Trump is set to meet Putin in the flesh, some Native Americans might have scuppered Alligator Alcatraz – and Trump’s purge of the enemy within got even nastier
Well, JD Vance’s holiday to the UK turned into a globally significant work trip pretty quickly, didn’t it?
After weeks of stalemate, movement towards an end to the Ukraine has all come at once – with Trump set to meet face-to-face with Putin, Keir Starmer offering his support to Ukraine and officials chewing over the details in Kent.
Meanwhile, Putin played some mind games, Kash Patel’s FBI purge got even nastier and a Native American tribe put a spanner in the works of Alligator Alcatraz.
Here’s everything that happened in Trump World overnight that you need to know about. Strap in.
1. Is Donald meeting Putin? Hang on, Alaska
Donald Trump last night announced plans to meet face-to-face with Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.
From the sound of it, Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff had a very productive meeting with Putin – it’s unlikely the two leaders would have committed to a date unless there was something on the table.
And Trump slipped out some of the details of a potential deal last night.
Asked if he expected Ukraine to be asked to cede territory to Russia, he said: “Well, you’re looking at territory that’s been fought over for three and a half years, with a lot of Russians have died and a lot of Ukrainians have died.”
To be clear, we’re looking at territory that was illegally invaded by Russia, leading to three and a half years of bloodshed – which is entirely of Putin’s making.
“So we’re looking at that,” Trump went on. “We’re actually looking to get some back…and some swapping. It’s complicated. Nothing easy, it’s complicated….there’ll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both.”
Volodymyr Zelensky, on the other hand, thinks it’s a good deal less complicated. Ukraine won’t sign on to anything that gives up territory to an illegal aggressor who happens to be their closest neighbour.
“Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier,” Mr Zelensky said.
“Any decisions made against us, any decisions made without Ukraine, are at the same time decisions against peace,” he added.
“They will bring nothing. These are dead decisions; they will never work.”
2. JD’s holiday wasn’t a holiday
All of which leaves Europe in a tricky position.
Keir Starmer has already come out this morning and pledged his “unwavering support” to Ukraine.
But will European leaders still be happy to stand squarely behind Zelensky if it risks angering Trump?
Well, we’ll find out after a high level meeting of UK, US and European officials to take place at Chevening today.
It’s understood David Lammy and JD Vance, who is visiting Chevening on what was supposed to be, but definitely, definitely isn’t a family holiday, will welcome officials at the top of the meeting.
More detail is expected to follow later.
3. Is this in order?
In a deeply weird quirk, Witkoff was sent back to the US after the meeting with an award to pass along to a senior CIA official whose son was killed fighting for Russia.
In what appears to be a brazenly open attempt at mind games, Putin has posthumously awarded the Order of Lenin, one of Russia’s highest honours, to Michael Gloss, who was killed in 2024.
Gloss was the son of Commander Juliane Gallina, a serving official at the CIA.
In a statement in April, the CIA said the death of her son, who struggled with mental health challenges, was not a national security issue.
4. The purge gets nasty
FBI Director Kash Patel fired a grieving agent whose wife died last month, accusing him of “weaponising” the justice system and persecuting Donald Trump.
In reality, Walter Giardina had worked on several legitimate cases related to Donald Trump, including one that sent trade advisor Peter Navarro to prison.
Mr Giardina, who served in the Marines and was deployed to Iraq after 9/11, lost his wife last month to cancer at age 49.
According to MSNBC, former colleagues of his said he did his job “scrupulously and ethically”
Here’s the letter he got yesterday.
5. Alligator Alcatraz halted by Native American tribe
A Native American tribe has – for now – managed to block further construction at “Alligator Alcatraz” – Trump’s swamp camp for migrants.
A judge granted a temporary restraining order on Thursday blocking the government from expanding the facility.
The airport where Alligator Alcatraz has been built sits on the outskirts of the Miccosukee reservation.
Ten of the tribe’s settlements are in the vicinity of the facility.
Curtis Osceola, an advisor to the Miccosukee tribe’s chairman, told ABC News: “When all this happened, we felt alone. We felt isolated like our homelands were being trampled on.”
The facility more than doubled the residential density in the area, according to ABC News, and the dozens of lighting towers contributed to light pollution, meaning it was harder for the Miccosukee to see the stars for their annual calendar.
6. Eyes on the prize
Another couple of countries came to the White House last night, credited Trump with brokering a peace deal between them, and called for him to get the Nobel Peace Prize.
The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, who have feuded for decades, shook hands at a White House event last night, after committing to stop “all fighting forever”.
There’s no detail on any terms or small print of the deal.
But the two leaders seemed happy, and Trump said they would have a “great relationship…but if there’s conflict they’re going to call me and we’re going to get it straightened out.”
And Azerbaijan’s longtime President Ilham Aliyev said the words Trump really wanted to hear – that he should get the Nobel Peace Prize he’s coveted ever since Obama got one.
Aliyev offered to send a joint appeal, along with Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan, to the Nobel committee recommending Trump receive the Peace Prize.
“Who, if not President Trump, deserves a Nobel Peace Prize?” He said.
