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What are today's main headlines on Apple News Today?
Good morning. It's Thursday, February 20th. I'm Shamita Basu. This is Apple News Today. On today's show, a couple ways New York City Mayor Eric Adams could lose his job, why it's worth your time to fight a denied health insurance claim, and in hockey, the United States and Canada, fresh off last weekend's brawl, face off again tonight.
Why did Trump blame Ukraine for the ongoing war?
But first, almost three years to the day after Russian tanks first invaded Ukraine, President Trump shocked Ukraine and European allies by blaming Ukraine for the war, further straining relations between the U.S. and its NATO and Ukrainian allies. Remember, Ukraine and members of the NATO alliance were already upset that Russia and the United States excluded them from peace negotiations in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. And Trump's lie about how the war started came during a press conference Tuesday evening in response to a reporter's question about how those talks went. Here's the president.
And I think it's going very well. But today I heard, oh, well, we weren't invited. Well, you've been there for three years. You should have ended it three years. You should have never started it. You could have made a deal. I could have made a deal for Ukraine that would have given them almost all of the land.
The war began in February of 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine from three sides with troops, tanks, and airstrikes targeting cities, military bases, schools, and hospitals. Tens of thousands of people were forced to flee their homes. It was the biggest attack on a European nation since World War II. In Tuesday's press conference, Trump also incorrectly claimed President Zelensky has a 4 percent domestic approval rating. According to polling from this month, Zelensky's approval rating is above 50 percent. And Zelensky, in response to Trump's comments, accused the president of parroting talking points from the Kremlin.
How is President Zelensky responding to Trump's comments?
Since we are talking about 4%, we have seen this disinformation. We understand that it is coming from Russia. We understand and we have evidence that these numbers are being discussed between America and Russia. It is unfortunate that President Trump, and with great respect for him as the leader of the American people who constantly support us, unfortunately lives in this disinformation space.
During Tuesday's press conference and on social media, in response to that comment from Zelensky you just heard, Trump called Zelensky a dictator and suggested the Ukrainian president should not be in power. Elections in Ukraine were supposed to happen in 2024, but they've been suspended during wartime under martial law.
What are the implications of Trump calling Zelensky a dictator?
A survey of Ukrainians conducted last year found 70 percent of people supported allowing Zelensky to remain in power until martial law is lifted. And Zelensky's administration has said it plans to hold elections immediately after the war has ended. Trump's envoy for Ukraine and Russia, retired General Keith Kellogg, arrived in Kiev on Wednesday to meet with Zelensky. He told reporters upon arrival that part of his mission will be to listen to what Zelensky wants from U.S.-Russia peace talks. Meanwhile, members of NATO held their second emergency meeting this week on Wednesday, this time including nations that were not at the previous meeting, to discuss how to recalibrate their relationship with the United States.
The Wall Street Journal reports that this moment feels particularly difficult for European members of NATO to navigate. NATO was created in 1949 as a way for the United States to support the rebuilding of Europe after the Second World War. At the time, the U.S. viewed an economically and militarily strong Europe as crucial to preventing communist expansion across the continent. Now it seems the premise of that alliance is being tested, and European leaders are questioning the U.S. 's leadership in a new way. New York City Mayor Eric Adams still has a job, for now. There's been a lot of talk about whether the mayor will volunteer to step down or if he'll be forced out.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What are today's main headlines on Apple News Today?
0:05–0:34
2
Why did Trump blame Ukraine for the ongoing war?
0:34–2:06
3
How is President Zelensky responding to Trump's comments?
2:06–2:47
4
What are the implications of Trump calling Zelensky a dictator?
2:47–4:18
5
Can New York City's Mayor Eric Adams be forced out of office?
4:18–5:23
6
How does the DOJ's dismissal of charges affect Mayor Adams?
5:23–5:59
7
What are the potential ways to remove a mayor in New York City?
5:59–7:18
8
Why is Mayor Adams determined to keep his position?
7:18–13:50
Speakers
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