On Friday afternoon, August 15, the news broke that U.S. President Donald Trump would not be meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin one-on-one in Alaska as originally planned.
Instead, CNN reported, the meeting would include Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff meeting with three Russian officials.
Pundits on MSNBC were quick to respond to the news. MSNBC's Monica Alba noted Trump's obsession with winning the Nobel Peace Prize, telling hot Katy Tur, "It's something he has been fixating on for years."
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Michael McFaul, who served as U.S. ambassador to Russian under former President Barack Obama, told Tur, "(Putin is) an indicted war criminal… And yet today, he's had this kind of reception…. I think he needs something substantial in return."
Alba highlighted Hillary Clinton's comments on Trump's Nobel Peace Prize obsession. Although the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee has been a scathing critic of Trump, she said that if he really could bring out an end to the "terrible" Ukraine/Russia War, she would be glad to see him win a Nobel Peace Prize.
The news is also generating a great deal of discussion on X.
Journalist Niv Calderon tweeted, "Not clear who will join Putin from the Russian side."
The Atlantic's Vivian Salama posted, "Significant development, per the travel pool: The one on one meeting expected to take place between Presidents Trump and Putin is now no longer happening. The small format will be a 3-on-3 meeting, with Secretary Rubio and Steve Witkoff sitting in with Trump on the meeting."
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WION News reported, "US President Donald Trump, Marco Rubio lands in Alaska to meet Russian President Putin."
Fox News reporter Jacqui Heinrich tweeted, "It will be followed by an expanded bilateral working lunch with: -PRESIDENT TRUMP - SECRETARY MARCO RUBIO -SECRETARY PETE HEGSETH -SECRETARY SCOTT BESSENT -SECRETARY HOWARD LUTNIK -CHIEF OF STAFF SUSIE WILES -AMBASSADOR STEVE WITKOFF."
X user Krystof Kajanek commented, "I am not sure how many of them will be proud in the future of having had lunch with a war criminal who is wanted by the International Criminal (Court)."
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