Zelenskyy attempts to undo damage from his meeting with Trump following US pause on military aid



President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appears keen to mend his relationship with President Donald Trump and smooth things over following his disastrous meeting at the White House on Friday.

The Ukrainian president indicated in a lengthy post on social media Tuesday that he is — contrary to Trump's repeated characterization — ready for peace and appreciative of America's long-standing support.

"Our meeting in Washington, at the White House on Friday, did not go the way it was supposed to be," wrote Zelenskyy. "It is regrettable that it happened this way. It is time to make things right. We would like future cooperation and communication to be constructive."

Zelenskyy traveled to Washington, D.C., last week to finalize a general economic agreement concerning mineral extraction. Ahead of the planned signing of the deal, Zelenskyy joined Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and multiple Cabinet officials for a press conference in the Oval Office, which did not go well.

Toward the end of the nearly 50-minute meeting, Zelenskyy — who previously suggested that without security guarantees, which were not included in the deal, "nothing will work, nothing" — cast doubt on the value of diplomacy and the possibility of a ceasefire with the Russians. Trump and Vance castigated the Ukrainian president over his perceived attempt to "relitigate" the deal and spike future peace negotiations.

Following the shouting match that ensued, Zelenskyy was reportedly told to leave the White House before the agreement could be signed.

"It's amazing what comes out through emotion, and I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved," Trump said in a Friday statement. "He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace."

'Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible.'

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, present for the heated exchange, indicated over the weekend that the economic agreement, which the Ukrainians had multiple opportunities to close, was effectively dead in the water, stressing that "it is impossible to have an economic deal without a peace deal."

Zelenskyy made matters worse on Sunday by suggesting that a deal to end the war between Kyiv and Moscow was "still very, very far away" and that continued aid from the U.S. was a certainty.

Trump proved Zelenskyy's certainty unfounded the next day, ordering a pause on all military aid being sent to Ukraine, writing, "This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy, and America will not put up with it for much longer!"

The prospect of losing military aid appears to have prompted a change in heart on Zelenskyy's part.

"I would like to reiterate Ukraine's commitment to peace," Zelenskyy wrote Tuesday. "None of us wants an endless war. Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians. My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump's strong leadership to get a peace that lasts."

The Ukrainian president floated possible "first stages" in the peace process, namely the release of prisoners as well as a naval and aerial ceasefire with Russia. He also emphasized his gratitude for "how much America has done to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence," singling out the first Trump administration's 2019 approval of anti-tank weapons to Kyiv as a critical moment.

Zelenskyy further noted that "Ukraine is ready to sign it in any time and in any convenient format."

Responding to the Ukrainian president's apparent about-face, Utah Sen. Mike Lee (R) tweeted, "That was fast."

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a longtime advocate for Zelenskyy but whose support slipped following Friday's exchange, wrote, "Better days are ahead."

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Trump admin reveals extent of planned USAID cuts — which will save America a fortune



The U.S. State Department confirmed Wednesday that the Trump administration is eliminating thousands of foreign assistance awards and grants at the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Peter Marocco, brought in by Secretary of State Marco Rubio to help run USAID, said in a statement to the federal district court presiding over two consolidated lawsuits brought against the administration by aid organizations that following a review, Secretary of State Marco Rubio decided to cut roughly 92% of the agency's grants, reported NPR.

According to a State Department memo reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon, the 92% figure reflects 5,800 grants valued at $54 billion at USAID that Trump administration officials are set to terminate. Auditors scrutinized over 9,100 more grants at the State Department, 4,100 of which — valued at $4.4 billion — are slated for elimination.

'Continuing this program is not in the national interest.'

"USAID evaluated 6,200 multi-year awards with $58.2 billion in value remaining," a State Department spokesman said in a statement to Axios. "Nearly 5,800 awards with $54 billion in value remaining were identified for elimination as part of the America First agenda."

In terms of awards that survived the cuts, roughly 500 at USAID and 2,700 at the State Department will remain.

Contractors learned of the award and grant terminations in a memo from USAID's office of acquisition and assistance. A copy of the memo obtained by NPR stated that Rubio and Marocco "have determined your award is not aligned with Agency priorities and made a determination that continuing this program is not in the national interest."

President Donald Trump noted in an aid-freezing executive order on his first day in office that the "foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values."

He further indicated that it would be the "policy of United States that no further United States foreign assistance shall be disbursed in a manner that is not fully aligned with the foreign policy of the President of the United States."

In turn, the State Department ordered a freeze on new funding for virtually all U.S. foreign assistance on Jan. 24.

Following a pair of lawsuits by aid organizations, a Biden judge issued a restraining order, requiring that the funding be released.

The U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocked U.S. District Judge Amir H. Ali's restraining order Wednesday evening.

In addition to eliminating awards and grants to wasteful programs — for instance, USAID previously blew $45 million on DEI scholarships in Burma, $2 million on sex-change activism in Guatemala, and $20 million for a "Sesame Street" show in Iraq — the Trump administration has placed all personnel at USAID "with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and/or specially designated programs" on administrative leave and is firing 1,600 positions at the agency that are presently occupied.

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Trump admin confirms all non-'essential' USAID personnel on leave, 1,600 positions being terminated



Democratic politicians and beneficiaries of taxpayer-funded U.S. Agency for International Development handouts — both foreign and domestic — have raged against the possibility that the pre-eminent international humanitarian and development arm of the federal government might undergo reform or possibly even be closed.

Their protest was evidently in vain.

The Trump administration has placed all personnel at the U.S. Agency for International Development "with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and/or specially designated programs" on administrative leave.

The action went into effect at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday.

According to a notice from the USAID Office of Inspector General, the administration is also eliminating 1,600 positions at the agency that are currently occupied.

The announcement comes on the heels of U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols' Friday decision to dissolve a temporary restraining order that protected 2,014 USAID employees from being placed on administrative leave. Those 2,014 employees would have been in addition to another 2,140 employees who were already on leave, reported the Courthouse News Service.

The union coalition of USAID employees that initially sued claimed that there would be "'catastrophic' 'humanitarian consequences' if USAID — either due to the funding freeze or a lack of staff — cannot continue to administer its standard foreign aid programs."

Nichols noted that the government "also identified plausible harms that could ensue if its actions with respect to USAID are not permitted to resume" and concluded that the plaintiffs had failed to demonstrate that "they or their members will suffer irreparable injury absent an injunction."

President Donald Trump noted in an executive order on his first day in office that the "foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values."

'You just gotta basically get rid of the whole thing.'

The president further indicated that moving forward, it would be the "policy of United States that no further United States foreign assistance shall be disbursed in a manner that is not fully aligned with the foreign policy of the President of the United States."

The U.S. Department of Government Efficiency took a close look at USAID and exposed its apparent use of taxpayer funds to support anti-American and leftist causes.

Blaze News previously reported, for example, that USAID blew $45 million on DEI scholarships in Burma; $2 million on sex-change activism in Guatemala; $37.9 million to study HIV among prostitutes, their johns, and transvestites in South Africa; $520 million for consultant-driven climate alarmist investments in Africa; $20 million on a "Sesame Street" show in Iraq; $1 million on a Hamas-linked charity in Gaza; and $4.67 million on EcoHealth Alliance, the scandal-plagued group whose subcontractor executed gain-of-function experiments on coronaviruses at the Wuhan lab.

Elon Musk, the head of the DOGE, suggested earlier this month, "As we dug into USAID, it became apparent that what we have here is not an apple with a worm in it, but we have, actually, just a ball of worms."

"And when there is no apple, you just gotta basically get rid of the whole thing," added Musk.

While dead weight was put on leave, agency personnel deemed "essential" were notified by 5 p.m. on Feb. 23 that they were expected to continue working.

Workers overseas who are getting the boot will apparently have access to a USAID-funded return travel program and will enjoy continued access to agency systems and diplomatic resources until their return home.

The American Foreign Service Association, the union that filed the lawsuit challenging terminations at USAID, said in a statement, "AFSA is deeply disappointed by the administration's hurried and callous decision to keep our dedicated public servants in limbo."

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WH press secretary justifies US aid freeze by suggesting taxpayers were on the hook for Gazan condoms



President Donald Trump ordered a pause in foreign aid on Jan. 20, eliciting backlash from beneficiaries abroad and vested interests at home.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt provided pearl-clutchers with a reality check Tuesday, identifying two damning examples of how tens of millions of American tax dollars were allegedly set to be squandered in distant lands: in one instance on condoms in a terrorist hotbed and in other instance on a scandal-plagued international organization the U.S. is leaving in the dust.

Trump, convinced that the U.S. "foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values," ordered a 90-day pause in foreign aid, affording his administration an opportunity to review relevant programs "for programmatic efficiency and consistency with United States foreign policy."

In accordance with Trump's order, Secretary of State Marco Rubio paused all U.S. foreign assistance funded by or through the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

"Reviewing and realigning foreign assistance on behalf of hardworking taxpayers is not just the right thing to do, it is a moral imperative," Tammy Bruce, a spokeswoman for the department, said in a statement Sunday. "The secretary is proud to protect America's investment with a deliberate and judicious review of how we spend foreign assistance dollars overseas."

'The aid community is grappling with just how existential this aid suspension is.'

Following the State Department's announcement, Trump noted during House Republicans' annual retreat Monday in Florida, "We get tired of giving massive amounts of money to countries that hate us, don't we?"

The possibility that the American government might condition foreign aid on whether a given initiative abroad makes the U.S. safer, stronger, and more prosperous rankled various activists and NGOs.

InterAction, the biggest alliance of international aid organizations in the country, condemned the funding freeze, alleging in a statement that it "creates dangerous vacuums that China and our adversaries will quickly fill."

"It stops assistance in countries critical to U.S. interests, including Taiwan, Syria, and Pakistan," continued the statement from InterAction. "And, it halts decades of lifesaving work through PEPFAR that helps babies to be born HIV-free."

Abby Maxman, the president and CEO of Oxfam, told ABC News in a statement, "The aid community is grappling with just how existential this aid suspension is — we know this will have life-or-death consequences for millions around the globe, as programs that depend on this funding grind to a halt without a plan or safety net."

"This decision must be reversed, and funding and programming must be allowed to move forward," added Maxman.

'Everybody rips off the United States.'

A reporter complained during the White House press briefing Tuesday that Trump's freezes and attempted freezes on federal funding were executed with "little notice," putting organizations on the back foot.

After noting in reply that Americans' "tax dollars actually matter this this administration," Leavitt provided examples of why quick action was warranted, noting that the White House budget office and the Department of Government Efficiency found that "there was $37 million that was about to go out the door to the World Health Organization."

Leavitt indicated that it is clear from Trump's executive order withdrawing from the WHO that such funding "wouldn't be in line with the president's agenda."

Trump set the ball rolling on severing all official ties with the WHO via executive order on Jan. 20, stating that the "WHO continues to demand unfairly onerous payments from the United States, far out of proportion with other countries' assessed payments. China, with a population of 1.4 billion, has 300 percent of the population of the United States, yet contributes nearly 90 percent less to the WHO."

"World Health ripped us off," said Trump. "Everybody rips off the United States. It's not going to happen any more."

'We are protecting American taxpayers.'

"DOGE and OMB also found that there was about to be 50 million taxpayer dollars that went out the door to fund condoms in Gaza," Leavitt added Tuesday. "That is a preposterous waste of taxpayer money."

Some critics have questioned whether $50 million was actually earmarked for shipping condoms to Gaza, which only has a population of around 2.1 million people. Doubts were fueled in part by reports highlighting that in 2023, USAID allocated $60.8 million in funding for condoms and female contraceptives globally and that none of that funding went to Gaza. Only $45,681 worth of condoms were delivered to the Middle East that fiscal year.

State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce clarified in an X thread that the blocked funds for contraception were part of $102 million in planned "unjustified funding to a contractor in Gaza."

A Trump administration official confirmed to the Independent on Wednesday that the blocked grants were partly for contraceptives but also for the International Medical Corps, an America-based organization that operates field hospitals in Gaza, to provide "family planning programming including emergency contraception; sexual health care including prevention and management of sexually transmitted infections; and adolescent sexual and reproductive health."

Todd Bernhardt, a spokesman for the IMC, told the Washington Post that "no U.S. government funding was used to procure or distribute condoms."

While it's unclear whether taxpayers were actually on the hook for Gazan condoms, Bruce noted that the overall pause in foreign assistance has enabled the State Department to prevent $16 million in funding from going to institutional contractors in gender development offices; $4 million from going to the Center for Climate-Positive Development; $12 million from going to provide support services to the USAID Bureau for Resilience, Environment, and Food Security; $6 million from going to fund "administrative support for an already bloated 'Center of Excellence'"; and $600,000 to fund technical assistance for family planning in Latin America.

"We will not allow the bureaucracy to exploit a crisis and waste taxpayer dollars. We are protecting American taxpayers, safeguarding America’s national security, and ensuring actual lifesaving humanitarian aid continues," said Bruce.

Government data shows that the U.S. blew $68 billion on foreign aid in 2023 and had nearly $40 billion in obligations for fiscal year 2024.

According to the United Nations, the U.S. is far and away the biggest global provider of humanitarian aid, accounting for over 42% of funding worldwide last year. The runner-up was the European Union, which collectively accounted for only 8.1% of global funding.

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Biden-Appointed Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump’s Freeze On Federal Grants

Judge AliKhan said the decision was "brief administrative stay"

Speaker Johnson announces House will vote on measures for Ukraine aid, Israel aid, and more



House Speaker Mike Johnson has announced a plan for the congressional chamber to vote on measures that would provide U.S. aid for countries such as Israel and Ukraine.

Johnson said there will be votes on the "measures separately in four different pieces" that will cover assistance for Israel, Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific, and issues pertaining to "national security priorities."

GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said she believes this is the "wrong direction."

"Our border is the number one policy issue that voters care about all across the country," she said.

— (@)

Republican Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida also emphasized the issue of U.S. border security, calling it "atrocious" for D.C. to remain focused on Ukraine while ignoring America's southern border.

"Closing the Southern Border is nowhere to be found," GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado tweeted in response to a post on the @SpeakerJohnson X account regarding the speaker's plan for votes on the various measures.

The post on Johnson's account indicated that "this week, we will consider separate bills" that would "fund our ally Israel," "support Ukraine in its war against Russian aggression," "strengthen our allies in the Indo-Pacific," and "pass additional measures to counter our adversaries and strengthen our national security."

— (@)

The House Freedom Caucus had issued a statement on Monday expressing support for the prospect of Israel aid while declaring that it would not "abide using the emergency situation in Israel as a bogus justification to ram through Ukraine aid with no offset and no security for our own wide-open borders."

The U.S. national debt currently stands at more than $34.5 trillion.

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Biden Doesn’t Need Congress To Get ‘Urgent’ Aid To Ukraine, So Why Is He Blaming Republicans?

Biden already has the authority to send roughly the same amount of aid he is demanding from Congress in the 'emergency' supplemental bill.

Speaker Johnson Says No Ukraine Aid Without Border Funding After Meeting Zelenskyy

'No clear strategy to win'

Biden and Senate Democrats set to kill Republican aid package to Israel



House Republicans passed a bill Thursday that would ensure Israel has the means to combat and ultimately defeat the terrorist organization that slaughtered thousands of civilians last month, including at least 33 Americans. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has indicated that he and his fellow Democrats in the Senate will kill the aid package and instead condition support for Israel on other foreign expenditures.

Fresh off announcing a campaign to fight so-called Islamophobia, President Biden has also vowed to veto the aid package.

In 2022, Biden ratified Democratic climate and tax legislation that allocated $80 billion to the IRS over a 10-year period. Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) introduced a bill this week that would take some of the money previously intended to strengthen American taxmen and instead provide $14.3 billion in aid to Israel amid its war with Hamas.

The "Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act" passed Thursday largely along party lines in a 226-196 vote — a major success for the new House speaker from Louisiana who championed the legislation.

Republican Reps. Thomas Massie (Ky.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) voted against the bill. While most Democrats voted in concert with anti-Israel progressives like Rep. Rashida Tlaib (Mich.), 12 ultimately supported the legislation.

NBC News reported that some Democrats cited the IRS cuts as their reason for not supporting the act.

"Tonight, a bipartisan group of members voted to send immediate aid to Israel, our greatest ally in the Middle East. Our supplemental package, which is fully offset, provides Israel with advanced weapons systems, supports the Iron Dome missile defense system, and replenishes American domestic defense stockpiles," said House Speaker Mike Johnson. "This is necessary and critical assistance as Israel fights for its right to exist."

"With anti-Semitism on the rise both domestically and abroad, it's imperative that the U.S. sends a message to the world that threats made against Israel and the Jewish people will be met with strong opposition," added Johnson.

The House speaker called on the Senate and the White House not to dawdle; however, Democrats in both have indicated that additional expenditures must be tacked on for there to be any movement on renewed support for Israel.

After once again attacking Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville over his principled protest of Pentagon abortion policy, Schumer said on the Senate floor, "The Senate will not take up the House GOP's deeply flawed proposal."

"It still mystifies me that a moment when the world is in crisis, at a time when we need to help Israel respond to Hamas, the House GOP thought it was a good idea to tie Israel aid to a hard-right proposal that will raise the deficit," continued the New York Democrat. "Why would they make support for Israel conditioned on this hard-right giveaway to the wealthy?"

Instead, Schumer indicated that Senate Democrats will condition support for Israel on aid to Ukraine, humanitarian aid to Gaza, and "competition with the Chinese government."

Where Ukraine is concerned, Johnson has indicated that more funding may be on the way, although legislation to that end might also entail means to address the unprecedented crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, reported the New York Times.

"It's just a matter of principle that, if we're going to take care of a border in Ukraine, we need to take care of America's border as well," said Johnson.

It may be premature to discuss separate aid packages, as President Joe Biden — like Senate lawmakers, Democratic and Republican alike — appears keen on an all-or-nothing approach.

Biden has vowed to veto the Israel aid package. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stressed Thursday, "The president would veto an Israel-only bill. I think we have made that clear."

The White House wants a $106 billion aid package along the lines Schumer vaguely described, including aid for Palestinians and investments in the Indo-Pacific.

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Rashida Tlaib accuses Israel of 'ethnic cleansing in Gaza'



Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan issued a statement on Thursday in which she accused Israel of perpetrating "ethnic cleansing in Gaza."

"As the Israeli government carries out ethnic cleansing in Gaza, President Biden is cheering on Netanyahu, whose own citizens are protesting his refusal to support a ceasefire," Tlaib said in her statement.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed an Israel aid measure on Thursday, with most Republicans and a dozen Democrats voting for passage. Two Republicans, Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, voted against the measure, which would provide billions in aid to the Jewish state while slashing funding for the IRS.

"Soaring inflation and high interest rates are due to overspending. We can’t afford more foreign aid. I voted against the billions for Ukraine, and I am voting against $14+ billion of foreign aid for Israel tonight," Massie tweeted.

Greene shared a video in which she discussed her vote against the supplemental while noting that she is a staunch supporter of Israel.

— (@)

Greene had put forward a resolution to censure Tlaib last week, but Democrats and more than 20 Republicans voted to table it on Wednesday.

Tlaib, like the bulk of House Democrats, voted against the Israel supplemental appropriations measure on Thursday.

"U.S. funding for the Israeli military with no humanitarian conditions will take us father away from ending the violence and reaching peace. Achieving a just and lasting peace requires lifting the blockade, ending the occupation, and dismantling the dehumanizing system of apartheid. Not only do some of my colleagues want to send more weapons to carry out war crimes and violations of international law, but they want to do it by providing tax breaks to billionaires and undermining crucial investments in our communities," Tlaib said in her statement.

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