Trump says he'll meet with Putin on Ukraine war "as soon as we can," amid low hopes for Ukraine-Russia talks
CBSN
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates — President Trump said Friday that he's moving to set up direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as he can, after Putin opted to skip peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey.
"I think it's time for us to just do it," Mr. Trump told reporters as he wrapped a four-day visit to the Middle East. Later, he told reporters on Air Force One, setting off on the journey back to Washington, that he might call Putin soon.
"He and I will meet, and I think we'll solve it or maybe not," Mr. Trump said. "At least we'll know. And if we don't solve it, it'll be very interesting."

Air travelers faced hundreds of flight cancellations and thousands of delays on Tuesday in the wake of powerful storms that struck the Midwest and Eastern Seaboard. Many airports also continue to struggle with disruption from reduced staffing at often-jammed security checkpoints amid a partial government shutdown that has lasted more than a month. Mark Strassmann contributed to this report. In:

The race to fill the seat of retiring Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin has been heating up in the days leading up to Tuesday's 2026 Democratic primary and could set the tone for other midterm primaries on issues like President Trump's deportation policies and outside spending. And another factor in the race is Gov. JB Pritzker's attempt at powerbrokering: he's given his endorsement and millions in campaign funds to his lieutenant governor, Julianna Stratton. In:

A man who was accused of planting pipe bombs outside the Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee headquarters on the eve of the Jan. 6 attack in 2021 is asking a judge to dismiss the criminal charges against him, arguing he is covered by President Trump's sweeping pardons of alleged Jan. 6 rioters.

The Cuban government is planning to allow Cuban nationals who live abroad — including in the U.S. — to invest in companies on the island, a top government official told NBC News in an interview that aired Monday, as the country faces economic collapse and immense pressure from the Trump administration.









