Donald Trump hosted an Oval Office press conference with Elon Musk on Friday to mark the end of the tech billionaire’s tenure as a special government employee overseeing the so-called “department of government efficiency”, or Doge.
Musk’s departure comes after weeks of increasing pressure over his time leading Doge, in which he slashed thousands of jobs, resources and public spending.
Here are the key takeaways from the event:
The Kremlin said Friday that it expects Russian and Ukrainian negotiators to discuss a list of conditions for a ceasefire during talks in Istanbul next week.
Russia has proposed holding the second round of talks with Ukraine on June 2. However, Ukraine wants to see Russia's proposals for a peace deal before it sends a delegation to Turkey, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Friday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian delegation would be travelling to Istanbul and would be ready for talks with Ukraine on Monday morning.
"At the moment, everyone is focused on the direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations. A list of conditions for a temporary truce is being developed," Peskov told reporters. He said the details of the memorandum will not be made public.
Reuters reported earlier this week that Putin's conditions for ending the war in Ukraine include a demand that Western leaders pledge in writing to stop expanding NATO eastward.
U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said Thursday that Russia's concern over the eastward enlargement of NATO was "fair," adding that Washington did not intend to invite Ukraine to join the Western military alliance.
Commenting on Kellogg's remarks, Peskov said that Putin has regularly argued that NATO expansion should be halted.
"We are pleased that these explanations by the president are understood, including in Washington. And, of course, this is quite appealing to us in terms of the mediating role that Washington continues to play," Peskov said.
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Российские официальные лица продолжают демонстрировать непримиримую позицию Кремля накануне предложенных переговоров в Стамбуле, запланированных на 2 июня, что свидетельствует о крайне низкой вероятности достижения на этой встрече каких-либо существенных результатов в поддержку устойчивого мира в Украине.
Об этом говорится в очередном отчете Института изучения войны (ISW).
Как отмечается в отчёте, постоянный представитель России при ООН Василий Небензя заявил на заседании Совета Безопасности ООН 30 мая, что Россия готова воевать с Украиной "столько, сколько потребуется", и что Украина может либо принять мир на российских условиях, либо столкнуться с неизбежным поражением на поле боя. Небензя также сказал, что США якобы "открыли глаза" на "коренные причины" войны в Украине, и повторил требования президента России Владимира Путина о прекращении поставок вооружений ВСУ со стороны Запада и остановке мобилизации в Украине в качестве предварительных условий для прекращения огня.
Генеральный директор Российского фонда прямых инвестиций (РФПИ) и специальный представитель президента по инвестициям и экономическому сотрудничеству с иностранными государствами Кирилл Дмитриев также потребовал устранить "коренные причины" конфликта в Украине в англоязычном сообщении в социальной сети X 30 мая. Ранее министр иностранных дел России Сергей Лавров определил "коренные причины" войны в Украине как расширение НАТО на восток после распада Советского Союза в 1991 году и якобы дискриминацию русскоязычного населения и русской культуры со стороны украинского правительства.
Представитель МИД РФ Мария Захарова заявила 29 мая, что российская делегация на предстоящих двусторонних переговорах в Стамбуле 2 июня будет "той же самой", что и на предыдущих переговорах 15–16 мая. Россия тогда направила делегацию низкого уровня, которую возглавил помощник президента Владимир Мединский, в состав делегации также вошли заместитель министра иностранных дел Михаил Галузин, начальник Главного управления Генштаба ВС РФ (ГРУ) Игорь Костюков и заместитель министра обороны Александр Фомин.
Решение российских официальных лиц повторять старые требования и направить ту же делегацию низкого уровня на следующую встречу в Стамбуле указывает на отсутствие у России интереса к добросовестным переговорам. Институт изучения войны (ISW) по-прежнему считает, что Россия стремится затянуть процесс мирных переговоров, чтобы продолжить наступательные действия на территории Украины и добиться дополнительных уступок от Киева и Запада.
The wife of a top Trump confidant is leaving the White House to work for Elon Musk after her stint at DOGE.
Katie Miller - the wife of influential White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller - worked as spokeswoman and advisor for DOGE until this week when it was reported by CNN that she will be departing the cost-cutting group to work for Musk full-time.
At the start of President Donald Trump's second term she was, like Musk, a 'Special Government Employee,' which means her role at DOGE was always expected to come to an end and could not exceed 130 days.
The former DOGE spokeswoman will now reportedly help the billionaire owner of SpaceX and Tesla in setting up media interviews.
Musk has done several interviews this week on a recent SpaceX rocket launch, possibly indicating that Miller could already be organizing the tech founder's media schedule.
Born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Miller has been involved in Republican politics since at least 2014, when she worked at the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) as a spokesperson.
After her stint there, she went on to work for Sens. Steve Daines, R-Mont., and former Arizona Republican Martha McSally.
Following her work on Capitol Hill she served in the first Trump administration in a variety of different roles in communications and press, often interfacing with journalists.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller's wife, Katie Miller, listens as U.S. President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk speak to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on May 30, 2025 in Washington, D.C. She served as DOGE spokesperson and is now reportedly working for the tech billionaire
Trump's White House Senior Adviser Stephen Miller, left, and Katie Waldman, now Miller, arrive for a State Dinner in 2019.
The couple were married in 2020 at what was then the Trump hotel in Washington, D.C.
Miller was a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security and later the communications director for Vice President Mike Pence.
During the first administration on February 16, 2020, she married Stephen Miller, then a senior adviser to the president.
The pair were married at the Trump Hotel in Washington, D.C., a hotel later sold by the president that is just blocks from the White House.
They reportedly began dating shortly after she began with the vice president's office, likely putting her in the same White House office working areas as her future husband.
The two now share a daughter and two sons.
The news that she will work with Musk comes days after Stephen Miller, 39, a key Trump aide for a decade, appeared to correct Musk in a post on X.
After Musk called Trump's 'One big, beautiful bill' a 'disappointment,' the deputy chief of staff wrote a lengthy statement explaining why it could not include DOGE cuts.
Musk officially quit his position as the head of DOGE this month and announced Wednesday he was stepping down from his role alongside Trump.
White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller attends the annual White House Easter Egg Roll with his family, including his wife, Katie Miller, left, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 21, 2025
White House Senior Advisor to the President, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk (C) is accompanied by Katie Miller (L) as he leaves a meeting with Senate Republicans in the U.S. Captiol
He is now set to dedicate more time to his private sector ventures.
'I think I probably did spend a bit too much time on politics,' Musk told Ars Technica this week.
'It's less than people would think, because the media is going to over-represent any political stuff, because political bones of contention get a lot of traction in the media.'
In addition to commenting on DOGE-related matters, Miller has been regularly posting about Musk's work at Tesla and SpaceX.
It is unclear if she will be working at one of Musk's companies or through another venture.
The US has warned it could walk away from brokering talks and consider imposing sanctions on Russia if Vladimir Putin does not accept a comprehensive 30-day ceasefire. Kyiv has accused Moscow of deception in negotiations, as Russia stalls in revealing its terms. Follow the latest below.
Friday 30 May 2025 14:05, UK
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