Putin appoints new ambassador to the US: Decree
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Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Sen. Lindsey Graham says Trump ready to ‘crush' Russian economy if Putin avoids talks with Zelensky
WASHINGTON: Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said Tuesday that he believes President Donald Trump is prepared to 'crush' Russia's economy with a new wave of sanctions if Russian President Vladimir Putin refuses to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the coming weeks. Graham, who spoke with Trump on Tuesday morning, has pushed the president for months to support his sweeping bipartisan sanctions bill that would impose steep tariffs on countries that are fueling Russia's invasion of Ukraine by buying its oil, gas, uranium, and other exports. The legislation has the backing of 85 senators, but Trump has yet to endorse it. Republican leaders have said they won't move without him. 'If we don't have this thing moving in the right direction by the time we get back, then I think that plan B needs to kick in,' Graham said in a phone interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday. The Senate, now away from Washington for the August recess, is scheduled to return in September. Graham's call with Trump came less than 24 hours after high-stakes meetings at the White House with Zelensky and several European leaders. Trump and the leaders emerged from those talks sounding optimistic, with the expectation being that a Putin and Zelensky sit-down will happen soon. Still, Trump's comments to Graham, one of his top congressional allies, mark the latest sign that pressure is building — not just on Putin, but on Trump as well. 'Trump believes that if Putin doesn't do his part, that he's going to have to crush his economy. Because you've got to mean what you say,' Graham told reporters in South Carolina on Tuesday. As Congress prepares to return to session in early September, the next few weeks could become a defining test of whether lawmakers and international allies are prepared to act on their own if Trump doesn't follow through. Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the lead Democrat pushing the bill with Graham, says there is a 'lot of reason for skepticism and doubt' after the meetings with Trump, especially because Putin has not made any direct promises. He said the Russian leader has an incentive to play 'rope-a-dope' with Trump. 'The only way to bring Putin to the table is to show strength,' Blumenthal told the AP this week. 'What Putin understands is force and pressure.' Still, Republicans have shown little willingness to override Trump in his second term. They abruptly halted work on the sanctions bill before the August recess after Trump said the legislation may not be needed. Asked Tuesday in a phone interview whether the sanctions bill should be brought up even without Trump's support, Graham said, 'the best way to do it is with him.' 'There will come a point where if it's clear that Putin is not going to entertain peace, that President Trump will have to back up what he said he would do,' Graham said. 'And the best way to do it is have congressional blessing.' The legislation would impose tariffs of up to 500 percent on countries such as China and India, which together account for roughly 70 percent of Russia's energy trade. The framework has the support of many European leaders. Many of those same European leaders left the White House on Monday with a more hopeful tone. Zelensky called the meeting with Trump 'an important step toward ending this war.' German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that his expectations 'were not just met, they were exceeded.' Still, little concrete progress was visible on the main obstacles to peace. That deadlock likely favors Putin, whose forces continue to make steady, if slow, progress on the ground in Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters after talks at the White House that Trump believes a deal with Putin is possible. But he said sanctions remain on the table if the process fails.
Leaders
7 hours ago
- Leaders
Trump Proposes US Air Support for Ukraine Amid Security Concerns
President Donald Trump suggested on Tuesday that robust US air support and European ground forces could form the backbone of future security guarantees for Ukraine, but he simultaneously warned of a 'rough' outcome if Moscow and Kyiv fail to reach a peace agreement. During a Fox News interview, Trump confirmed European allies expressed willingness to deploy personnel on Ukrainian soil following Monday's White House meetings. 'We possess unmatched aerial capabilities that no other nation realistically has,' he emphasized, signaling strong US air involvement. Furthermore, he categorically ruled out deploying American ground troops to Ukraine and dismissed any possibility of Ukraine joining NATO. Kyiv urgently seeks ironclad security assurances after enduring over three years of brutal Russian invasion. Moscow, however, consistently rejects Western military presence on former Soviet territory and fiercely opposes Ukrainian NATO membership. Trump specifically named France, Germany, and the UK as nations prepared to commit 'boots on the ground.' Pushing for Direct Putin-Zelensky Talks Trump revealed he actively pressures both leaders to convene a bilateral summit before he joins a trilateral meeting, stating, 'I spoke directly with President Putin about arranging talks with President Zelensky,' acknowledging potential Russian hesitation. 'I hope President Putin follows through; otherwise, the situation becomes very rough.' He added that Zelensky must also demonstrate significant flexibility during negotiations. The president delivered a stark message regarding occupied Ukrainian land, insisting Kyiv must accept permanent territorial concessions. 'Look at the map: Russia controls a massive chunk of territory, including approximately 79% of Donbas right now,' Trump asserted, urging that Ukraine lacks the military power to reverse these losses against a 'powerful' Russia, ten times its size. Trump framed territorial surrender as the necessary price for peace and stability, stating, 'Ukraine will regain their lives, stop the killing, and secure substantial land returns under this deal.' This position directly addresses the war's central sticking point—the fate of vast occupied regions—while offering Kyiv a path to end the devastating conflict. Short link : Post Views: 35
Saudi Gazette
7 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
Saudi Arabia calls for immediate measures to stop Israeli crimes against Palestinians and their land
Saudi Gazette report NEOM — The Saudi Council of Ministers called on the international community, especially the permanent members of the Security Council, to take immediate measures to compel the Israeli occupation authorities to stop their crimes against the Palestinian people and their occupied land. Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman chaired the Cabinet session in NEOM on Tuesday. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency following the session, Minister of State, Cabinet Member for the Shoura Council Affairs and Acting Minister of Media Dr. Essam bin Saad bin Saeed said that the Cabinet strongly condemned the statements made by the prime minister of the Israeli occupation government regarding the so-called "Greater Israel Vision" and its complete rejection of the settlement and expansionist ideas and projects of the occupation authorities. It affirmed the historical and legal right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent, sovereign state on their land, based on relevant international laws. The Council strongly denounced the Israeli occupation authorities' approval of the construction of settlements around the occupied city of Jerusalem. The Cabinet affirmed Saudi Arabia's support for all diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the Russian-Ukrainian crisis through peaceful means and achieving peace between the two countries. In this context, it welcomed the two summits held by US President Donald Trump with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as well as with leaders of European countries. At the outset of the session, the Crown Prince briefed the Cabinet on the contents of his phone calls with President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, President of South Korea Lee Jae-myung, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as well as the contents of the message he received from Dr. Julius Maada Bio, president of Sierra Leone. On the occasion of World Humanitarian Day, which falls on Tuesday, the Cabinet expressed its pride over Saudi Arabia's great journey in this field, from its founding to the present day, supporting humanity and its development based on firm principles derived from the true Islamic religion and noble values. This has consolidated its position among the world's largest donor countries. On the occasion of the beginning of the new academic year, the Cabinet reviewed the achievements made in the education sector, including curriculum development, raising the professional level of teachers, integrating artificial intelligence, expanding technical training, identifying and supporting talent, and providing educational environments that stimulate creativity and innovation. The Cabinet wished success to male and female students at all levels of education. The Cabinet approved the Handicrafts Law. It authorized Minister of Sports or his representative to negotiate with the Spanish side regarding a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Saudi Ministry of Sports and the Spanish Supreme Sports Council for cooperation in the field of sports, and to sign it. The Council authorized Minister of Foreign Affairs or his representative to negotiate with the General Secretariat of the Middle East Green Initiative regarding a draft headquarters agreement between the Saudi government and the General Secretariat of the Middle East Green Initiative, and to sign it. The Cabinet authorized Minister of Health or his representative to negotiate with the Syrian side regarding a draft MoU between the Saudi Ministry of Health and the Syrian Ministry of Health for cooperation in the health sector, and to sign it. It approved a MoU between the Saudi Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority and the Agency for Small and Medium Enterprises Development in Azerbaijan regarding the development of the small and medium enterprises sector and entrepreneurship. The Cabinet authorized Minister of Finance or his representative to sign a draft agreement between the Saudi government and the Kyrgyz government on cooperation and mutual assistance in customs matters. It approved an agreement between the Saudi government and the US government on mutual assistance between the customs administrations of the two countries, and another agreement between the Saudi government and the government of Grenada in the field of air transport services. The Council authorized Minister of Tourism or his representative to negotiate with the Qatari side regarding the draft MoU for cooperation in the field of tourism promotion and marketing between the Saudi Tourism Authority and Qatar Tourism, and to sign it. It approved a memorandum of cooperation between the Saudi National Center for Archives and Records and the National Archives at the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Media, and the Arts in the Maldives in the field of documents and archiving. The Cabinet authorized Minister of Human Resources and Social Development to negotiate with the American side regarding the draft MoU between the Saudi Institute of Public Administration and the Center for Executive Education at the University of California, Berkeley, in the United States of America, in the field of training and administrative development, and to sign it.
