Hot mics and heaven: Global leaders make post-summit moves

The Hill

2 days ago

GLOBAL LEADERS sprang into action Tuesday seeking to capitalize on the good vibes coming out of President Trump 's meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders to work toward bringing an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.
'If I can save 7,000 people a week from being killed — I want to try to get to heaven if possible,' Trump said in a Tuesday interview on Fox News. 'I hear I'm not doing too well, I'm really at the bottom of the totem pole … but if I can get to heaven, this will be one of the reasons.'
Trump called Russian President Vladimir Putin directly after the summit at the White House to discuss a face-to-face with Zelensky. The White House said Putin agreed to meet Zelensky, although Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday a potential summit would have to be prepared 'step by step, gradually, starting from the expert level and then going through all the necessary stages.'
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who attended the Washington summit, said Putin and Zelensky could have a bilateral meeting within two weeks.
French President Emmanuel Macron, another summit attendee, pitched Switzerland for the potential Putin-Zelensky meeting spot.
Trump said if Putin and Zelensky meet, he'd then participate in a trilateral meeting sometime after that with the aim of ending the war entirely. Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff are coordinating with Russia and Ukraine.
'[T]he optimism of your president is to be taken seriously,' Macron told NBC News. 'So if he considers he can get a deal done, this is great news, and we have to do whatever we can to have a great deal.'
Trump was caught on a hot mic Monday telling Macron that Putin 'wants to make a deal for me' after the two met privately in Alaska last week.
Still, Russia launched a major attack overnight on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
And agreements need to be reached about land swaps and security guarantees for Ukraine.
Zelensky said he believes a security guarantee could be ironed out in the next 10 days.
Trump has said the U.S. will participate in Ukraine's security, although he said Tuesday the U.S. would not send troops to keep the peace.
However, Trump left open the possibility of U.S. air support to keep Ukraine safe from future incursions.
'We're willing to help them with things, especially, probably, if you talk about by air because nobody has stuff we have,' Trump said on Fox News.
Russia says it won't accept 'any scenarios' in which NATO troops are dispatched to Ukraine.
Trump is under pressure from his right flank to not further involve the U.S. in the war after his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said that the U.S. could participate in 'Article 5-like protections' for Ukraine.
'I'm just lost how the United States offering an Article 5 commitment for a security guarantee to Ukraine is a win for the United States,' Steve Bannon said on his radio show.
Meanwhile, there are concerns about how much new Ukrainian territory Russia is seeking to keep and what land concessions Zelensky will be willing to concede.
In addition, Trump said he's in discussion with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, about missing Ukrainian children — a key concern for Zelensky and first lady Melania Trump, who wrote a personal letter to Putin to plead on their behalf.
'This is… a big subject with my wife, Melania,' Trump said on social media. 'It is a subject at the top of all lists, and the World will work together to solve it, hopefully bringing them home to their families!'
More than 19,000 Ukrainian children are reported to have been abducted from their homes since Russia invaded Ukraine.
OPTIMISM ON THE RISE
Trump received praise from some unexpected places after Monday's international summit at the White House.
Michael McFaul, the former U.S. Ambassador to Russia under former President Obama, called the European summit this week a 'brilliant, brilliant' development.
'Talking about security guarantees with European soldiers being a part of that — that is major progress, with American assistance,' McFaul said on NBC.
Zelensky gifted Trump with a new blade-style putter during his trip to the White House, courtesy of a Ukrainian soldier who shares Trump's love of the game.
NewsNation correspondent Robert Sherman has a new dispatch from Kyiv:
'The wheels of diplomacy are turning on the Ukraine front, with all the big powerbrokers in Europe meeting at the White House. Those who have covered the Oval Office for decades acknowledge they've never seen such a cattle call. The meeting illustrates the magnitude of the moment. The ball is moving toward the end of this war, but there's a lot that still needs to happen — and plenty that can go wrong.'
💡 Perspectives:
• The Hill: Putin must change his behavior or face regime change.
• The Wall Street Journal: Trump gets real on Ukraine's security.
• CNN: Trump deserves credit for peace push.
• The Free Press: Trump's turn toward Zelensky and away from Putin.
CATCH UP QUICK
Six thousand foreign students have had their visas revoked since the start of the second Trump administration.
A federal judge dismissed portions of a lawsuit brought by 'Alligator Alcatraz' detainees, handing the Trump administration a partial win.
Hurricane Erin is forcing evacuations on North Carolina's Outer Banks.
NEWS THIS AFTERNOON
California Democrats move ahead with redistricting
California Democrats have unveiled legislation to draw new congressional maps more favorable for Democrats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The move comes in direct response to Texas's mid-decade redistricting efforts.
'We decided as a delegation that we could not just stand there and allow [President] Trump to distort the next election, and continue to harm the people who we represent,' Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) said at a press conference. 'And so we have worked to try and identify a map that is consistent with the goals that we believe in.'
California Democrats believe they can gain an additional five seats in the House next year with the new maps, matching the five House seats Republicans are hoping to pick up in Texas through redistricting.
The California House Republicans being targeted:
Kevin Kiley
Doug LaMalfa
Ken Calvert
Darrell Issa
David Valadao
California Republican legislators responded by petitioning the state Supreme Court to intervene, citing a section of the state constitution that requires a month-long review period for new legislation.
'California's Constitution requires bills to be in print for 30 days, but that safeguard was ignored,' Assemblyman Tri Ta posted on X. 'By bypassing this provision, Sacramento has effectively shut voters out of engaging in their own legislative process.'
MEANWHILE…
Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R) is requiring Democrats that leave the legislature's chambers to be followed by a designated Department of Public Safety officer who will ensure they return to the House on Wednesday at 10 a.m.
The move is designed to ensure Democrats don't flee the state again to derail a vote on the newly redrawn congressional district maps.
State Rep. Nicole Collier (D) refused to be accompanied by an officer and instead spent the night on the Texas House floor in protest.
Indiana Republicans are casting doubt on whether they will move forward with a plan to redraw congressional district lines despite pressure from the White House.
The Hill's Jared Gans writes:
'Several GOP state lawmakers have come out against the effort, expressing concern about the precedent it could set for the future and possible backlash against the party. With Republican supermajorities dominating both chambers of the state Legislature, stopping the effort would require a significant number of Republicans to oppose it and ignore the Trump administration's call for it.'
© AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson
Roundup: Red states send National Guard troops to DC
A total of six red states have now sent National Guard troops to fight crime in Washington, D.C.
Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, West Virginia, South Carolina and Ohio have each dispatched between 135 and 400 National Guard troops since Trump declared a public safety emergency last week.
In total, approximately 1,100 out-of-state troops will join the 800 National Guard troops, as well as a host of federal agents, to patrol the nation's capital.
The Hill's Ellen Mitchell writes:
'Coupled with indications that the guard members may soon be carrying weapons — a reversal of their initial orders — the new deployments mark a major escalation of Trump's efforts to take over law enforcement in Washington.'
The White House said Tuesday there have been 465 arrests since the start of the operation on Aug. 7, including 52 arrests Monday night. Nearly 50 homeless encampments have been cleared.
'A significant number of arrests have been in high-crime areas of D.C.,' press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday. 'In fact, nearly half of all illegal alien-related arrests have occurred in Wards 7 and 8, the two wards that have the highest number of violent crimes, homicides and assaults with dangerous weapons last year.'
ELSEWHERE…
• The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee expects to begin receiving files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein from the Department of Justice (DOJ) by Friday.
'There are many records in DOJ's custody, and it will take the Department time to produce all the records and ensure the identification of victims and any child sexual abuse material are redacted,' Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) said.
• Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is joining the Justice Department as the co-deputy director of the FBI. Bailey will share the same title as Dan Bongino, whose role has been under scrutiny amid disagreements with the administration over the Epstein case.
💡 Perspectives:
• Huffpost: Sandwich thrower becomes symbol of 'crime emergency'.
• Washington Times: Criminals are on the run in D.C.
• Vox: What recognizing a Palestinian state actually achieves.