Trump and Putin Break the Ice — Talks Aim to End Ukraine War
Three hours in Alaska may have done what three years of Washington couldn’t.
Good Morning, it’s Saturday, August 16th, 2025.
President Trump just sat down with Vladimir Putin for the first time since returning to the White House — and walked out saying there’s a “very good chance” the Ukraine war could end. Putin didn’t just agree on progress; he went further, telling the world the war would have “never started” if Trump had been in office. Meanwhile, New York’s socialist mayoral hopeful is promising to expel ICE, and DHS chief Kristi Noem says 1.6 million illegals have already self-deported under Trump’s policies. The establishment will spin, stall, and scream — but we’ll give you the straight cut.
Before we dive in, if you’re tired of being lied to about what really happened in America over the last few years, you’ll want this: 7 Truth Bombs the Media Tried to Erase — a free report on seven verified events the media, intel agencies, and political operators buried in plain sight. The real laptop cover-up, the weaponization of January 6, the censorship machine’s growth — and the receipts they hoped you’d forget.
Trump and Putin Push Toward Peace in Ukraine
For the first time since his 2025 inauguration, Donald Trump met face-to-face with Vladimir Putin — and hinted at a potential breakthrough. The two leaders spent over three hours in a closed-door session Friday night in Anchorage, Alaska, joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff. Trump told reporters there was “great progress” toward ending the war in Ukraine, though “there’s no deal until there’s a deal.”
Putin, speaking first during their joint appearance, described the talks as “respectful, constructive, and mutually respectful.” He thanked Trump for hosting him in Alaska, calling it a “logical” meeting place given the countries’ proximity. While Russian officials downplayed claims of a “breakthrough,” both sides acknowledged agreeing on several undisclosed points.
Trump made clear that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky must “agree” to any deal, and said he would be calling NATO leaders and key allies immediately to brief them. Putin emphasized that any lasting peace must address “the fundamental threats to [Russia’s] security,” pointing to recent deep-strike Ukrainian drone attacks inside Russia as evidence of those threats. He also echoed Trump’s statement that Ukraine’s security must be guaranteed in any settlement.
This meeting was more than just optics. It marked a sharp pivot from the Biden-era policy of public posturing and open-ended aid toward a direct, leader-to-leader negotiation — a move critics in Washington will frame as “appeasement” while supporters see it as a long-overdue step toward ending a costly, bloody stalemate.
Bottom Line:
Trump just put the war’s future on the table — and unlike the bureaucrats, he’s negotiating it himself. Whether this leads to peace or another round of diplomatic shadowboxing, the fact remains: the man the media called “Putin’s puppet” might be the only one who can make him blink.
If you think today’s headlines are wild, wait until you see what they won’t print.
This Sunday’s Ledger edition peels back the curtain on how Western intelligence agencies, surveillance tech, and covert ops quietly shape both global events and domestic politics — from U.S.-backed campaigns abroad to the machinery of Russiagate and FBI overreach. We’re connecting the dots between foreign influence campaigns, Israeli-built surveillance tools, and the political lawfare playing out at home.
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Putin Says Ukraine War Wouldn’t Have Happened Under Trump
Vladimir Putin didn’t just thank Trump for the Alaska summit — he endorsed one of Trump’s boldest claims. Speaking first at their joint press conference, the Russian president said the meeting was “long overdue” and that the war in Ukraine would never have started if Trump had been in the Oval Office in 2022.
“I can confirm that,” Putin said flatly, backing Trump’s repeated argument that his leadership — and his personal rapport with Moscow — could have prevented the bloodshed. The comment comes as Ukraine enters its fourth year of war, with hundreds of thousands dead and billions in Western aid spent.
For the left, this is political dynamite — and they’ll rush to paint it as proof Trump is “too close” to Putin. For Trump’s base, it’s confirmation that the peace-through-strength posture of his first term worked, and that Biden’s foreign policy blunders lit the fuse.
The fact that America’s chief adversary just told the world he wouldn’t have dared invade under Trump is as much an indictment of Biden as it is a credit to Trump.
Bottom Line: Even Putin knows — weak leadership in Washington gave him his opening.
NYC Socialist vows to ‘Trump-proof’ city, expel ICE
Zohran Mamdani — the Democratic socialist nominee for NYC mayor — is running on defiance: “Trump-proofing” City Hall by ejecting ICE from all city facilities and cutting off cooperation on deportations. He wrapped a weeklong “Five Boroughs Against Trump” tour in Queens on Friday, hammering the White House on immigration and pledging more legal aid for migrants.
On Staten Island midweek, Mamdani blasted Trump’s enforcement agenda and was met with a hostile crowd — boos and “go back to where you came from” chants — underscoring how polarizing his platform is outside deep-blue enclaves.
The Trump team isn’t mincing words. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News: “Comrade Mamdani is the American people’s worst nightmare,” warning his “communist policies” would spike crime and gut law enforcement support. VP J.D. Vance has been pounding him for weeks: “Who the hell does he think that he is?”
Mamdani’s bet is that a hard sanctuary stance energizes the left as he courts unions and borough bosses; Queens Borough President Donovan Richards endorsed him Friday, comparing him to Obama.
This race is now a straight referendum on border enforcement in America’s biggest city — with national consequences in 2026.
Bottom Line: Mamdani’s “expel ICE” crusade isn’t about city services — it’s a blueprint to nullify federal law in plain sight.
1.6 Million Illegals Self-Deport Under Trump Policy
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says the message is working — and the numbers prove it. In just 200 days, more than 1.6 million illegal aliens have voluntarily left the U.S., citing Trump’s enforcement-first policies and public warnings that “the party’s over” for those here unlawfully.
Noem told Fox News that President Trump directed her to “follow the law” and make it crystal clear to the world that illegal entry would no longer be tolerated. She credited that direct approach with the mass self-deportations, adding, “Safer streets, taxpayer savings, pressure off schools and hospitals, and better jobs for Americans” were the immediate results.
The Biden years saw record crossings, endless court delays, and taxpayer-funded benefits for illegals — incentives that kept the crisis boiling. The Trump-Noem strategy flips the script: no catch-and-release, no sanctuary for lawbreakers, and a constant media barrage making sure word gets back across the border.
Bottom Line: The left calls it “cruel.” Americans call it common sense — and 1.6 million fewer illegal immigrants prove it’s working.
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Hillary Clinton — Clinton says she’d nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize if he ends the Ukraine war without forcing Kyiv to cede territory. Yes, really — she laid out the stipulation on a podcast as Trump met Putin in Alaska. Read more
Kristi Noem — Democrats blast the DHS secretary for staying, rent-free, in a secure Coast Guard residence after doxxing and death threats; DHS says it’s temporary and she’s still paying rent at her private apartment. The Hill Dems leading the attack: Bennie Thompson and LaMonica McIver. Read more
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P.S. Here’s my take on the Trump–Putin meeting: it’s not just a step toward peace — it’s a direct challenge to the permanent-war class in D.C. That’s why the same people who cheered Biden’s blank checks to Kyiv are already spinning this as “dangerous.” What do you think — is Trump actually close to ending this war, or will the swamp find a way to kill the deal? Hit reply and tell me.
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I believe that we are on the way to peace. The lefties hate it, but this Maga gramma warrior is elated. TRUMP and Putin will get this done ✔️. Great reporting BTW, I enjoy every moment of your writings.