Zelenskyy Tells Trump Ukraine Will Trade Thousands Of Drones For Tomahawks
'We need a lot of other weapons'
Melania Trump partners with Putin to lead humanitarian effort in war-torn region
First lady Melania Trump has joined forces with an unexpected foreign leader to lead a crucial humanitarian effort in a war-torn region.
During a press conference Friday, Mrs. Trump announced her partnership with Russian President Vladimir Putin to reunite Ukrainian children with their families. So far, eight children who were displaced by the war were reunited with their families in just the last day or so, she indicated. The first lady also confirmed that she remains in communication with Putin to continue the effort.
'I hope peace will come soon. It can begin with our children.'
"A child's soul knows no borders, no flags," Trump said.
"We must foster a future for our children which is rich with potential, security, and complete with free will," she added. "A world where dreams will be realized rather than faded by war."
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During her address, the first lady recounted the initial letter she wrote to Putin in August 2024, raising concerns about the children who were separated from their families due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
"Since then, President Putin and I have had an open channel of communication regarding the welfare of these children," Trump said.
Over the last three months, both Ukraine and Russia have participated in several "back-channel meetings" that Trump says have all been "in good faith."
"Each child has lived in turmoil because of the war in Ukraine," she said, speaking about the eight children who were reunited this week. "Three were separated from their parents and displaced to the Russian Federation because of frontline fighting. The other five were separated from family members across borders because of the conflict."
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Mrs. Trump also said that Russia has agreed to work alongside officials to return children who have turned 18 since their displacement.
"Again, this remains an ongoing effort," Trump said. "Plans are already under way to reunify more children in the immediate future. I hope peace will come soon. It can begin with our children."
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Stephanopoulos Suggests Trump DOJ Could Tamper With Epstein Evidence (And Other ABC’s This Week Questions)
Here are all the questions asked during the Sept. 7 edition of 'This Week.'Trump defends Zelenskyy against Russian official: 'It's all bulls**t'
President Donald Trump dismissed the claim of a Russian official as the commander in chief continues to negotiate peace talks with Ukraine.
Sergey Lavrov, Russia's minister of foreign affairs, recently said that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not sign a peace deal with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy because he is viewed as an "illegitimate" leader. Trump shot down Lavrov's comments during Tuesday's Cabinet meeting, saying, "Everybody is posturing."
'The issue of who is going to sign the deal on Ukrainian side is a very serious issue.'
"It doesn't matter what they say," Trump told reporters. "Everybody is posturing. It's all bullsh**t."
Trump also offered United States Special Envoy Steve Witkoff the opportunity to chime in, to which he simply said, "I agree with you, sir." The room filled with reporters and government officials promptly erupted with laughter.
Notably, Zelenskyy's five-year presidential term was set to end in May 2024, but no elections have been called due to the ongoing conflict with Russia.
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Reporter: "This weekend Sergey Lavrov was saying Putin will not sign a peace deal with Zelenskyy because Russia views him as illegitimate..."
President Trump: "It doesn't matter what they say. Everybody is posturing. It's all bullshit." pic.twitter.com/8H8AeKNqAC
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) August 26, 2025
Although the Trump administration has held separate summits with both Zelenskyy and Putin in recent weeks, Lavrov said there is "no planned meeting" between the two leaders.
In addition to challenging Zelenskyy's leadership, Lavrov reiterated the slew of preconditions Russia is demanding from Ukraine. Some of these preconditions include Ukraine agreeing not to join NATO, "the discussion of territorial issues," and for Zelenskyy to cancel any legislation "prohibiting the Russian language."
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"Irrespective of when this meeting might take place, and that must be very well prepared, the issue of who is going to sign the deal on Ukrainian side is a very serious issue," Lavrov said over the weekend.
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Survival over pride: The true test for Ukraine and Russia
When has any country been asked to give up land it won in a war? Even if a nation is at fault, the punishment must be measured.
After World War I, Germany, the main aggressor, faced harsh penalties under the Treaty of Versailles. Germans resented the restrictions, and that resentment fueled the rise of Adolf Hitler, ultimately leading to World War II. History teaches that justice for transgressions must avoid creating conditions for future conflict.
Ukraine and Russia must choose to either continue the cycle of bloodshed or make difficult compromises in pursuit of survival and stability.
Russia and Ukraine now stand at a similar crossroads. They can cling to disputed land and prolong a devastating war, or they can make concessions that might secure a lasting peace. The stakes could not be higher: Tens of thousands die each month, and the choice between endless bloodshed and negotiated stability hinges on each side’s willingness to yield.
History offers a guide. In 1967, Israel faced annihilation. Surrounded by hostile armies, the nation fought back and seized large swaths of territory from Jordan, Egypt, and Syria. Yet Israel did not seek an empire. It held only the buffer zones needed for survival and returned most of the land. Security and peace, not conquest, drove its decisions.
Peace requires concessions
Secretary of State Marco Rubio says both Russia and Ukraine will need to “get something” from a peace deal. He’s right. Israel proved that survival outweighs pride. By giving up land in exchange for recognition and an end to hostilities, it stopped the cycle of war. Egypt and Israel have not fought in more than 50 years.
Russia and Ukraine now press opposing security demands. Moscow wants a buffer to block NATO. Kyiv, scarred by invasion, seeks NATO membership — a pledge that any attack would trigger collective defense by the United States and Europe.
President Donald Trump and his allies have floated a middle path: an Article 5-style guarantee without full NATO membership. Article 5, the core of NATO’s charter, declares that an attack on one is an attack on all. For Ukraine, such a pledge would act as a powerful deterrent. For Russia, it might be more palatable than NATO expansion to its border.
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Peace requires concessions. The human cost is staggering: U.S. estimates indicate 20,000 Russian soldiers died in a single month — nearly half the total U.S. casualties in Vietnam — and the toll on Ukrainians is also severe. To stop this bloodshed, both sides need to recognize reality on the ground, make difficult choices, and anchor negotiations in security and peace rather than pride.
Peace or bloodshed?
Both Russia and Ukraine claim deep historical grievances. Ukraine arguably has a stronger claim of injustice. But the question is not whose parchment is older or whose deed is more valid. The question is whether either side is willing to trade some land for the lives of thousands of innocent people. True security, not historical vindication, must guide the path forward.
History shows that punitive measures or rigid insistence on territorial claims can perpetuate cycles of war. Germany’s punishment after World War I contributed directly to World War II. By contrast, Israel’s willingness to cede land for security and recognition created enduring peace. Ukraine and Russia now face the same choice: Continue the cycle of bloodshed or make difficult compromises in pursuit of survival and stability.
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Karoline Leavitt brutally torches New York Times reporter: 'With all due respect'
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has once again stopped the fake news media in their tracks.
During Tuesday's press briefing, Leavitt defended President Donald Trump's ongoing peace talks to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict after a New York Times reporter pressed her on the issue. A reporter named Shawn McCreesh asked Leavitt about a comment Trump made during Monday's monumental summit, when he decided to take Russian President Vladimir Putin's call privately out of respect.
'The left-wing media has been actively rooting against the president.'
"If the point is to get everybody on the same page, why wouldn't Trump just take the call from Putin while the other leaders were in the room?" McCreesh asked Leavitt. "You said it would be disrespectful to do that, but why is it disrespectful?"
"With all due respect, only a reporter from the New York Times would ask a question like that," Leavitt replied.
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"The president met with all of these European leaders at the White House 48 hours after sitting down with President Putin on American soil," Leavitt said.
"In fact, there was so much progress, and the readout that was given to these European leaders immediately following his meeting with President Putin, that every single one of them got on a plane 48 hours later and flew to the United States of America," Leavitt added.
Leavitt also set her sights on the "left-wing" media more broadly, accusing various outlets of "actively rooting against" Trump's ongoing attempts to broker peace in the region.
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"One thing that has absolutely not changed is the media's negative and downright false coverage of President Trump and his foreign policy accomplishments," Leavitt said.
"From the beginning of this entire process, much of the left-wing media has been actively rooting against the president of the United States in the pursuit of peace."
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