Mike Baker

But regarding a face to face sit down on Friday, Putin said he currently saw no reason to meet Zelensky and in fact dismissed the Ukrainian president's letter as rude and insincere.

Putin argued that portions of the message were deliberately provocative and suggested it was intended more as a public relations exercise than a genuine diplomatic overture.

President Trump, meanwhile, had said Thursday that it would be great if Zelensky and Putin met, adding that both sides would have to make compromises.

There's that word again.

But he did not spell out what those compromises should be.

And that, of course, remains the central problem between Moscow and Kyiv.

Zelensky is publicly calling for direct talks, a ceasefire, and negotiations over how to end the war.

Putin says peace is possible, but only if Ukraine accepts the Kremlin's demands.

And judging by Friday's remarks,

The two leaders may be no closer to meeting in person than they are to ending the war.

All right, coming up next, federal prosecutors say an American spent years helping Chinese intelligence cultivate sources inside the U.S.

I'll be right back.

Hey, Mike Baker here.

I've spent a career thinking about how to protect what matters.

Look, the threats change, but the response doesn't.

Stay aware, stay prepared.

Did you know, let me ask you this question, did you know that last month the U.S.

Treasury froze $344 million in crypto wallets linked to Iran?

The adversaries are essentially trying to do an end run around the U.S.

dollar, and Washington is seizing the proof.