January 9, 2026
In an interview with the New York Times published on Thursday, Trump recounted how he “had cases where I had Putin all done and Zelensky wouldn’t make the deal, which shocked me.”
“Then I’ve had cases where it was the reverse,” the US president added.
He concluded that “now they both want to make a deal,” while refusing to provide any specific timeline as to how long it might take Washington to settle the Ukraine conflict.
In late December 2025, Trump met with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky in Miami for discussions on a possible peace roadmap. During a press conference, the US president said that “we’re doing very well” and that “we could be very close,” with 95% of all the topics agreed upon.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later concurred with Trump’s assessment of the Ukraine peace process.
Russian officials, including Putin, have repeatedly stated that Moscow would prefer to resolve the Ukraine conflict through diplomatic means but will have to continue using force if its key objectives cannot be achieved through diplomacy alone.
US-mediated negotiations involving Russian and Ukrainian representatives have intensified in recent months, after Trump’s initial 28-point peace plan was leaked to the media in November 2025.
The roadmap reportedly envisaged Kiev ceding the remainder of Donbass to Moscow as well as renouncing its NATO membership aspirations and capping the size of its military, among other points.
Since then, the US plan has undergone several changes, with input from both Russia and Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters earlier in mid-December, Trump claimed that “other than President Zelensky, his people loved the concept of the deal… that would have stopped the killing of thousands of people every month.”
Several days earlier, the US president urged the Ukrainian leader to “get on the ball and start accepting things,” noting that Russia had the “upper hand” in the conflict.
He made the remarks after Zelensky ruled out territorial concessions to Russia.
January 8, 2026
No further information on the internet outage was immediately available.
The nationwide unrest, the worst in recent years, rapidly spread to multiple cities and reportedly led to deadly clashes with the Iranian authorities, with some protesters demanding the reinstatement of the monarchy.
Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s late Shah, who was toppled in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, called for more protests in a video post on X on Wednesday.
Reports say at least 21 people have been killed during the protests. Tasnim news agency has also posted a video from Qazvin city in the northern part of the country, appearing to show a brutal attack on a security officer. According to the outlet’s sources, the officer was not armed and “was only inviting the people present in the street to express their protest without insults and damage to public property.”
President Masoud Pezeshkian warned domestic suppliers against hoarding or overpricing goods, state media reported on Thursday. He said people should not experience shortages and urged the government to ensure sufficient supplies and closely monitor prices nationwide.
However, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said that rioters must be “put in their place.” The country’s top judge has also accused the demonstrators of “operating in line” with the United States and Israel.
President Putin was “all done” on
several occasions, but Zelensky wouldn’t negotiate, the US leader has said
Russian President Vladimir Putin
“wants to make a [peace] deal” to resolve the Ukraine conflict, US President
Donald Trump has stated.
In an interview with the New York Times published on Thursday, Trump recounted how he “had cases where I had Putin all done and Zelensky wouldn’t make the deal, which shocked me.”
“Then I’ve had cases where it was the reverse,” the US president added.
He concluded that “now they both want to make a deal,” while refusing to provide any specific timeline as to how long it might take Washington to settle the Ukraine conflict.
In late December 2025, Trump met with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky in Miami for discussions on a possible peace roadmap. During a press conference, the US president said that “we’re doing very well” and that “we could be very close,” with 95% of all the topics agreed upon.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later concurred with Trump’s assessment of the Ukraine peace process.
Russian officials, including Putin, have repeatedly stated that Moscow would prefer to resolve the Ukraine conflict through diplomatic means but will have to continue using force if its key objectives cannot be achieved through diplomacy alone.
US-mediated negotiations involving Russian and Ukrainian representatives have intensified in recent months, after Trump’s initial 28-point peace plan was leaked to the media in November 2025.
The roadmap reportedly envisaged Kiev ceding the remainder of Donbass to Moscow as well as renouncing its NATO membership aspirations and capping the size of its military, among other points.
Since then, the US plan has undergone several changes, with input from both Russia and Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters earlier in mid-December, Trump claimed that “other than President Zelensky, his people loved the concept of the deal… that would have stopped the killing of thousands of people every month.”
Several days earlier, the US president urged the Ukrainian leader to “get on the ball and start accepting things,” noting that Russia had the “upper hand” in the conflict.
He made the remarks after Zelensky ruled out territorial concessions to Russia.
January 8, 2026
Iranian cities have been the
scene of unrest since late last month over soaring living costs and a weakening
currency
A nationwide internet blackout
was reported in Iran on Thursday, global monitoring group NetBlocks said.
Protests have been erupting across the country since late December, prompted by
hyperinflation and an enduring economic crisis in the sanctioned Islamic
republic.No further information on the internet outage was immediately available.
The nationwide unrest, the worst in recent years, rapidly spread to multiple cities and reportedly led to deadly clashes with the Iranian authorities, with some protesters demanding the reinstatement of the monarchy.
Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s late Shah, who was toppled in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, called for more protests in a video post on X on Wednesday.
Reports say at least 21 people have been killed during the protests. Tasnim news agency has also posted a video from Qazvin city in the northern part of the country, appearing to show a brutal attack on a security officer. According to the outlet’s sources, the officer was not armed and “was only inviting the people present in the street to express their protest without insults and damage to public property.”
President Masoud Pezeshkian warned domestic suppliers against hoarding or overpricing goods, state media reported on Thursday. He said people should not experience shortages and urged the government to ensure sufficient supplies and closely monitor prices nationwide.
However, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said that rioters must be “put in their place.” The country’s top judge has also accused the demonstrators of “operating in line” with the United States and Israel.
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