by | May 11, 2025 | The Hill
President Trump announced Sunday that Edan Alexander, the final U.S. living hostage in Gaza, is set to be released by Hamas and is coming home to New Jersey.
“I am happy to announce that Edan Alexander, an American citizen who has been held hostage since October 2023, is coming home to his family,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Sunday. “I am grateful to all those involved in making this monumental news happen.”
Trump described the release as “a step taken in good faith” toward the U.S. and mediators, Qatar and Egypt, “to put an end to this very brutal war and return ALL living hostages and remains to their loved ones.”
“Hopefully this is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict. I look very much forward to that day of celebration!” Trump added.
The announcement comes as negotiations over a hostage-ceasefire deal have stalled in recent weeks. It also comes ahead of Trump’s planned trip this week to the region.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement Sunday that America informed Israel of Hamas’s “intention to release” Alexander “as a gesture to the Americans, without conditions or anything in exchange.”
“The US has conveyed to Israel that this is expected to lead to negotiations for the release of hostages according to the original Witkoff framework, which Israel has already accepted,” the statement continued, referring to the proposal from Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, who has played a key role in hostage negotiations.
“Israel is preparing for the possibility that this effort will be implemented,” the statement added, noting that “in accordance with Israel’s policy,” there would be no ceasefire as negotiations take place.
The Alexander family release a statement describing news of Edan Alexander’s release as “the greatest gift imaginable” and thanking the Trump administration for their help in securing his release.
“Today, on Mother’s Day, we received the greatest gift imaginable—news that our beautiful son Edan is returning home after 583 days in captivity in Gaza. We express our deepest gratitude to President Trump, Steve Witkoff, and the US administration for their tireless work to make this happen,” a statement from the family read.
They called on Israel and other negotiating partners to continue in their efforts to bring hostages home.
“We urge the Israeli government and the negotiating teams: please don’t stop. We hope our son’s release begins negotiations for all 58 remaining hostages, ending this nightmare for them and their families. No hostage should be left behind.”
by | May 11, 2025 | The Hill
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet him in Turkey this week to begin negotiations to end the three-year war between their countries.
But he stipulated that any discussions must begin with a pause in fighting.
“We await a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy. There is no point in prolonging the killings,” Zelensky wrote Sunday in
.
“And I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses,” Zelensky continued.
Putin proposed Sunday direct talks with Ukraine to take place Thursday in Istanbul “to achieve the restoration of a long-term, lasting peace.” Russia also
on Kyiv,
reported, just hours after Putin proposed the talks.
President Trump has pushed for both countries to sign on to a temporary truce, a plan only Ukraine has endorsed so far. But on Sunday, he urged Zelensky to agree to meet with Putin in Turkey.
“President Putin of Russia doesn’t want to have a Cease Fire Agreement with Ukraine, but rather wants to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the BLOODBATH. Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump
.
Trump added in the post that the meeting would help “determine whether or not a deal is possible” so European and American leaders can determine “where everything stands, and can proceed accordingly!”
“I’m starting to doubt that Ukraine will make a deal with Putin, who’s too busy celebrating the Victory of World War II, which could not have been won (not even close!) without the United States of America. HAVE THE MEETING, NOW!!!” Trump added.
The effort comes as Ukraine and its allies in Europe — France, Germany, the U.K. and Poland — have turned up the pressure on Russia to accept a 30-day ceasefire. Trump, too, has warned that if the deal is not forged, Russia could suffer
.
by | May 11, 2025 | The Hill
Cardinal Blase Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago, said on Sunday that he thinks Pope Leo XIV will carry forward Francis’s commitment and focus on immigration, climate change and human trafficking.
“I think he’s going to help complete and complement our political agenda,” Cupich told ABC News’s Martha Raddatz in a “This Week” interview from the Vatican City.
“He’ll still talk a lot about the immigrants as well because he knows about the sufferings of people and the real needs that they have for a better life. And he knows too that people in Oceania, for instance, where the rising sea levels are just… overwhelming those islands, where people are trying to escape,” the archbishop continued.
“He sees the drug trade that’s happening in Central and South America, where there are weapons from the United States going there. He knows that those people need an option. And he’ll call for, I think, as the bishops have in the United States, fixing this broken immigration system,” he added.
In an interview on CBS News’s “Face the Nation,” Cupich said he thinks Pope Leo feels an “obligation” to speak about issues of the modern day — from artificial intelligence to global politics, as Francis did.
“He sees this opportunity right now in his service as Leo XIV to take up the challenge of a new technology, namely artificial intelligence, and what that means to humanity,” Cupich said.
“I think that he feels an obligation, as I think popes have in the modern era, to speak to the issues of the day, because we live in a world in which there are real challenges globally,” he added. “There is, I think, a fresh moment for us to examine, what are the human dimensions of immigration? How do we see global warming impacting us? How the issues related to the sufferings of humanity should impact all of us and make all of us aware and participate in solutions.”
by | May 11, 2025 | Mother Jones
This week, President Donald Trump will head to the Middle East for the first foreign trip of his second term. While he is there, he
by | May 11, 2025 | The Hill
As President Trump lays out his foreign policy ambitions for 2025, one message stands out: he believes he can quickly broker sweeping deals where Joe Biden supposedly failed. Whether ending the war in Ukraine “in 24 hours” or striking a new nuclear agreement with Iran, Trump promises rapid breakthroughs through “tough” but “smart” deal-making.
But behind the scenes, Vladimir Putin and Iranian leaders are deliberately encouraging this belief — not in order to enable peace, but to entangle Trump in a diplomatic web advancing their own goals.
Both Moscow and Tehran are stringing Trump along, offering illusions of negotiation without intent to concede. Worse, they are coordinating this strategy to maximize leverage — using Trump’s eagerness for quick wins to box the U.S. into disadvantageous positions.
On Ukraine, Putin’s hints at willingness to negotiate are tactical feints. Russia’s objectives — subjugating Ukraine, neutralizing NATO’s eastern flank and cementing its territorial gains — remain unchanged.
are calculated to lure Trump into thinking a simple handshake could end the war. In reality, any ceasefire Russia entertains would simply allow it to rearm and regroup.
Meanwhile, Iran is following Putin’s playbook. As Trump allies explore reopening nuclear talks, Tehran signals vague openness — while accelerating its nuclear program and regional entrenchment. Iran seeks negotiations not to curb its ambitions but to lift pressure, divide the West, and reset the diplomatic field without real sacrifice.
The critical and often overlooked reality is that Russia and Iran are not acting alone. They are coordinating tactics. Given its growing security and economic ties with Tehran, Moscow has encouraged Iran to maintain a posture of selective engagement — stringing along the prospect of diplomacy without committing to anything irreversible.
At the same time, Russia positioned itself as an indispensable intermediary between the United States and Iran,
who could facilitate breakthroughs if Trump is willing to make broader geopolitical concessions.
This gambit serves several Russian goals: keeping Trump invested in outcomes Moscow controls, making Russia appear indispensable in both Ukraine and the Middle East, fostering U.S. diplomatic dependency and opening doors to sanctions relief, territorial recognition, or weakening of NATO unity.
In effect, Putin is exploiting Trump’s transactional instincts — offering mirages of progress in exchange for real strategic gains.
Compounding the risks, Trump’s choice of envoy has unintentionally strengthened this axis. His envoy, Steve Witkoff, is a
, appointed to conduct backchannel negotiations with Moscow and Tehran. By relying on a personal confidant rather than a seasoned statesman, Trump has created an opening for adversaries to exploit.
Witkoff — unwittingly — is the perfect vehicle for their strategy: someone who can be flattered, misled and used to signal false progress. Russian and Iranian officials are likely even comparing notes on how best to manipulate him — turning U.S. diplomacy into a tool for their agenda.
The risks for the United States are serious. Three months into his presidency, Trump appears committed to clinching quick deals — but he is chasing mirages controlled by Moscow and Tehran. A “peace deal” that freezes Russian gains would shatter international law and embolden future aggression. A nuclear accord with Iran that offers sanctions relief without verifiable curbs would fuel a regional arms race.
Worse, the illusion of momentum could sap American leverage. Allies would be divided. Ukraine would be demoralized. Iran would pocket relief and continue its nuclear advance under a veil of diplomacy. Russia would regain global legitimacy while Ukraine remains vulnerable.
Putin’s genius lies less in warfare than in manipulation. He understands Trump’s craving for quick wins and is shaping traps that look like easy victories but serve Kremlin depth. Under its own pressures, Iran eagerly joins the charade, partnering with Moscow to bypass Western isolation.
As 2025 unfolds, Trump’s team — and American voters — must recognize the trap being laid. Real diplomacy requires realism, not wishful thinking. Putin and Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, aren’t offering peace — they’re offering delay, distraction and dependence.
No deal — on Ukraine or Iran — will be possible without pressure and strategic resolve. Chasing phantom agreements may win headlines, but it will cost America dearly. If Trump seeks true strength, he must remember: the art of the deal begins with knowing when you’re being played.
Igor Desyatnikov is a U.S.-based global macro and geopolitical strategist. He is completing graduate studies in political science and international security with a focus on post-Soviet space at Harvard University and contributes to Geopolitical Monitor on foreign policy and security issues.
