US ambassador to NATO warns the ‘ball’ is in Iran’s ‘court’ as Trump confirms negotiations taking place

U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker said President Donald Trump has made clear demands of Iran, and that what happens next will be up to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as an American naval fleet patrols the region. He added that Trump “won’t wait forever” for his ultimatum to be met.

“The president has been very clear on Iran… you can’t have a nuclear weapon, and you need to stop killing protesters in your streets,” NATO Ambassador Matt Whitaker said Saturday on “The Big Weekend Show.”

“That’s a pretty clear red line.”

TRUMP SAYS IRAN ALREADY HAS US TERMS AS MILITARY STRIKE CLOCK TICKS

Whitaker described the “armada that is sitting off the coast of Iran” as both a show of strength and an “off ramp.” He said the Iranians “could de-escalate very easily and simply” by abandoning nuclear ambitions and halting the suppression of protests.

“We’ll see. The ball is in their court,” he said. “But you know, President Trump is not going to be forever patient on this.”

GULF SHIPPING OPERATIONS GRIND TO HALT NEAR IRAN; US QUIETLY PREPARES FOR POSSIBLE STRIKE: ‘HEIGHTENED RISK’

He emphasized that Trump’s aim was not to destabilize Iran amid reports that the president may be considering military action.

Trump said Saturday he believes Tehran is negotiating “seriously” with the U.S., and that he hopes an “acceptable” deal can be brokered.

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On Sunday, however, the speaker of Iran’s parliament said the Islamic Republic now considers all European Union militaries to be terrorist groups after the bloc declared the country’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terror group over its crackdown on nationwide protests.

This action has created concern that Iran might strike U.S. NATO allies should America attack again, following Operation Midnight Hammer, which targeted Iranian nuclear facilities in June.

Top Kremlin official praises Trump’s push for peace in Ukraine as talks set to resume

A top Kremlin official praised President Donald Trump as an effective leader seeking peace in Ukraine, saying Moscow views renewed talks with Washington as productive.

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council and a former president, said Trump is genuinely trying to end the war in Ukraine and wants to be remembered as a peacemaker.

“Trump wants to go down in history as a peacemaker — and he is really trying,” Medvedev said in an interview with Reuters. “And that is why contacts with Americans have become much more productive.”

Trump has repeatedly said a peace deal to end the war is close. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said during a Cabinet meeting Thursday that he had “productive and constructive meetings” with Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing effort to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

WITKOFF SAYS TALKS WITH RUSSIAN ENVOY WERE ‘PRODUCTIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE’ AMID TRUMP ADMIN’S PEACE PUSH

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Sunday that a new round of talks involving Ukraine, the United States and Russia will take place this week in Abu Dhabi. His announcement comes as Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine’s energy and logistics infrastructure, worsening conditions for civilians as winter temperatures plunge.

Medvedev dismissed speculation that Trump is secretly aligned with Moscow, telling the outlet that Americans elected him and Russia respects that choice. He also praised Trump for standing up to the U.S. political establishment and said his blunt, sometimes “brash” style is misunderstood.

ZELENSKYY ANNOUNCES NEXT ROUND OF TALKS WITH US, RUSSIA AS UKRAINE AIMS FOR ‘REAL AND DIGNIFIED END TO THE WAR’

“He is an emotional person, but on the other hand, the chaos that is commonly referred to, which is created by his activities, is not entirely true,” Medvedev said. “It is obvious that behind this lies a completely conscious and competent line.”

Medvedev told the outlet that Trump’s background as a businessman shapes his approach, joking that there is no such thing as a former businessman, an echo of a well-known Russian saying about former KGB agents.

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Medvedev, a hardliner within Russia’s leadership, has frequently warned of nuclear escalation since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. He has stressed that avoiding further conflict remains the priority, but still expects Russia to achieve military victory in Ukraine.

“I would like this to happen as soon as possible,” Medvedev said of ending the conflict. “But it is equally important to think about what will happen next. The goal of victory is to prevent new conflicts.”

Zelenskyy announces next round of talks with US, Russia as Ukraine seeks ‘real and dignified end to the war’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Sunday that a new round of talks involving Ukraine, the United States and Russia will take place this week, as Kyiv presses for progress toward ending the war while Moscow continues strikes across the country.

Writing on X, Zelenskyy said the meetings are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in Abu Dhabi.

“Ukraine is ready for a substantive discussion, and we are interested in ensuring that the outcome brings us closer to a real and dignified end to the war,” Zelenskyy wrote.

The announcement comes as Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine’s energy and logistics infrastructure, worsening conditions for civilians as winter temperatures plunge.

US ACCUSES RUSSIA OF ‘DANGEROUS AND INEXPLICABLE ESCALATION’ IN UKRAINE WAR DURING PEACE NEGOTIATIONS

Ukrainian officials say Moscow has repeatedly targeted power grids, heating and water systems throughout the nearly four-year war, a campaign Kyiv has described as an effort to use winter conditions as a weapon against the civilian population.

Authorities warned that Ukraine is facing one of its coldest stretches of the season, with temperatures in some areas expected to fall as low as minus-22 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service.

President Donald Trump said late last week that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to temporarily halt strikes on Kyiv and other cities amid the extreme cold.

ZELENSKYY SAYS US SECURITY GUARANTEES DOCUMENT IS ‘100% READY’ FOR SIGNING

“I personally asked President Putin not to fire on Kyiv and the cities and towns for a week during this… extraordinary cold,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, adding that Putin had “agreed to that.”

The White House has not provided details on the timing or scope of the pause, and Ukrainian officials have expressed skepticism about Russia’s intentions.

Zelenskyy said Thursday that key obstacles to a peace agreement remain unresolved, including the future of occupied Ukrainian territory and Moscow’s demands for land it has not captured.

Russia struck Ukrainian energy facilities in several regions on Thursday, Zelenskyy said, though he noted that no such strikes occurred overnight. He added that Russian drones and missiles have continued to hit residential areas and logistics hubs across Ukraine.

Trump has described Putin’s acceptance of a pause as a concession, but Zelenskyy questioned whether Moscow is genuinely interested in ending the war as the invasion approaches its fourth anniversary on Feb. 24.

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“I do not believe that Russia wants to end the war. There is a great deal of evidence to the contrary,” Zelenskyy said Thursday.