US-Russia Talks Begin & DOGE Targets IRS | 2.18.25
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What are the key points of the US-Russia negotiations?
The Trump administration faces a crucial week abroad as the U.S. and Russia hit reset while European leaders call an emergency meeting over Ukraine.
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.
Who will be at the table for the peace negotiations and why is Zelensky calling foul?
I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley. It's Tuesday, February 18th, and this is Morning Wire. Doge and Elon Musk continue to shrink the federal government, setting their sights next on the IRS.
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And CBS is taking flak for their coverage on free speech in Europe, with some accusing the network of shilling for censorship.
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With the U.S. and Russia kicking off negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, European leaders are scrambling to respond.
Why is Zelensky unhappy with the current peace talks?
Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips is here with more. Hey, Cabot. So an extremely important week for the new administration abroad that will test Donald Trump's foreign policy. We have this emergency meeting headed up by Macron, now this series of meetings with Russian diplomats. First, what is taking place today?
So delegations from the U.S. and Russia will sit down in Saudi Arabia today for the most substantive negotiations on the war in Ukraine since Putin first invaded three years ago. On one hand for the U.S. will be Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. The Russians are sending their foreign minister and a top aide to Putin. For their part, the State Department tempered expectations a bit, saying these meetings were viewed as the opening round of a longer process. Moscow echoed that sentiment, saying the talks would be, quote, devoted primarily to restoring the entire complex of Russian-American relations. So while today's talks are unlikely to result in any major diplomatic breakthroughs, they're still important because it marks a significant departure from the Biden administration's past strategy, which had been to isolate Putin entirely. Trump is taking a much more head-on approach. The two spoke on the phone last week and now are working out details on a face-to-face sit-down.
Here's Trump over the weekend.
I think he wants to stop fighting. I see that. We spoke long and hard. I think he wants to end it, and they want to end it fast. Both of them.
All right, so Trump referring there to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky as well. How has he responded to this push from the White House?
Well, Zelensky had initially been open to Trump brokering a peace deal. After years of saying he would not agree to any diplomatic solution, he reversed course after Trump's victory and said he was ready to end the war peacefully as soon as possible. But he's not happy with how the president has gone about things and is furious that Ukraine is not present at today's meetings in Saudi Arabia. Now, the White House made clear that he would have a seat at the table if talks with Russia move to formal negotiations. But that did little to alleviate his displeasure. Here's Zelensky talking to NBC on Sunday.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What are the key points of the US-Russia negotiations?
0:03–1:57
2
Why is Zelensky unhappy with the current peace talks?
1:57–4:57
3
What is the European response to US-Russia talks?
4:57–7:32
4
How is the American public viewing the US involvement in Ukraine?
7:32
5
How can Lumen help improve your health?
1:16–9:00
6
Why is Shopify essential for your business?
9:00–14:44
Speakers
12 identifiedMore from Morning Wire
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