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Trump insists Ukraine-Russia peace deal is close, but mistrust in Putin leaves experts skeptical
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.
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
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.
«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.»
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.
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.
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.»
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.
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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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.
«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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Kamala Harris-endorsed candidate in hot seat for million-dollar DC home hundreds of miles outside district
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FIRST ON FOX: Former Vice President Kamala Harris’ pick for Massachusetts’ 6th Congressional District, Dan Koh, is facing scrutiny for owning a million-dollar home hundreds of miles from the district in Washington, D.C.
Koh, who held several senior roles in former President Joe Biden’s White House, is running in a crowded race to replace Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton, who is running for the Senate. He has received the endorsement of Harris, who called him a «fighter» who «knows how to get things done.»
Though running in a suburban Massachusetts district, Koh and his wife own a $1.3 million home in a swanky neighborhood by Capitol Hill, which they purchased in 2022, according to the website for the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue.
The two also own a home in Andover, Massachusetts, which sits within the 6th Congressional District, according to the North Essex Registry of Deeds. The Massachusetts home was purchased in 2019 for $810,000.
KAMALA HARRIS SAYS DEMOCRATS TOOK BLACK WOMEN FOR GRANTED IN 2024
Former Vice President Kamala Harris endorsed former senior White House official Dan Koh for Massachusetts’ 6th Congressional District. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo; Official White House Photo by Stephanie Chasez)
Amy Carnevale, chair of the Massachusetts Republican Party, knocked Koh over the home, telling Fox News Digital that «living full-time in D.C. with a no-show house in Massachusetts seems to be a family tradition amongst MassDems.»
She also criticized another Massachusetts Democrat, Sen. Ed Markey, who she said is «known in the Bay State as the ‘Senator from Chevy Chase,’» because he «is rarely seen in his alleged hometown in Massachusetts.»
«Dan Koh is now looking to follow in that tradition. What a shame for actual residents of Massachusetts who deserve better,» added Carnevale.
In response, a spokesperson for Koh’s campaign told Fox News Digital that «Dan lives full-time at his home in Andover, which he and his wife have owned for over 6 years.»
DEM SENATOR, 79, DRAWS PRIMARY CHALLENGE FROM REP. SETH MOULTON
US Capitol Building at sunset on Jan. 30, 2025. (Fox News Digital/Emma Woodhead)
The spokesperson said that Koh «lived in D.C. during his time as a senior official in the White House during the Biden-Harris administration with his family.»
Tax documents available on the district’s Office of Tax and Revenue’s website show that Koh and his wife still own the D.C. home as of August.
Harris endorsed Koh on Oct. 28, saying: «During our time in the White House, I saw Dan’s steadfast drive to make life better — and more affordable — for working people.»
«He knows how to get things done, will be the fighter you deserve, and is ready on day one,» said Harris, adding, «I’m proud to endorse him and encourage everyone in Massachusetts’ 6th District to support his campaign.»
FORMER VP KAMALA HARRIS ADVOCATES FOR LOWERING THE VOTING AGE
Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the Wiltern Theatre on Sept. 29, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. Harris is in the midst of a 15-city book tour following the release of her new book «107 Days,» recounting her presidential campaign against President Donald Trump. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
A statement by Koh’s campaign said that he is among the first candidates Harris has endorsed in the 2025-26 campaign cycle, which the campaign said demonstrates «the critical importance of electing a strong, effective Democratic leader to represent the 6th District.»
Koh said he is «honored that Vice President Harris has endorsed our campaign for Massachusetts’ 6th District,» adding, «I personally witnessed the Vice President’s tireless dedication to the American people every day in the administration.»
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He added, «I’ll be ready on day one to bring the same brand of leadership to Capitol Hill, getting to work to deliver results for families of our commonwealth and our country.»
Fox News Digital reached out to Harris for contact but did not immediately receive a response.
kamala harris,elections,democratic party
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Carteles en el acto de campaña de Johannes Kaiser, en Santiago. Foto: BloombergEl crimen, tema clave en la campaña
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Former Rep. Gohmert blasts Jack Smith for allegedly targeting his personal phone records in J6 probe
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EXCLUSIVE: Former Rep. Louie Gohmert blasted ex-Special Counsel Jack Smith for allegedly targeting his personal phone records as part of his investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots, telling Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that his action «destroys the checks and balances that the founders counted on.»
Fox News Digital exclusively reported Thursday morning that Smith targeted then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s personal, private phone records, as well as Gohmert’s.
JACK SMITH SOUGHT THEN-HOUSE SPEAKER MCCARTHY’S PRIVATE PHONE RECORDS IN J6 PROBE, FBI DOCS REVEAL
Fox News Digital exclusively reviewed the document that FBI Director Kash Patel recently shared with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Sen. Ron Johnson containing the explosive revelations. Grassley and Johnson have been leading a joint investigation into Smith’s «Arctic Frost» probe.
Former Rep. Louie Gohmert blasted ex-Special Counsel Jack Smith for allegedly targeting his personal phone records. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)
According to the document, Smith, on Jan. 24, 2023, allegedly sought the «toll records for the personal cell phones of U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (AT&T) and U.S. Representative Louie Gohmert (Verizon.)»
The information was included as part of a «significant case notification» drafted by the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division May 25, 2023.
«It is astounding that Jack ‘Frost’ Smith went on this persecution,» Gohmert told Fox News Digital Thursday. «Apparently, this guy has never read the Fourth Amendment because you have to describe with particularity what it is you’re going after — there should be probable cause, and they had no probable cause. They were going on a witch hunt.»
Smith had sought Gohmert’s personal cellphone records from November 2020 through the end of January 2021.
«They don’t have any regard for the Fourth Amendment,» he said. «It makes Watergate look like school yard folly.»
But Gohmert said it is the «principle.»
Then-Special Counsel Jack Smith’s case cost taxpayers more than $50 million. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
«It is the separation of powers that is the problem,» Gohmert explained. «People and whistleblowers contacted me regularly from within the DOJ and the FBI about overreach within the FBI and DOJ. By grabbing my records, they could stifle reporting of potential crimes by people within the agencies.»
JACK SMITH TRACKED PRIVATE COMMUNICATIONS, CALLS OF NEARLY A DOZEN GOP SENATORS DURING J6 PROBE, FBI SAYS
«You can’t just go seize members of Congress’ records even with a warrant because of that separation of powers,» Gohmert said. «There has to be a wall and that’s what troubles me more than anything.»
Gohmert told Fox News Digital that he didn’t remember who he spoke with during the time period Smith sought records, but said that «the last thing I want is for someone who trusted me to keep their name private to have some jack-booted thug like Jack ‘Frost’ Smith grab my records and find out who is tattle tailing on him.»
He added: «It violates and destroys the checks and balances that the founders counted on.»
Gohmert, though, told Fox News Digital that he trusts the current Justice Department and FBI leadership.
«I trust the DOJ and trust the people running the FBI,» he said. «We’ll see if there were any crimes committed and, if following the Constitution, they can be properly prosecuted.»
HAGERTY PRESSES VERIZON OVER FBI’S ACCESS TO HIS PHONE RECORDS DURING JACK SMITH PROBE
Meanwhile, McCarthy said he will take legal action against Smith.
Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said he will take legal action against Jack Smith. (Jose Luis Magana/The Associated Press)
«Jack Smith’s radical and deranged investigation was never about finding the truth,» McCarthy told Fox News Digital. «It was a blatant weaponizing of the Justice Department to attack political opponents of the Biden administration. Perhaps no action underscores this point more than the illegal attempt to access the phone records of sitting members of the House and Senate — including the Speaker of the House.»
«His illegal targeting demands real accountability,» McCarthy continued. «And I am confident Congress will hold hearings and access documents in its investigation into Jack Smith’s own abuses.»
HAGERTY PRESSES VERIZON OVER FBI’S ACCESS TO HIS PHONE RECORDS DURING JACK SMITH PROBE
«At the same time, I will ask my own counsel to pursue all areas of redress so this does not happen to anyone else,» McCarthy said.
The revelations come after Fox News Digital exclusively reported in October that Smith and his «Arctic Frost» team investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots were tracking the private communications and phone calls of nearly a dozen Republican senators as part of the probe, including Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and GOP Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania.
An official told Fox News Digital that those records were collected in 2023 by Smith and his team after subpoenaing major telephone providers.
Smith has called his decision to subpoena and track Republican lawmakers’ phone records «entirely proper» and consistent with Justice Department policy.
«As described by various Senators, the toll data collection was narrowly tailored and limited to the four days from January 4, 2021 to January 7, 2021, with a focus on telephonic activity during the period immediately surrounding the January 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol,» Smith’s lawyers wrote in October to Grassley.
Grassley, R-Iowa, and Johnson, R-Wis., have been investigating the matter.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., have been investigating the matter. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
An FBI official told Fox News Digital that «Arctic Frost» is a «prohibited case,» and that the review required FBI officials to go «above and beyond in order to deliver on this promise of transparency.» The discovery is part of a broader ongoing review, Fox News Digital has learned.
Smith, after months of investigating, charged President Donald Trump in the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C., in his 2020 election case, but after Trump was elected president, Smith sought to dismiss the case. Judge Tanya Chutkan granted that request.
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Smith’s case cost taxpayers more than $50 million.
Smith did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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