President Trump insists he's going to make a deal with Russia.

The lead starts right now.

You don't know what pressure I'm putting on Russia.

They're dealing.

You have no idea what pressure on putting a Russia.

We're putting a lot of pressure.

That insistence that he's putting a lot of pressure on Russia,

as Russia is dropping its deadliest

bombs in months on Ukrainian civilians, at least 12 killed, 90 wounded in the capital of Kiev

overnight.

How long is President Trump going to try to negotiate peace as Vladimir Putin carries out

his own battle plans?

Plus, party problems.

David Hogg, the young Democratic National Committee,

vice chair, who came here on the lead last week and urged his party to spend $20 million

to primary Democrats he thinks are worthless. Well, he was given a talking to today by his DNC elders.

But first, major questions about Trump's trade war with China and what is really going on.

The president claiming that his administration is meeting with Chinese officials to try to get

tariffs lowered, but that's not what the Chinese are saying.

Welcome to the lead. I'm Jake Tapper. We're going to start in our money lead. China insinuating today that President Trump is lying just this moment a spokesperson for China's foreign ministry saying that as far as he knows, China and the United States have not held any consultations or meetings or negotiations on tariffs. And the idea that China and the U.S. have been engaged in talks, which President Trump has

been asserting, is, quote, fake news.

But President Trump repeated his claim.

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