The Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations appear to be heading toward a crescendo as the U.S. continues to facilitate the discussions between the two countries. Although top U.S. officials, including President Trump, warned that if substantial progress is not achieved soon, Washington will pull back from its mediating role.
Trump contended that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin might not want to achieve peace in Eastern Europe after all, following a series of Kremlin strikes on Ukrainian cities in recent days.
“There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,” Trump wrote Saturday on Truth Social. “It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’ Too many people are dying!!!”
The president met briefly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of late Pope Francis’s funeral in Rome on Saturday, with Kyiv’s leader touting it as a “good” and “symbolic” discussion.
Trump went after Zelensky on Friday, saying the Ukrainian president is late in signing the minerals agreement with the U.S. In an interview with Time Magazine, which was published on Friday, Trump casted blame on Ukraine for starting the ongoing war in Eastern Europe by vying for NATO membership.
Zelensky is set to appear on ABC’s “This Week” where he will likely discuss his Saturday meeting with Trump in Rome and Ukraine’s next steps to get closer to a peace deal.
On Capitol Hill, members of Congress are returning to Washington on Monday after recess to continue their push to pass Trump’s legislative agenda.
House Republicans are planning to vote on the president’s package that would include $9.3 billion in cuts, already approved by Congress, to NPR, PBS and the State Department, Punchbowl News reported, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter.
Lawmakers will also look to extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, while increasing spending on defense and border security through the reconciliation process. Several lawmakers, including Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) as well as Reps. Jason Smith (R-Mo.) and Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), are slated to make appearances on the Sunday shows.
A federal judge ruled earlier this week that the administration’s push to shutter Voice of America (VOA) and affiliated news services was likely illegal and ordered VOA’s parent agency, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), to restore the international broadcaster, billing the outlet as a “consistently reliable and authoritative” news source.
USAGM senior advisor Kari Lake is scheduled to be on Fox News “Sunday Morning Futures” where she will likely discuss VOA’s parent company’s response to the ruling.
NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday:” Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.); law professor at the Case Western Reserve University School of Law Jonathan H. Adler.
ABC’s “This Week:” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky; former national security adviser Jake Sullivan.
NBC’s “Meet the Press:” Secretary of State Marco Rubio; Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
CNN’s “State of the Union:” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins; Sen. Chuck Schumer, (D-N.Y.); Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.).
CBS’ “Face the Nation:” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.); Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
“Fox News Sunday:” Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.); Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.).
Fox News “Sunday Morning Futures:” national security adviser Mike Waltz; Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.); U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker and U.S. Agency for Global Media Senior Advisor Kari Lake.