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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with U.S. Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll. | Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP | WAR AND PEACE: An avalanche of pressure is towering over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to acquiesce to the peace deal proposed by President Donald Trump and his top advisers. But Zelenskyy does not seem keen to go quietly. “Ukraine may find itself facing a very difficult choice,” the wartime leader said in a punctuated address to his nation this morning. “Either loss of dignity, or the risk of losing a key partner.” Now, Zelenskyy has less than a week — by Thanksgiving — to sign onto the plan or risk losing U.S. support, WaPo’s Siobhán O'Grady and colleagues report. The plan was presented to Zelenskyy this week by Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who has emerged as the new key negotiator. At this point there’s only one working plan on the table, which was devised by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff with Russia’s Kirill Dmitriev. Point of contact: Zelenskyy spoke with VP JD Vance and Driscoll this morning, with Zelenskyy saying he agreed to work with the U.S. and Europe “to make the path to peace truly doable.” This marks the highest level engagement between the U.S. and Ukraine on the peace plan yet, Axios’ Barak Ravid notes. And though Zelenskyy told Vance he’s ready to negotiate, Trump is standing firm by the Thursday deadline. “I’ve had a lot of deadlines,” Trump told Fox News Radio this morning. “But Thursday is, we think, an appropriate time.” Both European officials and the U.S. have been making calls to Ukraine today on the 28-point proposal — which sparked concern this week across Europe that the United States would largely align itself with Russia’s interests in ending the war that it started, POLITICO’s Elena Giordano and Veronika Melkozerova report. The proposal crosses multiple red lines that Zelenskyy has drawn in the past on reducing its army and ceding territory — which he echoed in his remarks today. “They will expect an answer from us,” Zelenskyy said about the proposal. “Although in fact I have already given it,” he said, citing the oath he took to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty in 2019 when he entered office. The ultimatum: “Americans are talking to Ukraine with a language of pressure. As the only option is to sign. If the Ukrainians don’t sign it, the United States will cut all the aid and intelligence sharing,” a senior European official told our POLITICO colleagues. The view from Europe: Leaders are largely rallying around Zelenskyy. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British PM Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron had a joint call with Zelenskyy today. “We are coordinating closely to make sure that the principled stances are taken into account,” Zelenskyy said of the call on X. In a more pointed readout, Merz said that he would continue to work closely with Europe and the U.S., “whose commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty we welcome.” Zelenskyy also said he hopped on the phone with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, where they discussed the U.S. proposal and next steps. The view from Russia: Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters today Zelenskyy’s “room for maneuver regarding decision-making is shrinking as territories are lost,” but didn’t comment on the substance of the plan, per NYT’s Aurelien Breeden and Cassandra Vinograd. Happy Friday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Send us your thoughts to abianco@politico.com and rumansky-castro@politico.com. MEANWHILE IN THE OVAL TODAY: Trump is set to sit down with NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in the White House at 3 p.m. The meeting brings together “two diametrically opposed leaders” and “will set the tone for the city’s future for the next four years,” as POLITICO’s Nick Reisman, Jeff Coltin and Diana Nerozzi report. But there’s a chance things stay civil today: “I give him a lot of credit for the run, I think we’ll get along fine,” Trump told Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade this morning. Mamdani prepped for the meeting yesterday by calling Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who notably did not endorse Mamdani’s campaign, per CBS’ Ed O’Keefe. And Trump said the meeting might just open up to the press — so it’s bound to be mandatory viewing across the beltway and beyond.
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A view of the Supreme Court is shown with the U.S. flag in the foreground. | Win McNamee/AFP via Getty Images | 1. IMMIGRATION FILES: The Supreme Court is privately meeting today to weigh whether to hear arguments on Trump’s challenge to birthright citizenship, which would overturn “more than 125 years of understanding” under the 14th Amendment, AP’s Mark Sherman reports. The justices could announce as soon as Monday whether they will take up the administration’s appeal of lower court rulings that have repeatedly sided against Trump. If the high court decides to take up the case, the justices would have the final say over one of the biggest immigration legal battles of Trump’s second term, with a decision likely to come in early summer. Meanwhile, a man improperly deported by the Trump administration to El Salvador in March is now missing in Venezuela, and a judge said he is “one of several people that courts have found were deported by the Trump administration without due process or in violation of court orders,” POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney and Hassan Ali Kanu report. Behind the scenes: “As Federal Prisons Run Low on Food and Toilet Paper, Corrections Officers Are Leaving in Droves for ICE,” by ProPublica’s Keri Blakinger: “Many of the problems the agency is facing now are not new, but staff and prisoners fear an exodus of officers could make life behind bars even worse.” The ripple effect: Trump’s immigration raids in Charlotte and Raleigh have sparked protests and heightened tensions in North Carolina, turning the crackdown into a flashpoint in the 2026 Senate race, Reuters’ James Oliphant and Aleksandra Michalska report. Wall-to-wall: “Trump’s All-but-Forgotten Border Wall Reaches an Angry Laredo, Texas,” by NYT’s Pooja Salhotra 2. IN THE FIRING LINE: “The White House has asked for the resignation of a top aide to FDA chief,” by POLITICO’s Lauren Gardner: “The White House on Thursday emailed HHS leadership asking for the resignation of a top aide to FDA Commissioner Marty Makary whom he had sought to promote, according to two administration officials granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive personnel matter. Makary pushed back on the request to force policy and research staffer Sanjula Jain-Nagpal out of the agency, officials told POLITICO. ‘She is an employee at the FDA, and that has not changed,’ HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said Friday afternoon.” 3. RATTLING THE CABINET DOORS: Trump officials are privately preparing for a possible Cabinet shakeup as the president nears his one-year mark, with questions swirling around agencies like DHS and Energy, CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez and colleagues report. While the White House insists “the cabinet is not changing,” growing friction, including concerns that chief adviser Corey Lewandowski is “a problem” at DHS, has fueled speculation about looming departures and potential replacements. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt denied CNN’s reporting as “100% Fake News.” More from DHS: “Business and bureaucrats found a workaround for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's order to personally review every contract over $100,000: Since August, DHS has awarded 11 new contracts between $99,999 and $99,999.99,” per Axios’ Brittany Gibson. 4. ON THE HILL: House GOP centrist Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) is drafting a new health care bill to try to thread the needle in appealing to conservatives and Trump, POLITICO’s Jordain Carney and Meredith Lee Hill report. Fitzpatrick, “who co-chairs the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, outlined in an interview Friday several elements he is eyeing for the new proposal: an extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits, with income limits and required minimum premium payments; new flexibility for health savings accounts, a conservative priority aimed at wooing Trump and conservatives; and potentially a stalled bipartisan package overhauling the role of pharmaceutical benefit managers.
| | | | Cyber criminals defraud millions of Americans each year, but law enforcement and regulators face major hurdles bringing the problem to heel. At POLITICO's Policy Outlook: Combating Financial Cybercrime, Reps. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) and David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) as well as FBI Special Agent Jordan Jenkins, Global Anti-Scam Alliance’s Nils Mueller and AARP’s Amy Nofziger discussed what can be done to protect consumers. Watch the conversations here. | | | | | 5. 2026 WATCH: Former Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) announced he will not be running for Ohio governor, which puts Democrat Amy Acton in a good spot for the party’s nomination, POLITICO’s Faith Wardwell writes. “Ryan’s move away from the race now sets up a likely face-off in 2026 between Acton and Republican and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, endorsed by President Donald Trump.” Rocky Top rumble: A deep-red Tennessee House seat has suddenly become a high-spending battle, with Republican Matt Van Epps and Democratic state Rep. Aftyn Behn locked in an ad-heavy fight that’s pulled in major outside groups, NBC’s Owen Auston-Babcock and Ben Kamisar writes. 6. THE MAHA MOMENT: Ardent loyalists of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are relaunching the political party he created last year — the We The People Party — getting an early start on their push to build out the apparatus and get it on ballots across the country should RFK Jr. seriously look at a 2028 bid, POLITICO’s Aaron Pellish reports. Party chair Levi Leatherberry told Aaron that he has not been in contact with RFK Jr. since taking leadership of the party. He’s hoping the party will eventually be on the ballot across the country, but hinted that the party “could create leverage for Kennedy or another ideologically aligned candidate without gaining ballot access nationwide.” RFK Jr.’s reign: “Inside the CDC whiplash,” by POLITICO’s Sophie Gardner: “Workers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told POLITICO that they’re grappling with lack of communication from the top, leadership vacancies and stalled progress – and the worry that they’ll soon again be fired. HHS disputes their concerns.”
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| | | | 7. ON DEFENSE: “Delays, setbacks loom over Trump’s Golden Dome missile shield,” by Reuters’ Mike Stone: “Trump's Golden Dome missile defense initiative is facing significant delays, hampered by the 43-day government shutdown and lack of a clear plan to spend the first $25 billion appropriated for the program this summer … The shutdown delayed hiring and pulled crucial personnel away from their normal duties of approving and signing contracts … More critically, the nearly $25 billion earmarked for Golden Dome as part of the budget reconciliation package approved this summer has not been turned into a spending plan that details exactly how the money will be allocated.” 8. MUSK READ: “Inside the DOGE Succession Drama Elon Musk Left Behind,” by POLITICO’s Sophia Cai and Daniel Lippman: “This account of the DOGE supernova, which left behind nebulous remnants throughout the government, is based on contemporaneous notes, photographs, correspondence and screenshots of Signal chats provided by participants in them. We interviewed nine former and current DOGE employees, along with four other administration and White House officials … What’s left of the Department of Government Efficiency looks nothing like what Musk envisioned, but he may have cleared the way for a more successful assault on the federal bureaucracy still underway.”
| | | | Sponsored Survey WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU: Please take a 1-minute survey about one of our advertising partners. | | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | IN MEMORIAM — “Democratic pollster, Israel advocate Mark Mellman dies,” by Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov: “Mark Mellman, a longtime Democratic political strategist and former president of Democratic Majority for Israel, died this week after a long illness. Mellman, CEO of the Mellman Group, led campaigns for more than 30 U.S. senators … as well as dozens of members of Congress … He worked on John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign and was the former president of the American Association of Political Consultants. He was also a fixture of election coverage and commentary, analyzing presidential debate performances for PBS and The Wall Street Journal, writing a longtime column for The Hill, and more.” MEDIAWATCH — White House officials have recently “discussed internally their preference for Paramount Skydance to acquire Warner Bros Discovery” and “in at least one phone call” with Larry Ellison “engaged in a dialogue about possibly axing some of the CNN hosts whom Donald Trump is said to loathe, including Erin Burnett and Brianna Keilar,” The Guardian’s Hugo Lowell reports. “That call … was characterized as informal since Ellison does not have a formal role at Paramount. Still, he holds a major ownership stake in the company, which is run by his son, David Ellison.” Spokespeople for the White House and CNN declined comment. Spokespeople for Ellison, Oracle and Paramount didn’t respond to requests for comment. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — West Wing movement: Meghan Patenaude Bauer is now White House cabinet secretary and has been promoted to be assistant to the president. She most recently was director of presidential scheduling and deputy assistant to the president. OUT AND ABOUT — The States Forum hosted its first “policy accelerator” event in Atlanta on Wednesday and yesterday, with a focus on electricity costs, the energy demands from data centers and how states can best keep rates down while boosting growth. Participants included Rohit Chopra and Charles Hua. Also SPOTTED: Mark Ellis, Brian Shearer, Sarah Moskowitz, Jenifer Bosco, Jane Flegal, Arjun Krishnaswami, J.R. Tolbert, Jeremy Tarr, Minnesota state Rep. Larry Kraft, Skanda Amarnath, Joseph Daniel, Erin Kramer, Ben King, Corey Platt, Maryland state Del. Lorig Charkoudian, Sameera Fazili, Marissa Gillett, Jack Krolikowski, Garphil Julien and Mike Pierce. — SPOTTED at USTelecom’s holiday party yesterday evening at Love, Makoto: Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-Calif.), Jonathan Spalter, Scott Delacourt, Greg Watson, Brandon Heiner, Ainslie Lane, Alanna Chapell, Matt Furlow, Ben Elleson, Todd Flournoy, Chris Ortman, Stephen Yusko, Megan Ketterer, Paige Hill, Jeremy Pederson, Rhonda Johnson, Paul Raak, Jay Cho, Courtney Reinhard, Molly Buening, Michael Essington, Patrick Halley, Al David Saab, Cara Duckworth, Dan Henderson and Mark Rebholz. — Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) hosted a talk and book signing for “The First Eight: A Personal History of the Pioneering Black Congressmen Who Shaped a Nation” ($30) last night at Ned’s Club. April Ryan moderated a conversation with Clyburn, with opening remarks from Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.). SPOTTED: Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Reps. Jim Costa (D-Calif.), Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Yebbie Watkins, Lyndon Boozer, Sylvia White, George Sifakis, Dede Lea, Joyce Brayboy, Kimball Stroud, John Raffaelli, Tom McMillen, John Mason, Tom Quinn, Gerry Harrington, Steve Hartell, Olivia Igbokwe-Curry, Robert Raben, Craig Cookson, Angela Riemer and Stephen Ubl. — Venture Government Strategies hosted its first annual “Gravy and Gratitude” Thanksgiving Party this week at their downtown offices, perched above the infamous Capital Grille. A flock of industry executives and politicians feasted on turkey sliders, stuffing, mashed potatoes and more to celebrate the holiday. SPOTTED: Sens. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Reps. Mike Carey (R-Ohio), Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.), Rich McCormick (R-Ga.), Addison McDowell (R-N.C.), David Rouzer (R-N.C.), Pat Harrigan (R-N.C.), Tracey Mann (R-Kan.), Dale Strong (R-Ala.), Erin Houchin (R-Ind.), Andy Barr (R-Ky.), Bryan Steil (R-Wis.), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.). MEDIA MOVE — Cameron Joseph is joining POLITICO as a politics editor. He previously was at The Christian Science Monitor. TRANSITION — Naja Hall is now president of the Pharma Accountability Project. She previously founded consulting firm Naja Hall Agency. Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn’t happen without our deputy editor Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath. Corrections: Wednesday’s Playbook PM incorrectly identified Colin Allred. He is a former Democratic representative from Texas. It also mischaracterized a Ragnar Research Partners poll on the Texas Senate race. The results show Sen. John Cornyn as a stronger general-election candidate than Texas AG Ken Paxton.
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