It’s important to remember how we got to this point. Trump proposed a peace deal heavily tilted in Russia’s favor—one that included freezing the battlefield lines, recognizing some of Russia’s gains, lifting all sanctions, and ending U.S. support for Ukraine. But even that was not enough for Putin.

Miracles, evidently, do happen. President Donald Trump just announced that the United States will supply Ukraine with “billions and billions” of weaponry paid for by Europe. His Oval Office interlocutor,

President Trump said he is “disappointed” in Russian President Vladimir Putin after threatening Moscow with sanctions over its war with Ukraine, but added that he is not “done with him.”

You’d think Putin would be delighted by all of this. Instead, he’s been thrown on his heels. Trump’s efforts at rapprochement have left Russia’s propaganda apparatus, foreign policy, and economic stability in worse shape than they were before January 20.

Mass layoffs: The State Department formally notified employees on Thursday that layoffs would begin “soon,” as part of a major reorganization plan unveiled in May by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Diplomats said that senior department officials had told them to expect layoff notices as soon as Friday morning. Read more ›

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky challenged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Tuesday to meet him in person this week for the peace talks in Istanbul.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed that Vladimir Putin is "too scared" to meet him in Turkey for ceasefire talks scheduled for Thursday.