Axios

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had a "very good" Christmas Day call with Trump advisers Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on ending the Russia-Ukraine war, per a post to X Thursday that Kushner reposted.

The big picture: Zelensky, President Trump's son-in-law Kushner and Witkoff discussed "new ideas in terms of formats, meetings, and, of course, timing on how to bring a real peace closer," the Ukrainian leader said in a video address to his nation later Thursday that was posted to his social media channels.

Jimmy Kimmel used his Christmas Day message to U.K. viewers Thursday to declare victory for free speech over President Trump's calls to cancel his talk show.

The big picture: British public broadcaster Channel 4 selects a high-profile figure to deliver an alternative to the British monarch's annual Christmas message — and Kimmel admitted in his that he has "no idea" what's going on in the U.K. but said "tyranny is booming" in the U.S., per a transcript published online.

Pope Leo XIV, in his Christmas message, called for an end to global wars, highlighted humanitarian crises and pleaded for sympathy for immigrants worldwide.

Why it matters: The Christmas Day message was a call for peace and the first for the U.S.-born Pope, who was elected in May.

Trump-backed Honduras conservative National Party presidential candidate Nasry "Tito" Asfura was declared winner of the country's election on Wednesday.

The big picture: Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated Asfura soon after the Honduran National Electoral Council (CNE) announced that he had won the Nov. 30 vote, which was beset by a series of delays that saw technical glitches and allegations of fraud.

A federal judge blocked Trump administration efforts to reallocate Department of Homeland Security counterterrorism and security grants away from states that won't cooperate on the president's immigration enforcement policies.

Why it matters: New York's attorney general called the Trump-appointed judge's ruling that was scathing of the administration a "significant win" for N.Y. and the 10 other Democratic-run states and D.C., which brought the lawsuit.

The Trump administration imposed visa restrictions Tuesday on five Europeans the State Department accused of leading "efforts to coerce American platforms to censor" or "suppress" U.S. viewpoints they oppose.

The big picture: Among those now barred from entering the U.S. is former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton, whom under secretary of state for public diplomacy Sarah Rogers on X called "a mastermind of the Digital Services Act," which imposes requirements on social media platforms, including content moderation.

The Supreme Court declined Tuesday to let President Trump send National Guard troops to the Chicago area.

Why it matters: The 6-3 ruling in the conservative-majority high court leaves in place a lower court order temporarily barring Trump from deploying the National Guard to Illinois.