Weekend roundup: Pressure on Putin, Greenland; France’s Le Pen convicted; Trump talks aid for farmers

Over the weekend, President Donald Trump pressed Russia’s Putin on Ukraine peace talks, threatened oil tariffs, and jabbed Ukraine’s Zelenskyy, while entertaining a Greenland acquisition, irking Denmark.

Trump increases pressure on Putin

On Air Force One, Trump told reporters he was angry with Russian President Vladimir Putin for dragging his feet over peace negotiations with Ukraine. The president also threatened additional tariffs on Russia as a punitive measure.

“If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia’s fault, which it might not be, but if I think it was Russia’s fault, I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia,” Trump said, according to CNN. 

The president also had some choice words for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accusing Zelenskyy of being unrealistic about his demands for peace. 

“He’s trying to back out of the rare earth deal,” Trump said, referring to negotiations over U.S. access to critical minerals in Ukraine, reported the Associated Press. “And if he does that, he’s got some problems. Big, big problems.” 

Trump later said that Zelenskyy wanted Ukraine to be a part of NATO, which has been a nonstarter for all U.S. presidents since Obama. 

Wisconsin Supreme Court election, Florida special elections 

Just five months after Trump was reelected in historic fashion, the presidential agenda may be tested at the polls on Tuesday in two states. 

Voters in Wisconsin will be deciding on a state Supreme Court justice and several ballot issues, including voter ID, all of which have been seen as a referendum on Trump’s administration. 

Currently liberals have a 4-3 majority over conservatives on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, a swing state where the national voter ID battle is being fought. 

Billionaire George Soros is pouring money into the campaign on behalf of Democrats, and billionaire Elon Musk is pouring money into the campaign on behalf of Republicans, in what’s billed as the most expensive state Supreme Court election in history, reports Wisconsin Public Radio. 

In Florida, two U.S. congressional districts, the 1st and the 6^th, are up for grabs in special elections after two resignations. 

While both Florida districts went comfortably for Trump in 2024, polls show that the vacancy race is closer than Republicans would like in the 6th Congressional district, according to The Hill. 

Thin margins motivated Trump to pull the nomination of Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-New York, as ambassador to the United Nations. 

The election in the 6th is to replace Trump’s current National Security Advisor, Michael Waltz, while the race in the 1st is to replace former Rep. Matt Gaetz, who resigned. 

Greenland acquisition talk continues from Trump administration  

The Prime Minister of Denmark is set to visit, Greenland, over which it has some legal control, following a visit to the island by U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who said Denmark hasn’t done enough to help Greenland.  

“Denmark hasn’t done a good job at keeping Greenland safe,” Vance told service members at the Pituffik Space Base in Greenland on Friday, according to CNBC.  

Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt said the idea advanced by some that Denmark hasn’t been a strong ally of the United States is untrue.  

“This whole talk about Denmark not being a good ally, that is simply not true,” she said according to Politico. “And it is a little bit insulting, to be honest, that we have stood side by side with America for decades.” 

She noted Denmark deployed troops to Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan to assist the U.S.  

Still, President Trump didn’t rule out the possibility of using force to annex the island.  

“I think there’s a good possibility that we could do it without military force,” said Trump, when asked about the use of force, according to the AP.  “This is world peace, this is international security,” he said, but added: “I don’t take anything off the table.” 

Greenland’s strategic location at the top of the world, combined with a large inventory of rare earth minerals, make the island an inviting acquisition for the U.S. 

France’s Le Pen convicted, barred from office as lawfare continues 

Just as her conservative party was gaining ground in French elections, Paris Criminal Courts suddenly convicted Marine Le Pen of embezzlement of EU funds. 

The conviction comes with an immediate ban from serving in political office and a four-year prison sentence with two years suspended, reported NBC News.  

CNBC said that Le Pen called the charge a politically motivated witch hunt.  

Conservative critics of the prosecution have rallied to Le Pen’s defense. 

“Not only has Marine Le Pen been unjustly convicted, French democracy has been executed,” said ally Jordan Bardella, a Le Pen protégé and, according to the New York Times, a likely presidential candidate to replace her. 

The conviction of Le Pen follows a pattern of prosecutions by courts in developed countries aimed at conservatives.  

Trump, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and former French President Nicolas Sarközy have all been convicted or charged with crimes. 

White House looks to farm aid to help during trade war   

Trump is contemplating a package of measures that would help boost farmers who could be hurt by the impending trade war, reports the New York Times. 

Two weeks ago, USDA head Brooke Rollins promised a package of $10 billion worth of farm aid to offset any damage done by tariffs in the short term.  

That would be an addition to the already promised $21 billion in disaster aid pledged to farmers, reported Politico. 

Administration officials have sketched out what a possible farmer package would look like with industry groups and GOP congressional leaders, according to four people familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the talks, said the New York Times. 

It’s likely legislation would have to be passed to come up with the funds.  

In 2018 and 2019, the Trump administration provided $23 billion worth of aid to farmers during the ongoing trade war with China. 

Photo: U.S. Vice President JD Vance visits a U.S. Space Force base in Greenland (via X)