Steve Witkoff, an envoy for US President Donald Trump, mentioned on Sunday that he anticipates a conversation between the US president and Vladimir Putin this week. Witkoff stated that the Russian leader “embraces the philosophy” behind Trump’s ceasefire and peace proposal.
In an interview with UJ, Witkoff characterized his discussions with Putin over several hours last week as “positive” and “focused on solutions.” He refused to confirm whether Putin’s demands included the surrender of Ukrainian forces in Kursk, the international acknowledgment of territories seized by Russia as Russian, restrictions on Ukraine’s mobilization capabilities, a cessation of Western military assistance, and a prohibition on foreign peacekeepers.
Here are the main Trump administration stories from Sunday:
Trump and Putin anticipated to discuss ceasefire conditions this week, envoy reports
As Trump and Putin gear up for dialogue, concerns have arisen that the settlement being advocated by the Trump administration may resemble an outright victory for Russia, potentially undermining Ukraine and its European allies.
Last week, Trump and Putin raised alarms in Kyiv by exchanging warm remarks, as the new US administration seems to be warming relations with Moscow while employing hostile rhetoric towards Ukraine and scaling back some military support.
Read the complete story
Democrats target Musk as unelected billionaire’s popularity wanes
For weeks, Donald Trump and Republicans have insisted that vital programs like Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare would remain untouched. However, Musk recently suggested they may become primary targets. Democrats wasted no time in responding.
“The average Social Security recipient in this country lives on just $65 a day. But you want to cut Social Security while Elon Musk rakes in at least $8 million a day from taxpayer-funded contracts,” said Hakeem Jeffries, the US House minority leader, in a speech the next day. “If you’re looking for waste, fraud, or abuse, start there.”
Read the complete story
US deported 250 suspected gang members to El Salvador despite court ruling
The US deported over 250 alleged gang members, primarily from Venezuela, to El Salvador, despite a ruling from a US judge that demanded a halt to the flights on Saturday after Donald Trump controversially invoked the Alien Enemies Act, a law from 1798 intended for wartime use only.
Read the complete story
Mercenary mogul Erik Prince advocates for privatizing Trump’s deportation initiatives
A familiar figure in the MAGA movement is emerging: businessman Erik Prince, often dubbed a living “Bond villain” by critics. The founder of the now-defunct private military company Blackwater, Prince is now pivotal in a network of contractors proposing a $25 billion plan to privatize the mass deportation of 12 million migrants.
Read the complete story
US Defense Department removes webpage honoring Black Medal of Honor recipient
The US Defense Department has taken down a webpage celebrating an Army general who earned the Medal of Honor for his service in the Vietnam War, instead redirecting to a page now featuring the letters “DEI” in its URL.
On Saturday, the webpage dedicated to US Army Maj Gen Charles Calvin Rogers’s Medal of Honor led users to a “404” error, with the URL modified to replace “medal” with “deimedal”.
Read the complete story
How a little-known US government office became a target of Elon Musk
On the afternoon of February 3, while federal employees were working in a lesser-known office dedicated to technology and consulting services, Elon Musk tweeted about their agency for the first time.
“That group has been deleted,” Musk tweeted.
Read the complete story
Pete Hegseth infusing his beliefs into the Defense Department
Over 50 days into Donald Trump’s second term, his Department of Defense is swiftly evolving to reflect the ideology of its secretary, Pete Hegseth.
Many of Hegseth’s opinions and rants from his Fox News days are now being implemented as policy in the Pentagon.
Read the complete story
Analysis: Trump claims the economy declined under Biden; in reality, the opposite holds true
Donald Trump continuously asserts that he inherited a bad economy from Joe Biden, a narrative that many Americans accept, though it is false. In fact, standard economic indicators show that the US economy was performing well when Biden handed over the presidency to Trump, despite many Americans expressing dissatisfaction over inflation in polls.
Read the complete story
Michael Lewis and John Lanchester: ‘Trump is a machine that destroys trust’
Ahead of the 2024 election, the two authors worked to counter Trump’s intentions to dismantle the federal government, launching an investigation that aimed to transform the public’s perception of civil servants from bureaucrats to heroes. Now, their greatest fears have been realized:
Read the complete story
