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Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first public remarks on the proposed 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, saying that while he is “for it,” he has concerns and wants his own security guarantees. During a press briefing in Moscow on Thursday, Putin said that Russia was ready for a ceasefire in its war with Ukraine, but added that the ceasefire would only work provided that it offered lasting peace that addressed the root causes of the conflict.

Putin thanked President Trump “for his attention to Ukraine’s settlement. We believe that this ceasefire should lead to a long-term peace and eliminate the initial causes of this crisis.”  He added: “We agree with the proposals to stop the hostilities.. but there are issues that need to be discussed .. It seems to me, it would be very good for the Ukrainian side to reach a truce for at least 30 days. And we are for it. But there is a nuance … If we stop the hostilities for 30 days, what does it mean? Does it mean that everyone who is there will leave without a fight? Or the Ukrainian leadership will give them an order to lay down their arms and just surrender? How will it be? It is not clear.These are all issues that require careful investigation from both sides.”

Putin said he also wants guarantees that during a 30-day ceasefire that Ukraine will not regroup, and questioned who would determine if there were any violations of a ceasefire; suggesting that Russia should talk with President Trump to discuss his concerns, while adding, “But the idea itself is to end this conflict with peaceful means. We support it.”

Russian foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov called the outlined plan “nothing else than a temporary respite for the Ukrainian military, nothing more,” adding that the country’s “goal is still a long-term peaceful settlement… [that] takes into account the legitimate interests of our country. Steps that imitate peaceful actions, it seems to me, are of no use to anyone.”

Meanwhile, President Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff landed in Moscow on Thursday morning for discussions on the ceasefire, with Ushakov telling the Russian news outlet Izvestia that Putin and Witkoff would have a closed-door meeting later in the day.

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A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to reinstate thousands of fired federal employees across six agencies.

The preliminary injunction issued by US District Judge William Alsup requires the Trump administration to reinstate employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, the Department of Interior and the Department of Treasury. The judge said that he might extend the order to cover other federal agencies at a later time; and also prohibited the Office of Personnel Management from issuing any guidance about whether employees can be terminated.

Alsup, who was appointed by former President Bill Clinton, also ordered the immediate discovery and deposition of Office of Personnel Management (OPM) senior adviser Noah Peters, who is aligned with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Attorney Danielle Leonard, who represents unions and interest groups, asked Alsup to immediately reinstate thousands of probationary government employees who had been terminated allegedly at the direction of OPM Acting Director Charles Ezell: “There is a mountain of evidence before the court that OPM directed it. OPM’s actions were unlawful. The plaintiffs have standing, and there is an irreparable harm that is occurring every minute, and it is snowballing.” 

Alsup said in his injunction: “The words that I give you today should not be taken as some kind of wild and crazy judge in San Francisco has said that the administration cannot engage in a reduction in force. The reason that OPM wanted to put this ‘based on performance’ was, at least in my judgment, a gimmick to avoid their Reduction in Force Act because the law always allows you to fire somebody for performance.”

The judge also suggested the possible ‘need’ for an injunction ordering the reinstatement of the employees based on the government’s recent conduct: “You will not bring the people in here to be cross-examined. You’re afraid to do so, because, you know, cross examination would reveal the truth. This is the U.S. District Court. I tend to doubt that you’re telling me the truth.”

The judge also criticized the attorney representing the Justice Department for refusing to make OPM Acting Director Charles Ezell available for cross examination and for withdrawing his sworn declaration:  “The government, I believe, has tried to frustrate the judge’s ability to get at the truth of what happened here, and then set forth sham declarations. That’s not the way it works in the U.S. District Court … You withdrew his declaration rather than do that. Come on, that’s a sham. It upsets me. I want you to know that I’ve been practicing or serving in this court for over 50 years. And I know how that we get at the truth, and you’re not helping me get to add to the truth. You’re giving me press releases — sham documents.”

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Mahmoud , an activist who led pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, will remain in an ICE detention facility in Louisiana after his first court hearing on Wednesday.  Khalili is fighting potential deportation by the Trump administration after federal authorities took him into custody Saturday at his campus apartment, and sent him to a detention center in Jena, La. His deportation was temporarily stopped Monday by a federal judge ahead of Wednesday’s hearing.

DOJ attorney Brandon Waterman told a court that Khalil, 30, is not in immediate danger of deportation while the immigration proceedings take place.  Khalil’s attorneys said they have been unable to have privileged communications with him since he was taken into custody, however, Judge Jesse Furman said he would grant a request by Khalil’s lawyers allowing them to have privileged phone calls with Khalil on Wednesday and Thursday to prepare for future court appearances after his lawyers expressed dissatisfaction over access to their client.

Khalil has been accused of making supportive statements for Hamas, but has not been publicly accused of providing material backing to the Iran-backed terror syndicate. His attorneys say he’s being punished for exercising his protected speech, and filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus that alleges his arrest and ICE detention, based on Khalil’s perceived free speech and activism, violates the Due Process Clause and the First Amendment.

Khalil, a Palestinian refugee raised in Syria, is married to an American citizen who is eight months pregnant, and is a green card and student visa holder. n December, he graduated with a masters degree from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. He was the lead student negotiator of an encampment at the Manhattan campus in 2024 when Columbia was the center of nationwide student protests held against Israel’s war in Gaza, which ultimately lead to the resignation of Columbia president Nemat “Minouche” Shafik after months of protests that disrupted campus.

Ramzi Kassem, an attorney for Khalil, said: “he was taken by U.S. government agents in retaliation, essentially, for exercising his First Amendment rights, for speaking up in defense of Palestinians in Gaza and beyond, for being critical of the US government and of the Israeli government.”

The Trump administration announced last week that it was revoking $400 million in federal grants to Columbia University, alleging it failed to fight anti-Semitism on its campus. Later in a social media post, President Trump said that Khalil’s arrest was the “first arrest of many to come” and that his administration will “find, apprehend, and deport” those considered “terrorist sympathizers.”

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On Wednesday, Canada announced $21 billion in new retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, in response to President Donald Trump’s new 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum.

Trump’s 25% tariff increase on all steel and aluminum imports officially took effect on Wednesday, the latest move in the administration’s plans to reshape global trade norms in favor of U.S. manufacturing. (Canada is the biggest foreign supplier of steel and aluminum to the U.S.).

Canadian Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc said: “Today, I am announcing that the government of Canada, following a dollar-for-dollar approach, will be imposing, as of 12:01 a.m. tomorrow, March 13, 2025, 25% reciprocal tariffs on an additional $29.8 billion of imports from the United States. This includes steel products worth $12.6 billion and aluminum products worth $3 billion as well as additional imported U.S. goods worth $14.2 billion. The list of additional products affected by counter-tariffs includes computers, sports equipment, and cast iron products as examples. We will not stand idly by while our iconic steel and aluminum industries are being unfairly targeted/”

The latest action from Trump also prompted retaliation from the European Commission, which announced shortly after Trump’s tariffs took effect that it would impose counter tariffs on the equivalent of $28 billion worth of U.S. goods –, including beef, motorcycles and whiskey alongside American-made steel and aluminum — starting next month.  The Commission said in a statement: “we regret the unjustified US 25% tariff on steel and aluminium imports. The EU will protect its consumers and businesses. We are launching swift, proportionate countermeasures worth up to ($28 billion), matching the economic impact of the US tariffs.”

The countries most affected by the tariffs are Canada, Brazil; Mexico; and South Korea, which all have enjoyed some level of exemptions or quotas. Most U.S.-Canada trade remains duty-free under the USMCA trade deal that Trump signed in 2020.

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