Some interesting developments in the aftermath of special envoy Steve Witkoff spending four hours in discussions with President Vladimir Putin.
After Witkoff relayed the substance of the lengthy Putin meeting, the White House and President Trump announced a phone call between Trump and Putin is scheduled for Tuesday. The Kremlin have confirmed the call schedule.
It is important to stay focused on the factual aspects to these ongoing negotiations. President Putin’s public statements after the Witkoff meeting essentially said Russia agrees in principle with the need for a ceasefire, and the details of coordinating a 2,000km long point of conflict need to be worked out.
Meanwhile, in somewhat of a surprise statement, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s commissioner for sanctions policy, said they are open to the removal of economic sanctions against Russia as part of a negotiated peace deal.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt holds a press conference on St Patrick’s Day amid a fury of import issues domestically and on foreign policy.
Anticipated start time 1:00pm ET, with livestream links below:
Conor McGregor, former UFC two-weight world champion and Irish businessman, is at the White House on Saint Patrick’s Day to meet with President Donald Trump for what McGregor called the “most important meeting” for Ireland’s future.
“I’m here to raise the issues the people of Ireland face,” McGregor said while addressing reporters with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. “It’ll be music to the people of Ireland’s ears because never on the main stage [have] the issues the people of Ireland face been spoke.”
“There are rural towns in Ireland that have been overrun in one swoop,” he said. “That have become a minority in one swoop. So, issues need to be addressed, and the 40 million Irish-Americans, as I said, need to hear this because, if not, there will be no place to come home and visit.” WATCH:
President Trump sends a shot across the bow to those who received a preemptive pardon from the administration of Joe Biden, noting the use of an autopen could nullify the issuance.
Via Truth Social – “The “Pardons” that Sleepy Joe Biden gave to the Unselect Committee of Political Thugs, and many others, are hereby declared VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT, because of the fact that they were done by Autopen. In other words, Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them! The necessary Pardoning Documents were not explained to, or approved by, Biden. He knew nothing about them, and the people that did may have committed a crime.
Therefore, those on the Unselect Committee, who destroyed and deleted ALL evidence obtained during their two year Witch Hunt of me, and many other innocent people, should fully understand that they are subject to investigation at the highest level. The fact is, they were probably responsible for the Documents that were signed on their behalf without the knowledge or consent of the Worst President in the History of our Country, Crooked Joe Biden!” (Source)
Flying back to Washington DC from Florida, President Trump takes questions from the media and outlines his perspective on current events.
President Trump noted the people behind former Vice-President Joe Biden using an auto-pen to sign presidential policy declarations and the ramifications therein. WATCH:
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Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †
The issue of Canada becoming the 51st state arose from a conversation in Mar-a-Lago between Prime Minister Trudeau and U.S President Donald Trump.
As Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlined, Trudeau said if President Trump was to make the Canadian government pay reciprocal tariffs, open the USMCA trade agreements to force reciprocity, and/or balance economic relations on non-tariff issues, then Canada would collapse and cease to exist.
In essence, Canada cannot survive as a free and independent north American nation, without receiving all the one-way benefits from the U.S. economy. To wit, President Trump then said, if Canada cannot survive in a balanced rules environment, including putting together their own military and defenses (which it cannot), then Canada should become the 51st U.S state.
This is the first point of contention for the gender-correct qualifications of Canadian Ambassador to the U.S, Kirsten Hillman. Ambassador Hillman appears on Fox News Sunday’ to comment on U.S.-Canada relations, trade negotiations and how a federal election could impact the relationship between the two nations.
Ms. Hillman says Canadians will never give up their sovereignty. Let me repeat the non-pretending reality. If Canada loses all of the one-way benefits it receives from its relationship with the United States, the Canadian system of government and economics collapses.
Closed and non-competitive banking and finance sectors; a small military budget that does not even reach NATO expectations; an assembly or ‘pass through’ economy that doesn’t have heavy industry but instead assembles goods from foreign nations for transport into the United States; one-way excessive tariffs on American products. If these are ended, the lifestyle of the Canadian people immediately changes. Hence Trudeau saying, Canada cannot exist.
At the current rate of economic conflict, the Canadian dollar will lose 50% of its value by mid-summer 2025. This is the unavoidable reality Ms Hillman and the Canadian left-wing government will not openly discuss.
Together with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special Envoy/Ambassador Steve Witkoff, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz is one of the three key delegation members negotiating with Ukraine and Russian officials.
Steve Witkoff has spent more time in direct face-to-face meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin than any other official or diplomat in many years. Marco Rubio is the diplomat in charge as point of contact for all foreign stakeholders, and Mike Waltz talks directly to his peers in the security services of both Russia and Ukraine.
Mike Waltz appears on Fox News to discuss current foreign policy matters including the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israeli-Hamas war and the current U.S. targeting of Houthi terrorists in Yemen.
President Trump is likely to have another phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week according to Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff.
Witkoff was in Moscow Thursday for talks with President Putin and he shares how many specific details and issues were discussed. The conflict zone in Ukraine is 2,000 kilometers long, with Russian and Ukraine fire on multiple points. Despite a ceasefire on such a complicated scale, Steve Witkoff is optimistic it is possible. Video and Transcript Below:
[Transcript] – MARGARET BRENNAN: We go now to President Trump’s Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, who joins us this morning from Miami Beach. Welcome back to “Face the Nation,” Ambassador.
SPECIAL ENVOY TO THE MIDDLE EAST STEVE WITKOFF: Thank you. Thank you, Margaret. Thanks for having me.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, you just heard Secretary of State Rubio talk about these efforts to broker a ceasefire. You were the man face-to-face with Vladimir Putin. I wonder what your answer to the question is, in regard to whether this is a delay tactic or whether Vladimir Putin is sincere in seeking a ceasefire?
STEVE WITKOFF: Well, I was there for quite some time, Margaret, and I agree with the Secretary’s assessment. We made a lot of progress in that meeting. It was a meeting that was- it could have been as long as four hours, but it was certainly at least three. We talked about a lot of specifics, and I point to the large gap that existed between Ukraine and Russia prior to the inauguration, and where we are today. We have narrowed the issues between both of these parties, making a lot of progress, in my opinion, and I think that meeting underscores that.
After Witkoff relayed the substance of the lengthy Putin meeting, the White House and President Trump announced a phone call between Trump and Putin is scheduled for Tuesday. The Kremlin have confirmed the call schedule.
