What we're covering
• Netanyahu meeting: President Donald Trump is hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, where they are set to discuss the second phase of the US peace plan for Gaza. Netanyahu is expected to press Trump on taking more aggressive action against Israel’s enemies, but the US president has grown wary of some Israeli actions.
• Ukraine war talks: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Trump yesterday amid efforts to end the conflict, but the leaders did not announce any major breakthroughs. Trump held a “positive call” with Russian President Vladimir Putin today, the White House said, and US and Ukrainian teams could meet again as early as next week to finalize the peace plan.
• US-Venezuela tensions: Trump offered scant details today about an operation he said took out a “big facility” last week in Venezuela. Trump said there was a “major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs,” without specifying whether the US military conducted the operation.
Trump says contested allegation that Ukrainian drone targeted a Putin residence is "not good"
President Donald Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin informed him in a Monday morning call of a Ukrainian drone attack allegedly targeting one of his residences, saying the move was “not good,” even as Kyiv immediately rejected the allegation.
“I don’t like it. It’s not good,” Trump said. He conceded it was “possible” the allegation was false and such an attack had not occurred, then added, “But President Putin told me this morning it did.”
The comments represent Trump’s first remarks on the matter since Russia’s foreign minister made the allegation.
“I just heard about it actually, but I don’t know about it. That would be too bad. That would not be good,” he told reporters ahead of a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
Trump otherwise described his call with Putin as “productive,” though he said there remain issues to be worked out to brokering a peace deal in Ukraine.
This post was updated with additional comments from President Trump.
Trump offers scant details on operation he claims took out “big facility” for processing drugs in Venezuela
President Donald Trump offered scant details Monday on an operation he said took out a “big facility” in Venezuela last week, but said that “there was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs.”
“So we hit all the boats, and now we hit the area — it’s an implementation area, that’s where they implement, and that is no longer around,” he told reporters in Palm Beach, Florida.
Pressed on whether the US military was behind the operation, Trump declined to say whether it was executed by the military or by another US entity such as the CIA.
“I don’t want to say that,” Trump told CNN. “I know exactly who it was, but I don’t want to say who it was. But you know, it was along the shore.”
Trump first revealed details of the operation during a Friday interview with Republican donor John Catsimatidis. In the interview, he said the US was behind an attack on a “big plant, or a big facility,” telling the radio host, “We knocked that out.”
Trump has been threatening strikes on land in Venezuela for weeks as the US has launched strikes destroying 30 boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. American officials have said previously that targets could include drug production facilities or known trafficking routes as the administration continues its pressure campaign on Venezuela and its leader, Nicolás Maduro.
Trump threatens another attack on Iran if it rebuilds missile program
President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to back another strike against Iran if it tries to rebuild its ballistic missile program.
“I hear that Iran is trying to build up again, and if they are, we’re going to have to knock them down,” Trump said ahead of a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “We’ll knock them down. We’ll knock the hell out of them.”
The president added that he would support an attack on Iran “immediately” if it attempts to redevelop its nuclear capability, advising the country to instead seek to a “deal” with the US.
“That’s smarter,” Trump said. “They could have made a deal the last time before we went through, you know, a big attack on them.”
The US earlier this year bombed three nuclear facilities in Iran, in an attack that Trump has since hailed as a major military success. But Netanyahu in recent weeks has warned that Iran is again expanding its ballistic missile program, and is expected to make the case to Trump this week that more action could soon be required.
Trump suggests he will try to get the second phase of Gaza peace plan started "as quickly as we can"
President Donald Trump suggested Monday ahead of his meeting with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he will try to get the second phase of the Gaza peace plan started “as quickly as we can.”
“Very quickly, as quickly as we can, but there has to be a disarmament, we have to disarm with Hamas,” the president told CNN’s Kevin Liptak outside of Mar-a-Lago.
More than two months after Trump traveled to Egypt to sign the Gaza peace agreement, crucial pieces of the deal remain undefined as Israel tightens its military grip on the battered enclave.
The second phase of the deal includes Hamas’ disarmament, the beginning of reconstruction and the establishment of post-war governance. At the center of the new plan for administering Gaza is the creation of a “Board of Peace” to be led by Trump and other world leaders.
Pressed by reporters Monday when the reconstruction in Gaza could begin, the president suggested that it is “going to begin pretty soon.”
CNN’s Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.
Netanyahu arrives at Mar-a-Lago for meeting with Trump
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has just arrived at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, where he will meet with US President Donald Trump.
The pair are expected to discuss the next phase of Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, which involves the disarmament of Hamas, the establishing of new governance in the Gaza Strip and the reconstruction of the enclave, which was decimated in more than two years of war.
Since Israel and Hamas agreed to Trump's ceasefire plan, hundreds of people have died in Gaza
Since Israel and Hamas agreed to implement the first stage of US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan in October, hundreds of people have died in the Gaza Strip.
Nearly 400 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military in the enclave since the ceasefire went into effect, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Many more have died because of heavy rain and cold winter weather, including one baby who died of hypothermia after her family’s tent in Khan Younis, southern Gaza was flooded earlier this month.
Many Palestinians in the enclave have had no choice but to live in tents and makeshift shelters after their homes were destroyed in Israel’s war against Hamas. A United Nations damage assessment back in October found that approximately 81% of all structures in the Gaza Strip were damaged, including an estimated 320,622 housing units.
Since December 10, an estimated 17 buildings have collapsed and more than 42,000 tents or makeshift shelters are estimated to have been damaged, according to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). At least 235,000 people in Gaza have been affected by this, it said in an update last Friday.
Human rights groups have accused Israel of failing to uphold its commitments regarding the flow of humanitarian aid and blocking essential supplies, like tents, from entering the strip.
Mohammed al-Sawalhi, Tareq El-Helou, Zeena Saifi, Tal Shalev, Jeremy Diamond, Oren Liebermann, Ibrahim Dahman, and Caitlin Danaher contributed to this reporting.
Netanyahu meets with Hegseth in Florida ahead of meeting with Trump
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Florida, according to Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
Images released by the PMO show the pair smiling and shaking hands. Another photograph shows them sitting alongside other officials.
Netanyahu is set to meet with US President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in less than an hour. The leaders are expected to discuss the second phase of Trump’s plan for peace in Gaza.
Kyiv rejects Russian claim that Ukrainian drone attack targeted one of Putin’s residences
Russia’s foreign minister alleged that a Ukrainian drone attack targeted one of President Vladimir Putin’s residences on Monday, a claim that was immediately rejected by Kyiv.
As a result of the alleged attack in the Novgorod region, Sergey Lavrov said “Russia’s negotiating position will be revised” in the peace talks seeking to end Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Lavrov said there were no damage or casualties but that the Russian military has selected targets for “retaliatory strikes.” He also said Russia does not intend to withdraw from negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky immediately rejected the alleged drone attack as “a complete fabrication” from Russia. Zelensky pointed out that the claim came a day after he met with US President Donald Trump in Florida.
According to Russian state radio, citing a call with Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, Putin informed Trump about the alleged drone attack in a call between the two leaders Monday, and he told the White House that Russia is reviewing its position on peace negotiations as a result.
The White House said Monday morning that Trump’s call with Putin was “positive,” but it did not provide a readout of the call.
CNN has reached out to the White House for comment on the alleged attack.
Take a closer look at Mar-a-Lago — the Florida estate owned by Trump
Mar-a-Lago, the Florida estate owned by President Donald Trump, has become a hotbed for US international diplomacy over recent days, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meeting his American counterpart there yesterday, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visiting today.
Located in Palm Beach, the oceanfront estate also labeled the “Winter White House” was bought by Trump in 1985 for $5 million.
Initially a private residence, the property was willed to the US government in 1973, after its owner Marjorie Merriweather Post died. Post wanted it to be used as a diplomatic or presidential retreat, though it instead fell into disrepair and was returned to the Post Foundation several years later.
After buying Mar-a-Lago, Trump used the property as a private residence for a number of years before turning it into the exclusive Mar-a-Lago club in 1995.
Now, the club boasts a private beach, a freshwater pool, a luxury spa, two dining rooms and five tennis courts. Its rooms are elaborately decorated with Old Spanish tiles, the club’s website says, including some dating back to the 15th century.
CNN’s Betsy Klein contributed to this report.
Catch up on the latest news from the Trump administration
Amid a busy past two days of US foreign diplomacy, here are some of the other stories related to US President Donald Trump’s administration that we’ve been covering this week.
- More Epstein files to be released: Despite a deadline of December 19, the Justice Department still has to release more than a million more newly discovered documents potentially related to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Hundreds of thousands of documents related to Epstein have been released so far, with many of Epstein’s victims, as well as lawmakers from both parties, criticizing these releases for being incomplete and over-redacted.
- Oil tanker near Venezuela: US officials are contemplating moving additional resources to forcibly board a massive, rusted oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela. The Bella 1 was chased into these waters last weekend. The White House has said it is a “dark fleet vessel” covered by US sanctions that is sailing under a false flag. Officials said it was under a judicial order that would allow for its seizure. As we’ve reported, Trump said the US took out a “big facility” last week as part of a pressure campaign against Venezuela.
- Kennedy Center “Jazz Jam” cancellation: The president of the Kennedy Center has criticized a jazz musician for canceling an annual Christmas Eve concert after Trump’s name was added to the title of the arts venue. Chuck Redd told CNN last week that he canceled the holiday jazz concert, which he has hosted for nearly two decades, after seeing the board’s move to rename the building earlier in the month.
- Tariffs creating “great wealth”: Trump said in a post on Truth Social that the US economy - which rose 4.3% in the July-September period, according to the Commerce Department - was a result of his sweeping tariff policies. “Tariffs are creating GREAT WEALTH, and unprecedented National Security for the USA. Trade deficit has been cut by 60%, totally unheard of. 4.3% GDP, and going way up. No inflation!!! We are respected as a Country again,” Trump said in the post on Saturday.
CNN’s Marshall Cohen, Hannah Rabinowitz, Kevin Liptak, Aleena Fayaz and Auzinea Bacon contributed to this reporting.
Trump concludes call with Putin
President Donald Trump has finished a Monday morning call with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the war in Ukraine, a White House spokeswoman said.
“President Trump just concluded a positive call with President Putin concerning Ukraine,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told CNN.
The call came a day after Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago to discuss the war, though after three hours of talks, neither man announced any major breakthrough.
Leavitt did not immediately provide a readout of the Trump-Putin call.
Netanyahu meets with Rubio in Florida
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Florida, according to Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
In a video released by the PMO Monday, the pair are seen shaking hands. They are also seen sitting in chairs against a backdrop featuring the US and Israeli flags.
Netanyahu is set to meet US President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago at around 1 p.m. ET today. The leaders are expected to discuss developments to a peace plan that was implemented in October to end Israel’s war in Gaza
Trump says US knocked out "big facility" as part of Venezuela campaign
President Donald Trump said the United States took out a “big facility” last week as part of a pressure campaign against Venezuela, but did not provide further details on the reported US action.
The stray comment came amid a discussion of the president’s ongoing campaign against Venezuela and its leader Nicolas Maduro, including strikes on alleged drug boats and a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers.
Trump did not expand on the action that he claimed took out a plant or facility, and the White House did not respond to a request for comment. It is also unclear what facility the president was referring to or where it was located.
One US official said the president was describing a drug facility, but declined to provide further detail about the action. There have been no reports from Venezuela of a major facility being destroyed.
Trump has been threatening strikes on land in Venezuela for weeks as the US has launched strikes destroying 30 boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. American officials have said previously that targets could include drug production facilities or known trafficking routes.
Zelensky says peace plan proposes that US guarantees Ukrainian security for 15 years
More now on yesterday’s talks between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The latest peace plan to end the war between Russia and Ukraine proposes that the US guarantees Kyiv’s security for 15 years, Zelensky said earlier today.
The option of “extending these security guarantees,” would be included in the documents too, Zelensky added in a series of voice messages sent to journalists as he issued the latest update on the ongoing talks.
The Ukrainian leader asked Trump to consider security guarantees lasting “30-40-50 years,” he said. “President (Trump) said he would think about it,” Zelensky added.
Once again, Zelensky stressed that “without security guarantees, this war is not really over,” and called for them to be strengthened by the “presence of international troops” in Ukraine as well as signed off by the US Congress and Ukrainian parliament.
Two of the plan’s 20 points remain unresolved – who will control the future operation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and the issue of territory, Zelensky said.
On the thorny question of territorial concessions, Zelensky said “there is no detailed concept for a free economic zone” yet, referring to the US proposal to create such a zone in parts of the eastern Donbas region once Ukrainian troops had withdrawn from the area.
He added that the 20-point-plan itself “needs to be confirmed in a referendum,” which would require a ceasefire of “at least 60 days,” to hold, and that a meeting with Russian interlocutors could only happen once Trump and European leaders agree to a proposal.
Trump to call Putin very soon to discuss latest peace talks, Kremlin says
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump will call his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin very soon to update Moscow on his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Kremlin confirmed today, without specifying the exact time of the planned call.
Trump spoke to Putin for more than an hour yesterday by phone before he met with Zelensky in the latest round of peace talks seeking to reach a deal to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He is expected to call Putin again to update him on those talks.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to offer much comment on Trump and Zelensky’s public summations of their meeting, saying it was “inappropriate to offer public comments on specific points of discussion.”
He did reiterate, however, that “Russia thinks about ending the military conflict in the context of achieving its goals,” and Moscow’s view that Kyiv should withdraw its troops from the Donbas region.
Peskov also batted away Zelensky’s suggestion that Russia should prepare a “Plan B.”
A closer look at previous visits to the White House by Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on his fifth US trip since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term. His visit comes with a ceasefire deal that ended large-scale fighting between Hamas and Israel in October set to enter a new phase.
Netanyahu was Trump’s first foreign visitor to the Oval Office in February after he began his second presidential term. He gave Trump a gold-plated pager, a reference to Israel’s deadly operation in Lebanon in September 2024, which targeted pagers used by Hezbollah members.
The Israeli prime minister visited the White House again in April, after Trump unveiled reciprocal tariffs on most countries, hitting Israel with a level of 17%.
In July, Netanyahu met Trump at the White House, bringing a letter nominating the president for the Nobel Peace Prize. “He’s forging peace, as we speak, in one country, in one region after the other,” Netanyahu had said as he presented Trump with the document.
Netanyahu also visited Washington in September to discuss the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal. After their meeting, Trump laid out his administration’s 20-point proposal for a comprehensive end to the war in Gaza.
When are Trump and Netanyahu meeting today?
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are set to meet in Florida later today, at around 1 p.m. ET.
The pair are expected to discuss developments to a peace plan that was implemented in October to end Israel’s war in Gaza. While the first stage of the plan has been carried out, Trump is determined to move to its far more complicated second phase.
This next phase includes the disarmament of Hamas, the beginning of reconstruction in the enclave, and the establishment of post-war governance.
Some context to the visit: However, Israel is insisting that the remains of a final hostage are returned from Gaza before the second phase begins - though it also knows that Hamas may not be able to find and return all the remaining dead hostages, according to three Israeli sources.
While Hamas has indicated that it would be willing to discuss “freezing or storing” its weapons, it is not clear if this would meet Israel’s demand for the militant group to disarm under the ceasefire.
“Phase two is not frozen because of one point,” an Egyptian official told CNN earlier this month. “It is frozen because every step affects Gaza’s future, and the parties are not yet willing to pay the political cost of making a final decision.”
Tal Shalev, Jeremy Diamond, Oren Liebermann and Ami Kaufman contributed to this reporting.
Trump is hosting a foreign leader at Palm Beach for a second day. Catch up on yesterday's events
Welcome to our coverage of today’s events concerning President Donald Trump’s administration amid a busy two days of US foreign diplomacy.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the second head of state to meet US President Donald Trump in as many days. Yesterday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida to discuss a peace deal to end the war started by Russia.
Here’s what went on during more than three hours of talks yesterday:
War either ends or goes on indefinitely: Trump insisted he had no deadline in mind for ending the Ukraine war, but he also seemed to suggest that now was the ripest time to finally end the conflict.
Putin absent but not forgotten: Russian President Vladimir Putin did not travel to Palm Beach. But Trump spoke to the Russian leader for more than an hour on the phone before the talks with Zelensky began. Trump also said he would speak with Putin again after his meeting with Zelensky.
The last 10%: Heading into the meeting, Zelensky said 90% of the terms of the peace plan had been agreed to. Afterward, Zelensky used the same figure, though Trump said he didn’t like using percentages. The main sticking points include the fate of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and the questions of land concession.
Complicated relationship: Since their first, disastrous meeting in February, each meeting between Trump and Zelensky during Trump’s second term has been closely watched for its tone. Upon greeting Zelensky at his Palm Beach estate, Trump offered praise, and Zelensky began and concluded his remarks by saying thank you to Trump.
