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Trump meets with Zelenskyy; talks could unlock first Zelenskyy-Putin call in five years: source
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Sunday’s talks between President Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy could pave the way for the first call between Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin in more than five years, a source familiar with the discussions said.
And while the Mar-a-Lago meeting was framed as a step forward in the peace effort with Trump at the helm, the source also described how securing a direct Zelenskyy-Putin phone call would be a «diplomatic victory» for the president.
«If Putin had joined in a call Sunday, this would have been the greatest achievement in the preparation of the peace talks and the first real step in the peace process,» the source told Fox News Digital on condition of anonymity.
«This would be [a] diplomatic victory for President Trump.»
FINNISH PRESIDENT SAYS RUSSIA-UKRAINE PEACE DEAL CLOSER THAN ANY POINT DURING THE WAR
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after signing a proclamation in the Oval Office at the White House on April 17, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
«Trump seems to be the most successful mediator because the two of them, Putin and Zelenskyy, perceive each other emotionally, and it is a challenge.»
Trump confirmed Sunday that he had spoken with Putin ahead of the Zelenskyy meeting, calling the conversation «good and very productive» in a Truth Social post.
«I do believe that we have the makings of a deal,» Trump also told reporters as he stood next to Zelenskyy after he arrived in Florida on Sunday, adding he believes the process can «move very rapidly.»
«I think we’re in the final stages of talking, and we’re going to see,» Trump said.
«Otherwise, it’s going to go on for a long time. It’ll either end, or it’s going to go on for a long time, and millions of additional people are going to be killed,» the president added.
The Florida meeting came days after Zelenskyy also said he had had a «good conversation» with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, both of whom were also present Sunday.
ZELENSKYY SAYS HE WILL MEET WITH TRUMP ‘BEFORE THE NEW YEAR’
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and European leaders pose for a photo during talks at the Chancellery in Berlin, Dec. 15, 2025. (Lisi Niesner/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
As Zelenskyy approached Sunday’s meeting, the source said the Ukrainian leader was likely feeling anxious.
«Zelenskyy is usually very nervous before such conversations with President Trump,» the source said. «He concentrates for a long time and studies the notes that the International Policy Department and the Foreign Ministry prepare for him.»
Sunday also marked the third in-person meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy since Trump returned to office.
At the center of discussions was a U.S.-backed, 20-point peace plan emerging from weeks of negotiations that would need compromise from Kyiv and Moscow to engage and perhaps speak directly with Zelenskyy, the source said.
TRUMP SUGGESTS HE’LL CALL FINAL SHOTS ON PEACE DEAL AHEAD OF ZELENSKYY MEETING: ‘WE’LL SEE WHAT HE’S GOT’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 19, 2025. ( Ukrainian Presidency / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
«The one difficulty they have is that Putin has refused to talk to Zelenskyy since July 2020, when they spoke over the Wagner scandal and the failed operation to detain Russian Wagner militants.»
«After that, Zelenskyy repeatedly tried to talk to Putin, but he refused.»
«There were windows of opportunity for a conversation in August and September 2024, but they disappeared again when Ukraine invaded the Kursk region,» the source said.
The last direct contact between the two leaders followed a botched Ukrainian operation targeting Russian Wagner mercenaries.
Ukrainian intelligence lured the mercenaries to Belarus and planned to intercept them on their way from Minsk to Istanbul, before the men were arrested, per The Kyiv Independent.
ZELENSKYY READY TO PRESENT NEW PEACE PROPOSALS TO US AND RUSSIA AFTER WORKING WITH EUROPEAN TALKS
Putin is testing the boundaries of NATO with aircraft incursions, allied states say. (Ramil Sitdikov/Pool/Reuters )
«That last call between Zelenskyy and Putin came as Ukraine was trying to capture a group of Russian Wagner fighters,» the source said. «The operation failed.»
Even before communications broke down entirely, relations between the two leaders were strained, the source said.
«Before that point in 2020, calls between Zelenskyy and Putin were never friendly, and there was always tension between them. During talks, Putin was always taciturn, and Zelenskyy tried to establish a rapport.»
«Zelenskyy always acted subservient toward Putin and pretended to be in a good mood, almost as if he was playing a role on stage,» the source explained.
«He talked a lot and read from his notes, afraid of forgetting something. Sometimes he would stumble over his words or lose track of punctuation.»
PUTIN CALLS TRUMP’S PEACE PLAN A ‘STARTING POINT’ AS HE WARNS UKRAINE TO PULL BACK OR FACE ‘FORCE’
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the 20-point plan, which U.S. officials say is about 90% complete, could include limited Ukrainian troop withdrawals from parts of eastern Ukraine. (Putin photo: Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via Reuters; Zelenskyy photo: Brian Snyder/Reuters)
«When Putin stayed silent, Zelenskyy would always ask politely, ‘What do you think, Vladimir Vladimirovich?’»
«Putin was just never talkative,» the source said.
The Florida talks came as Kyiv signaled a potential shift in its negotiating posture. Zelenskyy has said the 20-point plan, which U.S. officials say is about 90% complete, could include limited Ukrainian troop withdrawals from parts of eastern Ukraine without formally recognizing Russian control, along with the creation of demilitarized zones.
He also floated submitting the plan to a national referendum if Moscow agrees to a 60-day ceasefire.
Zelenskyy has drawn a firm line on security guarantees, insisting Ukraine needs legally binding assurances from the U.S. to deter future Russian aggression.
TRUMP TOUTS ‘PROGRESS’ ON UKRAINE-RUSSIA DEAL, ADMITS IT’S ‘ONE OF THE MORE DIFFICULT’ CONFLICTS TO SOLVE
Rescuers work on the scene of a building damaged by a Russian attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)
«For us, it is very important that there is a signal that we want legally binding security guarantees,» Zelenskyy told Ukrainian journalists Saturday. «This primarily depends on President Trump,» he added.
«Ukraine is willing to do whatever it takes to stop this war,» Zelenskyy also wrote on X this weekend.
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«For us, priority number one — or the only priority — is ending the war. For us, the priority is peace. We need to be strong at the negotiating table. To be strong, we need the support of the world: Europe and the United States.»
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Kremlin and President Zelenskyy’s office for comment.
volodymyr zelenskyy,vladimir putin,ukraine,donald trump
INTERNACIONAL
Crece la tensión en Irán: estudiantes se sumaron a los comerciantes para protestar contra la crisis económica
Estudiantes se sumaron al movimiento de protesta de comerciantes contra el elevado costo de vida y la hiperinflación que golpea a Irán, un país afectado por severas sanciones occidentales.
La República Islámica sufre desde hace años un encarecimiento de productos básicos y una irrefrenable caída de su moneda, el rial. La inflación interanual se situó en diciembre en 52%, según el Centro de Estadísticas.
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En el tercer día de protestas, el presidente iraní, Masud Pezeshkian, pidió a sus ministros escuchar “las demandas legítimas” de los manifestantes y “actuar con todas sus fuerzas para resolver los problemas”.
Irán atraviesa una grave crisis económica agravada por las sanciones internacionales, en un año en que sufrió además ataques israelíes y estadounidenses en sus plantas nucleares.
Las protestas se extienden al interior del país
Pero el llamado presidencial no aplacó las protestas. Estudiantes universitarios se sumaron a las movilizaciones en Teherán y en la ciudad de Ispahan, en el centro del país, según la agencia de prensa Ilna, cercana a los sindicatos.
Agobiados por el efecto en sus negocios, vendedores de la capital cerraron sus tiendas el lunes y marcharon contra el deterioro de la situación económica. Manifestantes recorren una avenida del centro de Teherán. (Foto: AP)
Las movilizaciones comenzaron el domingo en el mayor mercado de teléfonos celulares de Teherán. Imágenes de la agencia de noticias estatal Fars mostraron que las fuerzas de seguridad lanzaron gases lacrimógenos para dispersar las protestas.
“Pedí al ministro del Interior que escuche las demandas legítimas de los manifestantes” para que el gobierno “pueda actuar con todas sus fuerzas para resolver los problemas y hacerlo de manera responsable”, aseguró el presidente Pezeshkian en la red social X.
Aumenta la vigilancia policial
Este martes por la mañana, la mayoría de las tiendas y cafeterías estaban abiertas en la avenida Vali-asr, que atraviesa la capital de norte a sur a lo largo de 18 kilómetros.
Policías antidisturbios vigilaban las principales plazas del centro de la ciudad.
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Para el miércoles, las autoridades decretaron el cierre de escuelas, bancos y establecimientos públicos en Teherán y otras partes del país por el frío y para ahorrar energía, indicó la prensa estatal, que no lo vinculó a las protestas.
El presidente del Parlamento, Mohamad Bagher Ghalibaf, pidió a los diputados y políticos a tomar las “medidas necesarias para aumentar el poder adquisitivo de la población”.
Sin embargo, también alertó contra el riesgo de instrumentalización de estas protestas para sembrar “el caos”. El presidente iraní Masud Pezeshkian (Foto: REUTERS)
Moneda en caída libre
El rial iraní alcanzó el domingo un nuevo mínimo histórico frente al dólar, según el tipo de cambio informal en el mercado negro, a más de 1,4 millones de riales por dólar (frente a los 820.000 de hace un año) y 1,7 millones por euro (frente a los 855.000).
El lunes, la divisa se recuperó ligeramente.
Esta depreciación crónica llevó a una hiperinflación y a una fuerte volatilidad en Irán, donde algunos precios aumentan considerablemente de un día para otro.
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Esta situación paraliza las ventas de algunos productos importados. Tanto vendedores como compradores prefieren posponer cualquier transacción a la espera de que la situación se aclare.
“Ningún dirigente nos ha apoyado ni ha tratado de averiguar cómo afecta el tipo de cambio del dólar a nuestras vidas. Tuvimos que manifestar nuestro descontento”, lamentó un manifestante citado por el diario local Etemad.
La economía iraní, ya debilitada por décadas de sanciones occidentales, sufre además por el restablecimiento a finales de septiembre por parte de la ONU de las penalizaciones internacionales relacionadas con su programa nuclear, que habían sido levantadas hace diez años.
(Con información de AFP)
Irán, Protesta
INTERNACIONAL
Japón proveerá drones y tecnología a Argentina, Uruguay, Perú y Ecuador para frenar la pesca ilegal china
Japón implementará un programa de asistencia a países sudamericanos que enfrentan flotas pesqueras chinas operando ilegalmente en sus aguas, proporcionando drones de vigilancia y otro equipamiento para reforzar los patrullajes marítimos, anunció el Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores nipón.
Ecuador, Perú, Argentina y Uruguay recibirán la ayuda a través de la Oficina de las Naciones Unidas contra la Droga y el Delito, según informó este lunes Nikkei Asia. El Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores japonés destinó 300 millones de yenes (1,9 millones de dólares) para la iniciativa, que incluye botes patrulleros inflables y equipos que analizan imágenes tomadas por drones. Esta tecnología permitirá identificar el registro de las embarcaciones, el tamaño de la tripulación y las rutas que siguen los buques.
Las flotas pesqueras chinas mantienen una presencia activa en las aguas alrededor de las Islas Galápagos de Ecuador. Con sus transpondedores GPS aparentemente apagados, estas flotas navegan hacia el sur frente a las costas de Perú y Chile. En el Atlántico, se ha confirmado actividad de flotas chinas en aguas cercanas a Argentina y Uruguay.
Estas flotas chinas son sospechosas de pesca ilegal, no declarada y no reglamentada, así como de actividades de recopilación de información, incluyendo el mapeo del lecho marino. .
Cuando una flota pesquera desactiva el rastreo GPS, determinar la trayectoria y el número de embarcaciones involucradas se vuelve extremadamente difícil. Tomar medidas de aplicación requiere capacidades superiores de guardacostas, de las cuales muchos países sudamericanos carecen.
Los buques pesqueros chinos también operan ilegalmente en el Banco de Yamato del Mar de Japón, y embarcaciones pesqueras japonesas han estado involucradas en incidentes frente a la costa del Pacífico del noreste de Japón. El gobierno japonés busca apoyar a países que enfrentan problemas similares.
La presencia de la flota china en aguas sudamericanas ha generado gran preocupación en la región. En Argentina, la actividad pasó de 61.727 horas por cada 500 kilómetros cuadrados en 2013 a 384.046 horas en 2023 en la zona conocida como “Milla 201”, al borde de la Zona Económica Exclusiva del país, según datos de Global Fishing Watch citados por Infobae.
La Prefectura Naval Argentina informó recientemente que reforzó el monitoreo de “más de 500 buques pesqueros extranjeros que arribarán a la Milla 201 en la próxima zafra del calamar”, de los cuales ya detectó 148 “en tránsito”. La mayoría proviene de China, Corea del Sur y Taiwán, reportó Infobae.
Investigadores locales han denunciado además actividades sospechosas de mapeo de la Plataforma Continental Argentina por parte de buques chinos. El arrastrero Lu Qing Yuan Yu 205, que en 2016 había realizado pesca ilegal dentro del Mar Argentino, fue detectado este año realizando movimientos en cuadrículas que sugieren prospección del fondo marino, según Milko Schvarzman, investigador del Círculo de Políticas Ambientales, citado por Infobae.
En Ecuador, el episodio de mayor tensión tuvo lugar en 2017, cuando las autoridades capturaron el carguero chino Fu Yuan Yu Leng 999 dentro de la reserva marina de Galápagos cargado con 6.623 tiburones de diversas especies.
También se han planteado preocupaciones sobre posibles abusos a los derechos humanos de trabajadores en embarcaciones pesqueras ilegales en Sudamérica. Según reportes, estos trabajadores enfrentan largas jornadas en condiciones difíciles en barcos sin control de temperatura.
Muchos de los trabajadores son del Sudeste Asiático, según el ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores japonés. Intensificar la aplicación de medidas contra las flotas pesqueras ilegales en Sudamérica podría ayudar a proteger a esos trabajadores, según Nikkei Asia, proporcionando potencialmente una oportunidad para que Japón refuerce las relaciones con los países del Sudeste Asiático.
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Minnesota Dem Senate candidate faces call from opponent to apologize over viral ‘pandering’ hijab video
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Minnesota Republican senatorial candidate David Hann is calling on one of his potential Democratic opponents to apologize after a video of her wearing a hijab and supporting the Somali community amidst a massive fraud scandal went viral on social media.
«It’s emblematic of the way she and other Democrat politicians in Minnesota have behaved over the past decade or so. They’re very political,» said former Minnesota state Sen. David Hann, who is running for Senate in the Republican primary, of Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan’s video wearing a hijab and defending the Somali community amid a massive fraud scandal that has rocked Minnesota over the past several years.
«They just are pandering to political constituencies, and they’re not doing the job that they were elected to do.»
In the video, which was widely criticized by conservatives on social media last week, Flanagan can be seen donning a hijab while talking to Somali constituents.
MINNESOTA GOP LAWMAKERS CITE CONSTITUTION IN CALL FOR WALZ TO RESIGN OVER FRAUD CRISIS
Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is facing backlash over a viral video defending Somalis amid a massive fraud scandal. (Getty)
«Salam alaikum,» Flanagan says in the video giving an Arabic greeting before saying, «The Somali community is part of the fabric of the state of Minnesota.»
«I am here shopping today and just encouraging other folks to show up, support our Somali businesses, support our immigrant neighbors, and I know that things are scary right now,» Flanagan added in the video that was aired on Somali TV.
«Being part of Minnesota and growing up here, the Somali community has always been a part of my Minnesota,» Flanagan added, while telling residents to «show up and support our Somali businesses and our immigrant neighbors.»
«We’ve got your back,» Flanagan said.
Flanagan, who has not spoken out in response to the viral investigation from journalist Nick Shirley highlighting the alleged fraud problem in Minnesota, faced criticism over the video from those who accused her of downplaying the scandal.
MEDIA ‘COMPLICITY’ BLAMED AS FEDS SAY MINNESOTA FRAUD CRISIS COULD REACH $9B: ‘SHOWN THEIR TRUE COLORS’
«This is what political performance looks like — symbolism over accountability — while billions in taxpayer dollars vanish,» Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham posted on X. «Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan wears hijab in solidarity with Somalis as feds probe multibillion-dollar fraud scandal.»
Hann told Fox News Digital that Flanagan should apologize for and retract the video.
«They did not do their duty out of concern that they would offend a political constituency,» Hann said. «So they haven’t done anything to take responsibility for what the public expects them to do. So yes, she should apologize.»
«She certainly should not be sent to Washington to oversee federal dollars being spent. But it’s emblematic of the way Democrats have governed in this state. They like to posture, they like to tell people how compassionate they are. They tell us our high taxes are helping people, but they really haven’t demonstrated a concern for helping people. They’re more interested in just spending.»
Fox News Digital has extensively reported in recent weeks on the Minnesota fraud scandal, including concerns that the fear of being called «racist» helped provide cover for the fraud, which primarily occurred within the state’s Somali community.
LAWMAKERS PROBE SBA LOANS LINKED TO MINNESOTA’S $9B FRAUD SCANDAL: ‘RECKLESS DECISION MAKING’
Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan speaks as Gov. Tim Walz, right, listens. (Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune via Getty Images)
«The Somali voting block is significant in the Minneapolis area, of course, and they’re concerned about that,» Hann told Fox News Digital. «And yes, I’ve seen those reports as well, that there were concerns about how this would appear. Most of the fraud was conducted by Somalis who put up these shell companies and looted the public treasury and I think the Democrats were concerned that if they went after that, they would appear to be picking on the Somali community when, in fact, they needed to enforce the law.»
«I think every community wants to see the laws enforced and people in Minnesota want to see laws enforced. And this is why this is so terrible. They are just failing to do the duty that they were elected to do.»
The lieutenant governor, who has been in office since 2019, is challenging two other Democratic candidates in the Senate primary race to fill the seat of outgoing Democratic Sen. Tina Smith. Former Democratic presidential candidate and current Sen. Amy Klobuchar serves as the other senator from the state.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Flanagan spokesperson Alexandra Fetissoff said the focus should be on the Trump administration’s efforts to deport illegal immigrants in Minnesota.
«While the Lt. Governor was showing her support for small businesses and communities being terrorized by ICE, she was handed a scarf by a friend and briefly wore it out of respect,» Fetissoff said. «The real outrage should not be a scarf, but masked men throwing American citizens into vans and violating the constitution.»
Flanagan’s team also clarified that while many on social media have claimed she said Somalis «built» Minnesota, «she does not say that in the video.»
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Senate candidate David Hann speaks to Fox News Digital in a 2024 interview when he was chair of the Minnesota GOP. (Fox News Digital)
Last week, Fox News Digital first reported on legislation introduced by GOP Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks named after Tim Walz that is aimed at addressing future fraud like what has occurred in Minnesota and could total as much as $9 billion, according to federal prosecutors.
If elected to the Senate, Hann told Fox News Digital he would push for more «safeguards.»
«But I think we should also be looking at, how can we reform the whole welfare establishment?» Hann explained.
«Are there better ways to help people? We should be more concerned about trying to make sure people’s lives are improved, rather than just spending money. It seems to me that the Waltz administration has been focused on just handing out money, Democrats in Washington just hand out the money and no accountability and no attempt to figure out the effectiveness of the programs that we have, we need to take a hard look at that.»
Fox News Digital’s Preston Mizell contributed to this report.
minnesota fraud exposed,politics,minnesota
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