Live updates: Trump Presidentncy News; Ukraine speaks of peace; federal government layoffs

Steve Witkoff, the special envoy of the United States to the Middle East, is playing a central role in the Trump administration approach to ensure peace both in Gaza and Ukraine.

This is what he said today on each front:

Gaza Cesefire: Witkoff expressed his confidence that phase two of the The High The uncomfortable fire and the Hostage Exchange Agreement Between Israel and Hamas it would take place.

“Phase two will begin absolutely,” he said during an interview with Maria Bartiromo in “Sunday Morning Futures” “by Fox News, noting that he spoke by phone today with leaders in Israel, Qatar and Egypt.

Phase two of the high fire would include the return of 19 soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces, to whom the United States believes that they are alive, as well as others, including the American citizen Edan Alexander.

In a statement of today, the Secretary of State of the United States, Marco Rubio, applauded the launch of three more hostages of Hamas on Saturday, but warned the group’s leaders who are “playing with fire” as negotiations continue on the launch of its remaining captives. Rubio asked Hamas to launch the remaining hostages immediately.

Ukraine War Negotiations: Witkoff told Bartiromo to travel with an American delegation to Saudi Arabia on Sunday to begin conversations with senior Moscow officials with the aim of ending the Russian war in Ukraine, as CNN has previously reported.

He described the next negotiations as “confidence construction” towards the ultimate goal of finishing the war.

Witkoff played criticism that Ukraine is not part of Saudi Arabia conversationspointing to President Donald Trump’s call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other high -level Trump officials with Ukrainian officials.

“I don’t think it’s about excluding anyone. In fact, it’s about including everyone, ”said Witkoff.

Alison Main de CNN contributed to inform this publication.