The United States is releasing Russian prisoner Alexander Vinnik as part of the deal to secure Marc Fogel's freedom, a Trump administration official told Fox News on Wednesday.

Fogel, an American teacher who had been detained in Russia since 2021, was freed on Tuesday. A plane carrying him landed in the U.S. late last night. 

Vinnik was arrested in 2017 in Greece at the request of the U.S. on cryptocurrency fraud charges. He was later extradited to the United States where he pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier said the Russian prisoner’s name would be revealed when he returns home. 

FREED AMERICAN HOSTAGE MARC FOGEL LANDS IN US AFTER YEARS IN RUSSIAN CAPTIVITY 

"Recently, work has been intensified through the relevant agencies, there have been contacts," Peskov said in a conference call with reporters, according to the Associated Press. "And these contacts have led to the release of Fogel, as well as one of the citizens of the Russian Federation, who is currently being held in custody in the United States. This citizen of the Russian Federation will also be returned to Russia in the coming days." 

The State Department did not immediately respond Wednesday morning to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

Fogel, a history teacher from Pennsylvania, was serving a 14-year prison sentence after his arrest in August 2021 at a Russian airport for being in possession of drugs, which his family and supporters said were medically prescribed marijuana. 

Anne Fogel, his sister, told "Fox & Friends" on Wednesday that she is "so happy to have this massive boulder" lifted off her shoulders with her brother’s release. 

"I am so incredibly grateful to the president," she added. "Just amazing." 

Fogel said her brother's situation has "taken a toll" on her family but they "can’t even believe that he is safe and at home and can get medical attention." 

AMERICAN MARC FOGEL RELEASED FROM RUSSIAN CUSTODY 

After his arrival in the U.S., Fogel met with President Donald Trump at the White House and called him a hero for securing his release. 

"I want you to know that I am not a hero in this at all. And President Trump is a hero," Fogel said after meeting Trump. 

"These men that came from the diplomatic service are heroes," Fogel continued. "The senators and representatives that passed legislation in my honor – they got me home – they are heroes." 

When asked by reporters on Tuesday whether the U.S. had given up anything in return for Fogel, Trump replied "not much" without offering additional details. 

Fox News’ Pat Ward, Landon Mion and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told allies at NATO headquarters Wednesday that "returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective," as President Donald Trump is working to bring an end to the war. 

Hegseth, speaking to the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Belgium, also said "stark strategic realities prevent the United States from being primarily focused on the security of Europe" because the U.S. is focusing on "securing our own borders" and "deterring war with China in the Pacific." 

"President Trump has been clear with the American people -- and with many of your leaders -- that stopping the fighting and reaching an enduring peace is a top priority," Hegseth said about Ukraine, noting that the war is approaching its third anniversary. 

"He intends to end this war by diplomacy and bringing both Russia and Ukraine to the table.  And the U.S. Department of Defense will help achieve this goal," Hegseth continued. "We want a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine. But we must start by recognizing that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective. Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering." 

JD VANCE, TREASURY SECRETARY SCOTT BESSENT TO MEET WITH ZELENSKYY AS TRUMP TEAM SETS SIGHTS ON RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR 

In early 2014, Russia first invaded Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula before annexing the region. Russian President Vladimir Putin then launched a larger military conflict with Ukraine in 2022, which remains ongoing. 

"A durable peace for Ukraine must include robust security guarantees to ensure that the war will not begin again," Hegseth said Wednesday. "The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement. Instead, any security guarantee must be backed by capable European and non-European troops."

"If these troops are deployed as peacekeepers to Ukraine at any point, they should be deployed as part of a non-NATO mission and not covered under Article 5. There also must be robust international oversight of the line of contact," he continued. "To be clear, as part of any security guarantee, there will not be U.S. troops deployed to Ukraine." 

ZELENSKYY CALLS TRUMP’S TERMS ACCEPTABLE FOR SECURITY PARTNERSHIP 

Trump, during an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier on "Special Report," said "tremendous progress" has been made over the last week when it comes to a Ukraine-Russia peace deal. 

"They have tremendously valuable land in terms of rare earth, in terms of oil and gas, in terms of other things. I want to have our money secured because we're spending hundreds of billions of dollars," Trump said about Ukraine. "And, you know, they may make a deal. They may not make a deal. They may be Russian someday, or they may not be Russian someday."

"I told them that I want the equivalent, like $500 billion worth of rare earth. And they've essentially agreed to do that. So at least we don't feel stupid. Otherwise, we're stupid," Trump added. "I said to them, we have to, we have to get something. We can't continue to pay this money, you know." 

In an interview this week with The Guardian, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said "There are voices which say that Europe could offer security guarantees without the Americans, and I always say no" and that "Security guarantees without America are not real security guarantees."

Hegseth also said he is in Brussels today to "directly and unambiguously express that stark strategic realities prevent the United States from being primarily focused on the security of Europe."  

"The United States faces consequential threats to our homeland. We must -- and we are -- focusing on securing our own borders," he said. "We also face a peer competitor in China with the capability and intent to threaten our homeland and core national interests in the Indo-Pacific."  

"The U.S. is prioritizing deterring war with China in the Pacific, recognizing the reality of scarcity, and making the resourcing tradeoffs to ensure deterrence does not fail," Hegseth added. "As the United States shifts its attention to these threats, European allies must lead from the front." 

The mother of Marc Fogel, an American who had been detained in Russia since 2021, is expressing relief and gratitude to President Donald Trump for securing his release Tuesday.

"(Trump) promised me he would get him out, and he kept his promise," Malphine Fogel told "America Reports." "I can't thank him enough." 

Marc Fogel, a history teacher who was working at the Anglo-American School in Moscow, is heading back to U.S. soil after Russia released him following talks with Trump administration officials. Fogel was serving a 14-year sentence after his arrest in August 2021 at a Russian airport for being in possession of drugs, which his family and supporters said were medically prescribed marijuana.

His mother, Malphine, met with Trump before his fateful rally in Butler, Pennsylvania last year, asking the then-presidential nominee to not forget her son’s name. He assured her that he would bring her son home. 

Now, Malphine is celebrating that fulfilled promise. 

RUSSIA SAYS US RELATIONS ‘ON THE BRINK OF A BREAKUP,’ WON'T CONFIRM TRUMP-PUTIN TALK 

"I met with President Trump, and he was just as cordial as he could be," Malphine Fogel recalled of the Butler meeting. "He told me three different times, 'If I get in,' he said, 'I'll get him out' and I really think he's been instrumental." 

Besides wanting to thank Trump "profusely" for his work in bringing her son home, Malphine Fogel also expressed gratitude to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others who worked on the case. 

She described the relief she felt after learning her son would soon be home.  

"It was a total surprise when he called, and he said he was in the Moscow airport," the joyous mom. "So, that meant that (they) had taken him out of the prison to Moscow. ... The last week or so, for some crazy reason, I had a better feeling about things, but I hadn't heard from him in a week, so I thought that was odd and when he called this morning, it was just a total shock." 

Fogel said her son will be "sore from all the hugs" he receives once he lands in the United States. 

"It's just an unbelievable situation right now," she said. "We're just waiting and waiting to get him into the U.S. I think the first thing he'll do is stoop down and kiss the ground." 

Fox News Digital's Greg Norman contributed to this report.

Vice President JD Vance will meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday after years of railing against the U.S.’ continued funding of Ukraine in the war against Russia. 

The vice president will meet with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, a Vance spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital, just ahead of U.S. envoy Keith Kellogg’s trip to Ukraine on Feb. 20. 

Trump announced on Tuesday he would also send Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to meet with Zelenskyy in Ukraine. 

"This War MUST and WILL END SOON — Too much Death and Destruction. The U.S. has spent BILLIONS of Dollars Globally, with little to show," Trump wrote on Truth Social. 

‘LET’S DO A DEAL’: ZELENSKYY CALLS TRUMP’S TERMS ACCEPTABLE FOR SECURITY PARTNERSHIP

Bessent is expected to talk about sanctions, rare Earth minerals and where U.S. funding has gone with the Ukrainian leader. 

Trump tasked Kellogg with hashing out a peace deal with Ukraine and Russia to bring the three-year-long war to an end. Last week Kellogg met with Ukrainian delegations at the State Department.  

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are also attending the conference where the Russia-Ukraine war is sure to be a top focal point. 

RUSSIA SAYS US RELATIONS ‘ON THE BRINK OF A BREAKUP,’ WON'T CONFIRM TRUMP-PUTIN TALK

The U.S. does not have a concrete plan yet to end the war, contrary to public reporting, and is listening to concerns and proposals from allies, a European official familiar with peace talks told Fox News Digital. 

"Munich is too soon to unveil a Ukraine peace plan," the official said. "The negotiations between the principals – Trump, Zelenskyy, Putin – will be tough. All options to end the killing are on the table – the course of action will be Trump’s call. There’s still plenty of room to ramp up sanctions." 

Trump said last week he might meet with Zelenksyy himself in the days ahead. 

"I will probably be meeting with President Zelenskyy next week and I will probably be talking to President Putin," Trump said. 

In an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier Monday night, Trump emphasized the need for Ukraine to give the U.S. access to its rare Earth minerals in exchange for its defense. He also suggested Ukraine "may be Russian" someday. 

"They may make a deal, they may not make a deal. They may be Russian some day, or they may not be Russian some day," Trump mused. 

"We are going to have all this money in there, and I say I want it back. And I told them that I want the equivalent, like $500 billion worth of rare Earth," Trump said. "And they have essentially agreed to do that, so at least we don’t feel stupid."

TRUMP'S 'RARE' PRICE FOR US MILITARY AID TO UKRAINE CALLED 'FAIR' BY ZELENSKYY

Both Zelenskyy and Putin have remained opposed to direct talks with each other. Putin is demanding that Ukraine withdraw from regions in the south and east that Kyiv still has control over. Zelenskyy has scoffed at any territorial concessions to Moscow, though he has admitted Ukraine may have to rely on diplomatic means to take back some of its territory. 

Vance was long at the forefront of opposition to Ukraine aid in the Senate. 

"I gotta be honest with you, I don't really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another," he said in February 2022 as Russia invaded. 

"Vladimir Putin is not Adolf Hitler. It doesn't mean he's a good guy, but he has significantly less capability than the German leader did," Vance said in an April 2024 speech on the Senate floor.

A Munich Security report, released just days before world leaders gather in Germany, said that Trump’s election has turned the U.S. into a "risk to be hedged against."

"Without global leadership of the kind provided by the United States for the past several decades, it is hard to imagine the international community providing global public goods like freedom of navigation or tackling even some of the many grave threats confronting humanity," the report warned. "The US may be abdicating its historic role as Europe’s security guarantor – with significant consequences for Ukraine."

Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime suggested relations between Washington, D.C., and Moscow are on "the brink" of collapse this week.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov made the announcement during a Monday press conference. Ryabkov reiterated Putin's stance that there would be no peace in Ukraine unless the country dropped its ambitions to join NATO and ceded Russian-occupied regions.

"We simply imperatively need to get ... the new U.S. administration to understand and acknowledge that without resolving the problems that are the root causes of the crisis in Ukraine, it will not be possible to reach an agreement," Ryabkov said.

While President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he has spoken to Putin, a spokesman for the Russian leader declined to confirm the call this week.

ZELENSKYY WANTS NUKES OR NATO; TRUMP SPECIAL ENVOY KELLOGG SAYS 'SLIM AND NONE' CHANCE

Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday that he expects to have "many more conversations. We have to get that war ended."

"I hate to see all these young people being killed. The soldiers are being killed by the hundreds of thousands," he added.

TRUMP'S FOURTH WEEK IN OFFICE COULD INCLUDE MEETING WITH ZELENSKYY, IRONING OUT STEEL DEAL

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is preparing to meet with Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference later this week after confirming on Friday he is ready to "do a deal" with President Donald Trump.

According to an interview with Reuters, Zelenskyy said he was ready to supply the U.S. with rare-earth minerals in exchange for Washington’s continued backing of its war effort.

"If we are talking about a deal, then let's do a deal, we are only for it," Zelenskyy said. 

The Ukrainian president has made clear he is also open to engaging in peace talks with Russia to end the three-year-long war, though possible terms for securing a peace deal remain varied and unknown. 

Though Zelenskyy has said he is looking for "guarantees" when it comes to future security assurances for the war-torn country.

These security assurances will likely need to be more than a formal handshake paired with a signed document, as Russia has twice violated its last agreement with Ukraine, known as the 1994 Budapest Memorandum.

Zelenskyy apparently first floated the idea of trading Ukraine’s mineral resources – roughly 20% of which are located in now Russian-controlled territory, including half of the rare-earth variety – under his "victory plan" first presented to Western allies last fall, reported Reuters. 

JOHANNESBURG - President Donald Trump’s announcement that he plans to cut off all foreign aid to South Africa because he claimed it is "confiscating" land "and treating certain classes of people very badly" in "a massive human rights violation" has provoked strong reaction from the South African presidency and commentators. 

"The South African government has not confiscated any land", South African President Cyril Ramaphosa responded in a statement, adding "We look forward to engaging with the Trump administration over our land reform policy and issues of bilateral interest. We are certain that out of those engagements, we will share a better and common understanding over these matters". 

Last week, Ramaphosa signed a bill into law permitting national, provincial and local authorities to expropriate land – to take it -"for a public purpose or in the public interest," and, the government stated "subject to just and equitable compensation being paid". However, sources say no expropriation has happened yet.

SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT SIGNS CONTROVERSIAL LAND SEIZURE BILL, ERODING PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS 

On his Truth Social Media platform, President Trump hit out at South Africa, posting "It is a bad situation that the Radical Left Media doesn’t want to so much as mention. A massive Human Rights VIOLATION, at a minimum, is happening for all to see. The United States won’t stand for it, we will act. Also, I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed!" Trump later repeated his comments while speaking to the press on Sunday night at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

Pieter du Toit, assistant editor of South African media group News 24, posted on X "The U.S. President, clearly advised by Elon Musk, really has no idea what he’s talking about." 

South African-born Musk is trying to expand his Starlink internet service into South Africa, but President Ramaphosa has reportedly told him he must sell off 30% of his company here to local broad-based so-called Black empowerment interests.

In response to the South African president’s statement, Musk fired back on X, asking Ramaphosa, "Why do you have openly racist ownership laws?"

INCOMING TRUMP ADMIN, CONGRESS SHOWDOWN LOOMS WITH SOUTH AFRICA OVER SUPPORT FOR RUSSIA, US FOES

Analyst Frans Cronje told Fox News Digital that President Trump may be referring to the ongoing killing of farmers in South Africa when he posted that certain classes of people are being treated very badly.

"President Trump's recent comments on land seizures in South Africa cannot be divorced from his past comments on violent attacks directed at the country's farmers. Whilst these comments have often been dismissed as false, the latest South African data suggests that the country's commercial farmers are six times more likely to be violently attacked in their homes than is the case for the general population." 

Cronje said there may be agendas in play behind President Trump’s statements.

"Such seizures may also apply to the property of American investors in South Africa. Cronje is an adviser at the U.S. Yorktown Foundation for Freedom. He added "with regards to land specifically, the legislation could enable the mass seizure of land which has been an oft expressed objective of senior political figures in the country. To date, however, there have been no mass seizures, in part because there was no legislative means through which to achieve such seizures." 

Now, with the bill having been signed into law, Cronje says that has changed. 

"The comments around property rights in South Africa must be read against broader and bipartisan US concern at developments in South Africa. In 2024 the US/South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act was introduced (in Congress) amid concerns that the South African government's relationships with Iran, Russia, and China threatened US national security interests."

Cronje, who also advises corporations and government departments on economic and political trajectory, continued. "Last week, South Africa’s government, together with that of Cuba, Belize and four other countries supported the formation of the ‘Hague Group’ in an apparent move to shore up the standing of the International Criminal Court, amid the passage through Congress of the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act that prescribes sanctions against any country that is seen to use the court to threaten US national security interests. South Africa has in recent years been prominent in employing both that court and the International Court of Justice in the Hague to press for action against Israel and Israeli leaders."

South Africa’s Ramaphosa played down the importance of U.S. aid, stating "with the exception of PEPFAR (The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) Aid, which constitutes 17% of South Africa’s HIVAids program, there is no other significant funding that is provided by the United States in South Africa." President George W. Bush introduced PEPFAR in 2003.

Analyst Justice Malala, speaking on South African news channel, ENCA, said that, under the Trump administration, "the United States is going to upend South Africa in many ways."

Washington Capitals and NHL superstar Alex Ovechkin is on the cusp of breaking a scoring record many believed would never be broken: the 894 goals scored by Wayne Gretzky over his illustrious career.

As of this writing, Ovechkin sits at 875 goals. Only he, Gretzky and Gordie Howe are members of the 800-goal club. With only 30 games left in the season – he missed 15 games this year with injuries – it will be tough, but not impossible to eclipse Gretzky’s record this year.  

That said, if he does not, there is not a person in hockey who does not believe Ovechkin will break the record early next year and go on to score over 900 goals. A record I predict will never be broken.

Ovechkin is a phenom; the human equivalent of a brick wall at 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds; and arguably one of the top five players ever to skate in the NHL. The other four in my opinion are Gretzky, Howe, Bobby Orr and Mario Lemieux.

INSIDE PUTIN’S MINDSET: WHAT TEAM TRUMP CAN EXPECT FROM MOSCOW WHEN NEGOTIATING OPTIONS ON RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

Ovechkin also has that elusive "It Factor," which has made him world famous. Most especially in his native Russia.

Way back in the day as a teenager, I had a dream to play in the NHL. I was fortunate enough to get invited to one NHL camp and several minor league camps. Only a complete lack of talent and a knee injury kept me from realizing that dream. But it was the love of hockey that inspired me to follow the truly amazing career of Ovechkin. 

Years later, I executed a 180 away from sports and somehow ended up as a writer in the White House for two presidents, an official at the Pentagon, director of communications for former Sen. Bob Dole, a vice president of a well-known government relations firm, and a principal at the then largest law firm in the world, where I specialized in politics and government relations.  

TRUMP CALLS ON PUTIN TO MAKE A DEAL, END ITS WAR AGAINST UKRAINE OR FACE MORE ECONOMIC PRESSURE

And it is because of that background, that I have been viewing Ovechkin through a totally different prism. 

Anyone who has remotely followed the life and career of Ovechkin knows that he is a man of character. He is renowned for being a great husband, father, friend, teammate, and a giving philanthropist. 

He is also renowned for loving his native Russia and her people. As he should.

Today – quite sadly – we live in a very polarized country and world where far too many people operate from personal and ideological silos separated from all others. As one who has worked in politics at a fairly high level, I will confess to not being a fan of either political party.  

PRO-RUSSIA, PRO-CHINA RADICALS MARCH AGAINST TRUMP: ‘PROUD TO IDENTIFY AS A SOCIALIST’

My "Party" for the last 15 years or so has been the "commonsense" Party. I strongly believe it is in the best interest of all of us to speak to each other in a civil manner while seeking out shared interests and solutions.

Over the last three years, one of the subjects that has become politicized and polarized is the war in Ukraine. This is not the forum to have a back and forth on that subject. That acknowledged, I will venture to say that we as a people and as a nation must make it clear that the people of Russia are not our enemy. Unfortunately, over the last three years, we have witnessed a number of athletes from Russia treated as the "enemy" by some.

Because of the war in Ukraine, some have chosen to rhetorically attack Ovechkin for his friendship with Vladimir Putin. While it’s always easy – especially in the age of social media – to attack someone on the floor of the "arena" from the peanut gallery in the stands or from 30,000 feet up, it’s also almost impossible to know the facts, the history, or someone’s heart from that distance.

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Judgments of Putin aside, I find it admirable that Ovechkin – while making it clear multiple times that while he is not political, he does love his country and does not want to see war between Russia and Ukraine – has refused to walk away from his friendship with the Russian president.

And like it or not, it is that decision, along with his fame, charisma and personal generosity, which have made Ovechkin a beloved figure in Russia.  

Today, as I operate from under my political hat, I am always scoping the landscape to assess who might be the best candidate for the Democrats and the Republicans come 2028. JD Vance for the Republicans. No idea for the splintered Democrats. 

It is from under that same hat that I look at the landscape of Russia with the understanding that at some point, Putin will stand aside. And then what? Who might fill such a tremendous vacuum?

As someone who does have a fairly deep understanding of politics, all I can say is that Alexander Ovechkin checks a great many boxes. Never say "never."

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On Sunday, President Donald Trump whipped Colombian President Gustavo Petro into compliance by threatening 25% tariffs on Colombian goods and other economic measures for refusing to accept a U.S. military aircraft carrying illegal migrants whom Trump wanted deported back to Colombia. 

The Colombia case provides a glimpse into Trump’s mindset and how he will conduct his foreign policy from now on.

Economic warfare and "disabuse others from being tempted" will be the key tenets of Trump’s playbook for his foreign policy during his second term. And that is a stark difference from the foreign policy approach used by the Biden-Harris team and other previous administrations.

INSIDE PUTIN’S MINDSET: WHAT TEAM TRUMP CAN EXPECT FROM MOSCOW WHEN NEGOTIATING OPTIONS ON RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

Traditionally, before Trump, Washington has relied on ideology, appeasement, foreign aid and thoughtless use of military power when it came to international relations. This misguided albeit bipartisan approach that guided U.S. statecraft for more than a quarter of a century has made America poorer, less safe and disrespected on the world stage. Moreover, it destabilized some parts of the world, such as the Middle East.

Gone are the days when American servicemen and women will be casually deployed to democratize every nook and cranny of the world and giving their lives for someone else’s freedom. The ultimate realpolitik-minded statesman, Trump adheres to the "respect equals fear" philosophy underpinned by a purely transactional approach. The Donald is not afraid of being perceived as a bully. He seems to prefer it.

Beware Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, the "Rocketman" and the ayatollahs. 

To understand Trump’s "disabuse others from being tempted" doctrine, let’s take a look at Russian Czar Peter the Great, who in 1718 tortured to death his own son for allegedly conspiring against him. Seeking to modernize Russia into a European country, Peter in 1698 introduced a tax on beards, to make Russian men look and act more like Westerners. 

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The Russian authoritarian, who ruled Russia from 1696 until his death in 1725, also issued a series of imperial edicts, which mandated capital punishment conducted publicly for certain crimes, to deter criminal acts. The edict on trade mandated that "one merchant is hanged each year to disabuse others from being tempted." "Trade [in fish, sugar, and gold] is an affair of thieves," was the justification used in the decree, implying that everyone involved in trade was a thief, so to reduce theft, others must be deterred by punishing someone publicly.

By executive order, Trump has already put all foreign aid on hold, worldwide, including to Ukraine. Only Israel and Egypt were exempted. He threatened tariffs on China, insisted on buying Greenland, suggested making Canada the 51st state, and told Putin to end his "ridiculous" war in Ukraine or face more sanctions. The bombastic commander in chief warned Hamas and implicitly its backer Iran that "all hell will break loose" if the hostages in Gaza are not released.

All of this rhetoric is intended to unbalance our enemies and make clear that America is serious about its own security and prosperity first. It will no longer lecture Putin how to treat Russians or Xi Jinping how to govern China. But it will unleash the full force of economic warfare, if they don’t fall in compliance.

Trump is also signaling to U.S. partners, such as some NATO members who haven’t fully paid their membership dues, that America will no longer be taken advantage of. He will likely enforce his request that NATO dues are raised to 5% of GDP instead of 2%.

Trump is thinking big. He wants to transform the way America conducts its foreign affairs and even military strategy. Thinking is Trump’s lifelong credo. "I like thinking big, I always have. To me, it’s very simple. If you’re going to be thinking anyway, you might as well think big," he declared in 1987, well before entering politics, when promoting his book "The Art of the Deal."

What kind of deal Trump will be able to make depends on how well Trump and his team understand how Putin, Xi and the ayatollahs think and what drives them. For most of them, their national interest, goals and ambitions surpass economic concerns. Let’s hope that Team Trump understands how these foreign leaders and their people think. They don’t think like Americans.

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After the disastrous foreign affairs failures of the Biden administration, many Americans were left wondering how a Trump administration could possibly correct course. Well, it’s finally Trump time, so here’s what one should expect.

In many ways, today’s Donald Trump resembles the one we saw in 2016. Now, as then, Trump is neither an isolationist nor an imperialist; rather, he pursues an America-first policy tempered by realism and the understanding that sometimes one must break a few eggs to make an omelet.

Similarities aside, though, the Trump of 2025 is not the same as the Trump of 2016. Today’s Trump is one of the most battle-tested leaders on the world stage, and he’s bringing that experience to bear on changing world circumstances.

While America faces the same enemies – Russia, Iran and China – those enemies are weaker than ever because of their own reckless imperial overreach. Moscow struggles to make headway on its fronts in Ukraine and beyond, Iran is stuck watching Israel take down its minions, and China faces economic woes and a tarnished global brand.

TRUMP'S TRIUMPH: FIRST WEEK PROVES PRESIDENT RIGHT IN ALL THESE WAYS

All this weakness gives Trump space to accomplish his foreign policy agenda.

First on the table is killing the Green New Deal – a completely unrealistic, unachievable policy that only benefited America’s enemies. While Iran and Russia sold fossil fuels and China bought them at cut-rate prices (and cornered the market on the sale of green technologies), the rest of the world was heading for energy poverty.

Trump plans to change all that by heading up a global campaign for reliable, affordable, abundant energy. In declaring a national energy emergency, he paved the way for America to unleash its vast oil supply more cheaply and efficiently than ever – a policy that will enable the U.S. to compete in and transform the global energy market.  

Next, Trump will restore the long-standing American tradition of peace through strength. He’s already instructed his new secretary of Defense to this end, ordering him to implement more bayonet drills and fewer drag shows. He’s warned America’s enemies to stop warmongering or risk facing consequences for their actions.

HERE'S HOW REPUBLICANS SHOULD FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THEIR TOUGH TALK ON IMMIGRATION

Even before taking office, Trump’s team helped negotiate a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. Now he’s working to secure a similar peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.

Trump believes in putting America first, and he knows that wars (in addition to the harm they cause to innocents) are bad for business – and that means they must stop.

Similarly, Trump is putting an end to America’s endless bankrolling of other countries, demanding instead that those countries step up and start pulling their own weight. He’s informed NATO members that they need to start contributing 5% of their GDP to national defense instead of relying on the U.S. to take care of them.

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Instead of throwing taxpayer money around, Trump says it’s time to start throwing America’s weight around. That means no more underwriting the U.N.’s globalist agenda – unless, of course, it’s in America’s best interests to do so.

Nor does Trump plan to continue allowing weaknesses and backdoors in America’s own backyard. Trump’s "new Monroe Doctrine" isn’t about establishing American imperialism, but rather about ensuring American safety.

Trump seeks to secure strategic waypoints like Greenland, encourage Canada to defend the Free North, and prevent China from obtaining control of the Panama Canal. That’s not building a wall around America – it’s mowing the grass and trimming the hedges.

Finally, Trump plans to put American growth first. That means tax cuts for American workers, tariffs for American enemies, and encouragement for American allies to invest in the American economy. He’s already announced significant Saudi investment in the United States (to the tune of $600 billion), and the pressure’s on for other allies to follow suit.

All told, Trump’s foreign policy sends the message that America’s back and better than ever. Friends should step up, and enemies should watch out.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM JAMES CARAFANO

More than 200,000 children have been abducted by Russia since the start of its invasion of Ukraine, Chairman Emeritus of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said, citing U.S. estimates.

"If a foreign adversary took 260,000 of our kids, and they were in indoctrination camps, I mean, how would we feel about that?" McCaul asked Fox News Digital.

The Texas Republican was recently term-limited in his time as chairman of the foreign affairs panel, but he is continuing to work on the world stage, in part by raising awareness about Russia’s atrocities in Ukraine. Among the most egregious is the relocation of thousands of Ukrainian children into Russia, the vast majority of whom have not been returned.

Some parents would be coerced into giving up their children because Russian forces were threatening to bomb their city, McCaul said, while other times "they just invade and capture the children."

PUTIN, XI VOW TO ‘DEEPEN’ ALLIANCE HOURS AFTER TRUMP RE-ENTERS THE WHITE HOUSE

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in February 2023 for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, "for the war crime of unlawful deportation of [children] and that of unlawful transfer of [children] from occupied areas of Ukraine."

Lvova-Belova was sanctioned last year by the U.S. over her part in the scheme, which has been widely condemned by western governments.

However, the Kremlin has denied war crime allegations and maintained it is doing humanitarian work facilitating homes for Ukrainian children, NPR reported.

Existing accounts from returned children and elsewhere paint a picture of forced indoctrination within Russia’s borders, however. Some of those children are given military training, according to the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab, likely in preparation to fight on Russia’s front lines.

ZELENSKYY LAMBASTS PUTIN FOR CHRISTMAS STRIKES: ‘WHAT COULD BE MORE INHUMANE?’

Estimates on how many children have been taken to Russia vary between 20,000 to upwards of 250,000.

Part of McCaul’s work raising awareness about Russia’s treatment of Ukrainian children will include a screening of a documentary titled, "Children in the Fire: Ukraine’s War Through the Children’s Eyes" by filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky, at the Munich Security Conference next month.

He has also worked with the nonprofit Save Ukraine, which is working to return children.

"In the documentary, the child's brought into this prison where it looks like adults are being— basically they're using electrodes to shock them, you know, under their fingernails and their genitals, and it's just very, very barbaric," McCaul said.

He also held a hearing last year on the issue while leading the foreign affairs committee.

McCaul said Russia’s abduction of children is among the most vile of its alleged violations of the Geneva Conventions. He compared it to infamous Nazi physician Josef Mengele’s experiments on Jewish children and adults.

"It's just evil. I mean, any civilization that would capture— I mean, it's one thing if you're on the battlefield killing the enemy, from their point of view," McCaul said. "But to capture the children to re-indoctrinate them is sort of reminiscent of, you know, Mengele’s experiments on kids…And I don't think we've seen anything like this in recent society."

The House passed a resolution last year condemning Russia’s abduction of Ukrainian children in a bipartisan 390 to 9 vote.

"It's just horrific. I can't imagine, as a father, my children being, you know, taken away by the Russian Federation and then not knowing where they are or what's happening to them," McCaul said. "But this is all part of Putin's game, is to try to indoctrinate the children in Ukraine to go against their own country and belief system."

President Donald Trump said Thursday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is ready to negotiate a deal to end the war with Russia, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin would like to meet soon.

Trump spoke to reporters after signing multiple executive orders Thursday afternoon in the Oval Office. When a reporter asked if Zelenskyy told him he was ready to negotiate a solution to the war with Russia, Trump provided confirmation.

"Yes, he’s ready to negotiate a deal. He’d like to stop this," Trump said. "He’s somebody that lost a lot of soldiers, and so did Russia. … Russia lost more soldiers. They lost 800,000. Would you say that’s a lot? I’d say it’s a lot."

He was also asked if sanctions on Russia would force Putin to negotiate.

PUTIN REPORTEDLY CONCERNED OVER RUSSIA'S ECONOMY AHEAD OF POSSIBLE TRUMP TARIFFS

"I don’t know, but I think he should make a deal," Trump said.

Trump also told reporters Chinese President Xi Jinping could have an influence on the war between Russia and Ukraine since it has power over Russia. He explained that the two countries are big trading partners. 

Russia, Trump noted, supplies China with a lot of energy, and the latter pays the former a lot of money.

"I think they have a lot of power over Russia, so I think Russia should want to make a deal," Trump said. "From what I hear, Putin would like to see me, and we’ll meet as soon as we can."

PUTIN SAYS RUSSIA READY TO COMPROMISE WITH TRUMP ON UKRAINE WAR

When he described the war in Ukraine, Trump said soldiers were being killed on a battlefield that "is like no battlefield since World War II."

"Soldiers are being killed on a daily basis at numbers that we haven’t seen in decades," he said. "It would be nice to end that war. It’s a ridiculous war."

Putin is reportedly worried about the state of his country’s economy as Trump returns to the Oval Office. According to a Reuters report citing various sources, Trump's push to end the war in Ukraine is only adding to Putin's concerns.

PUTIN, XI VOW TO ‘DEEPEN’ ALLIANCE HOURS AFTER TRUMP RE-ENTERS THE WHITE HOUSE

Throughout his campaign, Trump pushed to end world conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war, which began with Putin’s 2022 invasion.

Last month, Putin said he was ready to compromise over Ukraine in possible talks with Trump on ending the war and had no conditions for starting talks with Ukrainian authorities.

"We have always said that we are ready for negotiations and compromises," Putin said at the time, after saying that Russian forces, advancing across the entire front, were moving toward achieving their primary goals in Ukraine.

"In my opinion, soon there will be no one left who wants to fight. We are ready, but the other side needs to be ready for both negotiations and compromises."

Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.

Leaders across the globe reacted to Donald Trump’s return to the White House on Monday, offering general good wishes and extending geopolitical olive branches.

While President Trump set the tone in his inaugural address and declared he would "put America first," he also drew attention to specific areas like Mexico, Panama and China – sparking more questions over how new American policies under the 47th president of the United States could take shape.

Neither the China, Mexico nor Panama governments responded to Fox News Digital’s questions following the remarks issued by Trump during his inaugural address, including when he vowed to "take back" the Panama Canal, which the U.S. fully handed over to Panama in 1999.

"China is operating the Panama Canal. And we didn't give it to China. We gave it to Panama," the president said.  "And we're taking it back."

Trump also vowed to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, and pledged to reinstate his "Remain in Mexico" policies.

CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN CLAIMS TRUMP FULFILLED 'PROMISE TO BE A DICTATOR ON DAY ONE' WITH EXECUTIVE ORDERS

Panama President José Raúl Mulino issued a statement rejecting Trump’s comments and said, "The Canal is and will continue to be Panama's and its administration will continue to be under Panamanian control with respect to its permanent neutrality."

"There is no presence of any nation in the world that interferes with our administration," he added, taking issue with Trump’s suggestion that the U.S. "gave" the canal to Panama.

"Dialogue is always the way to clarify the points mentioned without undermining our right, total sovereignty and ownership of our Canal.," Mulino said. 

Reports suggested that Mexico rejected Trump's plans to implement a "Remain in Mexico" policy and during a Monday morning conference, Juan Ramón de la Fuente, Mexico's secretary for external relations, said, "If they reinstate it, this is something we don’t agree with. We have a different focus. We want to adjust it." 

"The desire is to keep the same policies as now," he added.

China does not appear to have commented publicly following Trump's inaugural address, which was attended by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng.

‘NATIONAL EMERGENCY’: TRUMP DECLARES AMBITIOUS ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN IN INAUGURAL ADDRESS

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Trump on re-entering the White House and suggested he may be open to peace talks with Ukraine. 

"We see the statements by the newly elected President of the United States and members of his team about the desire to restore direct contacts with Russia," Putin said, according to a Reuters translation.

"We also hear his statement about the need to do everything possible to prevent World War III," he added. "We of course welcome this attitude and congratulate the elected President of the United States of America on taking office."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy similarly issued his congratulations just ahead of the inauguration ceremony and said, "I congratulate President Trump and the American people on the inauguration of the 47th President of the United States. Today is a day of change and also a day of hope for the resolution of many problems, including global challenges.

"President Trump is always decisive, and the peace through strength policy he announced provides an opportunity to strengthen American leadership and achieve a long-term and just peace, which is the top priority," he added.

TRUMP ORDERS US WITHDRAWAL FROM WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte offered his "warm congratulations" and in a post on X said, "With President Trump back in office we will turbo-charge defense spending and production."

European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen also took to X and said the international body "looks forward to working closely with you to tackle global challenges."

"Together, our societies can achieve greater prosperity and strengthen their common security," she added. 

While many nations in Europe, including Norway, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom, congratulated Trump, with several leaders pronouncing that the U.S. is their closest ally, other nations in Europe were less willing to issue pronounced congratulations.

French President Emmanuel Macron issued a note of warning when giving a speech to the French military on Monday.

Macron said the Trump presidency was an "opportunity for a European strategic wake-up call" and highlighted scenarios that some have feared could affect European security, like a lessening of U.S. military presence in Europe if Washington opts to shift focus toward security concerns in Asia instead. 

Just one day into the long-brokered cease-fire between Israel and Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a video message on X in which he congratulated Trump and said, "I believe that working together again we will raise the US-Israel alliance to even greater heights."

"The best days of our alliance are yet to come," he added. 

Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri also commented on the inauguration of the 47th president, saying, "We are happy with the departure of Biden, who has the blood of Palestinians on his hand," reported Reuters.  

"We hope for the end of this dark era that harmed the U.S. before anyone and that Trump can build his policies on balanced foundations that can cut the road against Netanyahu's evils that want to drown the region and the world," he added. 

Trump’s transition team has reportedly asked three senior career diplomats to step down from their roles, according to Reuters. Dereck Hogan, Marcia Bernicat and Alaina Teplitz, the career diplomats who were allegedly asked to leave their roles, oversee the State Department’s workforce and internal coordination. This request could signal the Trump team’s desire to implement major changes within the department.

"There's a little bit of a concern that this might be setting the stage for something worse," a U.S. official familiar with the matter told Reuters.

All three of the career diplomats named in the report have worked under Democratic and Republican administrations, Reuters noted. Unlike political appointees, diplomats do not typically resign when a president leaves office.

RUBIO TO PITCH FOREIGN POLICY CREDENTIALS TO SENATE AS HE VIES TO BECOME AMERICA'S TOP DIPLOMAT

Throughout his political career, Trump has gone after the "deep state," and this move could be seen as part of his efforts to fundamentally change the government on a bureaucratic level.

"It is entirely appropriate for the transition to seek officials who share President Trump's vision for putting our nation and America's working men and women first. We have a lot of failures to fix and that requires a committed team focused on the same goals," Trump’s team told Reuters in response to a request for comment.

WHO IS DONALD TRUMP’S MIDDLE EAST ENVOY STEVE WITKOFF?

This report comes as the world sees itself in the middle of a chaotic period with wars between Ukraine and Russia, and Israel and Hamas raging.

While there are those who are skeptical at best when it comes to Trump’s foreign policy plans, others see shifts on the world stage as early signs of success.

JOHN KIRBY SAYS BIDEN, TRUMP WORKED AS 'ONE TEAM' IN SECURING CEASE-FIRE DEAL

One of the hallmark foreign policy moves of Trump’s first term was the Abraham Accords, which saw peace break out in the Middle East. After more than a year of fighting, Israel and Hamas have come close to ending their war. In fact, Biden White House national security communications adviser John Kirby recognized Trump’s incoming Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff as a key figure in brokering the potential deal.

"The president made it clear to us on the national security team that we needed to make sure that the Trump team, in particular Mr. Witkoff, were part and parcel and fully invested in everything we were doing because they were going to own it when we left office," Kirby told "Your World" on Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the Trump transition team did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Speaker Mike Johnson is replacing Rep. Mike Turner as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee after a debacle that started with a warning about Russian space nuclear technology last year, a source familiar with the decision confirmed to Fox News Digital.

Johnson, R-La., was unhappy with Turner, R-Ohio, after a seemingly unexpected warning he issued about the need to declassify information about Russian anti-satellite technology.

A hawk by nature, Turner sometimes went up against the Trumpist wing of his Republican Party on matters like support for Ukraine aid and Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. 

The decision to replace Turner took many by surprise. Though Johnson had not officially named him as chairman, Turner attended a dinner of House GOP committee chairs with President-elect Trump over the weekend. 

REP. MIKE TURNER SAYS BIDEN ADMIN WAS ‘SLEEPWALKING’ ON RUSSIAN NUCLEAR THREAT BEFORE HIS SURPRISE DISCLOSURE

"Under my leadership, we restored the integrity of the Committee and returned its mission to its core focus of national security. The threat from our adversaries is real and requires serious deliberations," Turner said in a statement after the news. 

Turner will no longer serve on the Intelligence Committee at all, but he will continue to serve on the Armed Services and Oversight committees.

Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, told reporters the removal of Turner as chairman "sends a shiver down my spine," adding that Turner was not the kind to "bend the knee" to Trump.

Last February, Turner warned of a "serious national security threat" that he was urging President Biden to declassify information on. 

"I am requesting that President Biden declassify all information relating to this threat so that Congress, the Administration, and our allies can openly discuss the actions necessary to respond to this threat," he added.

Johnson was then left to quell the public alarm. 

Johnson said he "saw Chairman Turner's statement on the issue, and I want to assure the American people there's no need for public alarm." 

HOUSE INTEL CHAIR TURNER WARNS OF 'SERIOUS NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT,' URGES BIDEN TO DECLASSIFY

"I'm not at liberty to disclose classified information and really can't say much of that, but we just want to assure everyone, steady hands are at the wheel, we're working on it. There's no need for alarm," he added. 

In the days that followed, details of the Russian threat soon began to filter through to the press, painting a picture of an adversary capable of disabling U.S. military satellites and other critical space-based infrastructure.

Turner has at times throughout the years been unafraid to stand up to Trump. In September, he criticized the rumors about Haitian migrants eating pets that were amplified by Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance. 

"This is incredibly tragic and completely untrue. This should not have happened, it’s been tearing the community apart," Turner told CNN's Jake Tapper at the time.

As a fellow New Yorker, I had paid attention to Donald Trump for years, long before he got involved in politics.  

When he ventured a comment about foreign policy, people scoffed at him. What did Trump know! National security was the exclusive domain of the experts, not real estate developers or reality TV stars. 

But looking back, Trump was right about all the major foreign policy issues. It was the credentialed elites who got things wrong! 

Here are Trump’s top six:

OUR LONG NATIONAL BIDEN NIGHTMARE IS ALMOST OVER. TRUMP INVICTUS IS NOW LIBERATED

For decades, the consensus opinion was if the U.S. assisted China’s economic growth, it would become a friendly trading partner, and play by the rules – just like Japan, South Korea and the European nations. Trump disagreed. Experts laughed when he claimed China had ripped us off for decades. "China raided our factories, offshored our jobs, gutted our industries, stole our intellectual property, and violated their commitments under the World Trade Agreement." 

As recently as 2019, Joe Biden scoffed at the idea that China could overtake the U.S. as a world leader, telling a crowd in Iowa City, "China is going to eat our lunch? Come on, man." The experts were wrong, Trump was right.

Well before he ran for president in 2015, Trump realized recent advances in oil and gas production would be a strategic game changer for the U.S. and the world. When President Barack Obama left office, oil was at $120/barrel and experts warned the world was running out of oil.  

TRUMP CAN POWER THE US INTO THE FUTURE WITH A MUSCULAR NUCLEAR ENERGY POLICY

Trump’s embrace of the U.S. energy industry increased American production and pushed oil down to $40/barrel. Not only did it spur extraordinary American economic growth, it also devastated the economies of Russia and Iran, because they needed oil prices above $90/barrel to fund their governments. When their energy export revenues fell by nearly two-thirds in the Trump years, Russia and Iran were forced to tighten their belts; they couldn’t afford costly wars. 

Biden reversed Trump’s energy policies, and oil prices predictably rose back up to $100 per barrel. Iran used these windfall profits to fund its nuclear program and arm its proxies to attack Israel. Russia used its new-found wealth to attack Ukraine. There is a reason Russia invaded Ukraine during the Obama and Biden presidencies, but not during Trump’s. In the Trump years, they didn’t have the money to pay for expensive wars. 

Democrats and Republicans supported the Afghan and Iraq wars for 20 years. Trump disagreed. As early as 2003, he called the Iraq war "a mess." Turns out he was right. We shed American blood and spent trillions on two unwinnable, forever wars. 

THE THREAT FROM RADICAL ISLAM IS NOW INSIDE OUR GATES. BIDEN IGNORED IT. TRUMP MUST ACT

Trump pulled out of Obama’s flawed Iran nuclear deal, because it made Iran rich and didn’t stop its nuclear weapons program. He ordered the assassination of Gen. Qassam Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Quds Forces. Instead of fruitless endless negotiations, Trump set out to bankrupt Iran with his energy policy and oil sanctions. 

By the time Trump left office Iran was nearly bankrupt, and its proxy armies weakened.  But President Biden threw Iran a lifeline. He reversed course on American energy production, paid Iran billions and refused to enforce sanctions. Iran used this $100 billion windfall to fund Hamas and Hezbollah in renewed proxy wars against Israel. 

For decades, American leaders said we had to settle the Palestinian problem as the first step to a wider Arab-Israel peace. But time and again, the Palestinians refused to negotiate seriously, so peace proved elusive. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION

Trump took the opposite approach, and focused on Arab-Israeli peace as the first step. His energy policies lowered global oil prices. Arab leaders realized they could no longer count on oil export revenues alone to fund their government. They needed to diversify their economies, which required peace with Israel. 

Trump also recognized that the younger generation of Arab leaders, schooled in the West and comfortable with more open societies, would be amenable to dramatic social change and to developing economic ties with Israel. The Abraham Accords were the first peace agreements between Israel and the Sunni Gulf states – ever. Trump succeeded where all the experts had failed for decades. 

American presidents going back to John F. Kennedy complained that our NATO allies were not paying their fair share for our common defense. Obama called them "freeloaders." Our allies always made excuses, claiming they couldn’t afford to pay the 2% of GNP they had promised, and relied on America to foot the bill for their defense.

Trump hectored, scolded and threatened them until our NATO allies finally increased their defense spending. Turns out they DID have the money after all.  

For years, Washington bureaucrats, politicians and experts have been wrong about the major foreign policy problems confronting the nation. It took an outsider who saw things from a different perspective. Instead of endless rounds of fruitless diplomacy and an open checkbook, Trump used a combination of trade, economics and common sense to reestablish American security. And his second term will be even better.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM KT McFARLAND

National security adviser Jake Sullivan claimed in an interview Sunday that Russia, China and Iran are "weaker" and the United States is "safer" after four years under President Biden's leadership. 

"Our alliances are stronger than where we found them four years ago," Sullivan said on CNN's State of the Union, referring to President-elect Trump's first term. "They're stronger than they've been in decades. NATO was more powerful, purposeful and bigger. Our alliances in the Asia Pacific are at all-time highs. And our adversaries and competitors are weaker across the board. Russia's weaker, Iran's weaker, China's weaker, and all the while we kept America out of wars."

"I think that the American people are safer, and the country is better off than we were four years ago, and we're handing off that to the next team, as well as having the engines of American power humming," Sullivan said. "Our economy, our technology, our defense industrial base, our supply chains. So the United States is in a stronger, more secure position, and our competitors and adversaries are weaker and under pressure." 

Biden's presidency was mired by the botched 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks on Israel, as the Pentagon monitors the rising threat of Islamic extremism worldwide. 

TRUMP'S DESIGNATED SPECIAL ENVOY FOR UKRAINE AND RUSSIA SETS LONGER TIMETABLE THAN '24 HOURS' FOR ENDING WAR

Much of Trump's promise to voters while campaigning for a second term in 2024 centered on justice for the families of the 13 U.S. service members killed at Abbey Gate and promising peace through strength on the world stage. 

Sullivan defended Biden's handling of the withdrawal on Sunday. 

"If we were still in Afghanistan today, Americans would be fighting and dying, Russia would have more leverage over us, we would be less able to respond to the major strategic challenges we face," Sullivan said. 

"We have not seen, although the investigation continues, any connection between Afghanistan and the attacker in New Orleans," he added, referring to the New Year's Day truck-ramming attack on Bourbon Street. "Now the FBI will continue to look for foreign connections, maybe we'll find one, but what we've seen is proof of what President Biden said, is that the terrorist threat has gotten more diffuse and more metastasized elsewhere, including homegrown extremists here in the United States – not just under President Biden, but under President Trump in his first term, and that is part of why we had to move our focus from a hot war in Afghanistan to a larger counterterrorism effort across the world." 

During the final weeks of his presidency, Biden has been rushing billions of dollars more in U.S. aid for Ukraine before Trump takes office.

Meanwhile, the Republican president-elect has claimed the war in Ukraine would never have started under his leadership and vowed to broker a deal to stop the fighting between Moscow and Kyiv. 

ISRAELI PM OFFICE DENIES REPORTS THAT HAMAS FORWARDED LIST OF HOSTAGES TO RELEASE IN EVENT OF DEAL

At a press conference from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, last week, Trump warned Hamas terrorists that "all hell will break out" in the Middle East if the remaining hostages aren't released before he takes office on Jan. 20. 

On the status of the negotiations, Sullivan said, "We are very, very close, and yet being very close still means we're far because until you actually get across the finish line, we're not there." 

Sullivan stressed how President Biden's top Middle East adviser, Brett McGuirk, had been in Doja for a week "hammering out with the mediators the final details of a text to be presented to both sides." 

"And we are still determined to use every day we have in office to get this done," Sullivan said. 

Ukraine captured two wounded North Korean soldiers who were fighting on behalf of Russia in a Russian border region, South Korea’s intelligence service said, confirming an account from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday.

Seoul's National Intelligence Service (NIS) told AFP it has "confirmed that the Ukrainian military captured two North Korean soldiers on January 9 in the Kursk battlefield in Russia."

The confirmation comes after Zelenskyy said in a post on the Telegram messaging app that the two captured North Korean soldiers were wounded and taken to Kyiv, where they are communicating with Ukrainian security services SBU.

SBU released video that appears to show the two prisoners on beds inside jail cells. The authenticity of the video could not be independently verified.

TRUMP'S DESIGNATED SPECIAL ENVOY FOR UKRAINE AND RUSSIA SETS LONGER TIMETABLE THAN ‘24 HOURS’ FOR ENDING WAR

A doctor interviewed in the SBU video said one soldier suffered a facial wound while the other soldier had an open wound and a lower leg fracture. Both men were receiving medical treatment.

SBU also said one of the soldiers had no documents at all, while the other had been carrying a Russian military ID card in the name of a man from Tuva, a Russian region bordering Mongolia.

Ukraine’s military says North Korean soldiers are outfitted in Russian military uniforms and carry fake military IDs in their pockets, a scheme that Andrii Yusov, spokesperson for Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, says could mean Moscow and "its representatives at the U.N. can deny the facts."

Despite Ukrainian, U.S. and South Korean assertions that Pyongyang has sent 10,000 – 12,000 troops to fight alongside Russia in the Kursk border region, Moscow has never publicly acknowledged the North Korean forces.

TRUMP SETTING UP MEETING WITH PUTIN, IN COMMUNICATION WITH XI

While reports of their presence first emerged in October, Ukrainian troops only confirmed engagement on the ground in December.

On Thursday, Zelenskyy put the number of killed or wounded North Koreans at 4,000, though U.S. estimates are lower, at around 1,200.

Despite North Korea’s suffering losses and initial inexperience on the battlefield, Ukrainian soldiers, military intelligence and experts suggest first-hand experience will only help them develop further as a fighting force.

"For the first time in decades, the North Korean army is gaining real military experience," Yusov said. "This is a global challenge — not just for Ukraine and Europe, but for the entire world."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A North Korean M1989 Koksan self-propelled howitzer has allegedly been spotted on Russia’s front lines, according to reports on Tuesday after news regarding the shipment of two of the big guns was first reported in November.

The artillery weapon has a reported range of up to 37 miles when employing rocket-assisted shells and is capable of firing between one and two shells every five minutes. 

News of the weaponry, along with a video apparently showing one of the howitzers in a combat location, was first reported by East 2 West news, and images of the howitzer popped up on social media, though Fox News Digital could not independently verify the location of the weapon.

UKRAINE: HOW THE WAR SHIFTED IN 2024

According to open-source intelligence posted on X in November, the howitzers were geolocated and found to have been passing through Siberia by rail less than a month after the U.S. confirmed North Korea had deployed up to 12,000 soldiers to Russia and some five months after Pyongyang and Moscow signed a defensive treaty pledging to militarily back each other.  

It remains unclear if the video of the North Korean big gun was taken from Russia’s Kursk region, where Pyongyang’s soldiers have been sent to counter Ukraine’s incursion first launched in August. 

Both Ukraine and Russia have reported heavy losses in the region, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claiming that some 3,800 North Korean troops have been killed or wounded in a Sunday interview. 

The Ukrainian military on Monday claimed that some 15,000 Russian soldiers had been killed and 23,000 injured in Kursk during the past five months.

ZELENSKYY SAYS TRUMP COULD BE ‘DECISIVE’ IN BRINGING AN END TO THE WAR

Moscow, according to a Tuesday BBC report, alleged that at least 49,000 Ukrainian troops had been lost, though it has not differentiated between the number of Ukrainians wounded or killed.

Fox News Digital has not been able to independently verify either nation’s casualty reports. 

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) assessed on Monday that Ukrainian forces made "tactical advances amid continued intensified offensive operations" in Kursk. 

"Ukrainian forces may be continuing to conduct long-range strikes against Russian rear areas in Kursk Oblast as part of efforts to use integrated strike capabilities to support ground operations," the think tank added. 

Russian forces continued limited ground operations towards the city of Kharkiv in northern Ukraine on Sunday and Monday, but reportedly saw little advances – an operation Ukraine has in large part successfully countered since May.  

Head of the Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, Oleh Synehubov, said on Monday that Ukraine's recent offensive operations in Kursk have been able to reduce the number of Russian ground attacks in northern Kharkiv Oblast, reported the ISW.

Reports on Monday suggested that Russian forces had made some advances in Donetsk and had captured Kurakhove, a front-line town in the Donbas region. The seizure of this town could indicate Russian forces are closing in on Ukrainian troops, who have been hammered for months looking to stop Russian forces from encircling the town of Pokrovsk, and which could give Russian forces a strategic win and access to supply routes connecting the area to Zaporizhzhia. 

Ukraine has not officially confirmed whether Kurakhove has fallen.

Russian forces are not assessed to have made any strategic advances along other front-line areas at this time. 

Russia is planning to share advanced satellite technology with North Korea, according to a warning from Secretary of State Antony Blinken. 

"The DPRK is already receiving Russian military equipment and training. Now, we have reason to believe that Moscow intends to share advanced space and satellite technology with Pyongyang," Blinken said while in Seoul, using North Korea’s official name.

Such technology would allow North Korea to identify targets and aim strikes at adversaries across the world, including the U.S. As of last year, North Korea was estimated to have an arsenal of 50 nuclear weapons. 

The warning comes as North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan, expanding its weapons tests in the weeks before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. 

NORTH KOREA CARRIES OUT FIRST MISSILE LAUNCH TEST SINCE TRUMP'S ELECTION

In one of his last moves as head of the State Department, Blinken was visiting Seoul for talks with South Korean allies about the North Korean nuclear threat. He'll also visit with officials in Japan, France, Italy and the Holy See. 

Supplying North Korea with satellite technology would come after North Korea supplied Russia with troops and arms to fight in its war on Ukraine. 

Russia "may be close" to accepting North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, reversing decades of commitment to denuclearizing the DPRK. 

SOUTH KOREA IMPOSES A TRAVEL BAN ON PRESIDENT YOON OVER MARTIAL LAW DECLARATION

Russia helped North Korea launch its first successful satellite in 2023. A Russian rocket launched Iranian satellites into orbit in November, ratcheting up the 21st century space race between the U.S. and its foes. 

Last year, Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, chair of the House Intelligence Committee, issued an ominous warning calling on the Biden administration to declassify information that was later revealed to be about Russia's anti-satellite capabilities. 

In May, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy John Plumb warned that Russia was developing an "indiscriminate" nuclear weapon designed for space, highlighting its potential impacts on communications, commerce and national security.

In a year-end political conference, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to implement his "toughest" anti-U.S. policy and condemned the Biden administration for strengthening ties with South Korea and Japan, describing the alliance as a "nuclear military bloc for aggression."

During his administration, President-elect Trump met with Kim three times for talks about nuclear programs. However, emboldened by Russian support and a lessened enforcement of international sanctions, Kim may be less likely to stand down in talks with the U.S. than ever before. 

It is also unclear if Trump would put the same emphasis on bolstering U.S. alliances in Asia that the Biden administration did. In the past, he has complained about the cost of keeping 28,000 U.S. troops in South Korea to deter threats from the north and pushed for Seoul to increase its own defense contributions. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy struck a hopeful tone on Thursday during a televised interview and said he believes President-elect Donald Trump could be "decisive" in ending the war as Kyiv stares down the third anniversary of Russia's invasion. 

"Trump can be decisive. For us, this is the most important thing," Zelenskyy said according to a Reuters report. "His qualities are indeed there. 

"He can be decisive in this war. He is capable of stopping [Russian President Vladimir] Putin or, to put it more fairly, help us stop Putin," he added. "He is able to do this."

UKRAINE: HOW THE WAR SHIFTED IN 2024

Zelenskyy said Trump assured him that Kyiv would be among his first presidential visits following his inauguration later this month as Ukraine looks to stabilize the front lines. 

Stopping Russian advances early in the new year is a top priority for Zelenskyy, who also reportedly claimed that Putin feared negotiations as it would be seen by the Kremlin chief as tantamount to a Russian defeat.

Despite nearly three full years of war, Russia has been unable to achieve not only its initial war aims, but even Putin’s amended plans, which he announced last year when he said his main goal is now to take all the Donbas – a region in eastern Ukraine encompassing much of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

However, it is not only Putin who views potential peace negotiations with apparent trepidation. 

Zelenskyy has said he welcomes peace talks, but he has also made it clear that any negotiations on ending the war will only be accepted if Ukraine is granted certain security guarantees – like the possibility of joining NATO.

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"Naturally, any security guarantees without the United States are weak security guarantees for Ukraine," he said, though he added that Washington must take into account Kyiv’s future security.

"It cannot be otherwise," he added. "We are Ukraine, and it's our independence, our land and our future."

Putin, on the other hand, has said he will not accept any cease-fire negotiations that do not include guarantees that bar Kyiv from joining the 32-member body, which under Article 5 of the alliance’s treaty says an attack on one member will trigger an attack from all NATO nations and would effectively ensure a united strike on Moscow should it once again target Ukraine. 

Zelenskyy, who has led the country since 2019, was also asked if he would consider re-running for the presidency. 

The Ukrainian president reiterated that the nation cannot hold elections while in a state of war under the nation’s existing constitution but said he may consider it once the conflict has ended. 

"I don't know how this war will end," he said. "If I can do more than I am able, then I will probably view such a decision [seeking re-election] more positively. For now, this is not an objective for me."

Fox News Digital could not immediately reach the Trump transition team for comment.