If it's Wednesday, President Trump speaks to the presidents of both Russia and Ukraine as the White House begins to lay a foundation for talks to try to end the war in Ukraine one day after the triumphant return of an American detained in Russia for more than three years.

Plus, President Trump's ambitious plan to quickly remake large swaths of the federal

government is hitting a few speed bumps as the administration expresses frustration with judges

forcing pauses on key policies, the speed of mass deportations, and more. And inflation rises

faster than expected amid the potential for higher prices from tariffs,

as President Trump urges the Federal Reserve to stoke the economy,

a move that could drive prices even higher.

... Welcome to Meet the Press Now. I'm Kristen Welker. We begin with breaking news.

As President Trump and his team are now setting the stage for complex negotiations with Russia and Ukraine to end the war, nearly three years after Russia's unprovoked invasion. President Trump today spoke to both Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodomir Zelensky

in separate phone calls. In a readout of his call with Putin, the president said they spoke

about several subjects, including agreeing to begin those negotiations on ending the Ukraine war.

He also said he and Putin extended invitations to each other to visit one another's countries.

According to reporters in the Oval Office right now, President Trump said a meeting with Putin would probably happen in Saudi Arabia.

He also said that he doesn't think it's practical for Ukraine to have NATO membership and

that it's unlikely Ukraine gets all its land back. Both presidents Trump and Zelensky said they

discussed the possibility of peace during their call earlier today. White House press secretary

Caroline Levitt told reporters the president viewed the calls as a positive step and is committed to finding a deal.

I myself just spoke to the president about these calls and he told me to tell all of you.

They were very good calls. They were very positive. And the administration is wholeheartedly

committed to a peace deal to end once and for all the Russia-Ukraine war.

It comes after President Zelenskyy met with Treasury Secretary Scott Besant in Kyiv,

saying he hoped President Trump would push Putin on a deal.

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