Biden aides allegedly fretted then-president would need wheelchair if re-elected, new book reveals
Former President Joe Biden‘s aides privately discussed the possibility of the president needing to use a wheelchair if he were re-elected in the 2024 race, as his physical deterioration spiraled in 2023 and 2024, a new book claims. “Biden’s physical deterioration — most apparent in his halting walk — had become so severe that there were internal discussions about putting the president in a wheelchair, but they couldn’t do so until after the election,” an upcoming book called “Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again” states. CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson authored the upcoming book, which is set to be released Tuesday and is just the latest in a series of recent political books detailing the unprecedented 2024 presidential election, where calls mounted for Biden’s exit due to concerns over his mental acuity and age. “Given Biden’s age, (his physician Kevin O’Connor) also privately said that if he had another bad fall, a wheelchair might be necessary for what could be a difficult recovery,” the authors wrote. BIDEN’S TEAM HID THE TRUTH ABOUT HIS HEALTH ALL ALONG: WH PRESS SEC Concerns over Biden’s physical agility worsened in June 2023, when the president tripped over a sandbag at the Air Force Academy’s graduation ceremony, Axios reported. BIDEN’S FALL AT AIR FORCE COMMENCEMENT DRAWS CONCERN, MOCKERY: ‘THIS ISN’T FAIR TO ANYONE’ “He’s fine. There was a sandbag on stage while he was shaking hands,” a White House official posted to X at the time, while critics of the president denounced the fall as “sad” and an example of “elder abuse” of the president. Biden’s aides worked to create shorter walking paths for the president — and insisted that he use handrails while walking on staircases and wear sneakers — and took more care in guiding him while in public as the 2024 campaign cycle heated up, Axios reported of the book. Biden’s mental acuity had been under conservatives’ microscope since before the 2020 election, with concerns heightening in February 2024 when special counsel Robert Hur, who was investigating Biden’s alleged mishandling of classified documents as vice president, announced he would not recommend criminal charges against Biden for possessing classified materials after his vice presidency, calling Biden “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” BIDEN AIDES ‘SCRIPTED’ EVERYTHING, ALLOWED HIS FACULTIES TO ‘ATROPHY,’ NEW BOOK CLAIMS Concern over his mental acuity hit a fever pitch in June 2024, when Biden took the debate stage to face off against then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Biden’s debate performance was seen as a failure, with traditional allies soon joining conservatives in their concern over the president’s health in the context of encouraging Biden to pass the mantle to a younger generation of U.S. leaders. Biden dropped out at the end of July 2024, giving his successor for the nomination, former Vice President Kamala Harris, just over 100 days to rally support. Trump and Vice President JD Vance secured the election win after locking down support in the top seven battleground states. EX-BIDEN AIDE SAYS FORMER PRESIDENT WAS ‘FATIGUED, BEFUDDLED, AND DISENGAGED’ PRIOR TO JUNE DEBATE: BOOK A Biden spokesperson told Axios when asked about the claims in the upcoming book that, “Yes, there were physical changes as he got older, but evidence of aging is not evidence of mental incapacity.” The spokesperson defended that Biden’s “stiffened gait” seen while he was in office was due “in part, by wear and tear to his spine — but that no special treatment was necessary and that it had not worsened.” “We are still waiting for someone, anyone, to point out where Joe Biden had to make a presidential decision or make a presidential address where he was unable to do his job because of mental decline. In fact, the evidence points to the opposite — he was a very effective president,” the unidentified spokesperson told Fox Digital. Fox News Digital reached out to Biden’s office Tuesday morning for additional comment on the matter but did not immediately receive a reply.
Operation Keller: Three LeT terrorists killed in encounter in Shopian, involved in major killing operation in past one year
Three terrorists affiliated with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) were killed in the Shukroo forest area of Keller in South Kashmir’s Shopian district. Earlier in April, following the Pahalgam attack, Srinagar Police conducted extensive searches at multiple locations across the city.
Ted Cruz wants Uncle Sam to give each American baby $1,000
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Tx., has introduced a proposal for the federal government to provide $1,000 in an account for every American child. The “Invest America Act” would create “a private tax-advantaged account with a $1,000 seed investment from the federal government for every American child at birth,” according to a press release. People would also be able to add funds to the account. CHINA WINNING AI RACE WOULD BE ‘CATASTROPHIC,’ SAYS TED CRUZ AFTER SAM ALTMAN HEARING “Each Invest America account will be open to contributions from individuals, family members, friends, and businesses up to $5,000 annually,” the release states. “The account investments can be placed in a broad, low-cost fund that tracks the S&P 500, growing tax-deferred until the individual reaches age 18. Distributions after age 18 would be taxed at the capital gains rate.” Cruz’s proposal comes as the U.S. national debt is more than $36.2 trillion, and is likely to keep climbing. TED CRUZ MOCKS ‘CRAZY TOWN’ DEMS, AS MARYLAND SENATOR GETS DEFENSIVE ABOUT ADVOCACY FOR ALLEGED MS-13 MEMBER “Every child in America will have private investment accounts that will compound over their lives, enhancing the prosperity and economic participation of the vast majority of Americans. When people years from now talk about the changes created by Republican efforts this Congress, this is one of the landmark achievements they will talk about,” Cruz said, according to the press release. The House Ways and Means Committee is slated to markup “The One, Big, Beautiful Bill” on Tuesday. The legislation under consideration includes a pilot program for providing $1,000 in “MAGA accounts” for children born during a certain period of time. NO MILLIONAIRE TAX HIKE IN TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ “What is powerful is enabling every child in America to have an investment account and a stake in the American free enterprise system,” Cruz noted, according to Semafor.
Republican group lays out plan to gain ground in 2 key Dem-leaning states in 2025 elections
FIRST ON FOX: The first election cycle of President Donald Trump’s second term poses an opportunity for the GOP to make electoral inroads in two Democrat-leaning states, a Republican campaign group said in a memo being released Tuesday. The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) announced Tuesday that Republicans will take an offensive posture in the lead-up to the November elections in the Democrat-leaning states of Virginia and New Jersey. The group hopes to take the lessons learned from Democrat gains seen following Trump’s first electoral victory in 2016 to create a more winning strategy for the first election cycle of Trump’s second term. “While the 2025 races in Virginia and New Jersey will be challenging, we have the opportunity – and strategy – to avoid a 2017 relapse,” RSLC President Edith Jorge-Tuñón wrote in a memo released Tuesday outlining the group’s strategy for the states. “We have learned from our past experiences and are ready to fight smarter. With the right resources, we can break through Democrat strongholds, make strides in key districts, and disrupt the Left’s plan to gain unchecked momentum heading into 2026.” THESE ARE THE 2025 ELECTIONS TO WATCH AS TRUMP RETURNS TO WHITE HOUSE New Jersey and Virginia will be seeing several important statewide elections later this year, including elections for governor and several races for various key House seats that could prove pivotal for the balance of power in these states. Both states will also see local races this year for major school districts, such as Virginia’s Loudoun County, as well as some races for municipal government employees, such as Jersey City mayor and Richmond City commonwealth attorney. GOP LAWMAKERS DEMAND LOUDOUN COUNTY SCHOOLS INVESTIGATE ALLEGED ‘ATTACKS’ AGAINST PARENTS The RSLC strategy says that in both Virginia and New Jersey, Republicans plan to focus on Democrats’ legislative shortcomings on issues such as taxes, crime and education through digital ad campaigns, as opposed to focusing on defending the Trump administration’s actions. “Riding the momentum of the 2016 presidential win, Republicans in 2017 were caught off guard as Democrats successfully nationalized local races, linking GOP candidates to federal dysfunction,” the group’s strategy memo stated. “With President Trump returning to the White House, Democrats are licking their chops and not being shy about it. They are confident that his comeback will bolster their efforts to change the power dynamics, positioning 2025 as a pivotal moment for a significant political realignment. It’s up to us to prove them wrong.” The RSLC said it also intends to continue to push robust absentee ballot and early voting initiatives in Virginia and New Jersey as part of its strategy for 2025 in these states. The RSLC said it plans on reaching out to “low-propensity Republican voters,” noting this strategy helped Republicans in Virginia prevent Democrats from increasing their legislative majorities in 2023. LIBERAL WINS FIRST MAJOR 2025 STATEWIDE BATTLEGROUND ELECTION IN RACE TURNED INTO TRUMP-MUSK REFERENDUM A nearly $1 million absentee and mail-in ballot initiative was launched by the RSLC in New Jersey last year, which the group said helped boost GOP engagement in a state that political experts have said is inching its way toward becoming a swing state. This effort, along with other initiatives in New Jersey, like targeted digital advertising, has helped Republicans establish “a strong foundation for competitive performance” in key battleground areas in the state, the RSLC said. The group said it is hoping to build on this in 2025, particularly in New Jersey House Districts 3, 8, 11 and 30. “The RSLC enters the 2025 election cycle with a clear understanding of the challenges ahead. Gaining ground in Virginia and New Jersey will be difficult, but Republicans are far better positioned than we were in 2017,” the RSLC strategy memo said in its concluding remarks. “Republican State Leadership Committee and its affiliated PACs are making substantial investments in both states—not just to maintain our positions but to prevent Democrats from gaining the momentum they will need to pose a serious challenge in 2026. Every seat we contest and every message we communicate this year is significant. The effort to avoid a repeat of 2017-2018 has already begun—with a smarter, more prepared Republican Party ready to succeed in 2025 and beyond.”
India debunks Pakistan’s propaganda of destroying MiG-29, S-400, PM Modi addresses troops at Adampur with these in background
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the troops Tuesday at the IAF base in Adampur with the Russian-made MiG-29 and S-400 in the background, showing these intact.
House Republicans unveil new food stamp work requirements for Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’
House Republicans are moving to put stricter work requirements on food stamps in a bid to cut government waste and find taxpayer savings for President Donald Trump‘s “big, beautiful bill.” Cobbling the vast piece of legislation together takes coordination by 11 different House committees, each working on a portion of it under their panel’s jurisdiction. The portion released on Monday night would raise the upper age limit for work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), from certain able-bodied adults up to age 54 to those up to age 64. Whereas the current rules exempt people with dependents under age 18, the new provision would now include SNAP recipients with children above age 7 who otherwise qualify for work requirements. BROWN UNIVERSITY IN GOP CROSSHAIRS AFTER STUDENT’S DOGE-LIKE EMAIL KICKS OFF FRENZY The House Agriculture Committee, which oversees federal food programs in addition to America’s farmers, was tasked with finding $230 billion in spending cuts out of a sum total of $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion dollars – cuts that conservatives had demanded to offset the cost of Trump’s other priorities. “For far too long, the SNAP program has drifted from a bridge to support American households in need to a permanent destination riddled with bureaucratic inefficiencies, misplaced initiatives, and limited accountability,” Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., said in a statement. “This portion of the One Big, Beautiful Bill restores the program’s original intent, offering a temporary helping hand while encouraging work, cracking down on loopholes exploited by states, and protecting taxpayer dollars while supporting the hardworking men and women of American agriculture.” The legislation also would eventually have the states cover some SNAP costs. Currently, the federal government fully covers SNAP costs for all 50 states and half the states’ administrative costs to run it. ANTI-ABORTION PROVIDER MEASURE IN TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ COULD SPARK HOUSE GOP REBELLION The new bill would impose a 5% baseline benefit cost share for all states, beginning in 2028. States with higher rates of erroneous payments would pay more as well. It would also lower the “match rate” for which the government reimburses states for those administrative costs, from 50% to 25%. Fox News Digital first reported in late February that Republicans were looking to heighten work requirements for food stamps via reconciliation, when similar legislation was introduced by Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., a member of the Agriculture panel. House and Senate Republicans are working on advancing Trump’s agenda via the budget reconciliation process this year. Reconciliation allows the party controlling both houses of Congress and the White House to move a massive piece of legislation, provided it addresses budgetary matters like spending, taxes or the national debt. It makes that possible by lowering the Senate’s passage threshold from 60 votes to 51, lining up with the House’s own simple majority threshold – meaning Democrats are completely sidelined in the process. Trump wanted Republicans to craft a bill advancing his priorities on the border, immigration, taxes, energy, defense and raising the debt limit. The House Agriculture Committee, along with two other top committees, are advancing their own portions of the bill on Tuesday. When that is done, all 11 House committees that have crafted individual reconciliation pieces will put them together into a massive bill, identical versions of which must pass the House and Senate before reaching Trump’s desk. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said he wants the House to finish its portion of the effort by Memorial Day.
Energy watchdog exposes eye-popping carbon footprint of Sanders’ jet-setting tour: ‘Fake socialist’
FIRST ON FOX: As Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders continues to travel around the country on his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, while at the same time defending his use of private jets to do so, an energy watchdog group has calculated the true scope of the carbon emissions his flights have emitted. During the 16 stops of the tour, which Sanders embarked on with the help of progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, his private jet emitted a total of 62.15 tonnes, or metric tons, of carbon dioxide, according to an estimate from Power the Future. To put that in perspective, Power the Future said in a press release that the emissions equate to burning 62,600 pounds of coal, driving a gas-powered SUV 150,000 miles, powering every home in Sanders’ hometown of Burlington, Vermont, for weeks, and powering nine U.S. homes for an entire year. Power the Future also calculated that Sanders generated more carbon dioxide emissions on this single tour than the average American produces in five years. Additionally, the group says that the emissions undo the carbon-capturing work of nearly 2,900 trees over the course of a year. JAMES CARVILLE AND DEMOCRATIC REP CALL OUT ILHAN OMAR, SAY PARTY NEEDS TO PRAISE GREATNESS OF USA “Sen. Sanders has voted for legislation punishing people for their carbon footprint and threatening fossil fuel executives with prison for climate change hysteria, but his personal actions demonstrate he’s just another limousine liberal, a fake socialist, unwilling to live what he wants to impose on you,” Dan Turner, Power the Future founder and executive director, told Fox News Digital. “The climate movement is dead, and Bernie Sanders’ hypocrisy helped kill it.” Sanders, in a recent interview with Fox News, refused to apologize for his private jet travel and argued that oftentimes it is not possible or feasible to fly commercially. SEN BERNIE SANDERS: WE HAVE A GOVERNMENT OF BILLIONAIRES, BY BILLIONAIRES AND FOR BILLIONAIRES “That’s the only way to get around,” Sanders told Bret Baier. “No apologies for that. That’s what campaign travel is about. We’ve done it in the past. We’re gonna do it in the future.” “You run a campaign, and you do three or four or five rallies in a week. [It is] the only way you can get around to talk to 30,000 people. You think I’m gonna be sitting on a waiting line at United…while 30, 000 people are waiting?” Power the Future noted that one of the private jet flights taken by Sanders was from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles, a route that offers more than a dozen commercial flights per day. Sanders’ campaign committee, Friends of Bernie Sanders, spent over $221,000 chartering private jets during the first quarter of 2025, according to Federal Election Commission filings reviewed by Fox News Digital and first reported by The Washington Free Beacon. The filing, which was released last month, shows that Sanders dropped the massive haul between three private jet companies: Ventura Jets, Cirrus Aviation Services and N-Jet. Last month, Fox News Digital exclusively reported that Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez were spotted using a private jet worth up to a staggering $15,000 an hour for several West Coast stops on their “Fighting Oligarchy” tour. “Champagne socialists Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez demand Americans surrender their pick-up trucks, air conditioning and meat from the luxe leather seats of their private jets that cost more per hour than most Americans earn in months. Their hypocrisy is staggering,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Ben Petersen told Fox News Digital at the time. Fox News Digital reached out to Sanders’ office for comment.
Democratic National Committee panel voids David Hogg’s election as party vice chair
The Democratic National Convention voted to void its election of David Hogg as vice chair of the Democratic Party on Monday. The vote comes after mounting internal criticism of Hogg, though party officials say the vote was based on a procedural challenge made in February claiming Hogg and another official were improperly elected. The DNC will vote later this year on whether to remove Hogg. “[It’s] impossible to ignore the broader context of my work to reform the party which loomed large over this vote,” Hogg said in a statement after the vote, according to Politico. “The DNC has pledged to remove me, and this vote has provided an avenue to fast-track that effort.” Monday’s vote also ousted Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta as DNC vice chair. Christine Pelosi, a member of the credentials committee and daughter of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., argued the vote was not in reaction to their performance. DEMOCRATS’ VICE CHAIR GETS ULTIMATUM: STAY NEUTRAL IN PRIMARIES OR STEP DOWN FROM PARTY LEADERSHIP “First, I want to say clearly and explicitly that this decision has nothing to do with the service of any DNC officer, especially [Hogg] or [Kenyatta]. This is about a violation of parliamentary procedure that was raised in a challenge filed back in February by another candidate for Vice Chair.” “I think I speak for all of us on the Committee when I say I hope both of these talented individuals put their names on the ballot again,” she said. “We’ll move fast to get this resolved. I have total faith in our DNC members to review this issue and vote their conscience.” DEMOCRATS’ VICE CHAIR IGNITES CIVIL WAR, TARGETING ‘ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL’ INCUMBENTS IN PRIMARIES Hogg’s potential removal comes after he announced plans to spend $20 million to primary older Democratic lawmakers in blue districts to make room for new Democratic leaders. Hogg clashed with veteran Democratic strategist James Carville over the plan during a joint appearance on journalist Tara Palmeri’s podcast. Carville criticized it as “abominable” and “jacka–ery of the highest level” for prioritizing pushing out Democrats over beating Republicans. Hogg shot back that the party is capable of both. Carville demanded Hogg focus on winning elections against the GOP. Hogg insisted that the point of his strategy is to “win elections.” “It’s not to win an election in Queens which you don’t ever run against a Republican. It’s to help Democrats win elections.” The two ended up burying the hatchet, with Carville posting to X that the DNC “needs him,” as he “fights” for the party. Fox News’ Gabriel Hays contributed to this report
Why did the US and China slash tariffs – and what’s next?
The United States and China reached a deal on Monday to suspend heavy tariffs against each other’s imports for 90 days. The recent breakthrough marked a detente in the tariff war launched by US President Donald Trump since he returned to office in January. While Trump initially unveiled tariffs against most countries, he then paused most of them – except against China, the US’s biggest economic rival. Tit-for-tat tariffs that the US and China imposed on each other had snowballed into heavy duties, as high as 145 percent on Chinese goods looking to enter the US, and 125 percent on US products looking to access the Chinese market. On Monday, Trump said he could speak with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping by the end of the week, adding that the economic negotiations had led to a “reset” between the two countries. What did China and the US say? The US and China released a joint statement on Monday announcing the suspension of tariffs. The suspension came after two days of trade talks in Geneva, Switzerland. In recent weeks, Trump had repeatedly said tariff talks with China were under way, but officials in Beijing had denied any ongoing negotiations before the meetings in Geneva. Advertisement In the statement on Monday, the two countries said they recognise the importance of their “bilateral economic and trade relationship” as well as the importance of a “sustainable, long-term, and mutually beneficial economic and trade relationship”. The statement said both nations would take steps to suspend most tariffs by Wednesday. What are the specific terms of the tariff reductions? The US brought down the tariff on Chinese goods from 145 percent to 30 percent, while China brought down the tariff on the US from 125 percent to 10 percent. On April 2, the US had imposed a “reciprocal tariff” of 34 percent on Chinese goods, on top of 20 percent tariffs that Trump had previously imposed on Chinese products since starting his current term. Those earlier tariffs were driven by Trump’s accusation that China was to blame for the fentanyl crisis that has ravaged thousands of American lives and led to several deaths in the US. In effect, on April 2, Chinese goods were tariffed at 54 percent. Beijing hit back with a 34 percent tariff on imports from the US. What followed was a tit-for-tat escalation, where the US and China kept hiking tariffs against each other. At the end, the US had imposed a 145 percent tariff on China while China had imposed a 125 percent tariff on the US. On May 12, they both agreed to slash all tariffs imposed on April 2 and subsequently to 10 percent. But if pre-April 2 tariffs are accounted for, Chinese goods still face a 30 percent tariff. Additionally, specific products from China, such as electric vehicles, steel and aluminium, are subject to even higher, separate tariffs imposed in recent years. Advertisement All the tariff suspensions are only for 90 days as of now – subject to review based on broader trade negotiations between the US and China. What is the main goal of this 90-day suspension? The US and China agreed, per their joint statement, to establish a mechanism to continue talking about their trade relations. “This move is significant primarily because it reflects a strategic retreat by the US, rather than a genuine shift in the broader trajectory of US-China relations,” Carlos Lopes, a Chatham House associate fellow for the Africa Programme, told Al Jazeera. Lopes, whose areas of expertise include international trade and China, explained that the rolling back of tariffs underscores that China held its ground, compelling the US to revise its approach. “In that sense, the rollback signals the limits of grandstanding and unilateralism in a deeply interconnected global economy. It’s a tactical pause, not a strategic realignment.” Why did Trump revise his tariff approach? “The reversal is a recognition of domestic economic pressures,” Lopes said. He added that the tariffs were raising prices for American consumers and undermining key manufacturing sectors, particularly those reliant on Chinese intermediate goods. “The US economy, despite its scale, cannot isolate itself from global supply chains without serious collateral damage. Moreover, President Trump thrives on projecting strength through negotiation – but bargaining without structure or a clear endgame eventually reveals weakness. The rollback reflects this internal contradiction,” he said. Advertisement Fentanyl – and China’s role in the supply chain of the deadly synthetic opioid – was never the major factor behind Trump’s tariffs against Beijing, Lopes said. “Fentanyl was part of the public discourse but not a fundamental driver of the tariff decision. It served more as a symbolic issue for political messaging, particularly to domestic audiences. The core dynamics at play here are structural – supply chain interdependence, inflationary concerns, and electoral calculations – not drug policy,” the Chatham House analyst said. What mechanisms have been established to ensure this works? In the statement, both countries named representatives for negotiations. Vice Premier of the State Council He Lifeng has been named to represent China. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer have been named to represent the US. How have global markets responded to this agreement? The Monday announcement caused stocks and the dollar to see a surge. On Tuesday, the S&P 500 gained 184.28 points, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1,161 points and the Nasdaq composite gained 779.43 points. The euro went down by 1.5 percent at $1.1078. The yen weakened and the US currency shot up 2.1 percent at 148.49. In the wake of Trump’s tariff threats, global markets had seen a considerable fall. US-China trade: Deeper challenges The world’s two largest economies, the US and China, have both long competed for economic preeminence and relied on each other as major trading partners. Advertisement The US is China’s largest export market, constituting 12.9 percent of Chinese exports in 2023, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC). China is the US’s third-largest export market, behind Canada and Mexico. Chinese
Trump offers to join Russia-Ukraine direct peace talks in Istanbul
Zelenskyy welcomes the US leader’s initiative, insists Putin should also be in the Turkish city ‘in person’. United States President Donald Trump has offered to join the talks that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin suggested should be held directly with Ukraine, after criticism of the Western “ultimatums” to end the conflict between the two Slavic nations. Trump said on Monday he was “thinking about actually flying over” to the Turkish city of Istanbul to attend the negotiations expected to take place on Thursday. The initiative was welcomed by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but there was no immediate reaction from Moscow. “All of us in Ukraine would appreciate it if President Trump could be there with us at this meeting in Turkey. This is the right idea. We can change a lot,” Zelenskyy said. Trump publicly asked Zelenskyy to attend, after Putin on Sunday proposed the direct talks following a rejection of a 30-day ceasefire Ukraine and its Western allies insisted should come first. The Ukrainian leader said he would, but that Putin should also attend in person. On Tuesday, his adviser Mykhailo Podolyak reiterated that Zelenskyy would only meet Putin and no other members of the Russian delegation. Advertisement The Kremlin has made no comment on whether or not Putin will travel to Turkiye himself. “We are committed to a serious search for ways of a long-term peaceful settlement,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday. If Zelenskyy and Putin were to meet on Thursday, it would be their first face-to-face meeting since December 2019. I have just heard President Trump’s statement. Very important words. I supported @POTUS idea of a full and unconditional ceasefire — long enough to provide the foundation for diplomacy. And we want it, we are ready to uphold silence on our end. I supported President Trump… — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 12, 2025 Meanwhile, Ukraine said its air defence units destroyed all 10 drones that Russia launched overnight on Tuesday. This is the lowest number of drones that Russia has launched in an overnight attack in several weeks. The Ukrainian military’s general staff said as of 10pm (19:00 GMT) on Monday, there had been 133 clashes with Russian forces along the front line since midnight, when the ceasefire proposed by European powers was to have come into effect. Ukraine’s top commander, Oleksandr Syrskii, was quoted by Zelenskyy as saying the heaviest fighting still gripped the Donetsk region, the focus of the eastern front, and Russia’s western Kursk region, nine months after Kyiv’s forces staged a cross-border incursion. Meanwhile, Russia accused Ukraine of attacking its Belgorod region, with the governor Vyacheslav Gladkov saying on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces used 65 drones and more than 100 rounds of ammunition to attack his region in the past day. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)