President Donald Trump and his administration are set to have another busy week as negotiations over ending the Russia-Ukraine war get underway. 

Trump is sending a handful of U.S. officials to Saudi Arabia this week to begin negotiating a potential peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, told Fox News on Sunday morning that he and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz will travel to Saudi Arabia on Sunday evening, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also set to travel to Saudi Arabia after his attendance of the international Munich Security Conference last week and meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Sunday. 

The meeting in Saudi Arabia comes after Trump announced last Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to "immediately" begin peace talks.

"Next week, there's a meeting in Saudi Arabia," Trump told the media during a press conference on Thursday. "Not with myself nor President Putin, but with top officials. And Ukraine will be a part of it, too. And we're going to see if we can end that war. That was a horrible war. It's a vicious, bloody war. We want to end it."

Russia and Ukraine have been at war since February 2022, when Russia first invaded its neighboring nation. Trump had said while on the 2024 campaign trail that he would end the war if re-elected, while claiming it would never have begun if he had been in the Oval Office at the time. 

TRUMP WILL DETERMINE IF PUTIN IS 'SERIOUS ABOUT NEGOTIATIONS' TO END UKRAINE WAR, RUBIO SAYS

Trump charged his team of U.S. officials to hold the peace meetings at his direction in Saudi Arabia, Witkoff said on Sunday to Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo. 

HOW SAUDI ARABIA'S CROWN PRINCE BECAME A CENTRAL PLAYER IN US-BROKERED PEACE TALKS BETWEEN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE

"I am going tonight. I'll be traveling there with the national security advisor, and we'll be having meetings at the direction of the president. And hopefully we'll make some really good progress with regard to Russia, Ukraine," Witkoff said. 

RUSSIA CLAIMS TRUMP, PUTIN TALK BROUGHT WORLD FROM ‘BRINK OF APOCALYPSE,’ EU WARNS OF ‘DIRTY TRICKS’

Stateside, Trump spent his weekend in Mar-a-Lago in Florida before heading to the Daytona 500, where fans erupted into cheers when Air Force One flew over Daytona International Speedway. Trump is the first sitting president to attend two Daytona 500 races at Daytona International Speedway, previously attending the 2020 race.

Trump’s schedule this week could also include meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who requested a visit with the president at the White House. 

Trump told the media on Friday that he did speak with the U.K. prime minister and that he accepted a request to meet at the White House. 

"We're going to have a friendly meeting, very good. We have a lot of good things going on. But he asked to come and see me, and I just accepted his asking," Trump said. 

NASCAR FANS CHEER AS TRUMP ARRIVES FOR DAYTONA 500 IN AIR FORCE ONE

Trump said the meeting would be held "very soon," suggesting it would happen either this coming week or the following week. No details have been revealed as to what the upcoming meeting will focus on, though it comes on the heels of Trump announcing a "reciprocal tariff" plan on Thursday that will impose "fair and reciprocal" tariffs on all major U.S. trading partners. 

"On trade, I have decided for purposes of fairness that I will charge a reciprocal tariff, meaning whatever countries charge the United States of America, we will charge them, no more, no less. In other words, they charge us a tax or tariff, and we charge them the exact same tax or tariff, very simple," Trump said at the White House of the tariff plan. 

On the energy policy front, Trump created the National Energy Dominance Council on Friday, which is expected to "unleash" energy independence. 

TOP TRUMP AGENCY RECOVERS EYE-POPPING SUM AFTER LAUNCHING DOGE TASK FORCE

"We have more energy than any other country, and now we are unleashing it," Trump said Friday from the Oval Office when he signed an executive order establishing the energy council. "I call it liquid gold under our feet, and we’re going to utilize it."

Kevin Hassett, the director of the National Economic Council under the second Trump administration, previewed that the council will quickly work to make the U.S. energy dominant, even with actions as early as this coming week. 

"What I expect you to see, sir, is action as early as next week that is going to shock people about how good it is for Americans," Hassett told Trump from the Oval Office on Friday. 

Trump’s fourth week in office follows him already signing 65 executive orders, including 26 on his first day in office alone.

President Donald Trump spoke about his plans to end the Russo-Ukrainian War during a press gaggle on Sunday, stating that he believes the leaders of both countries "want to stop fighting."

Speaking on the tarmac at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday afternoon, Trump said that he's currently in the process of "trying to get peace with Russia, Ukraine."

"And we're working very hard on it," he said. "It's a war that should have never started."

When asked if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to be involved in the conversations, Trump replied in the affirmative.

NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR SAYS PUTIN, ZELENSKYY AGREE ‘ONLY PRESIDENT TRUMP COULD GET THEM TO THE TABLE’

"He will be involved, yes," Trump said. When asked by a reporter, Trump also said he would allow Europeans to purchase American-made weapons sold to Ukraine.

The Republican president went on say that he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin, who began the war in February 2014 with the annexation of Crimea and escalated it in February 2022 by invading Ukraine, wants to bring the war to an end.

"I think he wants to stop fighting," Trump said. "They have a big, powerful machine, you understand that? And they defeated Hitler and they defeated Napoleon. You know, he's been fighting a long time…I think he would like to stop fighting."

EMMANUEL MACRON CALLS 'EMERGENCY MEETING' FOR EUROPEAN LEADERS TO DISCUSS TRUMP: REPORT

"Zelenskyy wants to end it, too."

Talks between the U.S. and Russia are expected to begin in Saudi Arabia this week, though it was previously reported that Ukraine was not expected to be directly involved. Trump's national security advisor Michael Waltz said on "Fox News Sunday" that negotiations will involve "key tenants," in order to guarantee a "permanent end to the war."

"The United States and Europe have supported [the Ukrainian] effort, but the United States unquestionably has borne the brunt of that support over the years, but now President Trump is clear it needs to come to an end," Waltz said Sunday. 

 Trump's comments came shortly after a "Meet the Press" interview with Zelenskyy aired on NBC, in which the Ukrainian leader discussed Putin and claimed that he "fears" Trump.

"I said that [Putin] is a liar," Zelenskyy said of a recent phone call to Trump. "And he said, 'I think my feeling is that he's ready for these negotiations.' And I said to him, 'No, he's a liar. He doesn't want any peace.'"

"But I think he's really a little bit scared about the President Trump," Zelenskyy added. "And I think the president has this chance, and he's strong. And I think that really, he can push Putin to peace negotiations. Yes, I think so. I think he can, but don't trust him. Don't trust Putin. Don't trust just words about ceasefire."

Fox News Digital's Emma Colton, Danielle Wallace and Brooke Curto contributed to this report.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said for the first time on Sunday that he was “ready and willing” to deploy troops to help guarantee Ukraine’s security.

© Eric Lee/The New York Times

President Donald Trump and his administration are set to have another busy week as negotiations over ending the Russia-Ukraine war get underway. 

Trump is sending a handful of U.S. officials to Saudi Arabia this week to begin negotiating a potential peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, told Fox News on Sunday morning that he and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz will travel to Saudi Arabia on Sunday evening, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also set to travel to Saudi Arabia after his attendance of the international Munich Security Conference last week and meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Sunday. 

The meeting in Saudi Arabia comes after Trump announced last Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to "immediately" begin peace talks.

"Next week, there's a meeting in Saudi Arabia," Trump told the media during a press conference on Thursday. "Not with myself nor President Putin, but with top officials. And Ukraine will be a part of it, too. And we're going to see if we can end that war. That was a horrible war. It's a vicious, bloody war. We want to end it."

Russia and Ukraine have been at war since February 2022, when Russia first invaded its neighboring nation. Trump had said while on the 2024 campaign trail that he would end the war if re-elected, while claiming it would never have begun if he had been in the Oval Office at the time. 

TRUMP WILL DETERMINE IF PUTIN IS 'SERIOUS ABOUT NEGOTIATIONS' TO END UKRAINE WAR, RUBIO SAYS

Trump charged his team of U.S. officials to hold the peace meetings at his direction in Saudi Arabia, Witkoff said on Sunday to Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo. 

HOW SAUDI ARABIA'S CROWN PRINCE BECAME A CENTRAL PLAYER IN US-BROKERED PEACE TALKS BETWEEN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE

"I am going tonight. I'll be traveling there with the national security advisor, and we'll be having meetings at the direction of the president. And hopefully we'll make some really good progress with regard to Russia, Ukraine," Witkoff said. 

RUSSIA CLAIMS TRUMP, PUTIN TALK BROUGHT WORLD FROM ‘BRINK OF APOCALYPSE,’ EU WARNS OF ‘DIRTY TRICKS’

Stateside, Trump spent his weekend in Mar-a-Lago in Florida before heading to the Daytona 500, where fans erupted into cheers when Air Force One flew over Daytona International Speedway. Trump is the first sitting president to attend two Daytona 500 races at Daytona International Speedway, previously attending the 2020 race.

Trump’s schedule this week could also include meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who requested a visit with the president at the White House. 

Trump told the media on Friday that he did speak with the U.K. prime minister and that he accepted a request to meet at the White House. 

"We're going to have a friendly meeting, very good. We have a lot of good things going on. But he asked to come and see me, and I just accepted his asking," Trump said. 

NASCAR FANS CHEER AS TRUMP ARRIVES FOR DAYTONA 500 IN AIR FORCE ONE

Trump said the meeting would be held "very soon," suggesting it would happen either this coming week or the following week. No details have been revealed as to what the upcoming meeting will focus on, though it comes on the heels of Trump announcing a "reciprocal tariff" plan on Thursday that will impose "fair and reciprocal" tariffs on all major U.S. trading partners. 

"On trade, I have decided for purposes of fairness that I will charge a reciprocal tariff, meaning whatever countries charge the United States of America, we will charge them, no more, no less. In other words, they charge us a tax or tariff, and we charge them the exact same tax or tariff, very simple," Trump said at the White House of the tariff plan. 

On the energy policy front, Trump created the National Energy Dominance Council on Friday, which is expected to "unleash" energy independence. 

TOP TRUMP AGENCY RECOVERS EYE-POPPING SUM AFTER LAUNCHING DOGE TASK FORCE

"We have more energy than any other country, and now we are unleashing it," Trump said Friday from the Oval Office when he signed an executive order establishing the energy council. "I call it liquid gold under our feet, and we’re going to utilize it."

Kevin Hassett, the director of the National Economic Council under the second Trump administration, previewed that the council will quickly work to make the U.S. energy dominant, even with actions as early as this coming week. 

"What I expect you to see, sir, is action as early as next week that is going to shock people about how good it is for Americans," Hassett told Trump from the Oval Office on Friday. 

Trump’s fourth week in office follows him already signing 65 executive orders, including 26 on his first day in office alone.

President Donald Trump spoke about his plans to end the Russo-Ukrainian War during a press gaggle on Sunday, stating that he believes the leaders of both countries "want to stop fighting."

Speaking on the tarmac at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday afternoon, Trump said that he's currently in the process of "trying to get peace with Russia, Ukraine."

"And we're working very hard on it," he said. "It's a war that should have never started."

When asked if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to be involved in the conversations, Trump replied in the affirmative.

NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR SAYS PUTIN, ZELENSKYY AGREE ‘ONLY PRESIDENT TRUMP COULD GET THEM TO THE TABLE’

"He will be involved, yes," Trump said. When asked by a reporter, Trump also said he would allow Europeans to purchase American-made weapons sold to Ukraine.

The Republican president went on say that he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin, who began the war in February 2014 with the annexation of Crimea and escalated it in February 2022 by invading Ukraine, wants to bring the war to an end.

"I think he wants to stop fighting," Trump said. "They have a big, powerful machine, you understand that? And they defeated Hitler and they defeated Napoleon. You know, he's been fighting a long time…I think he would like to stop fighting."

EMMANUEL MACRON CALLS 'EMERGENCY MEETING' FOR EUROPEAN LEADERS TO DISCUSS TRUMP: REPORT

"Zelenskyy wants to end it, too."

Talks between the U.S. and Russia are expected to begin in Saudi Arabia this week, though it was previously reported that Ukraine was not expected to be directly involved. Trump's national security advisor Michael Waltz said on "Fox News Sunday" that negotiations will involve "key tenants," in order to guarantee a "permanent end to the war."

"The United States and Europe have supported [the Ukrainian] effort, but the United States unquestionably has borne the brunt of that support over the years, but now President Trump is clear it needs to come to an end," Waltz said Sunday. 

 Trump's comments came shortly after a "Meet the Press" interview with Zelenskyy aired on NBC, in which the Ukrainian leader discussed Putin and claimed that he "fears" Trump.

"I said that [Putin] is a liar," Zelenskyy said of a recent phone call to Trump. "And he said, 'I think my feeling is that he's ready for these negotiations.' And I said to him, 'No, he's a liar. He doesn't want any peace.'"

"But I think he's really a little bit scared about the President Trump," Zelenskyy added. "And I think the president has this chance, and he's strong. And I think that really, he can push Putin to peace negotiations. Yes, I think so. I think he can, but don't trust him. Don't trust Putin. Don't trust just words about ceasefire."

Fox News Digital's Emma Colton, Danielle Wallace and Brooke Curto contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia hinted that there might not be a place at the table for Europe during peace negotiations with Russia.

Asked if Europeans had a role in talks between Russia and Ukraine, Trump’s envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, said at a security conference in Germany over the weekend that he was "from the school of realism, and that is not going to happen."

The comments come as Trump presses ahead with plans to negotiate peace between Ukraine and Russia, which includes planned meetings between U.S. and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia this week.

But European allies might not be included in future talks, Kellogg made clear during his remarks in Munich, arguing that too many voices adds to the risk of derailing negotiations for peace.

EMMANUEL MACRON CALLS 'EMERGENCY MEETING' FOR EUROPEAN LEADERS TO DISCUSS TRUMP: REPORT

"What we don't want to do is get into a large group discussion," Kellogg said, noting that Trump is pressing to have a deal done within "days and weeks" and not on a longer timetable.

"You got to give us a bit of breathing space and time, but when I say that, I’m not talking six months," he said.

The comments come just a day after Vice President JD Vance ripped into European leaders during a speech at the same conference, arguing that European domestic policies limiting free speech were a bigger threat to the continent than Russia.

"The threat that I worry the most about vis-à-vis Europe is not Russia, it's not China. It's not any other external actor," he said. "What I worry about is the threat from within the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America."

The remarks by U.S. leaders at the conference have left their European counterparts in shock, according to a report from Reuters, which noted that many European delegates were left worrying about continued U.S. military protection of the continent and the details of a deal brokered in Ukraine with little European involvement.

‘BREATHTAKING SPEED’: TRUMP'S PARIS TRIP MARKS RETURN TO GLOBAL STAGE AS LEADERS TURN ‘THE PAGE’ ON BIDEN

Speaking to Newsweek, Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir said she was still "trying to decipher" the meaning of Kellogg’s remarks over the weekend, though admitted that she found them a "concern."

"This is about Russia, but this is also about Europe," she said. "It's also difficult for foreign leaders to be reacting constantly to unsure comments."

"We feel like Ukraine has to be at the table, and Europe does, too," she added.

That sentiment was echoed by Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, who argued that Europe will have to "act more strongly" in response to the U.S. push.

"If Trump is negotiating with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin about Europe, then it is impossible to talk about Europe without us," he told NewsWeek.

DAVID MARCUS: TRIUMPHANT TRUMP AT NOTRE DAME SIGNALS AMERICA AND THE WEST ARE BACK

French President Emmanuel Macron responded to the developments by calling on European leaders to convene an emergency meeting in Paris, which is expected to center on U.S. efforts to exclude European countries from peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.

Those expected to be in attendance at the Paris meeting include NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and the leaders of Germany, Italy, the U.K. and Poland, according to a report from the Guardian.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to attend the meetings, though he stressed the importance of keeping the European and U.S. alliance together.

"The U.K. will work to ensure we keep the U.S. and Europe together. We cannot allow any divisions in the alliance to distract from the external enemies we face," Starmer said, according to the Guardian report.

Prospects for a peace deal to end Russia’s nearly three-year-old invasion in Ukraine have seemingly intensified in recent weeks, most notably after Trump held separate phone calls with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

At a later event at the conference, Kellogg made clear that European interests would still be considered at the bargaining table, noting that the U.S. would simply hope to serve as an intermediary in talks between Russia and Ukraine, the two main protagonists in the conflict.

Meanwhile, Rutte urged European leaders to get serious if they hope to be involved in the peace process.

"And to my European friends, I would say, get into the debate, not by complaining that you might, yes or no, be at the table, but by coming up with concrete proposals, ideas, ramp up (defense) spending," the NATO secretary-general said at the conference.

The White House did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

As the Trump administration moves to negotiate the end of the Ukraine-Russia war, national security advisor Michael Waltz rejected the notion that European allies are not being consulted on the matter. 

Talks between the U.S. and Russia are reportedly to begin in Saudi Arabia this week, while French President Emmanuel Macron is reportedly to host what is being billed as an emergency summit on Ukraine between European leaders in Paris starting Monday. Trump said he spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin last week, reportedly doing so without consulting NATO members. 

In an appearance on "Fox News Sunday," Waltz said that in back-to-back calls, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Putin separately agreed that "only President Trump could get them to the table, only President Trump could drive peace." 

Waltz noted that Trump spoke to Macron last week and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has an upcoming trip to the United States. 

TREASURY SECRETARY BESSENT OFFERS ZELENSKYY AN ECONOMIC INVESTMENT DEAL

"We had no less than our vice president, our secretary of state, our secretary of defense, our secretary of treasury, who was in Kyiv personally, and our special envoy {Keith} Kellogg all in Europe this week, all engaging our allies," Waltz said. "Now, they may not like some of the sequencing that is going on in these negotiations, but I have to push back on any notion that they aren't being consulted. They absolutely are." 

"At the end of the day though, this is going to be under President Trump's leadership that we get this war to an end," he added. 

Among the critics of the Trump administration's handling of the negotiations was Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who said the president's inability to "even identify Ukraine as an equal bargaining power, after the blood Ukraine has shed, [is] just a shocking surrender of American values and interests." Noting how Zelenskyy said he would not be bound by any deal negotiated between Russia and the U.S., "Fox News Sunday" host Shannon Bream asked Waltz if Kyiv would have a seat at the table. 

In response, Waltz said Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Vice President JD Vance stressed in talks with Zelenskyy "entering into a partnership with the United States," and being "co-invested with President Trump, with the American people going forward." 

UKRAINE FUNDING WILL COME WITH NEW LEVEL OF 'TRANSPARENCY,' TREASURY SECRETARY BESSENT SAYS

"The American people deserve to be recouped, deserve to have some type of payback for the billions they have invested in this war," Waltz said. "I can't think of anything that would make the American people more comfortable with future investments than if we were able to be in a partnership and have the American people made whole. And I'll point out that much of the European aid is actually in the form of a loan. That is repaid. It's repaid with interest on Russian assets. So President Trump is rethinking the entire dynamic here. That has some people uncomfortable, but I think Zelenskyy would be very wise to enter into this agreement with the United States. There's no better way to secure them going forward, and further, there was a question of whether Putin would come to the table. He has now done so under President Trump's leadership, and we're going to continue those talks in the coming weeks at President Trump's direction."

Asked why Ukraine won't be directly part of the Saudi Arabia talks, Waltz said, "The Ukrainian people have fought valiantly. They have seen entire cities destroyed. The United States and Europe have supported this effort, but the United States unquestionably has borne the brunt of that support over the years, but now President Trump is clear it needs to come to an end." 

Waltz added that the negotiations will be driven by "key tenants," including ensuring that there's a "permanent end to the war" and that the conflict "can't be ended on the battlefield." 

"This has turned into a World War I-style meat grinder of human beings," he said, adding that economic integration going forward would be the "best arbiter of peace" and long-term military security guarantees have to be European-led. 

"When a third of NATO members still are not contributing – a third – are still not contributing the minimum they all committed to a decade ago, I think that leaves a lot of Americans questioning the level of their commitment to back the rhetoric we're seeing," Waltz said. 

President Donald Trump’s prowess as a negotiator will help determine if Russian President Vladimir Putin is serious about negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday.

Rubio appeared on CBS’ "Face the Nation," where host Margaret Brennan asked if he could trust that potential negotiations with Russia would be forthright considering how Putin "likes to use diplomacy as a cover to distract while he continues to wage war."

"I don't think in geopolitics anyone should trust anyone," Rubio responded. "I think these things have to be verified through actions. I said yesterday that peace is not a noun, it's a verb. It's an action. You have to take concrete steps towards it."

Rubio added that there is "no better negotiator in American politics" than Trump, saying that the president "will know very quickly whether this is a real thing or whether this is an effort to buy time."

HOW SAUDI ARABIA'S CROWN PRINCE BECAME A CENTRAL PLAYER IN US-BROKERED PEACE TALKS BETWEEN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE

"But I don't want to prejudge that," Rubio said. "I don't want to foreclose the opportunity to end the conflict that's already cost the lives of hundreds of thousands and continues every single day to be increasingly a war of attrition on both sides."

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago. The fighting has produced heavy casualties on both sides, becoming Europe’s largest military conflict since World War II. 

Trump had repeatedly said while on the campaign trail that if he was president in 2022, the war would not have broken out — vowing to end it if re-elected.

RUSSIA CLAIMS TRUMP, PUTIN TALK BROUGHT WORLD FROM ‘BRINK OF APOCALYPSE,’ EU WARNS OF ‘DIRTY TRICKS’

Trump spoke to Putin in a phone call on Wednesday, telling reporters that he and Putin would likely meet soon to negotiate a peace deal over Ukraine. Trump later assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy he also would have a seat at the table. 

While some officials have indicated that European nations wouldn't be involved in talks, Rubio on Sunday said that should the leaders reach the point of "real negotiations," both Ukraine and Europe would be involved.

"Ultimately, it will reach a point when you are – if it's real negotiations, and we're not there yet – but if that were to happen, Ukraine will have to be involved, because they're the one that were invaded, and the Europeans will have to be involved because they have sanctions on Putin and Russia as well, and they've contributed to this effort."

Rubio emphasized that the phone call between Trump and Putin was only a small step in the process towards opening a negotiation to end the war, and that "we have a long way to go."

"We're just not there yet," he said. "We really aren't, but hopefully we will be, because we'd all like to see this war end."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

As President Donald Trump's administration works toward a diplomatic end to the war in Ukraine, the leaders of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) are warning that Vladimir Putin's Russia believes it's actually fighting a "holy war" against the West.

A delegation from the OCU was in the United States recently for the International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, D.C. The group was led by His Beatitude Metropolitan Epiphany, leader of Kyiv and all of Ukraine.

His translator spoke to Fox News about the spiritual war raging between Russia and Ukraine, which has played a big role in why the battle began and continues to escalate.

HEAD OF EASTERN ORTHODOXY CONDEMNS PUTIN, RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

His eminence Metropolitan Yevstratiy, the deputy head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine's external church relations, says of Russia, "From the point of religious view, this is a liberation of Ukrainians from [the] Godless West, from the evil. And Russia brings to Ukraine the light and truth."

Yevstratiy, and other church watchers like Catholic intellectual George Weigel, have accused the Russian Orthodox Church of being nothing more than an arm of the Kremlin, dressed in religious vestments but doing Putin's bidding.

Writing in the magazine First Things, Weigel noted "… Ukraine mounted and sustained a fierce resistance that denied Russia the quick victory Putin anticipated in February 2022, Russian justifications for the war began to take on a new coloration: The war was now a crusade in defense of Christian civilization."

On Lighthouse Faith podcast, Yevstratiy recalled how at the start of the war, Moscow's Patriarch Kirill sermonized to Russian soldiers fighting against Ukraine that if they die in battle they would immediately go to paradise… all sins forgiven. Even to an outsider looking at the complexity of Orthodox Christianity, that sounds more like 'Political Jihad' than the Gospel.

In 2019, Ukraine's Orthodox Church was granted independence from the Russian Orthodox Church by the ecumenical patriarch in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey). It caused an uproar in Moscow. Kirill and Putin refused to recognize the authority of Patriarch Bartholomew.

'PUTIN'S CONFESSOR' NAMED BISHOP OF ANNEXED UKRAINIAN TERRITORY

Yevstratiy also revealed a scarier version of the war in Ukraine. He says Putin's ultimate goal is more than the reunification of the Soviet Union, or the defense of Christian civilization. It's actually more apocalyptic. He's focused on ushering in the third and final Rome.... in Moscow, which means, labeling the rest of Christianity, Catholics and Protestants alike... as heretics and pagans.

Describing the inner workings of the Orthodox churches may seem a little like 'inside baseball'.  But these are the oldest churches of Christianity. They emerged from the five ancient churches led by the apostles who knew Jesus personally.

The apostle Andrew went to the east in Constantinople; Mark to Alexandria (Egypt); Peter to Antioch (Rome); James to Jerusalem, and Barnabas to Cyprus.  From these men, along with the itinerant Apostle Paul, Christianity spread throughout the globe. So, this conflict between Russia and Ukraine has deep spiritual roots. And Putin knows it.

Yestratiy and Epiphany were present at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. and heard President Trump declare his desire to be a peacemaker.

Vestratiy said, "We pray and we ask God Almighty to bless this very good and Christian desire."

Adding, "May God bless Ukraine. May God bless America."

The full interview is on Lauren Green's Lighthouse Faith podcast, available on Apple, Spotify and here.

European leaders felt certain about one thing after a whirlwind tour by Trump officials — they were entering a new world where it was harder to depend on the United States.

© Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

The Trump administration’s push for direct negotiations with Russia without Ukraine’s involvement leaves the European allies with no clear role.

© Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Remarks by Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are fueling concerns that the U.S. will move away from Europe and align with Moscow.

© Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Sputnik, via Reuters