Rubio signs declaration to expedite $4B in arms to Israel ‘wrongly withheld’ by Biden
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Saturday that he has signed a declaration to expedite the delivery of nearly $4 billion in military aid to Israel, reversing a partial arms blockage imposed during the Biden administration. “The decision to reverse the Biden Administration’s partial arms embargo, which wrongly withheld a number of weapons and ammunition from Israel, is yet another sign that Israel has no greater ally in the White House than President Trump,” Rubio said in a statement. The announcement comes as solutions to achieve a permanent cease-fire between longtime American ally Israel and Palestinian terrorist group Hamas remain unclear. Since taking office, the Trump administration has approved nearly $12 billion in major foreign military sales to Israel, Rubio said. ISRAEL BLOCKS HUMANITARIAN AID INTO GAZA AFTER HAMAS REJECTS CEASEFIRE EXTENSION PROPOSAL “This important decision coincides with President Trump’s repeal of a Biden-era memorandum which had imposed baseless and politicized conditions on military assistance to Israel at a time when our close ally was fighting a war of survival on multiple fronts against Iran and terror proxies,” Rubio continued. Saturday’s announcement comes two days after the State Department said it has approved the potential sale of nearly $3 billion in bombs, demolition kits and other weaponry to Israel, according to the Associated Press. HAMAS RELEASES MORE HOSTAGES IN EXCHANGE FOR MORE THAN 600 PALESTINIAN PRISONERS AS PART OF CEASEFIRE DEAL The sales include approximately 40,000 defense items, including 35,500 MK 84 and BLU-117 bombs as well as 4,000 Predator warheads worth $2.04 billion. The weaponry is expected to be delivered in 2026. However, some items may be ready for immediate shipment due to the possibility that “a portion of this procurement will come from U.S. stock,” according to the Associated Press, citing the Pentagon. Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of State for more information but did not immediately receive a response. Rubio also approved a second package of munitions sales to Israel valued at $675 million for 2028, the Department of Defense reportedly stated. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The Trump Administration will continue to use all available tools to fulfill America’s long-standing commitment to Israel’s security, including means to counter security threats,” Rubio said in Saturday’s statement. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Top diplomat responds to Trump’s comment that EU formed to ‘screw’ US
Chief European Union diplomat Kaja Kallas rejected President Donald Trump’s claim that the European Union was made to “screw” the United States on Sunday. Kallas made the comment while speaking to CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” arguing the EU is fundamentally about maintaining peace. “Europe is a peace project. You know, it was created so that we wouldn’t have wars between the members of the European Union, and we haven’t had any. And, of course, also to do things together, cooperate more,” Kallas said. “You know, coming from a country that joined the European Union 20 years ago. Then, we were actually, you know, pushed by the Americans, you know, [saying] you will not get into NATO, but Europe, the European Union, is something that you should join because it’s, it’s a good project also for transatlantic relations. So I was quite surprised to hear a comment like that,” she added. ZELENSKYY SPEAKS OUT AFTER PUBLIC SPAT WITH TRUMP, VANCE, SAYS DUSTUP ‘BAD FOR BOTH SIDES’ Kallas went on to affirm the wide base of support for Ukraine in Europe, and that she has been coordinating with French President Emanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “The fight that Ukraine is having is not only about Ukraine sovereignty, but it’s much, much broader. It’s about freedom of the free world, really. It is about the world where international law applies and the world where might does not make right,” she said. The official went on to argue that the U.S. and Europe could grind the Russian war machine to a halt via economic pressure. “We shouldn’t overestimate the power of Russia and underestimate our own power,” she argued. “We know that their economy is not doing well. I mean, their inflation is over 20%, their National Fund is almost completely depleted.” TRUMP SAYS UKRAINE RARE EARTH MINERALS DEAL WILL LEAD TO ‘SUSTAINABLE’ FUTURE BETWEEN US, UKRAINE “They don’t have the same revenues from gas and oil that they used to to fund the war machine. So actually, if we concentrate our efforts, we can put the pressure so that they would stop the war,” she continued. Kallas’ comments come after Trump blasted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a White House meeting on Friday. He insisted that Ukraine doesn’t “have the cards” and must sue for peace rather than relying on an indefinite flow of aid from the U.S.
Top Canadian official slams Trump for tariff plan as Trudeau leaves office: ‘You lose prosperity’
A top Canadian diplomat is sounding the alarm about President Donald Trump’s plan to follow through on levying tariffs on Canadian imports, arguing that the move will cause both countries to lose. “If you put too many barriers in front of trade, if you put too many taxes and tariffs in front of trade, you slow everything down, you lay people off, you lose jobs, you lose prosperity,” Bob Rae, Canada’s permanent Ambassador to the United Nations, said during an appearance on MSNBC Sunday. The comments come after Trump confirmed on Thursday that his 25% tariff would go into effect on March 4, reasoning that dangerous drugs such as fentanyl were still spilling over the U.S. border with Canada at an alarming rate. MIKE ROWE SAYS TRUMP POLICIES WILL LEAD TO SHORT-TERM PAIN, BUT LONG-TERM GAIN “The proposed TARIFFS scheduled to go into effect on MARCH FOURTH will, indeed, go into effect, as scheduled. China will likewise be charged an additional 10% Tariff on that date. The April Second Reciprocal Tariff date will remain in full force and effect,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Trump had initially agreed to a 30-day pause on the tariff plan to allow time for negotiations between Canada and the U.S. on how to better secure the border, though the president argued Thursday that not enough had been done in order to stop the flow within the 30-day window. “We cannot allow this scourge to continue to harm the USA,” Trump said. The trade war between the two countries comes as Canada will also be transitioning to new leadership in the coming months after current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in January that he would step down and end his nine-year run leading the country. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE NOM INEE DEFENDS TRUMP TARIFFS IN COMMITTEE HEARING Trudeau said that he would remain in office until the Liberal Party can choose a new leader, while parliament would be suspended until March 24. Whoever emerges as Canada’s new leader will have to resume negotiations with Trump over tariffs, something Rae said the Canadian side doesn’t see the logic of. “This is something we will weather through. We’ll have to deal with it. It is going to cost jobs on both sides of the border, and I think that’s something that everybody has to understand,” Rae said during his appearance on MSNBC. “What’s the logic of increasing the price for everyone? We don’t see the logic of it, and that’s why we’re continuing to try to persuade the American government that they should think again and reflect hard on what the costs and benefits of this trade are and also what the cost of benefits, and lack of benefits of increasing tariffs is going to be.” The White House did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
DNI Gabbard sounds off on Europe’s ‘divergence’ from U.S. values after tense Trump-Zelenskyy meeting
The tense meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy puts the spotlight on some European nations’ “divergence” from promoting freedom and reaching peace in Eastern Europe, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on “Fox News Sunday.” “I think those who are criticizing [Trump’s] efforts in this way are showing that they are not committed to peace, and in the case of many of those European countries, that they’re not committed to the cause and values of freedom, even though they speak of this,” Gabbard told Fox News’ Shannon Bream on Sunday morning when asked about Democrat U.S. politicians criticizing the meeting at the White House and Russia celebrating Trump’s tense meeting with Zelenskyy. “We heard very clearly during Vice President Vance’s speech in Munich, different examples of how these European partners and longtime allies, in many cases, are actually implementing policies that undermine democracy that shows that they don’t actually believe in the voices of the people being heard, and implementing anti-freedom policies. We’re seeing this in the United Kingdom. We’re seeing this in Germany. We saw it with the tossing out of the elections in Romania,” she continued. Zelenskyy traveled to the UK over the weekend, following his meeting with Trump and Vance, which culminated in Trump telling the Ukraine leader to leave the White House, while adding in a social media post that Zelenskyy can come back for another meeting “when he is ready for Peace.” WORLD LEADERS BACK ZELENSKYY FOLLOWING TRUMP, VANCE OVAL OFFICE SPAT On Saturday, Zelenskyy met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was seen hugging him and told local media on Sunday that he had spoken with Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron regarding the UK and France taking the reins on crafting a plan for peace that will eventually be presented to the U.S. European leaders are meeting in London on Sunday to further discuss a peace plan. Gabbard argued in her interview that “there’s something fundamentally deeper here that shows a huge difference and divergence between” U.S. values and national security versus European countries offering continued support for the war. JD VANCE STEPS INTO SPOTLIGHT DEFENDING TRUMP’S FOREIGN POLICY IN OVAL OFFICE DUSTUP WITH ZELENSKYY “There’s something fundamentally deeper here that shows a huge difference and divergence between the values that President Trump and Vice President Vance are fighting for, the values that are enshrined in our Constitution, the interests of the American people in our peace and freedom and national security, versus those of many of these European countries who are coming to Zelenskyy’s side as he walked out of the White House, saying basically, that they are going to support him in continuing this war, and that they don’t stand with us around these fundamental values of freedom,” she said. Bream followed-up by asking Gabbard whether she would identify Russia as a country that celebrates freedom similarly to the U.S., which Gabbard denied, adding “that’s not really what we’re talking about here.” “I would not make that claim, and it’s clear that that’s not the case, nor does President Trump. But that’s not really what we’re talking about here. We’re talking about many of these European countries and Zelenskyy himself, who claim to be standing and fighting for the cause of freedom and democracy, when we actually look at what’s happening in reality in these countries, as well as with the Zelenskyy’s government in Ukraine, is the exact opposite.” “You have the canceling of elections in Ukraine. You have political parties being silenced or even criminalized or thrown in prison. You have the freedom of religion, churches being shut down, you have political opposition being silenced, you have total government control of the media.” TRUMP SAYS ZELENSKYY CAN ‘COME BACK WHEN HE IS READY FOR PEACE’ AFTER FIERY WHITE HOUSE EXCHANGE “It really begs the question,” she continued. “As Vice President Vance said again in Munich, it’s clear that they’re standing against Putin. Obviously, that’s clear. But what are they actually really fighting for, and are they aligned with the values that they claim to hold in agreement with us? The values that President Trump and Vice President Vance are standing for, and those are the values of freedom, of peace and true security.” Zelenskyy’s White House visit was cut short on Friday following the heated exchange, which included Vance asking the Ukraine leader about his gratitude for the U.S.’s assistance across the years, and Trump telling Zelenskyy that Ukraine will either make a deal with the U.S. or battle the war on their own. “You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out. And if we’re out, you’ll fight it out. I don’t think it’s going to be pretty, but you’ll fight it out. But you don’t have the cards. But once we sign that deal, you’re in a much better position. But you’re not acting at all thankful. And that’s not a nice thing. I’ll be honest. That’s not a nice thing,” Trump said on Friday. As part of the peace deal, the Trump administration was also working to ink an agreement with Ukraine that would allow the U.S. access to Ukraine’s minerals in exchange for support that the U.S. has offered the nation since war broke out in 2022. TRUMP, VANCE AND ZELENSKYY SPAR OVER RUSSIAN WAR IN TENSE EXCHANGE: ‘VERY DISRESPECTFUL’ Zelenskyy did join Fox News’ Bret Baier for an exclusive interview on Friday evening, where he was pressed on whether he would apologize to Trump over the meeting. The Ukraine president, however, did not offer an apology but did say that he respects Trump and the U.S. “I’m very thankful to Americans for all your support. You did a lot. I’m thankful to President Trump and to Congress for bipartisan support,” he responded when asked about an apology. “You helped us a lot from the very beginning, during three years of full-scale invasion, you helped us to survive.” “No, I respect the president, and I respect American people
Norway to keep supplying US Navy with fuel despite company boycott call
Norway made clear that it will continue supplying fuel for U.S. Navy ships after a private marine fuel supplier threatened to boycott the U.S. in response to deteriorating U.S.-Ukraine relations. “We have seen reports raising concerns about support for U.S. Navy vessels in Norway. This is not in line with the Norwegian government’s policy,” Norway’s Defense Minister Tore Sandvik said in a statement Sunday, according to a report from Reuters. The statement comes after privately held Norwegian fuel supplier Haltbakk Bunkers took to social media Friday and threatened a boycott of the U.S. Navy in response to President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s heated Oval Office exchange. TRUMP SAYS UKRAINE RARE EARTH MINERALS DEAL WILL LEAD TO ‘SUSTAINABLE’ FUTURE BETWEEN US, UKRAINE “Huge credit to the president of Ukraine restraining himself and for keeping calm even though USA put on a backstabbing TV show. It made us sick… No Fuel to Americans!,” the company said in a Facebook post that has since been deleted. The company’s CEO, Gunnar Gran, confirmed to the Norwegian newspaper VG that he had decided not to supply the U.S. military, according to the Reuters report, though the company also acknowledged that the move would only have a “symbolic” impact, since Haltbakk Bunkers does not have a fixed contract with the U.S. government. The company’s threat comes after a heated exchange in the Oval Office among Trump, Zelenskyy and Vice President JD Vance on Friday, when Vance accused the Ukrainian leader of being “disrespectful” to Trump in the White House. “Mr. President, with respect, I think it’s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media,” Vance told Zelenskyy. “Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines, because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for bringing it, to bring it into this country.” ZELENSKYY SPEAKS OUT AFTER PUBLIC SPAT WITH TRUMP, VANCE, SAYS DUSTUP ‘BAD FOR BOTH SIDES’ Trump then joined the fray after Zelenskyy claimed that the U.S. would feel the war “in the future,” an argument the American leader did not appreciate. “You don’t know that,” Trump responded. “Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel. We’re trying to solve a problem. Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel.” The exchange caused some to express concerns about not only the U.S.’s commitment to Ukraine’s continued war effort but also Trump’s apparent strained relationship with European allies overall. But Norway, a NATO ally, made clear that the country has no plans to join the threats to cut off the U.S. military. “American forces will continue to receive the supply and support they require from Norway,” Sandvik said.
Border state Republicans optimistic Trump DOJ will help reverse liberal court’s ruling on ‘common sense’ law
EXCLUSIVE: Arizona Republicans are eyeing an additional fight over the state’s law requiring proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections, hoping that the Trump administration will voice its support for the law after a defeat in an appeals court this week. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld the findings of a district court regarding the 2022 Arizona laws that enabled officials to require proof of citizenship to vote in state and federal elections, saying they were “unlawful measures of voter suppression.” The lawsuit was brought by the DOJ, nonprofits, the DNC and the Arizona Democratic Party. The Supreme Court in August allowed the enforcement of restrictions that block people from voting in state and local elections, but those who have registered without that proof could still vote in presidential and congressional elections with a different federal form. SOUTHERN BORDER STATE GOVERNOR TAKES ON CARTELS AND SECURITY WITH SIGNING OF EXECUTIVE ORDER Senate President Warren Petersen told Fox News Digital that he believed the latest ruling was “brazen” as it found that the law had discriminatory intent, something he said the Supreme Court had not found. “So, to see them just completely ignore the Supreme Court is pretty unprecedented, even for the liberal and mostly overturned court in the nation,” he said. Petersen made it clear that Republicans defending the law intend to appeal. “The key provisions of this bill are that we want to make sure that only citizens are voting in our elections,” he said. “This is an issue that our citizens overwhelmingly support.” ‘LOUD AND CLEAR’: BORDER STATE’S LEGISLATURE MOVES TO BACK TRUMP’S ICE ON DEPORTATION Petersen and his counterpart in the state House have written to the DOJ asking for the Trump administration to inform the courts that it has changed its position on proof of citizenship. While the Biden administration was opposed, the Trump administration has been more favorable to making sure that proof is provided of citizenship to vote. “So, we’re asking them as we move forward on our appeal that they change their position and that they’re engaged so that we get a good outcome for the citizens of Arizona and, quite frankly, for the whole country,” he said. “I think it makes a big difference when the federal government is on the same page that we’re on,” he said. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE It isn’t yet clear whether the appeal will be to the Ninth Circuit or whether they will go directly to the Supreme Court. Petersen said the Republicans “want to bring to the Supreme Court’s attention that [the 9th Circuit] essentially overruled the Supreme Court.” But he also said that they are continuing litigation. He said that if it weree to go to the high court, he feels very confident about the GOP’s chances. “This court seems to be very sensible and rational. And these are common-sense things. It’s just common sense that only citizens should be able to vote in our elections,” he said.
‘Seen, heard, counted’: New group aims to serve the ‘hidden casualties’ of war
Soldiers who return home from combat zones have veterans’ support groups, a plethora of charities and an entire government agency intended to see to their needs for illness and injuries. But contractors who take jobs in those same areas have had no such institutional support – until now. These workers face the same mental traumas associated with combat deployment, and thousands who have been exposed to burn pits face the same cancers that have claimed the lives of American service members. But before the Association of War Zone Contractors (AOWC) formed this week, they did not have any of the same support groups that take care of veterans, according to the group’s organizers. “We’re looking to make sure contractors are seen, heard and counted, because those things haven’t been happening for a long time,” Scott Dillard, co-founder of the new nonprofit, told Fox News Digital. The American public often forgets that contractors make up much of the workforce on overseas bases. An estimated half of those employed in U.S. positions during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars were civilian contractors, not military members. FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARIES CONDEMN TRUMP’S FIRING OF SENIOR MILITARY OFFICIALS IN SCATHING LETTER “Some contractors go outside the wire, but many of them are just changing light bulbs, slinging mashed potatoes, cleaning toilets, whatever the case may be. But they’re on these bases, they’re in a hostile environment that gets attacked,” Dillard said. Known as “hidden casualties” during the Iraq War, many were convoy drivers who carted supplies across dangerous terrain. More than 8,000 contractors died over two decades in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, as did an additional 7,000 U.S. service members, according to a Brown University count. The U.S. government does not thoroughly report contractor deaths, and their families often struggle to receive any compensation. “A contractor’s function is kind of an invisible army, and we don’t want that,” said Cory Archibald, another co-founder and former contractor. “The public deserves to know, policymakers need to know in order to make the right decisions, how integrated contractors are in everything that the military does, fully integrated in military operations, and that needs to be understood and acted on.” Like the veterans’ groups that for decades have advocated for better post-mission care for U.S. troops, AOWC hopes to educate contractors who return home with mental and physical injuries and illnesses associated with their work on the resources currently available to them, and to advocate for U.S. policymakers to streamline the arduous process that comes with filing a claim. Thanks to the PACT Act, the VA recognizes an automatic link between 23 different conditions and burn pits. But civilians, whose claims are managed by the U.S. Department of Labor, have to prove a connection between the same medical conditions and deployment. Through the Defense Base Act, contracting companies’ insurers are required to cover care for work-related injuries, like the cancers arising in many of those who served on bases in Iraq and Afghanistan in close proximity to burn pits. “It’s an adversarial process for contractors,” said Dillard. “The insurer is almost certainly going to deny the claim.” For claims that are successful, contractors wait years to see any form of payment. For unsuccessful claims, contractors have to retain a lawyer and wait for the litigation process to play out in court. HOUSE UNANIMOUSLY PASSES BILL TO QUADRUPLE THE PENSIONS OF MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS The research behind the PACT Act, which found a direct link to certain medical conditions and the pits used to burn medical waste, arms materials and other things near military bases, focused on service members whose deployments last between a few months and a year and a half. Little research has been done on the effects those pits had on contractors, who in many cases took work on overseas bases for years at a time. AOWC’s first order of business is to get names on its burn pits registry to garner data and establish a direct connection between certain illnesses among contractors and exposure to burn pits. Then the group will take that data to policymakers and implore them to make it easier for contractors to get help with care. As the military’s size has diminished over the years, U.S. forces have increasingly outsourced work to civilian contractors. And contractors are conveniently left out of the count when the nation’s leaders boast about reducing the footprint of the U.S. military on foreign bases. “They say, ‘We’re drawing down the troops.’ Okay, great. But they don’t say that on the backside there’s contractors coming back in,” said Dillard. “The fact that all these jobs have been outsourced to private contractors means that the public has less of an understanding of what is the cost of war, because they’re not seeing that reflected in the casualty figures, not just deaths, but also injuries as well,” said Archibald. He said he first recognized the “invisibility” of contractors after serving in the Army and then working as a contractor himself for six years, largely in Afghanistan. “I did not know what my rights were,” he said. “I had no clue that there was that help available. And a vast majority of contractors have a similar lack of knowledge.”
Trump isn’t the first US commander in chief to lose patience with Zelenskyy: resurfaced 2022 report
Months after war broke out between Russia and Ukraine, then-President Joe Biden had a fiery private phone call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which included Biden allegedly losing “his temper” and calling on Ukraine to “show a little more gratitude” towards the U.S. for its support, a resurfaced 2022 NBC News report shows. “Biden had barely finished telling Zelenskyy that he had just greenlighted another $1 billion in U.S. military assistance for Ukraine when Zelenskyy started listing all the additional help he needed and wasn’t getting,” according to an NBC report published in November 2022, recounting a prior June 2022 call that Biden and Zelenskyy shared. “Biden lost his temper, the people familiar with the call said. The American people were being quite generous, and his administration and the U.S. military were working hard to help Ukraine, he said, raising his voice, and Zelenskyy could show a little more gratitude,” the report continued. The reported tense exchange on the phone came just months after Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. The pair’s relationship “only improved” following the phone call, Biden administration officials told NBC at the time. TRUMP, VANCE AND ZELENSKYY SPAR OVER RUSSIAN WAR IN TENSE EXCHANGE: ‘VERY DISRESPECTFUL’ Fox News Digital reached out to Biden’s office on Sunday morning for additional comment on the 2022 phone call but did not immediately receive a reply. The report resurfaced over the weekend, following President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance’s fiery meeting with Zelenskyy, which included the VP pressing the Ukraine leader on his gratitude for the U.S.’s assistance across the years, and Trump asking Zelenskyy to leave the White House – stipulating that he can return “when he is ready for Peace.” The White House meeting grew tense in approximately its final 10 minutes, after Vance said that peace would be reached between Russia and Ukraine through U.S. diplomacy efforts. “Mr. President, with respect, I think it’s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media,” Vance told Zelenskyy. “Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines, because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for bringing it, to bring it into this country.” “Have you’ve ever been to Ukraine that you say what problems we have?” Zelenskyy shot back. TRUMP SAYS ZELENSKYY CAN ‘COME BACK WHEN HE IS READY FOR PEACE’ AFTER FIERY WHITE HOUSE EXCHANGE “I’ve actually watched and seen the stories and I know that what happens is you bring people, you bring them on a propaganda tour,” Vance continued. “Mr. President, do you disagree that you’ve had problems bringing people into your military? And do you think that it’s respectful to come to the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration that is trying to, trying to prevent the destruction of your country?” Zelenskyy continued that under war, “everybody has problems, even you,” and that the U.S. would feel the war “in the future.” TRUMP SAYS UKRAINE RARE EARTH MINERALS DEAL WILL LEAD TO ‘SUSTAINABLE’ FUTURE BETWEEN US, UKRAINE “Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel,” Trump shot back at Zelenskyy. “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people,” Trump added at another point during the exchange. “You’re gambling with World War III. You’re gambling with World War III. And what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country.” Vance interjected, asking Zelenskyy whether he had “said thank you once this entire meeting.” He also added that Zelenskyy “went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the opposition in October” and that he should “offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who’s trying to save your country.” Congress has appropriated $175 billion since 2022 for aid to Ukraine, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, though exact monetary figures on how much the U.S. has provided to Ukraine vary based on what is considered aid. Total European assistance to Ukraine between January 2022 and December 2024 totals roughly $138.7 billion, according to German think tank the Kiel Institute. The U.S. contributed $119.7 billion during that same timeframe, Fox Digital previously reported. Trump continued in his remarks to Zelenskyy that “the problem is, I’ve empowered you to be a tough guy, and I don’t think you’d be a tough guy without the United States.” ZELENSKYY SPEAKS OUT AFTER PUBLIC SPAT WITH TRUMP, VANCE, SAYS DUST-UP ‘BAD FOR BOTH SIDES’ “And your people are very brave. But you’re either going to make a deal or we’re out. And if we’re out, you’ll fight it out. I don’t think it’s going to be pretty, but you’ll fight it out. But you don’t have the cards. But once we sign that deal, you’re in a much better position. But you’re not acting at all thankful. And that’s not a nice thing. I’ll be honest. That’s not a nice thing,” Trump said. Zelenskyy left the White House shortly after. The Trump administration canceled a planned press conference with Zelenskyy later that day, while a planned speaking event featuring the Ukraine leader at a Washington, D.C.-based think tank was canceled. Zelenskyy did join Fox News’ Bret Baier for an exclusive interview on Friday evening, where he was pressed on whether he would apologize to Trump. U.S. leaders, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, called on Zelenskyy to apologize for the Oval Office meeting, but the Ukraine president bucked the calls during the Baier interview, while adding that he respects Trump and the U.S. TRUMP TO MAKE ENGLISH OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF US IN NEW EXECUTIVE ORDER “I’m very thankful to Americans for all your support. You did a lot. I’m thankful to President Trump and to Congress for bipartisan support,” he responded when asked about an apology. “You helped us a lot from the very beginning, during three years of full-scale invasion, you helped us to survive.” “No, I respect the president and I
Blue state GOP chair unleashes on governor for ‘grandstanding’ with special demand of Trump admin
Gov. JB Pritzker and 16 Illinois Democrats sent a letter to the White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought on Tuesday demanding the Trump administration release $1.88 billion in federal funding to Illinois. Chair of the Illinois Republican Party Kathy Salvi dismissed it as Pritzker playing politics. Pritzker, Sen. Dick Durbin, Sen. Tammy Duckworth and congressional Democrats said in the letter that Illinois is “in danger of needing to pause operations, cancel projects, or lay off staff” if their funding is not restored, leaving a “detrimental impact on vulnerable people, local economies, and the state as a whole.” The Illinois Republican Party is pushing back on the Democrats’ claims, saying the letter “has no basis.” “Governor Pritzker is grandstanding for his 2028 run for president instead of focusing on the mess that he’s left with us in Illinois. Since he’s been the governor, now in his seventh budget address, he has raised our budget by $16 billion from a $39 billion budget initially to $55 billion,” Salvi told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. ILLINOIS GOVERNOR SAYS TRUMP ADMIN WITHHOLDING $1.88B IN APPROVED TAXPAYER MONEY, AMID RIFT WITH PRESIDENT Fox News Digital reached out to OMB about the letter, but they did not provide a comment by the deadline of this article. “On behalf of our constituents, we are seeking full transparency and accountability on any and all funding that has been paused or interrupted. If the Trump Administration is unable to follow the law and uphold their end of the deal, the people of our state deserve to know,” the Democrats said. ‘DULY OWED TO US’: BLUE STATE GOVERNOR SAYS $2.1B IN FEDERAL FUNDING RESTORED AFTER SUING TRUMP ADMIN “He has defied law since day one,” Salvi countered. “This is a sanctuary state. He has caused the higher crime rates we have. He has caused the educational mess that we have here in the City of Chicago. He is not helping with solutions here. He’s distracting and using his weight in Washington to posture against this president and his administration’s agenda in order to catapult his own campaign for president in 2028. And this must be exposed.” Pritzker also met with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in Washington, D.C., this week to push for the release of Illinois’ federal funds. “His travel to Washington is a distraction of the mess that he’s led here in Illinois,” Salvi said. Salvi said Pritzker is asking for a “blank check” without “any examination of where the money goes.” “Pritzker’s budget plan faces a $3 billion budget deficit. He has been given a blank check for the last four years. Now, he is being held to account. So, instead of dealing with the problems that he and his administration have caused here in Illinois, which are causing people to flee our state to neighboring states, he decides instead to distract and sue the federal government. Well, I think we need to have an accounting here in Illinois. We, Illinois taxpayers and citizens and families, we require results,” Salvi said. A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction on Tuesday extending the block on the White House Office of Management and Budget’s federal funding freeze. Federal judges had previously issued a temporary restraining order to block the funding freeze. Illinois was one of the initial 22 states and Washington, D.C., that sued President Donald Trump’s administration on Jan. 28 to unfreeze federal funds. OMB directed agencies to halt federal funding on Jan. 27 in compliance with Trump’s executive orders. Gov. Josh Shapiro, D-Penn., in a separate lawsuit, sued the Trump administration to unfreeze federal funds on Feb. 13. Shapiro said that $2.1 billion in federal funds had been released and restored to Pennsylvania on Monday. While Shapiro said legal action was necessary to unfreeze his state’s federal funds, he added that his “direct engagement” with the Trump administration had led to the restoration of those funds. Pritzker’s letter urged the Trump administration to “follow the law and make good on the government’s promise to deliver hard-earned taxpayer dollars back into Illinois’ economy, workforce and communities.” The letter claims that many Illinois agencies have been forced to “pause operations, cancel projects, or cut staff” and have reported “their inability to access funds” since the OMB’s funding freeze memo. The letter says there have been “widespread reports of system outages and lockouts that prevented grantees from accessing entitled funding” since Jan 27. “Attempted communications with government liaisons were often ignored and public statements from the White House were inconsistent with the experiences of our grantees,” the letter says. Illinois Democrats allege that “14 state agencies, boards, and commissions have a total of $1.88 billion in impacted federal funds” that provide “technical assistance for small businesses, provide affordable solar energy for low-income residents, improve roads and bridges, and more.” “These funds have been contractually agreed to, allocated, and planned around by their recipients–which include childcare providers, educational institutions, small businesses, community and economic development organizations, and more. Needless to say, the restriction of these funds will have a detrimental impact on vulnerable people, local economies, and the state as a whole,” the letter added. The letter concludes by asking the Trump administration to answer five questions by March 4, 2025, about the disbursement of federal funds.
Marco Rubio blasts critics for demonizing ‘peacemaker’ Trump: ‘It’s only a bad thing when it’s Donald Trump’
Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed back on critics of President Donald Trump’s approach to ending the war in Ukraine on Sunday, saying the president is a “peacemaker.” Rubio made the comments during an appearance on ABC News’ “This Week,” telling host George Stephenopoulos that Trump is facing attacks simply because he is Trump. “Shouldn’t we at least try to see if there is a way to end this war in a way that’s acceptable to both sides and is enduring and sustainable? How is that a bad thing?” Rubio said. “I really am puzzled why anyone thinks that trying to be a peacemaker is a bad thing. It’s only a bad thing when it’s Donald Trump trying to do it. When it’s President Trump. It’s absurd to me,” he added. ZELENSKYY SPEAKS OUT AFTER PUBLIC SPAT WITH TRUMP, VANCE, SAYS DUSTUP ‘BAD FOR BOTH SIDES’ Rubio went on to reject claims that Trump is working to placate Russia and Vladimir Putin, saying all the administration has done is reach out and say, “are you guys willing to talk about peace?” Rubio’s appearance comes days after an explosive meeting between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House last week. The meeting ended in a shouting match, with Trump arguing Ukraine doesn’t “have the cards” to continue fighting Russia on its own and that a negotiated peace is the best way forward. Trump later accused Zelenskyy of “disrespecting” the U.S. during their meeting Friday and said the Ukrainian leader was not ready to secure peace for his country. TRUMP SAYS UKRAINE RARE EARTH MINERALS DEAL WILL LEAD TO ‘SUSTAINABLE’ FUTURE BETWEEN US, UKRAINE “I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations,” Trump said in a Truth Social post Friday. “I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.” Zelenskyy visited Washington amid negotiations to end the war in Ukraine and was expected to sign a minerals agreement that will allow the U.S. access to Ukraine’s minerals in exchange for support the U.S. has provided the country since Russia’s invasion in 2022. Trump instead kicked Zelenskyy out of the White House after their contentious public meeting.