US President Trump Focuses on Spending Cuts and Russia-Ukraine Conflict in Cabinet Meeting
In the first cabinet meeting of President Donald Trump’s second term, significant attention was given to measures for reducing government spending and addressing the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Despite holding no official cabinet position, tech billionaire Elon Musk, co-head of the Department of Government Efficiency, also participated in the meeting.
During his address, President Trump highlighted the department’s efforts to reduce the size of the federal government. He said, “One of the most important initiatives of my administration is the Department of Government Efficiency.” He also reviewed the performance of all his ministers and advisors, adding, “We’ve made billions and billions of dollars in cuts, and we’re trying to get it up to one trillion dollars if we can.”
Elon Musk, overseeing the efforts to reduce governmental inefficiencies, mentioned a delay caused by the Department of Government Efficiency. He referred to an issue where the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) mistakenly canceled and later reinstated the Ebola prevention program. Musk acknowledged, “We will make mistakes. We’re not perfect, but when we do, we will try to correct them immediately.” The White House confirmed that Musk works daily with cabinet secretaries and their staff.
The meeting also addressed the Russia-Ukraine war, with President Trump reiterating that ending conflicts is his top priority. He expressed that he does not want the U.S. to contribute more funds, stating, “Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit the White House on Friday, where he will sign a rare deal on critical mineral resources.” Trump added, “We are going to get all that money back, and more. We have provided something very important, and we will work with Ukraine to take what we are entitled to.”
Further, President Trump emphasized that despite pressure from President Zelensky, the U.S. would not provide excessive security guarantees, asserting that it is Europe’s responsibility. He suggested that Ukraine could forget about joining NATO and speculated that Russia might also offer concessions.
After the cabinet meeting, President Trump held a detailed media briefing where he praised Secretary of State Mark Rubio and Elon Musk, expressing satisfaction with his choices so far. However, he noted that some groups are easier to work with than others.
The President concluded by emphasizing his administration’s focus on reducing the size of the government and aiming for a balanced budget, potentially by next year or soon after.
