Salem News Channel

Putin And Trump Still ‘Maybes’ For Ukraine Peace Talks That Russian Leader Proposed

U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin were still “maybes” for what could be the first direct peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv in years after the Kremlin on Wednesday held off disclosing who would represent Russia. Putin on Sunday proposed direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul on Thursday “without any preconditions”. But he did not say who would be attending from Moscow’s side and his spokesman was unable to give further details on the matter on Wednesday. Trump earlier this week urged Ukraine to attend the talks and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy quickly said he would be there, but only if Putin showed up, setting up a diplomatic standoff as part of an apparent contest to show Trump who wants peace more. Trump said on Wednesday he himself was still considering whether to attend the talks in Turkey but did not know whether Putin would go, something that Zelenskiy has challenged the Kremlin leader to do “if he’s not afraid”. “(Putin) would like me to be there, and that’s a possibility… I don’t know that he would be there if I’m not there. We’re going to find out,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Qatar. Trump wants the two sides to sign up to a 30-day ceasefire in what is Europe’s biggest land war since World War Two, and a Russian lawmaker said on Wednesday there could also be discussions about a huge prisoner of war exchange. Zelenskiy backs an immediate 30-day ceasefire, but Putin has said he first wants to start talks at which the details of such a ceasefire could be discussed. MORE SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA? Trump, who is growing increasingly frustrated with both Russia and Ukraine as he tries to push them towards a peace settlement, said he was “always considering” secondary sanctions against Moscow if he thought it was blocking the process. U.S. officials have spoken about possible financial sanctions as well as potential secondary sanctions on buyers of Russian oil. A Ukrainian diplomatic source told Reuters on Wednesday that Ukraine’s leadership would decide on its next steps for peace talks in Turkey once there was clarity on Putin’s participation. “Everything will depend on whether Putin is scared of coming to Istanbul or not. Based on his response, the Ukrainian leadership will decide on the next steps,” the source said, If Putin agrees to join, it would be the first meeting between the leaders of the two warring countries since December 2019. Direct talks between negotiators from Ukraine and Russia last took place in Istanbul in March 2022, a month after Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine. Unconfirmed Russian and U.S. media reports have said that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy aide, will be in Istanbul and ready to meet their Ukrainian counterparts. Asked by reporters in a daily briefing on Wednesday if the Kremlin could reveal the make-up of the Russian delegation, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “We will do that when we get an instruction to do so from the president.” “The Russian delegation will be waiting for the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul on May 15,” he added. Trump has said he will send Secretary of State Marco Rubio and senior envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg to the talks, while also offering to attend himself.

US could get trillions from Trump's Middle East visit

Charlie Kirk breaks down how President Trump's visit to the Middle East could make the U.S. trillions of dollars. See more on Salem News Channel.

Trump’s Meeting with Syria’s New President Could Mark a Turning Point for the Mideast

President Donald Trump has met with interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia. It's the first encounter between the two nations’ leaders in 25 years and one that could mark a turning point for the region as Syria struggles to emerge from decades of international isolation. The meeting marks a major turn of events for a Syria still adjusting to life after the over 50-year, iron-gripped rule of the Assad family, and for its new leader, who once had a $10 million U.S. bounty for his arrest.

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Mike Gallagher says President Trump gave a speech that could change the course of history while in Saudi Arabia. See more on Salem News Channel.

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Jake Tapper spent years running cover for the Biden administration. But now, CNN's lead anchor is happy to profit off of the truth he has been hiding.

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Trump meets with Syria's interim president, a first in 25 years

President Trump has met with Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, the first such encounter between the two nations’ leaders in 25 years. See more on Salem News Channel.

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What to Expect at RFK Jr.'s First Senate Hearing as Health Secretary

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is making his first appearance as health secretary before the powerful Senate health committee. Kennedy is expected to face intense scrutiny Wednesday about the thousands of jobs he’s eliminated at the Department of Health and Human Services, the steep cuts he’s made to vaccination campaigns and his response to a measles outbreak that’s sickened 1,000 people. Kennedy will speak about the agency’s budget request for the year, which includes a $500 million boost for his “Make America Healthy Again” initiative to promote nutrition and healthier lifestyles. The proposed budget also makes deep cuts, including to infectious disease prevention, maternal health and preschool programs.