President Donald Trump and his administration have advanced foreign policy priorities over the meeting with the head of state over the end of this week’s Russian-Ukraine war and telephone calls.
Trump spoke with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Voldimir Zelensky. There, the leader agreed to begin negotiations to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
“We agreed to work very closely, including visiting each other’s countries,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Wednesday after speaking to Putin. “We also agreed that each team would soon begin negotiations, and we will start by calling Ukrainian President Zelensky to let him know the conversation.
“I have asked CIA John Ratcliffe director, national security adviser Michael Waltz, and special envoy Steve Witcoff’s Secretary Marcolbio to lead negotiations that feel strong,” Trump said. I did.
Additionally, Treasury Secretary Scott Bescent traveled to Kiev on Wednesday, and Vice President JD Vance also met Zelensky’s Friday at the Munich Security Conference.
Trump says he agrees to “start immediately” negotiations to end the war in Ukraine
Donald Trump, the then Republican presidential candidate, and Ukrainian President Voldimir Zelenkiti, meet at Trump Tower in New York, New York on September 27, 2024 (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is under scrutiny over negotiations and pressured Ukraine to succumb to concessions after Ukraine’s Secretary of Defense said it was not realistic to reclaim its pre-war border with Russia on Wednesday. He submitted criticism that this is the case. .
“Putin is going to pocket this and ask more,” Brett Brune, director of global engagement under former President Barack Obama, told Fox News Digital.
However, Hegseth closed the comments, telling NATO members in Brussels on Thursday.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and Trump vowed to work on the campaign trail in 2024 to end the conflict if elected again.
This is what happened at the White House this week.
Meet the King of Jordan
Trump welcomed Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the White House on Tuesday. This was visited during discussions about rebuilding Gaza by relocating Palestinian refugees to Jordan and other nearby Arab countries.
On February 4, Trump announced plans to “take over” the Gaza Strip with “long-term ownership” in a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to provide stability to the region. did.
But Trump’s proposal urges a rapid backlash from Arab countries, including Jordan, and plans for an emergency Arab summit on Sunday to discuss “new and dangerous developments” regarding Palestinian resettlement on February 27th has been announced.
Trump meets the King of Jordan amidst tensions over Palestinian resettlement
When asked how he felt about Trump’s plans for Gaza’s future, Abdullah said he would remain tight lips closed and wait for Egyptians to lead a proposal to advance in negotiations with the US. Ta
“Let’s wait until the Egyptians come and present it to the President and not reach us,” Abdullah said.
Abdullah has revealed plans to accept 2,000 sick Palestinian children into Jordan.
“I think one thing I can do right away is to bring 2,000 children with cancer or very sick conditions to Jordan as quickly as possible,” Abdullah said. “And wait for Egyptians to work with the president to present their plans on how to tackle the causes of the challenges.”
Denuclearization is in talks with Russia’s China
Trump raised a joint meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Putin, claiming that all countries would like to move towards denuclearization.
Trump told reporters Thursday that he plans to “set it all straight” in the Middle East and Ukraine to move forward with these denuclearization talks once. This is a comment coming as the US, Russia and Ukraine are actively pursuing negotiations to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
“There’s no reason to build brand new nuclear weapons. We already have so many,” Trump told the White House on Thursday. “You can destroy the world more than 50 times more, 100 times more. And here we are building new nuclear weapons, and they are building nuclear weapons.”
“We all spend a lot of money that we can actually spend on other things that are much more productive,” he said.
According to a report from the Congressional Budget Office released in 2023, the United States is projected to spend approximately $756 billion on nuclear weapons between 2023 and 2032.
Federal Workforce Reduction
Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday, directing the government’s Office of Efficiency (DOGE) to coordinate with federal agencies and implement substantial cuts in federal staffing.
According to the White House fact sheet for the Order, the order directs Doge and federal agencies to work together to “significantly” reduce the size of the federal government and limit the employment of new employees. Specifically, agents should not hire more than one employee for every four people leaving a federal post.
Trump signs an order instructing dogge to significantly cut federal workforce
Elon Musk and President Donald Trump talk about Doge’s efforts to investigate wasteful US government spending from the White House oval office in Washington, DC on February 11, 2025 (by Getty Images) Jim Watson/AFP)
Agents will also be instructed to “force to undertake a plan for large scale reductions,” assessing how legally unnecessary agent functions can be eliminated or combined.
The order is based on another directive signed after his inauguration carried out a federal employment freeze. Initiatives from the U.S. Department of Human Resources will also provide acquisitions of more than 2 million federal private employees if they leave their jobs or return to work in person. The White House told Fox News Digital on Thursday that more than 75,000 employees had accepted the acquisition.
Do you want to eliminate penny?
Trump announced plans to halt production on Sunday, but it will require several additional steps and Congressional approval to advance the initiative.
Additionally, Trump said he instructed the Treasury to stop the casting due to high costs, but Penny supporters argue it’s wise to assess the change in nickel instead. .
“For too long, the US has been minting pennies that cost literally more than two cents,” Trump wrote Sunday in The Truth Society. “This is a lot of waste! I have instructed my US Treasury secretary to stop production of new penny.”
In fact, producing penny is even more expensive than the number of cards. According to a report from the 2024 US Mint, a penny costs around 3.69 cents to turn it into Mint. The coins are mainly made of zinc and are covered in copper.
In the next step, the water is a bit vague, but experts say it is likely that Congress will need to be involved and pass the law to meet Trump’s wishes.
“The process of canceling penny in the US is a bit unknown. Congressional actions are likely to be necessary, but the Treasury Secretary may simply be able to stop the creation of new penny,” Northeastern University said. He told Global News.
Emma Colton and Morgan Phillips of Fox News contributed to this report.
Diana Stancy is a political reporter for Fox News Digital, covering the White House.
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