Trump says he asked Putin not to target Kyiv and other cities

US President Donald Trump held a cabinet meeting open to the press at the White House. During the cabinet meeting, Trump announced that Venezuela's airspace would be opened to flights. Thanking the Venezuelan administration, Trump said, "We are getting along really well with the Venezuelan leaders. The relations are very strong and very good."

Stating that major oil companies have entered Venezuela and are examining the field, Trump said, "This will bring tremendous wealth for Venezuela and the US." Expressing that he also spoke with Venezuela's Acting President Delcy Rodriguez, Trump said, "I informed her that the US will open all commercial airspace over Venezuela. US citizens will be able to travel to Venezuela soon and will be safe there."

Following these remarks, Trump addressed Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, saying, "I want Venezuela's airspace to be opened to flights by the end of the workday today."

"I just closed my eyes"

Stating that he would not allow all ministers to speak at today's cabinet meeting because the last cabinet meeting lasted three hours, Trump said, "There were those who said I closed my eyes during the meeting. But it had become very boring." In his remarks, which caused laughter at the cabinet meeting, Trump said, "It was boring on one hand, but I didn't sleep. I just closed my eyes because I wanted to get out of there."

Trump said that if he had actually fallen asleep, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth would have woken him up.

"It looks like Hamas will lay down its arms"

When US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff intervened during his briefing on Gaza by saying that Hamas had no choice but to lay down its arms, Trump said, "Many people were saying that Hamas would not lay down its arms. It looks like Hamas will lay down its arms."

Trump stated that Hamas also helped in finding the remains of the Israeli hostages who lost their lives. Emphasizing that it was incredible that Israel and Hamas were working together on this issue, Trump said, "Thanks to Israel and Hamas working together, they got them back."

"I asked him not to target Kyiv and other cities, and he agreed to it"

Witkoff informed Trump that a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia would happen "in the near future." Witkoff said, "We have a largely completed security protocol agreement and a largely, even more than completed, prosperity agreement. I think the Ukrainian people are now hopeful and expect us to conclude a peace agreement soon."

US President Trump, touching on the cold weather in Ukraine, explained that he asked Russian President Vladimir Putin not to strike Kyiv and other cities during the ongoing extreme cold weather conditions. Trump said, "I asked Russian President Vladimir Putin not to target Kyiv and other cities for a week during the extreme cold in the region, and he agreed to it."

"These interest rates will come down"

Announcing that he would announce his nominee for the US Federal Reserve (FED) next week, Trump said, "We will announce who will head the FED. This will be someone I think will do a good job. We are paying too much interest. The FED's interest rate is too high. It is unacceptably high."

Trump said he hopes the new FED Chair he will nominate will lower interest rates and help bring down mortgage rates. Trump said, "These interest rates will come down."

"We are making it clear to Iran that all options are on the table for them to make a deal"

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who was given the floor by Trump during the cabinet meeting after Trump asked, "What would you like to say about the fleet moving in the Middle East?", addressed Iran with the Venezuela example. Hegseth said, "When President Trump said, 'There will be no nuclear Iran. They will not have a nuclear bomb,' we sent B-2s to the other side of the world, and no one noticed. When he said, 'We will not tolerate human trafficking and drugs in our hemisphere, we will treat them like the Al-Qaeda of the western hemisphere,' he meant it seriously, and we implemented it."

Hegseth said, "Now we are doing the same thing regarding Iran. We are making it clear to Iran that all options are on the table for them to make a deal. They should not pursue nuclear capabilities. Otherwise, we are ready to fulfill whatever the President expects from the Department of Defense. Just like we did this month."

Trump ended the cabinet meeting without taking questions from reporters.

News Source: 12punto