The Inspector General for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Paul Martin was notified today by the Office of Presidential Personnel that he had been “terminated, effective immediately,” less than a day after his Office released a report expressing concern and criticizing recent changes made to USAID. Since entering the White House last month, the Trump Administration has removed roughly 20 Inspectors Generals from various federal agencies and departments; with all of the firings appearing to be violation of Congressional Law, which requires the President to notify Congress at least 30 days prior to the removal of an Inspector General.

Adam Boehler, U.S. Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, just said on CNN that another American Hostage will be released on Wednesday, though he did elaborate where the Hostage would be released from.

Steve Witkoff’s Gulfstream G650ER Business Jet carrying Marc Fogel, an American who was released earlier today after 4 Years in a Russian Prison, has just landed at Joint Base Andrews near Washington D.C.

After landing at Joint Base Andrews near Washington D.C., newly released American citizen Marc Fogel is set to meet U.S. President Donald J. Trump at the White House soon.

Explosions heard in the Ukrainian Capital of Kyiv, with reports of an ongoing Russian Ballistic Missile Attack against the City.

Newly freed American citizen Marc Fogel after arriving at Joint Base Andrews near the U.S. capital. Fogel will meet U.S. President Donald J. Trump in the coming hours.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump awaits the arrival of Marc Fogel, who was released today from Russian Prison, at the White House in Washington, where it is currently around 10:30pm and snowing.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump meets Marc Fogel, who was just freed from Russia, outside the White House.

Newly freed from Russia, American citizen Mark Fogel makes a statement in the White House’s Diplomatic Reception Room. In his own rendition of the famous Winston Churchill quote, “never has one owed so much to so many.” Powerful.

The New York Times (NYT) is now reporting that Alexander Vinnick, a criminal cyber-actor, who ran an illegal crypto money laundering operation will be released to Russia in exchange for Mark Fogel, the American released yesterday. However, an unnamed official has told the NYT that he is set to forfeit millions in assets as a part of the exchange.

During a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG), U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ruled out Ukraine joining NATO and spoke some hard truths. “We must start by recognizing that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective…the United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement.”
The secretary also urged European nations, especially members of the UDCG, to commit an overwhelming share of aid to Ukraine, and to ‘level’ with their citizens on the threat facing European nations.

Additionally, at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) meeting in Brussels, Belgium U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said that any troops deployed to Ukraine will not be U.S. troops and they must be part of a “non-NATO [European] mission and they should not be covered under Article 5.”