Trump to meet with Zelensky as Ukraine seeks an end to Russian aggression. Follow live updates.

Boston Globe

28-02-2025

Trump makes US copper mining a focus of his domestic minerals policy — 8:32 a.m.
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By the Associated Press
From talk of acquiring Greenland and its vast mineral wealth to prodding Ukraine for minerals in exchange for help fending off Russia's invasion, Trump has made the raw materials of modern life a pillar of his foreign policy.
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An executive order Trump signed Tuesday calls for boosting the domestic copper industry by investigating the national security implications of imports and weighing tariffs as a response.
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It could mean a new day for U.S. copper mining, and new worries for environmental groups that are contesting proposals such as the stalled Twin Metals project in northern Minnesota's Boundary Waters, a lake-filled wilderness on the U.S.-Canada border.
Social Security Administration could cut up to 50% of its workforce — 8:20 a.m.
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By the Associated Press
The Social Security Administration is preparing to lay off at least 7,000 people from its workforce of 60,000, according to a person familiar with the agency's plans who is not authorized to speak publicly. The workforce reduction, according to a second person who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, could be as high as 50%.
It's unclear how the layoffs will directly impact the benefits of the 72.5 million Social Security beneficiaries, which include retirees and children who receive retirement and disability benefits. However, advocates and Democratic lawmakers warn that layoffs will reduce the agency's ability to serve recipients in a timely manner.
Some say cuts to the workforce are, in effect, a cut in benefits.
Former defense chiefs call for congressional hearings on Trump's firing of senior military leaders — 816 a.m.
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By the Associated Press
Five former secretaries of defense are calling on Congress to hold immediate hearings on President Trump's recent firings of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and several other senior military leaders, according to a letter obtained by The Associated Press.
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The five men — who represented Republican and Democratic administrations over the past three decades — said the dismissals were alarming, raised 'troubling questions about the administration's desire to politicize the military' and removed legal constraints on the president's power.
Former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force General CQ Brown.
Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press
At meeting with Trump, Zelensky will seek security assurances against future Russian aggression — 8:03 a.m.
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By the Associated Press
Ukraine's leader will meet with Trump in Washington on Friday at a pivotal moment for his country, one that hinges on whether he can persuade Trump to provide some form of U.S. backing for Ukraine's security against any future Russian aggression.
During his trip to Washington, Zelenskyy's delegation is expected to sign a landmark economic agreement with the U.S. aimed at financing the reconstruction of war-damaged Ukraine, a deal that would closely tie the two countries together for years to come.
Though the deal, which is seen as a step toward ending the three-year war, references the importance of Ukraine's security, it leaves that to a separate agreement to be discussed between the two leaders — talks that are likely to commence Friday.
As Ukrainian forces hold out against slow but steady advances by Russia's larger and better-equipped army, leaders in Kyiv have pushed to ensure a potential U.S.-brokered peace plan would include guarantees for the country's future security.