After a two-hour phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, President Donald Trump announced that ceasefire negotiations between Russia and Ukraine would begin immediately.
In a statement following the call, Trump said he believes the call &#8220;went very well&#8221; and that the &#8220;tone and spirit of the conversation was excellent.&#8221;
&#8220;Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114535693441367601">said</a>. &#8220;The conditions for that will be negotiated between the two parties, as it can only be, because they know details of a negotiation that nobody else would be aware of.&#8221;
Trump added that once the &#8220;bloodbath&#8221; ends, there will be opportunities for Russia to do &#8220;largescale&#8221; trade with the United States and have &#8220;tremendous opportunity for Russia to create massive amounts of jobs and wealth.&#8221;
Trump said he spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, of Germany, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb immediately after his call with Putin.
Trump said that the Vatican, &#8220;as represented by&#8221; Pope Leo XIV, &#8220;has stated that it would be very interested in hosting the negotiations.&#8221;
After the call, Putin spoke to reporters on-camera and described the call as “very frank” and very useful.”
“The US president expressed his position on the cessation of hostilities, ceasefire, and from my end, I have emphasized that Russia stands for peaceful resolution of the Ukrainian crisis,&#8221; Putin said. &#8220;We just need to outline the most effective routes of moving towards peace.&#8221;
Ahead of the call, Russia launched a massive drone attack on Ukraine with exploding drones and decoys, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-call-putin-bid-end-russias-bloodbath-war-ukraine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News reported</a>. Eighty-eight drones were reportedly intercepted, and 128 were lost in the attack on the Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk regions.
Trump has supported a ceasefire between the two sides, though Russia has pushed for an agreement to end the war with Ukraine making concessions. Trump has grown frustrated with both Putin and Zelensky in his efforts to bring the war to an end.
“He’s grown weary and frustrated with both sides of the conflict,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday before the call. “He has made it clear to both sides that he wants to see a peaceful resolution and ceasefire as soon as possible.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ben-shapiro-confronts-zelensky-on-christian-persecution-and-conscription-in-exclusive-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BEN SHAPIRO CONFRONTS ZELENSKY ON CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION AND CONSCRIPTION IN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW</a>
Vice President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-and-vance-clash-with-zelensky-in-fiery-white-house-meeting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JD Vance</a> said there has been “a bit of an impasse” in the talks and that the United States is “more than willing to walk away.”
“President Putin…he doesn’t quite know how to get out of the war,” Vance said. “There is fundamental mistrust between Russia and the West. It’s one of the things that the president thinks is frankly stupid that we should be able to move beyond the stakes that have been made in the past. But it takes two to tango. I know the president is willing to do that but if Russia is not willing to do that, then eventually we will have to say ‘this is not our war.’”
Trump announced the call on Saturday, stating that he planned to talk about “stopping the ‘bloodbath’ that is on average, more than 5,000 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week.”
“Hopefully it will be a productive day, a ceasefire will take place, and this very violent war, a war that should have never happened, will end,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;God bless us all!!!&#8221;
<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>
Last week, Zelensky <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/zelensky-lands-in-turkey-as-putin-skips-meeting-russia-calls-him-a-clown-and-loser?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Zelensky+Lands+In+Turkey+As+Putin+Skips+Meeting%2C+Russia+Calls+Him+A+%E2%80%98Clown+and+Loser%E2%80%99" target="_blank" rel="noopener">traveled to Turkey</a> in the hopes of having a face-to-face conversation with Putin. When Putin did not show up, the two leaders&#8217; underlings met and successfully negotiated a prisoner swap of 1,000 people from each side, though no agreement on peace was made, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/05/19/trump-putin-call-ceasefire-agreement?utm_campaign=editorial&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Axios</a>. The meeting was the first direct negotiations between the two sides since March 2022.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/zelensky-tells-ben-shapiro-hes-open-to-an-audit-on-how-ukraine-spends-u-s-taxpayer-dollars?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Zelensky+Tells+Ben+Shapiro+He%E2%80%99s+Open+To+An+Audit+On+How+Ukraine+Spends+U.S.+Taxpayer+Dollars" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ZELENSKY TELLS BEN SHAPIRO HE’S OPEN TO AN AUDIT ON HOW UKRAINE SPENDS U.S. TAXPAYER DOLLARS</a>
On Sunday, leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy urged Trump to sanction Putin if he doesn’t agree to an immediate, unconditional ceasefire, Axios reported.
Trump has said that the war “has to stop.”
“We spent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/zelensky-lands-in-turkey-as-putin-skips-meeting-russia-calls-him-a-clown-and-loser">$350 billion there</a> — just handed,” he said. “Nobody even knows where the money is. There’s no accounting.”
Trump added that Zelensky is the “greatest salesman, maybe in history” because “every time he came to the United States, he’d walk away with $100 billion.”
“That’s a good salesman, right?” Trump added. “Last time he didn’t do as well. He only got $60 billion.”

Argentina G20 Leaders’ Summit 2018 – Day 1 Of Sessions

Trump Makes Big Announcement Following  ‘Very Frank’ Two-Hour Call With Putin

Donald Trump

Russia

Ukraine

Ukraine-Russia War

Vladimir Putin

Volodymyr Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky landed in Turkey today for what he hoped would be face-to-face negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Instead, he was met with Putin&#8217;s underlings.
On Sunday, Putin first proposed direct talks with Ukraine to bring the three-year war to a close during a televised address.
“We are proposing that Kyiv resume direct negotiations without any preconditions,&#8221; Putin said. &#8220;We offer the Kyiv authorities to resume negotiations already on Thursday, in Istanbul.&#8221;
<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>
Zelensky <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/zelensky-offers-meet-putin-after-trump-pushes-historic-peace-talks?author=Daniel+Chaitin&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Zelensky+Agrees+To+Meet+Putin+After+Trump+Pushes+For+Historic+Peace+Talks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded by challenging</a> Putin to come to Istanbul himself for a face-to-face meeting.
“We await a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy,” Zelensky <a href="https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1921611690891940116" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X. “There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses.”
Instead, Russia sent aides to negotiate with the Ukrainian leader, who described them as “stand-in props,” <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c74nxrr7mwkt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported the BBC</a>.
In response, Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said “A clown and a loser is talking about respected people.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ben-shapiro-confronts-zelensky-on-christian-persecution-and-conscription-in-exclusive-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BEN SHAPIRO CONFRONTS ZELENSKY ON CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION AND CONSCRIPTION IN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW</a>
Russia&#8217;s delegation will be headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, but meetings are still not officially scheduled, according to the BBC.
So far, Zelensky has met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara.
President Donald Trump also said he was skipping the meetings because of scheduling conflicts, despite <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-trumps-middle-east-trip?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=6&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Here%E2%80%99s+What+You+Need+To+Know+About+Trump%E2%80%99s+Middle+East+Trip" target="_blank" rel="noopener">floating the possibility</a> of attending earlier this week.
Trump said he doesn’t think it “was possible for Putin to go” if he himself wasn’t there.
&#8220;I actually said, why would he go if I’m not going?&#8221; Trump said, speaking at a business roundtable in Doha, Qatar during his four-day Gulf tour.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-trumps-middle-east-trip?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Here%E2%80%99s+What+You+Need+To+Know+About+Trump%E2%80%99s+Middle+East+Trip" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TRUMP’S MIDDLE EAST TRIP</a>
The President added that the war “has to stop.”
&#8220;We spent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/zelensky-tells-ben-shapiro-hes-open-to-an-audit-on-how-ukraine-spends-u-s-taxpayer-dollars?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Zelensky+Tells+Ben+Shapiro+He%E2%80%99s+Open+To+An+Audit+On+How+Ukraine+Spends+U.S.+Taxpayer+Dollars" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$350 billion there</a> — just handed,” he said. “Nobody even knows where the money is. There’s no accounting.”
Trump added that Zelensky is the “greatest salesman, maybe in history” because “every time he came to the United States, he’d walk away with $100 billion.”
“That’s a good salesman, right?&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;Last time he didn’t do as well. He only got $60 billion.&#8221;
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is already in Istanbul for meetings with his NATO counterparts and he and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff were planning to be present for the Russia-Ukraine talks.

COMBO-RUSSIA-UKRAINE-POLITICS-DIPLOMACY-CONFLICT-WAR

Zelensky Lands In Turkey As Putin Skips Meeting, Russia Calls Him A ‘Clown and Loser’

Putin

President Donald Trump departed for Saudi Arabia on Monday, kicking off the second foreign trip of his second term with a packed agenda. Here’s what you need to know.
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-to-visit-saudi-arabia-qatar-and-uae-in-first-middle-east-trip-this-term" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is scheduled</a> to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and possibly Turkey. The trip was supposed to be the president’s first foreign trip until he attended Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome last month.
The trip to the three energy-rich nations comes as Trump seeks to make deals with foreign nations and attempts to end both the war between Israel and Hamas and the war between Russia and Ukraine.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-last-living-american-hostage-edan-alexander-released-following-trump-admin-efforts?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=BREAKING%3A+Last+Living+American+Hostage+Edan+Alexander+Released+Following+Trump+Admin+Efforts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LAST LIVING AMERICAN HOSTAGE EDAN ALEXANDER RELEASED FOLLOWING TRUMP ADMIN EFFORTS</a>
Trump&#8217;s trip got off to a controversial start following reports that the president is preparing to accept a $400 million Boeing 747 jumbo jet from Qatar, which would be available for Trump to use in lieu of Air Force One. Shortly before he leaves office, the plane would then be transferred to the Trump presidential library foundation.
The gift has caused an uproar with critics who say it’s a signal that Qatar — a massive funder and enabler of terrorist groups — is trying to gain influence in the Trump administration.
Trump defended the gift as an affordable way to replace the 40-year-old Air Force One.
“So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40-year-old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane,” <a href="https://x.com/TrumpDailyPosts/status/1921734060923142301" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he posted</a>. “Anybody can do that! The Dems are World Class Losers!!!”
Speaking to reporters on Monday from the White House, Trump floated adding a stop to Turkey, where peace talks between Russia and Ukraine are scheduled.
“I would fly there if I thought it would be helpful,” Trump said about the meeting where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is slated to meet face-to-face with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
<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>
“Thursday’s meeting with Russia and Ukraine is really important,” he added. “I was really insistent that that meeting take place. I think good things can come out of that meeting. Stop the bloodshed, it’s a bloodbath.”
Zelenskyy <a href="https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1921955780682502280" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted on X</a> that he would “appreciate” if Trump “could be there with us at the meeting.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/american-hostage-edan-alexander-reunites-family?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=American+Hostage+Edan+Alexander+Reunites+With+Parents+After+584+Days+In+Hamas+Captivity">Recently freed</a> American hostage Edan Alexander may meet with Trump in Qatar, depending on his medical condition.
Last week, Israel approved an expanded ground operation plan that includes plans to conquer and retain more areas of the Gaza Strip. The plan, named “Operation Gideon’s Chariots,” will go into effect if Hamas fails to make an agreement with Israel by the end of President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East this week, <a href="https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-852712" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Jerusalem Post reported</a>.
Israel announced it will be sending a delegation to Qatar on Tuesday to negotiate a hostage deal.
During his first term, Trump built strong ties with several Gulf states, which led to the signing of the Abraham Accords between the UAE, Israel, and Bahrain. Trump has expressed interest in expanding the agreement to include Saudi Arabia, but the ongoing war in Israel has complicated those efforts.
Saudi Arabia did receive a possible win this week after the White House dropped demands for Saudi Arabia to normalize ties with Israel as a condition of receiving U.S. assistance in starting a civilian nuclear program, <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-no-longer-demanding-saudis-recognize-israel-for-nuclear-deal-with-us-sources/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported The Times of Israel.</a>
In March, Trump announced that Saudi Arabia committed to investing $1 trillion into the American economy.
“I made a deal with Saudi Arabia…I said I’ll go if you pay $1 trillion to American companies, meaning the purchase over a four-year period of $1 trillion, and they’ve agreed to do that,” Trump said, <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/saudi-arabia-takes-risky-gamble-trumps-america-opinion-2047288" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Newsweek reported</a>.
Also in March, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-secures-1-4-trillion-uae-investment-deal-for-american-industries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UAE committed</a> to investing $1.4 trillion in American energy, manufacturing, and technology over the next decade.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/donald-trump-says-united-states-needs-golden-dome?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Says+U.S.+Needs+%E2%80%98Golden+Dome%E2%80%99+Missile+Defense+System%3A+%E2%80%98This+Is+A+Very+Dangerous+World%E2%80%99" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TRUMP SAYS U.S. NEEDS ‘GOLDEN DOME’ MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM: ‘THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS WORLD’</a>
“This new framework will substantially increase the UAE’s existing investments in the U.S. economy in AI infrastructure, semiconductors, energy, and American manufacturing,” the White House said in a statement announcing the framework.
Saudi Arabia was the first country Trump visited during his first term in 2017, where a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/picture-trump-saudi-arabia-glowing-orb-setting-aaron-bandler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">viral image was</a> captured of him touching an orb alongside Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi at the opening of the Global Centre for Combating Extremist Ideology.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/KingSalman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@KingSalman</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@POTUS</a> inaugurate The Global Center for Combatting Extremist Ideology in Riyadh. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RiyadhSummit?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#RiyadhSummit</a> <a href="https://t.co/do6cFL7wBW" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/do6cFL7wBW</a>
— Saudi Embassy USA (@SaudiEmbassyUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/SaudiEmbassyUSA/status/866354025905754112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">May 21, 2017</a></blockquote>

President Trump Departs Joint Base Andrews To Start His Middle East Trip

Here’s What You Need To Know About Trump’s Middle East Trip

Israel

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

Ukraine Russia

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

President Donald Trump appears to be on the cusp of bringing the leaders of Ukraine and Russia together for a historic meeting to negotiate the end of the years-long war between their countries.
In a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114490093180275292" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> to Truth Social on Sunday, Trump urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to agree on a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Turkey next week.
&#8220;President Putin of Russia doesn’t want to have a Cease Fire Agreement with Ukraine, but rather wants to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the BLOODBATH. Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY,&#8221; Trump said.
&#8220;At least they will be able to determine whether or not a deal is possible, and if it is not, European leaders, and the U.S., will know where everything stands, and can proceed accordingly!&#8221; he added. &#8220;I’m starting to doubt that Ukraine will make a deal with Putin, who’s too busy celebrating the Victory of World War ll, which could not have been won (not even close!) without the United States of America. HAVE THE MEETING, NOW!!!&#8221;
Soon after, Zelensky said he was ready to meet Putin.
&#8220;We await a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy,&#8221; Zelensky <a href="https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1921611690891940116" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X. &#8220;There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses.&#8221;
The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/05/10/ukraine-ceasefire-demand-russia-trump/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Saturday the United States and its Western allies demanded Putin agree to a 30-day ceasefire starting on Monday or face more sanctions on Russia&#8217;s energy and banking sectors. Putin proposed a meeting in Istanbul.
<div class="wpds-c-PJLV article-body type-text" data-qa="article-body">
<p class="wpds-c-heFNVF wpds-c-heFNVF-iPJLV-css overrideStyles font-copy" dir="null" data-apitype="text" data-contentid="AJORFT4SHNGFZIDWVIKJJTMH5I" data-el="text" data-scroll-pos="3" data-scroll-measured="true">“We are committed to serious negotiations with Ukraine … to remove the root causes of the conflict,” Putin said at a news conference, according to the newspaper. “I do not exclude that during these negotiations it will be possible to agree on some new ceasefire.”
Earlier on Sunday, Trump signaled that a breakthrough was imminent.
&#8220;A potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine! Think of the hundreds of thousands of lives that will be saved as this never ending &#8216;bloodbath&#8217; hopefully comes to an end,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114487210304050642" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Truth Social. &#8220;It will be a whole new, and much better, WORLD. I will continue to work with both sides to make sure that it happens. The USA wants to focus, instead, on Rebuilding and Trade. A BIG week upcoming!&#8221;
</div>

US President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky

Zelensky Agrees To Meet Putin After Trump Pushes For Historic Peace Talks

Global Politics

Turkey

World

Vice President JD Vance said on Wednesday that the Trump administration thinks Russia is pushing for &#8220;too much&#8221; in the peace talks with Ukraine.
Vance spoke at a Munich Security Conference Q&amp;A, where he addressed numerous foreign policy issues, including the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine and the effort to negotiate a peace deal between the two countries. The vice president said that to end the war, President Donald Trump has been trying &#8220;to understand where the other side is coming from.&#8221; As peace talks have hit multiple roadblocks in Trump&#8217;s first 100 days in office, Vance said he isn&#8217;t giving up hope that the two countries can come to some sort of agreement.
&#8220;I wouldn&#8217;t say that the Russians are uninterested in bringing this thing to a resolution. What I would say is right now, the Russians are asking for a certain set of requirements, a certain set of concessions in order to end the conflict. We think they&#8217;re asking for too much,&#8221; the vice president said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
JD Vance says Russia is &quot;asking for too much&quot; in peace talks with Ukraine. <a href="https://t.co/zyIIsW61Ta">pic.twitter.com/zyIIsW61Ta</a>
&mdash; Zach Jewell (@zach_d_jewell) <a href="https://twitter.com/zach_d_jewell/status/1920137276190846991?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Trump administration is hoping to take a step back from mediating negotiations.
&#8220;We would like both the Russians and the Ukrainians to actually agree on some basic guidelines for sitting down and talking to one another,&#8221; Vance continued. &#8220;Obviously, the United States is happy to participate in those conversations, but it&#8217;s very important for the Russians and Ukrainians to start talking to one another.&#8221;
“We think it’s probably impossible for us to mediate this entirely without at least some direct negotiation between the two, and so that’s what we focus on,” Vance added.
The Trump administration has been talking to both Russian and Ukrainian leaders for months, seeking a way to end the war. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff recently spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for the third time. Some of Russia&#8217;s demands include ensuring that Ukraine will never be admitted into NATO and the recognition of its occupation of Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula it invaded and annexed in 2014. Ukraine, meanwhile, continues to push for NATO membership, a request Trump said in February that Ukraine should &#8220;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgShN8V5dW0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forget about</a>.&#8221;
Vance said that the Trump administration has &#8220;moved beyond&#8221; pushing for a 30-day ceasefire after those talks went nowhere with Russia.
&#8220;We&#8217;ve tried to move beyond the obsession with a 30-day ceasefire and more on what the long-term settlement would look like,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And we&#8217;ve tried to consistently advance the ball.&#8221;
The United States took a major step forward in talks with Ukraine last week, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-ready-to-sign-minerals-deal-with-ukraine-as-soon-as-this-afternoon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signing</a> a minerals agreement with Kyiv. The agreement provides Ukraine with continued military assistance in exchange for the United States getting access to some of Ukraine’s vital natural resources, including aluminum, graphite, oil, and natural gas.
Russia <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/russia-hits-u-s-over-minerals-deal-says-ukraine-is-about-to-disappear" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blasted</a> the minerals deal shortly after it was made, mocking President Trump and saying that Ukraine “is about to disappear.”

JD Vance

Vance Says Russia ‘Asking For Too Much’ In Ukraine Peace Talks

Foreign Policy

Politics

Trump Administration

The president cut a very good deal with Ukraine the other day.
The rare earth minerals deal between the United States and Ukraine is a deal Ukraine should have signed back in February. Well, they finally came around and signed it on Wednesday.
According to the <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/05/01/world-news/heres-how-trump-made-ukraine-pay-for-military-aid-with-long-awaited-minerals-deal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Post</a>:
<blockquote>The agreement, inked on Wednesday after months of negotiations, created a shared investment fund to which both nations will contribute — including through oil, gas and mineral rights licenses sold in Ukraine — with the profits split 50/50.</blockquote>
So the United States is not taking money and just throwing it into this fund. We will basically earn credit toward our total contribution equal to the cost of military equipment, technology, or training that we send across the Atlantic. The additional military aid we provide to Ukraine is going to be counted against whatever we would have had to pay into this fund. In some ways, we&#8217;re trading military aid for the development of rare earth minerals in Ukraine. Again, we need rare earth minerals because we&#8217;re presumably not going to get them from China anymore. Ukraine, on the other hand, requires military aid to stand up against the Russian onslaught. It is a good thing, full stop.
President Trump is now showing support for a free and independent Ukraine, and that is an important step. From the <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/05/01/world-news/heres-how-trump-made-ukraine-pay-for-military-aid-with-long-awaited-minerals-deal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NY Post</a>:
<blockquote>The agreement does not preclude the US from dispatching remaining military aid approved by Congress under former President Joe Biden — which is expected to run out by next month — nor does it require the US to sell any military aid to Kyiv.</blockquote>
It&#8217;s not clear how much money is supposed to go into the fund, but the bottom line is that instead of just providing pure military aid, we are now getting something significant in return.
The Ukrainians see this as a way of ensuring continued American support.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/bss-ep-2191-member-exclusive?elementPosition=0&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h3>
One source familiar with the strategy originally thought maybe they could leverage the president into a better deal for Ukraine. That did not happen. However, the Ukrainian representative said this is a good deal for both sides.
The Kremlin also recognizes the significance of the deal, albeit through sarcasm.
The deal was mocked by Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev (everybody in the Russian government is a cut-out for Putin), who said the U.S. leader made a deal with a nation that will soon “disappear.”
From the <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/05/01/world-news/heres-how-trump-made-ukraine-pay-for-military-aid-with-long-awaited-minerals-deal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NY Post</a>:
<blockquote>Trump has finally pressured the Kyiv regime to pay for US aid with mineral resources,” he posted to Telegram. “Now, the country that is about to disappear will have to use its national wealth to pay for military supplies.</blockquote>
That does not sound like a Russia that is ready to come to the table again.
Though the White House itself, in its <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/05/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-secures-agreement-to-establish-united-states-ukraine-reconstruction-investment-fund/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explanation</a> of the minerals deal, suggested:
<blockquote>This partnership represents the United States taking an economic stake in securing a free, peaceful, and sovereign future for Ukraine.
This agreement will also strengthen the strategic partnership between the United States and Ukraine for long-term reconstruction and modernization, in response to the large-scale destruction caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion.</blockquote>
The language of this agreement is some of the most pro-Ukrainian language to come from the Trump administration. This is a positive and necessary shift. If you want Russia to come to the table, the United States can’t threaten to walk away from Ukraine.
According to the White House <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/05/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-secures-agreement-to-establish-united-states-ukraine-reconstruction-investment-fund/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fact Sheet</a>:
<blockquote>President Trump envisioned this partnership between the Americans and the Ukrainians to show both sides’ commitment to lasting peace and prosperity in Ukraine.</blockquote>
And by the way:
<blockquote>No state, company, or person who financed or supplied the Russian war machine will be allowed to benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine, including participation in projects supported by fund resources.</blockquote>
So, good for Ukraine, good for the United States, and good for President Trump.

President Trump Meets Norwegian Prime Minister Store At White House

What Trump’s Mineral Deal Means For The U.S. And Ukraine

Ben Shapiro

Minerals

Opinion

President Trump

Scott Bessent

The Trump administration shakes up its National Security Council, Senate Majority Leader John Thune lays out his plan to advance Trump’s agenda, and a new report reveals the abortion pill is much more dangerous than the FDA admits.
It’s Friday, May 2, 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>Security Leadership Shakeup</h2>
<div id="attachment_914959" style="width: 864px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-914959" class="size-large wp-image-914959" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Mike-Walz-854x576.jpg" alt="" width="854" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Mike-Walz-854x576.jpg 854w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Mike-Walz-300x202.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Mike-Walz-768x518.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Mike-Walz-1536x1036.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Mike-Walz-2048x1382.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 854px) 100vw, 854px" />(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)</div>
Topline: As the Trump administration works to secure trade deals with China and end the war in Ukraine, the president announced a leadership shakeup at the White House.
On Thursday morning, numerous outlets reported that the president was firing his national security adviser, Mike Waltz. But hours later, Trump threw a major curveball, announcing that Waltz would be leaving his role as NSA, but would be nominated to serve as ambassador to the United Nations.
“From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our Nation’s Interests first,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “I know he will do the same in his new role.”
Waltz’s nomination as UN Ambassador shocked many people, but his removal as National Security Adviser was widely expected. Waltz was responsible for accidentally adding Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg to that now-infamous Signal group chat. Trump initially stood by him following the scandal, but the pressure campaign to relieve Waltz reportedly grew as some within Trump’s inner circle expressed concerns that his more hawkish views did not reflect the America First foreign policy. But the fact that he’s staying on as UN Ambassador shows the president still views him as a valuable asset.
In the short term, the president announced that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will take over the role of National Security Adviser. A long-term replacement will likely be promoted from within the Trump administration. Some names that have been floated include Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, National Security Council Director of Counterterrorism Sebastian Gorka, or Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
This week, the White House announced that after months of intense negotiations, they’d officially signed a long-awaited minerals deal with Ukraine. The agreement will create a new “reconstruction investment fund” managed fifty-fifty by the two countries. Moving forward, half of all revenues from new oil, gas and mineral projects in Ukraine will go into that fund, helping to pay the U.S. back for the billions we’ve sent towards their war effort.
<h2>Morning Wire Interviews Senate Majority Leader John Thune</h2>
<div id="attachment_914961" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-914961" class="size-large wp-image-914961" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Thune-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Thune-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Thune-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Thune-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Thune-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Thune-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Thune-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Thune-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />(Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)</div>
Topline: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), the most powerful member of the Senate, sits down with Morning Wire.
In order to implement his America First agenda, President Trump will be heavily relying on the new Senate Majority Leader John Thune. Daily Wire White House Correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan sat down with Thune this week to discuss the president’s first 100 days and how the Senate is backing Trump’s agenda.
Thune highlighted the importance of getting Trump’s cabinet nominations through the Senate quickly to enact the America First agenda, while also acknowledging the need for the legislature to pass several of the president’s proposed reforms into law.
“We confirmed his cabinet at the fastest rate in 20 years,” Thune said. “We’ve gotta start delivering on the legislative agenda, and that’s where you get into energy independence, where you get into rebuilding the military, securing the border, providing tax relief for the American people, and reducing spending and getting our country on a more sustainable fiscal path. Those are the things that we, the president campaigned on, and we need to deliver on for the American people.”
Thune also told The Daily Wire a few of his priorities for the next 100 days.
“There wasn&#8217;t a single year in the Biden administration where their commitment to the military kept up even with the rate of inflation. So we’ve fallen behind in a lot of areas. And President Trump recognizes that, recognizes that we live in a dangerous world and we’ve gotta be able to defend America and American interests. And so that’s a priority. And the border security, I would argue, is right up there with that, because that’s also, in my view, a national security issue. … On the economy, it’s getting rid of burdensome Biden regulations, extending the 2017 Trump tax cuts, and then creating an energy policy that makes America energy dominant. I think those are all issues that feed into a strong economy that creates better paying jobs and, and makes the lives of Americans more prosperous.”
<h2>Study: Abortion Pill Complications Much More Common Than The FDA Claims</h2>
<div id="attachment_914963" style="width: 875px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-914963" class="size-large wp-image-914963" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Mifepristone-865x576.jpg" alt="" width="865" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Mifepristone-865x576.jpg 865w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Mifepristone-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Mifepristone-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Mifepristone-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Mifepristone-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Mifepristone.jpg 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px" />(Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)</div>
Topline: The abortion pill is much more dangerous than the FDA claimed, with more than one in 10 women suffering serious complications.
In 2023, about 11.2% of women experienced a “serious adverse event” after taking the mifepristone abortion pill, according to new <a href="https://www.ffroa.com/chemical-abortion-research/">research</a> commissioned by the Foundation for the Restoration of America. That works out to about 17,310 women in 2023 alone. “Serious adverse events” can include hemorrhaging, requiring a blood transfusion, an emergency room visit, and even deadly conditions like sepsis.
Context: This is about 22x higher than what the FDA claimed on its label for Mifeprex (a brand name for mifepristone) in 2023 — the FDA <a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2023/020687Orig1s025Lbl.pdf">cited</a> clinical studies saying less than 0.5% of women suffered “serious adverse reactions.”
“If you had any other drug that was kind of similar in terms of the magnitude of what this thing does, anywhere north of 2% and they’d shut it down,” Doug Truax, founder of Foundation for the Restoration of America, told The Daily Wire. “They’re just hell bent on just increasing the amount of abortions.”
Mifepristone was originally approved by the FDA in 2000. For many years, women had to see a doctor in person to obtain the abortion pill, but a few months before Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, the FDA scrapped that requirement – now women can get it through the mail. This came as abortion advocates argued that the abortion pill should be more available to order online because some Republican-led states were looking to ban abortion. Medication abortions made up 63% of all abortions in 2023, up from 31% in 2014, <a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/2024/03/medication-abortion-accounted-63-all-us-abortions-2023-increase-53-2020">according</a> to the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute.

MorningWire Thumbnail 5.2.25_V1

Morning Brief: Mike Waltz Lands On His Feet, Senate Fights For Trump, And Abortion Pill Dangers

Abortion

John Thune

Media

Mike Waltz

Morning Wire

Taxes

Russia responded on Thursday to the United States striking a minerals agreement with Ukraine, mocking President Donald Trump and saying that Ukraine &#8220;is about to disappear.&#8221;
The Trump administration lauded the deal as a significant step forward in pushing back against Russian aggression. Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev responded, <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/05/01/us-news/russia-blasts-trump-over-mineral-deal-says-ukraine-will-soon-disappear/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writing</a> on Telegram, “Trump has finally pressured the Kiev regime to pay for US aid with mineral resources. Now, the country that is about to disappear will have to use its national wealth to pay for military supplies.”
The United States and Ukraine finally agreed to the minerals deal on Wednesday after a months-long negotiation process that hit multiple roadblocks. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the &#8220;agreement signals clearly to Russian leadership that the Trump administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term.&#8221;
Unlike the United States&#8217; previous military aid for Ukraine, the minerals deal will ensure that Ukraine continues to receive military support while the United States will gain access to some of Ukraine’s vital natural resources in return. The agreement sets up an investment fund managed by the United States and Ukraine, which will allow the United States to collect revenue from Ukraine&#8217;s natural resources, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/ukraine-mineral-deal-us-trump.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The minerals agreement will also make the United States responsible for ensuring that countries “that have acted adversely to Ukraine in the conflict do not benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine.” The deal does not appear to prohibit Ukraine from seeking membership in the European Union, which was a major point for Kyiv during negotiations.
Shortly after the deal was signed, Trump <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-minerals-deal-ukraine-rare-earths-military-aid-50-million-2066533" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved</a> $50 million in military aid for Ukraine, the first military package for Ukraine that Trump has approved since taking office in January.
The minerals agreement marks a major step for the Trump administration, which has been pushing hard for both Ukraine and Russia to come to terms on a peace deal to end the war.

Russia Hits U.S. Over Minerals Deal, Says Ukraine ‘Is About To Disappear’

Ukraine and the United States signed a rare earth minerals deal on Wednesday afternoon, the U.S. Treasury confirmed, establishing what they named the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the deal had been finalized in a video posted to social media, saying, &#8220;Today&#8217;s agreement signals clearly to Russian leadership that the Trump administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term.&#8221;
&#8220;Thanks to President Trump’s tireless efforts to secure a lasting peace, I am glad to announce the signing of today’s historic economic partnership agreement between the United States and Ukraine establishing the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund to help accelerate Ukraine’s economic recovery,&#8221; Bessent said. &#8220;Economic security is national security.&#8221;
The Treasury Secretary added that the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation will establish the investment fund with the Ukrainian government.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>’s tireless efforts to secure a lasting peace, I am glad to announce the signing of today’s historic economic partnership agreement between the United States and Ukraine establishing the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund to help… <a href="https://t.co/N1jPa35DYh">pic.twitter.com/N1jPa35DYh</a>
&mdash; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecScottBessent/status/1917697018551754802?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Bessent revealed earlier in the day that Ukraine was ready to agree to the deal after requesting some last-minute changes.
During a cabinet meeting at the White House, Bessent told reporters that the United States was &#8220;ready to sign&#8221; the deal &#8220;this afternoon&#8221; if Ukraine was on board. Ukrainian officials were in Washington, D.C., to hash out the final technicalities of the agreement, and after some last-minute minor changes to the deal on Tuesday night, Bessent was hopeful that the deal will finally be signed.
&#8220;The Ukrainians decided last night to make some last-minute changes. We&#8217;re sure that they will reconsider that, and we are ready to sign this afternoon if they are,&#8221; the Treasury Secretary said.
He added that Ukraine&#8217;s changes don&#8217;t have any major effect on the overall minerals agreement.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecScottBessent?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecScottBessent</a> on the minerals deal with Ukraine: &quot;Our side is ready to sign. The Ukrainians decided last night to make some last-minute changes. We&#39;re sure that they will reconsider that and we are ready to sign this afternoon if they are.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/U4Pp0i0Dzn">pic.twitter.com/U4Pp0i0Dzn</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1917632594021134598?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Both sides had already agreed to the main part of the deal but were working through &#8220;some technical elements,&#8221; according to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-30/ukraine-and-us-working-on-last-details-of-critical-minerals-deal?srnd=homepage-americas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bloomberg</a>, which cited sources familiar with the discussion. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said earlier on Wednesday that the agreement “will be signed in the near future, hopefully within 24 hours.” Shmyhal added that Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko is traveling to D.C. to sign the deal.
The minerals agreement will give the United States access to some of Ukraine&#8217;s vital natural resources, including aluminum, graphite, oil, and natural gas, Bloomberg reported. In return, Ukraine will receive continued military assistance and guarantees from the United States to help &#8220;the long-term reconstruction and modernization of Ukraine, in response to the large-scale destruction caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion,&#8221; according to a draft of the agreement. According to Shmyhal, the latest draft of the agreement ties the United States and Ukraine together for 10 years, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-putin-trump-peace-ce025ba11929ceff0c90f94c25a47624" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The deal has been months in the making after hitting a roadblock when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was chided by President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office in late February. Following heated discussion, Zelensky was asked to leave the White House without signing the minerals deal.
Trump has been pushing Ukraine and Russia to come to terms on a peace deal to end the war, but he has grown increasingly frustrated with both Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin over the lack of progress. A signed minerals deal, however, is a major step forward for the Trump administration in its foreign policy talks with Ukraine and would come as Trump celebrates his first 100 days back in office.

Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky

Done Deal: U.S. Signs Minerals Agreement With Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Monday that Russia would observe a three-day ceasefire with Ukraine from the start of May 8 to the end of May 10, citing &#8220;humanitarian&#8221; reasons and to commemorate the end of World War II.
Putin&#8217;s announcement comes as the Trump administration has put increasing pressure on both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to reach a deal to end the war. On Saturday, Trump met with Zelensky while in the Vatican for the funeral of Pope Francis. Meanwhile, his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, arrived in Moscow on Friday to meet with Putin.
&#8220;By order of Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, the Russian side, guided by humanitarian motives, announces a ceasefire for the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War,&#8221; the Kremlin announced on Monday. &#8220;Any military operations will be ceased during this period.&#8221;
&#8220;Russia believes that the Ukrainian side should follow this example. In the event of any violations of the ceasefire by the Ukrainian side, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will give a proportionate and efficient response,&#8221; the Kremlin added. &#8220;The Russian side reiterates its willingness to enter peace talks without preconditions, with a view to eliminating the root causes behind the Ukraine crisis and establishing constructive interaction with international partners.&#8221;
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stop-the-bloodshed-trump-says-russia-and-ukraine-are-very-close-to-peace-deal?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=‘Stop+The+Bloodshed’%3A+Trump+Says+Russia+And+Ukraine+Are+‘Very+Close’+To+Peace+Deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Friday that Ukraine and Russia were &#8220;very close&#8221; to bringing the war to a close, calling for top leadership in the two countries to &#8220;finish off&#8221; a peace deal. He has been critical of both leaders in recent days, slamming Putin for continuing to launch air attacks into Ukraine and Zelensky for not signing a rare earth mineral deal with the United States.
&#8220;There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,&#8221; Trump posted Saturday on Truth Social. &#8220;It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through &#8216;Banking&#8217; or &#8216;Secondary Sanctions?&#8217; Too many people are dying!!!&#8221;
On Sunday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-where-we-stand-after-trump-met-with-zelensky-at-the-vatican?author=Daniel+Chaitin&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=7&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Here’s+Where+We+Stand+After+Trump+Met+With+Zelensky+At+The+Vatican" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the coming week would be &#8220;critical&#8221; for the future of the negotiations.
&#8220;This week is going to be a really important week in which we have to make a determination about whether this is an endeavor that we want to continue to be involved in, or if it’s time to sort of focus on some other issues that are equally, if not more, important in some cases, but we want to see it happen,&#8221; he said. &#8220;There are reasons to be optimistic, but there are reasons to be realistic, of course, as well. We’re close, but we’re not close enough.”

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-CONFLICT

Putin Declares 3-Day Ceasefire As Trump Pushes For End Of War

A &#8220;really important week&#8221; in peace talks is coming up after President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-meets-with-zelensky-at-vatican-ahead-of-popes-funeral-very-productive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">met</a> with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Vatican over the weekend amid the funeral for Pope Francis, according to the Trump administration&#8217;s top diplomat.
Russia and Ukraine are &#8220;closer in general than they&#8217;ve been any time in the last three years&#8221; to reaching an end to their war, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday on NBC&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/marco-rubio-says-russia-and-ukraine-both-have-to-give-something-up-for-peace-full-interview-238424645879" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Meet The Press,</a>&#8221; although he conceded the two sides have not yet reached a resolution.
This past week, Rubio told moderator Kristen Welker, &#8220;has really been about figuring out how close are these sides really, and are they close enough that this merits a continued investment of our time as a mediator in this regard.&#8221;
Rubio said he thinks it would be &#8220;silly&#8221; to set a specific date for a peace agreement. &#8220;I can just tell you that almost 100 days into this presidency, the president has dedicated a tremendous amount of time and energy to this, and we think we brought the sides closer than they&#8217;ve been in a very long time,&#8221; he added.
&#8220;But we&#8217;re not there yet, and it needs to start happening,&#8221; Rubio continued. &#8220;We need to start — I think this is going to be a very critical week. This week is going to be a really important week in which we have to make a determination about whether this is an endeavor that we want to continue to be involved in, or if it&#8217;s time to sort of focus on some other issues that are equally, if not more, important in some cases, but we want to see it happen. There are reasons to be optimistic, but there are reasons to be realistic, of course, as well. We&#8217;re close, but we&#8217;re not close enough.&#8221;
The White House said the meeting at the Vatican was &#8220;very productive,&#8221; a sign of progress after an explosive <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-explodes-on-zelensky-for-making-the-worst-statement-on-the-ukraine-russia-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confrontation</a> between Trump and Zelensky at the White House earlier this year. Trump also criticized Russia for continuing to attack Ukraine. He <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-putin-might-have-to-be-dealt-with-differently" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggested</a> that Russian President Vladimir Putin needs to be “dealt with differently” moving forward. All that happened after Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/apr/25/steve-witkoff-moscow-vladimir-putin-volodymyr-zelenskyy-russia-ukraine-peace-plan-talks-europe-latest-updates-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener">traveled</a> to Moscow on Friday to meet with Putin and discuss ending the war.
One major point of contention has been territory. While Zelensky <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/22/world/europe/ukraine-cease-fire-talks.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">insisted</a> that Ukraine will not &#8220;legally recognize&#8221; Russia&#8217;s occupation of Crimea, Trump <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-crimea-stay-with-russia-ukraine-war/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that Crimea will &#8220;stay with Russia.&#8221;
In an <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6371995251112" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> on &#8220;Sunday Morning Futures,&#8221; National Security Advisor Mike Waltz emphasized both Russia and Ukraine need a desire to end the war for the years-long conflict to come to a close when anchor Maria Bartiromo asked him if Zelensky understands that he&#8217;s likely not going to get more land back.
&#8220;There&#8217;s been a number of discussions of territory, of what they need to make sure that this war never continues, that it is permanent,&#8221; Waltz said. &#8220;We have talked to our European partners, who you saw the images of both Starmer from the United Kingdom and Macron from France, that Europe has to step up. I know that you have ambassador Whitaker, our new NATO ambassador, who&#8217;s fantastic coming on, on talking about how the Europeans need to take the lead in the future.&#8221;
He added: &#8220;All of those things are key parts of the discussion with both Zelensky and with Putin. And next is to drive both sides to the table, but they both have to want it. And the president has expressed his frustrations in whether both sides genuinely want to end this war. But he is determined to have the United States of America and him — I will just say this: the current leader of NATO, who was here this week, said only President Trump could break the deadlock that we saw 100 days ago under the Biden administration. And he&#8217;s done just that, starting with his call with both Putin and Zelensky just a few months ago.&#8221;
Uncertainty also rests with a rare earth minerals deal between the United States and Ukraine that has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stop-the-bloodshed-trump-says-russia-and-ukraine-are-very-close-to-peace-deal">discussed</a> for months but has yet to be finalized.
The agreement is &#8220;going to get done,&#8221; Waltz said. &#8220;The negotiators were working hard over the weekend. That is first and foremost on both [Treasury] Secretary Bessent and the president&#8217;s mind. It&#8217;s going to get done, Maria. The president is determined to make it so.&#8221;

Secretary Of State Marco Rubio

Here’s Where We Stand After Trump Met With Zelensky At The Vatican

Marco Rubio

National Security

Tim Walz

U.S.

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.

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What Exactly Does Russia Want?

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