Trump news at a glance: Vance says Russia not being realistic on Ukraine, Trump says he may be right
Speaking at a security conference on Wednesday, the US vice-president, JD Vance, said of fruitless efforts to end the war in Ukraine: 'Right now, the Russians are asking for a certain set of requirements, a certain set of concessions in order to end the conflict. We think they're asking for too much.'
Asked about the comments later on Wednesday, Donald Trump said: 'It's possible that's right.'
Separately, Trump has nominated the wellness influencer Dr Casey Means for surgeon general after withdrawing his initial pick for the influential health post – Janette Nesheiwat, a former Fox News medical contributor. Means is linked to Trump's vaccine sceptic health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, though she has mostly steered clear of his views on vaccination.
Here are the key stories at a glance:
JD Vance has said that Russia is asking for 'too much' in its negotiations with Ukraine in the latest sign of growing frustration from Washington with ceasefire talks to end the war between the two countries.
During his remarks, Vance reiterated the threat that the White House would 'walk away if [Trump] thinks he's not making progress'.
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The Federal Reserve kept interest rates on hold and called out growing dangers in the US economy amid Donald Trump's erratic rollout of an aggressive trade strategy. Jerome Powell, the US central bank's chair, cautioned that the president's tariffs are likely to lift prices, weaken growth and increase unemployment if maintained.
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The Trump administration is planning to deport a group of migrants to Libya, according to reports, despite the state department's previous condemnation of the 'life-threatening' prison conditions in the country. Libya's provisional government has denied the reports.
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A federal appeals court granted a judge's order to bring a Turkish Tufts University student from a Louisiana immigration detention center back to New England for hearings to determine whether her rights were violated.
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Denmark has said that it will summon the US ambassador to Copenhagen to respond to reports that US intelligence agencies have been ordered to increase espionage in Greenland.
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Donald Trump has tapped Dr Casey Means – a wellness influencer with close ties to Robert F Kennedy Jr, the US health secretary – as nominee for surgeon general. Means has no government experience and dropped out of her surgical residency program to found a health tech company, and makes money promoting dietary supplements, creams and teas.
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Catching up? Here's what happened on 6 May 2025.
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