Early Edition: August 20, 2025

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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the last 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:

RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR — U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE

President Trump yesterday floated providing U.S. pilots and warplanes as part of security guarantees for Kyiv, while pledging that he would not put U.S. troops on the ground in Ukraine. Separately, a senior administration official on Monday told POLITICO there were no red lines on a prospective U.S. role, adding that the United States could participate in a peacekeeping force “if it is the last piece required for a deal.” Laura Kelly reports for the Hill; Irie Sentner reports for POLITICO.

Trump also said that he does not think the presence of European troops as part of a peacekeeping force in Ukraine “is going to be a problem.” Trump’s remarks seemed to run counter to the Russian Foreign Ministry Monday reiteration of Moscow’s “longstanding position of unequivocally rejecting any scenarios involving the deployment of NATO military contingents in Ukraine.” Paul Sonne reports for the New York Times.

U.S. and European military planners have begun examining options for security guarantees for Ukraine, with the Pentagon carrying out planning exercises on how the United States could support Kyiv beyond providing weapons, according to U.S. officials and sources. A separate source said that Trump has tasked Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, to develop options for NATO-like security guarantees for a multinational security force in Ukraine. Idrees Ali, Jonathan Landay, and Sabine Siebold report for Reuters; Lara Seligman, Michael R. Gordon, and Max Colchester report for the Wall Street Journal.

The White House and the Kremlin diverged in their characterization of the progress toward a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy yesterday. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Putin has agreed to have a direct meeting with Zelenskyy in the coming weeks. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, meanwhile, stated that any such summit must be prepared “step by step, gradually, starting from the expert level.” Patrick Svitek and Cat Zakrzewski report for the Washington Post; Maureen Chowdhury reports for CNN; Filip Timotija reports for the Hill.

The White House is eyeing Hungary or Switzerland to hold a possible meeting between Putin, Zelenskyy, and potentially Trump, according to White House officials. Kristen Holmes reports for CNN; Dasha Burns and Paul McLeary report for POLITICO.

[Editor’s note: Readers may be interested in Ambassador Daniel Fried’s recent essay at Just Security – Trump, Zelenskyy, European Leaders in White House Meeting: Progress Toward a Deal? – which is also available in audio.]

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR

The Israeli military today announced that it would call up 60,000 reservists and lengthen the service of 20,000 currently serving reservists in preparation for an expanded military operation in Gaza City. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz today approved plans to begin the new phase of operations, the military added, with a source suggesting that the army’s chief of staff is expected to approve military operations in new parts of Gaza City in the coming days. Melanie Lidman and Sam Metz report for AP News.

Israel is considering Hamas’ response to a proposal for a 60-day ceasefire and release of half the hostages held in Gaza, according to Israeli officials. An Israeli political source suggested that Israel demands the release of all 50 hostages. Separately, a Palestinian source indicated that Israel’s response was expected in the coming two days. Maayan Lubell and Nidal Al-Mughrabi report for Reuters.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday accused Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of “betraying Israel” and “abandoning” Australia’s Jewish community. Australia on Monday barred a far-right member of Netanyahu’s ruling coalition from entering the country, with Israel revoking the visas of Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority in response. Maia Davies and Tiffanie Turnbull report for BBC News.

Israel is not letting humanitarian supplies into Gaza in quantities sufficient to avert widespread starvation, a U.N. human rights office spokesperson said yesterday. Reuters reports.

OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS

Israel today gave final approval for a controversial settlement project in the occupied West Bank that would effectively cut the territory in two. Commenting on the approval, Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that the “Palestinian state is being erased from the table not with slogans but with actions.” Melanie Lidman reports for AP News.

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels summarily executed at least 140 people during a campaign against an armed Hutu group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo last month, according to the Human Rights Watch’s analysis of relevant videos and photographs and interviews with witnesses. Witness accounts, the UN, and military sources indicate that the Rwandan military was also involved in the operation, the organization added. Wycliffe Muia and Barbara Plett Usher report for BBC News.

Syria’s foreign minister yesterday held a rare direct meeting with an Israeli delegation in Paris, Syria’s state-run SANA news agency reported. The United States brokered the talks to help Syria and Israel to normalize relations, a senior Trump administration official confirmed. Abby Sewell reports for AP News.

U.S. FOREIGN DEVELOPMENTS

Trump called Hungarian President Viktor Orban on Monday to discuss Orban’s opposition to Ukraine’s European Union accession talks, sources say. The call followed Monday discussions between Trump and European leaders, who asked Trump to use his influence to pressure Orban to drop his opposition to Ukraine’s membership, the sources add. Following the reported call, Orban posted on social media expressing continued opposition to the idea. Alex Wickham and Catherine Lucey report for Bloomberg.

The U.S. Navy is deploying three Aegis guided-missile destroyers to the waters off Venezuela to combat threats from Latin American drug cartels, a U.S. official said yesterday. The vessels have been assigned to counter-narcotics efforts in the region and would be deployed “over the course of several months,” a Defense Department official added. Mike Pesoli, Aamer Madhani, Jorge Rueda report for AP News.

The United States has accepted Brazil’s request for World Trade Organization consultations regarding U.S. tariffs, according to a document posted on the WTO website. In the document, the United States argues that certain requests from Brazil relate to issues of national security, and the tariffs were necessary because Brazil’s recent policies are “undermining the rule of law and threatening the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.” Isabel Teles reports for Reuters.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum yesterday denied her country had concluded a deal with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, refuting a claim the DEA made yesterday about reaching an agreement with the Mexican government on a “flagship operation” against cross-border smuggling routes. María Verza reports for AP News.

The Trump administration is “very happy” with the current China tariffs deal, which is “working pretty well,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said yesterday. Rebecca Falconer reports for Axios.

FEDERALIZATION OF D.C. POLICING

The U.S. Attorney for D.C., Jeanine Pirro, yesterday told the Washington Post she had instructed federal prosecutors to not to seek felony charges against people carrying rifles or shotguns in the capital. Pirro stated the new policy was crafted by the DOJ and the Solicitor General. Pirro also told prosecutors to “charge the highest crime that is supported by the law and the evidence” against individuals arrested in the administration’s crackdown, sources say. Salvador Rizzo reports; Devlin Barrett reports for the New York Times.

Pirro’s office is also investigating whether D.C. police officials have falsified data to make crime rates appear lower than they are, according to sources. Devlin Barrett reports for the New York Times.

Gov. Bill Lee of Tennessee (R) will send around 160 National Guard troops to Washington, the public affairs director of the Tennessee National Guard said yesterday. Katie Glueck and Anushka Patil report for the New York Times.

TECH DEVELOPMENTS

The U.K. government has dropped its demand for Apple to build a “back door” into its products that would allow U.K. authorities to access private user data after pressure from the Trump administration, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on Monday. Kit Maher and Clare Duffy report for CNN.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is considering the government taking equity stakes in Intel and other chip companies in exchange for grants under the CHIPS Act to encourage factory growth in the United States, sources say. Andrea Shalal, David Shepardson, Nandita Bose, and Max A. Cherney report for Reuters.

U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS

Immigration officers will screen people applying to live or work in the United States for involvement in groups “who support or promote anti-American ideologies or activities” or engage in “antisemitic activity,” including by checking their social media, according to yesterday’s policy update issued by the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services. The document did not specify a precise definition of “anti-American ideologies.” Jessie Yeung reports for CNN.

The United States has concluded agreements for Honduras and Uganda to accept deportees who hail from other states on their respective continents, according to internal documents seen by CBS News. Camilo Montoya-Galvez reports.

U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform intends to publish some of the files related to the Jeffrey Epstein case after redacting the victims’ identities and other sensitive matters, a committee spokesperson said yesterday. “The Committee will also consult with the DOJ to ensure any documents released do not negatively impact ongoing criminal cases and investigations,” the spokesperson said. Democrats on the committee complained that Chairman Comer has allowed DOJ to miss the Tuesday deadline and to send the materials gradually over time. The panel is expected to start receiving materials from the DOJ on Friday. Ted Barrett and Sarah Ferris report for CNN.

[Editor’s note: Readers may be interested in Ryan Goodman, Siven Watt and Joshua Kolb, Timeline of Jeffrey Epstein-Ghislaine Maxwell Law Enforcement Failures (1996-2025), Just Security, August 18, 2025]

A California man who pleaded guilty to shipping weapons and ammunition to North Korea was sentenced to eight years in prison this week, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Los Angeles said yesterday. According to a federal complaint, the man told investigators that the weapons were to be used for a surprise attack on South Korea. AP News reports.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard yesterday announced she is revoking the security clearances of 37 former and current U.S. intelligence officials, without providing evidence that they mishandled sensitive material or used it for partisan purposes. In a memo, Gabbard said she revoked the clearances on Trump’s direction and alleged that all the individuals had politicized intelligence, failed to safeguard classified information, or failed to adhere to professional standards in analyzing intelligence. Far-right activist Laura Loomer previously urged that several of the individuals affected, who in 2019 signed a letter saying that allegations regarding Trump’s dealings with Ukraine were serious enough to merit impeachment proceedings, should have their clearances revoked. Greg Miller, Ellen Nakashima, and Warren P. Strobel report for the Washington Post; Julian E. Barnes and Maggie Haberman report for the New York Times.

The director of the Justice Department’s Weaponization Working Group, Ed Martin, sent a letter calling for New York Attorney General Letitia James to resign days after Attorney General Bondi designated Martin a “special attorney” to open an investigation into James, according to a copy of the letter reviewed by ABC News. The letter, which James’ attorneys said violates DOJ norms and ethics rules, argues that James’ “resignation from office would give the people of New York and America more peace than proceeding.” By sending the letter, Martin leapfrogged multiple investigatory steps federal prosecutors typically take. Martin last week also posed for a New York Post photographer in front of James’ Brooklyn home, in a staged visit both Bondi and her deputy, Todd Blanche, reportedly told Martin was “unhelpful and counterproductive.” Aaron Katersky, Katherine Faulders, and Alexander Mallin report; Kara Scannell reports for CNN.

The White House is working to fast-track the appointment of Stephen Miran to the Federal Reserve Board, “setting the stage for his quick confirmation when the Senate returns in September,” a White House official said yesterday. Miran, tapped to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Gov. Adriana Kugler, currently serves as Trump’s chief economist. Jordain Carney reports for POLITICO.

The Trump administration has canceled this year’s Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, an annual questionnaire of the federal workforce, the Office of Personnel Management announced last week. The OPM said it was still editing the survey to remove references to diversity, equity, and inclusion. It did not specify how the administration plans to comply with a legal requirement for agencies to administer annual surveys of federal workers. Meryl Kornfield reports for the Washington Post.

The IRS has failed to follow internal procedures and policies when firing thousands of probationary employees as part of a Trump administration-ordered reduction in force earlier this year, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration found in a report released last week. Tobias Burns reports for the Hill.

Trump yesterday said he had instructed attorneys to “go through the [Smithsonian] Museums and start the exact same process that has been done with Colleges and Universities.” It is unclear whether Trump was referring to White House officials investigating the universities over alleged antisemitism or DOJ attorneys. Philip Wang reports for Axios.

Several schools in northern Virginia are at risk of losing their federal funding after rejecting the Education Department’s terms for resolving probes into their transgender student policies, the Department said yesterday. Bianca Quilantan and Juan Perez Jr. report for POLITICO.

Trump personally stipulated that elite universities entering settlements with his administration should pay steep financial fines, sources suggest. Michael C. Bender, Alan Blinder, and Michael S. Schmidt report for the New York Times.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION

An appeals court yesterday ruled that the U.S. National Labor Relations Board’s structure, which shields the Board’s administrative judges and its five members from being removed at will by the president, is likely unlawful. Holding that the protections from removal likely prevent the president from exercising his constitutional prerogative to control the executive branch, the court temporarily blocked the Board from pursuing cases against SpaceX, Energy Transfer, and Aunt Bertha, the plaintiffs in the case. Daniel Wiessner reports for Reuters.

Did you miss this? Stay up-to-date with our Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions