Donald Trump has posted on social media about the call he had earlier with Ukraine's president, saying that both Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin want peace.

Trump adds that he and Zelensky discussed a variety of topics related to the ongoing war in Ukraine, which began after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The conversation followed an earlier phone call Trump had with the Russian president, in which the pair agreed for peace talks to begin immediately.

The US president adds a meeting with Zelensky is being set up on Friday in Munich, Germany, which will be led by the Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

"I am hopeful that the results of that meeting will be positive. It is time to stop this ridiculous War, where there has been massive, and totally unnecessary, DEATH and DESTRUCTION. God bless the people of Russia and Ukraine!"

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

Image source, Bernd Debusmann Jr/BBC News

The press briefing here at the White House has begun - and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clearly sees today, and the last several days, as positive for Trump.

At the beginning of her comments, she conveys Trump's assertion that he held "very good" calls with both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, which she says are necessary steps to end the "ridiculous" war that has led to "massive and totally unnecessary" death and destruction in Ukraine.

She also runs through a list of Trump's other accomplishments in what she terms a "very newsy" day - including securing the release of Marc Fogel from Russia, his Doge-focused executive order and proposing tariffs on aluminium and steel.

As usual, she also highlights some of the undocumented migrants detained as part of the administration's detention drive.

We can now bring you a bit more from US President Donald Trump's phone call with Volodymyr Zelensky.

Zelensky says the pair discussed preparation of a new document on security, economic cooperation and resource partnership.

According to the Ukrainian leader, the pair talked about opportunities to achieve peace and discussed their readiness to work together at the team level.

"No one wants peace more than Ukraine," Zelensky adds in a post on X.

Image source, Getty Images

We're starting to hear more from Ukraine's allies about the phone call between Trump and Putin:

• Speaking in Paris, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock says it was good that Putin is prepared to negotiate and that Europe would be united
• French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot says Europe would offer security guarantees for Ukraine if Nato membership isn't provided to Kyiv imminently

Trump-Putin phone call a cold shower for Ukraine and Nato ambitionspublished at 18:07 Greenwich Mean Time 12 February

18:07 GMT 12 February

Frank Gardner
Security correspondent

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have a rapport, they have a personal relationship.

In some ways this is quite troubling, because during Trump's first term in office he very publicly said he preferred to listen to Putin rather than his own intelligence agencies - which was a real shock to the intelligence community in the US.

But the fact that these two leaders do have something to talk about I think is quite promising.

You've got to remember what Trump's priorities are. For him, it's about securing the southern border, it's about trade, it's about China - he's not that interested in Europe.

His big message, going back to what his defence secretary has been saying to Nato partners in Europe is 'Ukraine is your problem, this is Europe, you sort it out, you spend more on defence'.

Britain has been agonising over whether it raises defence spending from 2.3 to 2.5% of GDP - but Trump's thrown all of that out of the window and demanded 5% is spent, when America doesn't even spend that. It's unaffordable for most European nations.

But you've got big countries like Spain and Italy spending less than the mandated 2%, and the US is asking why should the American taxpayer have to shoulder that burden if you're not prepared to pay for your own defence?

So this today has been a bit of a cold shower for both Ukraine and Nato.

Image source, Getty Images

We're seeing a lot of European reaction to US President Donald Trump's announcement that he had a "lengthy and productive" phone call with Russia's President Vladimir Putin, in which the pair agreed to begin immediate negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

Poland's foreign minister says the country will continue to support Ukraine before any potential talks with Russia, according to Reuters news agency reporting.

Radoslaw Sikorski also emphasised that continuing cooperation with the US administration remains important.

Asked about Trump's statement in front of reporters at a meeting of Ukraine's allies in Paris, Sikorski says he wants to hear more before commenting.

Pushed about US support for Ukraine, Sikorski says he understands Defense Secretary Pete Hesgeth is coming to Poland and he will "discuss this issue" with him.

Meanwhile, his Spanish counterpart, José Manuel Albares, says nothing should be decided on Ukraine, without Ukraine and Europe.

Albares says "we need a just peace for everyone" - and that a war of aggression cannot be allowed to succeed.

Volodymyr Zelensky has just concluded an hour-long call with US President Donald Trump, according to a statement from the Ukrainian president's office.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he hopes to finalise economic agreements with the US at the Munich Security Conference, an international security conference taking place this weekend, AFP reported.

Zelensky made the comments at a press conference with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Kyiv that the agreements would ensure continued US support for Ukraine.

"I told the secretary that I, for my part, will do everything to ensure that our team of government officials works over the next two days so that we have the opportunity to finalise some agreements in Munich," he adds.

Trump and Putin spoke for almost an hour and a half, a Kremlin spokesperson has said according to reporting from the state-owned TASS news agency.

The Reuters news agency reports this is the first known direct contact between Putin and a US president since before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The Middle East, bilateral relations, Ukraine and a prisoner exchange between Washington and Moscow were all discussed, TASS reports.

"The Russian president invited the US president to visit Moscow and expressed his readiness to receive American officials in Russia in those areas of mutual interest, including, of course, the topic of the Ukrainian settlement," Reuters reports spokesperson Dmitry Peskov as saying.

"Putin and Trump also agreed to continue personal contacts, including arranging a face-to-face meeting."

Image source, Reuters

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is in Ukraine's capital Kyiv today, where he met with President Volodmyr Zelensky.

The two discussed a possible deal in which Ukraine would sell the US rare earth minerals in return for military support, as well as Russia's ongoing invasion of the country.

Zelensky said he hoped an agreement could be reached at the Munich Security Conference which begins on Friday, where he is also expected to meet Vice President JD Vance.

Trump announced Bessent's visit yesterday on his Truth Social platform, saying: "This War MUST and WILL END SOON — Too much Death and Destruction. The U.S. has spent BILLIONS of Dollars Globally, with little to show."

Just now, Donald Trump says he had a "lengthy and highly productive" phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which led to the pair agreeing that negotiations to end the war in Ukraine would begin "immediately".

In a post on his Truth Social platform, the US president says they both agreed that "we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine".

He explains the pair agreed to work together closely, including mutual visits to their respective nations.

"We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately, and we will begin by calling President Volodymyr Zelensky, of Ukraine, to inform him of the conversation, something which I will be doing right now," Trump adds.

He also explains that he has instructed a team, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to lead the negotiations.

Image source, Getty Images

As Trump prepared to sign the new executive order giving more powers to the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), its leader, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, appeared alongside the US president with one of his 12 children.

The world's richest man took questions from reporters in the Oval Office, denying he was leading a "hostile takeover" of the government following criticism from Democratic lawmakers and others over his drastic cost-cutting measures.

For instance, Doge has been blocked by a federal judge from accessing treasury records, to ensure the agency does not act outside its scope by interfering with funding signed off by Congress.

Despite this, Musk described sweeping government cuts as "common sense" measures that are "not draconian or radical".

"The people voted for major government reform and that's what the people are going to get," he said. "That's what democracy is all about."

Critics of Doge have pointed to potential conflicts of interest given Musk’s many business interests - and some Democrats have accused him of personally benefitting from some of the changes he is trying to push through.

"I fully expect to be scrutinised," he responded, when asked about this. "It's not like I think I can get away with something."

• There's more in our news piece on how Musk also admitted "some of the things I say will be incorrect" after making a false claim about millions of dollars worth of condoms being sent to Gaza

Image source, Getty Images

We're hearing that Tulsi Gabbard has just been confirmed by the Senate as the new director of national intelligence.

Gabbard will now oversee 18 US intelligence agencies, including the CIA and FBI, as well as serving as a close adviser to the president.

She was voted in by a margin of 52 to 48. Among the no votes was Republican former Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell.

Gabbard overcame criticism over her previous remarks about Russia's war in Ukraine to be voted into the role - she had been accused of repeating Russian propaganda justifying Putin's invasion, which she denied.

Concerns had also been raised by US security officials that Gabbard - who fiercely opposes America's involvement in foreign wars - could negatively affect international intelligence co-operation.

Although Trump's pick for the role during his presidential campaign, Gabbard only recently joined the Republican party, having formerly acted as a Democratic congresswoman until 2022.

You can read more on the background of America's new intelligence director in our profile piece.

Though today's hearing on the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) is being led by Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, several Democratic lawmakers have weighed in to attack Elon Musk's plans for Doge and the executive orders Trump has implemented since taking office.

"We should in no way be cooperating with House Republicans who want to shut down the Department of Education and destroy Medicare and Medicaid," Democrat Robert Garcia says during the hearing.

Garcia says Musk is sending his "unqualified staff", including "teenage staffers", to make drastic cuts across the government. He says Musk and his companies stand to benefit from the cuts he's making.

Garcia is quickly countered by Republican Representative William Timmons, who claims Musk is the richest man in the world because "he succeeds at his endeavours". That's why Trump appointed him to lead Doge, Timmons says.

Anthony Marchese,chairman at Texas Mineral Resources, is currently telling the meeting on Greenland that the arctic territory "presents a mining conundrum".

He calls Greenland a "treasure chest" of critical minerals, base metals and other vital resources to be extracted.

However, thick ice and winter temperatures pose challenges to the mining process, he adds.

Marchese further explains that critical minerals "vary in value", meaning exploratory drilling would need to take place.

"Greenland's mining challenges would likely require the US government to provide significant financial assistance in order to attract private capital," Marchese summarises a little later on - adding that mining in the Danish territory could likely attract capital by providing "significant financial incentives".

Back in January, our business reporter Adrienne Murray looked into Greenland's mineral wealth.

Over in the Greenland Senate Committee meeting, politicians are hearing ideas for how the US could bring the Danish territory closer?

Witness Alexander Gray - a former Trump national security advisor - is listing ways in which the two countries could be aligned more closely, focusing on two in particular:

• Make Greenland an insular area territory under US control, of which there are currently 14 - including Guam, the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
• Offer a Compact of Free Association whereby, Gray says, sovereignty would be maintained by Greenland but the US would have a defence obligation and a defence access to the country

"The United States is running out of time to develop a coherent strategic response to an independent Greenland," Gray adds.

"The security stakes are too high to allow Greenland to obtain independence without a plan in place for the US to ensure our core strategic interests are assured."

Image source, Reuters

The meeting on Greenland has just heard from Maria Cantwell, the Democrat ranking member, who underlines the importance of the relations between the US and Greenland.

She suggests "we stop talking about buying Greenland and instead work quickly to re-establish US interests".

"The United States is an Arctic nation," she tells the meeting more than once - adding the US has interests there and underlines the need to continue moving forward.

The meeting then hears from its first witness - senior fellow in national security affairs at the American Foreign Policy Council Alexander Gray.

Gray served as deputy assistant to Trump during his first term.

He starts by acknowledging that while the issue has gained attention recently, Greenland has "long been a focal point" for US strategists.

Gray says he strongly supports efforts to bring the two countries together - adding the administration has "several options" as to how to do that.

He turns to idea that the current debate has become centred on the Kingdom of Denmark rather than the people of Greenland.

Gray suggests the question for policy makers is for when Greenland "inevitably gains independence from Denmark" - who will be there to greet them on the other side?

Image source, Getty Images

We're turning now to an update from the House hearing on Doge.

A panel of witnesses have just finished giving their opening statements before lawmakers. Some praised the new Department of Government Efficiency, while others called into question several of the administration's moves, including firing a host of inspectors general across several government agencies.

Now, Representative and subcommittee head Marjorie Taylor Greene is beginning her questioning of the experts, focusing first on fraud. She asks if the level of what Doge has called "improper payments" are found at similar levels in the public and private sectors.

Haywood Talcove, the CEO of LexisNexis Risk Solutions' Government division, says the fraud rate in public sector is 20%, while it's around 3% in the private sector.

Talcove says fraudsters learned during the Covid-19 pandemic that government money could a good target for scams because it never runs out.

"And the likelihood of getting caught is virtually zero," he says.

Image source, Getty Images

Ahead of the House subcommittee hearing on Doge today, Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a new executive order giving more power to the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), run by Trump's ally, billionaire Elon Musk.

The action requires government agencies to work with Doge to make cuts to its staff and limit future hiring. Since Musk took the helm at Doge, he has advocated for massive cuts across the government.

Trump also ordered a “DOGE Team Lead” to be installed within each agency and to oversee hiring decisions.

The order, signed by Trump, states that "By eliminating waste, bloat, and insularity, my Administration will empower American families, workers, taxpayers, and our system of Government itself."

As we listen to the House and Senate committee hearings on Doge and Greenland, we'll also be bringing you some other news lines from US politics today.

We've heard this morning that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has said that a return to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders is "unrealistic".

Hegseth has been speaking at a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels, where he also downplayed suggestions of sending US troops to the embattled country.

Kyiv has been calling for Nato membership, but despite being backed by the UK, Hegseth suggested that the US does not see this as a "realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement".

The US defence secretary instead says that support for Ukraine should come from its European partners.

"Europe must provide the overwhelming share of future lethal and non-lethal aid to Ukraine," he added, warning that the US would no longer provide the lion's share of future aid to Kyiv.

• We've more on Hegseth's comments, as well as how Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky might react in our news piece