the the headline stories this, our donald trump confirms. he's freezing us far in a previous report suggested the move last for the next 3 months with 2 countries. israel on the trip exempt from the measures israel releases $200.00 prisoners following the return of for a female idea of soldiers held by come us as part of the ongoing ceasefire agreement policy needed no up. liberty spoke to r t about his time in cafeteria. i was sentenced to 25 years and served 13 god willing. i want to focus on my home, my mother and my children. i want to make up for the years. they've lost the difficult days. they lived through and the tough circumstances they endured me. god gives me the strength to make it up to there's nothing more to say,

but thank god to his blessed us with freedom. while ideas medics confirmed the soldiers released by hum us are in good condition country to earlier same as mine west or is failing to keep the peace, the united nations withdrawals military personnel from the democratic republic of congo. due to what it calls a worsening security situation. losses images emerged showing an arm or do un vehicle attack by m 23 in search. the this is our to international. my name's you to know me loves 30 minutes of use and use to start smaller the us is putting a freeze on foreign aid. the news has been confirmed by the new president, donald trump. details so far are vague, but earlier reports suggested the pause would be for 90 days of excluded israel in egypt. and i impose a federal hiring freeze that federal regulation, freezer,

foreign aid, res. oh, that's a nice and i created to do department of government efficiency and have a lot of good people. a review of key organizations is believed to be under way, including into the agency for international development or us aid. while the measure, primarily suspends you monitoring on development assistance, military funding could be hosted to not us for ukraine. vladimir zalinski and says key of lisa lade is secure. yes, i see. i know that there are some restriction i see. you have to look at it in detail a 90 day limit on humanitarian. the program was, i can only say what ukraine may not receive, and i am focused on military 8. and it is not stopped. well, as the head that provides lensky saying that this doesn't affect military aid, a tool, and quite a lot concerns. we've been hearing from other bodies in the last few days as it

relates to the executive orders that donald trump signed just a few days ago when he became avenue president, again, no fees usa, where he said that he was stopping funding for or for an agencies essentially, but that executive order was quite specific. this was to do with international assistance to developmental programs, an age ministry, a few crane doesn't come through those programs. we also know that you find and i did quite a few things before leaving the white test to try to secure that administrator. you claim at least for the next few months. so this seems to firm that we understand is for the next 90 days, any programs through us military of a us, a debt and funding after the full of the soviet union back in 1990 between then i'm just off to the mind. inventories took place in 2014, something like $5000000.00 us dollars was pumped into crates. and of course,

we've also now got, you know, us officials being closed on tape essentially saying that the money that was being spent in countries like u. k was being used to a sub for the country. let's just take it and listen to that. have invested over $5000000000.00 to assist you. crane in these and other goals that will ensure a secure and prosperous and democratic crane. today, there are a senior officials in the ukranian government in the business community, as well as in the opposition civil society and the religious community believe in this democratic and european future for their country. yeah, us is missing this and see that it's now this thing is in the pies all over the place when it comes to a country light ukraine, and many foreign politicians have accused usaid of funding groups involved in stirring up trouble in their countries. a recent claim involved efforts to undermine the government of georgia. so what other examples do, do we know of? yeah, what would start with georgia? cuz that's obviously

a very recent example. i was into pc just back in december and november. let me through the process that these are authorization process that the children government i'd say were being funded would be focused rated by actors in the west. this is all over the web of the elections, and i'll tell you, but we'll legitimate to know what is despite the fact that the constitutional quotes in you just said that they were legitimate. now we have now heard from a former minister in georgia who's going to send the georgia employment instead of saying a sense. and there was of to right length between the money that comes from us age . and what is happening in countries like georgia, whether it's the, again, is simple to attempt to choose take place. we have repeatedly said that organizations such as us a id and any d with the former being a state agency. and the latter, supposedly a non governmental organization, but are both finance from the us budget play a very bad role in our country. they issue grants used to teach georgian youth how

to carry out a to teach them how to use weapons and teach them how to deal legitimize law enforcement agencies. and the government will someone say, this is just the type of the iceberg great show view. as a what's a look they say, so our, this is if i was promoting democracy in other countries, others would put and doesn't say no. this is a right region change to face, but we'll see us won't at any time. but great, yes. now i live on the program, former director of inter governmental affairs for the us trade representative. steve, gail and steve, great. the c u m b u. s. has a 9 sta, whole to on foreign, a grounds which seems to apply to military assistance as well. and possibly therefore, to ukraine. but if not the mirrors landscape teams, nothing's changed. weapons will continue to flow. do you think key of will be included in this bottom? i think they're absolutely included in this band. i think donald trump is made it clear. we're going to stop flooding money to other countries. while we take

a pause and look at exactly what we're getting for our money. and i think the donald trump's executive orders also calling for an audit of what we have sent to ukraine, which many have fought in the past. we need to know how much money has actually gone to where we were told it was going versus going into the pockets of the corrupted crafts in ukraine. so it's for an indefinite period. we believe possibly 90 days. if it goes, i had had, what consequences would that have steve on, on the ukranian army lensky is government, if u. s. assistance was cut off, or whether it's, 1st of all, going to put pressure if the, you know western nations, if the, if the brits, if the others in western europe want to continue to fund this uh, uh, zaleski regime. they will have to step up and put even more end to make up for what the united states will stop putting in. i think the flow of weapons is got to come to a quick end, as well as the default,

the so called for an aide. so i think it's got to put a cease to what the us is doing, and then either the western europeans are going to have to step up. or it's kind of put additional pressure on zelinski to come to the reality that the, the, the open checkbook has come to an end. and it's time to end the carnage that is taking place. and then as president trump has pointed out, what has been avoided all the long if he had been president the last 4 years instead of jo by a just on the aspect of a european countries staffing up, they being very vocal in their support. but know when things are hitting, the proverbial, do you think they will, the book money talks, but it also screams and it streams loudly. and i think your dos, the streams of the house from taxpayers in western europe questioning whether they want more of their money to continue to flow in ukraine. i think us taxpayers but very thoroughly. and the selection is donald trump was making it clear that the

money flow was going to come to an end if he got elected. and that you're going to see the same sort of voices coming out of western europe as well. particularly with donald trump is putting pressure on the western european nations to step up what they should be doing with nato. they are under funding with their obligations. our top is already called for them to increase that. and i think the double whammy of having to increase their nato obligations and give more to ukraine is going to put economic pressure on the countries that are already suffering economically. just another aspect of this israel has reportedly being excluded from the foreign aid halls. the news and also comes and made claims president trump lifted the poles on heavy bottoms supplies to his real. how do you see that changing the balance of power of the situation at least in the middle east? a. i think a trump is looking at re initiating the abraham records that literally had a saudi arabia at the table looking to make his store it progress towards bringing real and lasting peace to the middle east. when he left office device

administration took a different tact. obviously the, the atrocities committed by a mouse and then the other terrorist organization that reagan region has made it difficult to, to reach as long as the piece. so i think the top administration is in the middle east as dramatically different from the ukraine, russia situation, and i think not falls like be a to is real, not pausing. the military support for it is real, as they are in the face of enemies all around them. i think shows that he and his administration see a very clear distinction between what they want in the middle east and how they want to bring peace to the ukrainian russian region. steve gulf, former director of intergovernmental affairs for us trade representative. your time is always much appreciated, sir. a thank you, my friend, get a 2nd prisoner on hosted swap between israel and come us host taking place as part of the ongoing ceasefire agreement between the sides. let's go through what we know here. 200 palestinian captives have been released

from these really jails. the majority who were allowed to return to the westbank had been serving life sentences according to the palestinian prisoners office. although 70 of those convicted of the most serious. brian's have already been deported to egypt. ortiz, middle east, correspond a brief panache that was following. developers were now in ramallah as in trouble of location were apparently steaming prisoners were brought tough to the release in ways you can see a mass of crowd has gathered to welcome them. now ex prisoners. the motions are running high people walk with in the recent news they've heard somewhere. some people are dancing, manual cemetery and palace theme flags. most of our relatives and dissipating the return of their loved ones and friends of those relays. but also just ordinary people. that is, they say celebration moments for the entire palace seen a nation theories charged with imagination. but joyful freedom of the force makes

with sadness. so we're 46000 gallons were killed in 15 months of the war. and this is one big deal. okay. now i think there is another reason or now the recreation center in the 2nd way of return, release the 200 palestinian prisoners in exchange for theirs who are afraid of earlier on the 2nd day. most of them are $120.00 individuals convicted of killing. these really is many ser, for life sentences from 20 to 2 large sentences with all of them. tier 2 di, 70, all these 200 labels heavy weights. what is real calls with

a blog on the hands will be deported to foreign countries and we heard from turkey, yale drew into new to the bay all confirming their reading to welcome them. 16 roll returned to gauze and all the rest will be sent home here and to the ocean. pride was bag. it also is true so that we have been able to speak to some of the newly released. let's listen to what they have to say about the experience and what they feel right now. i was sentenced to 28 years with some years suspended. it's an indescribable feeling beyond words. it's something great beyond expression. may god bless you. when they dragged us out and told us that we were about to be released, they said, go, go home, go home was sentenced to 25 years and served 13 god willing. i want to focus on my home, my mother and my children. i want to make up for the years. they've lost the difficult days. they lived through and the tough circumstances they endured me. god gave me the strength to make it up to them always. there's nothing more to say,

but thank god, who has blessed us with freedom, how mass actually was supposed to release all civilian hostages, 1st followed by military personnel and several of non comb with ton still remain and consuming to how wherever a mass has reportedly spread out the release of soldiers that was really sort of just like when because the secure high and prisoners seems rash to your face to palestinian prisoners for age is really sold or another possible reason. some civilian hostages may be in the hands or family student is wanting to add another guy as a base. milton grove, mazda parts, simply don't know. the exact location is all these plastic teeth, a lot of ground off her mouth and p, i. j. folly turns gathered at the exchange location in the java street earlier and stuff like that. you would miss the release several money, but it's still a super weights. idea of complaints we're all from the eventually is viewed by the military move as a victory, a force,

a very important moment. these really army was supposed to open the net sarina cory door. this is a line that divides into 2 and that the army now controls to allow this place. yeah, that is to return to the homes in the north, but only after all the civilian hostages are really which is not sure which will suffice to happen on several day. but as soon as it's not the case, the idea has warrant guys of residents against moving, know, so i think extreme danger so that that's are in florida, is not open yet. this is likely israel's way haul from the laws of sanctioning how mouthful not sticking to the terms of the agreement. this related has always far significant backlash, or one is really is who are complaining that it's flayed and all the series that the attacks against is really is jesus a see, where is security threats to israel? this exchange is just the beginning. in the 1st page, i'm asked who really spoke to 3 hostages, wylie's room phrase, 1904 palestinian detainees including 1200 gallons,

detains during the war. notably, those involved in the 4 were 7 mastercard, and also included. the 1st phase will last $42.00 days, and during this stage, negotiations will start about the 2nd phase, but it is still several weeks to go. so we have to wait and see how it plays out. very from ocean on our team reporting from ramallah linux change from us sounded over for is really hostages to the red cross. the women arrived back in israel and saw today where they were reunited with their families in the emotional scenes. here's our tea contributor, robbie berman with more the mirror and tell of it hoster square, which is the epicenter for his really protests are free. the hostages. they've been in the hostage for more than 470 days. i think is that 476 and this morning, this place was filled with thousands of people clapping, cheering, stinging,

dancing. just ecstatic. step 4 has to be as far as really sold is where are these very all bogged? 19 years old corinne diarrhea, 20 years old. i'd be able to go both 20 years old and nama levy, 20 years old. they were released in pretty good health. they have now man, they are just moments ago at dylan's and hospitals in television. now let's go to some quotes from matthew miller, former american diplomat, as well as the prime minister and a foreign minister because there were many accusations made that so a lot of the hostages had been sexually abuse before officers. i came out of captivity today seems to be relatively ok. we don't know if what our past experience has been, but let's see what these officials have to say. we've obviously seen the reports that i'm awesome, has committed sexual violence. they've committed rape. we have no reason at all to doubt. those reports for months is not speaking on behalf of the move, slim word, and we are asking you to condemn the sexual violence. crimes

volumes committed in the name of the muslim religion. the hostages will not health in reasonable conditions, as some have cleared cynically claimed children were seriously abused, so it seemed to seize the goal. she ation did not go without a hick off a natural ality. are bill you who do a 29 year old woman who is a civilian who was kidnapped, we're supposed to be released today and she was and, and as a result, she's real as not letting the palestinians cross and it, it started him car door to go back north, so i'm us has promised to try to release or during the course of the week. so the palestinians can go back ours. they claimed that she was being held by another, as lot of military greet who had to refuse the tool now to release. or let's see what the idea of spokesperson has to say about that. how mos failed to meet its obligations to 1st release is really female civilian hostages,

sparks over the agreement. we appreciate and find the efforts of all the international mediators united states guitar in egypt. and we expect them to make sure come on stands in accordance with the agreement. but the that it was made, people are just happy that for female soldiers have been released. and that is a nightmare is ended for them. and people here are singing and rejoicing. this is robbie berman from television when excitement and relief is running, the return of some of the house just didn't dump and enthusiasm for the weekly empty government protest in tel aviv hundreds to the streets of the city, demanding the authorities fully implement the ceasefire dealing with him off to get back the remaining 90 hostages is not being held for almost 500 days. protesters range pictures of those still captive along with banners. calling for

their safe return home would be route based independent journalist david's a way to resolve the view. the apartment good health of the freed is really hostages calls into question claims of mistreatment in captivity. to look at the ball as soon as were released from is really prisoners. their situation is far worse than just by looking at them. you can see that there are worse off than when they entered and these are people who live in under occupation and under see so their situation was bad when they entered to begin with. and they had been some visits took 1st to then a few days ago. another video is linked up to confirm the significance of and and then there's the prism. and this just shows you the difference between the occupation in the occupied even the videos today. when you saw the release of the 4 is really captives from gaza, they were smiling. there was some sort of facilities you saw that hadn't goody bags

with them. and, and none of the trains that israel has made a book true. so it is, we're letting me call a lie over and over and over and over again. okay. and anyone, it was still for us. the word comes out of israel. the light about the babies. they light about the attribute and we've been being raped. the light about the prison, i will stop and condition what speed you have, what's happening to these a prisoners. and if you hadn't noticed previous prisoners who or hostages, who has been released, do not allow it to be on the media until days and weeks and months after just because days. so they could agree on a story to tell. because their story and their narrative was very different from the official meeting, was really narrative to know the headline stories today. tensions continue to sewer and the dra 01. the border, the un peacekeeping mission in the democratic republic of congo has withdrawn some of its personnel from goma in the east of the country due to what's being described

as a worsening security situation. images from the area show a smoldering armor un vehicle after it has been hit by m 23. it's a jump or blend. the supreme commander has given some instructions with the enemy who is attacking us on may the aggressor must be hunted down to that last entrenchment, pushed back fall from government and pursued them until they leave the entire national territory. they occupy, it is a duty, it is a petri, i'll take obligation. they please. well am 23, congo. these fighters have been steadily advancing towards go my. they already occupied a large territory on the frontier with uganda and rolanda. the conflict has been raging since 2021, driven by the m 23 and allegedly with the support of ro one that in government forces galli. however, it denies the claim, admit that deteriorating relations to new york city is now recalled. it's diplomats

and is the non being the closure of one of those embassy. in contrast to within 48 hours, we heard reaction from locals about watson b here and goma situation is becoming more complex every day as humana. terry and we're trying to fulfill our mission. but how can we do so when bombs explode and bullets whistle around every street corner? it makes our work almost impossible. he took up, we left our villages to seek refuge here in goma and i do not. and yet here too, and we cannot escape the sound of bombs. we had to flee again, walking through for us to find another sanctuary. and what's in this situation is tearing us apart on end of our children no longer have the chance to continue their education because of the lack of resources they fall ill. and the women among us are still coming to disease now. and we keep walking, hoping to escape the danger. i talked to the one who's a journalist from the english language, real one, the newspaper, the new times,

albert ru december of say, is that after a quarter of a century in the d. r. c, un peacekeepers, up clearly failed. and then we met for the last 25 years ever since 1999. the u. n . decided to send a peacekeeping mission. and it was the because, globally only thing the whole world is the biggest mission that being there for 25 years. ready when the municipal, because that's the name of this uh uh, opperation arrived and 1999 that we're so good. i'm good in that region today. 25 years later we have 218. so there is a sofa and incredible stream it from the un. an edited street has been just moving up phone on i'm thinking most are as mode that we're getting a tech to do the same thing. so i don't even see after all of these years. well we can see that gives us that cheap being beaten by the end of the 3. so i don't think

we we have anything to expect that keeps us out. attending the tie right now. so voc prime minister roberts feats so has double done on his spence that ukraine will never become part of nato. is this just, you know, it is not, but your opinion is convinced that if the us president and his administration and stop supporting ukraine, it should be the youth that takes full responsibility for leading the war and the next to them. i was there at the european council when i asked president zalinski whether there could be a piece deal with on school. he said that the agreement is for the week. and we need to continue and award it's going to be and this is supported by the vast majority of the member states of the european union, not to able to escape. but how does the president put in agree with president trump screening? and what will happen to ukraine's that are ukraine will never, ever be in nato. is it in between 2? and when i listen to the statements of many politicians are unusual. i see that we will also have huge problems with entering the your opinion was configured as well . just to reiterate the neutral status of

a creat has long been one on base security guarantees. russia has sold western promises. the key of about a session to the block of being until recently a constant member zalinski recently admitted it's clear his allies had strong him a loan on that from show it was not a very transparent policy at 1st. and yet, some countries did not support our entry into nato. simple, and these were simply allies that yes, ukraine will be a nato a decade has passed. what i mean ukraine is not a nato, and therefore it was just honest towards ukraine and then ukrainians. and it was also dishonest from our leaders lies when some of our leaders said, we were promised that we would be in nato city. this was also dishonest. and i believe that germany in the united states had a weak position because they had a dialogue with the russians. ok any locally with german arthur and war correspondent, thomas roper sage, western leaders dangling nato membership for t of has led to much of the destruction seen since 2022. a great has suffered so

much a things to the decision of c lensky. to continue fighting for a membership of nato, this was the official goal. this was the reason, or the main reason why at the conflict started. this was the narrative for 2 and a half years. for this narrative, you create has the joy, natural, hundreds of thousands to craig and died when he is, you know, comes out said ed, sorry, no natural, we will be a neutral state. and then the people, what asked kate, this is something you could have haven't received already in 22 in the beginning, obviously not to nato officials where they have had was, and they told them all of their governments were missed. and congress promised a lot and didn't keep the word. and this is what some of us know repeated, of course key if will not be part of nato. this is a rush as against and the nobody in the near to once a while the commercial and there are some companies that have gary and also back

here saying this openly. but um, as far as i see from from news agencies will look at germany and, and usa, they also against this is what we see in the messages and use them rotors and so on . it's unrealistic that this was the main goal was to we can restaurant, didn't work out, but the narrative to officially narrative what's in that was another one. while the slovak prime minister again stays mass protests in the country are being directly influenced on fine, on spite outside forces robert feet. so also states a significant proportion of the demonstrators are ukrainians calling for his overthrow. to see these who these protests are not a 100 percent organized by the opposition to come in. because this mass, as they say, is celebrated by someone else to insure it. so it is celebrated by n g o's, funded from abroad, such as the piece for ukraine, which is of course, the called a medically connected to progressive slovak yeah. in terms of personnel. assume

that and we have a group of instructors from several countries who are instructing you to make up a story with the school. people who call people together create fear that the government wants to leave the us ukrainian television is running around. rally is when i see where you craniums are a 3rd of the demonstrator will escape protesting against the slovak government key . and i don't understand why you craniums have anything to say about the slovak government to associate, and then they show on tv and retrain. honeymoon, how dissatisfied ukrainians are in slovakia? any which i maybe unimportant doesn't involve any type of demonstrators team. the prime minister is acting and most goes on for us. when it comes to the ukraine conflict was rallying or demanding his resignation and want an immediate boost in military and financial support to get ahead of the the in a base. so for us institute thing for election there, markets saves whiteside players have their own interest in rest. and so you can see this um us style um color revolution um taking place in slovakia

because of course black rock and so here in union don't wants to warn ukraine to end spots. they wants to continue it until the last training. and i don't think that's the european union, we'll jump in sims, these protests are in its very interest since. um, if you, uh, phillips, of course, the news during the last month. so i'm, you could see that the robot seats. so it has become, besides some big, tall autobahn the european statesman horse viewed them as the devil himself in the eyes of the global as the lead because both it so and all the bonds, one to multiple walls on the one hand. and i mean, i find you, well also you're a little bit more suffering from the united states of america and not forced um to follow on every autos to dallas on the one hand. and um, yeah. secondly it, they also p, m c. so in the times cuz anyway.