As President Donald Trump mediates discussions between Russia and Ukraine, experts are largely united in assessing the negotiation as a supremely difficult diplomatic balancing act, but opinions differ on just how to handle it.
“Consider the magnitude of this negotiation–a major nuclear power is at war with its southern neighbor. It is a war that Russia considers existential. And of course, it is likewise existential to the Ukrainians, who are enduring the bloodiest war in Europe since 1945,” Morgan Murphy, a former Trump White House official who is running for U.S. Senate in Alabama, told The Daily Wire.
“Looking at the players and scale involved, it’s fair to say that this is the toughest negotiation for any American president since the Cuban Missile Crisis,” he added.
As president, Trump is responsible for first seeing to the interests of the United States. Experts questioned by The Daily Wire agreed that the interests of the United States lie in an end to the war. But experts voiced varying opinions on the priorities that Trump should focus on in the negotiation.
The price for Russia’s aggression must be steep, according to Retired Air Force General Bruce Carlson. Likewise, the price for peace cannot unduly limit Ukraine’s ability to protect itself from the potential of future attacks.
“Putin is a tyrant who only understands one thing: power. Any peace deal must provide unmatched consequences for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” Carlson told The Daily Wire.
One of the previous frameworks of a peace deal proposed by the Trump administration included a cap on Ukraine’s military, a clause that sparked backlash from Ukraine and European officials. Carlson is sympathetic to the Ukrainian outrage.
“The only acceptable caps on Ukraine’s military size would be those based on Ukraine’s own security analysis,” said Carlson.
“Following an acceptable solution to ending this senseless war and Russia’s demonstration that it will adhere to the conditions of a peace agreement, economic sanctions on Russia would be lifted, and relations with America, Ukraine, and our NATO allies reset,” he added.
Carrie Filipetti is the executive director of the Vandenberg Coalition and an alum of the first Trump administration. She said that Russia must be penalized enough to deter future aggression, or else Europe, Ukraine, and the United States may be thrown back into another conflict soon.
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“The tenets of an ‘America First’ peace deal are clear: As America, we want to end forever wars, and that means future wars, too. The costs have to be high enough for Putin that his calculus is permanently changed to stop threatening U.S. national security interests and the sovereignty of his neighbors,” Filipetti told The Daily Wire. She also said that the penalties need to be severe enough to make China hesitate over starting a conflict over Taiwan.
“Another critical issue for any deal is that Russia must no longer be able to threaten Ukrainian churches or Ukrainian children,” added Filipetti. “President Trump has been a huge fighter for hostages around the world, and Ukrainian children are being held hostage right now in Russia. And as First Lady Melania Trump has championed, we must ensure Putin returns the tens of thousands of kidnapped Ukrainian children who are currently in so-called ‘re-education’ camps across Russia.”
Corruption in the Ukrainian government has been one of the chief hindrances to Ukraine’s war effort. Experts said the corruption should not in itself be the determining factor in the United States&#8217; decision to aid Ukraine.
“No one wants to see corruption. But war is the greatest evil in the world, and corruption is not to be unanticipated. I’m very impressed with how the Ukrainians are dealing with it,” said Carlson.
Murphy pointed out that corruption has been endemic to Ukraine for many years &#8212; long before the war began. He referenced a recent <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/world/europe/ukraine-corruption-zelensky.html">article</a> in The New York Times that alleged deep corruption within Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s inner circle.
“The New York Times should pause to consider why so many scandals in Washington, D.C., over the past decade have some tie to Ukraine — from Burisma paying Hunter Biden $83,000 a month to the Clinton Foundation and uranium sales to Russia to the DNC working with Ukrainian embassy staff to dig dirt on Trump’s campaign manager. It all touches Ukraine,” said Murphy.

Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky

What’s An ‘America First’ Peace Plan For Ukraine And Russia? We Asked The Experts.

Donald Trump

Global Politics

Russia

Ukraine

Ukraine-Russia War

United States

World

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky remained committed to retaining all Ukrainian territory on Monday, pushing back against a key demand in the Trump-initiated proposal to end the war.
After meeting with European leaders to discuss the peace proposal, Zelensky suggested that Ukrainian leaders lacked the authority to give up land and would continue to fight to defend all of its territory.
“Under our laws, under international law — and under moral law — we have no right to give anything away,” Zelensky said, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/12/08/europe-ukraine-leaders-trump-plan/">The Washington Post</a>. “That is what we are fighting for.”
President Donald Trump told <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/09/donald-trump-full-interview-transcript-00681693">POLITICO</a> in a wide-ranging interview that was released on Tuesday that Ukraine needs to &#8220;play ball,&#8221; adding that &#8220;Russia has the upper hand.&#8221;
&#8220;They’re much bigger. They’re much stronger in that sense. I give the people of Ukraine and the military of Ukraine tremendous credit for the bravery and for the fighting and all of that. But you know, at some point, size will win, generally,&#8221; Trump added.
Trump&#8217;s 28-point peace plan, which is on the table before Zelensky and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/world/ukraine/trump-zelenskyy-hasnt-read-russia-ukraine-peace-plan-war-europe-putin-rcna247956" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> requires Ukraine to hand over some of its territory to Russia in exchange for the United States giving Ukraine security guarantees. Trump told POLITICO that Zelensky needs to &#8220;get on the ball and start accepting things.&#8221;
The two biggest hurdles to a peace deal are territorial disputes over Ukraine&#8217;s Donbas region and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, according to U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg. Russian forces now control most of the Donbas, but Ukraine has not given up the region. Kellogg said over the weekend that Ukraine and Russia are &#8220;really, really close&#8221; to a deal, but Zelensky&#8217;s latest remark and comments from Russian officials suggest otherwise.
Putin’s top foreign policy aide said on Sunday that the United States needs to make “radical changes” to its proposal before Russia moves forward with a deal.
The president said that Russia&#8217;s continued missile strikes on Ukraine, which have killed dozens of civilians in recent weeks, are &#8220;a sad thing for humanity.&#8221;
On Sunday, Trump said that he was &#8220;disappointed&#8221; in Zelensky&#8217;s lack of movement on peace negotiations, accusing the Ukrainian leader of not reading the proposal to end the Ukraine-Russia war.
&#8220;His people love it, but he has it. Russia is fine with it … but I’m not sure Zelensky is fine with it,&#8221; Trump said.
Trump also called on Zelensky to hold an election, something Ukraine has not done since the beginning of the war in February 2022.
&#8220;I think it’s an important time to hold an election. They’re using war not to hold an election, but, I would think the Ukrainian people should have that choice,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;And maybe Zelensky would win. I don’t know who would win. But they haven’t had an election in a long time. You know, they talk about a democracy, but it gets to a point where it’s not a democracy anymore.&#8221;

Trump/Zelensky

Zelensky Vows Not To Cede Territory As Trump Says Russia Has ‘Upper Hand’

Politics

Vladimir Putin

Volodymyr Zelensky

President Donald Trump called out Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday, accusing him of not acting on the Trump administration&#8217;s proposal to end the Ukraine-Russia war.
Speaking to reporters at the Kennedy Center on Sunday evening, Trump <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1997812364931195249">suggested</a> that his team&#8217;s discussions with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Zelensky have been held up by the Ukrainian president.
&#8220;I have to say that I&#8217;m a little bit disappointed that President Zelensky hasn&#8217;t yet read the proposal. That was as of a few hours ago,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;His people love it, but he has it. Russia is fine with it &#8230; but I&#8217;m not sure Zelensky is fine with it.&#8221;
Zelensky said on Sunday that he spoke with Trump&#8217;s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and the president&#8217;s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, but that the conversation was &#8220;not easy,&#8221; NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/world/ukraine/trump-zelenskyy-hasnt-read-russia-ukraine-peace-plan-war-europe-putin-rcna247956">reported</a>.
“The American envoys are aware of Ukraine’s core positions, and the conversation was constructive, though not easy,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky <a href="https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1997797626931023883">added</a> in a post on social media that Ukraine wants to see Russia &#8220;held accountable for what it is doing — for the daily strikes, for the constant terror against our people, and for the war itself.&#8221;
&#8220;Ukraine deserves a dignified peace, and whether there will be peace depends entirely on Russia – on our collective pressure on Russia and on the sound negotiating positions of the United States, Europe, and all our other partners,&#8221; the Ukrainian president said.
Zelensky is set to meet with European leaders in London, Brussels, and Rome on Monday as Europe attempts to influence the Trump-initiated peace talks while watching from the outside.
While Trump said that Russia &#8220;is fine with&#8221; the proposed peace deal, Putin&#8217;s top foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, said on Sunday that the United States needs to make &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-envoy-says-ukraine-peace-deal-is-close-but-moscow-wants-radical-change?author=Reuters&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=U.S.+Envoy+says+Ukraine+Peace+Deal+Is+Close%2C+But+Moscow+Wants+Radical+Change">radical changes</a>&#8221; to its proposal. Ushakov did not specify what exactly the Kremlin wanted from the United States or Ukraine, but added that Putin discussed &#8220;territorial problems&#8221; with Witkoff and Kushner during a four-hour meeting in Moscow last week.
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Russia has been pushing for control of the Donbas region of Ukraine. Putin&#8217;s forces now control most of the Donbas, but Ukraine is holding onto part of the region as the war continues. The two biggest hurdles remaining in the peace negotiations are territorial disputes over the Donbas and Ukraine&#8217;s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, according to U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg.
Kellogg said that Russia and Ukraine are &#8220;really, really close&#8221; to a deal.
“If we get those two issues settled, I think the rest of the things will work out fairly well,” Kellogg said. “We’re almost there.”
After promising to end the Ukraine-Russia war on his first day back in office, Trump&#8217;s negotiations for the end of the conflict have stalled and restarted multiple times throughout the first year of his second term. Last month, the Trump administration rekindled peace negotiations with a 28-point plan to end the war. American and Ukrainian officials met in Miami for three days last week for more peace talks, but so far, there has been no movement from those meetings.

Trump ‘Disappointed’ Zelensky ‘Hasn’t Yet Read’ His Peace Proposal

U.S. President Donald Trump&#8217;s outgoing Ukraine envoy said a deal to end the Ukraine war was &#8220;really close&#8221; and depended on resolving just two major issues but the Kremlin said there had to be radical changes to some of the U.S. proposals.
Trump, who says he wants to be remembered as a &#8220;peacemaker&#8221; president, says that ending Europe&#8217;s deadliest conflict since World War Two has so far been the most elusive foreign policy aim of his presidency.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 after eight years of fighting between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian troops in the Donbas, which is made up of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg, who is due to step down in January, told the Reagan National Defense Forum that efforts to resolve the conflict were in &#8220;the last 10 meters&#8221; which he said was always the hardest.
The two main outstanding issues, Kellogg said, were on territory &#8211; primarily the future of the Donbas &#8211; and the future of Ukraine&#8217;s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe&#8217;s largest, which is under Russian control.
&#8220;If we get those two issues settled, I think the rest of the things will work out fairly well,&#8221; Kellogg said on Saturday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California. &#8220;We&#8217;re almost there.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;re really, really close,&#8221; said Kellogg.
After President Vladimir Putin held four hours of Kremlin talks last week with Trump&#8217;s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Trump&#8217;s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, Putin&#8217;s top foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, said &#8220;territorial problems&#8221; were discussed.
That is Kremlin shorthand for Russian claims to the whole of Donbas, though Ukraine is still in control of at least 5,000 square km (1,900 square miles) of the area. Almost all countries recognize Donbas as part of Ukraine.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that handing over the rest of Donetsk would be illegal without a referendum and would give Russia a platform to launch assaults deeper into Ukraine in the future.
Ushakov was quoted by Russian media on Sunday as saying that the United States would have to &#8220;make serious, I would say, radical changes to their papers&#8221; on Ukraine. He did not clarify what changes Moscow wanted Washington to make.
Zelensky said on Saturday that he had had a long and &#8220;substantive&#8221; phone call with Witkoff and Kushner. The Kremlin has said it expects Kushner to be doing the main work on drafting a possible deal.
Kellogg, a retired lieutenant general who served in Vietnam, Panama and Iraq, said the scale of the death and injuries caused by the Ukraine war was &#8220;horrific&#8221; and unprecedented in terms of a regional war.
Kellogg said that, together, Russia and Ukraine have suffered more than 2 million casualties, including dead and wounded since the war began. Neither Russia nor Ukraine disclose credible estimates of their losses.
Russia currently controls 19.2% of Ukraine, including Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, all of Luhansk, more than 80% of Donetsk, about 75% of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, and slivers of the Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
A leaked set of 28 U.S. draft peace proposals emerged last month, alarming Ukrainian and European officials who said it bowed to Moscow&#8217;s main demands on NATO, Russian control of a fifth of Ukraine and restrictions on Ukraine&#8217;s army.
(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge in Moscow; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)

Donald Trump/Vladimir Putin/Volodymyr Zelensky

U.S. Envoy says Ukraine Peace Deal Is Close, But Moscow Wants Radical Change

A large-scale Russian drone and missile attack damaged power facilities in eight Ukrainian regions, causing blackouts and forcing nuclear power plants to cut power output, officials and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Saturday.
Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine&#8217;s energy sector and infrastructure in recent weeks, targeting power stations and railway hubs as winter deepens and the war approaches its fourth anniversary.
There was no breakthrough in U.S.-brokered talks this week aimed at ending the conflict.
Ukraine operates three nuclear power plants which produce more than half of the country&#8217;s electricity and IAEA said the plants cut production due to &#8220;widespread military activities overnight&#8221;.
The Ukrainian military said Russia had launched 653 drones and 51 missiles on Ukraine overnight. Ukrainian forces downed 585 drones and 30 missiles, the military said.
Power and heat generation facilities in Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, and Dnipropetrovsk regions were targeted in the attack, Ukraine&#8217;s ministry for development of communities and territories said.
It said on Telegram that 9,500 customers remained without heat and 34,000 without water supply in the southern Odesa region.
&#8220;Port facilities (in Odesa) have also been attacked: part of the infrastructure has been de-energised, and operators have switched to backup power from generators,&#8221; the ministry said.
&#8220;Emergency repair work is already underway where safety conditions permit. Energy companies are doing everything possible to restore power to all customers as quickly as possible,&#8221; the energy ministry said on Telegram.
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Among the sites hit overnight was a railway hub near Kyiv, where the depot and railway carriages were damaged, Ukrainian state railway company Ukrzaliznytsia said.
The railway did not report any casualties from the attack, in the town of Fastiv.
&#8220;Russia continues to disregard any peace efforts and instead strikes critical civilian infrastructure, including our energy system and railways,&#8221; Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X.
&#8220;This shows that no decisions to strengthen Ukraine and raise pressure on Russia can be delayed. And especially not under the pretext of peace process,&#8221; he added.
Ukrzaliznytsia said on the Telegram messaging app that it was forced to cancel several suburban trains near the capital and the city of Chernihiv in northeastern Ukraine.
The Russian Defence Ministry said its forces launched a &#8220;massive strike&#8221; overnight in response to what it called Ukrainian attacks on civilian targets.
The ministry said the strike used high-precision, long-range air- and ground-based weapons, including Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and long-range drones.
It targeted Ukraine&#8217;s military-industrial enterprises, energy facilities supporting their operations, and port infrastructure used for military purposes, the ministry added.
Separately, sirens sounded early on Saturday in Lubartow in the Lublin region of eastern Poland, private broadcaster RMF FM reported.
RMF quoted local mayor Krzysztof Pasnik as saying the warning was activated due to the situation in Ukraine.
Poland scrambled jets overnight due to the Russian attacks on Ukraine, but the Operational Command of the Armed Forces said there were no airspace violations.
(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; additional reporting by Alan Charlish in Warsaw; Editing by William Mallard, Bernadette Baum and Aidan Lewis)

Russian Drones, Missiles Hit Ukraine Power And Transport Sectors, Kyiv Says

Kyiv

Some hopeful news emerged, even as the war between Russia and Ukraine drags on. First Lady Melania Trump’s office just announced that seven additional children — six boys and one girl — have been reunited with their families in Ukraine as part of a humanitarian effort.
The first lady released the following statement on the news: “My dedication to guaranteeing the safe return of children to their families in this region is unwavering.”
Trump <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/seven-more-children-returned-families-ukraine-melania-trump-says-2025-12-04/">revealed</a> in October that eight Ukrainian children who had been displaced during the conflict were reunited with their families, bringing the total number of reunited families to 15. 
“I commend the leadership and persistent diplomacy of Russia and Ukraine in the pursuit of the reunification of children and families,” the statement continued. “Their bridge-building has created a tangible collaborative environment — an anchor for optimism. This cooperation will continue to drive the process forward through the next phase.”
“In close partnership, my representative and I have provided humanitarian support from the United States to enhance the reunification initiative’s outcome. My hope is that, ultimately, our collective efforts will lead to broader regional stability.”
The Kremlin’s children’s rights commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, <a href="https://t.me/malvovabelova/6040">posted</a> on Telegram, thanking the first lady for her “unwavering commitment and involvement in the effort.”
Just before the Thanksgiving holiday, President Trump said that his team is making “tremendous progress” toward ending the years-long Russia-Ukraine war, offering updates on his peace negotiations.  
Trump confirmed that no more meetings would take place until Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reached the final stages of a resolution, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-vows-no-meetings-with-putin-zelensky-until-the-deal-to-end-this-war-is-final">reported</a>.
“Let’s all hope that PEACE can be accomplished AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!” Trump said in part in a statement last week.
The president’s statement came after news that Ukraine has agreed to the terms of a potential peace deal, negotiated by the Trump White House, that could end the years-long war with Russia.
“The Ukrainians have agreed to the peace deal,” Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll told ABC News on November 25. “There are some minor details to be sorted out but they have agreed to a peace deal.”
Mary Margaret Olohan contributed to this report.

First Lady Melania Trump

Melania Trump Says 7 More Ukrainian Children Reunited With Their Families

Melania Trump Announces 7 More Ukrainian Children Were Reunited With Their Families

Melania Trump

U.S. negotiators head to Moscow after huddling over a peace framework with Ukraine officials, Luigi Mangione arrives at a Manhattan courtroom for pre-trial hearings in his murder case, and the Supreme Court hears arguments on who is responsible for music piracy.
It’s Tuesday, December 2, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below, and the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-251202">video version can be seen on The Daily Wire</a>:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">U.S. Negotiators In Moscow, And Trump’s Caribbean Crackdown</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1008293" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Peace-Within-Reach-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Peace-Within-Reach-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Peace-Within-Reach-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Peace-Within-Reach-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Peace-Within-Reach-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Peace-Within-Reach.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: U.S. negotiators are in Moscow on Tuesday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin as the White House faces growing scrutiny over its drug crackdown in the Caribbean. 
Ukraine peace deal: Last week, a draft of the U.S. peace plan leaked, including significant concessions from Ukraine. After outrage from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and virtually every European head of state, the White House spent the following days meeting with Ukrainian officials who lobbied for more favorable terms.
Specifically, Ukrainian officials want to remove portions of the text that hand over large swaths of land in the East and cap their military at 600,000 personnel. And perhaps most importantly, they want explicit guarantees that if Russia invades in the future, the U.S. and NATO will have their back.
Those talks concluded Sunday in Miami, where three of Zelensky’s top advisers huddled with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Ukraine’s secretary of national security called the meetings productive and said, “The U.S. is hearing us, supporting us, and walking beside us.”
Witkoff to Moscow: Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, are in Moscow on Tuesday for an expected sit-down with Putin. But he’s unlikely to sign on to the current deal if it doesn’t allow him to seize large portions of land in Eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region, including some territory still in Ukrainian hands.
Speaking last week, Putin warned that “when Ukrainian troops leave the territories they hold, then the fighting will stop. If they don’t, then we’ll achieve that through military means.”
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But the reality is, even if Zelensky agreed to hand over land in exchange for peace, which seems unlikely at the moment, there are significant legal hurdles. Under the Ukrainian constitution, any change to the country’s borders must be approved by voters through a nationwide referendum.
Caribbean capers: The administration is facing increased scrutiny over White House <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/5628447-defense-secretary-authorizes-drug-boat-strike/">confirmation</a> that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth authorized, but did not order, a follow-up strike on a suspected drug vessel after at least two people survived the initial strike.
On Monday, Democrats continued to slam Hegseth and the president, accusing them of committing war crimes. Now, Congress is stepping in, with the Republican-led armed services committees in the House and Senate vowing to conduct “vigorous oversight” and a “full accounting” of the alleged incident.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Luigi Mangione In Court For Pre-Trial Hearings</h2>
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Topline: Luigi Mangione, the man charged with murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, appeared in a New York City courtroom this week for key pre-trial hearings.
Mangione, a 27-year-old Ivy League grad, has been charged with stalking and killing Thompson in December 2024. Thompson, a father of two, was shot from behind while walking toward a New York City hotel to attend a corporate investor conference.
Prosecutors say Thompson was targeted over the suspect’s grievances with the health insurance industry, citing a “manifesto.” Recovered shell casings also had the inscriptions, “delay,” “deny,” and “depose.” Mangione is facing life in prison for the state case against him, and potentially the death penalty if he’s convicted in the federal case. Mangione has pleaded not guilty on all counts.
The state case: Mangione appeared in a New York City court on Monday to begin a pre-trial evidentiary hearing. His lawyers are asking that key evidence be suppressed at trial, arguing that it was found on Mangione without a warrant and before Mangione was read his Miranda rights.
The evidence in question is crucial to the case, including the 9 mm handgun matching the murder weapon, and a notebook that prosecutors say contains writings revealing Mangione’s motive for the assassination. The defense also wants statements Mangione allegedly made to police, which they say were made before the suspect was read his rights, tossed.
The prosecution’s case: Prosecutors say the search of Mangione’s backpack was lawful and not unreasonable, as officers needed to search the suspect’s bag for safety reasons. Officers needed to ensure there were no weapons or dangerous items on Mangione when they found him at a McDonald&#8217;s in Pennsylvania. That was after a days-long national manhunt.
As far as the statements Mangione made before being read his Miranda rights, the state says Mangione spoke to them voluntarily and before he was in formal custody, so the Miranda requirement doesn’t apply. They also note that the only statement they plan to use is when officers asked Mangione for his name, and he allegedly gave a false name in response.
Looking ahead: Pre-trial hearings in the state case could last several weeks.
As for the federal case, the next court appearance is scheduled for Friday, and a trial date may be set then. Prosecutors have filed a &#8220;notice of intent&#8221; to seek the death penalty.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">SCOTUS Hearing On Music Piracy Case</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1008297" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Piracy-Penalty-Push-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Piracy-Penalty-Push-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Piracy-Penalty-Push-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Piracy-Penalty-Push-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Piracy-Penalty-Push-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Piracy-Penalty-Push.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The Supreme Court is stepping into a billion-dollar showdown that&#8217;s pitting the music industry against internet giants. Cox Communications v. Sony Music will decide who’s responsible for illegal downloading of copyrighted content – and whether millions of Americans could lose their broadband access. 
At its core, this case asks whether an internet service provider can be held financially liable for its subscribers&#8217; illegal downloading or sharing of copyrighted material. It’s called “secondary liability.”
This began back in 2018 when major record labels like Sony, Warner Brothers, and Universal first filed a bombshell lawsuit against Cox, the third-largest broadband provider in the country. They accused Cox of ignoring rampant music piracy. This was primarily peer-to-peer file-sharing via BitTorrent. Think sites like The Pirate Bay.
In 2019, a Virginia jury ruled against Cox and awarded the plaintiffs a staggering $1 billion for allowing &#8220;habitual offenders&#8221; to steal more than 10,000 works.
But the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals tossed the damages, so Cox didn’t have to pay the $1 billion. But the Court upheld the liability. Cox appealed, and on Monday, SCOTUS heard oral arguments in the case.
The case: The main question the justices focused on was whether Cox had an obligation to terminate broadband internet provision of content thieves once the music companies had informed them of the theft.
Cox’s attorney argued they can’t set a standard here because there would be no way to isolate and punish a single user when it comes to massive accounts like universities, hospitals, and office buildings.
If the Court sides with Cox, it would reaffirm broad protections for ISPs and possibly constrain how aggressively artists and content creators can pursue copyright claims. But if the Court sides with the record labels, that could have a massive impact on millions of Americans, establishing a standard under which internet service providers are required to police user activity and cut off service to anyone found illegally downloading content.

MRN_251202_V3

Morning Brief: Moscow Peace Talks, Luigi Mangione Back In Court, & SCOTUS Piracy Case

Morning Brief: Witkoff In Moscow, Mangione In Court, And SCOTUS Case On Music Piracy

Luigi Mangione

Marco Rubio

Morning Wire

New York City

Pete Hegseth

SCOTUS

Top officials from the United States and Ukraine met in Florida on Sunday to discuss the framework of a possible peace plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and former adviser, met in Miami with Ukraine’s delegation led by Rustem Umerov, the head of head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council.
“The end goal, obviously, is not just the end of the war, obviously–that’s central and fundamental. We want to see an end of the killing and the death and the suffering, and I’m sure the Ukrainian side, I know they do, as well,” said Rubio in <a href="https://x.com/ralakbar/status/1995151907892154452">remarks</a> before the meeting. “But it’s also about securing an end to the war that leaves Ukraine sovereign and independent and with an opportunity at real prosperity.”
Umerov thanked Trump’s negotiation team for their support in brief remarks after Rubio’s.
“We are discussing about the future of Ukraine, about the security of Ukraine, about no repetition of aggression of Ukraine, about prosperity of Ukraine, about how to rebuild Ukraine. And we are thankful for the efforts of United States and its team to helping us. U.S. is hearing us, U.S. is supporting us, U.S. is beside us,” said Umerov.
The delegations met as the two sides and Russia continue to hammer out revisions to Trump’s original 28-point framework for peace in Ukraine. The starting offer proposed by the United States reportedly received stiff objections from Ukrainian officials over a cap to Ukraine’s military, ceding territory not under Russia’s direct control, and other issues.
“The American side is demonstrating a constructive approach, and in the coming days it is feasible to flesh out the steps to determine how to bring the war to a dignified end,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky <a href="https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1994823440860078412">said</a>. “The Ukrainian delegation has the necessary directives, and I expect the guys to work in accordance with clear Ukrainian priorities.”
Substantial revisions have since been made to initial peace plan, though the specifics have been guarded from the public. Ukraine has sought security guarantees and rejected suggestions of ceding additional land to Russia. Russia has insisted that Ukraine abandon “occupied territories.&#8221;
Last week, Yuri Ushakov, a top aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, said that the Kremlin had received the latest version of the peace framework but declined to offer an opinion on it.
“This isn’t an official one, but we do have the document. We haven’t discussed it with anyone yet because the points in it require truly serious analysis and discussion,” said Ushakov, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/30/europe/ukraine-russia-peace-talks-miami-florida-intl">CNN</a>.

Miami meeting

Marco Rubio, Top Ukraine Officials Hammer out ‘Framework’ For Peace In Miami Meeting

Marco Rubio, Top Ukraine Officials Hammer out 'Framework' For Peace In Miami Meeting

Jared Kushner

Steve Witkoff

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that his team is making &#8220;tremendous progress&#8221; toward ending the years-long Russia-Ukraine war, offering updates on his peace negotiations ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Trump&#8217;s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will meet with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as his Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll meets with the Ukrainians, the president shared. Though there had been some talk of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky coming to the United States this week, Trump dispelled this rumor, noting that he will only meet with Zelensky and Putin when they have reached a deal.
&#8220;Over the past week, my team has made tremendous progress with respect to ending the War between Russia and Ukraine (A War that would have NEVER started if I were President!),&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;Last month 25,000 soldiers died. The original 28-Point Peace Plan, which was drafted by the United States, has been fine-tuned, with additional input from both sides, and there are only a few remaining points of disagreement.&#8221;
&#8220;I will be briefed on all progress made, along with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles,&#8221; the president added of his team&#8217;s meetings with the warring world leaders.
<div id="attachment_1006069" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-vows-no-meetings-with-putin-zelensky-until-the-deal-to-end-this-war-is-final/u-s-washington-d-c-trump-ukraine-zelensky-meeting" rel="attachment wp-att-1006069"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1006069" class="wp-image-1006069 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2241665155-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2241665155-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2241665155-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2241665155-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2241665155.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>U.S. President Donald Trump 2nd L welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, Oct 17, 2025. (Photo by Hu Yousong/Xinhua via Getty Images)</div>
&#8220;I look forward to hopefully meeting with President Zelenskyy and President Putin soon, but ONLY when the deal to end this War is FINAL or, in its final stages,&#8221; he concluded. &#8220;Thank you for your attention to this very important matter, and let’s all hope that PEACE can be accomplished AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!&#8221;
The president&#8217;s statement came after news that Ukraine has agreed to the terms of a potential peace deal, negotiated by the Trump White House, that could end the years-long war with Russia.
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“The Ukrainians have agreed to the peace deal,” Driscoll <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-holds-secret-meetings-russians-abu-dhabi-ukraine/story?id=127840867" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> ABC News on Tuesday morning. “There are some minor details to be sorted out but they have agreed to a peace deal.”
A White House official told The Daily Wire late Tuesday morning that no meeting between Zelensky and President Trump had been scheduled “at this time,&#8221; and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also stressed Tuesday morning that “there are a few delicate, but not insurmountable, details that must be sorted out and will require further talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States.”
A spokesman for Driscoll, who was part of a Monday evening meeting of U.S. officials with the Russian delegation, said in a statement that “late Monday and throughout Tuesday, Secretary Driscoll and team have been in discussions with the Russian delegation to achieve a lasting peace in Ukraine.”
“The talks are going well and we remain optimistic,” said LTC Jeff Tolbert, who is Driscoll’s spokesman. “Secretary Driscoll is closely synchronized with the White House and the U.S. interagency as these talks progress.”

President Trump Pardons Thanksgiving Turkeys

Trump Vows No Meetings With Putin, Zelensky Until ‘The Deal To End This War Is FINAL’

U.S. Army

Ukraine has agreed to the terms of a potential peace deal, negotiated by President Donald Trump’s White House, that could end the years-long war with Russia, a U.S. official told the press on Tuesday. 
&#8220;The Ukrainians have agreed to the peace deal,&#8221; U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-holds-secret-meetings-russians-abu-dhabi-ukraine/story?id=127840867"> told</a> ABC News on Tuesday morning. &#8220;There are some minor details to be sorted out but they have agreed to a peace deal.&#8221;
While there was some buzz around Washington that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy might travel to the United States this week, a White House official told The Daily Wire late Tuesday morning that no meeting between Zelenskyy and President Trump has been scheduled &#8220;at this time.&#8221;
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also mentioned the “minor details” in a statement on Tuesday morning. 
“Over the past week, the United States has made tremendous progress towards a peace deal by bringing both Ukraine and Russia to the table,” she said in a post on “X.” 
“There are a few delicate, but not insurmountable, details that must be sorted out and will require further talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States.” 
The news comes as United States officials met with Russian representatives on Monday night, also working to bring an end to the war through the peace deal. 
<div id="attachment_1005671" style="width: 864px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/russia-ukraine-war-inches-towards-a-close-as-ukraine-agrees-to-peace-plan/u-s-president-trump-and-russian-president-putin-meet-on-war-in-ukraine-at-u-s-air-base-in-alaska-7" rel="attachment wp-att-1005671"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1005671" class="wp-image-1005671 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2230342687-854x576.jpg" alt="" width="854" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2230342687-854x576.jpg 854w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2230342687-300x202.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2230342687-768x518.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2230342687.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 854px) 100vw, 854px" /></a>U.S. President Donald Trump (R) and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold a press conference at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on August 15, 2025, in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)</div>
A spokesman for Driscoll, who was part of the group of officials meeting with the Russian delegation, said in a statement that “late Monday and throughout Tuesday, Secretary Driscoll and team have been in discussions with the Russian delegation to achieve a lasting peace in Ukraine.”
“The talks are going well and we remain optimistic,” said LTC Jeff Tolbert, who is Driscoll’s spokesman. “Secretary Driscoll is closely synchronized with the White House and the U.S. interagency as these talks progress.”
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The Ukrainian delegation is also in the United Arab Emirates, where the conversations are taking place, and is in contact with Driscoll and his team, a U.S. official told Fox News.
 On Sunday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rubio-says-they-just-had-most-productive-day-yet-in-russia-ukraine-peace-talks">shared that he had</a> the most “productive day” yet as he engaged in talks between the two countries. 
“There are a couple issues that we need to continue to work on. But I think the report today is that today was worthwhile,” Rubio told reporters on Sunday. “It was probably the most productive day we have had on this issue, maybe in the entirety of our engagement, but certainly in a very long time.”
“I can tell you that the items that remain are not insurmountable, we just need more time than what we have today,” the secretary said, noting that President Donald Trump is “quite pleased” about the “amount of progress that’s been made.”
As for the president himself, he posted an early Monday morning Truth Social post expressing cautious optimism about the deal. 
“Is it really possible that big progress is being made in Peace Talks between Russia and Ukraine???” he asked. “Don’t believe it until you see it, but something good just may be happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”

Russia-Ukraine War Inches Towards A Close As Ukraine Agrees To Peace Plan

Ukraine Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday that steps to peace with Russia are “doable” under a renegotiated U.S.-backed peace plan.
The White House introduced a 28-point peace plan last week in an effort to kickstart negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. The initial plan reportedly <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/11/23/us-news/marco-rubio-steve-witkoff-scramble-to-get-ukraine-peace-plan-back-on-track/">caused</a> an uproar among Ukrainian officials for its seemingly favorable conditions for Russia, including giving all of the Donbas region to Russia while capping Ukraine’s military at 600,000 soldiers.
Zelensky suggested in a video posted to social media on Monday evening that negotiations over the framework in Geneva have resulted in meaningful changes.
“Now the list of necessary steps to end the war can become doable. As of now, after Geneva, there are fewer points – no longer 28 – and many of the right elements have been taken into account in this framework,” said Zelensky.
“There is still work for all of us to do together to finalize the document, and we must do everything with dignity. We appreciate that most of the world is ready to help us and that the American side is approaching this constructively. Practically the entire day yesterday was filled with meetings – and it was challenging, extremely thorough work,” he added.
The Ukrainian president said that Ukraine would not be the obstacle to peace, and that “there is the interest from Russia to derail this opportunity for an agreement and to prolong the war.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Today our delegation returned from Geneva after negotiations with the American side and European partners. Now the list of necessary steps to end the war can become doable. As of now, after Geneva, there are fewer points – no longer 28 – and many of the right elements have been… <a href="https://t.co/bsaKyNXHQH">pic.twitter.com/bsaKyNXHQH</a>
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1993065899339743471?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
The positive signs from Zelensky follow similar signals from the Trump administration. President Donald Trump said on Monday that “big progress” was being made in the negotiations to reach a final agreement.
“Is it really possible that big progress is being made in Peace Talks between Russia and Ukraine??? Don’t believe it until you see it, but something good just may be happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!” the president <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-drops-hint-of-russia-ukraine-peace-something-good-just-may-be-happening">posted</a>.

Zelensky Calls Steps To End War ‘Doable’ In Updated Trump-Backed Peace Plan

President Donald Trump is optimistic that a peace agreement could be reached in the Russia-Ukraine war.
In a Truth Social post on Monday morning, the president wrote, “Is it really possible that big progress is being made in Peace Talks between Russia and Ukraine??? Don’t believe it until you see it, but something good just may be happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Ukrainian officials in Geneva, Switzerland, over the weekend to discuss a possible end to the war that accelerated in 2022.
“We’re working through making some changes, some adjustments, in the hopes of further narrowing the differences and getting closer to something that both Ukraine and, obviously, the United States are very comfortable with,” Rubio <a href="https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2025/11/secretary-of-state-marco-rubio-and-ukrainian-presidential-office-head-andriy-yermak-remarks-to-press">said</a> on Sunday.
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Rubio added that the meeting was “very, very meaningful,” calling it “the best meeting and day we’ve had so far in this entire process” when it kicked off in January.
It’s unclear whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will agree to a deal at this point.
“And then obviously there’s the Russian side of the equation,” Rubio said. “But again, we think we have some pretty substantial insights over the last nine months into some of the things that are really important to them.”
Trump and Putin met at a summit in Alaska over the summer. Some Republican lawmakers have scrutinized potential components of a proposed peace plan, arguing that it would give Russia too much of what it might want in the wake of the land invasion.
“But those who think pressuring the victim and appeasing the aggressor will bring peace are kidding themselves,” Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) posted to X. “Which difficult concessions are we pressing Russia to make?”
“How does limiting Ukraine’s defenses against future aggression increase the likelihood of enduring peace? The price and stability of peace matters, and our credibility is on the line. Allies and adversaries are watching: Will America hold firm against aggression or will we reward it?” he added.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said that “congressional review” should be part of the process.
“The proposed Russia-Ukraine peace deal provides an opportunity to end the war honorably and justly,” he wrote on X. “Congress should also have the ability to review a plan that includes any future security guarantees — just like we have the ability to review any Iran nuclear agreement.”

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