all of the opportunities that weren't afforded her. you no, i, coming out of segregation. and i bring that perfect toiv oregon say, my mom was a rural kid that didn't have a lot of opportunities. but i'm going to make sure i bring that forth for all the kids in oregon. >> watch new members of congress all next week, starting at 9:30 p.m. eastern on c-span. >> c-span, democracy unfiltered. we're funded by these television companies and more. including cox. >> when connection is needed most, cox is there to help, bringing affordable internet to families in ned, in uh tech no boys and girls clubs and support to veterans. whenever and wherever it matters most we'll be there. >> cox supports c-span as a public service along with these other television providers, giving you a front row seat to

democracy. we start with a portif president trump at the oval office answering questions about his conversation with vladimir putin. [video] >> when and where do you plan a meeting with vladimir putin? >> no. we had a great call. they lasted for a long time. over an hour. i had with president zelenskyy a good call after that. we are on our way to getting peace. president putin wants peace and president zelenskyy wants peace. i'm far -- it is a vicious war, heavily 1.5 million soldiers killed. i have pictures you would not believe. you would not believe what you have to look at.

young, beautiful soldiers that are decimated. it will be nice to and it immediately -- end it in medially. people -- immediately. people did not know what president putin's thoughts were. he wants to see it ended also. host: we are talking about ukraine this morning. the developments around that. nbc news. mark fogel, the american school teacher released yesterday. this is the news about what was exchanged. a russian moneylender to be freed in exchange for fogel. he will leave behind $100 million in digital assets in the united states as part of the deal to free him. the trump administration has agreed to send a convicted moneylender back to russia --

money launderer back to russia in exchange for fogel. he's an american custody and awaiting transport to russia. it's expected to happen by the end of the week. as part of the deal to free him, he leaves behind $100 million worth of digital assets in the united states. that is a picture of him. he was arrested in greece. you can read the rest of that at nbcnews.com. sid first in upper marlboro, maryland. caller: good morning. i support president trump's cease-fire deal. pete hegseth is right. ending this war. there's a lot of russians in ukraine. there is no reason for nato membership.

the fact that at this point really the best way to end of war is just end what is going on. i support president trump's strategy. they need to start giving us back somewhere earth metals. all that money we gave to ukraine. host: sid, this is what is -- this is what sid was talking about with rare earth metals. this is not coming up for me. we will get that for you. let's hear again from president trump talking about his conversation with russian president putin about the cease-fire. [video] >> we talked about the possibility -- i mentioned the cease-fire to stop the killing. i think we will end up getting a cease-fire in the not-too-distant future. >> do you expect ukraine -- do

you view ukraine is an equal member of the peace process? >> interesting question. they have to make peace. there people are being killed. they have to make peace. i said that was not a good war to go into. they have to make peace. that is what i think. host: that was the president yesterday. we are taking your calls. sid mentioned rare earth minerals. i wanted to update you on that. u.s. treasury secretary met with zelenskyy to kickoff rare earth peace deal. this is scott bessent, the first u.s. official to visit ukraine. it says this. "bessent will hold discussions about critical minerals. energy resources and the future of state owned enterprises, according to a source. the announcement came after

trump started floating eddie of exchanging mineral access for continued u.s. security support on february 3. we are putting in hundreds of billions of dollars, trump said. they have great rare earth. i want security of the rare earth, and they are willing to do it. zelenskyy reacted by stating he supported the idea. "we are open to the fact that all this can be developed with fair partners who are both helping us to protect our land and pushing the enemy back with their weapons and sanctions packages. this is absolutely fair." that is what zelenskyy said on for every five." -- february 5." stanley from arkansas. caller: thank you for taking my call this morning. we do need to stop that war. the rare earth minerals, that's very important for trade and

everything and for peace and everything. we need to stop this were quick. another subject. this rev. al sharpton, i don't know where he got his paperwork. he is not surely know reverend when he talks on tv -- no reverend when he talks on tv. maxine waters is worse than he is. every time you see her on tv she starts riots. for a person only making $170,000 a year, where did she get that $5 million mansion? host: back to ukraine. here is democrat marcy kaptur. she was on the floor of the house yesterday to reiterate ukraine needs to be at the negotiating table in its original border has to be maintained.

[video] >> lome zelenskyy -- bloated near zelenskyy has stated a negotiated 2 -- bloated mere working with our closest and most valued allies in nato and the free world, the united states must do everything possible to bring full liberty to ukraine. and move russia back into her own borders. the international community must safeguard those borders and those negotiations are yet to come. we have some hope this morning if we are serious about making sure the dividing line between the free world and the suppressed world is clearly drawn and safeguarded. host: getting your calls this morning on ukraine. rush in pennsylvania.

good morning. caller: good morning. you are the last person i talked to on c-span months ago. i was still -- i was for bobby kennedy. i was up in the air. people always say i beat around the bush. you said, ok, who are you going to vote for? host: who did you vote for? do you not want to say? caller: trump. bobby will be confirmed here sooner or later. they are supposed to do it today. host: that's at 10:30. caller: on the ukraine thing, i listened -- i don't watch a lot of tv. i'm a big tucker carlson fan. i followed him for 26 years. when fox got rid of him -- all the podcasts have been fired from fox.

napolitano. o'reilly, megyn kelly. mainly i listen to napolitano. he had on professor jeffrey sachs from columbia. he gives the best description of all the world history the united states has been in. i even knew this one. in 2014, under obama, newland -- host: victoria nuland. caller: we overthrew -- there was a guy. we overthrew the government in 2014 to put another guy in because the guy that was in there wanted to be too close to

russia and shift away from the eu, this and that. we got this other guy in. i don't want to get into stupid stuff, the burisma thing, we know what happened there. i believe trump when he says the war would have never happened. everybody says he is a trump supporter -- you know, putin lover or something. heck. i believe him. i think he doesn't want to see people get killed. i don't either. i with vietnam. i'm 73 years old. host: do you think ukraine should be at the table or should this just be negotiated between the u.s. and russia? caller: no. ukraine will be at the table. zelenskyy was at the white house. it may have been either before trump was even elected.

i'm sure zelenskyy -- here's the thing. zelenskyy made a comment less than a week ago. the united states has given us [indiscernible] hello? caller: we are here. caller: they have given us $177 billion. i've only seen $77 billion of it. there is a lot of the stuff going on here, not just with the ukraine but with everything. they are not going to get that land back. host: you say they are not going to get it? caller: the one that borders russia, those are a lot of russian people. they are not going to get that land back. i think hegseth might've said that yesterday. host: he said pre-2014 borders are unrealistic. here is what zelenskyy said in response.

"i had a long and detailed conversation with president trump. i appreciate his genuine interest in our shared opportunities and how we can bring about real peace together. we discussed many aspects diplomatic, military, economic. president trump informed me about what putin told him. we believe america's strength, together with ukraine and our partners is enough to push russia to peace." john in easton, pennsylvania. caller: hi. the reason the war started is when nato was formed, ok, poland and then were moved to the other side of the wall to communist europe. ukraine was not included. neither was crimea and those other countries here.

host: you are saying ukraine was not included in nato? caller: yeah. the border. if it was, putin would never have been able to cross the border into ukraine. they would have been a nuclear stockpile there. there would have been a military presence there and everything else. putin -- host: there was nuclear weapons as part of the soviet union. they gave them up -- oh, on the american side. caller: right. europe, germany, all that. host: what are you thinking about? caller: we weren't there. ukraine was wide open. host: what do you think about what's going on now? caller: putin is getting old. pisa dictator. a -- he is a dictator. a dictator needs a place to go

and is not a country in the world will take him except the united states. the minute trump was elected that was his ticket to come here. he wants to get his hands on his money. putin has been stealing from the russian people for years. he has trillions of dollars alone the freaking world. that is all trump wants to do, get his hands on that. putin will be living in this country and we won't even be knowing it. who knows? we might have a chance of getting the rock history --democracy in russia again. host: erica new hampshire. -- eric in new hampshire. caller: that putin coming to america thing, he has money to go anywhere in the world. anyways, it's a great development. it took trump a month. he said he would do it overnight but you have to give him credit. he did it in about a month.

i think that's a great thing. one of the things that will come out of this, our funding of the ukraine effort. we sent billions over there. we can't even reconcile our own dod books. as has been well acknowledged. for eight years we don't know the money goes. how do you think they'll end up with the billions of dollars we sent to ukraine for a country half bond out? -- bombed out? he answered more questions in the last month than joe biden did in his 40 years combined. you know what? i'm glad that the fort liberty is back to fort bragg.

second airborne all the way. host: jeffrey in henderson, nevada. democrat. caller: hi. host: go right ahead. what do you think about ukraine? caller: i think ukraine is fighting for their freedom. we in america stood for freedom. we should back ukraine as long as they are being attacked by another country. i thought we stood for that. give me liberty or give me death. i think ukraine is doing a good job fighting for their freedom. host: do you think ukraine should give up land in exchange for peace? caller: no. no. host: how does the war end? does it just keep going? caller: russia should stop attacking them. russia started the work. russia should pack up and go back home. host: how do you get russia to do that?

caller: you continue to fight them as long as they are being attacked. like if somebody came into your home and taking over your home. lay down your arms, i'm taking over your home. your life belongs to mina. -- your wife belongs to me now. host: let's see what pete has egseth said about the administration's approach. [video] >> we are at a critical moment. as the were approaches its third anniversary, our message is clear. the bloodshed must stop. this war must end. president trump has been clear with the american people and many of your leaders. stopping the fighting and reaching an enduring peace is a top priority. he intends to end the war by

diplomacy and bringing both russia and ukraine to the table. the u.s. department of defense will help achieve this goal. we will only end this devastating war and establish a durable peace by coupling ally strength with a realistic assessment of the battlefield. we want, like you, a sovereign and prosperous ukraine. but we must start by recognizing returning to ukraine's pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective. chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause suffering. a durable peace must include robust security guarantees to ensure the war will not begin again. this must not be minced 3.0. that said, 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-native mission -- non-nato mission and not covered under article v. there must be robust international oversight of the line of contact. as part of any security guarantee there will not be u.s. troops deployed to ukraine. host: defense secretary yesterday in brussels. we want to know what you think about that. the numbers are on your screen. brian in venice, florida. independent. caller: thank you for having me on. i'm really concerned about this.

i feel as if we are almost living in britain in the 1930's. pete hegseth, he shows up. the used to show up at work drunk all the time. now he is secretary of defense. all the republicans are terrified of trump so they just vote for all of his people. hegseth is like having neville chamberlain. peace for the world. he held of this big piece of paper coming back from berlin talking to at all filler -- ad olf hitler. host: what you think it will look like? caller: i think putin will get everything he wants. he's like trump. if their lips are moving, they are lying. they will destroy ukraine. i don't trust him.

host: what happens if ukraine is destroyed? caller: well, he will be a bigger threat to the rest of eastern europe. especially poland. places like that. the data rinse i hear coming from maga supporters. i'm sorry, maga supporters. you think you know all this history. i'm sorry but you don't. you watch what happens with this. not only that, trump wants us to practically pull out of nato. that is what kept peace for so many years in europe. that is crazy. that is insane. we can't have that. trump, he just thrives on ignorance and anger. ignorance and anger. the united states -- i never dreamt in my life a president of

the note states would give up everything to a dictator -- united states would give up everything to a dictator like putin. please wake up, people . host: chevy chase, maryland. republican line. jim. caller: good morning. i'm tired of these democrats calling up. trump does not want us out of nato. he just wants those countries to pay their fair share. i love what trump is doing. he's in there a month and has done so much on all these issues that are so important. the border, taking care of the wars. in terms of ukraine war, i feel the solution would be to have russia keep the land they have occupied but have the ability for ukraine to join nato. i know pete hegseth says

it can't be done but that's the solution. if ukraine was part of nato, that would an attack from russia and stabilize the area. host: you think russia would accept that? that is kind of a red line for them. caller: it is a red line but they could keep the land they have occupied. it is a win-win for both countries. that would stabilize the area. russia would not be able to go into ukraine because the nato countries would defend him. host: we have got on the screen the ukraine and area we are talking about. russia controls all the area in pink. there is a sliver of land in russia in the kursk region the ukrainians are controlling at this point. do you think they should be allowed to keep that? caller: yeah. that can be worked out.

the main point is that russia -- i don't think they want to give up the land they have occupied. pete hegseth said that would not be a point. it is clear if you tell russia they can keep what they have, but in the future you will not be able to attack ukraine anymore, the ukrainians would be happy. they know the area would be stabilized. that would be a solution to this area. host: let's talk to james in newark, new jersey. independent. caller: love c-span. love y'all. [indiscernible] hello? host: we are listening. caller: good. i really think it's a good deal. i know [indiscernible]

i think it is a good deal. host: we don't know what the deal is yet, james. what do you think it would be? caller: john mccain in early 2000, he turned against me for that. what should happen to ukraine? the russian people, etc., etc. yeah. [indiscernible]

the russian ukrainians should move to eastern ukraine. host: let's hear from more from secretary hegseth yesterday. [video] >> safeguarding european security must be an imperative for european members of nato. as part of this europe must provide the overwhelming share of future lethal and nonlethal aid to ukraine. members of this contact group must meet the moment. this means donating more ammunition and equipment, leveraging comparative advantages, expanding your defense industrial base, and importantly, leveling with your citizens about the threat facing europe. part of this is speaking frankly with your people about how the threat can only be met by spending more on defense. 2% is not enough. president trump has called for 5%. i agree.

increasing your commitment to your own security is a down payment for the future. a down payment, as you said, mr. secretary, of peace through strength. we are here today to directly and on a big u.s. leaks press -- unambiguously express that which keeps the u.s. from being focused on the security of europe. the united states faces consequential threats to our homeland. we must and we are focusing on security of our own borders. we also face a peer competitor in the communist chinese. with the capability and intent to threaten our homeland and core national interest in the indo-pacific. the u.s. is referred ties in -- is recognizing the reality of scarcity and making the resource trade-offs to ensure deterrents

do not fail. host: i want to share an editorial from bloomberg. get your reaction to it. "talking to putin is not enough to end the ukraine war. he will not negotiate seriously until the cost of fighting are steeper. later this week, white house on voice plan to discuss with european counterparts had in the nearly three year war ukraine. for any negotiations to produce a durable settlement, the u.s. and its allies must show they are willing to enforce it. to date, president putin demonstrated no serious interest in peacemaking. russia controls about a fifth of ukraine and believes that holds the upper hand on the battlefield. putin set out to subjugate the whole country, walking away with parts of four regions after taking more than 600,000 casualties would hardly be a triumph. he denied ukraine's sovereignty

and set preconditions for talks, including forcing ukraine to effectively disarm and abandon its nato ambitions designed to make it easier to restart the fighting." you can read the rest of that at bloomberg. we will talk next to catherine. plymouth, massachusetts. democrat. caller: good morning. i was calling in reference to donald trump seemingly siding with putin on the settlement. i am as old as donald trump. he's three much older than me. i don't understand why he doesn't remember chris jeff at the u.n. -- kurschev at the u.n. he was saying we will bury you. my feeling is that everything donald trump is doing is to bow down to putin. putin started the war. i'm so sorry that he lost 600,000 troops. he devastated the ukrainian

economy and the population there. i think about out to his demands would be giving into him. i do believe when kruschev retired, he lived in florida. i'm wondering if that was -- i was laughing when her the guy saying when putin retires he will move to the united states. i'm sure trump will have a spot for him at mar-a-lago. i say stand firm, and unfortunate for the united states with donald trump there. i don't know what the solution will be. i just say he should bring up the words of kruschev, we will bury you, cap >> today president trump welcomes indian prime minister