Trump's call with Putin, briefly explained
Welcome to The Logoff: Today we're focusing on a new development in Ukraine that gives us more insight into Donald Trump's approach to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
What's the latest? Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy are each supporting a 30-day pause in attacks on 'energy and infrastructure,' such as power plants and refineries. The planned pause follows a lengthy phone call between Trump and Putin earlier today.
Putin did not agree to a full ceasefire, which Trump has proposed and which Ukraine had assented to earlier. Russia put out a post-call statement suggesting that it would only agree if foreign countries cut off military and intelligence aid to Ukraine — a demand Trump has not agreed to.
What hasn't changed? Fighting along the front lines, and presumably also drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, will continue. The US will also continue providing weapons and intelligence to Ukraine, after briefly suspending both earlier this month.
What's the big picture for Ukraine? The optimistic take on what happened today is that the two sides are talking — via the US — and that this could be the basis for a broader ceasefire. On the other hand, recent statements from Russian officials suggest they're still pushing for a demilitarized and subservient Ukraine. And Putin may be doing just enough to keep Trump happy while continuing to press his advantage on the battlefield.
What did we learn about Trump? Trump didn't totally sell Ukraine out, which seemed like a real possibility just a few weeks ago. On the other hand, he also doesn't seem to put pressure on Russia to agree to a real ceasefire, as he did with Ukraine. Trump's own statement about the call makes it seem like he was satisfied with the result, despite Putin's unwillingness to back down.
And with that, it's time to log off...
Part of the lure of social media is the promise of external validation, and so I really appreciated this piece from my Vox colleague Allie Volpe. It explains why we're hard-wired to seek validation — and how we can avoid being trapped by that need. I particularly loved this line: 'What is far more nourishing than the sugar high of validation is an internal process of recognizing your own worthiness.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
5 minutes ago
- Newsweek
'Nuclear Power': NATO Ally Issues Trump Credibility Warning Over Russia
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. French President Emmanuel Macron warned that the global credibility of the U.S. and its NATO allies is on the line in Ukraine, as President Donald Trump attempts to end the Russian invasion once and for all. There remain significant barriers to a settlement that ends the conflict, most notably on territorial control. Ukraine has consistently said it is constitutionally bound not to cede any of the fifth of its territory that Russia has seized. Kyiv and its European allies have urged Trump not to reward Russia for its aggression in Ukraine, saying it has broader consequences for security on the continent, fearing Moscow has similar ambitions elsewhere in the former Soviet sphere. "What's happening in Ukraine is extremely important for Ukrainian people, obviously, but for the whole security of Europe," Macron told NBC News's Kristen Welker in an interview after a multilateral White House meeting with Trump. "Because we speak about containing a nuclear power, which decided just not to respect international borders anymore. And I think it's very important for your country, because it's a matter of credibility. "The way we will behave in Ukraine will be a test for our collective credibility in the rest of the world." This is a developing article. Updates to follow.
7 minutes ago
A look at Texas' redistricting walkout and California's response, by the numbers
A walkout by Democratic legislators in Texas has ended and Republicans arranged to push a plan for redrawing the state's congressional districts through the GOP-controlled Legislature and give President Donald Trump a better political landscape. Democrats' boycott of daily sessions kept the House from passing a new map because the state constitution requires 100 of the chamber's 150 members to be present to do business. Democrats hold 62 seats. A national, partisan brawl over redistricting has now started to shift to California, where Democrats are hoping to impose a new map that offsets any advantage Trump and his fellow Republicans might gain in Texas. Here's a breakdown by the numbers. Texas is the nation's second most-populous state and has 38 congressional seats. Republicans hold 25 of them but are hoping to boost that number to 30. Their goal is to make it easier for the GOP to hold on to its slim U.S. House majority in the 2026 midterm elections, so that Democrats have little ability to thwart Trump's agenda and can't initiate investigations of his administration. Democrats hold 43 of 52 congressional seats in California, the nation's most populous state. At Gov. Gavin Newsom's urging, they've drafted a proposal to increase the number to 48. However, the current map was drawn by an independent commission created though a voter-approved ballot initiative in 2008. To avoid legal challenges, Democrats want to put their proposal on the ballot in a special election in November. Redistricting usually happens after the once-a-decade population count by the U.S. Census Bureau and sometimes in response to a court ruling. Changes are required to keep a state's congressional districts equal in population after people move into or out of an area. Trump is pushing for a rare mid-decade redistricting in Texas, and Republicans are also considering it in other states including Missouri, Florida and Indiana. Republicans currently hold 219 seats in the U.S. House, seven more than the 212 held by Democrats. Four of the chamber's 435 seats are vacant, three of them previously held by Democrats. Midterm elections most often go against the president's party. In 2018, during Trump's first term, Democrats had a net gain of 41 seats to capture the House majority. Most House Democrats left Texas on Aug. 3 and stayed outside the state for 15 days. They fled to blue states like Illinois, California and Massachusetts to stay out of the reach of the Texas law enforcement officers trying to bring them back. Many of the same lawmakers also walked out in 2021 for 38 days to protest GOP proposals for new voting restrictions. Once they returned, Republicans passed them into law. The Democrats who bolted for other states and returned now have an around-the-clock escort from Texas Department of Public Safety officers to make sure they return to the Capitol, House Speaker Dustin Burrows' office said. Burrows' office did not provide more details, calling it an ongoing law enforcement operation. Plainclothes officers escorted them from the chamber after Monday's session.
7 minutes ago
Judge issues injunction preventing Trump's FTC from investigating watchdog Media Matters
WASHINGTON -- A federal judge has issued an injunction preventing the Trump administration's Federal Trade Commission from investigating Media Matters for America, the liberal media watchdog group that had alleged the spread of hate speech on X since Elon Musk acquired the social media platform. U.S. District Court Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan ruled Friday that the FTC's probe of Media Matters, 'purportedly to investigate an advertiser boycott concerning social media platforms,' represents a clear violation of the group's freedom of speech. 'It should alarm all Americans when the government retaliates against individuals or organizations for engaging in constitutionally protected public debate,' Sooknanan wrote. Even before the FTC got involved, Media Matters has been defending itself against a lawsuit by Musk following the organization's November 2023 story that, following Musk's purchase of the social media site once known as Twitter, antisemitic posts and other offensive content were appearing next to advertisements there. Sooknanan said the injunction halting any FTC probe was merited because Media Matters is likely to succeed on its claim that the FTC is being used to retaliate against it for a critical article on a Trump supporter. 'The court's ruling demonstrates the importance of fighting over folding, which far too many are doing when confronted with intimidation from the Trump administration,' said Angelo Carusone, chairman and president of Media Matters.
