If it's Friday, Zelensky's show of force, the wartime leader huddles with Putin's allies in the Mideast as he prepares a surprise in-person visit to meet with President Biden and the Western world leaders in Japan and what could be a turning point for the war and the West.

Plus a growing Republican field signals growing Republican doubts about both of the frontrunners for president in the Republican Party as Donald Trump faces concerns over electability and Ron DeSantis faces questions about his capability.

An insurrection double cross. Federal prosecutors are charging a Metro D.C. police lieutenant for allegedly

tipping off the leader of the proud boys and the lead up to the January 6th insurrection, as the officer and the insurrectionists relayed literally hundreds of secret messages.

Music secret messages. Welcome to meet the press now. I'm Chuck Todd reporting from Washington,

and we begin this Friday with the latest from the president's trip overseas,

where Joe Biden and U.S. allies are preparing

to greet a surprise guest, not much of a surprise anymore since we keep talking about it,

but they're going to greet them with open arms. And you might say in the form of fighter jets,

weapons, military training, sanctions, and billions more in wartime aid. A Western official tells

NBC News, the Ukraine's President Zelensky is expected to make

a surprise in-person visit to attend the G7 summit in Hiroshima, which is currently underway right now.

It comes as Zelensky has been aggressively ramping up efforts to shore up international support

amid this planned military counteroffensive against a flagging Russian military. And it all raises the question,

is this the critical moment, a potential turning point in this conflict? Zelensky's posture

makes it sure seem like it is. His participation in the G7 will follow another surprise stop.

He went to Saudi Arabia, where he addressed in-person the Arab League today,

including Saudi Crown Prince, Muhammad bin Salman, and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, arguably

some of Putin's friendlier Arab allies in the region. And as I mentioned, Zelensky is not

going to come away from the G7 empty-handed. A senior administration official tells NBC

news that the U.S. and its G7 allies have already agreed to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets.

That was something Biden had long resisted, and that the U.S. will join efforts to train Ukrainian pilots.

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