released on monday. you've got the ukrainian special envoy keith kellogg is out there. the treasury secretary, scott bessent, was in ukraine this week as well. you've got secretary of state marco rubio. it's like president trump's approach to things now, as we saw with those domestic issues in the first few weeks of his administration, is kind of, "go all in." you know, flood the zone we keep using that expression,, right but, like, just take over the news cycle, take over the discussion points. and there was that shock yesterday when pete hegseth made those remarks about ukraine, you know, getting its land back would be unrealistic, joining nato would be unrealistic comments unrealistic, comments the president himself reiterated then

later in the day. but today, and we're recording this kind of early afternoon thursday, washington, dc time, you've got pete hegseth in brussels rolling back a little bit on that position, and he's now saying everything is on the table, whereas it was a much firmer line that we were hearing yesterday. but there was such pushback to that from the europeans, from ukraine. it's kind of like we're seeing these negotiations happen over the airwaves a little bit. from president trump in the past, haven't we? interesting aspects of all of this is to see just how and ukraine's president zelensky. you know, he was asked point blank about ukraine's was an equal partner. do you view ukraine as an equal member of this peace process? it's an interesting question. i think they have to make peace. i

and he said, "well, you know, they have to make peace." and for some in ukraine, and we were speaking some of the language that we're hearing president trump use, whether it's talking about president zelensky and ukraine's popularity ratings, the fact that there haven't been elections there, very much reflects the talking to do in ukraine is to make sure that our voice is getting heard as well.

that's, you know, kind of been trump's major argument. treasury secretary, scott bessent, was in ukraine, in kyiv. you know, why is your treasury secretary there? there about the order of the phone calls, was actually initiated

by the americans, that with president putin, also really interesting. and this conversation that we're having now commentators have been saying to me that ukraine for them to pay. are trying to do a deal not only over the head role to play in any potential deal here. incredibly serious also. absolutely.

and it's interesting. contributed about $145 billion to ukraine in financial, that was telegraphed by president trump out, caitriona, that they feel that this deal might be made secretary, pete hegseth, "will this deal be in concern of the trump administration that europeans are not spending enough

on defence, that they need "look, this is not coming out of nowhere. we've had time and now and i think it's also kind of fascinating to watch what an awkward spot he's put zelensky in. they lost a lot of soldiers. but it would just seem to me, | and i'm not making an opinion on it, but i've read a loti on it, and a lot of people think that that's unlikely. some of it will come back.

in their eyes is not for any... yesterday. did she say anything about, you know, this summit,

she actually took very much kind of... stepped to the side. but, i mean, i do think for a lot of us allies, when he decided to speak about ukraine in those terms with her sitting, you know, three feet away. the other big story on foreign policy in the white house this that that was a really awkward and difficult

i think it was. to answer those questions. well, i think, as i said earlier, the presidentl as i said, we will be - in saudi arabia to discuss how so i think let's wait - until the egyptians can come to say and we'll take back and listen to it." leaders coming to visit

president trump, that he's it's a sensitive one. we were speaking to our state department correspondent

come to the forefront. as we've been saying. of these international conversations have been taking place. the big news today, and as i said, it's thursday,

the health secretary. mitch mcconnell, who didn't. nasty doses going around for the past couple of months, came into office. redundancy scheme being offered to a lot of federal workers.

i mean, if there's large scale health issues, that's something that's very much in the public eye. the language there, as with many things of the first year is, you know, among the many other legal battles,

there'll be legal battles over, seen from president trump in this first few weeks. to see rfkjr take up that role, which is going to be and, you know, there

were a few holdouts initially, so instrumental. one prong of his approach is healthy food and healthy eating in schools. and there are no concerns about that. and i saw, you know, bill cassidy, who's but i thought it was interesting he wrote that. of hhs, to rebuff any attempt to remove the public's access| to life—saving vaccines - without ironclad, causational

public fear about vaccines - between confusing references exactly. there's executive powers, and then it's, "how long does others along with them. for disease control here. is the best preventative

treatment for the flu, about, that that might be. fall into that box of stuff that's removed, but that is still there. he himself has concerns about vaccines and still holds that he chose to vaccinate his own children, i think, spoke a lot to various members. or anti—industry. lam neither. which we're seeing a peak of. we've seen tens of millions of birds have to be slaughtered, which is "eggflation",

as it's called. it's interesting how that's been muddled in together with the fault of bird flu. and a shortage of birds means a shortage of eggs. of the biggest challenges he's faced so far because he very much campaigned on inflation.

he needs something to point to. one of the big things from the white house focus on that a lot. for about half an hour. so, i mean, ithink that's going to be kind of the big because the recent inflation numbers weren't good for him. so i think that's going to be, you know, where he'll need very specific promises to on the campaign trail. there's been no movement in that regard.

in a way that might stick because until now, as we've talked about on this pod in the past, they've struggled to find what their message is. but that might be our discussion for the but it's been lovely to catch up with both of you again. just search "the president's path". and you can also find us on youtube. it's been another cold day today, cloudy for evening and overnight, we've got a bit of rain to run

to be far away from freezing. generally for england and wales, but quite cloudy too. so there could be a bit of sleet and snow for dry for england and wales. the temperatures a bit. it's going to be a windy day

for all of us on tuesday, and instead we're going to draw in some much milder air that's pressure that's filling the atlantic and pushing there's more, of course, on the bbc weather app, but big changes for this week.

the israeli prime minister says he's working with the us to make its widely—criticised

plan for the future of gaza hello, i'm leila nathoo. preparations are being stepped up for an intense week trump's middle east envoy confirmed the us and russia will hold their first face—to—face talks in saudi arabia. ukrainian officials have told the bbc they were not invited in response, an emergency summit of european leaders will