Latest news with #NewsNation
NBC News
5 hours ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Live updates: Trump to hold press event on D.C. crime after threatening a federal takeover of the capital
What to know today... TRUMP REMARKS: President Donald Trump is set to hold a press event today at 10 a.m. and will address crime in Washington. D.C. MAYOR RESPONDS: Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said in an MSNBC interview yesterday that comparing the city "to a war-torn country is hyperbolic and false." Earlier, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller told NewsNation's Kellie Meyer that D.C. was "more violent than Baghdad." TRUMP-PUTIN SUMMIT: Over the weekend, a senior White House official and three people briefed on internal discussions told NBC News that the White House is considering inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Alaska, where Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet.
The Hill
21 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
NATO Ambassador: Trump will ‘trust but verify' Putin in Alaska
U.S. NATO Ambassador Matthew Whitaker said President Trump will have to 'trust but verify' Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting in Alaska on Friday, where they plan to hold talks about ending the war with Ukraine. On CNN's State of the Union with Dana Bash, Whitaker reassured that, if the world leaders reach a deal, there will need to be some verification from Russia and Ukraine that they are taking action towards peace, rather than simply debating peace. 'In any situation with competing national interests, whether it's the United States, Ukraine, Russia or any of our allies, you just can't take people at their face value, you're gonna look at their actions,' he said. Putin is set to meet with Trump in Alaska on Friday to negotiate ceasefire terms. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has not yet been invited, but the White House and Whitaker said it is a possibility. 'The President remains open to a trilateral summit with both leaders,' a senior White House official told NewsNation's Libbey Dean Saturday. Putin last week presented the Trump administration with a peace deal, asking for land concessions in Eastern Ukraine. However, Zelensky adamantly opposed such a deal, posting on X, 'Any decisions that are against us, any decisions that are without Ukraine, are at the same time decisions against peace. They will not achieve anything.' Trump promised to end the 3-year-long Russia-Ukraine war in 24 hours during his presidential campaign, but negotiations have been more complex than expected for the president. 'That is one of the things that President Trump has mentioned is that he would have a good conversation with Vladimir Putin and that night, rockets and drones would attack the major cities in Ukraine, so it's going to be about actions,' said Whitaker. Trump initially imposed an Aug. 8 deadline for a ceasefire, threatening to impose additional sanctions on Russia, but there have been no signs that Moscow has reigned in the fighting. On July 10, tensions ramped up after Putin launched massive attacks on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, in retaliation against Trump's criticism of him. 'We get a lot of bulls‑‑‑ thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth,' Trump said during a Cabinet meeting in July. 'He's very nice to us all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.' Trump has bragged about his peace negotiating skills this week as he brokered a deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan, who have been long-time foes. The president enacted other peace deals with world leaders in the last months. Whitaker mentioned those saying that 'Whether it's India-Pakistan, whether it's the Congo and Rwanda, or all the other peace deals that President Trump has been able to negotiate, there is always a verification.'
The Hill
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Sanders says the Trump-Putin Summit in Alaska could be ‘a positive step forward' if Ukraine involved
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) says that peace negotiations in Alaska between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin could be 'a positive step forward.' 'If, in fact, an agreement can be negotiated which does not compromise what the Ukrainians feel that they need, I think that's a positive step forward. We all want to see an end to the bloodshed,' he said on CNN's 'State of the Union' with Dana Bash. Trump and Putin are set to meet in Alaska on Aug. 15 to discuss a peace deal. The White House and the NATO Ambassador Matthew Whitaker said that it's possible the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could also attend next week. 'The President remains open to a trilateral summit with both leaders. Right now, the White House is planning the bilateral meeting requested by President Putin,' a senior White House official told NewsNation's Libbey Dean on Saturday. Last week, Putin presented a ceasefire deal to the Trump administration that demanded land concessions in Eastern Ukraine in exchange for a halt in fighting. 'Any decisions that are against us, any decisions that are without Ukraine, are at the same time decisions against peace,' Zelensky replied to the news in a post on social media platform X. 'They will not achieve anything. These are stillborn decisions. They are unworkable decisions. And we all need real and genuine peace. Peace that people will respect,' he wrote. The talks in Alaska next week will discuss these land concessions, according to President Trump. 'You're looking at territory that's been fought over for three and a half years. A lot of Russians have died, a lot of Ukrainians. So we're looking at that, but we're actually to get some back and some swapping. It's complicated. It's actually — nothing easy. It's very complicated. But we're going to get some back. And we're going to get some switched,' he said. The Russian president has not been on U.S. soil since 2015 under the Obama administration and direct talks have not been held since 2021 with former President Biden. 'Tens and tens and tens of thousands of Russian soldiers have been killed, people in Ukraine are suffering terribly, because this guy [Putin] wanted to start the largest war since World War II in Europe,' Sanders said when asked how he felt about Putin being on U.S. territory. 'So, you know, I'm not a great fan of Vladimir Putin.'
The Hill
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hill
NATO Ambassador Matthew Whitaker: 'It's possible' Zelensky attends Trump-Putin talks in Alaska
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said 'it's possible' that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attends the upcoming meeting between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. CNN's Dana Bash asked Whitaker on 'State of the Union' if Zelensky would be invited to the Alaska summit to discuss a ceasefire deal. 'I certainly think it's possible,' Whitaker said. 'You know certainly, there can't be a deal that everybody that's involved in it doesn't agree to.' Trump is set to meet Putin in Alaska on Friday to discuss an end to the 3-year-long Ukraine-Russia war. The White House said there would be talk of land concessions. 'You're looking at territory that's been fought over for three and a half years. A lot of Russians have died, a lot of Ukrainians. So we're looking at that, but we're actually to get some back and some swapping. It's complicated. It's actually — nothing easy. It's very complicated. But we're going to get some back. And we're going to get some switched,' Trump said on Friday. There has also been some speculation that the White House could invite Zelensky to Alaska. 'The President remains open to a trilateral summit with both leaders. Right now, the White House is planning the bilateral meeting requested by President Putin,' a senior White House official told NewsNation's Libbey Dean on Saturday. Putin on Saturday also shared a ceasefire proposal with special envoy Steve Witkoff. The deal would be a complete halt in fighting, in exchange for Easter Ukraine, according to the Wall Street Journal. 'Any decisions that are against us, any decisions that are without Ukraine, are at the same time decisions against peace. They will not achieve anything,' Zelensky wrote on X in response. 'These are stillborn decisions. They are unworkable decisions. And we all need real and genuine peace. Peace that people will respect.' The summit has received mixed reactions, but Whitaker said he believes 'his direct engagement by President Trump is obviously leading us closer to a peace.'
The Hill
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
White House mulling Zelensky invite to Trump-Putin Alaska summit
The White House is considering inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to an Alaskan summit between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, a White House official told The Hill's sister network NewsNation. It is unclear if Zelensky would attend the meeting with the two leaders as meeting details have yet to be finalized. Trump announced Friday that he will meet with Putin in Alaska next week to discuss ending the over three-years long war between Russia and Ukraine. The president has not ruled out hosting a meeting between the two Eastern European leaders — a move that was previously shot down by the Kremlin. 'The President remains open to a trilateral summit with both leaders. Right now, the White House is planning the bilateral meeting requested by President Putin,' a senior White House official told NewsNation's Libbey Dean on Saturday. The possible invite comes after Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin in Moscow on Wednesday, their fifth summit this year. Their meeting took place just two days before the president was set to impose new sanction s on Moscow. During their meeting, Putin reportedly shared a proposal for a complete ceasefire, which would entail Ukraine withdrawing its military from the Donetsk region, allowing it to be under the Kremlin's control, along with Luhansk. Trump said on Friday at the White House that some territorial swapping would take place for 'the betterment of both' countries. Zelensky fired back on Saturday morning, dismissing the idea of potentially ceding land to Russia. 'Of course, we will not give Russia any awards for what it has done. The Ukrainian people deserve peace,' Ukraine's leader said. Vice President Vance, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Zelensky's top adviser, Andriy Yermak and European national security advisors took part in a meeting in Kent, England, where they weighed in on the ceasefire proposal. 'The UK's support for Ukraine remains ironclad as we continue working towards a just and lasting peace,' Lammy wrote Saturday after the meeting.
