Tuesday Briefing: A Trump-Putin call
Good morning. We’re covering President Trump’s upcoming phone call with Vladimir Putin and a legal battle over migrant deportations in the U.S. Plus, a “retirement home” for penguins.
Questions swirl as Putin and Trump prepare to speakPreparations are underway for a highly anticipated phone call today between President Trump and President Vladimir Putin. The call would be the first known conversation between the two leaders since Ukraine agreed to support a U.S.-backed monthlong cease-fire. On Sunday, Trump suggested that a cease-fire and the fate of Ukrainian power plants would be on the agenda, and he noted that “dividing up certain assets” had been discussed. The Kremlin would not confirm any specific agenda. While Trump has stated his desire to broker some sort of truce between Russia and Ukraine as quickly as possible, Putin seems to be seeking to exploit the moment to win more concessions. Putin has not yet agreed to the cease-fire and has laid out conditions that could delay or derail a truce. Crimes against Ukraine: The U.S. is withdrawing from a multinational group created to investigate leaders responsible for the invasion of Ukraine, including Putin, a letter shows. It is the latest indication that the White House is moving away from a commitment to hold Putin accountable. Comfort food: Sushi has long been popular in Ukraine, and for people in the frontline town of Sloviansk, the treat provides a sense of normalcy.
A legal battle erupted over U.S. deportationsPresident Trump’s so-called border czar, Tom Homan, said yesterday that the administration planned to continue deportations of migrants despite a court order — an action that could thrust the U.S. into a constitutional crisis. “We’re not stopping,” Homan said in an interview. “I don’t care what the judges think.” The judge who issued the order blocking deportations scheduled a hearing to press officials for details, and denied a last-minute request by the Trump administration that it be canceled. The Justice Department also wrote a letter to the court that sits over the judge, asking it to remove him from the case entirely. Here’s the latest. Background: Over the weekend, the U.S. flew more than 200 immigrants, including people the Trump administration has accused of being gang members, to El Salvador — a move the judge had ordered to stop. The judge wants to know where the planes were at the time of his order, issued on Saturday.
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