The White House blasted a report that the Trump administration has decided to terminate the temporary legal status of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians.
President Donald Trump was allegedly planning to revoke the protected status of 240,000 Ukrainians who fled to the U.S. amid the ongoing war between Kyiv and Russia, according to a Thursday Reuters report.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt denied the claim, calling it “fake news.”
“This is more fake news from Reuters based on anonymous sources who have no idea what they are talking about,” Leavitt said in a post to X.
She did not rule out such a move in the future, however.
“The truth: no decision has been made at this time,” Trump’s spokeswoman said.
The report suggested the Ukrainian visa terminations could come “as soon as April” and that the move represents a broader push to end the legal status of nearly a million refugees allowed to enter the U.S. under Biden-era temporary humanitarian parole programs.
In another social media post written the same hour, Leavitt similarly condemned as “fake news” a Wall Street Journal report alleging Trump planned to sign an executive order abolishing the Department of Education as soon as Thursday.
“President Trump is NOT signing an Executive Order on the Department of Education today,” she wrote.
The president has pointed the finger at Zelensky for taking actions that have prolonged the war in Ukraine.
Russian casualties are approaching one million dead and wounded. Trump has suggested at least 700,000 Ukrainian troops have been killed, although Zelensky claims he has only lost 43,000 soldiers.
Trump said during a high-profile joint address to Congress Tuesday that a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine might not be too far away.
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"Earlier today, I received an important letter from President Zelensky of Ukraine. The letter reads, 'Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible, to bring lasting peace closer... My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump's strong leadership to get a peace that lasts,'" Trump said as he read Zelensky's letter live.
"Simultaneously, we've had serious discussions with Russia and have received strong signals that they are ready for peace. Wouldn't that be beautiful?" Trump added.