The White House is clapping back against media reports alleging intelligence officials have been using the end-to-end encrypted messaging app Signal to send classified information, describing the allegations as “false” in a statement to Fox News Digital. The statement from National Security Council (NSC) spokesman Brian Hughes comes after Politico published a report suggesting Trump […]
Tag: officials
‘No high expectations’ — Ukrainian officials skeptical about upcoming Riyadh talks
U.S. negotiators are set to separately meet Ukrainian and Russian delegates in Riyadh on March 24, and contours of a potential partial ceasefire proposal are beginning to form. The upcoming discussions are meant to flesh out technical details on what this ceasefire, either limited to strikes against energy facilities or a more comprehensive plan involving […]
Former defense secretaries condemn Trump’s firing of senior military officials in scathing letter
Five former defense secretaries issued a scathing letter on Thursday assailing President Donald Trump for firing the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other senior officers. In an open letter published Thursday, former Defense Secretaries James Mattis, Leon Panetta, Lloyd Austin, Chuck Hagel, and William Perry urged Congress to hold immediate hearings on Trump’s recent firings […]
State Department officials want to unfreeze US aid to Ukraine, Politico reports
Officials at the U.S. State Department are requesting exemptions to Washington’s freeze on foreign aid that would free up funds for Ukraine, Politico reported on Feb. 25. The U.S. imposed a 90-day freeze on nearly all foreign aid projects when President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20. The funding freeze affected critical humanitarian aid […]
Ukrainian, US officials negotiated throughout the night amid minerals deal dispute, Axios reports
Ukrainian and U.S. officials were at the table overnight and into the morning discussing an “improved” bilateral rare earth mineral deal on Feb. 21, Axios reported. The U.S. is looking to obtain 50% of Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, NBC reported on Feb. 15. Washington has signaled openness to deploy American troops to guard these resources […]
Putin sending foreign minister to Saudi Arabia for talks with Trump officials
Russian President Vladimir Putin has dispatched a group of senior officials to Saudi Arabia for meetings with the U.S. about a potential peace deal for Ukraine, the Kremlin announced Monday. The officials, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov, will meet with U.S. counterparts on Tuesday. The groups plan to […]
Success already ‘feels possible’ after start of collaboration with US officials, Zelensky says
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Feb. 15 that success “already feels possible” as his administration begins working on negotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump’s team to end the war. Zelensky noted that he had a good phone call with Trump before the Munich Security Conference, and important meetings with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and […]
‘Surrender & betrayal’ — US, EU officials condemn Trump, Hegseth’s comments on Ukraine peace negotiations
U.S. President Donald Trump held phone calls with both Russian leader Vladimir Putin and President Volodymyr Zelensky, announcing on Feb. 12 that negotiations to end the war would begin “immediately” and a ceasefire in Ukraine is in the “not too distant future.” “I just spoke to President Volodymyr Zelensky. The conversation went very well. He, […]
Nobel laureate letter opposing RFK Jr confirmation loaded with Dem donors, officials: ‘Thinly veiled attempt’
A letter signed by 77 Nobel laureates opposing the confirmation of Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. being touted as a reason to oppose him is almost entirely composed of political donors, many of them who supported Democrat campaigns. “In view of his record, placing Mr. Kennedy in […]
Russia pressuring relatives of Ukrainian POWs to collaborate, officials say
Russian intelligence services and military are attempting to influence relatives of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) by contacting them immediately after their capture, the Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of POWs reported on Jan. 27. The calls are used to pressure relatives into cooperating with Russian forces by demanding money, sensitive information, or illegal […]
Will Europe put ‘boots on the ground’ for peace in Ukraine? We asked top Nordic, Baltic officials
Just days out from the return of Donald Trump to the White House, the future of Russia’s war against Ukraine is dominated by a great unknown: whether the incoming president will manage to push Moscow to stop its advance on the battlefield, or whether he will disengage and perhaps abandon U.S. support for Ukraine entirely. […]