Afghanistan went under a “total internet blackout” beginning on Monday as the Taliban seeks to stop “immoral activities” by cutting off the country’s access to the rest of the world.
Internet and phone services have been disrupted for the 43 million people living in the Middle Eastern country, as people living outside Afghanistan are concerned about contacting family members and coworkers still in the country, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/29/asia/internet-blackout-afghanistan-latam-intl">reported</a>. Multiple flights scheduled to land in Kabul on Tuesday morning were also canceled, and the Taliban’s leadership has yet to address the issue.
NetBlocks, a watchdog group that monitors internet outages around the world, <a href="https://x.com/netblocks/status/1972679896729014371">said</a> on Monday that Afghanistan “is now in the midst of a total internet blackout as Taliban authorities move to implement morality measures, with multiple networks disconnected through the morning in a stepwise manner; telephone services are currently also impacted.”
In an update on Tuesday morning, NetBlocks added, “It has now been 24 hours since #Afghanistan imposed a national internet blackout, cutting off residents from the rest of the world; the ongoing measure marks the Taliban’s return to conservative values it espoused a quarter of a century ago, limiting basic freedoms.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
⚠️ Update: It has now been 24 hours since <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Afghanistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Afghanistan</a> imposed a national internet blackout, cutting off residents from the rest of the world; the ongoing measure marks the Taliban&#8217;s return to conservative values it espoused a quarter of a century ago limiting basic freedoms <a href="https://t.co/8g04yEi4Ht">pic.twitter.com/8g04yEi4Ht</a>
— NetBlocks (@netblocks) <a href="https://twitter.com/netblocks/status/1973000138961600660?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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A Taliban official reportedly spoke to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/09/30/afghanistan-internet-blackout-taliban/">The Washington Post</a> on the condition of anonymity, saying that the internet shutdown had been discussed by the terror group for a week. The official added that the country could not survive without the internet and that “everything is at standstill at the moment.”
The Taliban’s move is the most severe action the regime has taken to cut off the country from the outside world since taking over in 2021. Taliban officials hinted at the tactic earlier this month, saying that it wanted “to prevent immoral activities,” according to CNN. Haji Zaid, the governor of northern Balkh province, said that an “alternative system will be established within the country for essential needs.”
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Along with disrupting communication between family members and colleagues, the internet shutdown also threatens to further hide the Taliban’s continued human rights abuses. Multiple American citizens who were held hostage by the Taliban were recently released, but at least one Afghan-American — <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/mahmood-shah-habibi">Mahmood Habibi</a> — is believed to still be in Taliban custody.
Since the Taliban took over the country following the United States’ withdrawal in 2021, the regime has also cracked down on women’s rights, banning girls from receiving secondary and higher education and forcing women out of jobs throughout the country.
“The silence online without Afghan voices from inside Afghanistan is deafening,” <a href="https://x.com/Mariamistan/status/1972729013354537017">said</a> Mariam Solaimankhil, who was a member of the Afghan government that was overthrown by the Taliban. “My heart hurts — our people are being cut off, and the world is left in darkness without them.”
Solaimankhil <a href="https://x.com/Mariamistan/status/1972712174595535242">called</a> on SpaceX owner Elon Musk to provide internet access to the country through his Starlink satellites. Starlink is currently exploring the expansion of its internet access to many countries in the Middle East, including Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan. However, there are no plans to provide service in Afghanistan, according to the company’s <a href="https://www.starlink.com/us/map?srsltid=AfmBOophrEog49L2FZMyb22Xb-CyY7MZXJmnyMT311mJ1J3HCS9vChQ4">availability map</a>.
“Starlink is the only way to break the chains of Taliban censorship,” she said. “This is the time where you stand on the right side of history.”

Afghanistan

Taliban Cuts Internet To Stop ‘Immoral Activities,’ Severs Afghanistan’s Connection To Outside World

Global Politics

Internet

Middle East

Taliban

World

President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States is attempting to take back Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan after the base fell to the Taliban during the Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal in 2021.
Trump made the comment while speaking at a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the United Kingdom. The president blasted former President Joe Biden’s “total disaster” in Afghanistan, adding that during his first term in office, the Trump administration was planning on leaving the country “with dignity” and wanted to keep Bagram Air Base under U.S. control.
“We gave it to [the Taliban] for nothing,” Trump said. “We&#8217;re trying to get it back, by the way. That could be a little breaking news. We&#8217;re trying to get it back because they need things from us. We want that base back.”
“One of the reasons we want the base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons,” the president added. China has nuclear facilities in Xinjiang, an autonomous territory in northwest China that borders Afghanistan.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
🚨 BREAKING: President Trump just said the U.S. is seeking to *RECLAIM* Bagram Air Base in AFGHANISTAN, where Biden botched the withdrawal. Whoa.
&#8220;That could be some breaking news. WE WANT THAT BASE BACK!&#8221;
&#8220;One of the reasons &#8211; it&#8217;s an hour away from where CHINA makes its… <a href="https://t.co/gN6O8B9CkQ">pic.twitter.com/gN6O8B9CkQ</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1968686207757389922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Trump did not specify how exactly he would attempt to reclaim the base. Afghanistan is still under the Taliban’s control.
U.S. and NATO forces withdrew from Bagram in early July 2021, which allowed the Taliban to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-taliban-overrun-bagram-air-base-numerous-high-value-prisoners-al-qaeda-members-freed">take it over</a> from the Afghan government days before a suicide bombing at the Kabul International Airport killed more than 180 people, including 13 U.S. troops. After gaining control of the massive U.S. base, the Taliban reportedly released terrorist prisoners who were held there. As the Taliban took control of Bagram and the rest of the country, U.S. forces rushed to evacuate troops, U.S. officials, and Afghan allies.
Trump recently <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy0ao_TZaVw">called</a> the Afghanistan withdrawal the “most embarrassing” moment in U.S. history. The Taliban also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/taliban-releases-photos-of-the-u-s-equipment-they-seized-from-bidens-disastrous-pullout">confiscated</a> billions of dollars’ worth of U.S. military equipment following Biden’s withdrawal.

Donald Trump

Trump ‘Trying’ To Reclaim Bagram Air Base, A Symbol Of Biden’s Failed Afghanistan Withdrawal

Trump 'Trying' To Reclaim Bagram Air Base, A Symbol Of Biden’s Failed Afghanistan Withdrawal

China

Politics

KABUL (Reuters) -One of Afghanistan&#8217;s worst earthquakes killed more than 800 people and injured at least 2,800, authorities said on Monday, as rescuers struggled to reach remote areas due to rough mountainous terrain and inclement weather.
The disaster will further stretch the resources of the war-torn nation&#8217;s Taliban, already grappling with crises ranging from a sharp drop in foreign aid to deportations of hundreds of thousands of Afghans by neighbouring countries.
Sharafat Zaman, spokesperson for the health ministry in Kabul, called for international aid to tackle the devastation wrought by the quake of magnitude 6 that struck around midnight local time, at a depth of 10 km (6 miles).
&#8220;We need it because here lots of people lost their lives and houses,&#8221; he told Reuters.
The quake killed 812 people in the eastern provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar, administration spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said.
Ziaul Haq Mohammadi, a student at Al-Falah University in the eastern city of Jalalabad, was studying in his room at home when the quake struck. He said he tried to stand up but was knocked over by the power of the tremor.
&#8220;We spent the whole night in fear and anxiety because at any moment another earthquake could happen,&#8221; Mohammadi said.
Rescuers were battling to reach remote mountainous areas cut off from mobile networks along the Pakistani border, where mudbrick homes dotting the slopes collapsed in the quake.
&#8220;The area of the earthquake was affected by heavy rain in the last 24-48 hours as well, so the risk of landslides and rock slides is also quite significant &#8211; that is why many of the roads are impassable,&#8221; Kate Carey, an officer at the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), told Reuters.
Rescue teams and authorities are trying to dispose of animal carcasses quickly so as to minimise the risk of contamination to water resources, Carey said.
Casualties could rise as rescue teams access more isolated locations, authorities said.
&#8220;All our &#8230; teams have been mobilised to accelerate assistance, so that comprehensive and full support can be provided,&#8221; said health ministry spokesperson Abdul Maten Qanee, citing efforts in areas from security to food and health.
Reuters Television images showed helicopters ferrying out the affected, while residents helped security forces and medics carry the wounded to ambulances in an area with a long history of earthquakes and floods.
Military rescue teams fanned out across the region, the defence ministry said in a statement, with 40 flights carrying away 420 wounded and dead.
The quake razed three villages in Kunar, with substantial damage in many others, authorities said. At least 610 people were killed in Kunar with 12 dead in Nangarhar, they added.
It was Afghanistan&#8217;s third major deadly quake since the Taliban took over in 2021 as foreign forces withdrew, triggering a cut to the international funding that formed the bulk of government finances.
Diplomats and aid officials say crises elsewhere in the world, along with donor frustration over the Taliban&#8217;s policies towards women, including curbs on those who are aid workers, have spurred the cuts in funding.
Even humanitarian aid, aimed at bypassing political institutions to serve urgent needs, has shrunk to $767 million this year, down from $3.8 billion in 2022.
APPEALS FOR FUNDING
Humanitarian agencies say they are fighting a forgotten crisis in Afghanistan, where the United Nations estimates more than half the population is in urgent need of humanitarian aid.
&#8220;So far, no foreign governments have reached out to provide support for rescue or relief work,&#8221; a spokesperson of Afghanistan&#8217;s foreign office said on Monday.
Later, a spokesperson for China&#8217;s foreign ministry said it was ready to provide disaster relief assistance &#8220;according to Afghanistan&#8217;s needs and within its capacity&#8221;.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar of India said it had delivered 1,000 family tents to Kabul and was moving 15 tonnes of food material to Kunar, with more relief material to be sent from India starting Tuesday.
U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said its mission in Afghanistan was preparing to help those in areas devastated by the quake. Pope Leo also sent condolences for the dead.
A 6.1-magnitude earthquake that killed 1,000 people in the eastern region in 2022 was the first major natural disaster faced by the Taliban government.
Humanitarian officials and locals say almost two years after a powerful tremor hit the western city of Herat, many villages are still recovering and living in temporary structures.
Afghanistan is prone to deadly earthquakes, particularly in the Hindu Kush mountain range, where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet.
Quakes in Afghanistan tend to be so deadly because of building construction that is often vulnerable to shaking, and the number of people living in the Hindu Kush, said Richard Walker, professor of tectonics at the University of Oxford.
(Reporting by Mohammad Yunus Yawar in Kabul, Saeed Shah and Charlotte Greenfield in Islamabad, Mrinmay Dey and Hritam Mukherjee; writing by Ariba Shahid, Sudipto Ganguly and Shilpa Jamkhandikar; editing by Clarence Fernandez and Mark Heinrich)

Aftermath of deadly magnitude-6 earthquake in Afghanistan

Afghanistan Earthquake Kills 800, Injures Thousands As Taliban Seeks Global Aid

earthquake

Natural Disaster

Many paid tribute on Tuesday to the 13 American service members who were killed four years earlier in the terrorist attack at Abbey Gate — and President Donald Trump led the charge.
The attack was carried out by ISIS-K terrorists on August 26, 2021, and targeted the chaos and crowds at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan — chaos that might have been avoided altogether if President Joe Biden had not so badly botched the plan to end the war and evacuate American service members, civilians, and allies.
Trump had announced one day prior that Tuesday would be <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-declares-august-26-a-day-to-remember-13-americans-lost-in-abbey-gate-attack">set aside</a> as a day to commemorate the loss of those 13 — Staff Sergeant Darin T. Hoover, USMC; Sergeant Johanny Rosario Pichardo, USMC; Sergeant Nicole L. Gee, USMC; Corporal Hunter Lopez, USMC; Corporal Daegan W. Page, USMC; Corporal Humberto A. Sanchez, USMC; Lance Corporal David L. Espinoza, USMC; Lance Corporal Jared M. Schmitz, USMC; Lance Corporal Rylee J. McCollum, USMC; Lance Corporal Dylan R. Merola, USMC; Lance Corporal Kareem M. Nikoui, USMC; Petty Officer Third Class Maxton W. Soviak, USN; and Staff Sergeant Ryan C. Knauss, USA.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Fourth Anniversary of the Attack at Abbey Gate
&#8220;This is a very special group of people&#8230; Abbey Gate. It&#8217;s the four-year anniversary, so we&#8217;re signing a proclamation honoring them and honoring you and your loved one.&#8221; &#8211; President Donald J. Trump ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/8cMOCMKA6d">pic.twitter.com/8cMOCMKA6d</a>
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1960311300862419389?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Four years ago today, we lost 13 American heroes at Abbey Gate. After the previous administration failed to deliver justice for the Gold Star families who lost their loved ones in Kabul, the Trump Administration took swift action to capture and extradite the ISIS-K terrorist responsible for the Abbey Gate bombing,&#8221; Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted. &#8220;@POTUS will ALWAYS stand with Gold Star families and our fallen heroes.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Four years ago today, we lost 13 American heroes at Abbey Gate.
After the previous administration failed to deliver justice for the Gold Star families who lost their loved ones in Kabul, the Trump Administration took swift action to capture and extradite the ISIS-K terrorist…
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio/status/1960326370162270517?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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America will forever remember the 13 service members we lost at Abbey Gate.
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, 20
Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, 23
Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, 31
Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, 23
Marine Corps Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22… <a href="https://t.co/JO9sCJh3gL">pic.twitter.com/JO9sCJh3gL</a>
— House Republicans (@HouseGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseGOP/status/1960311269606424675?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Today, we honor the 13 U.S. service members killed at Abbey Gate in Kabul, Afghanistan, four years ago. Their courage, sacrifice, and service will never be forgotten. May God bless our heroes,&#8221; the Republican Party posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Today, we honor the 13 U.S. service members killed at Abbey Gate in Kabul, Afghanistan, four years ago.
Their courage, sacrifice, and service will never be forgotten. May God bless our heroes. <a href="https://t.co/aM9FeGaTGp">pic.twitter.com/aM9FeGaTGp</a>
— GOP (@GOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/GOP/status/1960338198028075469?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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VA Secretary Doug Collins added, &#8220;Four years after 13 brave Americans fell at Abbey Gate, we stand united to honor their memory, support their families, and renew our resolve to serve those who defend liberty around the globe.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Four years after 13 brave Americans fell at Abbey Gate, we stand united to honor their memory, support their families, and renew our resolve to serve those who defend liberty around the globe. <a href="https://t.co/05sY3LWP2X">https://t.co/05sY3LWP2X</a>
— VA Secretary Doug Collins (@SecVetAffairs) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecVetAffairs/status/1960354378348400683?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/RepTroyDowning?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepTroyDowning</a> is a U.S. Air Force veteran.
He will never forget the 13 American heroes killed at Abbey Gate. <a href="https://t.co/EUco9DnlEi">pic.twitter.com/EUco9DnlEi</a>
— House Republicans (@HouseGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseGOP/status/1960379438543118358?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Today, we remember the 13 American service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice at Abbey Gate. They will never be forgotten,&#8221; the Senate Republicans added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Today, we remember the 13 American service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice at Abbey Gate.
They will never be forgotten.
— Senate Republicans (@SenateGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenateGOP/status/1960376201429516445?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Four years ago, thirteen American service members gave their lives during the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan,&#8221; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said. &#8220;Their sacrifice will never be forgotten. We owe it to them and every warrior who wears the uniform to ensure that something like this never happens again.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Four years ago, thirteen American service members gave their lives during the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Their sacrifice will never be forgotten.
We owe it to them and every warrior who wears the uniform to ensure that something like this never happens again. <a href="https://t.co/NpRzlLzNkk">pic.twitter.com/NpRzlLzNkk</a>
— Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef/status/1960327431711015041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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House Foreign Affairs Chairman Rep. McCaul Discusses Committee’s Report On Afghanistan Withdrawal

Trump Leads Wave Of Tributes For 13 Service Members Killed During Botched Afghanistan Exit

Joe Biden

Military

Terrorism

terrorist attack

President Donald Trump announced on Monday that August 26 would be set aside to commemorate the American service members who were killed or wounded in the terror attack at Abbey Gate during former President Joe Biden&#8217;s disastrous troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Surrounded by Gold Star families who&#8217;d lost a loved one in the attack, Trump issued a proclamation declaring August 26, 2025, as a day to remember both their heroic service to their country and his administration&#8217;s promise to never &#8220;allow our military service members to be so betrayed, our friends to be so abandoned, and our credibility to be so destroyed.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
President Trump officially proclaims August 26, 2025, as a day in commemoration of the 4th anniversary of the attack at Abbey Gate.
Here is the Proclamation&#8217;s text:
On one of the darkest days in our Nation&#8217;s history, 4 years ago, the gates of hell sprung open when an evil… <a href="https://t.co/4qVzUiKBAW">pic.twitter.com/4qVzUiKBAW</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1960070664578081249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The proclamation read, in part:
<blockquote>On one of the darkest days in our Nation&#8217;s history, 4 years ago, the gates of hell sprung open when an evil Jihadi terrorist carried out a suicide bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan — killing 13 heroes of our United States Armed Forces and shattering the hearts of Americans and our allies. As our Nation remembers this atrocious attack, we honor the memory of every brave warrior who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. We join in grief with the families who senselessly lost a loved one, and we renew our solemn pledge to our 13 fallen patriots — we will never forget you; we will never forsake you; and your memory will live on forever.
&#8230;
In what will be remembered as one of the most shameful and heartbreaking moments in our Nation&#8217;s collective memory, Joe Biden checked his watch — and time stood still — as a Sailor, Soldier, and 11 Marines returned home in flag-draped coffins, solemnly escorted by their brothers and sisters in arms. We will never forget the names of the 13 brave souls who shed their blood for our Nation: Staff Sergeant Darin T. Hoover, USMC; Sergeant Johanny Rosario Pichardo, USMC; Sergeant Nicole L. Gee, USMC; Corporal Hunter Lopez, USMC; Corporal Daegan W. Page, USMC; Corporal Humberto A. Sanchez, USMC; Lance Corporal David L. Espinoza, USMC; Lance Corporal Jared M. Schmitz, USMC; Lance Corporal Rylee J. McCollum, USMC; Lance Corporal Dylan R. Merola, USMC; Lance Corporal Kareem M. Nikoui, USMC; Petty Officer Third Class Maxton W. Soviak, USN; and Staff Sergeant Ryan C. Knauss, USA.</blockquote>
&#8220;I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim August 26, 2025, as a day in commemoration of the 4th anniversary of the attack at Abbey Gate,&#8221; Trump&#8217;s proclamation concluded. &#8220;I encourage all Americans to remember the heroism of the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, and the Gold Star Families who carry on their proud legacy.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
President Trump officially proclaims August 26, 2025, as a day in commemoration of the 4th anniversary of the attack at Abbey Gate.
Here is the Proclamation&#8217;s text:
On one of the darkest days in our Nation&#8217;s history, 4 years ago, the gates of hell sprung open when an evil… <a href="https://t.co/4qVzUiKBAW">pic.twitter.com/4qVzUiKBAW</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1960070664578081249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> signs the proclamation commemorating the 4th anniversary of the attack at Abbey Gate <a href="https://t.co/lvHXqjKHgg">https://t.co/lvHXqjKHgg</a> <a href="https://t.co/AaLpBgYspz">pic.twitter.com/AaLpBgYspz</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1960071193542725831?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth joined Trump in the Oval Office to repeat his promise to get to the bottom of what happened in Afghanistan in the ays leading up to the terror attack.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a> joins <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> and Gold Star families in the Oval Office: &#8220;On behalf of this beautiful group&#8230; America deserves answers as far as what happened in Afghanistan. The military needs to answer for what happened in Afghanistan.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/pDS1SOjK35">pic.twitter.com/pDS1SOjK35</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1960070810452013557?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
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President Trump Signs Executive Orders In The Oval Office Of The White House

Trump Declares August 26 A Day To Remember 13 Americans Lost In Abbey Gate Attack

Pete Hegseth

President Donald Trump earlier this month announced ban on travel from a dozen countries and partial restrictions from seven more in an effort to protect the United States from terrorist and public safety threats.
The ban fully restricts or limits the entry of nationals from 12 countries “found to be deficient with regards to screening and vetting and determined to pose a very high risk to the United States” including Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Seven countries will face partial travel restrictions, including Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. The White House says the order makes exceptions for lawful permanent residents, people with existing visas, certain visa types, and anyone whose entry would support American national interests.
According to the White House, the goal of the ban is to pressure foreign governments to cooperate on security, help enforce United States immigration laws, and support key national security and counterterrorism priorities.
The restrictions follow a January executive order in which national security agencies were told to assess the security risks of various countries. That review led to the current list.
Here are the reasons the Trump administration says each country is facing restrictions:
<h3>Full Restrictions:</h3>
Afghanistan
Taliban-controlled Afghanistan lacks a reliable government to issue valid passports and civil documents and does not have adequate screening and vetting measures, according to the Trump administration. Furthermore, Afghanistan has a business/tourist (B1/B2) visa overstay rate of nearly 10% and a student (F), vocational (M), and exchange visitor (J) visa overstay rate of nearly 30%.
Burma
Burma has extremely high visa overstay rates — over 27% for tourist/business visas (B1/B2) and more than 42% for student (F), vocational (M), and exchange visitor (J) visas. Burma has also refused to take back its citizens who are ordered to be deported from the U.S. The government added that Burma has “historically not cooperated with the United States to accept back their removable nationals.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-trump-and-rubio-put-america-first-in-100-days?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=How+Trump+And+Rubio+Put+America+First+In+100+Days" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HOW TRUMP AND RUBIO PUT AMERICA FIRST IN 100 DAYS</a>
Chad
Chad has one of the worst visa overstay rates, with nearly 50% for business/tourist (B1/B2) visas and over 55% for student (F), vocational (M), and exchange (J) visas in 2023. In 2022, the B1/B2 overstay rate was also high at 37.12%. The U.S. says these numbers indicate “a blatant disregard for U.S. immigration laws.”
Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo, which has been embroiled in conflict for more than 30 years, also has a visa overstay issue with a business/tourist (B1/B2) visa overstay rate of almost 30% and student (F) visas, vocational (M) visas, and exchange visitor (J) visas, overstay rate of about 35%.
Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea, located in central Africa, had a business/tourist (B1/B2) overstay rate of 21.98% and student (F) visas, vocational (M) visas, and exchange visitor (J) visa overstay rate of 70.18%.
Eritrea
The United States questions the competence of the central authority for issuance of passports or civil documents in Eritrea, and says it does not have access to criminal records for Eritrean nationals. The east African country has also historically refused to accept back its deported citizens. Its tourist/business (B1/B2) visa overstay rate is about 20% and student (F) visas, vocational (M) visas, and exchange visitor (J) visa overstay rate is about 55%.
Haiti
Currently overrun by murderous gangs, Haiti had hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens flood into the United States during the Biden administration. According to the Trump administration the “influx harms American communities by creating acute risks of increased overstay rates, establishment of criminal networks, and other national security threats.” Haiti also lacks “a central authority with sufficient availability and dissemination of law enforcement information necessary to ensure its nationals do not undermine the national security of the United States.” Haiti had a tourist/business (B1/B2) visa overstay rate of 31.38% and a student (F) visa, vocational (M) visas, and exchange visitor (J) visa overstay rate of about 25.05%.
Iran
Iran, a leading state sponsor of terrorism, routinely fails to cooperate with the United States government in identifying security risks and has historically failed to accept back its nationals eligible for deportation.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/idf-recovers-bodies-of-two-american-hostages-in-gaza" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IDF RECOVERS BODIES OF TWO AMERICAN HOSTAGES IN GAZA</a>
Libya
Libya lacks a competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents. The country’s historical terrorism presence amplifies the risk of Libyan nationals entering the United States.
Somalia
Somalia also lacks a competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents, does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures, and has historically refused to take back its nationals eligible for deportation. The Trump administration says Somalia differs from the other countries due to its government lacking command and control of its territory, “which greatly limits the effectiveness of its national capabilities in a variety of respects.” Somalia is also a “terrorist safe haven” where radicals travel to join terrorist groups that pose a threat to the United States.
Sudan
Sudan, located in northern Africa, lacks a competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents and lacks appropriate screening and vetting measures. Sudan had a business/tourist (B1/B2) visa overstay rate of 26.30% and a student (F) visa, vocational (M) visas, and exchange visitor (J) visa overstay rate of about 28.40%.
Yemen
Yemen, which is currently overrun by the U.S.-designated terror group, the Houthis, lacks a competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents and it does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures. The Trump administration has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-he-will-stop-airstrikes-on-houthis-after-terror-group-capitulated" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bombed the group for weeks</a> in an effort to restore global trade that the Iran-backed proxy disrupted.
<h3></h3>
<h3>Partial Restrictions:</h3>
Burundi
Burundi, located in eastern Africa, had a business/tourist (B1/B2) visa overstay rate of 15.35% and a student (F) visa, vocational (M) visas, and exchange visitor (J) visa overstay rate of about 17.52%.
Cuba
Cuba, a designated state sponsor of terrorism, does not cooperate or share sufficient law enforcement information with the United States and has historically refused to accept back its removable nationals. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-opens-hearing-on-chinese-surveillance-targeting-u-s-from-cuba?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=House+Opens+Hearing+On+Chinese+Surveillance+Targeting+U.S.+From+Cuba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cuba</a> had a business/tourist (B1/B2) visa overstay rate of 7.69% and a student (F) visa, vocational (M) visas, and exchange visitor (J) visa overstay rate of 18.75%.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/idf-says-prepared-deal-with-greta-thunbergs-flotilla-en-route-gaza?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=IDF+Says+It%E2%80%99s+%E2%80%98Prepared%E2%80%99+To+Deal+With+Greta+Thunberg%E2%80%99s+Flotilla+En+Route+To+Gaza" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IDF SAYS IT’S ‘PREPARED’ TO DEAL WITH GRETA THUNBERG’S FLOTILLA EN ROUTE TO GAZA</a>
Laos
Laos, located in southeast Asia, had a business/tourist (B1/B2) visa overstay rate of 34.77% and a student (F) visa, vocational (M) visas, and exchange visitor (J) visa overstay rate of 6.49%. Laos has also historically failed to accept back its removable nationals.
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone, located in western Africa, has historically failed to accept back its removable nationals. It had a business/tourist (B1/B2) visa overstay rate of 15.43 percent and a student (F) visa, vocational (M) visas, and exchange visitor (J) visa overstay rate of 35.83 percent.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gazans-flood-the-streets-to-protest-hamas-as-idf-operations-intensify?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=10&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Gazans+Flood+The+Streets+To+Protest+Hamas+As+IDF+Operations+Intensify" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GAZANS FLOOD THE STREETS TO PROTEST HAMAS AS IDF OPERATIONS INTENSIFY</a>
Togo
Togo, also located in western Africa, had a business/tourist (B1/B2) visa overstay rate of 19.03 percent and a student (F) visa, vocational (M) visas, and exchange visitor (J) visa overstay rate of 35.05 percent.
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan, a country in Central Asia, had a business/tourist (B1/B2) visa overstay rate of 15.35 percent and a student (F) visa, vocational (M) visas, and exchange visitor (J) visa overstay rate of 21.74 percent.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=wisepops&amp;utm_campaign=dad&amp;utm_content=fathersdaygiftpopups" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gift Dad an All Access Membership. Use code DAD40 at checkout to save 40%!</a>
Venezuela
Venezuela, a socialist-run country  known for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/venezuela-frees-u-s-air-force-veteran-in-bid-to-ease-tensions-with-united-states?author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Venezuela+Frees+U.S.+Air+Force+Veteran+In+Bid+To+Ease+Tensions+With+United+States" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrongfully detaining</a> American citizens, has historically refused to accept back its removable nationals. It also does not have a competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents and lacks appropriate screening and vetting measures. Venezuela had a business/tourist (B1/B2) visa overstay rate of 9.83 percent.

Trump Travel Ban 2.0: Here’s Everything You Need To Know

Cuba

Haiti

Iran

Sudan

Venezuela

Yemen

President Donald Trump trades barbs with Elon Musk over the &#8220;Big, Beautiful Bill,&#8221; Trump implements a sweeping travel ban, and the president calls for an investigation into the Biden autopen controversy.
It’s Friday, June 6, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2>MAGA Civil War</h2>
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Topline: The relationship between President Trump and Elon Musk implodes on the public stage.
The once cozy relationship between President Trump and Elon Musk is quickly deteriorating – on Thursday, the two men traded barbs on their respective social media platforms. In a series of Truth Social posts, the president said Elon was “wearing thin” and claimed he asked him to leave the White House. Trump implied that Elon was not actually mad about spending increases in the &#8220;Big, Beautiful Bill&#8221; and is instead lashing out at the Trump administration for revoking the Biden administration’s electric vehicle mandate. Trump says the Tesla CEO “just went crazy” after he lifted the mandate, which “forced everyone to buy electric cars that no one else wanted.”
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=wisepops&amp;utm_campaign=dad&amp;utm_content=fathersdaygiftpopups" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gift Dad an All Access Membership. Use code DAD40 at checkout to save 40%!</a>
Meanwhile, over on <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1930698237650026675">X</a>, Musk denied Trump’s claims, floated the idea of starting a new political party, and accused Trump of being in the Epstein files. He’s also pulling up past statements from Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) warning about the dangers of the national debt, essentially accusing both men of flip-flopping on what he’s now calling the “Big Ugly Spending Bill.”
The bill at the heart of the dispute narrowly passed through the House last month and is currently making its way through the Senate.
“I think the bill&#8217;s 90-95% there,” Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) told The Daily Wire. “The House has done a wonderful job trying to balance ultra-conservatives like me who want to work towards a balanced budget, as well as those people that are from blue or purple districts as well. I would like to see us cut a little bit more spending.”
The Congressional Budget Office says the bill will raise the deficit by $2.4 trillion over ten years – the White House disputes that figure, and argues that the CBO is under-predicting future economic growth and the additional revenue brought in by the president’s tariffs.
<h2>Travel Ban 2: Visas On ICE</h2>
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Topline: President Trump takes another swing at a sweeping travel ban. Will it survive legal challenges?
The president signed a proclamation on Wednesday banning nationals from 12 countries, including Afghanistan, the Congo, Haiti, Iran, Somalia, and Yemen, from entering the United States. That includes temporary visitors or those seeking permanent immigrant status. Seven more countries, including Venezuela and Cuba, will face a partial ban. While the order includes exemptions for existing visa holders and individuals whose entry “serves U.S. national interests” — presumably heads of state and other diplomats — just about everyone else looking to come from those countries will be kept out. The policy is reminiscent of a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/trump-signs-proclamation-banning-travel-12-countries-cbs-news-reports-2025-06-04/">previous travel ban</a> Trump implemented during his first term.
In a <a href="https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/1930412786271547485">video</a> announcing the order, the president cited the terror threat posed by individuals from those countries, pointing to past attacks in Europe and the United States and arguing that the travel ban was a matter of national security. “Among the national security threats [the U.S. State Department] analysis considered are the large-scale presence of terrorists, failure to cooperate on visa security, inability to verify travelers&#8217; identities, inadequate record keeping of criminal histories and persistently high rates of illegal visa overstays,” Trump said.
The White House offered <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2024-10/24_1011_CBP-Entry-Exit-Overstay-Report-FY23-Data.pdf">specific numbers</a> on countries with particularly egregious rates of visa violations. For example, 29% of Afghans here on student or worker visas have overstayed those visas and now live here illegally. Likewise, 49% of B-1/B-2 visas issued to visitors from Chad resulted in similar overstays. Trump says those overstay rates are indicative of a “blatant disregard for United States immigration laws.”
“The list is subject to revision based on whether material improvements are made,” the president continued. “Likewise new countries can be added as threats emerge around the world, but we will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm and nothing will stop us from keeping America safe.”
The ban is part of a broader crackdown on immigration enforcement. President Trump has reportedly been dissatisfied with the number of criminal illegals being arrested — it’s been widely reported that top White House adviser Stephen Miller met with ICE officials and threatened to fire top brass if they did not begin detaining at least 3,000 illegals a day. In response, ICE appears to be ramping up its efforts. On Tuesday, the agency made <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/06/04/us-news/ice-arrests-surge-to-2200-in-one-day-after-trump-adviser-stephen-miller-pushed-to-dramatically-ramp-up-busts/">2,200 arrests</a> — their highest single-day total in history.
<h2>On Executives &amp; Autopens</h2>
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Topline: President Trump and Congress demand a probe into the Biden autopen controversy. Who signed off on major policies, and was Biden aware?
Trump has ordered an investigation into the Biden administration&#8217;s use of the autopen, following new revelations about the apparent cover-up of Biden’s mental and physical decline during his tenure. The president signed a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/06/reviewing-certain-presidential-actions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">memo</a> calling on Attorney General Pam Bondi to lead an investigation into the Biden administration&#8217;s use of this autopen, which mechanically signed Biden’s signature on official documents.
The investigation will look at whether staffers, who are not named, &#8220;unconstitutionally&#8221; exercised the president’s authority while deceiving the public about Biden’s mental and physical state. It will look at which policy documents were signed by the autopen, and who directed the autopen to be used.
“The autopen, I think, is the big scandal outside of the rigged election of 2020,” Trump said on Thursday.
The <a href="https://x.com/GOPoversight/status/1930351332856345072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">House Oversight Committee</a> also heard testimony this week on the validity of Biden&#8217;s executive orders and the possible abuse of the president&#8217;s autopen.
During Biden’s tenure, the White House issued more than 1,200 <a href="https://foxnews.com/category/politics/biden-executive-orders">presidential documents</a>, he appointed hundreds of judges to the federal bench, and issued more pardons and commutations than any administration in U.S. history. Trump’s memo also singles out Biden’s controversial decision to commute the sentences of dozens of dangerous criminals on federal death row, including mass murderers and child killers. Trump has previously highlighted Biden-era pardons, including that of Dr. Anthony Fauci, which he suggested was invalid because an autopen signed it.
In response, former President Joe Biden released a statement on Thursday that claimed he was the one who made the decisions about “pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations,” adding that “any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.”

MorningWire-0428-3

Morning Brief: Trump And Elon Go To War, Travel Ban 2.0, & Biden’s Autopen Scandal

Biden Administration

Elon Musk

Illegal Immigration

Media

Morning Wire

Pardon

Travel Ban

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Tuesday that the Defense Department was preparing to convene a Special Review Panel to fully and thoroughly investigate the disastrous withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in August of 2021.
Hegseth <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/full-accountability-hegseth-promises-review-of-bidens-botched-afghanistan-withdrawal">promised</a> early on that the DoD would review every bit of available information and deliver accountability after the previous administration, under President Joe Biden, presided over the chaotic evacuation of civilians and troops through Hamid Karzai International Airport — which resulted in the deaths of 13 American service members and grievous injuries to dozens more. Tuesday&#8217;s announcement made good on that promise.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Memo regarding the Review of the U.S. Military Withdrawal from Afghanistan. <a href="https://t.co/2V7Dt8biOm">pic.twitter.com/2V7Dt8biOm</a>
— Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef/status/1924885591075795254?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The Defense Department also posted a press release on Tuesday detailing the plans for the panel and noting that the deeper investigation would be spearheaded by Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs — and Army Ranger veteran — Sean Parnell.
&#8220;Three and a half years ago the Biden Administration&#8217;s disastrous and embarrassing withdrawal from Afghanistan led to the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and 170 civilians in a suicide bombing at the Kabul International Airport’s Abbey Gate. President Trump promised accountability for what transpired during that military withdrawal, and I am committed to delivering on that promise,&#8221; the release from Hegseth&#8217;s office read.
&#8220;We have an obligation to the American people and to the warfighters who fought in Afghanistan to get the truth &#8211; and we will. Today, I am directing the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs and Senior Advisor Sean Parnell to convene a Special Review Panel for the Department into the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Sean Parnell spent 485 days serving in Afghanistan. Sean was wounded in action along with 85% of his platoon and lost countless friends to the War on Terror. It is fitting that he will lead the effort to reexamine previous Abbey Gate investigations conducted by U.S. Central Command during the Biden Administration.&#8221;
Hegseth also noted several others who would be included in the investigative team: &#8220;In addition, Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller, a combat-decorated Marine officer who spoke out about the Afghanistan withdrawal, and Jerry Dunleavy, an author, journalist, and investigator who helped lead the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s investigation into the Afghanistan withdraw, will serve on the Special Review Panel. Sean and his team will look at the facts, examine the sources, interview witnesses, analyze the decision making, and post-mortem the chain of events that led to one of America’s darkest moments. Sean and his team will provide updates at appropriate times to keep the American people informed of our findings and any directed actions resulting from our review.&#8221;
Previous investigations have determined that Biden&#8217;s firm insistence on reducing the number of troops in Afghanistan on his timeline had forced the military to accommodate a withdrawal through HKIA in Kabul rather than the more easily-defended <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-matter-the-cost-biden-harris-admin-pushed-afghanistan-withdrawal-despite-warnings-committee-finds">Bagram Air Base</a> — and that the chaos of attempting evacuations amid a busy urban environment had resulted in assets and allies being abandoned in addition to setting the stage for the terror attack at Abbey Gate.

250130-D-PM193-1594_(54295724002) copy

Pete Hegseth To Launch Probe Of Biden’s Afghanistan Debacle

The Trump administration ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for all Afghan refugees on Monday, paving the way for the deportation of tens of thousands of Afghans living in the United States.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/dhs-terminating-temporary-protected-status-for-afghanistan#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20%E2%80%93%20Secretary%20of%20Homeland%20Security,effective%20on%20July%2012%2C%202025." target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that improving conditions in Afghanistan have made it possible for the refugees to return home. The Biden administration brought in around 76,000 Afghans following the U.S. military&#8217;s disastrous withdrawal from the country in 2021 under the orders of President Joe Biden. Most of the Afghan refugees were <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/afghan-evacuees-resettled-us-texas-california-virginia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resettled</a> in Texas, California, and Virginia.
&#8220;This administration is returning TPS to its original temporary intent,&#8221; Noem said. &#8220;We’ve reviewed the conditions in Afghanistan with our interagency partners, and they do not meet the requirements for a TPS designation. Afghanistan has had an improved security situation, and its stabilizing economy no longer prevent them from returning to their home country.&#8221;
Following the Trump administration&#8217;s move, deportation protections for Afghans will expire in 60 days, which is the minimum time allowed by law after the notice is filed.
Between 2010 and 2022, the Afghan population in the United States skyrocketed from 54,000 to 195,000. It&#8217;s unclear how many of those nearly 200,000 Afghans received legal permanent residency or citizenship in the United States. In 2006, the United States <a href="https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/afghan-immigrants-united-states-2022#:~:text=In%20the%20past%20decade%2C%20the,top%20country%20for%20Afghan%20migrants." target="_blank" rel="noopener">started</a> the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program, which sought to help Afghan and Iraqi translators who helped the U.S. military receive their green cards. The federal government expanded the SIV program in 2009 to apply to any Afghan national who was employed by the U.S. government.
The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August of 2021 created another crisis for Afghan nationals who sought to quickly flee the country. Immediately after the United States evacuated Afghanistan, the country came under the control of the Taliban, which imposed harsh laws targeting Christians, certain Muslims, and those who were friendly toward the United States. The Taliban also took away any semblance of women&#8217;s rights, severely restricting how women dress and act in public.
Noem&#8217;s reasoning for ending TPS for Afghans cited Chinese tourism returning to the country and reduced warfare. Some remain <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/president-trump-protect-christian-afghan-refugees-who-fled-here-escape-martyrdom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">concerned</a>, however, that religious minorities who are forced to return to Afghanistan will face persecution or even martyrdom.
Afghanistan also continues to face widespread food insecurity, but Noem wrote in her <a href="https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-08201.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a>, &#8220;Though humanitarian need remains prevalent, the number of those in need of assistance has declined to 23.7 million this year, a decrease from the more than 29 million Afghan nationals in need reported the previous year.&#8221;

Kristi Noem

Trump Admin Ends Deportation Protections For Tens Of Thousands More Refugees

Deportations

Immigration

Refugees

Trump Administration

When it comes to the United States and our allies, one of the great failures of American foreign policy since the end of World War II is this bizarre idea in the United States that if our allies are imperfect, it somehow makes sense to abandon them. 
This is what we did in Vietnam. Our allies were imperfect, so we abandoned them, and then the Viet Cong took over. The same thing happened in Afghanistan, where our allies were seriously imperfect. And by imperfect, I mean there were a lot of terrible people involved in the Northern Alliance, along with tremendous corruption in Afghanistan’s government. The Taliban, it turns out, were significantly worse. 
So when it comes to determining what&#8217;s happening with Russia and Ukraine and what should happen next, the question is less about whether Ukraine is perfect. It certainly is not. The questions are: What exactly does Russia want? What is in America&#8217;s best interest?
I can tell you what is not in America&#8217;s best interest: a larger, more powerful Russia. In determining how to negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war that originally broke out in 2014 with the Russian takeover of the Donbas and Crimea, and then was reignited by the full-scale Russian invasion of 2022, it&#8217;s simply not enough to try to figure out what the “rational middle ground” looks like. 
What the Trump administration is currently trying to do is find a solution. Well, you can find a solution, but unless you have a way to actually implement the solution, any solution you propose is meaningless.
No matter how hard you try, you cannot impose the solution from the outside in the way the United States would if, for example, we had boots on the ground — and we don&#8217;t want boots on the ground. That means you somehow have to get the Russians to the table. Both sides need to be at the table. The Ukrainians are at the table. Right now, however, the Russians are not at the table.
America is not the dominant force in the region, nor do we want to be. However, the Ukrainians being at the table means it&#8217;s now time for the Russians to come to the table. So, how do you get them there? 
As Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned in our interview, he&#8217;s already agreed to an immediate three-day ceasefire. The Russians have not.
He&#8217;s already agreed to a rare earth minerals deal with the United States that is heavily slanted toward the United States.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/bss-ep-2186?elementPosition=0&amp;location=Home%20Tab&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Home%20Featured%20Carousel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h3>
We already know what the Ukrainians want. They want the Russians to stop the war. Again, Ukrainians did not start this war — they did not cross the Russian border.
They want security guarantees, more durable security guarantees than the ones they gave in 1994 to give up their nuclear weapons. The Ukrainians want security guarantees that are material realities, not just promises.
The Ukrainians have already figured out that European and American promises tend to fade over time. They gave up their own nuclear weapons for a promise that the U.S. and the UK would respect Ukrainian territorial sovereignty, and it didn&#8217;t work out very well for them.
The Ukrainians want the freedom to pursue a closer relationship with the EU and NATO. That makes sense because the Russians continue to press while the Ukrainians want to press back the other way.
President Zelensky basically wants what happened at the end of the Korean War: an armistice. In 1953, South Korea and North Korea drew a line and created a demilitarized zone. They agreed to a cessation of hostilities and repatriation of peace. Then the war ended.
Officially, the war is still active but in practice the war ended because North Korea understands that if it crosses the South Korean border, it will be obliterated, partially because of the American troops stationed on that border.
Now, to be clear, the Ukrainians are not asking for American troops to be stationed on their border, but they&#8217;re ready for an armistice today. They do want security guarantees. We know what they want. They&#8217;re at the table.
The real question in all of this, the question that people do not want to ask, is what exactly do the Russians want? What would bring the Russians to the table?
Well, we actually know what the Russians want.
According to a speech Vladimir Putin gave last June, he wants:
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">No NATO membership for Ukraine, ever.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Ukrainian recognition of Crimea and Donbas as Russian territory.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Ukraine&#8217;s demilitarization and what he calls “Denazification.” What he really means is he wants the installation of a puppet regime in Kyiv and the lifting of all anti-Russia sanctions.</li>
</ol>
That’s just called surrender.
Now, Ukraine can&#8217;t surrender her entire government and autonomy and live at the whim of Vladimir Putin, who has literally killed tens of thousands of Ukrainians in an aggressive war and kidnapped tens of thousands of Ukrainian children into Russia.
So again, I ask, what would get Russia to the table?
Now, Steve Witkoff is supposedly a magical negotiator. President Trump has deployed him to Iran, Gaza, and now Ukraine, and seems to think that either Ukraine is the problem or that Russia can be wheedled into dropping its core demands, and that if you tweet hard enough at them, Vladimir Putin will suddenly become friendly. Witkoff and the administration are now threatening to walk away from negotiations if the two sides don&#8217;t come together.
This misses the entire point.
Russia would love for that to happen. They want the war to continue, because when Russia says they want negotiation, that&#8217;s code for they want a continuation of the war.
What they want is either to take giant chunks out of Ukraine until they eat the whole thing over time, or they want the war to continue until the West gives way.
Why? Because Ukraine is extraordinarily key to Russia&#8217;s entire vision of itself as an empire. And that empire is geared in absolutely irremediable fashion against the United States of America.

TOPSHOT-RUSSIA-POLITICS-PUTIN-INAUGURATION

What Exactly Does Russia Want?

Ben Shapiro

Opinion

President Trump

Russia

Steve Witkoff

Ukraine

Ukraine-Russia War

Vladimir Putin

Volodymyr Zelensky

A CNN panel discussion went off the rails on Wednesday after a guest who had served in President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration claimed that then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had &#8220;never compromised American lives.&#8221;
Dan Koh, who was the White House Deputy Cabinet Secretary during the Biden administration, began the exchange by suggesting that military leadership in President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration was putting people at risk and &#8220;no one was facing consequences.&#8221;
&#8220;That&#8217;s when people check out and realize that their democracy may not be what they thought it was,&#8221; Koh continued.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is one of the most BRUTAL exchanges I&#39;ve ever seen on CNN.
LIB: &quot;Secretary Austin never compromised American lives&#8230;&quot;
JENNINGS: &quot;13 American lives?! They were more than compromised, they were ENDED.&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/ScottJenningsKY?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ScottJenningsKY</a> does not miss. <a href="https://t.co/0Ag73R2ZuK">pic.twitter.com/0Ag73R2ZuK</a>
&mdash; Jason Howerton (@jason_howerton) <a href="https://twitter.com/jason_howerton/status/1907790239482945557?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Republican commentator Scott Jennings pushed back, noting that Koh &#8220;held a high-ranking position with Joe Biden.&#8221;
&#8220;Yes, I did, you did with George W. Bush,&#8221; Koh replied.
&#8220;Did you recall a single person in your White House or in your Democratic Party asking for the resignation of Lloyd Austin after Afghanistan, after the drone strike vaporized those kids, or after he went AWOL, yes or no?&#8221; Jennings asked, referencing the fact that Austin had been in charge when the Biden administration had closed Bagram Air Base and evacuated everyone — both military and civilian — through the crowded international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. The end result of that decision was a chaotic withdrawal that left American equipment behind, American allies at the mercy of Taliban leaders who immediately took power, and a suicide bombing that killed 13 American service members and dozens of Afghan citizens.
&#8220;Secretary Austin never compromised American lives,&#8221; Koh replied, but the words had barely left his mouth when everyone at the table began talking at once.
Exclamations came from all directions: &#8220;That&#8217;s a no,&#8221; &#8220;He did,&#8221; and, &#8220;Thirteen of them.&#8221;
Jennings looked straight at the camera in apparent disbelief for a split second before he joined the fray, exclaiming, &#8220;Thirteen! Thirteen! Thirteen American lives were more than compromised. They were ended!&#8221;

Ukraine Defense Contact Group Meets At Ramstein Air Base

Biden Official Claims Lloyd Austin ‘Never Compromised American Lives’; All Hell Breaks Loose On CNN

Biden Official Claims Lloyd Austin 'Never Compromised American Lives'; All Hell Breaks Loose On CNN

CNN Republican commentator Scott Jennings laid into the Democrats who are calling for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth&#8217;s ouster over the Signal-chat SNAFU that resulted in The Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg being added to a chat group discussing military strikes on Houthi terrorists.
In the wake of President Donald Trump&#8217;s assurance that he does not plan to fire anyone over the Signal incident, Jennings joined Sunday&#8217;s broadcast of &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; and pointed out the hypocrisy of Democrats who were calling for Hegseth&#8217;s head despite remaining silent when military leadership under President Joe Biden made decisions that resulted in the deaths of 13 American service-members. He also pointed out the fact that many had remained silent when then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin effectively went AWOL — leaving a subordinate in charge while he was hospitalized, but failing to apprise even the White House of the situation.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨Scott Jennings lays out the plain facts to Dems calling for firings over Signalgate —
JENNINGS: “The bar for firing people like this is really high from the last administration when after the Afghanistan withdrawal, which was a disaster, people died.&quot;
&quot;No accountability was… <a href="https://t.co/eE5n3liLIk">pic.twitter.com/eE5n3liLIk</a>
&mdash; Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1906350055574966505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;If you&#8217;re trying to assess &#8216;what should we do about it,&#8217; I hear Democrats arguing, &#8216;Well, we should fire Pete Hegseth,&#8217; or, &#8216;We should fire the National Security Adviser,'&#8221; Jennings began. &#8220;The bar for firing people like this is really high from the last administration when after the Afghanistan withdrawal, which was a disaster, people died, no accountability was meted out. After the drone strike that vaporized those poor kids and that family, no accountability. After the secretary of defense went AWOL, no accountability.&#8221;
&#8220;So if you&#8217;re arguing today that we should get rid of Pete Hegseth over a small mistake regarding communications — even while he was expertly executing this military operation against the Houthi rebels, which also the Biden administration didn&#8217;t take up, I just ‚ I don&#8217;t have a lot of time for that argument,&#8221; Jennings continued.
Another panelist pushed back, arguing that by taking questions and calling for a review, Austin had provided &#8220;accountability.&#8221;
Jennings was not convinced: &#8220;Did a single Democrat ask for his resignation?&#8221;

25th Ukraine Defense Contact Group Meeting

‘No  Accountability’: Dems Calling For Hegseth’s Ouster Trip Over AWOL Lloyd Austin

Lloyd Austin

Scott Jennings

Signal

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