With the shutdown finally coming to an end as federal workers receive a backdated paycheck, President Trump announced that he is rehiring 15 transition team members who were let go from their roles. The team had been tasked with transitioning incoming appointees into their roles and are now expected to return to work in advance of the arrival of the team’s new head, Chris Liddell, who former Goldman Sachs partner will start his position as deputy chief of staff for policy coordination on Monday after being confirmed by the Senate on Thursday. Meanwhile, Special Counsel Robert Mueller urged a federal judge not to reduce the sentence of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort on grounds that he has cooperated with investigators since being charged for allegedly acting as a Russian agent. However, Manafort, who is expected to face sentencing in March, was accused of repeatedly lying to investigators about matters including political consulting work he did in Ukraine, his contacts with Russian associates, and an alleged meeting about a bailout loan. President Trump also claimed in a tweet that he discussed sanctions with Russia’s Vladimir Putin during a call on Saturday, asking about his plans with Russia and Ukraine “including the fact that Congress, despite President Obama’s taking no action, put sanctions in place during the last Administration.” At the same time, leaders in Ukraine announced that they were still committed to implementing a cease-fire arrangement but required additional proof of Russian compliance before deploying more heavy weapons to the front lines. President Trump has also mentioned that he wants to host Putin at the White House, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is expected to meet with Ukraine’s new president, Volodymyr Zelensky, in an effort to address the complex issue of Ukraine’s future.
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