Category World News

United States President Donald Trump says he is not happy with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, over the continuation of the war in Ukraine and suggests he is considering additional sanctions against Moscow.

“We get a lot of b******t thrown at us by Putin,” Trump said during a meeting with his cabinet at the White House on Tuesday. “He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.”

Putin is “killing a lot of people” and a lot of them are his soldiers and Ukraine’s forces, Trump added.

When asked about his interest in a bill proposed by the Senate for further sanctions on Russia, Trump said: “I’m looking at it very strongly.”

But he refused to preview his plans further when asked whether he will act on his frustration with Putin.

“I wouldn’t be telling you. Don’t we want to have a little surprise?” Trump told reporters. He then pivoted to discussing the lengthy planning for last month’s US strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Trump made the comments as French President Emmanuel Macron said in an address to the British Parliament that Europe will “never abandon Ukraine”.

Macron stressed that the United Kingdom and France will work with a “coalition of the willing” to support Ukraine.

“We will fight till the very last minute in order to get the ceasefire, in order to start the negotiations to build this robust and sustainable peace, because this is our security and our principles together which are at stake in Ukraine,” Macron said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Trump said his administration will send more weapons to Ukraine, adding that the new shipments would be primarily comprised of “defensive weapons”.

According to US media reports, Washington had paused the transfer of certain missiles and munitions to Ukraine due to its dwindling weapons stockpiles. The Pentagon said it was conducting a “capability review” of US weapons.

As a candidate, Trump promised to swiftly end the war in Ukraine. But so far, his diplomatic efforts – including several phone calls with Putin – have failed to stem the violence.

Ukrainian and Russian officials met for direct talks in Turkiye in May and agreed to a prisoner swap, but the two sides have not been able to reach a temporary truce, let alone a lasting ceasefire.

On Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow is waiting for Ukraine to propose possible dates for further negotiations. “As soon as dates are agreed – and we hope that it will be done – we will make an announcement,” he said.

Russia has been stepping up its long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks and has been slowly grinding its way forward along several parts of the Ukrainian front line in recent months.

Israel’s continued attacks on the Ayrounieh region on Tuesday as Hezbollah’s position, the Lebanese army’s inability to fight back, and the international community’s failure to impose pressure on Israel to respect the truce.

More than 180 kilometers (110 miles) from the Israeli border, the attack near Lebanon’s most significant city highlights Israel’s willingness to launch assaults all over the nation, not just in the south.

Without naming the target, the Israeli military claimed to have struck a “key” figure from Hamas in Gaza.

No senior Hamas official was killed in the strike, according to a Hamas source in Lebanon, according to Al Araby TV. Initial reports suggested the assassination attempt might have failed, according to Lebanon’s Annahar newspaper.

Hamas and other Palestinian organizations have bases in a number of areas of Lebanon, most notably in Palestinian refugee camps, where they have for decades. The large Beddawi Palestinian refugee camp is located in Tripoli.

Israel has launched attacks on Hezbollah and other members of Palestinian factions in Lebanon since the war broke out in Gaza in October 2023.

Early in the year 2024, Israeli air strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs claimed the lives of Saleh al-Arouri, Hamas’ deputy chief.

Israel continued to bomb what it claims are Hezbollah arms depots and fighters even though the conflict was ended by the ceasefire last year. Homes, municipal employees, and civilian infrastructure have all been targeted in Israeli attacks.

In the southern Lebanonean town of Deir Kifa, a suspected Israeli air attack on a van on Monday left at least one fatality.

As American envoy Thomas Barrack traveled to Lebanon for a two-day visit to discuss disarming Hezbollah, the recent attacks were launched.

After meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday, Barrack declared his “unbelievably satisfied” with Lebanon’s response to US demand to remove Hezbollah’s weapons.

Barrack, a long-time adviser to US President Donald Trump and a special envoy to Syria and the US ambassador to Turkiye, said he was unsure that Israel would go to war with Lebanon.

He claimed that “Both countries are trying to convey the idea of a stand-down agreement, of the cessation of hostilities, and of a path to peace.”

On Tuesday, the investment bank made Sunak’s appointment official.

Sunak, who is still a Conservative member of parliament from a seat in northern England, started his career at Goldman as an analyst before joining a number of hedge funds.

Sunak became the wealthiest British prime minister after facing criticism for being out of touch with the majority of UK voters due to his combination of his previous career in financial services and his wife’s wealth, whose father co-founded the Indian IT services company Infosys.

Since resigning as Conservatives leader in July of last year, the party suffered its worst defeat in more than a century. He has largely remained out of the spotlight. earlier this year, he accepted positions at Stanford and Oxford.

Sunak, who previously served as the UK’s finance minister, is one of many senior politicians who are now holding positions in finance because of their strategic stances and connections.

According to Goldman Sachs’ CEO, David Solomon, “I’m thrilled to welcome Rishi back to Goldman Sachs.” He will collaborate with senior executives from the firm to provide advice to clients around the world on a range of significant topics, while also offering his unique perspectives and insights on the macroeconomic and geopolitical landscape, Solomon said.