:15] Bob, I understand you spoke with President Trump by phone last night. [27:19] It was a heavy day. [27:21] How is he feeling about this war? [27:23] Good morning, Margaret. [27:24] Late last night I did speak with President Trump about how he assesses everything. [27:28] He talked about the sustained assault on Iran. [27:31] He said as we were speaking last night, the factories were being bombed. [27:35] the united states has done a lot to eradicate the iranian military the iranian leadership [27:40] and i asked him about the iranian leadership in particular who's he going to deal with if [27:44] there's going to be a diplomatic solution here and he's getting threats from ali larajani the [27:48] top national security official among other iranian leaders he said i couldn't care less [27:52] who these people are i'm focused on the war the military campaign against them and he says their [27:57] threats are empty in his view so i mean this is something we've become used to in the age of trump [28:05] that he takes phone calls from from reporters but that's incredibly unusual particularly in a moment [28:11] of such high sensitivity um usually the the wording the language it's so carefully crafted [28:20] around a war strategy he's not doing that we're almost following each statement to figure out [28:26] where this war goes next and and sometimes those statements are contradictory it seems [28:31] based on the conversations i've had with him not only last night but in recent weeks that he's [28:35] highly engaged with the iranian government and he's been very engaged with the iranian government [28:35] and he's been very engaged and always being briefed and updated so it's actually beneficial [28:39] as a journalist to constantly hear how he's assessing the information in front of him he [28:43] kept going over uh last night how he saw over 40 ships have been destroyed and he was talking about [28:49] the extent of the destruction and i said to him what about what's next now you're telling me about [28:54] what's happening what next what about u.s allies you talked about how the he doesn't want the kurds [28:59] to enter the fight and when it comes to the brits for example he's pushing back against the prime [29:04] minister keir starmer saying it's going to be a very difficult time for the iranian government to [29:05] be able to get back to the brits and he's saying it's too late he told me too late to be sending [29:07] ships he said his mission right now is to focus on the u.s israeli efforts to push iran to have [29:13] unconditional surrender and when i pushed him again a little bit i asked him about the iranian [29:17] leadership he says he's not focused on that he's focused on getting iran to a point where they [29:23] surrender that's the entire prerogative he has right now it's interesting um and we're going to [29:28] be tracking it thank you bob for bringing us your latest reporting we'll be back in a moment [29:37] we're joined now by virginia [29:39] democratic senator tim kaine good to have you here senator thank you margaret you sit on many [29:44] relevant committees armed services foreign relations i want to ask you about this explosion [29:49] overnight nearby the u.s embassy in oslo i understand that the norwegian police say it [29:55] may have been a deliberate attack linked to the current security situation what do we know about [30:00] the threat here and to other american posts um there are threats because of my service on the [30:06] foreign relations committee i've been in dialogue with [30:09] state department personnel around the world escalated security other embassies or consulates [30:15] have had protests protests that kind of were merging toward violence or at least frightening to [30:21] our diplomats we have american citizens stranded in the region they were told to come home but they [30:27] weren't told to come home until after commercial air flights had stopped and so my office has been [30:31] working with virginians this week trying to help them come home and so we owe it to our brave [30:39] predecessors in this country to help them come home and and in the teach every single day we [30:42] can't afford to keep our children afloat so we're just trying to keep them safe we can't keep our [30:45] children safe wherever they are and our citizens to keep them safe and and margaret that's just [30:49] one more reason why i've been asking the question have we learned nothing from 25 years of [30:53] war in the middle east and with the arrival of the first american casualties back home [30:58] yesterday including a virginian um i i worry that the answer to that is no so do you have an [31:04] estimate on the number of americans still stranded in the middle east it's thousands and thousands now [31:08] it is now not not every american chooses to come home so there's there's hundreds of thousands and [31:09] hundreds of thousands if you just add them all up who is coming home I am [31:13] working with the Virginians who are reaching out to my office we were able [31:16] to facilitate one Richmond area resident getting home from from Dubai on a flight [31:22] a couple of days back and so it's sort of dealing with that but what worries me [31:25] a little bit more is that some of the professionals at embassies and consuls [31:29] are not being told to come home and they're sort of there and often their [31:34] security presence is not what we wish it would be so we have to pay close [31:38] attention to them let me ask you about the homeland now we're in this fourth [31:42] week of a partial homeland security shutdown that means people the Coast [31:46] Guard Secret Service and TSA are not getting paid but ice and CBP are still [31:53] funded given that the pressure from Democrats isn't affecting the agencies [31:59] where Democrats want to see policy change is this really an effective [32:02] strategy well we have said to the Republicans we've worked out funding for [32:07] all those agencies other than [32:08] I [32:08] see [32:09] in CBP let's just pass those funding bills let's confine the ice and CBP [32:13] reform discussion just to those two agencies and fund the others thus far [32:18] Republicans have blocked those efforts we want to fund TSA FEMA Coast Guard [32:23] insists that we want to fund those agencies and we have a funding agreement [32:26] that's already been negotiated between both parties in both houses so let's do [32:30] that and then ice and CBP the Republicans gave them money last summer [32:35] they're not running out of money we can continue the reform discussion [32:38] there well I asked because CBS obtained a Homeland Security critical incident note [32:43] that cites Iranian religious leaders issuing fatwas calling on Muslims to [32:48] Avenge the supreme leader's death DHS says that you know in the past these [32:54] kind of what was haven't really inspired attacks necessarily but you got to be [32:58] worried but you got to be worried about it in this moment in time so isn't there [33:01] a good argument to be made to move on the standoff to end it I completely agree let's fund all [33:08] THESE AGENCIES THAT DON'T HAVE FUNDS RIGHT NOW. [33:11] AND LET'S CONFINE THE ICE AND CBP DISCUSSION TO WHAT ARE THE [33:15] REFORMS NECESSARY. [33:16] WHY ISN'T THAT HAPPENING? [33:17] WELL, WE'VE OFFERED THIS ON THE FLOOR, AND THE REPUBLICANS HAVE [33:20] THUS FAR REJECTED. [33:21] THEY'VE SAID YOU'VE GOT TO FUND EVERYTHING OR NOTHING. [33:24] AND WE SAID WE'VE AGREED ON ALL THE OTHER AGENCIES, LET'S DO [33:27] THAT. [33:28] BUT ICE AND CBP NEED REFORMS. [33:29] WE'VE MADE THAT VERY, VERY PLAIN, AND AMERICAN CITIZENS [33:32] WANT THERE TO BE REFORMS. [33:34] AND SO THAT IS THE FOCUS RIGHT NOW, AND THEY DO HAVE ENOUGH [33:36] MONEY BECAUSE THE REPUBLICANS PROVIDED TO THEM LAST SUMMER IN [33:40] THE RECONCILIATION BILL. [33:41] WE SAW SECRETARY NOEM LOSE HER JOB THIS WEEK. [33:45] YOU SAID YOU DO REGRET HAVING VOTED FOR HER. [33:48] BIG MISTAKE. [33:49] SHE WAS A GOVERNOR. [33:50] GOVERNORS ARE OFTEN GOOD CABINET SECRETARIES. [33:52] BUT WHAT WE LEARNED, AND THIS BEARS GOING FORWARD, IS THAT SHE [33:55] WASN'T CALLING THE SHOTS. [33:56] STEVEN MILLER IS CALLING THE SHOTS. [33:58] AND AS LONG AS HE IS CALLING THE SHOTS WITHOUT REFORMS, THIS IS [34:02] GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE A VERY, VERY ROGUE, RENEGATED, [34:06] DEPARTMENT. [34:07] WELL, DO YOU NEED TO SEE AND HEAR SOMETHING FROM SENATOR MARK [34:13] WAYNE MULLEN TO GET YOU TO VOTE FOR HIM IF YOU'RE SAYING HE'S [34:18] JUST GOING TO BE BASICALLY A PUPPET OF STEVEN MILLER? [34:20] THAT'S OUR FEAR. [34:21] SO HE COULD DEMONSTRATE OTHERWISE. [34:23] BUT WHAT WE WANT TO SEE IS NOT JUST THE CHANGE IN THE NAMEPLATE [34:25] ON THE DOOR. [34:26] WE WANT TO SEE REFORMS TO THE WAY ICE AND CBP OPERATES. [34:30] THEY SHOULD OPERATE LIKE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT DOES, NOT INVADING [34:34] PEOPLE'S HOMES WITHOUT WARRANTS, BODY CAMERAS, NOT WHERE THEY [34:37] USE MASKS. [34:38] NOT JUDICIAL WARRANTS, RIGHT? [34:39] THAT'S WHAT THEY USE. [34:40] YES. [34:41] WELL, FOR HOMES, I WOULD SAY JUDICIAL WARRANTS. [34:42] I THINK THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR INVADING PEOPLE'S HOMES. [34:46] THESE ARE BASIC PRINCIPLES THAT OUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT [34:49] AGENCIES LIVE BY. [34:51] THE ASHLAND TOWN POLICE LIVES BY THEM. [34:53] WE SHOULD ASK OUR FEDERAL AGENCIES TO DO EXACTLY THE SAME [34:56] THING. [34:57] YOU'RE ON ARMED SERVICES AS WELL. [34:58] YES. [34:59] THE PENNAGON MAY BE LOOKING AT A SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET REQUEST [35:02] TO FUND THIS NEW WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST. [35:05] CSIS ESTIMATES THE FIRST HUNDRED HOURS OF THE WAR COST NEARLY [35:08] $4 BILLION. [35:11] HAVE YOU HEARD AN ESTIMATE ON COST? [35:13] WHERE ARE WE ON THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AND WILL IT GET [35:16] ANY DEMOCRATIC SUPPORT? [35:18] WE DON'T KNOW THAT THE WHITE HOUSE IS SENDING A SUPPLEMENTAL. [35:20] SO WE HAD A CLASSIFIED BRIEFING THE OTHER DAY AND THE TOPIC [35:22] CAME UP. [35:24] WHAT I CAN SAY, AND IT'S NOT CLASSIFIED, IS THE [35:25] ADMINISTRATION SAID THEY HAVEN'T MADE A DECISION. [35:28] MY GOALS RIGHT NOW ARE TWOFOLD. [35:30] ONE IS TO STOP THIS WAR, WHICH I VIEW AS BOTH ILLEGAL AND [35:34] PROFOUNDLY UNWISE, AND PROTECT OUR TROOPS. [35:37] IF A SUPPLEMENTAL COMES OVER, I'M GOING TO BE LOOKING TO SEE, [35:40] OKAY, HOW DOES IT SQUARE WITH THOSE GOALS? [35:43] PROTECTING THE TROOPS IS KEY. [35:44] THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I WANT TO STOP THE WAR. [35:46] I THINK THEY'RE JUST EXPOSED TO A COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY RISK BY [35:50] WHAT PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS DONE. [35:52] SO WE'LL LOOK AT A SUPPLEMENTAL, IF THEY SEND ONE, TO SEE, OKAY, [35:56] HOW DOES IT ACCOMPLISH THOSE GOALS? [35:58] DID THEY TELL YOU WHAT THAT'S DEPENDENT ON? [35:59] DO THEY NEED MORE MONEY? [36:00] IS IT THE DURATION OF TIME OF THE CONFLICT? [36:02] I THINK THAT'S THE ISSUE. [36:04] YOU TRADITIONALLY DON'T ASK FOR A SUPPLEMENTAL HALFWAY THROUGH [36:08] BECAUSE YOU MIGHT ASK FOR AN INADEQUATE AMOUNT. [36:11] YOU MIGHT NOT. [36:12] I THINK THEY MAY NOT WANT TO ASK FOR A SUPPLEMENTAL BECAUSE [36:15] THEY'RE TRYING TO AVOID DEBATES AND VOTES IN CONGRESS ON THE [36:18] IRAN WAR RIGHT NOW. [36:19] I PUT UP A WAR POWERS VOTE THAT I LOST EARLIER THIS WEEK. [36:23] BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU, I'M NOT GOING AWAY. [36:26] WE HAVE OTHER MEANS TO HAVE A DEBATE AND DISCUSSION ABOUT [36:29] WHETHER THIS WAR IS IN THE U.S.'S INTEREST AFTER 25 YEARS OF [36:32] WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST. [36:33] THEY MAY WANT TO AVOID A VOTE ON THAT AND ARE TRYING TO DELAY IT [36:36] FOR THAT REASON. [36:37] THEY'LL MAKE THAT CALL AND WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE CONTENT. [36:39] VERY QUICKLY, I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT SOME OF THE AMERICANS [36:42] THAT ARE STILL BEING HELD IN IRAN IN EVEN PRISON. [36:46] ONE OF THEM, REZA VALEZADE, A JOURNALIST. [36:49] ONE OF THEM, KAMERON HEKMATY, A 70-YEAR-OLD MAN. [36:52] DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT IS BEING DONE TO PROTECT THEM OR [36:55] STOP THEM FROM BEING RETALIATED AGAINST? [36:58] I DO NOT. [36:59] I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT. [37:00] LOOK, IF SCHOOL KIDS ARE BEING KILLED IN BOMBING, LIKELY U.S. [37:04] BOMBING, ALTHOUGH THE PRESIDENT AND THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ARE [37:07] NOW TRYING TO INVENT A CLAIM THAT IT WAS IRAN, IF SCHOOL KIDS [37:10] ARE BEING KILLED, I WORRY ABOUT THE FATE OF U.S. [37:13] CITIZENS WHO ARE BEING HELD PRISONERS THERE. [37:15] WELL, WE KNOW THE MILITARY IS INVESTIGATING THAT, SECRETARY [37:18] HICKS HAS SAID, IN REGARD TO THE GIRLS' SCHOOL. [37:21] WE HAVE TO LEAVE IT THERE. [37:22] SENATOR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. [37:23] GLAD TO BE WITH YOU, MARGARET. [37:24] WE WILL BE RIGHT BACK. [37:25] WE TURN NOW TO THE WAR IN UKRAINE AND UKRAINE'S AMBASSADOR [37:33] TO THE UNITED STATES, OLGA STEFANISHINA. [37:36] WELCOME BACK TO FACE THE NATION. [37:38] HELLO, MARGARET. [37:39] THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. [37:40] SO ONE OF THE BIGGEST THREATS TO UKRAINE HAS BEEN RUSSIA'S [37:44] BALLISTIC MISSILES THAT IT HAS BEEN FIRING INTO YOUR COUNTRY [37:47] FOR SOME TIME. [37:48] THE SOLUTION HAS BEEN THE PATRIOT SYSTEM, THE AMERICAN [37:51] INTERCEPTORS. [37:52] THEY ARE IN SHORT SUPPLY, AS YOU WELL KNOW. [37:55] AND NOW AMERICA'S ALLIES IN THE GULF TELL US THAT THEY ARE [37:59] ALSO IN SHORT SUPPLY THERE AND THEY NEED THEM. [38:02] YOUR PRESIDENT SAID HE IS CONCERNED AMERICA IS GOING TO [38:05] REDUCE ITS AIR DEFENSE SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE. [38:08] HOW MUCH OF A PROBLEM IS THIS FOR YOUR COUNTRY? [38:12] WELL, THANK YOU, MARGARET, FOR ASKING THIS QUESTION. [38:15] OF COURSE, WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT PUBLICLY AS WELL AND [38:18] HAVE BEEN HAVING NONPUBLIC DISCUSSIONS. [38:21] BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WE SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE [38:26] EVENTS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW WITH THE WAR IN IRAN HAVE BEEN [38:30] SO RESOLUTE THAT PROBABLY THESE ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT [38:33] DEVELOPMENTS IN THE GLOBAL ARENA OVER A DECADE. [38:37] SO NO SHORTAGES OF MEANS SHOULD BE AN ISSUE. [38:40] AND WE ARE SURE THAT AMERICAN DEFENSE INDUSTRY IS CAPABLE OF [38:44] MAKING SURE THAT ALL THE FRONTS ARE COVERED. [38:47] UKRAINE HAS THE RESOURCES AND ABILITY TO PROCURE MORE, AND WE [38:51] ARE LOOKING FORWARD FOR EXPLORING THE OPTIONS HOW TO DO [38:54] IT. [38:55] BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE ENDED UP WITH 400, 300 SHAHED DRONES [39:00] OVER THE HOUSES OF UKRAINE, WHICH WAS ONLY POSSIBLE BECAUSE [39:05] IRAN HAS BEEN A STRATEGIC ENABLER OF THE RUSSIAN [39:08] AGGRESSION THREE YEARS AGO. [39:10] AND WE SEE WHAT THE EVOLVEMENT OF CHIP TECHNOLOGIES IS, AND WE [39:15] HAVE BEEN READY TO CONTRIBUTE. [39:18] WELL, I ASKED THAT EARLIER IN THE PROGRAM OF THE ENERGY [39:21] SECRETARY, CHRIS WRIGHT, BECAUSE RUSSIA AND IRAN HAVE BEEN [39:24] ALLIED HERE. [39:25] THEY HAVE BEEN TRADING RESOURCES AND TECHNOLOGY. [39:29] THEY ARE ALLIED. [39:31] AND I THINK THE REASON WHY RUSSIA IS NOT ALLIED IN MANY [39:34] WAYS, HE SEEMED TO SAY THEY WERE NOT REALLY A FACTOR. [39:39] YOU SAY THEY ARE DIRECTLY ONE. [39:41] WELL, I MEAN, THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY A FACTOR BECAUSE [39:46] BASICALLY THE SHAHED DRONE TECHNOLOGY WAS DEVELOPED TO [39:49] ATTACK PEOPLE, TO DEMORALIZE POPULATION, TO CAUSE THE LOSSES [39:52] AMONG CIVILIANS. [39:54] SO IT KILLED, LIKE, HUNDREDS OF UKRAINIAN KIDS, SO MANY [39:57] FAMILIES. [39:59] AND THIS WAS A STRATEGIC ENABLER OF WAR. [40:01] THEY WERE NOT INVESTING IN BILATERAL RELATIONS OR [40:04] DEVELOPMENT OR INVESTMENTS. [40:06] THEY WERE INVESTING IN REGIMES LIKE IRAN, VENEZUELA, AND [40:10] SYRIA JUST BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT IT'S NOT POSSIBLE TO HAVE THE [40:13] RESOLUTE ACTION AS IT IS NOW TAKING PLACE WITH IRAN AND AS [40:17] IT WAS BEFORE IN VENEZUELA. [40:19] AND IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WITH SYRIA. [40:22] SO THEY ARE DEPRIVED OF MEANS OF THEIR INFLUENCE. [40:25] THEY ARE WEAKER. [40:27] BUT ALSO WE SHOULD NOT FORGET THAT UKRAINE HAS SHOWN THAT [40:29] RUSSIA IS NO DIFFERENT FROM ALL OF THESE COUNTRIES. [40:31] IT'S JUST BIGGER. [40:34] AND WE SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE EXPERIENCE WHICH IS BEING GAINED [40:38] RIGHT NOW AND THE NEW REALITY WHICH HAS BEEN FORMED BY [40:41] PRESIDENT TRUMP ALSO PAYS THE WAY FOR THE NEW REALITY FOR THE [40:44] RUSSIANS. [40:45] AND I'M SURE THEY ARE REALLY, REALLY AFRAID OF THAT. [40:48] WELL, YOUR PRESIDENT SAID HE WAS ASKED BY THE UNITED [40:51] STATES TO PROVIDE ANTI-DRONE TECHNOLOGY THAT UKRAINE HAS TO [40:54] AMERICA. [40:55] WHEN DOES THAT ARRIVE? [40:57] WHEN WILL THAT BE OPERATIONAL? [40:59] SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S A [41:01] VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE. [41:03] AND, YOU KNOW, WE UNDERSTAND MORE THAN ANYBODY IN THIS [41:06] WORLD WHAT IS NEEDED IN A MOMENT OF CRISIS. [41:09] WHAT IS NEEDED WHEN YOU SEE WHEN YOUR PEOPLE ARE DYING JUST [41:13] ACROSS SO MANY CITIES OF THE GULF COUNTRIES. [41:16] AND WHAT WE SUGGESTED IS THE IMMEDIATE ACTION AND IMMEDIATE [41:19] REACTION. [41:20] SO WE CAN SECURE THE SKIES. [41:22] WE CAN PROVIDE THE AIR DEFENSE BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MUCH [41:25] KNOWLEDGE. [41:26] AND THESE ARE ONLY UKRAINIAN PEOPLE, UKRAINIAN ENFORCES WHO [41:29] HAVE THIS KNOWLEDGE AND CAPABILITY. [41:31] SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE UKRAINIAN [41:34] PEOPLE TO DO THE SAME THING. [41:36] I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE UKRAINIAN PEOPLE TO DO THE [41:39] UNITED STATES AND THE GULF COUNTRIES. [41:41] AND THIS IS WHAT WE DID. [41:43] WE ARE NOT GOING TO STAND ASIDE KNOWING THAT PEOPLE ARE DYING [41:46] BECAUSE WE KNOW HOW PAINFUL IT IS AND WE WILL DO EVERYTHING WE [41:49] CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS RESOLUTE ACTION IS ENDING UP [41:53] WITH SOMETHING THAT IS CALLED POSITIVE. [41:56] SO SENDING ADVISORS TO HELP WITH THE DRONES, IT SOUNDS [41:59] LIKE. [42:00] AND ALSO CAPABILITIES. [42:01] AND I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT FOR THE UKRAINIAN PEOPLE TO [42:04] BE ABLE TO OVERTAKE IT BECAUSE THE SITUATION IS CHANGING EVERY [42:07] WEEK. [42:08] AND YOU NEED TO HAVE PEOPLE AND THE MECHANISM WHICH ALLOWS TO [42:11] REACT IMMEDIATELY. [42:12] AND THIS IS WHAT ONLY UKRAINE HAS ON THE ENTIRE PLANET. [42:18] SO JUST A FEW DAYS AGO, PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID HE [42:20] THINKS VLADIMIR PUTIN IS READY TO MAKE A DEAL. [42:23] AND HE SAID THAT VLADMIR ZELENSKYY, YOUR PRESIDENT HAS TO [42:25] GET ON THE BALL AND HE HAS TO GET A DEAL DONE. [42:31] IS STILL REALLY TENSE EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT UKRAINE HELPING THE UNITED STATES [42:37] WHAT'S GOING ON HERE WELL I MEAN I THINK DEFINITELY A COUPLE OF MINUTES OF THIS DISCUSSION IS NOT [42:44] ENOUGH FOR THAT UH BUT I THINK WE'RE UH WE'RE ASSESSING THE SITUATION BY ACTIONS AND THE ACTIONS [42:51] ARE THAT THERE'S A MECHANISM WHERE UKRAINE STILL CAN'T GET ACCESS TO AMERICAN MILITARY EQUIPMENT [42:57] PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS UH RELEASED A SIGNIFICANT SANCTIONS UH TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION OVER THE [43:03] LAST MONTHS AND ALSO WE ARE IN DIALOGUE ALREADY TRILATERALLY WITH THE UNITED STATES AND AND [43:09] RUSSIANS ON AND ENDING THE WAR ALL OF THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT AND WE'RE LOOKING [43:15] FORWARD FOR THEIR SUCCESS BUT FOR US THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DEFEND [43:20] OURSELVES AND SECURE OUR CITIES AND WE'RE DOING THAT TO THE EXTENT WE CAN WITH THE AMERICAN [43:25] SUPPORT AND WE UH [43:27] HAVE NEVER BEEN TOO TIRED TO GIVE CREDIT TO PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR SO MANY IMPORTANT THINGS [43:33] HE DID ALTHOUGH THE RETHORICS WE HEAR SOMETIME IS NOT SOMETHING THAT REALLY VERY CLEAR OR VERY [43:38] POSITIVE YEAH BUT YOU KNOW WE'RE A TOUGH COUNTRY WE'RE TOUGH PEOPLE WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH [43:43] THAT YOU KNOW A COUPLE OF WORDS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT REALLY CAN DESTRUCT US AND WE KNOW WHAT WE [43:50] KNOW THAT UKRAINE IS A COUNTRY IN THE WORLD WHICH REALLY WANTS THE WAR OVER MORE THAN ANYBODY [43:57] AND [43:57] AND THIS IS WHAT WE STAND WHAT EVIDENCE DO YOU HAVE THAT RUSSIA IS HELPING IRAN IN ITS WAR [44:05] RIGHT NOW ON THESE AMERICAN ALLIES WELL SOME INFORMATION HAS BEEN PROVIDED IT'S NOT SOMETHING [44:11] THAT WE WOULD WANT TO SHARE UH TO SHARE YOU KNOW IN A MEDIA OR GO PUBLIC WITH BUT UH I CAN [44:17] ALSO ASSURE YOU THAT IT'S NOT ONLY UKRAINE THEY'RE LIKE A LOT OF COUNTRIES WHO HAVE A LOT OF [44:22] INFORMATION AND A DISPOSAL AND INTEL COMMUNITY IS VERY WELL DEVELOPED ACROSS ALL THE [44:27] NATO FORMATS SO WHATEVER INFORMATION IS THERE IT'S ALREADY AT THE DISPOSAL OF YOU KNOW ALL ALLIES [44:34] AND PARTNERS INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES AND I'M SURE THIS IS AN INFORMATION WHICH IS BLACK AND [44:39] WHITE IT'S NOW NOTHING WHICH COULD BE CALLED GREY BUT IT GOES BEYOND SHARING TARGETING INFORMATION [44:48] WHICH CBS HAS REPORTED I'M NOT SURE THAT I COULD REALLY COMMENT ON THAT BUT I THINK [44:54] WE SHOULD LOOK ALSO IN THE CONTEXT THAT RUSSIA HAS BEEN [44:57] SUPPORTING THE REGIMES OF THE COUNTRIES I'VE MENTIONED LIKE VENEZUELA LIKE SYRIA LIKE IRAN [45:04] FOR YEARS AND THIS PARTNERSHIP WAS POSSIBLE AND EVOLVED IN BUILDING THE PRODUCTIONS ON [45:10] THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AMBASSADOR THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY THANK YOU ALL FOR WATCHING [45:15] UNTIL NEXT WEEK FOR FACE THE NATION I'M MARGARET BRENNAN