Trump on Ukraine-Russia:

I think we are getting very close to a deal.

We will find out.

Trump pardons a turkey for Thanksgiving.

Trump on Washington DC:

We haven't had a murder in six months.

Sudan: UAE-backed RSF commander Adam Faraj Allah Taqdima was killed in El-Fula, West Kordofan, after being hit by a drone strike.

Trump’s Nov. 18 meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman grew heated when Trump pushed Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords and normalize relations with Israel.

Trump expected progress, but MBS pushed back, saying Saudi public opinion is too anti-Israel after the Gaza war and that normalization requires Israel agreeing to a credible, time-bound path to a Palestinian state — something Israel’s government opposes.

Officials described Trump as “disappointed and irritated,” though the meeting remained civil.

Source: Axios

Zelensky:

Only Moscow continues to prioritize the war against Ukraine above all else.

France and Germany are pressuring Dassault and Airbus to resolve long-running disputes that threaten the €100B FCAS next-generation fighter program.

With a mid-December deadline, both governments want the companies to sign a cooperation deal to break an industrial deadlock over workshare and access to key technologies.

If talks fail, fallback options include each nation developing its own jet or narrowing FCAS to a shared “combat cloud” while pursuing separate aircraft.

Source: Reuters

NEW: Sweden’s military says it needs long-range weapons — up to 2,000 km — that can hit deep inside Russia as a deterrent, noting Moscow’s expanding missile and drone capabilities.

Defence Minister Pål Jonson agrees, saying Sweden must match Russia’s long-range reach.

Source: Reuters

Trump:

Over the past week, my team has made tremendous progress with respect to ending the War between Russia and Ukraine.

The original 28-Point Peace Plan, which was drafted by the United States, has been fine-tuned, with additional input from both sides, and there are only a few remaining points of disagreement.

I have directed my Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with President Putin in Moscow and, at the same time, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll will be meeting with the Ukrainians.

I look forward to hopefully meeting with President Zelenskyy and President Putin soon, but ONLY when the deal to end this War is FINAL or, in its final stages.

Nigeria: Security sources confirmed that 24 abducted girls from Maga Government Girls’ Secondary School in Kebbi’s Danko-Wasagu area have been rescued.

Interesting: A leaked recording reveals that Steve Witkoff held a short call with top Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov on Oct. 14, urging Russia to coordinate with the US on a Ukraine peace plan and suggesting Putin raise the idea directly with Trump.

Witkoff proposed modeling the plan on the recent Gaza agreement, telling Ushakov that he and Trump had created a “20-point plan for peace” and could develop a similar one with Russia.

He advised Putin to call Trump, congratulate him on the Gaza deal, and present Russia as eager for peace before Zelensky visited the White House.

Two days later, Putin called Trump in a discussion Trump described as “very productive.”

Source: Bloomberg

Zelensky’s Chief-of-Staff, Andrii Yermak:

US Secretary of the Army Driscoll will arrive in Kyiv this week.

NEW: Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered former President Jair Bolsonaro to immediately begin serving his 27-year prison sentence for attempting to overturn the 2022 election.

He will stay in a special 12 m² room at Federal Police HQ in Brasília with a bed, bathroom, AC, TV, and desk, and no contact with other inmates.

Bolsonaro had been on house arrest but was jailed after trying to remove his ankle monitor.

The U.S. Navy has cancelled the last four Constellation-class frigates and is reviewing the remaining two after the program fell three years behind schedule and more than $1B over cost.

Navy leadership says the fleet needs faster, cheaper ships, so funds are being redirected to new classes that can be built quickly at more shipyards.

Reporter: Do you think that Ukraine is being asked to give too much land to Russia?

Trump: The front is going in one direction.

Trump on Ukraine:

I don't have a deadline.

Reporter: Have you heard this audio that Bloomberg has of Witkoff coaching the Russians on how to appeal to you?

Trump: That’s a standard thing, you know, because he’s got to sell this to Ukraine. He’s got to sell Ukraine to Russia. That’s what he’s… that’s what a dealmaker does.

Trump on Maduro:

I might talk to him. We’ll see… We’re discussing that with the different staffs. We might talk.

If we can save lives, if we can do things the easy way, that’s fine. And if we have to do it the hard way, that’s fine, too.

U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll warned Ukrainian officials in Kyiv that their forces face imminent defeat and urged them to accept a U.S.-backed peace plan that Kyiv saw as heavily favoring Russia.

Driscoll told them Russia’s military advantage was growing and the U.S. could no longer supply weapons at the needed pace.

Source: NBC News

Maduro rallied supporters in Caracas while brandishing a sword, vowing to resist any U.S. attempt to remove him from power.

Poland plans to deploy surveillance and counter-drone fleets to protect railways and key infrastructure.

Source: FT