Trump to sign more executive orders ahead of joint Hannity interview with Musk: Live updates

An joint interview with Donald Trump and his “first buddy” Elon Musk will be broadcast tonight on Fox.

The interview, conducted by Sean Hannity, is set to air in full at 9 p.m. ET. In an already-released interview segment, Musk discussed his experience of “Trump Derangement Syndrome” among the left and claimed friends behaved like they had “rabies” when the president’s name was mentioned at a dinner party.

It comes after the White House revealed in a court filing that the tech billionaire is, in fact, not an employee of the Department of Government Efficiency and has no decision-making authority.

Musk’s role in the administration is limited to that of an employee and senior adviser to the president, according to the filing.

That clarification comes as Michelle King, the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) acting commissioner, stepped down from her role at the agency over DOGE’s requests to access Social Security recipient’s private personal information and top American and Russian officials are set to hold talks in Saudi Arabia about ending the war in Ukraine.

Key Points

• Trump and Musk to appear on Hannity for joint interview

• Elon Musk has ‘no formal authority to make government decisions’, says White House

• Acting Social Security commissioner quits after clash with Musk

• U.S. and Russian teams meeting in Saudi Arabia for Ukraine war peace talks

• President announces ‘precision airstrike’ against al-Qaeda leader in Syria

Watch: Elon Musk discusses Trump derangement syndrome

19:20

Fox will air a joint interview with Trump and Musk tonight

19:02 , Andrew Georgeson

Later tonight, Fox News plans to air a joint interview with Trump and Elon Musk, conducted by Sean Hannity.

In an already-released interview segment, billionaire Musk discussed his experience of “Trump Derangement Syndrome” among the left.

He claimed friends behaved like they had “rabies” when the president’s name was mentioned at a dinner party.

The full interview will air on “Hannity” at 9 p.m. ET.

Gus Kilander has the full story.

Elon Musk blasts the Left’s ‘completely irrational’ ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’

Analysis: Why is Trump stoking a trade war? In short – nostalgia

17:30 , Joe Sommerlad

President’s obsessions with tariffs have been a constant for his entire time in public life, dating back to his emergence as a real estate tycoon in the 1980s and 1990s, writes Andrew Feinberg.

Why is Trump stoking a trade war? In short – nostalgia

Voices: Ukraine cannot afford to let Trump near its natural resources

17:10 , Joe Sommerlad

Donald Trump’s demand for $500bn in Ukrainian rare earth minerals as payback for military support during the war with Russia is unprecedented, says historian James Holland, more egregious even than the deal brokered 80 years ago to punish a defeated Germany.

Ukraine cannot afford to let Donald Trump near its precious natural resources

Even Fox News thinks Trump border czar’s ‘prosecution’ threat against AOC is ‘baseless’

16:50 , Joe Sommerlad

The conservative network’s legal analyst Jonathan Turley surprisingly pushed back on Trump border czar Tom Homan’s suggestion that Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez could face prosecution for hosting a webinar on immigrants’ legal rights, calling his threat “baseless” and “an assault on free speech rights.”

Turley, a longtime defender of Donald Trump whom the president has regularly cited as a favorite legal expert, offered up his somewhat shocking defense of Ocasio-Cortez as Homan has spent days raging about her efforts to make undocumented migrants aware of their rights amid the Trump administration’s mass deportation raids.

The progressive lawmaker’s webinar, part of her “Know Your Rights” campaign, provides “important information” to immigrants about their legal rights during interactions with ICE officers.

This includes invoking the Fifth Amendment, refusing to share personal information and asking for an attorney if detained.

Justin Baragona has more.

Even Fox News thinks Tom Homan’s ‘prosecution’ threat against AOC is ‘baseless’

How many people Trump has fired from FAA as plane crashes rattle Americans

16:35 , Joe Sommerlad

The Trump administration has fired several hundred Federal Aviation Administration employees as Americans reel from a series of plane crashes in recent weeks.

Probationary employees – that is, those who were hired less than a year ago – were fired via email on Friday, according to a statement from David Spero, president of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists union.

The firings came just days before a Delta Airlines flight crashed at the Toronto Pearson International Airport, flipping over onto its roof as it attempted to land.

At least 18 people were taken to the hospital after the Monday afternoon crash, including two adults and one child with critical injuries.

Astonishingly, everyone on board survived.

Here’s more from Katie Hawkinson.

How many people Trump has fired from FAA as plane crashes rattle Americans

Musk blasts the Left’s ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ as ‘completely irrational’ in Fox sit-down

16:20 , Joe Sommerlad

In case you missed this one earlier, here’s Gustaf Kilander on Elon’s comments about encountering hostility to the president in the wild, which, he says, means “you can’t reason with people.”

There will be more of Trump and Musk on Sean Hannity’s show again tonight.

Elon Musk blasts the Left’s ‘completely irrational’ ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’

Fox News host Jessica Tarlov says young Trump voter reached out to her to express his regrets

16:05 , Joe Sommerlad

A 20-year-old college student who voted for the president told Fox News co-host Jessica Tarlov he was frustrated with the level of chaos in the new administration just two weeks into the president’s term.

Tarlov, a liberal co-host of The Five, revealed on her podcast Raging Moderates last week that the “college student from the Midwest” said the new Trump administration was not what he was anticipating.

Here’s more from Ariana Baio.

Fox News host says young Trump voter reached out to her to express his regrets

Republican congressman compares young DOGE staffers to U.S. soldiers fighting in WWII in car crash interview

15:50 , Joe Sommerlad

Some truly unhinged stuff from Tennessee representative Tim Burchett on CNN just now as he sought to defend Trump, Musk and DOGE and attack the network for its coverage of their antics.

President of NYU College Republicans resigns after calling Barron Trump ‘an oddity’

15:35 , Joe Sommerlad

The head of the New York University (NYU) College Republicans has resigned after calling Donald Trump’s youngest son an “oddity on campus.”

Kaya Walker described NYU freshman Barron Trump to Vanity Fair last week as “sort of like an oddity on campus,” adding “he goes to class, he goes home.”

She also told the magazine that one of her professors joked that the first son “doesn’t really belong here,” referring to the school’s historically liberal politics.

Kelly Rissman has more.

President of NYU College Republicans resigns after calling Barron Trump ‘an oddity’

Watch: Rubio says U.S. and Russia to work to reopen missions in Washington and Moscow

15:20 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s an update from Trump’s Secretary of State in Riyadh, where he and other American officials are sitting down with their Russian counterparts in the interest of repairing relations and, eventually, hopefully, bringing the Ukraine war to an end.

DOGE claims it found $4.7 trillion in Treasury payments that are ‘untraceable’

15:05 , Joe Sommerlad

Elon Musk’s non-official advisory body has said that it found $4.7 trillion in untraceable Treasury payments that were missing a critical tracking code.

The Department of Government Efficiency, tasked with slashing bureaucracy and reining in federal spending, said that transactions were missing the Treasury Account Symbol: an identification code used to classify all transactions of the federal government.

Here’s more from James Liddell.

DOGE claims it found $4.7T in Treasury payments that are ‘untraceable’

Republican fury over return of Tom Hanks’ Trump supporter on SNL50

14:45 , Joe Sommerlad

The Hollywood actor has riled Donald Trump supporters on Sunday with the return of his MAGA-touting hillbilly character on Saturday Night Live (SNL).

The veteran was one of dozens of SNL alums who appeared on the sketch show’s 50th anniversary special over the weekend.

In one skit, Hanks appears as a man named Doug on a parody game show called Black Jeopardy hosted by Kenan Thompson.

The sketch originally aired in a 2016 episode.

For the part, Hanks wore a red “Make America Great Again” hat in addition to a flannel shirt and T-shirt with a bald eagle on it.

Here’s more from Brittany Miller.

Republicans up in arms over return of Tom Hanks’ racist Trump supporter on SNL50

Trump’s crypto-related ventures by the numbers

14:25 , Joe Sommerlad

From crypto sceptic to “crypto president,” Donald Trump has embraced digital currencies in an unprecedented way for a president, promising to make the U.S. the global hub for digital assets.

Trump’s pro-crypto stance includes pledges to implement crypto-friendly policies, aiming to attract investment and innovation in the sector.

However, his embrace extends beyond policy, with the Trump name now attached to a crypto token and other crypto-themed products.

Here’s an overview of e-coin exploits.

Watches, sneakers, coins: Donald Trump’s crypto-related ventures, by the numbers

Analysis: The days of Republicans daring to push back against Trump are over

14:05 , Joe Sommerlad

With the president insulting Mitch McConnell and quoting Napoleon Bonaparte, no one should expect any resistance from the current GOP, writes Eric Garcia.

The days of Republicans daring to push back against Trump are well and truly over

Four top officials in Mayor Eric Adams’ office resigning

13:45 , Joe Sommerlad

Four top New York City officials are resigning from Mayor Eric Adams’ administration after Adams apparently worked out a deal with Donald Trump’s Justice Department to have the criminal fraud charges against him dropped.

“Due to the extraordinary events of the last few weeks and to stay faithful to the oaths we swore to New Yorkers and our families, we have come to the difficult decision to step down from our roles,” the four deputy mayors wrote in a statement obtained by The New York Times, which was provided by First Deputy Maria Torres-Springer, who holds the second-highest role in city government.

The deputy mayors were concerned that they’re not only working for an indicted mayor, but for a politician whose personal interests threaten to overshadow the interests of New Yorkers.

The officials – who also included Meera Joshi, the deputy mayor of operations, Anne Williams-Isom, the deputy mayor of health and human services, and Chauncey Parker, the deputy mayor for public safety – are expected to resign in the coming days, according to the NYT.

The resignations mean that half of New York City’s eight deputy mayors are leaving. It’s unclear who will replace them.

Ariana Baio reports.

Four top officials in Mayor Eric Adams’ office resigning

AOC calls Trump’s border czar a ‘coward’ as feud escalates

13:25 , Joe Sommerlad

Tom Homan’s bitter exchange of words with the Democratic congresswoman continued last night as he attacked her again in a new Fox interview.

This was her response:

Watch: Fox News host Sean Hannity appears to call Lara Trump ‘Lara S***’ during live interview

13:05 , Joe Sommerlad

Fox News’ Sean Hannity appears to call Lara Trump ‘Lara S***’ during live interview

Watch: Musk claims friends suffer from ‘Trump derangement syndrome’

12:45 , Joe Sommerlad

Elon Musk claims friends suffer from ‘Trump derangement syndrome’

Republican lawmakers ‘grumbling’ about Musk’s ‘poorly executed’ mass cuts

12:25 , Joe Sommerlad

It’s not just pro-democracy campaigners who are unhappy.

Here’s Gustaf Kilander on growing GOP discontent.

GOP lawmakers are ‘grumbling’ about Musk’s ‘poorly executed’ mass government cuts

‘No kings on Presidents’ Day’: Protesters rage against Trump and Musk

12:05 , Joe Sommerlad

Protesters in cities across America slammed Donald Trump and Elon Musk yesterday as the Presidents’ Day holiday arrived in the wake of the DOGE dismantling of federal agencies.

Activists, largely organized by the 50501 Movement and various branches of Indivisible, were honoring “Not my Presidents Day.”

Demonstrators chanted “no kings on Presidents’ Day” to protest the power grab by Trump and his billionaire hatchet man.

Protesters gathered at various city halls, state capitols and outside Tesla showrooms packed with Musk-made cars.

A sign in an office window above a Tesla dealership in San Francisco informed protesters about Musk: “We hate him too.”

Here’s more.

‘No kings on Presidents Day’: Protesters rage across nation against Trump and Musk

Transport Secretary Sean Duffy tries to shift blame for recent air disasters onto Pete Buttigieg

11:45 , Joe Sommerlad

Trump’s new man in the hot seat has tried to shift the blame for the string of recent air disasters onto his Democratic predecessor, Pete Buttigieg, in the wake of cutting hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) personnel.

Duffy, confirmed to lead the department in the Senate late last month, revealed on Monday that the Trump administration fired “less than 400” of the FAA’s 45,000 employees.

He also claimed all of them were serving probationary periods.

The layoffs took place against a backdrop of three fatal U.S. air disasters since Trump’s inauguration last month, in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Alaska – with another commercial plane carrying 80 people flipping over upon a crash landing at Canada’s Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday.

Here’s more from James Liddell.

Transport Sec Sean Duffy shifts blame for recent air disasters onto Pete Buttigieg

Readers criticise Trump’s ‘simplistic’ plan for peace in Ukraine

11:25 , Joe Sommerlad

We’ve been asking for your opinions on Trump’s efforts to negotiate peace in Ukraine directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Many readers shared concerns that Trump’s plan is too simplistic, with several warning that leaving Kyiv out of the talks and pushing NATO aside could weaken Ukraine and encourage Putin to take more land.

They argued that Trump’s approach focuses on quick deals instead of long-term peace and could hurt international support for Ukraine.

Some also criticised Trump for putting his own goals above global security.

They stressed that any peace deal should protect Ukraine’s independence and Europe’s safety.

Read the full debate and get involved in the conversation below.

Readers criticise Trump’s ‘simplistic’ plan for peace in Ukraine

Trump loyalist Peter Navarro steering trade war

11:05 , Joe Sommerlad

Donald Trump loyalist Peter Navarro, senior counselor to the president for trade and manufacturing, is becoming an increasingly influential figure within the administration and guiding much of Trump’s policies on trade, which are threatening rifts with America’s allies, according to a new report.

Navarro, a China hawk who served in the first Trump administration and was jailed for ignoring a January 6 subpoena last year, “has been catapulted into the trade hot seat, orchestrating an early suite of tariffs and probes that bear the hallmarks of his particular enthusiasms,” writes The Financial Times.

“There is a clear premium put on loyalty in this administration,” a Washington lobbyist told the FT.

“And there’s no doubting, whatsoever, Navarro’s loyalty to Trump – that’s why he’ll always have a lot of influence.”

The newspaper adds:

“Whereas in the last administration Navarro was often hamstrung by more free-market minded Trump advisers such as Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin or National Economic Council director Gary Cohn, he faces far less opposition in Trump 2.0.

“People familiar with the administration’s inner workings say Navarro is working closely with Howard Lutnick, Trump’s nominee for commerce secretary, and Jamieson Greer, the president’s pick for trade representative.”

Starmer to meet Trump in Washington next week

10:45 , Joe Sommerlad

A Downing Street spokesman has said Sir Keir will seek to “deepen the special relationship” on his first visit to Washington, D.C. since the new president’s inauguration a month ago.

Claudia Savage has more on Starmer’s upcoming visit.

Prime Minister to meet Donald Trump in Washington next week

Trump must provide ‘backstop’ to deter Russia, Sir Keir Starmer says

10:25 , Joe Sommerlad

The British prime minister has thrown down the gauntlet to Donald Trump, calling for the U.S. to provide a “backstop” to deter Russia from attacking Ukraine again after meeting with European leaders for emergency talks on the war.

Starmer said allies on the continent would have to step up in terms of both spending and capability as he spoke following talks with partners in Paris on Monday.

While he said he would be prepared to put a peacekeeping force into Ukraine if there is a deal to end the war with Russia, Sir Keir said such a move would require there to be an American security guarantee to ensure Russia does not attack again.

“Europe must play its role, and I’m prepared to consider committing British forces on the ground alongside others if there is a lasting peace agreement”, the PM told reporters after last night’s meeting.

“But there must be a U.S. backstop, because a U.S. security guarantee is the only way to effectively deter Russia from attacking Ukraine again.”

Millie Cooke reports.

Trump must provide ‘backstop’ to deter Russia, Starmer says

Trump ‘wants 50% cut’ of Ukraine’s mineral riches in return for peace

10:05 , Joe Sommerlad

The president wants half the revenue from Ukraine’s minerals and veto rights over licensing in return for providing security guarantees in the event of a peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv, according to leaked documents.

Trump previously said he wants Ukraine to pay for financial and military support by affording Washington access to the country’s vast but untapped rare earth minerals.

However, new documents show a deal between the two countries could expand U.S. access to Ukraine’s ports, infrastructure, oil and gas.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is ready to do a deal with Trump that includes American involvement in developing Ukraine’s huge deposits of rare earths and other critical minerals.

James Liddell has more.

Trump ‘wants 50% cut’ of Ukraine’s mineral riches in return for peace

U.S. and Russian teams meeting in Saudi Arabia for Ukraine war peace talks

09:45 , Joe Sommerlad

Officials from the Trump administration and from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s delegation are meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, today for talks on ending Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

The war-hit European nation has said that no peace deal can be made on its behalf at the talks, to which it was not invited.

The two sides are nevertheless expected to discuss ways to end the conflict as its third anniversary approaches.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he will travel to Saudi Arabia tomorrow but that his trip is unrelated to the U.S.-Russia talks.

You can follow the very latest updates from Andy Gregory on our sister blog.

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin and Trump’s teams meet for Saudi Arabia peace talks

Acting Social Security commissioner quits after clash with Musk

09:25 , Joe Sommerlad

Michelle King, the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) acting commissioner, stepped down from her role at the agency over DOGE’s requests to access Social Security recipient’s private personal information.

Acting Commissioner King’s departure from the agency over the weekend – after more than 30 years of service – was initiated after King refused to provide DOGE staffers at the SSA with access to sensitive data, according to the Associated Press.

Here’s White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt attempting to spin it:

Michelle Del Rey has more.

Social Security acting commissioner exits agency after clash with Elon Musk

Elon Musk not in charge of DOGE and has no decision-making authority, says White House

09:05 , Joe Sommerlad

Billionaire Elon Musk is not an employee of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and has no decision-making authority, the White House said in a court filing.

Musk’s role in the Donald Trump administration is limited to that of a White House employee and senior adviser to the president, according to the filing signed by director of the Office of Administration at the White House.

It further states that “like other senior White House advisors, Mr Musk has no actual or formal authority to make government decisions himself.”

Maroosha Muzaffar reports.

Elon Musk not in charge of DOGE, says White House

Trump announces ‘precision airstrike’ against al-Qaeda leader in Syria

08:45 , Joe Sommerlad

Good morning!

Let’s start off with the latest Truth Social postings from the president.

In amongst a deluge of favorable press clippings from conservative news sources, Trump posted this surprise news of an anti-terror operation in the Middle East.

He also posted this thank you video from a woman held hostage by Hamas, describing her ordeal and expressing gratitude for her releases.

Julianne Moore in ‘great shock’ after her book is ‘banned by Trump administration’

08:00 , Shahana Yasmin

Julianne Moore has reacted with “great shock” after finding out that her children’s book Freckleface Strawberry has reportedly been banned in schools by the Trump administration.

The Freckleface Strawberry book series follows a young girl with red hair and freckles, who is teased by her fellow students for it and feels different from everyone else. Illustrated by LeUyen Pham, the first book was published in 2007 and led to five more sequels, and also inspired a 2010 stage musical.

Read more:

Julianne Moore in ‘great shock’ after book ‘banned by Trump administration’

Jim Acosta urges media to boycott Trump after administration targets Associated Press

07:00 , Ariana Baio

Former CNN broadcaster Jim Acosta is urging the media to stand up to President Donald Trump and his administration for barring an Associated Press journalist from White House briefings – even if that means refusing to cover the president.

Last week, Trump officials raised alarm bells with First Amendment advocates and media organizations when it prevented an AP reporter from joining briefings as punishment for the legacy news outlet refusing to permanently refer to the Gulf of Mexico by its newly appointed name, the Gulf of America.

Read more:

Jim Acosta urges media to boycott Trump after administration targets Associated Press

Europe split over Starmer pledge to send troops to Ukraine

04:00 , Millie Cooke

A split has emerged among European nations over whether to match Sir Keir Starmer’s pledge to send UK troops to Ukraine, as allies thrash out a response to US president Donald Trump’s push for a deal with Vladimir Putin.

Divisions became clear as leaders attended an emergency summit in Paris amid fears Washington will cut its transatlantic defence commitments.

The emergency summit was called after Mr Trump announced his plan to sideline Europe by holding Ukraine peace talks directly with Mr Putin.

Sir Keir said he would be willing to contribute to security guarantees by “putting our own troops on the ground if necessary”, echoing similar statements by France’s Emmanuel Macron.

Read more:

Europe split over Starmer pledge to send troops to Ukraine

White House says Elon Musk has ‘no formal authority to make government decisions’

03:55 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Billionaire Elon Musk’s role in the Donald Trump administration is as a White House employee and senior adviser to the president, and is not an employee of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and has no decision-making authority, the White House said in a court filing.

According to a filing signed by Joshua Fisher, director of the Office of Administration at the White House, Mr Musk can only advise the president and communicate the president’s directives.

“Like other senior White House advisors, Mr Musk has no actual or formal authority to make government decisions himself,” it said.

Mr Fisher’s filing, made in a case brought against Musk by the State of New Mexico, said that Mr Musk was not an employee of the US DOGE Service, or the US DOGE Service Temporary Organisation. It added: “Mr Musk is not the US DOGE Service Administrator.”

GOP lawmakers are ‘grumbling’ about Musk’s ‘poorly executed’ mass government cuts

03:15 , Gustaf.Kilander

Some Republican lawmakers are concerned about how Elon Musk is gutting the federal government, with senators worrying about the optics of having the world’s wealthiest man slash jobs that employ people in their home states.

Attacks on Musk from Democrats are also increasing as he takes an axe to agency after agency, creating chaos and uncertainty. One Republican senator said that Musk’s attempt to get federal workers to resign in exchange for seven months of severance was “poorly executed,” according to The Hill.

“I think they’re just looking to reduce numbers — it’s not efficiency, it’s not output. It’s, ‘We just need bodies gone.’ And I don’t know that’s the metric that you use,” the senator added.

Read more:

GOP lawmakers are ‘grumbling’ about Musk’s ‘poorly executed’ mass government cuts

RFK Jr shares bizarre pic with lizard, Russell Brand — and shirtless Dr. Oz

02:30 , Katie Hawkinson

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shared a bizarre photo featuring a lizard, comedian Russell Brand and a shirtless Dr. Mehmet Oz.

Kennedy, sworn into his cabinet position last week, shared the photo Sunday afternoon on X with the caption: “Northern Curly Tailed Lizard with Russel Brand & Dr Oz.” The photo shows Brand with his arm around the other two as Kennedy and Oz smile at the camera.

The trio have long been intertwined. Brand endorsed Kennedy’s independent presidential campaign last year. Meanwhile, Trump nominated Oz to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a position in which he’d work closely with Kennedy.

Read more:

RFK Jr shares bizarre pic with lizard, Russell Brand — and shirtless Dr. Oz

White House scrambles to combat bird flu outbreaks and blasts Biden plan to ‘just kill chickens’

01:45 , Gustaf Kilander

The White House is racing to combat bird flu outbreaks to contain skyrocketing egg prices as President Donald Trump blames it all on former President Joe Biden.

When asked about egg prices on Sunday, Trump blamed the flu and his predecessor.

“Well, there’s a flu … I’ve been here for three weeks. I have had nothing to do with inflation. This was caused by Biden. I had four years of virtually no inflation,” said Trump.

Read more:

White House scrambles to combat bird flu outbreaks

SNL50: Republicans up in arms over return of Tom Hanks’ racist Trump supporter

01:00 , Brittany Miller

Tom Hanks riled Donald Trump supporters on Sunday with the return of his MAGA-touting hillbilly character on Saturday Night Live.

The veteran actor was one of dozens of SNL alums who appeared on the sketch show’s 50th-anniversary special.

In one skit, Hanks appears as a man named Doug on a parody game show called Black Jeopardy hosted by Kenan Thompson. The sketch originally aired in a 2016 episode.

For the part, Hanks wore a red “Make America Great Again” hat in addition to a flannel shirt and T-shirt with a bald eagle on it. Despite not being part of the game show’s demographic, the Southern man is hilariously still capable of correctly answering the questions.

Read more:

Republicans up in arms over return of Tom Hanks’ racist Trump supporter on SNL50

WATCH: Canadian Conservative blasts Trump’s comments on ’51st state’

00:15 , Gustaf Kilander

Independent readers criticise Donald Trump’s ‘short-term’ and ‘simplistic’ plan for peace in Ukraine

Monday 17 February 2025 23:30 , The Independent

Last week, Donald Trump announced plans to negotiate directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.

Now, President Zelensky of Ukraine has been invited to join peace talks with Russian negotiators in Saudi Arabia, according to a US congressman. Senior officials from Trump’s administration will travel there this week to begin discussions.

Some see Trump’s efforts as a quick way to end the conflict, but many Independent readers were not convinced when we asked for their views.

Read more:

Readers criticise Trump’s ‘simplistic’ plan for peace in Ukraine

Prime Minister to meet Donald Trump in Washington next week

Monday 17 February 2025 22:45 , Claudia Savage

Sir Keir Starmer will meet US President Donald Trump next week, No 10 has confirmed.

A Downing Street spokesman said the Prime Minister will seek to “deepen the special relationship” on his first visit to Washington, DC since Mr Trump’s inauguration.

Asked last week about meeting Sir Keir, Mr Trump said the two were “going to have a friendly meeting, very good”.

The Government has had mixed results in their efforts to garner favour with the new US administration.

Read more:

Prime Minister to meet Donald Trump in Washington next week

PM says Europe must ‘step up capability’ as he attends Ukraine talks in Paris

Monday 17 February 2025 22:00 , PA

Sir Keir Starmer has warned of a “generational challenge” requiring the UK and Europe to “step up capability” as he arrived in Paris for emergency talks on the Ukraine war with other leaders.

The Prime Minister said any settlement would need to be a “lasting peace deal, not just a pause for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to come again” as he gathered with allies in the French capital.

Sir Keir has said he would be prepared to put a peacekeeping force into Ukraine if there is a deal to end the war with Russia.

Read more:

PM says Europe must ‘step up capability’ as he attends Ukraine talks in Paris

Trump speaks to Macron

Monday 17 February 2025 21:47 , Gustaf Kilander

Trump spoke on the phone to French President Emmanuel Macron for roughly 30 minutes on Monday, discussing the war in Ukraine, the next meeting of European nations on Tuesday, as well as the meeting between U.S. and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia tomorrow, according to a White House official.

Letters to the editor: Give Trump some credit – he has turned the tables on Putin

Monday 17 February 2025 21:30 , Gustaf Kilander

“It is something of an understatement to say that the foreign policy of Donald Trump in his second term differs greatly from his strategy in the first (“Trump says Zelensky will be involved in Russia – Ukraine peace talks after three-hour call with Putin”, Monday 17 February).

“Trump’s fawning and sycophantic behaviour towards Vladimir Putin is a thing of the past; the student has eclipsed his master,” Eric Radack writes.

Letters: Give Trump some credit – he has turned the tables on Putin

WATCH: New York Congresswoman introduces bill to make Trump’s birthday a federal holiday

Monday 17 February 2025 21:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Julianne Moore in ‘great shock’ after her book is ‘banned by Trump administration’

Monday 17 February 2025 20:30 , Shahana Yasmin

Julianne Moore has reacted with “great shock” after finding out that her children’s book Freckleface Strawberry has reportedly been banned in schools by the Trump administration.

The Freckleface Strawberry book series follows a young girl with red hair and freckles, who is teased by her fellow students for it and feels different from everyone else. Illustrated by LeUyen Pham, the first book was published in 2007 and led to five more sequels, and also inspired a 2010 stage musical.

Read more:

Julianne Moore in ‘great shock’ after book ‘banned by Trump administration’