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Trump insists Ukraine-Russia peace deal is close, but mistrust in Putin leaves experts skeptical

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President Donald Trump this week said he is «very» optimistic that Ukraine and Russia will enter into some sort of deal in the coming days, but security experts are still sounding the alarm that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not want peace. 

A feeling of geopolitical whiplash is surrounding Washington after the Trump administration last week said it would abandon peace efforts if a ceasefire cannot be secured, though days later Trump said there is a «very good chance» a deal will be reached this week.

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The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions about what it would mean should the U.S. walk away from one of Trump’s top campaign trail issues: ending the war in Ukraine. 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt refuses to say what Trump means when he says he will walk away from peace negotiations, but she told reporters that «he has grown frustrated with both sides of this war, and he’s made that very known.» (Getty Images)

TRUMP HOPEFUL RUSSIA AND UKRAINE CAN MAKE A DEAL AFTER TEMPORARY EASTER CEASEFIRE ENDS

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The administration also has not clarified if Washington would take retaliatory measures against Putin, as Trump threatened to do last month.

«Simply because Trump hasn’t announced any consequences yet does not mean that he doesn’t plan on taking some anti-Russia measures,» former DIA intelligence officer and Russia expert Rebekah Koffler told Fox News Digital. «Trump almost certainly intends for his economic warfare against China to serve as an example to Putin how far Trump is willing to go to compel his adversaries to his will.»

«But unlike the China case, there’s no similar dependence between the U.S. and Russia. Trump’s decision on Russia is much more complicated, more risky and requires more thought,» she added. «He may or may not take draconian economic steps against Russia, as Putin may take devastating, non-kinetic actions against the U.S. 

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«It’s Trump’s risk tolerance vs. Putin’s now,» Koffler said. «And both like to win and both have risk tolerance way above average.»

The White House did not respond to questions by Fox News Digital on whether the U.S. would still aid Ukraine in some capacity, particularly given recent restrictions on military aid Trump has implemented on Kyiv, like refusing to sell Patriot missiles previously used to defend civilian populations from Russian strikes and that cost $1.5 billion a piece.

«If we want to be a global superpower, and we want to deter aggression, not with U.S. troops on the ground, but in general, to deter aggression because it is good for our national security, then we should continue to support Ukraine,» former CIA Moscow Station Chief Dan Hoffman told Fox News Digital. «It’s a tiny percentage of the Department of Defense budget.»

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Ukrainian children

Women and children view a memorial of flowers and toys at the site of a Russian missile attack in Sumy, Ukraine, on April 14, 2025. (Vlada Liberova/Libkos/Getty Images)

TRUMP SAYS US WILL ‘TAKE A PASS’ ON UKRAINE PEACE EFFORTS IF RUSSIA REFUSES TO PLAY BALL

«The return on investment is pretty high,» he added, referring to the $66.5 billion in military assistance Washington has provided Kyiv since Russia’s February 2022 invasion, compared to the $841.4 billion defense budget congressionally approved for 2024 alone, a figure which Trump has pushed to increase.

A Ukrainian delegation was set to meet with Trump administration officials in London on Wednesday alongside other European partners, including representatives from the U.K., France and Germany.

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Special envoy Steve Witkoff is reportedly set to return to Moscow this week to continue negotiations with Russian officials, though the Kremlin has not indicated they are anywhere near agreeing to ceasefire terms, let alone a peace deal.

A spokesperson for Putin, Dmitry Peskov, on Tuesday reportedly said the issue of Russia’s invasion was too «complex» to achieve a quick fix and warned against rushing into a deal.

«It is not worth setting any rigid time frames and trying to get a settlement, a viable settlement, in a short time frame,» he said.

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The Kremlin’s position has given credence to repeated warnings from security experts that Putin is not interested in securing a peace deal with Ukraine. 

«There’s no indication that Putin wants to stop the war,» Hoffman said. «That isn’t surprising. Because for a war to end, somebody has to win or both sides have to be so tired they can’t continue to fight. 

«Russia is the invader, so you have to stop them in order to have an end of the war,» he added. «The one consistent thing here is Putin is continuing to fight. His objective is to overthrow the government in Ukraine. He’s going to keep fighting until he feels like he has accomplished that goal or he can’t fight anymore.»

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Russia strikes Ukraine

Damage from a Russian drone strike is seen in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on April 22, 2025. (Pavlo Pakhomenko/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Koffler echoed Hoffman’s position: «Putin will be pursuing the same strategy regardless of Trump’s actions; that is continuing the war of attrition until Ukraine capitulates or is completely destroyed and the government collapses.»

«Putin would like to string Trump along and will continue to try doing so,» she added.

A report by the Moscow Times on Tuesday cited sources close to Putin and said the Kremlin chief is looking to reorder the global «spheres of influence» by negotiating leverage points between the U.S. and adversaries like Iran and North Korea. 

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The article claimed that Putin would attempt to get Trump to either force a less-than-desirable deal for Ukraine or potentially stop the U.S. from aiding Kyiv by proposing personally enticing deals, like allowing Trump to build a hotel in Moscow, and geopolitical wins, like securing a nuclear agreement with Iran and a «peace deal» in Ukraine.

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Ukraine soldiers

Ukrainian soldiers are seen on March 8, 2025. (Roman Chop/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

Fox News Digital could not verify the report’s claims, but Koffler agreed it could be a strategy that Putin is looking to employ as the U.S. pushes deals across Europe and the Middle East. 

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«He could promise Trump not to share certain sensitive technologies to these two [nations],» Koffler said. «And he could convince Iran not to operationalize and weaponize its nuclear program in exchange for Trump’s promise not to target Iran’s nuclear facilities in a kinetic strike and to lift sanctions from Russia. 

«The important aspect of all of this is to give these adversaries face-saving opportunities, which is not a strong point for the U.S. style of diplomacy,» Koffler said. «But Putin’s ability to convince Trump and Trump’s decision calculus are two different things.»

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Vance warns Hamas as Gaza peace plan’s Civilian Military Cooperation Center opens

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Vice President JD Vance issued a warning to Hamas on Tuesday while speaking to reporters at the new Civilian Military Cooperation Center (CMCC), which plays a critical role in the historic ceasefire deal.

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«The terms of the 20 point plan that the president put out there is very clear. It’s supported not just by Israel, by, but by all of our Gulf Arab friends. It’s that Hamas has to disarm. It’s that Hamas has to actually behave itself and that Hamas, while all the fighters can be given some sort of clemency, they’re not going to be able to kill each other, and they’re not going to be able to kill their fellow Palestinians,» Vance said.

«Right now, where I stand, I feel confident that we’re going to be in a place where this peace lasts, where it’s durable, and if Hamas doesn’t cooperate, then, as the United States has said, Hamas is going to be obliterated,» Vance added. 

President Donald Trump urged Hamas to move quickly on a U.S.-brokered peace proposal aimed at ending the Gaza conflict. (Alex Wong/Getty Images; MAHMUD HAMS/AFP via Getty Images)

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The vice president’s warning came after President Donald Trump issued one of his own, saying that if Hamas did not act in accordance with the agreement, the terror organization’s end would be «fast, furious and brutal.»

During a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday, Trump said that Hamas would be eradicated if it did not hold up its end of the deal. The president issued similar warnings since the peace deal went into effect last week.

In addition to his warning to Hamas, Vance scolded the media over its apparent «desire to root for failure,» saying that any setbacks or hiccups did not necessarily mean the end of the deal.

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«Every time something bad happens and every time that there’s an act of violence, there’s this inclination to say, ‘oh, this is the end of the ceasefire. This is the end of the peace plan.’ It’s not the end. It is, in fact, exactly how this is going to have to happen when you have people who hate each other, who have been fighting against each other for a very long time. We are doing very well. We are in a very good place,» Vance said before praising the team working to implement the Gaza deal.

Vice President JD Vance

Vice President JD Vance speaks during a press conference following a military briefing at the Civilian Military Coordination Center in southern Israel Oct. 21, 2025.  (Nathan Howard/Pool via Reuters)

While Vance demanded Hamas disarm in accordance with the deal, he refused to give the terrorist organization an exact deadline, something Trump has not done either.

«The president actually put out a truth this morning that I thought was very instructive. We know that Hamas has to comply with the deal, and if Hamas doesn’t comply with the deal, very bad things are going to happen. But I’m not going to do what the president United States has thus far refused to do, which is put an explicit deadline on it, because a lot of this stuff is difficult. A lot of this stuff is unpredictable,» the vice president said.

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The opening of the CMCC is a major milestone in the implementation of the historic deal. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, head of CENTCOM, attended the news conference and said «200 of America’s sons and daughters, who wear the cloth of the nation, have stepped up and are serving here. I just couldn’t be prouder.»

Jared Kushner was also in attendance at the news conference where he spoke about plans for Gaza reconstruction and the efforts currently underway in the ceasefire deal. Kushner noted that there was «surprisingly strong coordination between the United Nations and Israel» on efforts to get aid to Palestinians in the enclave.

Kushner also said that progress was being made towards getting back the remains of all deceased hostages held in the Gaza Strip.

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Prior to Vance’s arrival in Israel, several hostages who were freed as part of the historic deal brokered by the Trump administration met with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Kushner. The meeting included Omri Miran, Gali Berman, Ziv Berman, Yosef Chaim Ohana, Matan Angrest, Bar Kupershtein, Segev Kalfon, Nimrod Cohen and Eitan Horn.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said the former hostages thanked Witkoff and Kushner and expressed «profound gratitude to President Trump for making their freedom a top priority and working tirelessly to ensure their release after more than two years in captivity.»

When speaking at the CMCC, Witkoff said the meeting was an «emotional moment» and that he felt «blessed to be in that room.»

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«I didn’t see any victims in that room. I saw strong people who have come out under very difficult circumstances. Their families are reunited, and they are so grateful,» Witkoff said.

In his closing remarks, Vance expressed his trust in God’s providence and said he believed the job could be done.

«I know that Christians have many titles for Jesus Christ, and one of them is the Prince of Peace. And I’d ask all people of faith, in particular my fellow Christians, to pray that the Prince of Peace can continue to work a miracle in this region of the world. I think that we have made incredible strides over the past week. We’re going to have to make a lot more. But I think with your prayers, with God’s providence and with a very good team behind me, I think we’re gonna get it done,» Vance said.

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The vice president said that while in Israel, he hopes to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which Christians believe is the site where Jesus Christ was crucified.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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Blackburn says Trump support was ‘common thread’ among lawmakers reportedly targeted by Jack Smith

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FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., was one of nearly a dozen Senate Republicans allegedly probed by former Special Counsel Jack Smith, an investigation she wasn’t aware of until earlier this month.

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She was one of several Senate Republicans that Smith allegedly surveilled as part of his investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots. But it was only revealed earlier this month by the FBI — thanks to an oversight request by Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa — that Smith allegedly requested phone records on her and others.

Blackburn told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that until the documents from Smith’s «Arctic Frost» investigation were revealed, she had no idea that her phone records were being surveilled.

JACK SMITH INVESTIGATORS NEED TO ‘PAY BIG’ FOR JAN. 6 PHONE RECORDS PROBE, WARNS SEN. GRAHAM

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Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., believed that the «common thread» on former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s alleged spying on congressional Republicans was their support of President Donald Trump. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

She believed the «common thread» behind the former special counsel’s probe, which was carried out in 2023, was because «the eight of us are all Republicans. We all support President Trump.»

Blackburn and Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., Bill Hagerty, R-Wyo., Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., were all reportedly part of Smith’s investigation.  

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In response, Blackburn and many of the others that were allegedly surveilled by Smith want to see him disbarred.

«This is about making certain we have one tier of justice, and that we stop this two tiers of justice,» Blackburn said. «And if they can do this to eight sitting U.S. senators, what could they possibly — I mean, think about how, what they must be doing to conservatives in this country.»

Last week, she and Graham, Tuberville, Sullivan and Kelly sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi demanding an investigation into Smith, and that he be referred to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of Professional Responsibility.  

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HAGERTY PRESSES VERIZON OVER FBI’S ACCESS TO HIS PHONE RECORDS DURING JACK SMITH PROBE

Jack Smith delivers remarks in August 2023.

Special Counsel Jack Smith delivers remarks on an unsealed indictment including four felony counts against former President Donald Trump in Washington, Aug. 1, 2023. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

The end goal of the investigation is to see Smith disbarred from both New York and Tennessee, two states where he holds a license to practice law. Blackburn argued that Smith’s alleged spying on her and others was a «First Amendment and Fourth Amendment violation.»

Her latest push against the former special counsel came on the heels of another letter sent to AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon demanding why the cellphone carriers allegedly allowed Smith and the FBI under the Biden administration to track their communications.

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«You would have thought that, because of the Stored Records Act and the First Amendment, the Fourth Amendment and the Speech and Debate Clause, that at least Verizon, who’s my wireless carrier, would have informed me that there was a request on my records,» she said. 

JACK SMITH TRACKED PRIVATE COMMUNICATIONS, CALLS OF NEARLY A DOZEN GOP SENATORS DURING J6 PROBE, FBI SAYS

President Donald Trump listens during remarks by Argentina’s President Javier Milei in the White House Cabinet Room.

President Donald Trump listens to Argentina’s President Javier Milei (not pictured) in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington, Oct. 14, 2025. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

«But of course, there was nothing given to us, and it’s the reason that we sent the letter to Verizon and then followed it with a letter … to the DOJ on Jack Smith,» she continued.

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Smith is one of a handful of former officials that have been targeted by the DOJ under the Trump administration. He is currently under investigation by the Office of Special Counsel for alleged Hatch Act violations, which bars government employees from participating in political activities.

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Then there are federal indictments against former FBI Director James Comey for allegedly making false statements and obstructing justice, and former National Security Advisor John Bolton for allegedly mishandling classified documents.

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Blackburn was one of many Republicans that railed against so-called political witch hunts against President Donald Trump when he was out of office. When asked what the difference between the indictments against Trump and his allies compared to the latest crop of former officials, she said it was about accountability.

«These need to be investigated so that this kind of stuff stops,» Blackburn said. «And one of the differences, I think you see between Democrats and Republicans, is Democrats repeatedly circle the wagons, and they push things under the rug, and then they want two tiers of justice. And with Republicans, the focus is on accountability and transparency, and I think that is a major, major difference.»

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La vida de Joaquín Sabina ya es un cómic

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Joaquín Sabina ya tiene su personaje y vida en un cómic

El cantante español Joaquín Sabina ya tiene una novela gráfica sobre su biografía, un proyecto que sedujo a los guionistas Kike Babas y Kike Turrón (los Kikes), que vieron en el artista un personaje de cómic.

“Sabina tiene una vida de cómic y una cantidad de canciones que pueden ser hechas viñetas en cualquier momento”, argumentan.

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El primer volumen de Joaquín Sabina. Pasión y Vida (Bao Bilbao Ediciones), que se publica este mes, tiene el acicate de haber agotado ya la primera edición en preventas. Han participado los Kikes y doce ilustradores, que narran “un trozo de su vida” (desde el nacimiento hasta 1995, año del álbum Yo, mi, me, contigo) porque meter a Sabina en un solo tomo resultaba complicado por su prolífica trayectoria.

Kike Babas y Kike Turrón explican que Sabina tiene novela gráfica porque “es un grande, porque es un personaje de cómic y por el empeño de los Kikes desde hace años de dar impulso y respeto a la cultura popular”.

Kike Babas y Kike Turrón (los Kikes), autores del cómic ‘Joaquín Sabina. Pasión y Vida’ (EFE/ Victor Lerena)

“Siempre hemos envidiado que los países anglosajones rindan homenaje a su cultura popular, que Bob Dylan tenga cátedras en la universidad o que hubiera tomos de cómic sobre The Doors o Janis Joplin, y en España eso no estaba tratado”, dice Babas.

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Así que, después de hacer biografías de cantantes y grupos como Manu Chao, Los Rodríguez, Rosendo, Siniestro Total…, pasaron a la novela gráfica con Fito, el humorista Gran Wyoming y ahora le llega el turno a Sabina.

Turrón admite que a la hora de decidirse por el personaje lo principal es que sea relevante y con público suficiente para lanzarse a ello.

Babas va un paso más allá y admite que a la hora de elegir personaje lo que manda es que les guste, pero también que llene plazas de toros o pabellones y que sea personaje de cómic: “Fito es un personaje de cómic, pero Sabina es otro”. Explican ambos que pidieron permiso a Sabina para hacer su biografía, igual que hacen con todos los artistas.

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Joaquín Sabina (Crédito: Guido Adler)
Joaquín Sabina (Crédito: Guido Adler)

Un año tardaron en montar la biografía, tras obtener el ‘sí’ de Sabina, a través del cantautor Leiva, amigo en común.

La condición que puso Sabina fue que no lo molestaran porque se embarcaba en su gira de despedida y no quería volver a narrar historias que ya había contado en muchas ocasiones.

Babas explica que, en realidad, no necesitaban el relato de Sabina porque su vida está ya en 17 libros y la han interpretado decenas de periodistas. Es decir, solo con esa bibliografía extensa y buscando los libros en mercadillos, era suficiente.

A partir de ese trabajo de documentación, el objetivo era “resumir y resumir y buscar la esencia” hasta tener el guión listo para entregarlo a los ilustradores.

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Han participado los Kikes y
Han participado los Kikes y doce ilustradores, que narran “un trozo de su vida” (desde el nacimiento hasta 1995, año del álbum Yo, mi, me, contigo)

Y en el final del proceso, un audio de Sabina en whatsapp, con esa voz inconfundible y ronquísima, les confirmó que el trabajo estaba bien hecho: “Queridos Kikes, felicidades”, les dijo.

Turrón reconoce que, para dar dinamismo al guión, hicieron un ‘tour’ de ficción que pasaba por Úbeda, su pueblo natal, y por el Madrid antiguo, pero también por entrevistar a algunos personajes, como el que inspiró la canción ‘Juana la Loca’.

En la obra se mezcla la ficción y la no ficción, y algunas entrevistas como al poeta Benjamín Prado y al poeta y director del Instituto Cervantes, Luis García Montero, que han terminando siendo los prologuistas del libro.

Los Kikes están muy satisfechos de haber tenido la responsabilidad de haber puesto imágenes a sus canciones.

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En la obra se mezcla
En la obra se mezcla la ficción y la no ficción

Sobre algún apunte oculto que desvele la obra, los Kikes comentan que algunos de los que han leído el libro adquirido en preventas han reconocido que, por ejemplo, “no tenían ni idea de que Sabina había tirado un cóctel molotov a una sucursal bancaria”.

Hay muchos datos en el libro, pero Sabina les reconoció tras leerlo: “Hay cosas que se cuentan mejor de lo que yo recordaba entre sombras”.

Babas destaca que una de los capítulos más atractivos es donde narra la llegada y el triunfo en Latinoamérica: “Como una persona tan andaluz, tan de Madrid, tan castiza y tan ibérica, de repente encuentra en Latinoamérica el triunfo absoluto. La patria es un idioma y Joaquín es un habitante perfecto de esa patria.

Los guionistas han hecho coincidir la publicación de la novela con la gira de Sabina que acaba en el mes de noviembre, y con la que se retira de los grandes recintos.

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Fuente: EFE



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