International

Trump will receive Zelenski in the US next week and talk to Putin on the phone

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced this Friday that next week he plans to receive his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, at the White House, and will speak on the phone with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, in an attempt to end the war in Ukraine.

“I will probably meet with President Zelensky next week and also talk to President Putin. I would like that war to end,” he said in statements to the press in the Oval Office, where he met with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

The last time Trump met with Zelenski was in December in Paris, in a three-man meeting sponsored by the French president, Emmanuel Macron.

Trump had not yet taken office, but served as president-elect after winning the elections weeks earlier against Democrat Kamala Harris.

This Friday, the US president announced, without giving more details, that Zelenski will be in Washington next week.

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With regard to Putin, he assured that both have had “always a good relationship.”

“Putin and I have always had a good relationship. That’s why it’s so sad that this (the war) happened. This would never have happened if I had been president,” said the US president.

“So many dead people and so many destroyed cities. Let’s talk about Gaza, but let’s look at Ukraine. Many of those cities are mere rubble. It’s so sad, it should never have happened. All those beautiful golden domes, but most importantly, all those beautiful dead people. It should never have happened,” he added.

Trump said this week that he wants Ukraine to deliver rare earths to the United States – key minerals for technological innovations ranging from electric vehicles and wind turbines to state-of-the-art aircraft – in exchange for the help that Washington is providing.

He has also threatened Moscow with tariffs and more sanctions, as well as promoting a drop in oil prices if the war continues.

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Trump advocated before his arrival at the White House on January 20 to end the conflict in Ukraine immediately, something he has not achieved for the moment.

International

Florida judge sets 2027 trial in Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against BBC

A federal judge in Florida has scheduled February 2027 for the trial in the lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump against the BBC, in which he is seeking $10 billion in damages for defamation.

Trump accuses the British broadcaster of airing a misleading edit of a speech he delivered on January 6, 2021, which, he says, made it appear that he explicitly urged his supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

The president filed the suit in December in federal court in Florida, alleging defamation and violations of a law governing business practices when the program was broadcast ahead of the 2024 election.

Trump is seeking $5 billion in damages for each of the two claims.

Lawyers for the BBC unsuccessfully asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing that Trump had not suffered a “legally recognizable harm,” since the investigative program Panorama, which included the edited footage, aired outside the United States.

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International

Head-of-state diplomacy key to guiding China–U.S. ties, Beijing says

Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China–United States relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday during a regular press briefing, when asked about high-level exchanges between the two sides.

Lin added that in a recent phone call, U.S. President Donald Trump once again expressed his intention to visit China in April, while Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his invitation.

Both sides remain in communication regarding the matter, the spokesperson said.

Lin noted that the essence of China–U.S. economic and trade ties lies in mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

“Both parties should work together to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, injecting greater certainty and stability into China–U.S. economic and trade cooperation, as well as into the global economy,” he said.

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International

Trump administration to end special immigration operation in Minnesota

The administration of Donald Trump is bringing to a close its special operation targeting illegal immigration in the northern state of Minnesota, border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday, following weeks of unrest and the fatal shootings of two activists by federal agents.

Thousands of federal officers had been deployed to Minnesota in December to carry out large-scale raids against undocumented immigrants.

The operations triggered strong reactions from residents and advocacy groups, leading to daily confrontations and the deaths of two people who were shot by federal agents.

“I proposed, and President Trump agreed, that this special operation should end in Minnesota,” Homan said during a press conference in the state capital, Minneapolis.

“A significant drawdown began this week and will continue into next week,” he added.

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Homan indicated that similar enforcement efforts could be launched in other cities.

“Next week we will redeploy the agents currently here back to their home stations or to other parts of the country where they are needed. But we will continue to enforce immigration laws,” he said.