News of the World

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USA

DC House Prices Slashed As DOGE Targets Federal Workers

Listings in the Washington, D.C. housing market are surging and prices are being slashed, as the efforts of Donald Trump and Elon Musk to shrink the size of the U.S. federal workforce leave employees uncertain about their future.

Newsweek contacted Zillow and John Burns Research and Consulting for comment by email on Monday morning.
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Trump's return to the White House is directly affecting the Washington, D.C, housing market. The president's executive order calling for federal workers to return to the office or lose their job spurred an increase in demand for homes in the city. At the same time, mass layoffs advised by the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have left federal workers uncertain about their future and whether they would be needing a home in the area at all.
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As of Monday early morning, there were a total of 2,400 homes listed for sale on Zillow in Washington, D.C, 253 of which had been put on the market in the last seven days and 461 in the last 14 days. More than half the homes currently listed for sale on the real estate platform, 1,489, have been added in the past 90 days.

Some homeowners in Washington, D.C, are not only apparently rushing to sell their properties in the city, but they are also willing to slash prices to attract reluctant buyers. Of the 2,400 homes currently listed for sale on Zillow, 426 have seen a price reduction.

On Zillow, a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom 1,138 square-foot condo in Southwest Washington was listed for $349,900, after a cut of $10,000, and a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom 1,574 square-foot home in Northwest Washington was listed for $1,390,00 after the seller slashed the price by $60,000.

Ted Cruz Reveals Warning He Issued to NATO Ally

On Friday night, Senate Commerce Committee chairman Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, revealed to Fox News' Brian Kilmeade that he warned Denmark, a fellow member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), that if the United States doesn't take ownership of Greenland soon, it could become independent from the Danes and then "Denmark gets nothing."

Newsweek reached out to Cruz's office and Denmark's foreign affairs ministry via email for comment on Sunday morning.

Why It Matters

Trump has repeatedly said that he wants to take ownership of Greenland—an autonomous territory in the Kingdom of Denmark—even before he took office. In late December 2024, Trump said while naming PayPal cofounder Ken Howery as his choice for ambassador to Denmark, "For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity."

However, Denmark and Greenland have pushed back on Trump's demands, causing tensions between the U.S., Demark, Greenland and other European countries. Greenland Prime Minister Múte Egede said in late December 2024, "Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale. We must not lose our long struggle for freedom."
Denmark is an ally of the U.S., supporting the nation in the War on Terror when the U.S. invaded Iraq and Afghanistan. Meanwhile, experts have said Greenland is becoming increasingly important to U.S. security interests due to its position in the Arctic.

What To Know

During his appearance on One Nation, Kilmeade asked Cruz about Trump's desire to own Greenland.

"There are strong national security and economic reasons why it makes a lot of sense," Cruz said. "If you look at Greenland geopolitically, it is located right on the Arctic. If, God forbid, we got into a military conflict with Russia or with China, ICBMs [intercontinental ballistic missiles] would come right over the Arctic and Greenland is ideally positioned to defend the United States of America."

The senator added: "Greenland has abundant rare earth minerals and critical minerals that are essential for all of the technology, all of the weaponry that we need. If Greenland were to become a territory, America would invest billions and billions of dollars into developing those resources. That helps America."

Cruz has already made preliminary moves in the attempt to acquire Greenland. He told Kilmeade that he led a hearing in the Senate Commerce Committee this week to examine all the benefits to America, Greenland and Denmark that would come with U.S. ownership of the autonomous territory.

Cruz said he has also met with the Greenlandic and the Danish ambassadors.

The senator said of the Danish ambassador: "They were upset, and they were offended, and they said, 'Greenland is not for sale.' And I laughed and I said, 'You know what? Everything's for sale.'"

He said that he warned Denmark, ever since Trump began talking about wanting to take ownership of Greenland, "the Greenland independence movement has been growing in momentum. And if Greenland declares itself independent of you, Denmark gets nothing."

RUSSIA

US, Russia Will Hold Peace Talks in Saudi Arabia Without Ukraine

Top Russian officials are set to meet with their U.S. counterparts in Saudi Arabia this week, the Kremlin announced Monday, as discussions around potential peace talks to end the war in Ukraine gain momentum.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov will travel to Riyadh later on Monday for talks scheduled on Tuesday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters on Monday he would be in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, but that his trip was unrelated to the U.S.-Russia meeting.

Zelensky said those talks would "yield no results" without Kyiv's participation.

Why It Matters

The talks in Riyadh signal a potential thaw in U.S.-Russia relations after years of tension following Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, upending years of American foreign policy that has alarmed NATO allies.

Saudi Arabia, which has positioned itself as a key diplomatic player in global affairs, has stepped in as a neutral host for the discussions. The kingdom previously facilitated prisoner exchanges between Ukraine and Russia.

What To Know

The discussions will focus on reviving U.S.-Russia relations, potential negotiations on Ukraine, and preparations for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Russian State TV Warns Kremlin Can Now Strike 3 NATO Allies' Capitals

Sergey Mikheyev, a Russian political scientist, recently warned on state television that the Kremlin could strike three European capitals that belong to member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) following a notable shift in U.S. policy on NATO support under the Trump administration.

Why It Matters

Since taking office, President Donald Trump has signaled a major change in the U.S. position on Ukraine, a close ally that receives substantial American aid, amid its ongoing war with Russia.

The administration has suggested that NATO membership for Ukraine is not probable and has emphasized prioritizing U.S. security and border protection over NATO commitments and willingness to defend Europe.

Russia, meanwhile, appears to be reassessing its political options amid a shift in the U.S. administration's stance.

What To Know

The Trump administration's foreign policy signals a departure from previous U.S. commitments and could impact Ukraine's strategic position. Over the past three years, roughly 50 nations have provided more than $126 billion in military aid to Kyiv but shifting U.S. priorities may pressure European allies to increase their contributions.

In February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its Eastern European neighbor, with the conflict resulting in significant loss of life, international sanctions on Moscow, and a protracted humanitarian crisis. Russia previously annexed Crimea in 2014.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday where he said that "returning to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective."

Trump has also called for European nations to assume the bulk of supporting Ukraine's defense, including a proposed peacekeeping force that would not involve U.S. troops.

On Russian state television, Mikheyev said about the U.S.'s shifting stance towards Russia and Ukraine, "It's certainly clear that what's happening is good news. It's drastically different from all we've seen before," according to a video translated by journalist Julia Davis.

"If you compare the rhetoric of Trump's team with Biden's rhetoric, it's worlds apart," he said, adding, "Now, there is no isolation, even from the American side."

He then referenced the Trump administration's stance on U.S. forces and NATO's Article 5, noting Hegseth's claim that U.S. troops would not be involved in a conflict with Russia, saying, "We should make this thought clear for the Europeans, now we can actually strike Brussels, London and Paris...We can forget about Article 5 and forget about Americans stepping up to help."

Article 5 provides that if a NATO ally is the victim of an armed attack, each and every other member of the alliance will consider this act of violence as an armed attack against all members and will take the actions it deems necessary to assist the ally attacked.

Belgium, the United Kingdom, and France are all NATO countries.

UKRAINE

Ukraine's NATO Ally 'Ready' To Deploy Troops

The United Kingdom would be "ready and willing" to deploy British troops in Ukraine as part of a potential peace deal, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said Sunday.

Europe is "facing a once-in-a-generation moment for the collective security of our continent," Starmer said in an article for U.K. newspaper The Telegraph, emphasizing the broader stakes of the conflict started by Russia nearly three years ago. "This is not only a question about the future of Ukraine—it is existential for Europe as a whole."

Why It Matters

The declaration marks a significant change in position from the U.K. on direct military involvement. There will be talks between Russia and the U.S. aimed at bringing an end to Russian President Vladimir Putin's war—talks from which Kyiv has been excluded, according to Ukrainian officials.

What To Know

Starmer said the United Kingdom is "ready to play a leading role" in accelerating work on security guarantees for Ukraine, pledging further military support beyond the £3 billion ($3.7 billion) per year already committed until at least 2030.

"But it also means being ready and willing to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by putting our own troops on the ground if necessary," the U.K. prime minister said, marking a significant escalation in Britain's stance on military involvement.

Starmer highlighted the urgency of securing a lasting peace in Ukraine, emphasizing its long-term sovereignty as a critical deterrent against future Russian aggression.

"Securing a lasting peace in Ukraine that safeguards its sovereignty for the long term is essential if we are to deter Putin from further aggression in the future," he wrote.

On February 13, Starmer said that London would be prepared to take action to enforce any future peace settlement with Russia, but stopped short of explicitly committing to deploying British troops to Ukraine.

"I won't get into the particular capabilities, but I do accept that, if there is peace, then there needs to be some sort of security guarantee for Ukraine, and the U.K. will play its part in that," the prime minister added.

CHINA / TAIWAN

China Mobilizes Military Against Canadian Warship Near Coast

The Chinese military claimed that it deployed forces against a Canadian warship, which transited a contested waterway between China and the self-governed island of Taiwan.

Newsweek has reached out to the Canadian Armed Forces for comment by email.

Why It Matters

China has long claimed that it has "sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction" over the 110-mile-wide Taiwan Strait. However, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a state's sovereignty ends after the 12 nautical miles of its territorial sea.

The United States, as well as its allies, have sent warships to the waterway to assert the freedom of navigation in international waters and to showcase their support for Taiwan, which Communist China considers its territory despite never having governed it.

What To Know

Taiwan first reported Sunday's transit by HMCS Ottawa, a Canadian frigate, which passed through the Taiwan Strait northward. The island's defense ministry said it maintained "full control" over the surrounding sea and airspace, while the situation remained normal.

The Chinese military Eastern Theater Command, which likely executes operational control over military matters related to Taiwan, on Monday confirmed the Canadian warship's movement, claiming that it sent air and naval forces to "monitor and track" the Ottawa.

It also accused Canada of "deliberately provoking disruption" and undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, according to the Eastern Theater Command's statement.

China deployed 41 aircraft, nine naval vessels, and one government ship around Taiwan in the 24 hours to 6 a.m. on Monday, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry announced. It was not immediately clear whether they responded to the Ottawa's passage in the waterway.