Trump-Putin meeting agreed upon 'in principle,' Kremlin aide indicates

President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin appear to be on track to soon have their first meeting since Trump took office for his second term earlier this year.

"At the suggestion of the American side, it has been agreed in principle to hold a bilateral meeting at the highest level in the coming days," Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov noted, according to the Associated Press.

"We propose, first of all, to focus on preparing a bilateral meeting with Trump, and we consider it most important that this meeting be successful and productive," he said, according to the outlet.

TRUMP OPEN TO MEET PUTIN FACE-TO-FACE NEXT WEEK FOLLOWED BY THREE-WAY TALKS WITH UKRAINE'S ZELENSKYY

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment early on Thursday morning.

The potential meeting would come as President Trump has been trying to help broker an end to the years-long Russia-Ukraine war.

TRUMP HAILS ‘HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE’ TALKS WITH PUTIN DESPITE NO CEASEFIRE, ‘SECONDARY TARIFFS’ STILL ON

"My Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, just had a highly productive meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Great progress was made!" Trump declared in a Wednesday post on Truth Social. 

"Afterwards, I updated some of our European Allies. Everyone agrees this War must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

RUSSIA, CHINA PRACTICE DESTROYING ‘ENEMY’ SUBMARINE IN NAVAL DRILL AFTER TRUMP MOVES US NUCLEAR ASSETS

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt noted, "As President Trump said earlier today on TRUTH Social, great progress was made during Special Envoy Witkoff’s meeting with President Putin. The Russians expressed their desire to meet with President Trump, and the President is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelensky. President Trump wants this brutal war to end."

Fox News Channel's Peter Doocy contributed to this report

Florida Poly and OCOM offer accelerated medical degree to address physician shortage

Amid a growing healthcare provider shortage in Polk County, Florida Polytechnic University and the Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine have announced a new six-year accelerated medical degree program designed to fast-track the next generation of doctors.

In Polk County, reports show that they have half as many doctors, dentists and pediatricians per 100,000 residents than the state average. This shortage has been linked to a rapid growth in the population. 

They also report a notable increase in emergency room visits linked to non-emergent care and general chronic disease management due to the absence of primary care access.

10-YEAR-OLD CALIFORNIA PRODIGY SET TO GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE WITH 2 DEGREES

With the new initiative, students will be able to complete both a Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree in just six years — compared to the traditional eight years (four for undergrad, four for medical school), not including residency.

The accelerated curriculum will assist students in getting both degrees needed by addressing physician shortages while making medical education accessible.

The program will also promote STEM-medicine integration, cost-effective education, and innovative academic partnerships.

Dr. Kiran C. Patel, OCOM’s Founder, and Dr. Devin Stephenson, Florida Poly’s President, announced that they had signed an agreement to move forward with the endeavor in July of this year. 

DESANTIS WINS AGAINST 'WOKE' ACCREDITATION IN PUSH TO OVERHAUL HIGHER EDUCATION

The program will limit acceptance to 20 high-achieving students a year and will require a minimum SAT score of 1390, an ACT score of 31, and a GPA of 3.5. However, a Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) will not be required.

"This is a transformative opportunity for students who want to become physicians and are eager to begin serving their communities," Stephenson said. "By combining rigorous STEM education with a clear, accelerated track to medical school, we are reimagining what’s possible in health education and responding to a critical need for more doctors across Florida and beyond. This agreement also reflects Florida Poly’s 25|30 Strategic Plan’s commitment to build capacity through enhanced partnership development, strengthening our role as a driver of innovation and impact."

The hopes of the new program are that, by limiting entry to high-achieving students and eliminating the MCAT requirement, the program will be able to produce local physicians faster, more affordably, and in greater alignment with Florida’s rapidly growing healthcare needs.

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