By SAMYA KULLAB, Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his reportedly tense meeting with U.S President Donald Trump last week was “positive” — even though he did not secure the Tomahawk missiles for Ukraine — and emphasized what he said is continued American interest in economic deals with Kyiv.

Zelenskyy said Trump reneged on the possibility of sending the long-range missiles to Ukraine, which would have been a major boost for Kyiv, following his phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin hours before the Ukrainian leader and American president were to meet on Friday.

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“In my opinion, he does not want an escalation with the Russians until he meets with them,” Zelenskyy told reporters on Sunday. His comments were embargoed until Monday morning.

Ukraine is hoping to purchase 25 Patriot air defense systems from American firms using frozen Russian assets and assistance from partners, but Zelenskyy said procuring all of these would require time because of long production queues. He said he spoke to Trump about help procuring these quicker, potentially from European partners.

According to Zelenskyy, Trump said during their meeting that Putin’s maximalist demand — that Ukraine cede the entirety of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions — was unchanged.

Zelenskyy was diplomatic about his meeting with Trump despite reports that he faced pressure to accept Putin’s demands — a tactic he has kept up since the disastrous Oval Office spat on Feb. 28 when the Ukrainian president was scolded on live television for not being grateful for continued American support.

Zelenskyy said that because Trump ultimately supported a freeze along the current front line his overall message “is positive” for Ukraine.

He said Trump was looking to end the war and hopes his meeting in the coming weeks with Putin in Hungary — which does not support Ukraine — will pave the way for a peace deal after their first summit in Alaska in August failed to reach such an outcome.

So far, Zelenskyy said he has not been invited to attend but would consider it if the format for talks were fair to Kyiv.

“We share President Trump’s positive outlook if it leads to the end of the war. After many rounds of discussion over more than two hours with him and his team, his message, in my view, is positive — that we stand where we stand on the line of contact, provided all sides understand what is meant,” Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy expressed doubts about Hungary’s capital of Budapest being a suitable location for the next Trump-Putin meeting.

“I do not consider Budapest to be the best venue for such a meeting. Obviously, if it can bring peace, it will not matter which country hosts the meeting,” he added.

Zelenskyy took a stab at Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, saying he doe not believe that a prime minister “who blocks Ukraine everywhere can do anything positive for Ukrainians or even provide a balanced contribution.”

Zelenskyy also expressed skepticism about Putin’s proposal to swap some territory it holds in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions if Ukraine surrenders all of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

“We wanted to understand exactly what the Russians meant. So far, there is no clear position,” he said.

Zelenskyy said he thinks that all parties have “moved closer” to a possible end to the war.

“That doesn’t mean it will definitely end, but President Trump has achieved a lot in the Middle East, and riding that wave he wants to end Russia’s war against Ukraine,” Zelenskyy added.

He said the United States is interested in bilateral gas projects with Ukraine, including the construction of an LNG terminal in the southern port city of Odesa. Other projects of interest to the U.S. include those related to nuclear energy and oil.

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE  — President Donald Trump said Sunday that the United States could purchase Argentinian beef in an attempt to bring down prices for American consumers.

“We would buy some beef from Argentina,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One during a flight from Florida to Washington. “If we do that, that will bring our beef prices down.”

Trump promised earlier this week to address the issue as part of his efforts to keep inflation in check.

U.S. beef prices have been stubbornly high for a variety of reasons, including drought and reduced imports from Mexico due to a flesh-eating pest in cattle herds there.

Trump has been working to help Argentina bolster its collapsing currency with a $20 billion credit swap line and additional financing from sovereign funds and the private sector ahead of midterm elections for his close ally, President Javier Milei.

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While Minnesota’s regular season opener is slated for Wednesday in Portland, the NBA kicks off Tuesday when Oklahoma City hoists a banner ahead of its bout with Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets.

Ahead of another NBA season, here’s a look at what to watch for this season, followed by a prediction of each team’s finish:

Is there parity?

There have been six different champions over the past six seasons, which suggests the league is wide open. But it’s far from a crapshoot once the playoffs arrive.

The last four NBA champions had home-court advantage in every round of the playoffs en route to the title.

Denver was the clear top team in the West three years ago, while Boston and Oklahoma City were the obvious teams to beat in the entire NBA each of the past two seasons.

So while perhaps it’s possible for any team to rise to the top this season, you better do your work to separate yourself during the regular season.

Health over everything

While load management is often a dreaded talking point in the NBA season – and perhaps not the best overall practice – last season’s playoffs put into focus how important health is. The NBA season spans eight months for the eventual champion, and all it takes is one injury to end your title hopes.

The losses of Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton and Steph Curry ultimately doomed the Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers and Golden State Warriors at various points of the postseason, while Aaron Gordon essentially playing on one leg left Denver defenseless in Game 7 of the conference semifinals against Oklahoma City.

With such a long regular season leading up to the marathon that is the physical postseason game, whichever top-tier team is lucky enough (or smart enough?) to keep its best players on the floor might be the one lifting the trophy come June.

Here’s a team-by-team look at the league, with a prognostication of their regular-season record.

The West

Thunder (59-23) – Motivation and fatigue are concerns for any defending champion in its pursuit of a repeat. They’re the only concerns that exist for this deep, talented roster.

Nuggets (54-28) – This is the best Denver roster ever constructed in the Nikola Jokic era, with the depth and shooting to legitimately challenge Oklahoma City.

Timberwolves (53-29) – Is continuity enough to help Minnesota take that final step in the postseason? Probably not. Anthony Edwards will need to be a two-way, MVP-caliber player for Minnesota to win the West.

Rockets (49-33) – Kevin Durant should help Houston score late in the games when the Rockets need buckets. But the injury loss of Fred VanVleet will put more on the plate of rising star Amen Thompson.

Lakers (48-34) – Luka Doncic looks like a potential MVP candidate given his current form and conditioning. But LeBron James’ health could be a lingering issue for the Lakers.

Warriors (46-36) – Golden State showed itself to be a legitimate threat in the West in the spring pre-Steph Curry injury. How much stock will the veteran Warriors put into the regular season?

Clippers (44-38) – They’re really old, but they also have the depth to consistently rotate veterans in throughout the regular season. But the Clippers haven’t won a playoff series since 2021.

Pelicans (42-40) – A healthy Zion Williamson is one of the NBA’s most dominant forces and could even lift this New Orleans roster to the playoffs in the frightening Western Conference.

Spurs (42-40) – It still remains to be seen how well all the Spurs’ pieces fit together. Victor Wembanyama and the young core have a high ceiling, but there still is no dominant stretch to point to as proof of concept.

Mavericks (41-41) – Dallas’ roster looks deep and talented and may be as good defensively as anyone. But this season’s success could hinge on Kyrie Irving’s return date from an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Grizzlies (40-42) – Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. remain strong basketball pillars, but there are simply too many injury concerns around this team to expect any level of consistent success.

Trail Blazers (38-44) – Offensive concerns for the Blazers are legitimate, but this might be the most tenacious defensive team in the NBA.

Kings (35-47) – Sacramento can scare opponents on any given night with its level of offensive firepower. But there aren’t many defensive stoppers to be found on that roster.

Suns (32-50) – Getting Durant and Brad Beal out of Phoenix provided a needed reset for the Suns. But there’s just not much talent on this roster. A young frontline needs to find its way, and fast.

Jazz (17-65) – Ace Bailey could prove to be a legitimate building block for Utah, which is heading towards another obvious tanking season.

East

Cavaliers (54-28) – The Cavaliers are running it back with the same roster that finished with the East’s best record last season. Can a healthy version of this core have better playoff success?

Knicks (50-32) – Tom Thibodeau was fired seemingly as a scapegoat for a front office that had to explain why it wasn’t better than the Pacers after making such all-in trades last offseason. What happens if this season’s results aren’t any better?

Hawks (50-32) – Atlanta went from seemingly lost in the sea of middling a year ago to now sporting one of the best, most dynamic young rosters. Does Trae Young fit the long-term vision?

Magic (48-34) – An all-in trade for Desmond Bane should help the Magic level up. Just how immediate those dividends are remains to be seen.

Pistons (46-36) – The leap from bad to good is far easier than the one from good to great. But Jaden Ivey’s return from last season’s injury could help Detroit achieve the latter.

Pacers (45-37) – No, they don’t have Tyrese Haliburton after his Game 7 Achilles injury. But the Pacers do have their firm identity of a high-pace team, and a guard in Andrew Nembhard more than capable of running the show.

Bucks (43-39) – Milwaukee is leaning into a youth movement, surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo with a more athletic, defensive core. At worst, the Bucks should be frisky.

Raptors (40-42) – Toronto won a lot of games at the end of last season by virtue of playing hard. If that can be replicated over the course of a full season, the Raptors could be playoff bound.

Celtics (38-44) – Boston’s offseason suggested this season will be treated as a reset season while Jayson Tatum recovers from his Achilles tear. While Jaylen Brown and Derrick White are still around, the roster is paper thin.

76ers (37-45) – If Joel Embiid is healthy, this number will be far too low. But if he has any injury concerns, this team is set up to again lose a lot of games.

Heat (37-45) – Miami continues to trot out a star-less roster without a true identity or direction in the wake of the Jimmy Butler era.

Bulls (36-46) – The run-and-gun Bulls are a fun watch that just don’t figure to consistently win games until they find an athletic center to better fit their current roster.

Hornets (34-48) – Charlotte has a lot of talented, young pieces. There’s an opportunity to finish much higher than this if the puzzle fits together correctly.

Wizards (17-65) – A roster full of intriguing young pieces. But the Wizards could stand to provide them with more direction in order to aid development.

Nets (15-67) – With so many rookies mixed with competent veterans, how Brooklyn divides minutes within its rotation throughout the season will be interesting.

Playoff predictions

Western Conference finals: Oklahoma City over Denver in seven games

Eastern Conference finals: Cleveland over Atlanta in six games

NBA Finals: Oklahoma City over Cleveland in five games

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) and head coach Chris Finch, right, talk during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, in Minneapolis. (Abbie Parr / Associated Press)

Maybe the most frustrating part of the the Vikings’ 28-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium was the fact that the game was there for the taking.

It wasn’t a dominant effort from the defending Super Bowl champions, by any means. The eagles didn’t deliver the dagger until very late, when quarterback Jalen Hurts completed a deep pass to put the game away for good.

The result might have been different had Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz taken better care of the ball. They also were 1 for 6 in the red zone in total, settling for field goals instead of touchdowns far too often, which largely contributed to the loss.

As much as the offense was fighting it throughout the game, however, the defense wasn’t much better in key moments.

Here are some takeaways from Sunday’s loss, which dropped the Vikings to 3-3 and into last place in the NFC North:

The mistakes of Carson Wentz

It might be unfair to hold Wentz to a high standard because he’s probably best suited as a backup rather than a starter at this point in his career. That said, Wentz simply wasn’t good enough for the Vikings, even if he battled down the stretch against the Eagles. He missed a wide open touchdown on the opening drive, then followed it up by throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown on the next drive. There were also too many times that Wentz went backwards in the red zone whether it be him getting called for intentional grounding or taking a sack. He acknowledged his shortcoming after the game and vowed to be better. That is a must for the Vikings if they want to have a chance.

The dominance of Jalen Hurts

Though he has become synonymous with the highly controversial Tush Push largely because of his legs, Hurts proved throughout the game that he can still very much beat an opposing team with his arm. He finished with a perfect 158.3 quarterback rating, completing 19 of 23 passes for 326 yards and 3 touchdowns. The performance from Hurts came at a time that his play has become a polarizing topic of conversation. Some people don’t consider him to be an elite quarterback in the NFL. His recent play against the Vikings would suggest otherwise.

The rise of Jordan Addison

It’s no secret that star receiver Justin Jefferson attracts double coverage most of the time he’s on the field. He has even occasionally seen triple coverage in his career. That might change if fellow receiver Jordan Addison continues to dominate. He’s been nothing short of spectacular for the Vikings since returning from his suspension a few weeks ago. It’s hard for opposing teams to cover Addison because he often gets to line up against single coverage. He took advantage of that against the Eagles, hauling in 9 catches for 128 yards in the game. If Addison continues to produce, Jefferson might start to draw some single coverage himself.

The struggles of Isaiah Rodgers

The film is not going to be very fun for cornerback Isaiah Rodgers to watch. As impressive as he’s been for the Vikings since signing as a free agent, he had an extremely rough game against the Eagles. Not only was he beat by receiver Devonta Smith for a 79-yard touchdown, Rodgers was also beat by receiver A.J. Brown for a 45-yard gain that effectively ended the game. This is the first time Rodgers has faced adversity since joining the Vikings. It will be interesting to see how he responds.

The excellence of Will Reichard

There aren’t enough words to describe how good kicker Will Reichard has been for the Vikings as of late. The trend continued against the Eagles as he went 5 of 5 on field goals. That included a 59-yarder that Reichard made with relative ease. He’s been a model of consistency for the Vikings game in and game out. It’s gotten to the point that every time Reichard trots on the field it’s assumed he’s going to put the ball through the uprights. His only miss over the past month and a half came in London and it might have been because the ball hit a wire in midair.

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