Trump renews Zelensky attacks as Ukraine leader appeals to allies over Oval Office meeting: live updates

Donald Trump kept up his attacks on his Ukrainian counterpart as he departed the White House for a weekend in Florida. Talking to reporters before he boarded Marine One, Trump said the he wanted an immediate ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine and claimed that Ukrainian Presidents Zelensky wanted to come back 'right now.'

He’s got to say, "I want to make peace." That was not a man that wanted to make peace.

He left Volodomyr Zelensky to stew on their disastrous meeting, which was cut short before lunch and an afternoon press conference.

He's looking for something I'm not looking for. He's looking to go on and fight, fight, fight. We're looking to end the death. 2000 people died this week.

Zelenksy canceled a public appearance at a Washington, D.C. think tank as he plans his next move. He spoke by phone with allies in Canada, France, and the UK as well as posting messages of thanks on X.

Trump claimed that Zelenksy was already regreting the way the meeting went and wanted a fresh meeting.

He wants to come back right now. But I can't do that.

Trump's Oval Office meeting with Zelensky went off the rails after about 40 minutes when the Ukrainian president said he had signed deals with Putin, but the Russian leader could not be trusted.

He was pushing back after Trump and Vance insisted that he must compromise with Putin after three years of resisting the Russian invasion.

The result was an extraordinary row as carefully laid diplomacy came undone. Trump raised his voice and VP Vance chimed in to question why Zelensky had not once said thank you in the Oval Office.

Trump shouted that Zelensky was gambling with millions of lives.

You're gambling with World War Three. You're gambling with World War Three, and what you're doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country that's backed you far more than a lot of people say they should.

Vance chimed in by demanding that the Ukrainian president show some appreciation for Washington's support. And he pointed out how Zelensky had toured a weapons facility in Pennsylvania, much to the anger of Republicans just before the election last year.

Have you said thank you, once, in this entire meeting? You went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the opposition in October. Offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who's trying to save your country.

Only two Republicans in the House have came out against President Trump following Friday's happenings.

Rep. Don Bacon calling the development a 'bad day for America's foreign policy' adding in a statement that 'Ukraine wants independence, free markets and rule of law'.

The Nebraska representatitve added: 'It wants to be part of the West. Russia hates us and our Western values. We should be clear that we stand for freedom.'

Pennsylvania Representative Brian Fitzpatrick said in a statement: 'It was heartbreaking to witness the turn of events that transpired in today’s meeting regarding Ukraine’s future.

'It is time to put understandable emotions aside and come back to the negotiation table.

'This can and will be fixed. A strong, sovereign Ukraine is essential for global stability in the face of Putin’s ongoing aggression.'

Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., a Republican moderate, talks to reporters as he arrives to the Republican caucus meeting at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Co-Chair, Bipartisan PFAS Task Force, speaks at the Fight Forever Chemicals Campaign kick off event on Capitol Hill on November 19

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No sooner was Air Force One wheels up for West Palm Beach (ensuring we can't hear from Donald Trump for two hours) than Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky is beginning his interview with Bret Baier on Fox News.

First up, will he apologize to Trump?

No, I respect president, and I respect American people, and I don't know if I think that we have to be very open and very honest, and I'm not sure that we did something bad.

He goes on to say that Trump has to understand the position of Ukraine and Ukrainians, and that sometimes tough discussions are better held away from the cameras.

The White House announced Friday evening that the FBI was returning property seized after its search of Mar-a-Lago where agents found dozens of boxes of government documets, including classified papers.

Trump was accused of breaking the law by not giving up the documents when leaving office and faced criminal prosecution, before winning the November election.

On Friday evening, officials could be seen climbing the steps of Air Force One with boxes.

Steven Cheung, communications director, said:

The FBl is giving the president his property back that was taken during the unlawful and illegal raids. We are taking possession of the boxes today and loading them onto Air Force One.

Trump is blunt in his assessment of Zelensky, He believes that his Ukrainian counterpart feels emboldened by American cash and arms.

Talking to reporters, he was asked whether he trustes Vladimir Putin.

I don't trust or distrust anybody. I just want to get a deal done, and if the deal happens, good, but you can't embolden somebody that does not have the cards, and all of a sudden that person says, Oh, well, now I can keep fighting. I guess we're not going to keep fighting. We're going to get the war done, or let them go and see what happens. Let them fight it out.

Trump is clearly infuriated by Zelensky sticking to his guns and insisting that he cannot lay down arms without guarantees that Putin will be forced to stick to a deal. All he can see is a leader refusing to do as he is told.

I want a ceasefire now. He says, "Oh, I don't want a ceasefire." Well, all of a sudden, he's a big shot, because he has the US on the side,

Soon after that he boards Marine One for the short hop to Joint Base Andrews where he climbs the steps to Air Force One, and the flight to West Palm Beach.

We're looking for peace. We're not looking for somebody that's going to sign up to strong power and then not make peace because they feel emboldened, and that's what I saw happening. i'm looking for peace. we're not looking to go into a ten year war and play games. We want peace.

President Donald Trump is on the South Lawn of the White House talking to reporters right now as he prepares to leave for his Florida home.

He says Zelensky overplayed his hand.

He is looking to go on and fight, fight, fight. We're looking to end the death.

Trump also dodges a question about whether he is considering cutting off aid to Ukraine, saying it doesn't matter what he is thinking.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was at the White House on Thursday, has spoken to both Trump and Zelensky after their disastrous White House meeting.

A spokesman for Number 10 Dowing Street said:

The Prime Minister has tonight spoken to both President Trump and President Zelensky. He retains unwavering support for Ukraine, and is doing all he can to find a path forward to a lasting peace based on sovereignty and security for Ukraine. The Prime Minister looks forward to hosting international leaders on Sunday including President Zelensky.

Starmer's visit was part of a major diplomatic push this week as European leaders try to nudge Trump to offering security guarantees to Ukraine.

But that all unraveled Friday.

Starmer is now set to host a major summit with Zelensky at the weekend.

JD Vance helped send today's Oval Office meeting off the rails when he questioned why Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky hadn't displayed more gratitude.

Zelensky seems to have taken his message to heart. He began with an X post thank Trump, the American people and Congress for their support - saying thanks four times.

Then he began sending thank yous to other nations, starting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, thanking him for his support.

At the time of posting, he had sent 24 further thank yous.

The tense Oval Office meeting Friday went off the rails when President Donald Trump took offense at how Ukrainian President Zelensky treated his vice president JD Vance, according to insiders

White House officials told DailyMail.com the stunning confrontation was not any kind of premeditated tag-team operation designed to humiliate the supplicant Zelensky to try to buckle his hard-line negotiating stance or somehow gain advantage in a scuttled rare earth minerals deal.

Trump had been pleasant with Zelensky to start their interactions – although Trump's first comment, caught on a hot-mic, was a glib remark about his informal clothing. (Zelensky has underdressed as a statement since Russia's 2022 invasion of his country.)

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday called for an immediate summit involving the United States and European nations and allies. Top of the agenda would be Ukraine, she said.

'Every division of the West makes us all weaker and favours those who would like to see the decline of our civilisation,' Meloni said.

The White House debacle has sent shockwaves through Europe. It wants the US to backstop British and French proposals to send peacekeepers to Ukraine.

And, more broadly, European leaders fear the US is ready to give up its position as a guarantor of peace in the region.

That could mean that Vladimir Putin's prediction that his opponents would eventually split, allowing him to win in Ukraine, could come true.

JD Vance is one of the most skeptical voices in the administration when it comes to supporting Ukraine's war against Russia.

He played a pivotal role Friday in the exchanges that blew up Oval Office talks. He was the one who accused Zelensky of being 'disrespectful' and wondered why he had not said 'thank you' during the meeting.

That raised tensions before Zelensky and Trump raised their voices.

Some (pro-Ukraine) analysts pointed the finger at Vance, suggesting he did it on purpose.

In a post on X, Russian security council deputy head Dmitry Medvedev (who served as president and prime minister at different times to help Putin avoid term limits) couldn't hide his delight at the way Trump went after Zelensky.

He also quoted Trump's line that Kyiv was gambling with World War III.

Today's meeting was always going to be tricky. Volodomyr Zelensky has a weak hand and he knows it. He has to fight for everything.

And the two sides (in this case Ukraine and the U.S.) are a long way apart on security guarantees. But there were three other factors that could have been tweaked to keep things on the rails.

Great television, poor diplomacy

Usually the start of a meeting is open to cameras. It is called a 'spray' in the business. Photographers get some snaps, reporters shout some questions, and then the media is ushered out so the real business can be done in private.

On Friday the media stayed in for 50 minutes, effectively ensuring the entire meeting played out in front of the cameras. Trump said ‘This will make great television.'

It certainly did. But awful diplomacy.

Zelensky spoke in English

A diplomat told me today that the brusque Ukrainian manner had always rubbed them up the wrong way. Zelensky's abrupt manner wasn't helped either by his decision to eschew a translater.

Pausing to allow someone to translate his words would have helped him buy some time for a breather. And it would have likely softened his ultra direct manner of speaking. Both things that could have taken heat out of the meeting.

Non-mainstream media

The White House has been opening up events to new, conservative outlets that have not been part of the traditional pool. On Friday, Brian Glenn, of Real America’s Voice (and also Marjorie Taylor Greene's boyfriend) was present.

He asked why Zelensky had not worn a suit. A legitimate question, but he phrased it in such a way as to make it sound like he was chastizing him: 'You’re the highest level in this country’s office, and you refuse to wear a suit. Do you own a suit!?'

It all added to the sense of impending explosion.

The Associated press has rounded up lawmaker reaction to today's events at the White House. Among figures who supported backing Ukraine, there is wariness and concen.

HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER STEVE SCALISE, Louisiana:

President Trump is fighting for PEACE around the world and is putting America First as our best negotiator — he's the only one to get Russia to the table to consider a serious and lasting peace agreement with Ukraine.

SEN. MARKWAYNE MULLIN, Oklahoma:

Under this President — the greatest, freest, and most generous nation on Earth is putting America First. I'd encourage anyone who has a problem with that to reevaluate their priorities.

REP. DON BACON, Nebraska:

A bad day for America's foreign policy. Ukraine wants independence, free markets and rule of law. It wants to be part of the West. Russia hates us and our Western values. We should be clear that we stand for freedom.

REP. MIKE LAWLER, New York:

Diplomacy is tough and often times there are serious differences of opinion and heated exchanges behind closed doors. Having this spill out into public view was a disaster — especially for Ukraine.

The Financial Times is reporting that the Ukrainian president got on the phone with French President Emmanuel Macron soon after his disastrous Oval Office meeting.

He reportedly followed it up with a call to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

Zelensky was already due in London this weekend to meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was at the White House earlier this week.

European leaders have been quick to offer their unstinting support for Zelensky in the wake of Donald Trump's Oval Office meltdown.

French President Emmanuel Macron:

Russia is the aggressor, and Ukraine is the aggressed people. I think we were all right to help Ukraine and sanction Russia three years ago, and to continue to do so.

Outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz:

Nobody wants peace more than the citizens of Ukraine! That is why we are working together to find a way to a lasting and just peace. Ukraine can rely on Germany – and on Europe.

Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson:

Sweden stands with Ukraine. You are not only fighting for your freedom but also for all of Europe’s. Slava Ukraini!

Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Store:

We stand by Ukraine in their fair struggle for a just and lasting peace.

Latvian prime minister Evike Silina:

Latvia stands with Ukraine.

Derek Guy, known for his colorful takedowns of badly dressed public figures, has weighed in on one of the big questions of the day.

Did Zelensky trigger Trump by turning up in his usual combat chic?

No, he says. Pointing out that Elon Musk gets away with dressing down around the president.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has just issued an X post praising Trump for standing up for America.

That is part and parcel of the job.

But he is one of the Russia hawks in this team. And his body language in the Oval Office as the shouting match escalated told a very different story to his social media post.

He looked like he wanted the couch to swallow him up. (See below.)

Rubio is one to watch as this saga plays out.

As part of his visit to Washington DC, Zelensky was due to speak at the conservative Hudson Institute on Friday evening.

But that has now been canceled, the group's vice president has told Reuters.

Zelensky and his aides are no doubt huddling to work out what their next steps should be.

This morning Republcan Sen. Lindsey Graham was pictured smiling with President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a bipartisan group of lawmakers backing the Ukrainian war effort.

This afternoon, (after lunch with Trump) he has spoken with reporters to say he did not know if Zelensky could repair the damage.

My question is whether Zelenskyy is redeemable in the eyes of the American people, from what everyone saw nobody including me would want him as our business partner.

He said he should use his upcoming Fox News interview to apologize.

He should say ... 'if i had it all to do over again, I'd have done it differently. I'm sorry.' If he can't say that, then Ukraine, you either need to send us somebody new we can deal with or just accept the consequences.'

The S&P 500 dipped slightly in choppy trading on Friday after a meeting between the Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy ended in disaster.

It was followed by the Nasdaq, which declined 0.22% to 18,504.02 points, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.01% at 43,236.40 points.

Rick Meckler, of Cherry Lane Investments, told Reuters it was less to do with the content of their meeting than the way Trump behaved.

I don't think it hurt the market so much because of what he had to say, but the unconventional nature of it raised the issue for investors of how unpredictable and uncertain the Trump administration can be. The market likes certainty. It likes a plan. There are so many things happening in this government at once - all of which are to some extent groundbreaking - and this just added one more feature to it. So that's where the market (took a) leg down a little bit, thinking this is just a sign of a lack of predictability and more traditional approaches to diplomacy.

Fox News says it is still expecting the Ukrainian leader to appear for an interview later today.

He is slated to sit down with the channel's Bret Baier.

This news day is far from over.

White House sources tell DailyMail.com that the Zelensky team decamped to their own room after the bad tempered Oval Office meeting ended.

It was then up to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz to tell them they had to leave.

Minutes later they were streaming out of the West Wing into their waiting vehicles.

After being thrown out of the White House, Zelensky has just set out his position with a post on X.

He thanked Trump and the American people for their support (after being chastized in the Oval Office by VP Vance for not being grateful enough) but also makes clear that he cannot accept any peace deal except for one that is 'just and lasting.'

Ukraine's allies are rallying around Zelensky. The Polish prime minister has told Ukraine it does not stand alone.

Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky has left the White House without signing the mineral deal.

That leaves behind two lecterns, set up for a press conference, and a desk for the signing ceremony.

It's all a sad reminder of how a week of diplomacy unravelled in minutes.

Trump, famous for his preference for navy suits and traditional dress, commented on Zelensky's clothing when he arrived.

And the question came up in the Oval Office from a journalist aligned with Trump, who asked why he couldn't smarten up for a meeting in the most important office in the land.

A top Russian official in Moscow was quoted as saying the events in the Oval Office were 'historic'.

There was no immediate reaction from Vladimir Putin.

French President Emmanuel Macron said that Russia is the aggressor and Ukrainians are the aggressed people.

"We must ... respect those who have been fighting since the beginning," Macron told reporters in Portugal.

His comments followed a shouting match between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office,

The incredible shouting match between Trump and Zelensky upended the reason for their meeting.

They had been due to sign a deal on Ukraine's mineral reserves which Trump s aid could be worth $1 trillion.

Zelensky left without the deal being signed.

Trump and Vance are on a similar page when it comes to America First, foreign wars and Russia v Ukraine.

But not all of his team hold the same position. Trump's national security adviser, Mike Waltz, and his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, are much more hawkish on Russia and the need to contain Putin.

And you can see that from just how uncomfortable Rubio appears to be. Each time he turns up in the Oval Office he seems to be trying to sink deeper into the couch.

This was about the time the two leaders were supposed to be holding a joint press conference.

Instead a long line of ashen faced Ukrainian offficials just filed out of the White House West Wing.

Zelensky was briefly spotted climbing into his SUV before his motorcade drove out of the White House gates.

There was no ceremony. They were gone in seconds.

This is the moment that Donald Trump's emotions bubbled over for a second in the Oval Office, when he puts a hand on Zelensky's arm in an effort to get him to pipe down.

'If you didn't have our military equipment ...' he says, voice raised, giving the Ukrainian president's arm a slight shove, 'if you didn't have our military equipment this war would have been over in two weeks.'

Zelensky fires straight back accusing Trump of echoing a Putin talking point.

Trump has just given his opinion on his Truth Social platform, saying Zelensky is not ready for peace if the US is involved. It suggests there will be no minerals deal for now and that any chance of progress is on ice.

He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.

The White House press secretary declares victory.

The treasury secretary, key player in negotiating the minerals deal, also weighs in.

VP Vance weighed in on why diplomacy was the only way forward. That brings a response from Zelensky, pointing out all the times that Putin had reneged on deals.

Vance comes back saying Zelensky is out of options.

I'm talking about the kind of diplomacy that's going to end the destruction of your country, Mr. President, Mr. President, with respect. I think it's disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media.

And then it kicks off.

President Emmanuel Macron of France played tag team with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer this week, dispensing praise and gentle requests in turn, preparing the ground for the big meeting on Friday when Volodomyr Zelensky was due in town.

It was all for naught, as the Oval Office meeting with the Ukrainian president dissolved into raised voices and insults during the course of an extraordinary ten minutes.

It illustrated simply how far apart Zelensky and his European allies are from Trump and his White House.

Zelensky doesn't trust Putin. Previous deals have come and gone with Moscow ignoring agreements in pursuit of peace.

Macron, Blair and the Ukrainian president had a solution. Back any deal with American muscle. Not boots on the ground but air defense systems or long range fires.

But Trump is not interested. He wants the win and Ukrainian minerals now. Not somewhere down the road.

His early bonhomie (praising Ukrainian bravery) evaporated as VP JD Vance weighed in, accusing Zelensky of not being grateful enough for American assistance.

This goes nowhere good from here.

Trump is on fire with rage at the end of the meeting. His point is that you can't compare past broken deals with Putin, because they were brokered under different president.

Biden, they didn't respect him. They didn't respect Obama. They respect me. Let me tell you, Putin went through a hell of a lot with me. He went through a phony witch hunt where they used him and Russia, Russia, Russia. You ever hear that deal? That was a phony that was a phony Hunter, Biden, Joe, Biden scam.

Trump laid it all out at the end of the meeting. He was clear he expected gratitude from Zelensky and a willingness to sign a ceasefire.

You have to be thankful. You don't have the cards. You're buried there. Your people are dying. You're running low on soldiers. Listen, you're running low on soldiers. It would be a damn good thing... Then you tell us, I don't want a cease fire. I don't want to cease fire. I want to go and I want this

Look, if you could get a ceasefire right now, I tell you, you'd take it so the bullets stop flying and your men stop getting killed.

Trump misses Zelensky's main point that a ceasefire by itself may not be enough when you are dealing with Putin, who cannot be trusted to abide by deal.

Trump tells him that 'attitudes have to change.'

A reporter with Tass, the Russian state news agency, has just been escorted out of the Oval Office meeting between Trump and Zelensky.

The White House said they were not on the approved list to enter and were removed as soon as officials became aware. The White House said:

TASS was not on the approved list of media for today’s pool. As soon as it came to the attention of press office staff that he was in the Oval, he was escorted out by the Press Secretary. He is not on the approved list for the press conference.

The reporter's presence angered members of the White House press corps, after several regular news agencies have been barred from events for failing to cover Trump in an approving way.

Zelensky used the meeting to show Trump images of prisoners of war released by Russia, alongside pictures of what they looked like before capture.

He said it showed that Moscow was not playing by the accepted rules of war and was abusing prisoners.

They don't eat. They beat them .. Even during the war, there are rules. Everybody knows there are rules. During the war these guys, they don't have any rules. You see that?

A reminder that the killing isn't over. The Associated Press has this report:

A funeral service was held in Kyiv on Friday for a U.S. Marine Corps veteran killed while serving alongside Ukrainian forces. Family and friends said 21-year-old Ethan Hertweck had given his life fighting for freedom. Hertweck, from California, traveled to Ukraine soon after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022, initially assisting some of the millions of women and children who were fleeing the country in the earliest days of the war. After returning to the United States for several months, he returned to Ukraine to receive a combat medical license, and trained Ukrainian troops before himself joining a combat unit as a medic. In December 2023 he was guarding a military bunker in the eastern industrial region of the Donbas when Russian forces overtook his unit's position. When one of his unit was wounded, Hertweck attempted to drag him back to the safety of the bunker but was hit by gunfire in the process. He died soon after.

President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on Friday that makes English the official language of the United States.

The order allows government agencies to keep current policies and provide documents and services in other languages, but it provides flexibility to decide when and how to provide services in languages other than English, according to the White House.

The move rescinds a mandate dating back to President Bill Clinton that requires agencies and other organizations that receive federal funding to provide language assistance to non-English speakers.

'It is long past time English is recognized as the official language of the United States,' the fact sheet read.

While Trump touts his conversations with Putin, Zelensky laid down a very clear marker during their Oval Office meeting.

He referred to the Russian leader as a terrorist and insisted there could be no compromise.

But I hope that together we can stop him. But for us, very important to save our country, our values, our values, our freedom, democracy. And, of course, no compromises.

A little later, however, Trump pushed back. He tells his guest that there will have to be compromises if there is to be a peace agreement.

I think you're going to have to always make compromises. You can't do any deals without compromises.

They are still taking questions from reporters 45 minutes after their meeting started.

Trump says he wants to get the fighting over quickly. But in his Oval Office meeting he also ladled praise on Ukraine's fighting forces

'Your soldiers have been unbelievably brave,' he tells Zelensky

We give them great equipment, but somebody has to use the equipment. They've been unbelievably brave,

And we give them great credit. This was supposed to be over very quickly, and here we are, three years later. So I give tremendous gratitude, generals and your soldiers and yourself, in a sense, that been very hard fighting.

Trump is asked whether his guest will have to compromise to reach peace.

The US president says yes, and that he sees his role as a mediator who has to bring two warring parties together.

I think you're going to have to always make compromises. You can't do any deals without compromises. So certainly he's going to have to make some compromises, but hopefully they won't be as big as some people think you're going to have to make. That's all we can do. I'm here as a as an arbitrator, as a mediator, to a certain extent, between two parties that have been very hostile

Last week Trump called the Ukrainian president a 'dictator.' Today it is all warm words.

The American president is famously non-confrontational when it comes to face-to-face meetings. He may not be persuaded by Zelensky's pleas for a US security guarantee, but Trump is ever the salesman and will unlikely say no to his face.

Instead it is all talk of how well Trump knows his Ukrainian counterpart.

It's an honor to have President Zelensky of Ukraine, and we've been working very hard, very well. So we've actually known each other for a long time. We've been dealing with each other for a long time.

When immigration agents were first ordered to deport Ivan Oramas and Santos Maradiaga-Villalta, President George W. Bush was in the White House and the iPhone was a distant dream.

That was over two decades ago—yet both men were arrested this week, according to federal data reviewed by DailyMail.com.

They were among over 50,000 illegal immigrants removed so far, a Department of Homeland Security official revealed to DailyMail.com.

News of their arrest was circulated Thursday in an internal immigration memo noting recent enforcement actions made by President Donald Trump's administration.

Oramas, 61, is a citizen of Cuba with a rap sheet including convictions for sexual battery and aggravated assault.

His sexual battery case caused serious injury, according to his charges in the file.

ICE Houston nabbed Oramas this week, enforcing a deportation order first handed down in October 2003—21 years overdue.

At their meeting in the Oval Office, Trump told Zelensky a ceasefire with Russia is 'fairly close'.

Trump said he had spoken to Vladimir Putin.

Trump and Zelensky are starting their meeting in the Oval Office right now.

Jounalists inside report that Trump told Zelensky that the minerals deal is a 'very fair deal' and that they will sign it today.

Zelensky said he was hopeful the document would be a step forward for Ukraine.

Zelensky wants more than that though, and is seeking a place in negotiations with Russia as well as a U.S. security guarantee.

Zelensky just posted this video of his meeting with American senators, and thanked politicians from both sides of the aisle for their support during three years of war.

Our discussions focused on the continued military assistance for Ukraine, relevant legislative initiatives, my meeting with President Trump, efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace, our vision for ending the war, and the importance of robust security guarantees.

The controversy over White House staffers seizing control of the pool rotation for print reporters continues, but one person who sided with the press voiced her concerns about the new rules.

Conservative podcaster Megyn Kelly explained why she supported the idea of journalists, not the White House controlling which reporters had access to the president

.

French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged Friday he has 'very little hope' to make trump change his mind on applying wholesale tariffs of 25 percent on all EU products, after his trip to Washington earlier this week.

'I believe there are misunderstandings' and 'misconceptions in the trade approach' of the Trump administration, Macron said, speaking in a news conference during a trip to Portugal.

He added that describing as a tariff the value added tax, which is implemented on all local and foreign goods and services in France, is 'factually false'.

Macron argued tariffs are 'bad for everyone' because they're leading to price increases.

'The United States has nothing to gain from them,' he said.

He warned that if the U.S. decision was to be confirmed, Europeans would respond through 'reciprocal tariffs.'

The White House press pool offers a little more detail on who is with Zelensky:

The Ukrainian first deputy Prime Minister and minister of economy Yulia Svyrydenko is joining Zelenskyy. She will sign the minerals agreement with the U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, per Ukrainian Embassy.

Federal workers will receive a second email on Saturday asking them for a description of what they did last week - and this time they may have to answer it.

The emails are scheduled to become a weekly requirement, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post.

The White House has said the emails are necessary to ensure federal workers are on the job but the responses will also be used to gauge workers' alignment with President Donald Trump's agenda.

This email - unlike the first, which was sent from the Office of Management and Personnel - will be sent from the various agencies HR departments.

Eventually, the agencies will develop Microsoft forms to capture workers' five-bullet responses replies to the email will be mandatory and the collected information will go to department heads across the government.

Ukraine's President Zelensky arrived at the White House at 11:23, where he was greeted by President Trump outside the West Wing.

Trump appeared to crack a joke as Zelensky got out of his SUV, dressed down in his usual war leader garb.

'He's dressed up nice today,' Trump could be heard to say.

The two did not respond to shouted questions before heading inside for the start of their meeting.

Zelensky announced on Twitter that he had just spoken to Franklin Graham, who leads the aid charity Samaritan's Purse.

But more than that Graham (son of the late Billy Graham) is an ally and friend of Trump.

Like UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer going on Fox News after his meeting with Trump, it shows that world leaders are working out the best way to butter up a famously stubborn president.

He is seen here with Sens (left to right) Chris Coons (D), Lindsey Graham (R), and Amy Klobuchar (D).

Zelensky is expected at the White House at any moment.

A former Biden administration official accused his former colleagues of 'gaslighting' journalists and voters by denying the truth about the president's advancing age and frailty.

President Joe Biden was 81 when he bowed to the inevitable in July last year and ended his run for reelection.

Blame and recrimination have swirled among Democrats ever since, as they wonder what would have happened if he had dropped out sooner and Kamala Harris or another candidate had longer to make their case against the Republican nominee, Donald Trump.

Five former secretaries of defense are calling on Congress to hold immediate hearings on President Trump's recent firings of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and several other senior military leaders.

The five men represented Republican and Democratic administrations over the past three decades.

They said the dismissals were alarming and raised 'troubling questions about the administration's desire to politicize the military;.

Also, they said it 'removed legal constraints on the president's power.'

The five included Trump's own former defense secretary Jim Mattis.

Ukrainian media leaked what it said was the anticipated mineral deal between the two countries on Wednesday.

According to the document, the signatories will establish a co-owned, jointly managed investment fund to which Ukraine will contribute 50% of future revenues from natural resources, including minerals, hydrocarbons and other extractable materials.

Without mention of the $500bn (£395bn) initially demanded by U.S. President Donald Trump, the document spells out how the government of Ukraine 'will contribute to the Fund 50 percent of all revenues earned from the future monetization of all relevant Ukrainian Government-owned natural resource assets'.

The document, which only makes one mention of Russia, notes that both the U.S. and Ukraine 'wish to ensure' that 'those States and other persons' who have 'acted adversely to Ukraine in the conflict do not benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine following a lasting peace'.

But the document stops short of mentioning any U.S. security guarantees, except that the U.S. government 'supports Ukraine's efforts to obtain security guarantees needed to establish lasting peace'.

A left-wing grassroots organization is encouraging U.S. residents not to spend any money Friday as an act of 'economic resistance'.

It is to protest what the group's founder sees as the malign influence of billionaires, big corporations and both major political parties on the lives of working Americans.

The People's Union USA calls the 24 hours of spending abstinence, which started at midnight, an 'economic blackout'.

It is a term that has since been shared and debated on social media.

The activist movement said it also plans to promote weeklong consumer boycotts of particular companies, including Walmart and Amazon.

Other activists, faith-based leaders and consumers already are organizing boycotts to protest companies that have scaled back their DEI initiatives, and to oppose Trump's moves to abolish all federal DEI programs and policies.

Some faith leaders are encouraging their congregations to refrain from shopping at Target, one of the companies backing off DEI efforts, during the 40 days of Lent that begin Wednesday.

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals said in a ruling Friday that the government didn't make a strong showing that it could succeed on the merits in the case concerning Trump's executive order ending birthright citizenship for people born to parents not legally in the country.

It is the second appeals court to reject the administration.

The Ninth Circuit similarly rejected the government's petition for a stay in a Seattle case brought by four states.

At issue is the president's January executive order that would eliminate automatic citizenship at birth for people whose parents aren't legally in the country.

The 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to those born or naturalized in the United States.

The Trump administration centers its arguments around part of the amendment that says those born and naturalized and 'subject to the jurisdiction' of the United States, arguing those born to people not legally in the U.S. fail this test.

One question both leaders can perhaps expect today is whether Trump believes Zelensky is a 'dictator' after a furious rant on his Truth Social platform.

Asked yesterday during a meeting with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Trump appeared to make a U-turn on his position, denying he ever referred to him as a dictator.

When asked about that comment, he told reporters in the Oval Office: 'Did I say that? I can't believe I said that. Next question.'

Trump called Zelensky a 'dictator' last weekend when speaking at a Saudi-backed investment meeting in Florida. Zelensky was democratically elected by the people of the Ukraine.

The president also used the term on social media: 'A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left.'

Zelensky has not directly responded to the comment but fellow world leaders have rebuked Trump over his language.

By Geoff Earle, Deputy U.S. Political Editor

The White House is putting out the welcome mat for Ukrainian President Zelensky, who President Trump referred to as a ‘dictator’ only last week.

When Zelensky arrives for his official state visit this morning, he will be greeted by a 56 flag military flag cordon, with military members holding flags representing states and territories.

That is the same traditional honor provided to two other foreign leaders this week – UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer Thursday and French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday.

Members of the cordon were making preparations for the welcome ceremony on the north lawn of the White House in advance of a greeting set for 11 am.

Zelensky has more on his mind on a photo op. In the final hours his team has been negotiating on an ‘investment fund’ and minerals deal that does not appear to include any hard security guarantees. Instead, a draft released says the U.S. ‘supports Ukraine’s efforts to obtain security guarantees needed to establish lasting peace.’

President Zelensky will become the third world leader to enter the White House this week when he meets Donald Trump to sign a deal granting Washington access to Ukraine's rare earth minerals.

At one stage it appeared the meeting could be off when Zelensky said only the 'framework' for a deal was in place but he has travelled to the U.S. capital to meet Trump who branded him a 'dictator'.

Let's take a look at today's agenda. All timings EST:

• 11am

President Trump and President Zelensky are expected to greet one another just outside the West Wing. Observers will be keeping a close eye on the body language of the pair who have spoken warmly of one another in public despite apparent friction.

• 1pm

The leaders will hold a joint news conference in the White House where it is expected details of the deal will be announced. The key task for Zelensky is ensuring there are US security guarantees included after Trump indicated there wouldn't be.

• 5pm

Trump is expected to leave Washington for Palm Beach to spend the weekend at Mar-a-Lago

Elon Musk defended Attorney General Pam Bondi after the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files failed to meet expectations, arguing she is fighting off a 'leftist culture' at the Justice Department and FBI.

'People don't understand that you don't get instant power here,' Musk wrote on X along with a retweet of a user blaming the situation on the FBI.

The user, WallStreetMav, had written Bondi is 'fighting a leftist culture within the DoJ and FBI. Give her a chance' and then blamed the 'FBI agents who are resisting her' for the disappointing document release.

Bondi hyped expectations for the release, saying the newly released documents would 'make you sick.'

However, the approximately 200 pages mostly contained previously released information and implicated no one other than Epstein.

President Donald Trump will sign an executive order today to make English the official language of the United States, the Wall Street Journal reported.

In its nearly 250-year history, the U.S. has never had a national language.

Hundreds of languages are spoken in the country due to the immigrant populations. Trump has vowed to cut down on the number of migrants entering the country.

His order would also rescind a mandate signed by former President Bill Clinton that agencies and other groups that receive federal funding provide language assistance to non-English speakers.

A week ago Donald Trump branded Volodymyr Zelensky a dictator.

But on Friday he will host the Ukrainian president at the White House and sign a deal granting Washington access to Ukraine's rare earth minerals.

The extraordinary turnaround caps a week of frantic international diplomacy centered on Washington, as Kyiv seeks to shore up support despite Trump's recent pivot towards Russia.

Trump upended years of US policy on Ukraine two weeks ago when he spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin and started talks on ending the three-year-old war.

He also alarmed allies as he appeared to turn on Zelensky, berating him as a 'dictator without elections' and blaming Ukraine for Russia's February 2022 invasion.

But Trump's tone has softened in recent days after visits by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

'I have a lot of respect for him,' Trump said of Zelensky on Thursday. 'We're going to get along really well.'