Paris Emergency Summit, Marco Rubio in the Middle East, Trump's First Month

0:00Did you notice that we're working on President's Day? Did you agree to this? I made it part of my renegotiation. That you work every federal holiday like me? With Leila Faddle.

0:13European leaders hold an emergency summit in Paris today. The future of Ukraine is on the line and wider European security is also under threat. So what do they have to fear from the U.S. meeting with Russia if they are not also at the table? I'm Leila Faddle, that's A. Martinez, and this is Up First from NPR News.

0:31The U.S. Secretary of State is in the Middle East, promoting President Trump's vision to push Palestinians in Gaza out and take it over. The president's also been very bold about his view of what the future for Gaza should be. Not the same tired ideas of the past. But will Arab allies be supportive of Trump turning Gaza into a seaside real estate development? And here in the U.S., Trump follows through on promises to reshape the federal government. On this President's Day, we take a look at his first four weeks in office. Stay with us. We've got all the news you need to start your day.

1:26most recent expose puts him head to head with a powerful family that rules Tulsa, meaning only one thing. He must be on to something big. FX's The Lowdown. All new Tuesdays on FX. Stream on Hulu. This message comes from Schwab. At Schwab, how you invest is your choice, not theirs. That's why when it comes to managing your wealth, Schwab gives you more choices. You can invest and trade on your own. Plus, get advice and more comprehensive wealth solutions to help meet your unique needs. With award-winning service, low costs, and transparent advice, you can manage your wealth your way at Schwab. Visit schwab.com to learn more.

2:09This message comes from NPR's sponsor, Odoo Business Management Software. Some say Odoo is like fertilizer because it promotes growth. Others say it's a magic beanstalk, scaling with efficiency. Odoo, exactly what a business needs. Sign up today at odoo.com. As high-level American and Russian delegations are expected to gather in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to begin negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, European leaders are meeting in Paris today after being cut out of those negotiations. After Trump officials traveled to Europe last week, it became clear the post-war security order in Europe that's been in place 80 years is no more.

2:48We go now to NPR's Eleanor Beardsley in Paris to hear more about this. So, Eleanor, why has this shook up Europe? Well, you know, Europeans knew the Trump administration was going to be a rougher ride than the Biden administration, but they still held out hope that the U.S. and Europe could work together, especially on ending the war in Ukraine. But that illusion burst this week. First, there was U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's visit to NATO. He basically told European allies the U.S. has bigger priorities in Asia and Europe needs to take care of itself. That was followed by the Munich Security Conference this weekend, where Vice President J.D.

3:24Vance gave a scathing criticism of European democracy, a speech one European leader called, quote, fascist and anti-European. Vance also met with a far-right opposition leader in Germany while refusing to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Then there were the comments of U.S. advisor to Ukraine and Russia, General Keith Kellogg, who told the Europeans, we'll take your interests into account, but you won't be at the negotiating table to end the war. Now, what about President Trump? How was his call with Russian President Vladimir Putin received there? Well, that was the cherry on the cake, eh?

3:54President Trump gave no heads up to European allies or Ukraine before holding by all accounts what was a friendly hour and a half phone call with Putin, who Europeans consider an aggressor and pariah. Trump even went so far as to speak of lifting sanctions and bringing Russia back into the fold of nations. Leaders left Munich yesterday morose and stunned. Elie Tenenbaum told me he's a security expert at the French Institute for International Relations. Let's listen. So this has been their sort of nightmare scenario that they were going to be bypassed by the United States to negotiate a peace deal over the heads.

4:34And he says without its European allies by its side, the U.S. might try to strong arm Ukraine into a bad deal. And I know big meeting today in Paris. Who's going to be there? What's on the agenda? Well, the leaders of eight nations are meeting at Streamline so they can move quickly. France, Britain, Poland, Italy, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark, plus two top EU officials and the head of NATO on the agenda is increasing military spending, which might mean discarding long established EU limits on budget deficits and authorizing massive spending. They will speak of how to guarantee any peace.

5:08In an editorial in a British newspaper yesterday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain would be ready to send troops to ensure a peace deal. This morning, Sweden said it too could send troops. And France has also said it would send troops. But it will take more than a couple nations to guarantee a peace, Tenenbaum told me. What about Ukraine? What have they said about this? Well, President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke forcefully at the Munich conference as soon as he saw what was happening. He says Europe must be at the negotiating table. And he's pushing Europeans to join with battle-hardened Ukraine to build a European fighting force.

5:40Let's listen. We must build the armed forces of Europe so that Europe's future depends only on Europeans. And decisions about Europe are made in Europe. You got applause for that, eh? French officials describe today's meeting as informal, and there'll be no final communique. They're trying to tamp down expectations for what is actually a very crucial meeting. That's Eleanor Beardsley in Paris. Thanks a lot. Thank you.

6:16Marco Rubio is in the Middle East and his first stop as Secretary of State in the region was Israel. Here's what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had to say about their meeting. We talked about how do we complete the change in the Middle East. Change in the Middle East. Rubio today is in Saudi Arabia, where he will be discussing President Trump's plan to turn Gaza into a seaside real estate development and displace all the Palestinians. He'll also meet a Russian delegation about ending the war in Ukraine. Let's bring in NPR international correspondent Eva Traoui in Dubai. So first, walk us through Secretary Rubio's discussions in Israel.

6:53Hey, good morning. So his main message is pushing Trump's plan for Gaza and ensuring the ceasefire there holds long enough to release all Israeli hostages held there by Hamas. And he made clear the U.S.-Israeli alliance has never been stronger, particularly under Trump, of course. Now, he arrived in Israel the day after another exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees took place and prisoners. And this ceasefire deal, it expires in two weeks. All right. So Trump officials are saying now that there will be a second phase of this deal to bring home more hostages. So while Rubio's visit is to see all of this through on the Israeli side, he's also in the region to reinforce Trump's plan after the ceasefire to rebuild Gaza under U.S.

7:34ownership and permanently displace Palestinians outside. And after meeting Netanyahu in Israel yesterday, Rubio doubled down on the plan. It may have shocked and surprised many, but what cannot continue is the same cycle where we repeat over and over again and wind up in the exact same place. So displacing Palestinians outside Gaza was an idea relegated to the far right in Israel until recently. I mean, now has the backing of Israel's prime minister. Tell us what's he saying. Well, Netanyahu has called Trump's vision for Gaza revolutionary and says it did not come as a surprise because they'd spoken about it before it was announced by Trump earlier this month.

8:08And while addressing the conference of major American Jewish organizations yesterday in Israel, Netanyahu said Gaza has been described as the biggest open-air prison, but that people there now should have the choice to leave. And he said this. The possibilities that loom today before us have never been before us before, have never been available to us as they are now. And we intend to pursue them to the full. So the thing is, I mean, the plan for Gaza will need Arab buy-in, especially from the wealthy Arab Gulf states. Tell us what Secretary Rubio might be hearing when he talks to leaders in Saudi Arabia for the UAE meeting today and tomorrow.

8:45Well, today actually marks 500 days of this war since the deadly October 7th attack by Hamas on Israel in 2023. And public sentiment here in the region has turned even harder on Israel. And that's because of the tens of thousands of Palestinians killed by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza since. Now, Saudi Arabia's crown prince was close to establishing ties with Israel two years ago, but he has since described Israel's war in Gaza as a genocide. And so there's really no indication that ties with Israel and Saudi Arabia are on the horizon, at least for the moment. Now, the thing to keep in mind is that Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, A, rely on U.S.

9:19military support, and they have business ties with Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, but they also have an oil pact and business ties with Russia. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are also positioning themselves as brokers between the U.S. and Russia. Now, you know, Rubio is leading a team of White House officials today to Saudi Arabia, where he will meet with Kremlin officials during their time there to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. Now, these talks are ahead of what could be a Trump-Putin summit in Saudi Arabia. Ukraine says they're not part of the talks today, but Ukraine's president is in the UAE right now, and he's expected to head nest to Saudi Arabia.

9:48All right, that's Heba Trawi in Dubai. Thank you very much. Thanks a lot.

9:59President Trump was sworn into office four weeks ago today. And in those four weeks, he has gotten the Senate to confirm even his most controversial cabinet picks. His executive actions have forced dramatic changes in the federal government, and he's even tried to eliminate entire agencies. The courts have put a pause on some actions where there are very real questions about whether what Trump wants to do is legal or even constitutional. NPR senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith has been following all this. Sam, so over the weekend, Donald Trump posted on social media, quote, he who saves his country does not violate any law.

10:36What do you make of that? Well, this is one of the biggest themes of the second Trump term. President Trump is taking a very expansive view of his executive authority. He is blowing past statutes like the law requiring 30 days notice to Congress before firing inspectors general and running straight into significant constitutional questions. He's trying to redefine birthright citizenship, something enshrined in the Constitution. He's freezing federal funds and trying to erase agencies that were created by Congress without going back to Congress for the authority to do it. And I should say he's trying to do much more, much faster, and going it alone in a way that he didn't in his first term.

11:18But he has a lot less to lose this time. He isn't running for re-election, and the Supreme Court has given presidents broad legal immunity for laws that are broken in the course of doing their jobs. Sure, but what happens if courts do decide to step in and decide what the president is trying to do is maybe illegal or unconstitutional? We're likely going to find out, and perhaps sooner than later. President Trump did say last week that he will abide by the courts. But already, in at least one case, a federal judge has found that the Trump administration defied a temporary order to unfreeze federal funding.

11:52The administration has appealed. If a theme of the first Trump administration was that he was challenging norms, the theme this time around is that he is challenging laws and the common understanding of the balance of power laid out in the Constitution. Yesterday, he shared an article on social media that argued the real threat to democracy is Democrats and federal judges trampling on the president's authority. So, OK, in terms of foreign affairs now, what is the message that the Trump administration is sending the world so far? There's a new sheriff in town and he is nothing like Joe Biden. Biden was all about strengthening alliances, Trump is coming at it from a very different perspective.

12:32He is skeptical of international organizations like NATO and doesn't think alliances are worth it much unless they are directly helping the U.S. This week, we're expecting that meeting in Saudi Arabia with Russian officials and U.S. diplomats to discuss the end of the war in Ukraine. At this point, Europe isn't at the table, and it's not clear just yet what Ukraine's role will be. Add to this Trump's many tariff threats, the latest being reciprocal tariffs on friends and rivals alike, his talk of wanting to take back the Panama Canal or Greenland or even take control of Gaza. I think it's safe to say the era of predictability in American foreign policy is over.

13:11Seems so, yeah. So how is all this playing with his supporters? Well, generally speaking, his supporters are cheering him on all the way and Democrats are beside themselves. But if you paid attention to what he said on the campaign trail, none of what's happened in this first month should be much of a surprise. It's just a lot of people didn't believe he was going to do all these things or certainly not all at once. That's Tam Rakeith. Tam, thanks. You're welcome.

13:38And that's Up First for Monday, February 17th. I'm Amy Martinez. And I'm Layla Faldin. Make your next listen, Consider This. The team behind NPR's All Things Considered goes deep into a single news story in just 15 minutes. Listen now on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Today's episode of Up First was edited by Rylan Barton, Dee Skanky, Krishnadev Kalamor, Rina Advani, and Adriana Gallardo. It was produced by Zia Butch, Nia Dumas, and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Arthur Laurent, and our technical director is Carly Strange. Join us again tomorrow.

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