A federal judge on Tuesday blocked President executive order banning transgender people from military service.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington, D.C., ruled that Trump鈥檚 order to exclude transgender troops likely violates their constitutional rights.
She delayed her order by three days to give the administration time to appeal. The judge issued a preliminary injunction requested by attorneys for six transgender people who are active-duty service members and two others seeking to join the military.
Earlier Tuesday, Trump and Russian President agreed to an immediate pause in strikes against energy and infrastructure targets in the Ukraine war, but the Russian leader stopped short of backing a broader 30-day pause in fighting that the U.S. administration is pressing for.
It wasn't immediately clear whether Ukraine was on board with the limited ceasefire plan.
Here's the latest:
Trump says he didn鈥檛 discuss US aid to Ukraine during call with Putin
Speaking to Fox News, Trump said his conversation with Putin was 鈥済reat鈥� adding that, 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 talk about aid. We didn鈥檛 talk about aid at all.鈥�
That contradicts a readout of the conversation released by the Kremlin.
The Kremlin said Putin reiterated to Trump his demand for an end to foreign military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine as a condition for halting the fighting.
The U.S. has been the largest supplier of military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine since the war began, but Trump has withheld some assistance in an effort to pressure Ukraine to make concessions to end the war.
Judge blocks Trump administration from banning transgender people from military service
A federal judge blocked President Donald Trump鈥檚 executive order service on Tuesday.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington, D.C., ruled that Trump鈥檚 order to exclude transgender troops likely violates their constitutional rights.
She delayed her order by three days to give the administration time to appeal.
The judge issued a preliminary injunction requested by attorneys for who are active-duty service members and two others seeking to join the military.
On Jan. 27, Trump signed an executive order that claims the sexual identity of transgender service members 鈥渃onflicts with a soldier鈥檚 commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle鈥� and is harmful to military readiness.
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Previously classified files related to JFK assassination released
Previously classified documents related to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy were released Tuesday following an order by Trump shortly after he took office.
The documents were posted on the website of the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. The vast majority of the National Archives鈥� files related to the assassination have previously been released.
Trump told reporters Monday that his administration will be releasing 80,000 files, though it鈥檚 not clear how many of those are among the millions of pages that have already been made public.
Researchers have estimated that around 3,000 records hadn鈥檛 been released, either in whole or in part. And last month, the FBI said it had discovered about 2,400 new pertinent records.
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Trump administration removes surgeon general declaration calling gun violence a public health crisis
Dr. Vivek Murthy, the surgeon general under then-President Joe Biden, made the declaration last year, citing the fast-growing number of U.S. injuries and deaths involving firearms.
The removal was noticed this week by advocates, who decried the move as a sign that Trump and his political appointees are prioritizing the gun industry over the health of children and families.
A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A小蓝视频 News said an agency representative told the news organization that the department was complying with a Trump executive order designed to protect Second Amendment rights.
Trump fires two Democratic FTC members
The dismissal of the members potentially will allow Trump to fill their slots on the independent corporate regulator with officials more sympathetic to his administration.
Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya posted on X, 鈥淭he president just illegally fired me. This is corruption plain and simple.鈥�
Another commissioner, Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, released her own statement saying she鈥檇 been fired in violation of Supreme Court precedent. Past rulings have sought to solidify the FTC鈥檚 independence and only allowed commissioners to be removed for a specific, justifiable reason.
The FTC was created by Congress, and it enforces consumer protections and anti-trust legislation. Its five seats are typically comprised of three members of the president鈥檚 party and two from the opposing party.
Vance tapped to serve as top fundraiser at the RNC
It is the first time in the Republican National Committee鈥檚 history that a sitting vice president has held the position of finance chair, giving JD Vance a prominent, direct role in next year鈥檚 midterm elections and further cementing his status as the torchbearer of Trump鈥檚 鈥淢AGA鈥� movement.
Vance headlined numerous fundraisers during the 2024 campaign, making the job an extension of those efforts.
In a statement, Vance said that 鈥渢o fully enact the MAGA mandate and President Trump鈥檚 vision that voters demanded, we must keep and grow our Republican majorities in 2026.鈥� He will focus, he said, on building 鈥渢he war chest we need to deliver those victories next November.鈥�
Trump signs executive order empowering state and local officials in disaster response
The order follows Trump vowing to do away with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
His order seeks to inject 鈥渃ommon sense into both infrastructure prioritization and strategic investments through risk-informed decisions鈥� and will make 鈥渙ur infrastructure, communities, and economy more resilient to global and dynamic threats and hazards.鈥�
Trump also signed a directive eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion measures at the State Department, mirroring similar efforts around the government.
Largest defense bar in US speaks out against recent deportation flights
The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers joined in the protest of the deportation flights of Venezuelan individuals accused of gang membership and condemned Trump鈥檚 disparagement of District Judge James E. Boasberg, who ordered the administration not to carry out the deportations.
In a statement, NACDL President Christopher A. Wellborn said the legal system is based on the presumption of innocence.
鈥淎ccusations without evidence, the denial of access to legal counsel, and the apparent defiance of court orders not to deport accused individuals without a hearing represent a dangerous departure from these principles,鈥� he said.
Putin offers Trump to stage ice hockey games between US and Russian players
The suggestion, which reflected the Russian leader鈥檚 efforts to establish warm ties with Trump, came during their call that focused on a peaceful settlement in Ukraine.
The Kremlin said in a readout of the call that Putin proposed that American and Russian players who play for the NHL and the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) could take part in the games. The Kremlin said Trump supported the idea.
The KHL is a Russia-dominated championship that also involves clubs from Belarus, China and Kazakhstan.
Putin, an avid amateur ice hockey player, has promoted the KHL since it was founded on his initiative in 2008.
The NHL said it was aware of the Trump-Putin conversation but had no immediate comment.
The White House joins Truth Social
The @WhiteHouse account began posting on Trump鈥檚 social media platform Tuesday with a video showing Trump surrounded by the trappings of the presidency, along with images of a flying bald eagle and a message: 鈥淭he Golden Age of America has arrived on Truth Social! The White House is proud to be here鈥攄irect, unfiltered, and for The People.鈥�
Truth Social is the media network Trump created when he was banned from X, then known as Twitter, following the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol by his supporters. It is the primary way he likes to announce news.
Judge says government has made 鈥榤eaningful progress鈥� in reinstating fired federal workers
Judge James Bredar wrote Tuesday that he had carefully reviewed a status report from the 18 agencies filed Monday night. The report says the agencies have reinstated or taken steps to reinstate more than 24,000 fired employees.
Nineteen states and the District of Columbia contended that Trump鈥檚 administration illegally fired thousands of federal workers, causing burdens and expenses for the states. The judge granted a temporary restraining order last week requiring those workers be reinstated to their jobs.
Bredar has set a new Monday deadline for the agencies to file an updated status report. The judge wrote that the court expects the next report to show that the agencies 鈥渉ave achieved substantial compliance鈥� with the terms of the order.
The federal agencies are appealing the case.
The administration filed a similar update in a separate California case, where a federal judge also ordered agencies to rehire probationary workers who were let go in mass firings.
IRS agents who investigated Hunter Biden given promotions
The two whistleblowers, who testified publicly about the investigations, have been promoted to new roles as senior advisers at the Treasury Department.
, two IRS employees who testified to Congress as Republicans reviewed the business dealings of , say they were retaliated against for cooperating in the investigations.
Shapley and Ziegler say they were removed from the Hunter Biden case in December 2022 after they told their bosses the Justice Department and former Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss had engaged in a pattern of 鈥渟low-walking investigative steps鈥� and delaying enforcement actions in the months before the 2020 presidential election won by Democrat Joe Biden.
Now, Shapley is being promoted to Deputy Chief of IRS Criminal Investigations and Ziegler is assigned to the secretary鈥檚 office as a senior adviser for IRS reform.
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Judge rules DOGE鈥檚 USAID dismantling likely violates the Constitution
A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development likely violated the Constitution and blocked billionaire Elon Musk鈥檚 Department of Government Efficiency from further cuts.
U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang in Maryland ordered the Trump administration to restore email and computer access to all employees of USAID, including those who were placed on administrative leave.
The lawsuit singled out Musk as a defendant covered by the preliminary injunction. Lawyers for USAID employees and contractors had requested the order.
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Trump and Putin agree to an immediate ceasefire on energy infrastructure in Ukraine war
and agreed during a lengthy call Tuesday to an immediate pause in strikes against energy and infrastructure targets in the Ukraine war, but the Russian leader stopped short of backing a broader 30-day pause in fighting the U.S. administration is pressing for.
The White House described it as the first step in a 鈥渕ovement to peace鈥� it hopes will eventually include a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea and a full and lasting end to the fighting.
The White House added negotiations in the Middle East on those steps. Shortly after the call between Trump and Putin, air raid alerts sounded in Kyiv, followed by explosions in the city. Local officials urged people to seek shelter.
It wasn鈥檛 immediately clear whether Ukraine is on board with the limited ceasefire plan.
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They worked to prevent violence and terrorism at the agency created after 9/11. Then they got fired
A federal program designed to prevent targeted violence and terrorism in the U.S. has lost 20% of its staff after layoffs hit its probationary staffers.
The Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships was a redefined version of programs created after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks as a way to identify people who could pose new terrorism threats or carry out violence and get them help. It has a mission enlisting parents, coaches, teachers and ministers to head off trouble before it starts by training them to look for signs of trouble in advance.
That job became far more difficult after eight members of the center鈥檚 staff were fired in early March as part of the Trump administration鈥檚 by getting rid of probationary staffers. According to a Department of Homeland Security employee and a center employee who was fired, the staffers were rehired late Monday but were then put on administrative leave, following ordering the Republican administration to rehire fired probationary staffers.
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Pentagon aims to cut up to 60,000 civilian jobs. About a third of those took voluntary resignations
Roughly 50,000 to 60,000 civilian jobs will be cut in the Defense Department, but fewer than 21,000 workers who took a voluntary resignation plan are leaving in the coming months, a senior defense official told reporters Tuesday.
To reach the goal of a 5% to 8% cut in a civilian workforce of more than 900,000, the official said the department aims to slash about 6,000 positions a month by simply not replacing workers who routinely leave.
A key concern is that service members may then be tapped to fill those civilian jobs. But the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide personnel details, said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wants to ensure the cuts don鈥檛 hurt military readiness.
The cuts are part of the broader effort by the Department of Government Efficiency Service, including , to and .
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鈥� Lolita C. Baldor
EPA set to eliminate scientific research office and fire more than 1,000 employees
The Environmental Protection Agency plans to eliminate its scientific research office, which helps provide the scientific foundation for rules safeguarding human health and the environment.
The Office of Research and Development 鈥� EPA鈥檚 main science arm 鈥� currently has 1,540 positions. A majority of staff 鈥� ranging from 50% to 75% 鈥� 鈥渨ill not be retained,鈥� according to a memo reviewed by Democratic staff on the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. Remaining employees would be reassigned to other parts of the agency, the memo says.
Democrats and environmental groups assailed the planned action as a massive dismantling of the EPA鈥檚 longstanding mission to protect public health and the environment.
The planned layoffs were first reported by The New York Times.
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Kremlin: Putin emphasized need to halt mobilization and rearming of Ukraine under proposed ceasefire
The Kremlin said in its readout of the call with Trump that Putin noted a key condition for settling the conflict is a full halt to foreign military aid and intelligence assistance to Kyiv.
It said Putin had a positive response to Trump鈥檚 proposal for Russia and Ukraine to halt strikes on energy infrastructure for 30 days and gave relevant orders to the Russian military.
The Kremlin added that the Russian leader told Trump that Russia was ready to guarantee that Ukrainian soldiers blocked in Russia鈥檚 Kursk region will save their lives and be treated in line with international law if they surrender.
It said Putin also responded constructively to Trump鈥檚 proposal to ensure safe shipping in the Black Sea, and the two leaders agreed to start talks to discuss details of the agreement.
White House says Trump, Putin are to seek limited ceasefire on energy, infrastructure in Ukraine war
Trump and Putin agreed during their call Tuesday to seek a limited ceasefire against energy and infrastructure targets in the Russia-Ukraine war, according to the White House.
The White House described it as the first step in a 鈥渕ovement to peace鈥� it hopes will eventually include a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea and a full and lasting end to the fighting.
The White House said negotiations would 鈥渂egin immediately鈥� on those steps. It was not immediately clear whether Ukraine is on board with the phased ceasefire plan.
Putin also called on Trump to end foreign military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine as the U.S. looks to bring an end to Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine, according to the Kremlin.
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Meanwhile, Sen. Schumer continued to defend his decision on the spending bill
鈥淣o one wants to fight more than me, no one fights more than me,鈥� Schumer said in an interview on A小蓝视频鈥檚 鈥淭he View鈥� on Tuesday. 鈥淏ut you鈥檝e got to fight smart.鈥�
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries says he has confidence in Sen. Chuck Schumer鈥檚 leadership
That鈥檚 several days after declining to answer a question about his support of the Senate Democratic leader.
The two New York lawmakers met Sunday after a public rift over a Republican spending bill last week. Jeffries said Tuesday that they had a 鈥済ood conversation about the path forward.鈥� Asked if he supports Schumer鈥檚 leadership, he said 鈥測es, I do.鈥�
Last week, after Schumer announced he would vote to move forward on the Republican spending bill, Jeffries declined to answer a similar question, responding instead, 鈥渘ext question.鈥�
House Democrats vehemently opposed the bill and were willing to risk a government shutdown if it didn鈥檛 pass the Senate. Schumer argued that a shutdown would be worse than the Republican legislation as President Trump has overseen mass firings across the government.
Trump and Putin spoke for more than an hour as US seeks Russian sign-off on plan to end Ukraine war
Trump and Putin have concluded the more than hour-long call as the White House pushes its 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine aimed at ending the grinding war.
The White House and Kremlin did not offer any immediate details about the substance of the conversation, but both have confirmed the call has ended.
Trump said before the call that he expected to discuss with Putin land and power plants that have been seized during the three-year war.
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Trump cuts to Voice of America and other US government-run media may be welcomed by China
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson refrained from commenting on Tuesday but took the opportunity to criticize the outlets.
鈥淚 do not comment on U.S. domestic policy changes,鈥� Mao Ning said when asked about it. 鈥淏ut as for the media you mentioned, their bad records in reporting on China are not a secret.鈥�
The Trump鈥檚 administration put almost the entire staff of Voice of America on leave last weekend and ended grants to Radio Free Asia and other media with similar news programming.
Radio Free Asia has an extensive Chinese-language service and frequently reports on human rights issues, including the detention of activists and repression of ethnic groups in Xinjiang and Tibet. The government refutes allegations of abuse.
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Roberts rejects Trump鈥檚 call for impeaching judge who ruled against his deportation plans
In an extraordinary display of conflict between the executive and judiciary branches, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts rejected calls for impeaching federal judges shortly after Trump demanded the removal of the judge who ruled against his deportation plans.
鈥淔or more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision,鈥� Roberts said in a rare statement. 鈥淭he normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.鈥�
In a Tuesday morning social media post, Trump described U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg as an unelected 鈥渢roublemaker and agitator.鈥� Boasberg blocking deportation flights under that Trump invoked to carry out his plans.
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Social Security Commissioner nominee to receive a confirmation hearing
The Senate Finance Committee Chairman will hold the hearing to consider Frank Bisignano to lead the Social Security Administration on March 25.
The hearing comes as the agency institutes across-the-board cuts, which have prompted questions about the possible effects on benefits for tens of millions of recipients.
Among the changes at the agency are layoffs for more than 10% of the workforce and the closure of dozens of offices throughout the country. It鈥檚 all part of the Trump administration鈥檚 efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce.
Judge orders Trump administration to restore federal grants for teacher training programs
The order applies to more than 100 teacher preparation and training programs the administration canceled in February.
The judge in Maryland issued the preliminary injunction in a lawsuit filed by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and the National Center for Teacher Residencies.
The administration to teacher training programs, saying they ran afoul of its policies against diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Grantees rejected the notion that their work was tied to DEI. Many programs used the money to hire teachers, to pay for college scholarships, and to address retention issues leading to staff shortages.
Trump and Putin hold a call as US seeks Russian sign-off on plan to end Ukraine war
The White House says President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have begun a highly anticipated call as the U.S. administration looks to persuade the Russian leader to sign-off on a 30-day ceasefire proposal as a possible pathway to end the war.
Tuesday鈥檚 call comes after Ukrainian officials last week agreed to the American proposal during talks in Saudi Arabia led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, however, remains skeptical that Putin is ready for peace as Russian forces continue to pound Ukraine.
Trump, before the call, said he expected to discuss with Putin land and power plants that have been seized during the .
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Vance says lower taxes, regulations and energy prices will help bring back manufacturing
The Trump administration鈥檚 鈥済reat plan鈥� to jumpstart a resurgence of manufacturing in the United States is simple, the vice president said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to cut your taxes, we鈥檙e going to slash regulations, we鈥檙e going to reduce the cost of energy so that you can build, build, build,鈥� he said at a summit on American dynamism in Washington.
Vance said innovation will be a key component and there鈥檚 too much fear that artificial intelligence will replace jobs. He recalled early concerns that ATMs would replace bank tellers.
People in the US illegally should use new app and 鈥榮elf-deport,鈥� Trump says
鈥淧eople in our country illegally can self-deport the easy way, or they can get deported the hard way. And that鈥檚 not pleasant,鈥� Trump said in a video posted to the White House account on the X social media platform.
He said his administration is repurposing a Customs and Border Protection app first launched under the Biden administration into one people can use to voluntarily leave the country and avoid being forcibly removed as he executes on his promise of mass deportations.
Trump said anyone leaving the country on their own could potentially return legally at a future date.
But if they don鈥檛, he said 鈥渢hey will be found, they will be deported and they will never be admitted again to the United States ever, ever again.鈥�
Trump escalates his attacks on the judiciary
On Tuesday, the president called for the impeachment of a federal judge who to El Salvador.
鈥淭his judge, like many of the Crooked Judges鈥� I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!!鈥� Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The Republican president鈥檚 latest post aligns him more with allies like Elon Musk, who has made .
On Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said 鈥淚 have not heard the president talk about impeaching judges.鈥�
Trump administration set to release a trove of JFK files with no redactions
Shortly after taking office, Trump directed his national intelligence director and attorney general to come up with a plan to release the sought-after records related to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The killing has spawned countless conspiracy theories.
Trump said Monday that , but it wasn鈥檛 clear how many of them are among the millions of JFK records that have already been made public.
He said his instructions to his staff were, 鈥渄on鈥檛 redact.鈥�
Trump hangs a copy of Declaration of Independence in Oval Office
Trump has hung a copy of the Declaration of Independence in the Oval Office, according to images he shared on social media.
The Republican president鈥檚 official account on X showed two images Monday of a framed copy of the historical document hanging on the wall not far from the president鈥檚 desk.
It was not immediately clear where the copy came from and when it was installed.
鈥淭he Nationals Archives delivered the Declaration of Independence to the White House at the President鈥檚 request. It is displayed in the Oval Office where it will be carefully protected and preserved,鈥� press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
The original version of the Declaration of Independence is very faded and displayed in the Archives鈥� building. On the version hanging in the White House, according to the images posted, the words are clear and legible.
The White House and National Archives did not respond to messages inquiring what version of the document was in the White House.
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Vance to speak at American Dynamism Summit
Vice President JD Vance鈥檚 speech will focus on support for American industry and workers, according to his office.
The summit is taking place at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Washington. It used to be a Trump hotel when Trump was president the first time.
Tuesday鈥檚 White House schedule
According to the White House press office, Trump plans to sign executive orders in the Oval Office at 3:30 p.m. ET.
The White House has also confirmed Trump and Russian President Vladamir Putin will hold a call to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine on Tuesday, which is expected to happen between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. ET.
Trump administration guts board of US Institute of Peace. Group says DOGE arrives
The Trump administration fired most of the board of the U.S. Institute of Peace and sent its new leader into the Washington headquarters of the independent organization on Monday, in its latest effort .
The remaining three members of the group鈥檚 board 鈥� Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Defense University President Peter Garvin 鈥� fired President and CEO George Moose on Friday, according to a document obtained by The Associated Press.
An executive order that President Donald Trump signed last month targeted the organization, which was created by Congress over 40 years ago, and others .
Current USIP employees said staffers from Elon Musk鈥檚 Department of Government Efficiency entered the building despite protests that the institute is not part of the executive branch. USIP called the police, whose vehicles were outside the building Monday evening.
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Judge questions Trump administration on whether it ignored order to turn around deportation flights
District Judge James E. Boasberg was incredulous over the administration鈥檚 contentions that his verbal directions did not count, that only his written order needed to be followed, that it couldn鈥檛 apply to flights that had left the U.S. and that the administration could not answer his questions about the deportations due to national security issues.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 one heck of a stretch, I think,鈥� Boasberg replied, noting that the administration knew as the planes were departing that he was about to decide whether to briefly halt deportations being made under a invoked by Trump about an hour earlier.
Deputy Associate Attorney General Abhishek Kambli contended that only Boasberg鈥檚 short written order, issued about 45 minutes after he made the verbal demand, counted. It did not contain any demands to reverse planes, and Kambli added that it was too late to redirect two planes that had left the U.S. by that time.
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Trump and Putin get ready to discuss ending Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine
The leaders are scheduled to speak between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. ET, a spokesperson for Putin said.
The talks are part of Trump鈥檚 effort to push the two sides into ending the three-year conflict by getting Putin to agree to a U.S. plan for a 30-day ceasefire that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accepted last week.
Zelenskyy said late Monday in his nightly video address that Putin is the one who is dragging out the war.
Trump said Washington and Moscow have begun discussing 鈥渄ividing up certain assets鈥� between Ukraine and Russia as part of the conflict-ending deal.
The Associated Press
