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Hamas agreed Friday to release Edan Alexander, the last living American hostage in captivity in the Gaza Strip.

Alexander, a 21-year-old Israeli-American, will be released along with the bodies of four other hostages, according to a deal offered by mediators.

Though he spent most of his life in New Jersey, Alexander was born in Israel a few months before his parents moved to the U.S., according to the American Jewish Committee (AJC).

After graduating from high school, Alexander decided he would enlist in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) rather than enroll in college.

On Oct. 7, Alexander, who was serving in the IDF’s Golani Brigade, an infantry unit, was patrolling near Gaza when Hamas’ attacks on Israel began. The attacks ended with 1,200 Israelis dead and 251 hostages taken, including Alexander.

Yael Alexander, Edan’s mother, recounted the day he was taken hostage in a recent interview with AJC’s "People of the Pod." Yael was in Israel in early October 2023, visiting her family and hoping to see Edan. On the morning of Oct. 7, she spoke with Edan, who said that he was seeing "terrible stuff," but he assured her that he was safe. Then he was taken hostage.

On Nov. 30, 2024, more than a year after Alexander was captured, Hamas released a video of Alexander speaking in Hebrew and Arabic. Alexander, like other hostages forced to make propaganda videos, delivered messages about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-President-elect Donald Trump.

A few days after the video’s release, Adi Alexander, Edan’s father, spoke with "Fox & Friends First," calling the film "very emotional" and "disturbing." He said it was the first time they had seen a sign of life from their son since he was taken hostage.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Fox News' Yael Rotem-Kuriel and Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump, speaking from the Oval Office Thursday, downplayed an upcoming nuclear summit in Beijing between Iran, Russia, and China, three chief adversaries of the U.S.

The discussions, first confirmed by the Chinese foreign ministry Thursday and which come just days after Iran rebuffed Trump’s push to engage in nuclear negotiations, will coincide with a United Nations Security Council meeting regarding Tehran’s expansion of near-weapons-grade uranium. 

Trump suggested perhaps Beijing, Moscow and Tehran will be having their own discussions on "de-escalation."

"Well, maybe they're going to talk about non-nuclear problems. Maybe they're going to be talking about the de-escalation of nuclear weapons," Trump told reporters.

TRUMP 'HOPES' PUTIN AGREES TO CEASEFIRE AS MOSCOW SIGNALS NO TRUCE YET

Trump said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin once engaged in "strong" talks about nuclear weapons and said he believes, had he won the 2016 election, further Russian denuclearization would have been on the table. 

"I think I would have made a deal with Putin on de-escalation, denuclearization," Trump said. "But we would have de-escalated nuclear weapons because the power of nuclear weapons is so great and so devastating."

The president also claimed that China would "catch us in five years" because of its rapid development of its nuclear stockpiles, though this would be far sooner than other experts have warned. 

The Pentagon in 2024 assessed that China is believed to have 600 nuclear weapons, up from the low 200s in 2020. But, in a report Wednesday, experts with the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists said claims that China will be a "peer" or "near peer" with the U.S. in the near future were a "gross exaggeration." 

POLAND CALLS ON US TO PLACE NUKES WITHIN ITS BORDERS AMID RUSSIA THREAT

"There is no evidence that China’s ongoing nuclear expansion will result in parity with the U.S. arsenal," the report said. "Even the worst-case 2023 projection of 1,500 warheads by 2035 amounts to less than half of the current U.S. nuclear stockpile."

Russia is believed to have 5,580 nuclear weapons, and the U.S. is reported to have 5,225, while China comes in at a distant third, according to the Arms Control Association. 

Concerns over North Korea’s largely unchecked nuclear program have also continued to mount in recent years, particularly after Pyongyang formed closer ties with Moscow after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

"It would be a great achievement if we could bring down the number," Trump said. 

"You don’t need them to that extent," he added, noting the immense destruction even one nuclear weapon could inflict. 

North Korea is estimated to have 50 nuclear weapons, which Trump noted is "a lot."

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But he also pointed to the positive relationship he had with Kim Jong Un during his first presidency and suggested that relationship could extend during his second term. Trump appeared to suggest there could be room for nuclear negotiations. 

"I have a great relationship with Kim Jong Un, and we’ll see what happens," Trump told reporters. "But certainly he’s a nuclear power."

The United Nations' top humanitarian aid official told Fox News Digital he has "not seen a shred of evidence" of the U.N.’s involvement, either through the use of its facilities or its staff, in the holding of hostages in Gaza. 

When asked about former Hamas hostages’ claims that they were held in U.N. facilities or by U.N. staff, Tom Fletcher, under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), denied seeing any evidence of the claims.

"I have not seen a shred of evidence so far, and I have asked for it, that suggests that U.N. – that there was any U.N. acquiescence in there or involvement in using U.N. buildings or U.N. staff being involved in holding those hostages," Fletcher said during a news conference. 

NETANYAHU SLAMS 'TERRORIST-SUPPORTING' UN COUNCIL THAT ACCUSED ISRAEL OF COMMITTING SEXUAL CRIMES

He also said that "if we get evidence of a U.N. worker involved in an act of terrorism or hostage-taking, yes of course we’re going to investigate." Fletcher offered to lead the investigation himself.

Emily Damari, a former Hamas hostage who was released in the most recent ceasefire deal, alleged she was held at a United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) facility while in captivity. Damari, who holds British and Israeli citizenships, told British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that she was denied proper medical care while being held at an UNRWA school.

Fletcher said the facility was "a shelter that had been used by the U.N. before we were bombed out of it by the Israelis." He acknowledged that Hamas may have then used the facility, but said it was when the U.N. was not "there to stop them from doing that."

DAYS BEFORE TRUMP HALTED FUNDING, AN EX-ISRAELI HOSTAGE WAS HELD AT UNRWA SCHOOL IN GAZA, SHE REVEALS

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon called on the U.N. to investigate "these very serious claims."

"We believe the testimonies of the Israeli hostages who went through hell in Hamas captivity. Rather than dedicating ample resources and efforts to demonizing Israel, the U.N. should be thoroughly investigating these very serious claims about U.N. complicity in depraved Hamas terrorism," Danon said in the statement.

Anne Bayefsky, director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust and president of Human Rights Voices, slammed the U.N. over its "singular pattern of behavior when confronted with the truth about UNRWA and the involvement of U.N. actors in terrorism against Jews: deny, deflect and carry on."

"Israel has presented mountains of evidence of UNRWA's participation in the Oct. 7 atrocities, and its ongoing attempts to save Hamas – which the U.N. denies is a terrorist organization," Bayefsky added. "The ‘see no evil, hear no evil response’ – again – in the face of this gut-wrenching information from a hostage is quite simply, despicable."

Bayefsky said that "as far as the U.N. misinformation machine is concerned, the evidence is never enough."

While Fletcher says he has not seen "a shred of evidence," the U.N. Office of Oversight Services (OIOS), which reviewed Israel’s claims, said, "UNRWA staff members may have been involved in the 7 October attacks."

The OIOS examined evidence of U.N. workers’ involvement in the attacks and found there was "insufficient" evidence of nine workers taking part in the massacre. However, it did not completely discount the possibility. In fact, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini issued a statement on the probe and determined that the employees in question "cannot work for UNRWA."

Fox News reached out to a representative for Damari's family, but did not receive a response to what Fletcher said.

President Donald Trump on Thursday said he is holding out "hope" that Russia will agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine as the first step to ending the brutal three-year-long war. 

"We know where we are with Ukraine," he told reporters while speaking from the Oval Office alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. 

"Hopefully they’ll do the right thing," he added in reference to Russia.

PUTIN THANKS TRUMP FOR PRINCIPLES OF CEASEFIRE PUSH, BUT DOES NOT SAY YES

Trump’s comments came just moments after Russian President Vladimir Putin gave an address in Moscow in which he thanked Trump for his ceasefire efforts, noting he agreed with them in "principle" but signaled he was not agreeing to the 30-day proposal as it stands now. 

Trump said he was aware of Putin’s comments at the time of the Oval Office press conference and classified the Russian leader's comments as "promising" but "incomplete."

"He put out a very promising statement, but it wasn't complete," Trump said. "I'd love to meet with him or talk to him, but we have to get it over with fast."

The president noted that Russian officials have flagged grievances relating to debates over the Zaporizhzhia power plant and Ukrainians’ admittance into NATO, which Putin also touched on during his address in Moscow. 

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"A lot of the details of a final agreement have actually been discussed," Trump told reporters moments after Putin’s remarks. "Now we're going to see whether or not Russia is there.

"If they're not, it'll be a very disappointing moment for the world," he added. 

Check back on this developing story. 

In an address full of nuance, Russian President Vladimir Putin  on Thursday thanked President Donald Trump for his efforts to end the hostilities in Ukraine, but said he wanted lasting peace over a 30-day ceasefire. 

"The idea itself is correct, and we certainly support it," Putin said in a carefully worded message during a news conference in Moscow. "But there are issues that we need to discuss, and I think that we need to discuss it with our American colleagues and partners."

"We agree with the proposals to halt the fighting, but we proceed from the assumption that the ceasefire should lead to lasting peace and remove the root causes of the crisis," Putin added. 

RUSSIAN BORDER STATES EYE EXIT OF LANDMINE TREATY TO FORTIFY DEFENSES AND DETER PUTIN

Putin was careful not to directly say no to the 30-day ceasefire deal Ukraine agreed with earlier this week, but he also suggested there were too many variables to be discussed, like what happens to the Ukrainian troops in Russia's Kursk region, which he said will be fully surrounded in the coming days.

The Kremlin chief also claimed a ceasefire would only benefit Ukraine as it would allow Kyiv to mobilize and rearm.

"In these conditions, I believe it would be good for the Ukrainian side to secure a ceasefire for at least 30 days," Putin said.

The Russian president's comments echoed ones issued by his top aide earlier in the day when Yuri Ushakov told a Russian reporter, "Our position about this is that it’s nothing other than a temporary breathing space for Ukrainian forces and nothing else." 

"We believe that our goal is a long-term peaceful normalization – we are striving for this," he added. "Our concerns are known. No one needs steps that imitate peaceful actions in this situation."

Ushakov, who met with national security advisor Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month in Saudi Arabia, said ultimately Putin would address Moscow’s position on the ceasefire during a press conference later on Thursday. 

The comments came after Ushakov said he spoke with Waltz and as special envoy Steve Witkoff landed in Moscow to further discuss the agreement. 

Reports on Thursday suggested Russia has put forward its own wishlist items to achieve an end to the fighting, but those demands remain unconfirmed. Previous demands included barring Ukraine from joining NATO and control over the five Ukrainian regions it has illegally seized – only one of which Russia fully occupies.

Ukraine on Tuesday agreed to the 30-day ceasefire following an hours-long meeting with Waltz and Rubio in Saudi Arabia, contingent on the Kremlin’s acceptance of the terms. 

The ceasefire was an attempt to get both sides to lay down their arms so that further negotiations on issues like territory, occupation status, the return of prisoners and the return of abducted Ukrainian children could then be hashed out. 

The State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's questions. 

RUSSIA PRESENTS US WITH DEMANDS THAT NEED TO BE MET BEFORE ENDING UKRAINE WAR: REPORT

Russia ramped up its barrage of missile and drone attacks after the U.S. paused military aid and intelligence sharing after Trump suggested he didn’t believe Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was "serious" about peace. 

The comments came following an Oval Office blow-up when Zelenskyy refused to sign a mineral deal without security guarantees from the U.S. 

Vice President JD Vance accused the Ukrainian president of being "disrespectful."

But following the successful talks with Ukraine in Jeddah this week, the U.S. immediately lifted its aid and intelligence pause. 

"Ukraine is committed to moving quickly toward peace, and we are prepared to do our part in creating all of the conditions for a reliable, durable, and decent peace," Zelenskyy said in a post on X Thursday. "I thank our teams for the fact that military aid and intelligence sharing resumed.

"Ukraine was ready for an air and sea ceasefire, but the U.S. proposed extending it to land. Ukraine welcomes this proposal," he added.

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Zelenskyy said Putin’s thus far silence on the ceasefire proposal "once again demonstrates that Russia seeks to prolong the war and postpone peace for as long as possible." 

"We hope that U.S. pressure will be sufficient to compel Russia to end the war," he added. 

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is facing intense backlash from Israel over its report accusing Israel of employing sexual violence against Palestinians since October 2023. The report, entitled "’More than a human can bear’: Israel's systematic use of sexual, reproductive and other forms of gender-based violence since October 2023" contains serious allegations against the Jewish state.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement on the report, calling the UNHRC "an antisemitic, corrupt, terrorist-supporting and irrelevant body."

"Instead of focusing on crimes against humanity and the war crimes committed by the Hamas terrorist organization during the worst massacre against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, the UN once again chooses to attack the State of Israel with false accusations, including outrageous and baseless allegations of sexual violence. This is not a Human Rights Council – it is a Blood Rights Council," Prime Minister Netanyahu said in a statement.

UN FINALLY RECOGNIZES THAT ISRAELI WOMEN WERE RAPED, SEXUALLY ATTACKED BY HAMAS TERRORISTS

Multiple Israeli officials said the report constituted a "blood libel" and said it ignored the acts of sexual violence on Oct. 7. 

US Ambassador Designate to the United Nations Elise Stefanik also condemned the "baseless report" as "antisemitic and anti-Israel slander."

"The so-called ‘Human Rights Council’ has failed to condemn the barbaric atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists against Israel including the brutal slaughter, torture, kidnapping of thousands of innocent civilians, and Hamas’ horrific use of rape and sexual violence against Israeli women and girls, yet disgracefully attacks Israel with unfounded smears," Stefanik said in a statement. 

Additionally, Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon called the report "another vile and distorted document from the UN."

"This report is not even worth the paper it was printed on. Anyone who supported this false publication is complicit in whitewashing Hamas' war crimes and trampling on the truth," Danon said in a statement. "The UN is busy looking for ways to blame Israel instead of facing reality. History will judge you."

UNITED NATIONS SLAMMED FOR SILENCE OVER HAMAS RAPES, MUTILATION AND MURDER OF ISRAELI WOMEN, CRITICS SAY

UNWatch Executive Director Hillel Neuer told Fox News Digital, "the U.N. inquiry is as objective as a Stalinist show trial, and that’s why they completely twisted the facts to falsely accuse Israel of the crimes that Hamas actually committed."

The report documents a wide range of alleged abuses by Israeli troops, which it calls the Israel Security Forces (ISF), rather than the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the military’s actual name in both Hebrew and English. The report also condemned how Israel was carrying out the war, saying that the destruction led to "disproportionate violence against women and children."

Additionally, there are complaints in the report of forced public stripping. However, Israel has said that this is necessary to ensure detainees are not hiding explosives. Former IDF Spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus was quoted in the report as saying this in a 2023 CNN interview. Even the report acknowledges that "strip-searches for security justifications are not unlawful," but claims that Israel’s process was not up to international standards.

Chair of the Commission Navi Pillay condemned the "deplorable increase in sexual and gender-based violence."  She also says that Israel uses sexual violence to "terrorize" Palestinians and to create "a system of oppression that undermines their right to self-determination."

"For decades, the head of the Inquiry, Navi Pillay, has been the world’s leading champion of the 2001 UN ‘Durban Declaration’ slander that a Jewish state is a racist state. Inquiry members have referred to the ‘Jewish lobby’ controlling social media and then complained that antisemitism is ‘always raised as a diversion,’" Anne Bayefsky, Director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust and President of Human Rights Voices told Fox News Digital.

The commission claims that sexual violence, including rape, is part of the IDF’s "standard operating procedures towards Palestinians."

Bayefsky alleges the commission "ignored hundreds of thousands of submissions which challenged their conclusions… They have also refused to hear testimony from NGOs that would have contradicted the veracity of their pre-determined end product."

Poland’s President Andrzej Duda has once again called on the U.S. to place nuclear weapons within its borders in a show of deterrence to Russia’s continued aggression just over the border in Ukraine.

A similar request was apparently made to the Biden administration in 2022, which was never agreed to, but Duda has not given up on the idea. This time he addressed his appeal to the Trump administration during an interview with the Financial Times that was published Thursday.

"Russia did not even hesitate when they were relocating their nuclear weapons into Belarus," Duda told the Financial Times in reference to actions Russia took beginning in 2023, a year after it invaded Ukraine. "They didn't ask anyone's permission."

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s questions about where President Donald Trump stands when it comes to this form of deterrence.

POLISH GOVERNMENT PLANS MANDATORY MILITARY TRAINING FOR ADULT MEN

The Trump administration this week took steps to try and bring about an end to the war in Ukraine, which has been raging for more than three years following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion. 

While Ukraine has agreed to the U.S.’s initial 30-day ceasefire contingent on Russia’s acceptance of the terms, Moscow has not, and it is unlikely that the Trump administration would take steps to jeopardize those negotiations by agreeing to put U.S. nukes in Poland – which shares a border with Russia and could be viewed as a threat by the Kremlin.

But Duda’s advisor on international affairs, Wojciech Kolarski, echoed the Polish president’s plea and, in a Thursday interview with Poland’s RMF FM radio, argued that as a NATO member who shares a border with Russia’s Kaliningrad region, as well as Ukraine and Belarus, the steps were important for Warsaw’s security.

NATO NATION POLAND SCRAMBLES AIR DEFENSES AS RUSSIA STRIKES WESTERN UKRAINE

But should the U.S. again refuse Poland’s request, there is another nuclear-armed nation in the NATO alliance that may be willing to assist in "nuclear sharing."

Amid mounting concern in the European Union that the U.S. could withdraw forces from the bloc or become an unreliable defense partner in countering Russia, French President Emmanuel Macron opened discussions on a strategy that could help extend its nuclear deterrence to other EU nations.

While the specifics of that strategy remain unclear, including whether France has proposed actually dispersing nuclear arms to other nations, Poland has reportedly been in talks with France about the issue.

Russia has already called France’s strategy to re-evaluate its extension of nuclear deterrence "extremely confrontational."

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Despite Moscow's objections, France’s defense concept is far from new as the U.S. deterrence umbrella during the Cold War was intended to ensure NATO allies would be protected under America's nuclear power in case of a direct threat by another nuclear-armed nation, like Russia, China or North Korea.

While France is the EU’s only nuclear power, it has the third-largest nuclear stockpile when it comes to nuclear-armed nations in NATO, which also includes the U.S. and the U.K. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.   

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Wednesday that Hamas sent a 4-year-old Palestinian boy to one of its outposts. The IDF says it returned the toddler to Gaza in coordination with international organizations.

"Hamas does not hesitate to use any means to cynically use and exploit civilians and children to advance its terrorism," the IDF wrote on X.

The child allegedly told IDF soldiers that Hamas sent him, but Israel did not provide information on how the boy knew the terrorist organization sent him there. 

NEW STUDY SHUTS DOWN ICC CHARGES AGAINST ISRAEL OVER GAZA STARVATION CLAIMS

IDF International Spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani condemned the incident in a post on X, saying that it demonstrated Hamas’ lack of care for civilians.

"Another reminder that Hamas doesn’t care about the people of Gaza and exploits them for terror," Lt. Col. Shoshani wrote. 

HAMAS HAS 'NO ALTERNATIVE' OTHER THAN TO LEAVE GAZA, MIDDLE EAST SPECIAL ENVOY SAYS

During the Oct. 7 massacre, Hamas not only killed Israeli children, but took several as hostages. In November 2023, as part of a deal, Hamas released 30 children from captivity. The last two child hostages in Gaza were Ariel and Kfir Bibas. Their fate remained uncertain for months, until their deaths were confirmed in February 2025 when their bodies were returned to Israel.

"Kfir and Ariel were murdered in cold blood. The terrorists didn’t shoot them—they killed them with their bare hands. Then, they committed horrific acts to cover up their crimes," IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said following the return of the Bibas children’s remains.

Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon called on U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to issue a condemnation of the incident involving the 4-year-old Palestinian child.

"Hamas has a genocidal animosity toward Israelis and equally doesn’t care for the people of Gaza. That’s why the terrorist organization uses babies, children and women as human shields and pawns in conflict. This is contemptible and should be roundly condemned by the United Nations secretary-general," Ambassador Danon said.

Just last week, the U.N. was slammed over a draft of its report on children in combat zones that appeared to omit stories of Israeli victims. 

Throughout the section of the report on Israeli and Palestinian children, there are instances of the U.N. conflicting verified and unverified data. Though the report admits that there is unverified data, it does not give any information on who was responsible for verifying the other figures. This lack of transparency left room to doubt the report’s accuracy.

Pope Francis is continuing to show improvement and remains stable as he approaches one month in the hospital following a bout with bronchitis turned pneumonia.

The 88-year-old had a "restful night," the Holy See Press Office announced Thursday morning, which also marks the 12-year anniversary of his election to lead the Roman Catholic Church.

He is still receiving non-invasive mechanical ventilation treatments throughout the night and high-flow oxygen therapy during the day.

POPE FRANCIS NOW EATING SOLID FOODS, SHOWING 'SLIGHT GRADUAL IMPROVEMENTS,' VATICAN SAYS 

On Wednesday, the pontiff spent time following spiritual exercises in the Vatican, receiving the Eucharist, praying and completing physical therapy. 

It was noted that he did rest in the afternoon.

The statement said a chest X-ray on Tuesday confirmed improvements observed by medical staff in previous days, but his situation remains "complex," thus resulting in more time in the hospital.

POPE FRANCIS NOW 'OUT OF DANGER FROM DEATH' AS HEALTH CONDITION CONTINUES TO IMPROVE

The Pope's health has improved significantly this week as the Vatican announced on Monday that he is "out of danger from death."

He has been hospitalized at Rome's Gemelli Hospital since Valentine's Day after a week-long fight against bronchitis gradually worsened, ultimately turning into double pneumonia. 

His health became a major concern as he has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed when he was younger.

Russia has laid out a list of demands to U.S. authorities that need to be met in order for the war in Ukraine to end, Reuters reported, citing two people "familiar with the matter."

The requests are also aimed at resetting the Kremlin's relations with Washington, D.C., the outlet noted.

The list of demands came just before Russia’s Defense Ministry announced it has taken over Sudzha, the biggest town in the Kursk region that has been overrun by Ukrainian forces since the surprise cross-border offensive in August 2024. The takeover came after Russian President Vladimir Putin visited military headquarters in the region and spoke to military commanders there.

The exact contents of Russia's list of demands are not yet known, but they are allegedly similar to demands previously presented to Ukraine, the U.S. and NATO. 

Russian and American officials have allegedly discussed the terms over the past few weeks in person and virtually, the people told Reuters.

EVEN IF TRUMP SECURES UKRAINE-RUSSIA PEACE DEAL, CAN PUTIN BE TRUSTED?

Earlier requests included not allowing Ukraine to join NATO, an agreement to not deploy foreign troops to Ukraine and international recognition of Russian President Vladimir Putin's claim that Russia owns Crimea and four provinces.

As of Wednesday, President Donald Trump was still waiting to hear if Putin would agree to a 30-day truce that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to during cease-fire talks in Saudi Arabia.

RUSSIA WAITING FOR US-UKRAINE CEASE-FIRE PROPOSAL DETAILS, KREMLIN SAYS 

Also on Wednesday, the Kremlin said it was waiting for more details about the proposal before issuing any comment. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said he would brief Russia.

"We're going to bring it to them directly," Rubio told reporters, referring to Russia. "We're going to say that Ukraine is prepared to stop all battlefield activity and begin an immediate process of negotiating an enduring end of the war. And we'll see what their response is. If their response is yes, then we know we've made real progress, and there's a real chance of peace. If their response is no, it will be highly unfortunate, and then it'll make their intentions clear."

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Russia has so far opposed anything short of a permanent end to the conflict and has not accepted any concessions.

Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, is expected to travel to Moscow this week, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News on Tuesday.

Fox News Digital's Stephen Sorace and Reuters contributed to this report.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the "UN80 Initiative" on Wednesday as a project in honor of the international body’s 80th anniversary. On paper, the initiative aims to improve efficiency, review the implementation of mandates and restructure the system. However, several U.N. critics claim that this is the international body’s way of bracing for potential U.S. spending cuts.

"This goes far beyond the technical. Budgets at the United Nations are not just numbers on a balance sheet — they are a matter of life and death for millions around the world," Secretary-General Guterres told reporters on Wednesday.

He denied that the UN80 Initiative is a "version of DOGE" and said it was not a response to possible U.S. cuts.

Head of the organization DOGE-UN Hugh Dugan dismissed the UN80 Initiative as an "effort to send a great big Hallmark greeting card to the world."

"He's had 8 to 10 years of opportunity to start what he's calling for now, and there is not enough time in his remaining 18 months or 19 months in office that could provide any reason to think that his team is going to pivot and set the world on fire in ways that would be a footrace with whatever Elon Musk is doing," Dugan told Fox News Digital.

UN PREPPING FOR SPENDING CUTS AS DOGE ROOTS OUT WASTE IN US, INTERNAL DOCS SHOW

When pressed by Fox News Digital during the midday briefing if UN80 was meant as a response to U.S. cuts and if the secretary-general was worried about Elon Musk, the Secretary-General spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric referred to the comments the secretary-general made earlier in the day.

Anne Bayefsky, Director, Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust and President, Human Rights Voices, responded to the secretary-general’s comments. She slammed the U.N. as a "bloated, corrupt and profoundly anti-American and anti-Jewish institution."

UN CHIEF SOUNDS THE ALARM AMID FEARS OVER POSSIBLE DOGE-INSPIRED CUTS AFTER TRUMP'S ORDER

"Every time a U.S. government begins to try to hold it to account or use the power of the purse to change this nonsensical equation, the U.N. trots out a ‘reform’ fake out and America rolls over. President Trump and DOGE can change this perverse state of affairs," Bayefsky told Fox News Digital.

"Obviously, Guterres is running scared and deeply concerned that his total nonsense about being engaged in ‘an ambitious reform agenda’ will be called out," she added.

Internal U.N. documents on its "liquidity crisis" recently obtained by Fox News Digital appeared to show that the intuition was bracing itself for possible DOGE-related spending cuts.

Despite the U.N. memo stating that cutting back to 80% of allocated funds would potentially harm entities, insiders told Dugan that they do not see any "real cuts" in it.

Guterres is expected to address the U.N.’s financial situation next month in a virtual town hall. While there was no topic specified in the invitation for the town hall, Dujarric confirmed that finances would be discussed.

FIRST ON FOX: Reports that surfaced on Wednesday suggesting Israel and Lebanon were pursing "normalization" ties have been "overblown" and risk hurting actual hard-fought discussions, a U.S. official familiar with the talks told Fox News Digital.

Israeli reports, citing an anonymous senior Israeli official, claimed that renewed talks with Lebanon were aimed at reaching a standard diplomatic relationship between the two nations, just months after a ceasefire agreement was reached following Jerusalem’s offensive against Hezbollah. 

But the U.S. official, who also requested to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the Israel-Lebanon talks, said border security is the main priority at this moment.

MOTHER OF INJURED HAMAS HOSTAGE DIRECTS PLEA TO 'EVERY MOTHER IN THIS WORLD' TO HELP SECURE SON'S RELEASE

The "current focus is ridding Lebanon of Hezbollah and corrupt officials," the U.S. official emphasized.

"Normalized" ties between Israel and other nations in the Middle East were a cornerstone of the first Trump administration, which looked to bring security to Israel by establishing diplomatic ties between Jerusalem and its Arab neighbors. 

But relations in the Middle East have drastically shifted since 2021, when Trump left office.

Not only is Israel staring down the glaring issue of Hamas – which still holds 59 hostages, 58 of whom were taken by the terrorist group during the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks – but the "day after" plan for the Gaza Strip remains unclear. 

LEBANON SEIZES $2.5M DESTINED FOR HEZBOLLAH AFTER STOPPING MAN AT AIRPORT IN 'UNPRECEDENTED’ BUST

As negotiations between the U.S., Israel, Egypt, Qatar and Hamas continue, the threat posed by other Iran-backed terrorist networks remains – particularly when it comes to the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon. 

The Biden administration, alongside France, helped broker a 60-day ceasefire in late November between Israel, Hezbollah and Lebanon that intended to end the hostilities by dismantling the terrorist organization in southern Lebanon coupled with the withdrawal of Israeli forces – neither were ever fully realized.

Despite the end of the ceasefire in late January, the security situation in southern Lebanon has remained relatively stable, though it continues to be a precarious situation. 

Working groups that will encompass U.S., Israeli and Lebanese officials, are being established to renew talks on unresolved issues relating to prisoner releases, border disputes and the presence of IDF troops in southern Lebanon – which currently remain in a move to safeguard Israelis living in the country's north.

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Talks between officials from Washington, Jerusalem and Beirut are not expected to begin until April and will focus on removing the threat Hezbollah poses to Israel and regional stability.

The U.S. official familiar with the talks told Fox News Digital that any suggestion of establishing formal diplomatic ties, like those forged with the UAE and Bahrain, were "premature."

Fox News Digital could not reach Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office for comment. 

Russia carried out an attack in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, that left one woman dead and multiple injured, according to Reuters, which cited Dnipropetrovsk regional governor Serhiy Lysak. The attack comes after Ukraine agreed to the US ceasefire proposal aimed at ending the brutal three-year war.

The location of the attack may have been meant to send a message directly to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as it is his hometown. Kryvyi Rih has taken multiple hits from Russia over the course of the war. 

Prior to the overnight attack, the city took a blow on March 6 when a Russian missile attack left four dead and 32 injured, according to Reuters.

Russia’s attack comes at a pivotal time in the war as Ukraine appears to be turning its focus to peace. Ukrainian officials engaged in talks with their U.S. counterparts this week in Saudi Arabia. The meeting was confirmed by Zelenskyy last week, who said that "Ukraine is most interested in peace."

​RUSSIA WAITING FOR US-UKRAINE CEASE-FIRE PROPOSAL DETAILS, KREMLIN SAYS

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Tuesday that Ukraine had "accepted" the U.S. ceasefire plan.

"The President’s objective here is, number one, above everything else, he wants the war to end.  And I think today Ukraine has taken a concrete step in that regard. We hope the Russians will reciprocate," Secretary Rubio said on Tuesday while addressing reporters in Saudi Arabia.

​UKRAINE LAUNCHES BIGGEST DRONE ATTACK ON MOSCOW, KILLING 2, AS US TALKS BEGIN

President Donald Trump addressed the ceasefire while speaking to attendees of the Business Roundtable meeting on Tuesday.

"I’ve been saying that Russia’s been easier to deal with so far than Ukraine, which is not supposed to be the way it is," President Trump said. "But it is, and we hope to get Russia. But we have a full ceasefire from Ukraine. That’s good."

Kremlin spokesperson Demitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday that Russia is holding off on commenting on the U.S.-Ukraine ceasefire proposal until it gets more "detailed information." Secretary Rubio said the plan will be "directly" delivered to the Russians.

Following a tense Oval Office encounter with President Trump and Vice President JD Vance, President Zelenskyy appeared to change his tune about the war. Following the meeting, President Trump wrote on Truth Social that President Zelenskyy was "not ready for peace." However, the two appeared to have reconciled, as Trump read a letter from Zelenskyy during his address to a joint session of Congress last week.

"Earlier today, I received an important letter from President Zelenskyy of Ukraine," President Trump said. "The letter reads, ‘Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainians, he said. My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump's strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.’"

Greenland’s center-right Demokraatit party pulled off a surprise victory in the country’s parliamentary elections, taking Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte Egede’s party, Inuit Ataqatigiit, out of power. Independence from Denmark became a focal point of the election amid President Donald Trump’s repeated talk of the U.S. taking control.

"People want change ... We want more business to finance our welfare," said Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Demokraatit's leader, according to Reuters. The outlet added that Nielsen said Greenland does not "want independence tomorrow" and would prefer separation from Denmark be based on a "good foundation."

GREENLAND'S OPPOSITION PARTY PUSHES CLOSER US TIES, INDEPENDENCE FROM DENMARK AS TRUMP PLAYS BIG IN ELECTION

Four of the five main parties on the ballot, including the ones that won first and second place, Demokraatit Party and Naleraq, favor independence from Denmark, but disagree on the pace. Greenland, whose population is approximately 57,000 people, currently operates as a semi-autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. However, Trump’s renewed interest in the island sparked conversations about breaking away from the Danish crown.

Prime Minister Egede, whose party failed to maintain control, said in a Facebook post that he respects the outcome of the election and that the parties are ready for negotiations. 

Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen congratulated the Demokraatit Party and said the Greenlandic future would face "massive pressure" from Trump, according to the Associated Press, which cited Danish Broadcasting Corporation DR. Poulsen reportedly added that "the future of Greenland is based on what the Greenlandic people and government want."

The Demokraatit Party saw a major increase in support, winning nearly 30% of the vote compared to just 9% in 2021, according to the Associated Press, which cited Greenlandic Broadcasting Corporation KNR TV.

GREENLAND, PANAMA FIERCELY REJECT TRUMP'S AMBITIONS IN ADDRESS TO CONGRESS

Earlier this month, Trump brought up Greenland in his address to a joint session of Congress.

"We strongly support your right to determine your own future, and, if you choose, we welcome you into the United States of America," Trump said, eliciting laughter from the crowd. "We need Greenland for national security and even international security, and we’re working with everybody involved to try and get it… One way or the other, we’re going to get it."

In the same address, Trump vowed that the U.S. would "take Greenland to heights like you have never thought possible before."

During a January phone call with Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that Greenland must be allowed to make decisions about its own future. Both Prime Ministers Frederiksen and Egede told President Trump that "Greenland is not for sale," Axios reported at the time.

In December 2024, then-President-elect Trump tapped Ken Howery as US ambassador to Denmark. Trump said in a post on Truth Social announcing the pick that "the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity."

President Trump also eyed Greenland during his first term, causing friction between himself and Prime Minister Frederiksen. In 2019, after the Danish leader called the idea of the U.S. buying Greenland "absurd," President Trump abruptly canceled his trip to Denmark over the "nasty" comment.

A Russian national was revealed to be the captain of the cargo ship that collided with a U.S. tanker off the coast of England in an incident that sparked a massive fire, spilled jet fuel into the sea and left one person feared dead. 

The 59-year-old man remained in United Kingdom police custody Wednesday after being detained on suspicion of manslaughter by gross negligence, according to Ernst Russ, the owner of the Portugal-flagged Solong cargo ship. It added that the ship’s 14 crew members were a mix of Russian and Filipino nationals. One of them remains missing and is presumed dead. 

The Solong collided Monday with MV Stena Immaculate, a U.S.-flagged tanker transporting jet fuel for the American military. U.S.-based Crowley Ship Management said the MV Stena Immaculate was anchored near Hull when it was struck and that all 23 onboard are "safe and accounted for" with no reported injuries. 

Leading up to the collision, the Solong was inspected in Dublin, Ireland last July and was found to have 10 deficiencies, according to the Associated Press.  

US-FLAGGED TANKER COLLIDES WITH CONTAINER SHIP NEAR UK 

Port inspection documents show the Solong failed steering-related safety checks with the vessel's "emergency steering position communications/compass reading" unreadable. It also had "inadequate" alarms, survival craft "not properly maintained" and fire doors "not as required." 

Then a second inspection in Scotland in October found two more deficiencies, but the ship wasn’t detained after either inspection, the AP reported. 

However, U.K. authorities said they don’t suspect foul play in the crash. 

USS HARRY S. TRUMAN SHIP COLLISION DAMAGE REVEALED IN NEW PHOTOS 

The 596-foot Stena Immaculate was operating as part of the U.S. government’s Tanker Security Program, a group of commercial vessels that can be contracted to carry fuel for the military when needed. 

"Crowley continues to work closely with U.K. agencies to support the incident response, salvage and environmental impact mitigation operations resulting from container ship Solong striking the Crowley-managed tanker Stena Immaculate while at anchor on Monday, March 10," the ship’s owner said Tuesday. 

"It remains uncertain at this time what volume of fuel may have been released as a result of the incident, but initial review shows impacts have been limited due to exposure to the fire and evaporation of the Jet A1 fuel," Crowley continued. "In addition, U.K agencies are closely monitoring air quality and any possible public health impacts resulting onshore. Both are currently measuring low or within normal levels." 

The Solong was drifting and still on fire Wednesday, but is likely to remain afloat rather than sinking, officials said. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Russia is waiting for Washington to deliver details on U.S.-Ukrainian cease-fire talks that took place in Saudi Arabia before commenting on the proposal, the Kremlin said Wednesday.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Moscow is awaiting "detailed information" from the U.S. about the 30-day cease-fire plan that Ukraine agreed to, suggesting that Russia must get briefed on those details before it can say whether a proposed cease-fire is acceptable.

Russia has so far opposed anything short of a permanent end to the conflict and has not accepted any concessions.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who led the American delegation in Tuesday's talks with Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia, said Ukraine was open to a 30-day cease-fire. Rubio said the U.S. will brief Russia on the proposal’s details.

UKRAINE ACCEPTS DEAL, SAYS RUBIO: ‘WE’LL TAKE THIS TO THE RUSSIANS'

"We’re going to tell (the Russians) this is what’s on the table. Ukraine is ready to stop shooting and start talking. And now it’ll be up to them to say yes or no," Rubio told reporters after the talks. "If they say no, then we’ll unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here."

Following the talks in Saudi Arabia, the Trump administration lifted its suspension of military aid for Kyiv’s fight against Russia’s invasion.

EVEN IF TRUMP SECURES UKRAINE-RUSSIA PEACE DEAL, CAN PUTIN BE TRUSTED?

President Donald Trump said he hoped that an agreement could be solidified "over the next few days."

"I’ve been saying that Russia’s been easier to deal with so far than Ukraine, which is not supposed to be the way it is," Trump said later Tuesday. "But it is, and we hope to get Russia. But we have a full ceasefire from Ukraine. That’s good."

Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, is expected to travel to Moscow this week, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News on Tuesday after media reports said Witkoff is planning to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Rubio was optimistic about the talks in Saudi Arabia, writing in a post on X that "today was a good day for peace," though the decision to move forward now rests with Russia.

"Thanks to @POTUS's leadership and under the gracious hospitality of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, we are one step closer to restoring durable peace for Ukraine," Rubio said. "The ball is now in Russia's court."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Ukraine on Tuesday agreed to a preliminary proposal put forward by the Trump administration that called for a 30-day ceasefire contingent on Russia's acceptance of the terms in a major step toward ending the brutal war.

But even if the Trump administration is able to get Moscow to the negotiating table and end the three-year war under a new treaty, which several security experts say Russian President Vladimir Putin is under no real pressure to do, can the Kremlin chief be trusted?

Russia under Putin has repeatedly violated formal international agreements intended to protect Ukraine’s sovereignty, chiefly from its former Soviet overlord.

UKRAINE ACCEPTS DEAL, SAYS RUBIO: 'WE'LL TAKE THIS TO THE RUSSIANS'

These agreements include the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, in which Ukraine agreed to relinquish its nuclear arsenal in exchange for assurances over its territorial integrity after its 1991 withdrawal from the Soviet Union, as well as the 1997 Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation, and Partnership by which Moscow and Kyiv agreed to respect one another’s existing borders. Both deals were first violated in 2014 when Putin seized Crimea and backed Russian separatist forces in the Donbas region. 

The 2014-2015 Minsk Agreements, though criticized as "weak," attempted to end Russia’s aggression in eastern Ukraine, an agreement that was never fully achieved and was again violated by Putin's 2022 invasion. 

Some world leaders and security officials, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have cautioned that a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine is unlikely to be achieved in the near term and against Putin’s reliability in adhering to any international agreement without serious security commitments from the West.

"The problem here is that the Russians only understand win-lose outcomes, which means that to prevent them from ever attacking Ukraine again, they must see themselves to be the losers in the war just as they did at the end of the Cold War," Michael Ryan, former deputy assistant secretary of Defense for European and NATO Policy and former acting assistant secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, told Fox News Digital.

Security officials interviewed by Fox News Digital argued that securing Ukraine’s future is not about "trusting" Putin. It’s about actually putting Russia in a position where any future violations would hinder Moscow more than it could be enticed by unchecked opportunity.

TRUMP THREATENS SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA, DEMANDS PEACE AFTER MAJOR HITS IN UKRAINE

"Even if a deal is concluded, Russia will continue clandestine operations across the world to expand its footprint in terms of geopolitical influence," Rebekah Koffler, a former DIA intelligence officer, told Fox News Digital, noting the former KGB operative can be counted on to "continue election interference campaigns, cyber warfare, espionage and destabilization operations across the globe.

"There’s no such thing as peace in Russia’s strategic military thinking. You are in a constant confrontation."

Ryan argued a Trump-brokered peace deal needs to reflect on the lessons learned from previously failed agreements, like the post-WWI Treaty of Versailles, which arguably led to the rise of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany.

"How to solve this conundrum? Just as we did after World War II … reconstruction of Ukraine must include economic reconciliation with Russia," Ryan said. "The Russians saw how we rebuilt the losing side in World War II Germany and Japan. They expected us to do the same for Russia after the Cold War, but we did not.  

"We can't make that same mistake if we want lasting peace for Ukraine and if we want to split Russia from China," he added, noting other adversaries are watching how the West handles this geopolitical hurdle.

There are numerous obstacles when it comes to the Trump administration’s attempt to negotiate with Putin, including arguments over occupied territory, international recognition of occupied lands, international aid and support for Ukraine, international confiscation of frozen Russian assets, Zelenskyy’s standing at home, the return of prisoners of war and the return of abducted Ukrainian children, according to Peter Rough, senior fellow and director of the Center on Europe and Eurasia at the Hudson Institute.

"Putin has officially annexed four Ukrainian oblasts as well as Crimea. But Moscow has yet to conquer any of the four entirely," Rough told Fox News Digital while traveling to Ukraine. "I can’t imagine that Ukraine will withdraw from the areas they control, having fought tooth and nail to defend those regions. 

"I also doubt that the West will offer de jure recognition to the areas Moscow controls," he added. "So, Putin would have to swallow all of that in a peace deal."

Each issue alone is a massive undertaking to negotiate, and while Ukraine this week may be outlining concessions it could make to secure a deal coordinated by the U.S., Putin is unlikely to do the same, according to Koffler, who briefed NATO years ahead of the 2022 invasion on Putin’s plans.

RUBIO SAYS MINERAL DEAL ‘NOT MAIN TOPIC ON AGENDA’ IN UKRAINE MEETING

"Putin is unlikely to make any concessions as he believes he is in a strong position," Koffler told Fox News Digital. "The disparity in combat potential dramatically favors Russia over Ukraine, which is out-manned and outgunned because Putin transitioned the Russian military and economy on a wartime footing seven years prior to the invasion of Ukraine."

"Putin believes he has prepared Russia to fight till the last Ukrainian and till the last missile in NATO’s arsenal," she added, echoing a January warning issued by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who said Russia’s defense industry output over a three-month period equates to what all of NATO produces an entire year.

"Putin is highly unlikely to agree to a ceasefire because he doesn’t want to give a strategic pause to Ukraine, the U.S., and NATO to re-arm," Koffler said. "He doesn’t trust Washington. He doesn’t trust President Trump any more than we trust Putin. 

"He trusts Trump even less than Biden because he could read Biden and predict his behavior. He cannot read Trump because Trump is unpredictable."

The experts argued there are too many variables that could play out during negotiations that will determine whether Putin can be adequately held accountable or "trusted" regarding future agreements.

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Ultimately, Koffler said, Putin will not leave eastern Ukraine.

"Ukraine has always been a red line for Putin, in terms of who has geopolitical control of it, Russia or the West. And he will continue to enforce this red line," she said. "The only way to ensure that Putin doesn’t invade another country is to make NATO strong again, beef up force posture, increase defense spending, secure its command-and-control networks and develop actual deterrence and counter-strategy that addresses every prong of Putin’s strategy." 

Thousands of sick, exhausted and terrified young men and women, from countries all over the world squat in rows, packed shoulder to shoulder, surgical masks covering their mouths and eyes.

Their nightmare was supposed to be over.

UN WARNS OF 'FRIGHTENING AND DISTURBING' ACTIVITY BY MILITARY, REBELS IN WESTERN BURMA

Last month, a dramatic and highly publicized operation by Thai, Chinese and Myanmar authorities led to the release of more than 7,000 people from locked compounds in Myanmar where they were forced to trick Americans and others out of their life savings. But survivors have found themselves trapped once again, this time in overcrowded facilities with no medical care, limited food and no idea when they’ll be sent home.

One young man from India said about 800 people were being held in the same facility as him, sharing 10 dirty toilets. He said many of the people there were feverish and coughing. Like all former enslaved scammers who talked to The Associated Press, he spoke on condition of anonymity out of concern for his safety.

"If we die here with health issues, who is responsible for that?" he asked.

The armed groups who are holding the survivors, as well as Thai officials across the border, say they are awaiting action from the detainees’ home governments.

It’s one of the largest potential rescues of forced laborers in modern history, but advocates say the first major effort to crack down on the cyber scam industry has turned into a growing humanitarian crisis.

The people released are just a small fraction of what could be 300,000 people working in similar scam operations across the region, according to an estimate from the United States Institute of Peace. Human rights groups and analysts add that the networks that run these illegal scams will continue to operate unless much broader action is taken against them.

A high-profile crackdown

The trapped people, some of whom are highly educated and fluent in English, were initially lured to Thailand with promises of lucrative office jobs, only to find themselves locked in buildings where they describe being forced to sit at computers up to 16 hours a day running scams. Refusing to work could bring beatings, starvation and electric shocks.

"Your passport is confiscated, you cannot go outside and everything is like hell, a living hell," a trapped Pakistani man told The Associated Press.

Cyber scams run from compounds have flourished during the pandemic, targeting people around the world. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes estimates that between $18 billion and $37 billion was lost in Asia alone in 2023, with minimal government action against the criminal industry’s spread.

Beijing began pushing the region's governments to crack down this year after a young Chinese actor was trafficked to Myanmar by people who promised him an acting job in Thailand. His girlfriend spearheaded a viral social media campaign that led to his release.

Following that rescue, a senior Chinese government official visited Thailand and Myanmar demanding an end to the scams. In response, Thailand cut electricity, internet and gas supplies to five border towns in Myanmar.

Shortly after, the ethnic militia groups that rule this part of Myanmar — the Kayin Border Guard Force and the Democratic Kayin Buddhist Army — asked some of the trapped scammers if they wanted to leave, and then escorted them out of their compounds.

From forced labor to detention

As the number of people released grew into the thousands, formerly enslaved scammers found themselves caught in indefinite detention just across a narrow, slow-moving river’s width from freedom.

Most are being held either in army camps controlled by the Kayin Border Guard Force, or repurposed scam compounds, where many have been since early February.

For weeks, men and women have shared unsanitary conditions, sleeping on the floor and eating what their captors provide. At one point, the Border Guard Force said that over 7,000 people were crammed into these facilities, as China began busing citizens across the border for flights.

Exclusive photos obtained by AP underscore the detainees' desperation: Surgical masks, often two per face, cover their eyes, noses and mouths as they huddle under the watchful eyes of armed guards.

"It felt like a blessing that we came out of that trap, but the actual thing is that every person just wants to go back home," said another Indian man, 24, speaking softly on a contraband phone from inside a makeshift detention center. He asked to not publish his name out of concern for his safety and because the militias guarding them had confiscated their phones.

Last week, fights broke out between Chinese citizens waiting to go home and the security forces guarding them, two detainees told the AP.

An unconfirmed list provided by authorities in Myanmar says they’re holding citizens from 29 countries including Philippines, Kenya and the Czech Republic.

Waiting for a $600 plane ticket

Authorities in Thailand say they cannot allow foreigners to cross the border from Myanmar unless they can be sent home immediately, leaving many to wait for help from embassies that has been long in coming.

China sent a chartered flight Thursday to the tiny Mae Sot airport to pick up a group of its citizens, but few other governments have matched that. There are roughly 130 Ethiopians waiting in a Thai military base, stuck for want of a $600 plane ticket. Dozens of Indonesians were bused out one morning last week, pushing suitcases and carrying plastic bags with their meager possessions as they headed to Bangkok for a flight home.

Thai officials held a meeting this week with representatives from foreign embassies, promising to move "as quickly as possible" to allow them to rescue their trapped citizens. But they warned that Thailand can only manage to receive 300 people per day, down from 500 previously, Monday through Fridays. It also announced it would let embassy staff cross over into Myanmar.

"The ministry attaches very high importance to this and is aware that there are sick people, and that they need to be repatriated," Nikorndej Balankura, spokesman for Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday.

The Indian Embassy in Bangkok did not respond to requests for comment. The Czech Foreign Ministry says it cannot confirm a Czech citizen is among those repatriated. It says it is in touch with the embassies in Bangkok and Yangon over the issue and that the embassies have not been asked for assistance.

Amy Miller, the Southeast Asia director of Acts of Mercy International who is based at the Thai-Myanmar border, says it’s hard for the world to understand why all of the released workers aren’t free.

"You can literally, with your naked eye, stand at the border and see people inside, on their balconies, in these compounds, and yet we cannot reach them," she said. Pausing a moment, she gestured out a nearby window toward the Friendship Bridge to Myanmar just blocks away. "I think what people don’t understand is that to enter into another country is an act of war. You cannot just go in and receive these people out."

Assistance is scarce

Aiding the work on the front lines, especially for those countries with fewer resources, are a handful of small nonprofit groups with very limited funds.

In a nondescript Mae Sot home, Miller’s organization receives escapees and a trickle of survivors who have made it across the river with comfortable couches, clean water, food and working phones to reach their families. She said today’s unprecedented numbers are overwhelming the aid available across the river.

"When we’re looking at numbers in the thousands, the ability to get them over to Thailand and process them and house them and feed them would be impossible for most governments," said Miller. "It really does require a kind of a global response."

The recent abrupt halt to U.S. foreign aid funding has made it even harder to get help to released scam center workers.

The United Nations’ International Organization for Migration, for example, previously funded care for victims of trafficking in scam compounds in one shelter in Cambodia, but was forced to halt that work by the Trump Administration’s funding freeze announced in January, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation. The halt to funding has also impacted a network of civil society groups that worked to stop human trafficking and rescue survivors in Thailand.

"It’s really heartbreaking to see that there’s such an immense amount of people that are in need of assistance," said Saskia Kok, Head of Protection Unit in Thailand for the IOM.

In a statement, U.S. officials acknowledged the high pressure impasse.

"The United States remains deeply concerned about online scam operations throughout Southeast Asia, which affect thousands of Americans and individuals from many other countries," said a State Department spokesperson in a statement sent to the AP.

A bigger problem

While advocates estimate some 50 million people are living in modern slavery, mass rescues of enslaved workers are rare. In 2015, more than 2,000 fishermen were rescued from brutal conditions at sea, liberated after an Associated Press investigation exposed their plight. That same year hundreds of Indians were rescued from brick factories in India. And last year Brazilian prosecutors rescued 163 Chinese nationals working in "slavery-like" conditions at an electric vehicle factory construction site in northeastern Brazil.

"What we are seeing at the Thai-Myanmar border now is the result of years of inaction on a trafficking crisis that has had a devastating impact on thousands of people, many of whom were simply seeking better economic prospect, but were lured to these compounds on false pretenses," said Amnesty International Myanmar researcher Joe Freeman.

Being forced to commit a crime under threat of violence should not be criminalized, said Freeman. "However, in general we are aware of countries in the region repatriating their nationals from scam compounds only to then charge them with crimes."

Business as usual

It’s not clear how much of an effect these releases will have on the criminal groups that run the scam centers.

February marked the third time the Thais have cut internet or electricity to towns across the river. Each time, the compounds have managed to work around the cuts. Large compounds have access to diesel-powered generators, as well as access to internet provider Starlink, experts working with law enforcement say.

"The resources is the one thing that they are not lacking and they’ve been able to bring them to bear in the past," said Benedikt Hoffman, acting representative for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in the region.

The armed groups that staged the crackdown have also been accused of helping to run scam compounds in Myawaddy. The head of the Kayin Border Guard Force, General Saw Chit Thu, has been sanctioned by the European Union and the United Kingdom for profiting from scam compounds and human trafficking, respectively. Compounds in the DKBA’s control are less well-documented in the public record, but activists say they also control a fair number.

"There is clearly a lot of pressure on the Border Guard Force to take action and helping people to leave is one of the most visible ways to do so," Hoffman said. "That said, it likely also reflects an adjustment to the business model, reducing the number of people involved — and with less attention, continuing lower key operations."

It will take simultaneous pressure exerted in multiple areas to truly shut down the compounds, said Hoffman.

In this crackdown, there have been no major prosecutions or compounds shut down.

"This doesn’t affect anything," said a 23-year-old Pakistani man who had hoped to be freed only to be trapped in an army camp. The bosses, he said, are "rich as hell" and can buy anything they need to keep the lucrative operations going. Meanwhile, he said, conditions are worsening.

"My friends are in really bad condition, we can’t survive here," he said, requesting anonymity out of fear for retribution from his guards. He asks a question that's been haunting him day in and day out for weeks: "Is anyone coming for us?"

Ukraine on Tuesday accepted a deal put forward by the Trump administration during a meeting in Saudi Arabia, in a step forward for securing a ceasefire and an end to its war with Russia.

"We'll take this offer now to the Russians, and we hope that they'll say yes," Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters. 

Rubio, standing alongside National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, did not detail exactly what was in this agreement but said, "Ukraine wants to stop shooting."

MARK KELLY ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘TRYING TO WEAKEN’ UKRAINE, FIRES BACK AT ELON MUSK FOR BRANDING HIM A ‘TRAITOR’

"We hope the Russians answer to that," he added. "The best goodwill gesture the Russians can provide is to say yes."

Rubio said if and once Moscow agrees to this preliminary agreement, the real negotiations can commence. 

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"We've gone from if this war is going to end to how this war is going to end, " Waltz told reporters. 

Issues involving the return of children abducted by Russia and the return of the prisoners of war will be addressed in the "second phase" the pair said.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates. 

U.S. envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff is heading to Russia later this week, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News. 

The confirmation comes after media reports said Witkoff is planning to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin for a second time. 

Witkoff previously met Putin for three hours in mid-February during a trip to Moscow to secure the release of detained American Marc Fogel, according to Axios. 

The Kremlin then suggested around that time that another U.S.-Russia prisoner swap could be coming. 

UKRAINE LAUNCHES BIGGEST DRONE ATTACK ON MOSCOW, KILLING 2, AS US TALKS BEGIN 

Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz are currently in Saudi Arabia meeting a senior Ukrainian delegation for talks about ending the Ukraine-Russia war. 

The Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia was expected to include Andriy Yermak, head of the presidential office, Andrii Sybiha, minister of foreign affairs, Pavlo Palisa, colonel of armed forces of Ukraine and an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who was not only involved in initial talks with Russia following its February 2022 invasion, but who also survived a poisoning attack after a peace meeting in March that year.  

HAMAS’ TREATMENT OF HOSTAGES ‘INTOLERABLE,’ TRUMP ENVOY SAYS 

Rubio told reporters Monday that "The important point in this meeting is to establish clearly their intentions, their desire, as they've said publicly now, numerous times, to reach a point where peace is possible," adding that he will need to be assured that Kyiv is prepared to make some hard decisions, like giving up territory seized by Russia, in order to end the three-year war.  

"I wouldn't prejudge tomorrow about whether or not we have a minerals deal," Rubio also said on board a flight to Saudi Arabia. "It's an important topic, but it's not the main topic on the agenda. 

Fox News’ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.