"I Don't Really Expect Him To Be A Magician"
People on the streets of Ukraine are skeptical of President-elect Trump's promises of peace.
Tech Giants Attend Inauguration
- By RFE/RL
Priscilla Chan and CEO of Meta and Facebook Mark Zuckerberg are attending the inauguration
'Make Your Head Warm Again!'
- By Margot Buff
There's a festive atmosphere on the streets of Washington despite the weather. In fact, local vendors are cashing in on the big freeze. The swearing in ceremony itself has been moved inside, but the cold has not deterred Trump fans from celebrating his inauguration.
Trump Arrives At Capitol
- By RFE/RL
President-elect Donald Trump and President Joe Biden have arrived at the Capitol having shared the same ride through the streets of Washington, D.C.
Trump Will Have ‘Unpleasant Surprise’ For Serbia
Bosko Jaksic, Belgrade-based foreign policy commentator, told RFE/RL Trump might not be good news for Serbia.
"I expect an unpleasant surprise for officials in Belgrade, who have shown great favor towards Trump and believe they will now be able to capitalize on it, because it may turn out that they have been mistaken,” he said.
Jaksic said there might be more U.S. investment but only if there was a reduction of Chinese presence in the Serbian economy.
What Trump’s Return Means For Afghanistan
On the eve of his inauguration, Donald Trump called on Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities to hand over American weapons seized after the chaotic U.S. withdrawal or risk losing his country’s aid.
“We will not give them the money unless they return our military equipment,” Trump told supporters at a rally in Washington on January 19.
The U.S. is currently the leading donor of humanitarian operations in Afghanistan, although like other Western countries it does not provide funding directly to the Taliban.
Over half of the country’s 40 million population needs assistance as they reel from one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.
After visiting Afghanistan this month, Jan Egeland, the secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, warned that funding cuts are “the biggest threat to programs helping Afghan women”. The Taliban has banned women from education, employment in most sectors, and any public roles.
The Taliban has said it hoped for “a new chapter” in relations but senior figures in the Trump administration have long advocated an uncompromising approach toward the Islamist militant group.
Bidens Welcome Trumps To The White House
Here's a video of Joe and Jill Biden greeting Donald and Melania Trump at the White House for tea before the swearing-in ceremony. Donald Trump eschewed the traditional tea between the outgoing and incoming presidents on inauguration day four years ago, but Biden has revived the practice this time around.
Iran’s President Removes U.S.-Flag Doormat
Until recently, all guests arriving at the office of Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian had to tread on an American and Israeli flag before entering. But the flags have been removed, according to Ensaf News, an Iranian outlet that is close to Pezeshkian.
The move comes amid conciliatory signals from Pezeshkian. Speaking to NBC recently, he said Iran in principle was open to dialogue with the incoming Trump administration.
Trampling on the U.S. flag has been a common anti-American act in the Islamic republic in the past 45 years. In recent years, an increasing number of Iranians have publicly opposed and criticized such actions.
What's Up First For Trump's Foreign Policy? Ukraine War And Russia
As soon as Donald Trump is sworn in as U.S. president, he faces several foreign policy challenges. As RFE/RL's Mike Eckel explains, the war in Ukraine and Russia is at the top of the agenda.
Biden And Trump Shake Hands
