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’

Donald Trump

Global Politics

Politics

Russia

Ukraine

Ukraine-Russia War

Vladimir Putin

Volodymyr Zelensky

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

World

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>:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/moscow-peace-negotiations-mangione-contests-evidence/id1576594336?i=1000739259937" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<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>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1008295" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Evidence-Suppression-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Evidence-Suppression-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Evidence-Suppression-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Evidence-Suppression-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Evidence-Suppression-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Evidence-Suppression.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
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

President Donald Trump defended U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on Tuesday after a leaked phone call showed the diplomat advising a top Russian aide on how to approach Trump.
Witkoff’s phone call with Yuri Ushakov, top foreign policy aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, took place last month. Bloomberg published a transcript of the call on Tuesday, igniting backlash and calls for Witkoff&#8217;s removal for allegedly favoring Russia over Ukraine.
Trump dismissed complaints over the phone call, saying that what took place was “standard” negotiation.
“That’s a standard thing, you know, because he’s gotta sell this to Ukraine, he’s gotta sell Ukraine to Russia. That’s what a deal maker does. You gotta say, look, they want this, you’ve gotta convince him with this, and you know, that’s a very standard form of negotiation,” Trump <a href="https://x.com/CBSNews/status/1993722285883068521">said</a> when asked about the phone call aboard Air Force One on Tuesday evening.
“I haven’t heard it, but I heard it was standard negotiation. And I would imagine he’s saying the same thing to Ukraine, because each party has to give and take,” the president added.
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Trump also dismissed concerns that Witkoff is pro-Russian.
“No, I think, look, this war could go on for years, and Russia’s got a lot more people and a lot more soldiers, you know? So I think if Ukraine can make a deal, it’s a good thing. I think it’s great for both,” said Trump.
The phone call sparked backlash from some Republicans, such as Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska.
“For those who oppose the Russian invasion and want to see Ukraine prevail as a sovereign &amp; democratic country, it is clear that Witkoff fully favors the Russians. He cannot be trusted to lead these negotiations. Would a Russian paid agent do less than he? He should be fired,” <a href="https://x.com/RepDonBacon/status/1993446393076498714">said</a> Bacon.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania <a href="https://x.com/RepBrianFitz/status/1993428150492316095">called</a> the phone call “a major problem. And one of the many reasons why these ridiculous side shows and secret meetings need to stop.”
In the October 14 phone call, Witkoff advised Ushakov on how Putin should approach Trump to have the most favorable meeting, including flattering Trump with compliments over the recently struck ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The U.S. envoy said a similar plan to the 20-point Israel-Hamas plan could be struck between Russia and Ukraine.
Witkoff also advised Ushakov that Putin should schedule a phone call with Trump before Trump was set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“Maybe he (Putin) says to President Trump: you know, Steve and Yuri discussed a very similar 20-point plan to peace and that could be something that we think might move the needle a little bit, we’re open to those sorts of things — to explore what it’s going to take to get a peace deal done,” Witkoff said, according to the transcript published by <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-11-25/witkoff-discusses-ukraine-plans-with-key-putin-aide-transcript">Bloomberg</a>.
“Now, me to you, I know what it’s going to take to get a peace deal done: Donetsk and maybe a land swap somewhere. But I’m saying instead of talking like that, let’s talk more hopefully because I think we’re going to get to a deal here. And I think Yuri, the president will give me a lot of space and discretion to get to the deal,” Witkoff said.

Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump

Trump Dismisses Backlash Against Witkoff Over Leaked Phone Call With Top Russian Diplomat

Steve Witkoff

United States

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

Negotiations continue as a deal for peace in Ukraine takes shape, the surge of new Turning Point USA chapter requests hits a surprising stonewall, and the Trump administration reverses a longstanding approach to handling homelessness.
It’s Tuesday, November 25, 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-251125">video version can be seen on The Daily Wire</a>:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Trump Pushes Peace In Ukraine </h2>
Topline: American and Ukrainian diplomats continue to meet in Europe this week as they negotiate the details of a peace plan with Russia. 
The White House presented both sides with a 28-point peace plan that included significant concessions from Ukraine. Initially, it appeared the plan was a final offer—Trump went so far as to set a Thanksgiving deadline —and there were even reports that the Trump administration would cut off all military and financial aid if Ukraine turned it down, which it did. But now it appears that all-or-nothing language was more of a negotiating tactic from Trump.
After strong pushback from Ukraine and the European Union, the White House now says the plan is meant as a starting point. As Secretary of State Marco Rubio put it, “just because it’s printed on a piece of paper doesn’t indicate finality … you get input and you make adjustments.”
President Donald Trump displayed some cautious optimism, writing on Truth Social Monday, “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.”
What’s in the way: The main issue for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is that the current plan would require Ukraine to surrender large portions of land in the East that would then be recognized as Russian territory. He pushed back publicly on that demand Monday, saying, “It is crucial to support the principles on which Europe stands, that borders cannot be changed by force.”
Kyiv also wants to see more concrete security guarantees that would put on paper assurances of European and U.S. military support if Russia were to relaunch its invasion.
But the big problem now is that if Ukraine succeeds in amending the plan to its liking, there’s a good chance Russian President Vladimir Putin won’t sign on. After the initial plan was released, he said it “could form the basis of a final peace settlement.” But that could well change if significant changes are made.
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Christian Colleges Reject TPUSA</h2>
Topline: TPUSA chapters are exploding across college campuses in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, with 44,000 new applications. But a surprising number of Christian colleges and universities have rejected the organization, telling students they aren’t allowed to start new clubs.
Which schools? It’s a surprisingly long list of schools that have rejected TPUSA chapters. Point Loma Nazarene in California rejected students’ requests for a TPUSA chapter at least three times. At Biola, one of the largest evangelical universities in the country, students’ first request for a chapter was denied in 2023. In September, after Charlie’s assassination, they tried again and aren’t getting an answer.
Another Christian school, Concordia University in Wisconsin, initially rejected TPUSA, but after a student&#8217;s post about it went viral last month, they reversed course.
All told, about 20 Christian colleges and universities have said TPUSA isn’t welcome on their campuses. That includes well-known schools like Bob Jones University, Asbury, Oral Roberts, and Loyola University New Orleans. 
Why? The reasons for rejection vary by school. The students and alumni who want to see new TPUSA chapters at the schools don’t always buy the reasons they’re being given.
Point Loma said its board of directors rejected TPUSA largely because of a professor watchlist that “exposes and documents&#8221; professors who allegedly discriminate against conservative students. Even though Point Loma students agreed not to use or contribute to that list, the board still felt TPUSA doesn’t represent the kind of “constructive communication” they require from official clubs.
However, the school has approved left-leaning clubs like BREAK that focus on issues like “gender equality” and &#8220;gender justice,&#8221; and the &#8220;Center for Justice and Reconciliation,&#8221; which focuses on &#8220;immigration and racial justice.” The administration also removed a Charlie Kirk memorial that had been put up on campus after his death.
A similar situation has played out at Biola. Biola approved the left-leaning club, Students for Justice and Liberation, which says it stands for “progressive values,” the same semester they applied. Yet the verdict on TPUSA is being dragged out.
In the first rejection, the decision once again went all the way to the board of directors, and they said they took issue with TPUSA’s “narrative” and “tactics.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Trump’s Turn On Homelessness</h2>
Topline: The Trump administration has recently announced major changes to how the federal government funds housing for the homeless. The administration says the changes will encourage more self-sufficiency and reduce drug abuse, while opponents say it could lead to almost 200,000 people being kicked out of their homes. 
Morning Wire spoke to Judge Glock, director of research at the Manhattan Institute, about the administration’s announcement. (The following interview has been edited for clarity.)
Morning Wire: This all revolves around federal funding for homelessness. First, how does the federal government actually distribute money for this issue?  
Glock: Every year, the feds announce how nonprofits and other groups can apply for what are known as Continuum of Care or CoC grants. The CoC grants a total of about three-and-a-half billion dollars a year and mainly goes to nonprofits that provide housing. And I should just say that homeless nonprofits read this yearly announcement like it’s the Talmud or the Bible or something, because it says what they have to do to compete for the federal money and what sort of programs they can fund and what sort of things are forbidden.
Morning Wire: Got it. The administration’s announcement this year said the federal government would no longer support what it calls “the failed ‘Housing First’ ideology.” Can you explain a little bit about what “Housing First” means? 
Glock: The “Housing First” idea is that the only way to “solve” homelessness is to give the homeless subsidized and permanent housing without any conditions before entering the housing or strings attached afterwards. The basic idea is that you provide both housing and services, but it’s all voluntary. A nonprofit couldn’t force a person in one of these Housing First apartments to, say, take a drug test or even get a mental health screening. And for a little over a decade–including, I might add, through the first Trump administration–these annual funding announcements said federal money would be given almost exclusively to groups that practiced the “Housing First” philosophy. Because in most of the country, the federal money is the main source of funding for the homeless, the Housing First idea became something of a nationwide mandate.
Morning Wire: Right – so that made it a nationwide policy. What does this announcement actually change?
Glock: The biggest change is that there is no more Housing First mandate. Instead, the administration says nonprofits must provide treatment for underlying issues instead of just focusing on housing. The Housing First program was supposed to provide treatment, but it said people just kind of had to come to the treatment on their own. The problem was it’s often impossible for people in the midst of, say, a heroin addiction or schizophrenic episode to really pursue treatment. This new policy will mandate some treatment services for those in the housing units and will require more housing to be “transitional,” meaning for a limited time period until people can get back on their feet, instead of the old permanent housing model.

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Morning Brief: Ukraine’s New Deal, TPUSA Vs. Christian Schools, & Trump’s Homeless Policy

Morning Brief: New Ukraine Peace Plan, TPUSA Rejected, And Trump’s Turn On Homelessness

Charlie Kirk

Housing

Media

TPUSA

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.”

President Trump Hosts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy At The White House

Trump Drops Hint Of Russia-Ukraine Peace: ‘Something Good Just May Be Happening’

Executive

Ukraine Russia

zelenskyy

President Donald Trump pushes ahead with a potential war-ending deal in Ukraine,  Democrats spend big on a House race in red Tennessee, and Wicked: For Good casts a spell on audiences, leaving some hope for Hollywood after a disastrous year of earnings.
It’s Monday, November 24, 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-251124-member-exclusive">video version can be seen on The Daily Wire</a>:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ukraine-deal-dilemma-tns-district-seven-duel-11-24-25/id1576594336?i=1000738094135" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Trump’s Ukraine Peace Plan</h2>
Topline: President Trump is offering Russia and Ukraine a new peace deal, and ramping up pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to sign on.
Peacemaker-in-chief: President Trump has relished his role as peacemaker since regaining the White House, brokering an end to a number of conflicts. But despite his best efforts, the war in Ukraine continues to rage.
But the White House is out with a new 28-point plan that they’re confident will benefit both sides. The plan seems more favorable to Russia, which, from a geopolitical standpoint, makes sense. Regardless of whether they’re the &#8220;bad guys,&#8221; the reality is they have the upper hand militarily. This is a war of attrition, and Moscow is much better suited to endure.
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The White House is urging the Ukrainians and others to be realistic and understand that Putin will not sign onto any deal that leaves him empty-handed, and that means making some painful concessions.
Ukraine’s concessions: Ukraine would be forced to give up on NATO membership and “enshrine in its constitution that it will not join NATO.” It would also bar NATO troops from being stationed in Ukraine in the future and limit the size of Ukraine’s military to 600,000 personnel.
Perhaps most importantly for Zelensky, it would give Russia nearly all of the land it has seized in Eastern Ukraine, and even some it hasn&#8217;t. Specifically, it calls for Ukraine to withdraw from the Donetsk Oblast region, a strip of land that was home to a quarter million Ukrainians before the war. That region would be turned into a demilitarized zone to serve as a buffer between the two countries.
All parties involved in the conflict would be granted amnesty under the deal, and the U.S. would begin immediately lifting sanctions on Moscow, bringing them back into the international economy.
Finally, it would require Ukraine to hold nationwide elections within 100 days of signing.
What Ukraine gets: The biggest reward would be an end to the conflict. There’s also a promise to allow them to seek membership in the European Union, and a plan for $100 billion in frozen Russian assets to be invested in a fund to rebuild Ukraine.
As far as security guarantees, one of Zelensky’s main demands, there’s not much beyond vague assurances that Europe and the U.S. would coordinate a military response and reimplement sanctions if Russia were to invade again.
What the U.S. is hearing: Ukraine and the rest of Europe are generally not happy. The headline this weekend on one of Ukraine’s largest newspapers read, “New U.S. peace plan pushes Ukraine toward capitulation.”
Elsewhere, Ukrainian military and political leaders expressed anger that they were not consulted beforehand, accusing Trump of giving Putin his wishlist. In a speech over the weekend, Zelensky seemingly implied that the U.S. had threatened to withdraw support unless they signed onto the agreement, telling his people, “Now, Ukraine may face a very difficult choice: either loss of dignity or the risk of losing a key partner.”
Over the weekend, Zelensky held calls with European allies, including France and the U.K., and they offered a unified front, telling the White House in a joint statement the deal “would leave Ukraine vulnerable to attack” and “requires additional work.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Tennessee Special Election</h2>
Topline: An important special election in Tennessee’s Seventh Congressional District will take place on December 2 to replace former Republican Congressman Mark Green. Democrats are pouring big money into the race, hoping to flip the seat. In 2024, the reliably red district backed Trump with 60% of the vote.
All eyes on TN: This is for a crucial seat in the House, as all seats now are, since the GOP majority is so thin. Also, Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District is important as it represents parts of the Nashville metropolitan area.
Democrats are eager and see it as a pick-up opportunity following off-year election victories in Virginia, New Jersey, and Georgia earlier this month. <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/21/house-democratic-super-pac-drops-1-million-on-tennessee-special-election-00664768?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQKNjYyODU2ODM3OQABHogrquGjqh20iTwQ6dUzCymZZpN20Ifc4YfHQ1_eafcdb9uyMSsEtcPs6kEu_aem_h0OvKIWh4pdNncH8LWPpBQ">Politico</a> reports that the Democrats’ House Majority PAC has poured $1 million into advertisements for the race. <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/analysis/house/tennessee-house/2026-tennessee-house-analysis-music-city-mayhem">Cook Political Report</a> ranks the race as “Likely Republican,” but the focus and money has some Republicans a bit nervous.
The Republican: The GOP candidate is Matt Van Epps, the former commissioner of Tennessee’s General Services Department. Van Epps is a West Point graduate and a combat veteran, and he has the crucial endorsement of President Trump.
Morning Wire spoke to Van Epps about his views on Trump’s agenda and how it aligns with his own goals for Tennessee.
“I&#8217;m an America First conservative. What we&#8217;re hearing quite a bit as we&#8217;re out across the Tennessee 7th Congressional District is cost of living and working to decrease inflation,” said Van Epps. “We&#8217;re working really hard to connect with a lot of folks to address that and put plans in place to do that from housing, energy, keeping taxes low, cutting regulations, health care, [and] child care.”
The Democrat: Most of the attention in this race has focused on the Democrat, state Rep. Aftyn Behn, touted by some Democrats as a rising star and “Tennessee’s AOC.” Behn even had former Vice President Kamala Harris and Rep. Jasmine Crockett campaign for her.
But she’s also caused quite a stir, partly from her social media posts. For example, she has <a href="https://x.com/RepOgles/status/1924882174865502306">filmed</a> herself openly bragging about trying to bully law enforcement from carrying out its federal operations.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">&#8220;Wicked: For Good&#8221; Saves The Box Office</h2>
Topline: In one of the worst years in Hollywood history, one film waved a magic wand this weekend to bring audiences back to theaters. &#8220;Wicked: For Good,&#8221; the follow-up to last year&#8217;s smash hit musical, is shattering records. But is it any good?
The numbers: The numbers are nothing short of dramatic. According to early estimates, &#8220;Wicked: For Good&#8221; opened globally in the neighborhood of $228 million.
Final numbers are not out yet, but in the domestic market alone, the film is projected to debut at around $151 million, making it the biggest opening ever for a Broadway-musical-inspired feature.
Beyond that, the film had already pulled in the highest earnings this year, around $31 million, in domestic preview screenings. It also had the highest pre-sales for a PG movie ever. It’s definitely on its way to being one of the highest grossing films this year.
The critics: So far, critics aren’t as positive about the sequel as they were about the original. On Metacritic, &#8220;Wicked: For Good&#8221; has only a 59% positive rating. The first movie averaged 73%. The same story is taking place on Rotten Tomatoes. The first movie was 88% positive. The new release is 70%.
DW’s take: That decrease in enthusiasm isn’t too surprising. The first film largely followed the path of the stage production. Even though Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s performances didn’t seem to match the energy and wit that Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth brought to Broadway, powerhouse ballads like “Defying Gravity” (so good Disney ripped it off for &#8220;Frozen&#8221;) and comical ditties like &#8220;Popular&#8221; and &#8220;Loathing&#8221; were still very entertaining.
The problem is the most compelling parts of the musical were covered in the first film.
&#8220;Wicked: For Good&#8221; is 20 minutes shorter, but feels about an hour longer because there’s simply not a lot of the actual story left to tell. There is a lot of padding to fill out a sequel that could have been wrapped up in 30 minutes. There are some new songs, but they don’t boast either that sly humor or moving poetry of the originals. The performances are, overall, somewhat flat, though Jonathan Bailey as love interest Fiyero is an <a href="https://x.com/wickedcomfort/status/1985635639060992190?s=20">exception</a>.
While a handful of sequences are impressive, &#8220;Wicked: For Good&#8221; doesn’t offer the entertainment value of the first entry. But when you’re the only holiday blockbuster extravaganza in town …

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Morning Brief: Trump Eyes Ukraine Peace Deal, Tennessee’s 7th In Focus, & ‘Wicked’ Sweeps Hollywood

Morning Brief: Trump Seeks Peace In Ukraine, All Eyes On TN’s 7th, And A ‘Wicked’ Hollywood Weekend

Hollywood

Tennessee

U.S. House of Representatives

Vice President JD Vance talked with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for around an hour on Friday as the two leaders discussed President Donald Trump&#8217;s newly crafted <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-crafts-28-point-plan-to-end-war-in-ukraine">28-point plan</a> to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
The call, which also included U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, marked the first time that Zelensky spoke directly with the White House since Trump unveiled his new peace plan. While he did not address any specifics of the plan, Zelensky suggested that his country is ready to get to work on negotiations.
&#8220;We managed to cover a lot of details of the American side’s proposals for ending the war, and we’re working to make the path forward dignified and truly effective for achieving a lasting peace,&#8221; Zelensky said. &#8220;I’m grateful for the attention and willingness to work together with us and our partners. We agreed to work together with the U.S. and Europe at the level of national security advisors to make the path to peace truly doable.&#8221;
&#8220;Ukraine has always respected and continues to respect U.S. President Donald Trump’s desire to put an end to the bloodshed, and we view every realistic proposal positively,&#8221; Zelensky added. &#8220;We agreed to maintain constant contact, and our teams are ready to work 24/7. Thank you!&#8221;
Under the reported details of Trump&#8217;s plan, Ukraine would be forced to give up Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk, and parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, Axios <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/21/zelensky-vance-trump-peace-plan">reported</a>. Ukraine would also commit to never joining NATO and limiting its standing military in exchange for security guarantees from the United States. Both Russia and Ukraine would receive amnesty for crimes they committed during the war, and all military and civilian prisoners would be returned to their respective sides.
After details of the plan were reported, multiple European leaders committed to pursuing a peace plan that guarantees Ukraine&#8217;s sovereignty.
&#8220;Ukraine can count on us,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/bundeskanzler/status/1991874364674035882">said</a> German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. &#8220;Together with [French President Emmanuel Macron] and [British Prime Minister Keir Starmer], I reaffirmed our full support to [Zelensky]. We will coordinate closely with Europe and the US, whose commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty we welcome. The contact line must remain the basis for any talks.&#8221;
The Russia-Ukraine plan mirrors President Trump&#8217;s ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas that is monitored by Trump&#8217;s Peace Council. A senior U.S. official <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-quietly-working-on-a-russia-ukraine-peace-plan-that-mirrors-gaza-deal?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Admin+%E2%80%98Quietly+Working%E2%80%99+On+A+Russia-Ukraine+Peace+Plan+That+Mirrors+Gaza+Deal">told</a> The Daily Wire on Thursday that Trump&#8217;s special envoy Steve Witkoff has been &#8220;quietly working&#8221; on the Russia-Ukraine plan for a month, &#8220;receiving input from both the Ukrainians and the Russians on what terms are acceptable to them to end the war.&#8221;
The call between Vance and Zelensky comes following months of talks between the Trump administration, Russia, and Ukraine, with little progress being made. In February, Trump, Vance, and Zelensky got into a heated back-and-forth in the Oval Office, part of which included the vice president <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-and-vance-clash-with-zelensky-in-fiery-white-house-meeting">scolding</a> Zelensky for attacking &#8220;the administration that is trying to prevent the destruction of your country.&#8221;
The war is nearing the four-year mark, and President Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, who has ramped up his aggression in recent months. Earlier this week, a Russian missile and drone <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy0yere4k0zo">attack</a> in Ternopil, Ukraine, killed 26 people, including three children, according to Ukrainian officials.

JD Vance/Volodymyr Zelensky

Zelensky Suggests Ukraine Is Ready To Move On Trump’s 28-Point Plan After Talks With Vance

JD Vance

Trump and Russia are reportedly near a deal to end the conflict in Ukraine, the administration is looking to overhaul SNAP, and Charlotte’s ICE presence is clearing roads and classrooms.
It’s Thursday, November 20, 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/ukraine-deal-emerges-snap-system-shakeup-11-20-25-member-exclusive">video version can be seen on The Daily Wire</a>:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ukraine-deal-emerges-snap-system-shakeup-11-20-25/id1576594336?i=1000737568672" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Peace In Ukraine At Last?</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1003179" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Ukraine-Peace-Plan-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Ukraine-Peace-Plan-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Ukraine-Peace-Plan-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Ukraine-Peace-Plan-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Ukraine-Peace-Plan-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Ukraine-Peace-Plan.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The Trump administration is crafting a plan to end the war in Ukraine. According to a new report, officials are in talks to get both sides on board with a 28-point framework.
While few details of a potential deal have been made public, administration officials seem confident about it. <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2025/11/19/a-peace-deal-as-soon-as-this-week-00658623">Politico</a> quoted one official as saying, “What we are going to present is reasonable.”
The plan reportedly emerged from extensive talks between U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russia envoy Kirill Dmitriev. The two ambassadors met in Miami last month and spent three days together on what a potential deal could look like.
According to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/19/ukraine-peace-plan-trump-russia-witkoff">Axios</a>, Dmitriev came out of that meeting feeling like “the Russian position is really being heard.” He went on to describe the negotiations as &#8220;a much broader framework” that seeks to bring “lasting security to Europe, not just Ukraine.”
What’s not so clear is how far talks have moved forward with Ukraine, or with European officials who may be interested in any potential peace deal–especially one that may involve security guarantees the Europeans have to provide for Ukraine.
The White House seems to think that Kiev and Europe will eventually accept the deal, though, as long as “flexibility” is shown, as one White House official put it.
When? Some reports suggest a deal could be on the table as soon as the end of this week. That might sound fast, but we have seen a lot of movement lately.
According to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/18/top-army-officials-set-for-drone-focused-visit-to-ukraine-00658328" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Politico</a>, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and other senior U.S. military officials traveled to Kyiv on Wednesday to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who then traveled to Turkey to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan about restarting peace talks with Russia.
Zelensky didn’t talk more of any deal in the works, though, and it’s worth noting that there have been times in the past when Zelensky hasn’t had trouble dissenting from the White House. His buy-in is necessary before a peace plan can move forward.
According to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/19/trump-ukraine-peace-plan-russia-donbas">Axios</a>, part of the Trump administration’s plan includes asking Ukraine to trade some land for security guarantees–including some land that Russia does not currently control. That alone could be a sticking point for Ukraine.
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">SNAP Waste, Fraud, And Abuse</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1003177" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/SNAPs-Big-Reset-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/SNAPs-Big-Reset-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/SNAPs-Big-Reset-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/SNAPs-Big-Reset-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/SNAPs-Big-Reset-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/SNAPs-Big-Reset.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has announced a complete overhaul of the food stamp program, promising to rein in fraud and abuse.
Rollins is changing a number of things, but most notably, her department is requiring current food stamp recipients to reapply for benefits. Currently, about 43 million people are in the SNAP program, about 12% of the population, and it costs taxpayers about $100 billion annually.
The department’s logic is that reapplying will reduce fraud and abuse, ensuring that benefits go to Americans who really need assistance.
Rollins said Americans know SNAP is “extremely corrupt” by the many anecdotal stories of fraud and waste. Videos have circulated on social media of people admitting to selling their benefits, or grabbing eye-popping grocery hauls for people who don’t seem very needy.
But, but, but: Without hard data, it’s impossible to know how much abuse is going on and where. Rollins has asked every state to share SNAP data to track down the fraud, but only 29 states, mostly Republican-led, have complied. 
“The number is closer to 186,000 deceased men and women who are receiving a check,” Rollins <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvDLcYeSKxw">said</a>, based on the data the department has compiled so far. “500,000 people getting two times the benefits, individuals getting benefits in 4, 5, 6 different states – and those are just the red states.”
Rollins has said her department is suing to get SNAP data from remaining states, such as New York and California, and suggested the fraud and abuse will be even worse there.
SNAP to illegals? Despite the dearth of data on SNAP benefits, some evidence exists that points to illegal aliens receiving SNAP benefits.
A 2024 Survey of Income and Program Participation, <a href="https://washingtonstand.com/article/major-study-finds-illegal-immigrants-collecting-taxpayerfunded-snap-benefits">analyzed</a> by The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), shows that, even though SNAP is restricted to applicants with legal status, potentially up to 4.5 million illegals are using SNAP. This is especially alarming since illegals are already permitted to use WIC, which is another welfare food program that’s a little more restrictive. 
CIS also found that 47% of all noncitizen households receive taxpayer-funded food assistance. And generally, about 60<a href="https://cis.org/Report/Welfare-Use-Immigrants-and-USBorn?utm_source=chatgpt.com">% of illegal immigrant households</a> use at least one major welfare program. 
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Charlotte Empties After ICE Raids</h2>
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Topline: The Trump administration’s immigration sweeps in Charlotte, North Carolina, have left schools with minimal attendance and roads free of traffic.
Charlotte is a place that doesn’t seem like a traditional hotbed for illegal immigration, but immigration raids are starting to expose it as one. What we&#8217;ve seen so far is that school attendance is down. Around 30,000 students did not show up to class in Charlotte Public Schools on Monday after the sweep started over the weekend.
Immigration raids have yielded about 200 arrests and put fear into other industries around the city. Traffic is down altogether, and some construction sites have been completely abandoned.
Why Charlotte: The raids have revealed the city to be a major hotspot for illegal immigrants.
Border Patrol and the Department of Homeland Security, more broadly, saw Charlotte as a sanctuary after the sheriff of Mecklenburg County ended its partnership with ICE in 2018. The sheriff said that he would no longer allow ICE to come into his jails to take in illegal immigrant criminals that were set to be released, effectively adopting a sanctuary policy similar to places such as New York City and Chicago, where ICE and Border Patrol have already been active.
With Charlotte, federal officials say that there were 1,400 illegal immigrants sitting in jails in the city that local authorities were refusing to hand over to ICE. Officials trying to clean up the mess have effectively said, ‘If you&#8217;re not going to help us, we&#8217;re going to take matters into our own hands.’ And that&#8217;s what has happened.
The commander of Border Patrol, Gregory Bovino, has said that the sweeps are yielding more collateral arrests. In other words, illegal immigrants who are with the violent illegal immigrant offenders that federal officials are targeting are being arrested alongside those violent aliens. 
According to Bovino, those aliens wrapped up in collateral arrests actually have more serious criminal histories than officials have seen in other cities where raids are happening.

11.20.25 MW

Morning Brief: Ukraine Deal Emerges, Food Stamps Fraud, & ICE Raids Spark Exodus In Charlotte

Morning Brief: Will Ukraine See Peace, Crackdown On SNAP, And Charlotte Empties Over ICE

Charlotte

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North Carolina

SNAP

President Donald Trump’s sanctions on Russian oil giants Lukoil and Rosneft are biting into Moscow’s ability to fund its war effort, according to a Treasury Department memo.
The Initial Market Reaction report by the Office of Foreign Assets Control found that the sanctions that Trump placed on Russian energy last month are restricting the cash Moscow can dedicate to its war efforts.
“President Trump has targeted Russia’s two largest oil companies in one of the most impactful Treasury actions to date. Russian oil is now selling at multi-year lows, starving Putin’s war machine. President Trump is the peace-and-prosperity President, and Treasury is prepared to take further action if necessary to end the senseless killing,” a Treasury spokesperson told The Daily Wire.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control&#8217;s initial assessment of the tariffs found that they are having their intended effect by reducing oil revenues to Moscow by “lowering the price of Russian oil and therefore the country’s ability to fund its war effort against Ukraine,” according to a summary of the office’s assessment.
“While there are multiple prices of Russian oil depending on grade and location, various grades are trading well below all other international prices. Moreover, several key Russian grades are selling at multi-year lows, widening their spreads to global benchmarks. This is testament to the fact that demand for Russian oil is plunging, driven by the efficacy of U.S. sanctions,” the summary found.
The Treasury assessment also noted that some of Russia’s biggest customers, namely India and China, have cut back their purchases of Russian energy in the wake of the tariffs
“Nearly a dozen major Indian and Chinese purchasers of Russian oil have announced intentions to pause their purchases of Russian December deliveries,” the Office of Foreign Assets Control found.
The Treasury <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-ramps-up-pressure-on-putin-hits-russian-oil-companies-with-sanctions">leveled</a> the tariffs on the Russian oil giants on October 22.
“Now is the time to stop the killing and for an immediate ceasefire,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at the time. “Given President Putin’s refusal to end this senseless war, Treasury is sanctioning Russia’s two largest oil companies that fund the Kremlin’s war machine. Treasury is prepared to take further action if necessary to support President Trump’s effort to end yet another war. We encourage our allies to join us in and adhere to these sanctions.”

Trump Sanctions On Russian Oil Are ‘Starving Putin’s War Machine’

Tariffs

U.S. President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration has prepared additional sanctions it could use to target key areas of Russia&#8217;s economy if President Vladimir Putin continues to delay ending Moscow&#8217;s war in Ukraine, according to a U.S. official and another person familiar with the matter.
U.S. officials have also told European counterparts that they support the EU using frozen Russian assets to buy U.S. weapons for Kyiv, and Washington has held nascent internal conversations about leveraging Russian assets held in the U.S. to support Ukraine&#8217;s war effort, two U.S. officials said.
While it is not clear whether Washington will actually carry out any of those moves in the immediate term, it shows there is a well-developed toolkit within the administration to up the ante further after Trump imposed sanctions on Russia on Wednesday for the first time since returning to office in January.
Trump has positioned himself as a global peacemaker, but has admitted that trying to end Russia&#8217;s more-than-three-year war in neighboring Ukraine has proven harder than he had anticipated.
European allies &#8211; buffeted by Trump&#8217;s swings between accommodation and anger toward Putin &#8211; hope he keeps upping the pressure on Moscow, and are also mulling major actions of their own.
One senior U.S. official told Reuters that he would like to see European allies make the next big Russia move, which could be additional sanctions or tariffs. A separate source with knowledge of internal administration dynamics said Trump was likely to hit pause for a few weeks and gauge Russia&#8217;s reaction to Wednesday&#8217;s sanctions announcement.
Those sanctions took aim at oil companies Lukoil and Rosneft. The moves spiked oil prices by more than $2 and sent major Chinese and Indian buyers of Russian crude looking for alternatives.
Some of the additional sanctions the U.S. has prepared are geared toward Russia&#8217;s banking sector and the infrastructure used to get oil to market, said a U.S. official and another person familiar with the matter.
Last week, Ukrainian officials pitched the U.S. with new sanctions activity, said one source with knowledge of those conversations. Among the specific ideas put forward were measures to cut off all Russian banks from the dollar-based system with U.S. counterparts, two sources said. It is not clear, however, how seriously Ukraine&#8217;s specific requests are under consideration.
The U.S. Senate is also making moves, with some lawmakers renewing a push to get a long-stalled bipartisan sanctions bill over the line.
The person with knowledge of internal administration dynamics said Trump is open to endorsing the package. The source warned, though, that such an endorsement is unlikely this month.
The Treasury Department did not respond to a request for comment.
Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin&#8217;s special envoy for investment and economic cooperation, said on Friday he believes his country, the United States and Ukraine are close to a diplomatic solution to end Russia&#8217;s war in Ukraine.
Halyna Yusypiuk, Ukrainian Embassy spokesperson in Washington, said the recent sanctions decision was appreciated, but did not otherwise comment.
&#8220;Dismantling Russia&#8217;s war machine is the most humane way to bring this war to an end,&#8221; Yusypiuk wrote in an email.
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Trump&#8217;s decision to hit Russia with sanctions capped a tumultuous week with respect to the administration&#8217;s Ukraine policy.
Trump spoke with Putin last week and then announced the pair planned to meet in Budapest, catching Ukraine off guard.
A day later Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Washington, where U.S. officials pressed Zelenskiy to give up territory in the Donbas region as part of a lopsided land swap to end the war. Zelenskiy pushed back, and Trump left the meeting with the position that the conflict should be frozen at its frontlines.
Then last weekend Russia sent a diplomatic note to Washington reiterating previous peace terms. A few days later Trump told reporters the planned meeting with Putin was off because &#8220;it just didn&#8217;t feel right to me.&#8221;
Speaking to CNN on Friday after arriving in Washington for talks with U.S. officials, Dmitriev said a meeting between Trump and Putin had not been cancelled, as the U.S. president described it, and that the two leaders will likely meet at a later date.
Trump ultimately decided to slap Russia with sanctions during a Wednesday meeting with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a senior White House official said.
Behind the scenes, Ukraine got an apparent U.S. boost after the U.S. approval process for providing targeting data for long-range Ukrainian strikes in Russia was moved to U.S. European Command in Germany &#8211; viewed by U.S. and European officials as more hawkish on Russia &#8211; from the Pentagon in Washington, according to a U.S. and a European official.
However, Trump has said he was still not ready to provide Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles, which Kyiv has requested.
The U.S. is also putting pressure on Europe to further tighten the financial screws on Moscow. In announcing the U.S. sanctions, Bessent pushed the EU to follow. Broadly speaking, U.S. officials have criticized EU and NATO countries for not taking more decisive steps to stand up to Russia.
It will be more difficult, though, for the EU to unleash full-blocking sanctions on Lukoil than it is for the U.S., one senior EU official argued, given how heavily entangled Lukoil is with Europe&#8217;s economy. The oil company owns refineries in Bulgaria and Romania and has a robust retail gas station network throughout the continent.
&#8220;I think we need to find a way to disengage&#8230;before we can fully sanction,&#8221; the EU official said.
(Reporting by Gram Slattery and Steve Holland in Washington and Max Hunder in Kyiv; Additional reporting by Humeyra Pamuk, Jonathan Landay and Daphne Psaledakis in Washington and Julia Payne in Brussels; Editing by Michelle Nichols and Diane Craft)

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U.S. Eyeing Further Sanctions On Russia, But First Wants Europe To Amp Up Pressure

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