Kosovo Village Celebrates President Trump's Inauguration
In the village of Bibaj, in southeastern Kosovo, near the U.S. Bondsteel base, citizens celebrated the inauguration of U.S. President, Donald Trump. They expressed hope that President Trump's administration would continue to support Kosovo, particularly in resolving issues with Serbia.
Trump Says He Will Declare A National Emergency
- By Ray Furlong
Donald Trump has said he will declare a national emergency on the southern border with Mexico.
In his first remarks after taking the oath of office, the U.S. President said: “We have a government that has given unlimited funding to the defense of foreign borders but refuses to defend American borders.”
World Leaders Congratulate Trump
- By Luke Allnutt
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who has been described as the "Trump whisperer" for his supposedly good relationship with the president in his first term, has offered his congratulations:
Now Trump has been sworn in, the notes from world leaders are starting to pour in:
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer
Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya
EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas
Trump Says He Wants To Be ‘Peacemaker’
- By Ray Furlong
President Trump has made a flurry of statements relating to foreign policy.
Firstly, he said he wanted to be a “peacemaker,” possibly a reference to his repeated promises to end the war in Ukraine though he also referenced the release of hostages by Hamas, designated as a terrorist organization by the United States.
Then he said he would rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America, and, turning to the Panama Canal, said “We’re taking it back.”
There’s no further detail on any of this yet, but these are the first contours of the new administration’s foreign policy.
'Every Afghan woman and girl becomes hopeful that our circumstances will improve'
Afghan women tell Radio Azadi Trump’s presidency is a mix of hope and skepticism
Nooria Hashimi, a university student banned from pursuing her education by the Taliban:
“We [Afghan women] are like caged birds. Whenever something happens outside, we hope it might lead to our freedom. With every global change, every Afghan woman and girl becomes hopeful that our circumstances will improve, especially regarding our education and right to work. Many women hope that Trump might pressure the Taliban to respect women’s rights.”
Diva Patang, a women’s rights activist:
“Trump should make a firm decision and tell the Taliban that if they do not allow girls to receive an education, the U.S. will cut off aid money. However, we must also recognize the Taliban’s influential role. They are maintaining control over groups that could otherwise threaten the United States from Afghanistan. The Taliban’s current power in Afghanistan is, in part, due to Trump initiating negotiations with them.”
Marwa Sada, a teacher in Kabul, expressed her concerns:
“Women living in Afghanistan, especially teachers, endure struggles that no one else can truly understand—not Trump or anyone else. Only those who live in these conditions can truly feel the pain and suffering they experience every day.”
Trump: 'That's What I Want To Be: A Peacemaker And A Unifier'
Zelenskiy Congratulates Trump
- By Ray Furlong
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has added his voice to international congratulations pouring in.
“This century is being shaped right now, and we must all work together to ensure that it is a great and successful century for democracies,” he wrote on X.
Zelenskiy has more at stake than most world leaders, with Russian military forces occupying large parts of his country and continuing their attacks. For Ukraine, U.S. military aid has been crucial in keeping the Russian forces at bay.
Ukrainian Emigrants 'Arrived Legally'
Michael Sawkiw, President of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, gave RFE/RL his view on the upcoming immigration order.
"We are all concerned about some expected executive orders, but regarding Ukrainian emigrants over the past three years, they arrived legally. The orders will pertain mostly to illegal migrants. We, as the Ukrainian community, think that all Ukrainians who arrived (more than 250,000) will retain their legal status under the U4U program."
Orban: The World Is Going To Change And This Will Be Good For Hungarians
- By RFE/RL
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban welcomed President Trump in a short Facebook post.
"We expect peace, calm, and economic prosperity from the Trump presidency. The world is going to change and this will be good for Hungarians."
Orban, the first European leader to support Trump in 2016, did not attend the inauguration ceremony. One of his aides told news site index.hu that Orban, who visited the new U.S. president at his Mar-a-Lago residence twice in 2024, wanted to meet with Trump in Washington "when he is able to hold talks about relations between the two countries".