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As President Trump expresses doubts about helping defend NATO allies and seeks to pressure Russia and its war against Ukraine.

Ukrainian president, Vladimir Zelensky, heads to Saudi Arabia next week.

NPR-Suanukhikikis says more.

Writing on social media, Zelensky said he will meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Monday.

Then his team will stay in Saudi Arabia to talk with Trump administration delegates later in the week about a framework for ending Russia's war on Ukraine.

It's the first meeting between the U.S. and Ukraine since President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vans publicly berated Zelensky in the Oval Office on February 28th.

Since the incident, Zelensky's popularity at home has increased by more than 11 percentage

points. A new public opinion poll shows that 68% of Ukrainians trust him as a leader.

Joanna Kikisis and PR News, Kiev.

Parents in Maine were being told not to register their newborns for a social security number at the hospital.

Now the agency is reversing course and issued an apology.

Maine Public Radio's Patty White reports the change could have forced new parents to travel to a social security office.

In a statement on the SSA website,

Acting Commissioner Lee Dudek said he realized he created an undue burden when he ended the enumeration at birth program in Maine.

That process has been in place across the country since the 1980s.

Maine providers were alerted Wednesday that the popular program had been suspended.

Dr. Joe Anderson of the main chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics said he's concerned the program was terminated so suddenly.

We just got an email saying, effective immediately, we're not doing this anymore.

And that just doesn't seem like an efficient way for our government

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