Personal Flying Cars May Be Luxury's New Status Symbol
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
In the future, having a flying car will be a unique and cutting-edge status symbol, even more than owning a customized Maybach or Rolls-Royce. Elite travelers will take to the skies, avoiding traffic, in their personal vehicles.
Doroni Aerospace is on the cutting edge of the market. The company recently secured $180 million in investment to bring America's first personal flying car to market.
The very modern company has its roots in the cartoons of the space age. "My whole life I've been fantasizing about flying cars—ever since I was young. I grew up watching shows like The Jetsons, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Back to the Future—all the futuristic stuff," Doroni Aerospace CEO Doron Merdinger told Newsweek.
"The idea basically started at the end of 2016. I had a 'eureka' moment when I saw this kid playing with a drone," he continued. "2016 was around the time when drones really started to be seen more frequently. I saw how accurately they flew, how sustainable they were, and how easy they were to control. I knew it was only going to progress."
Rendering of a Doroni Aerospace flying car.
Rendering of a Doroni Aerospace flying car.
Doroni Aerospace
The vision of what flying cars could look like led Merdinger to begin Googling like-minded people. "I knew I needed engineers from different specialties—like aerospace, battery technology, structural engineering, and more. Eventually, I pulled together a team: Ukrainian aerospace engineers, UK software systems engineers, and a battery expert from the U.S.," he said.
The first concept the newly-formed team came up with was an open single-seater, something Merdinger likens to a flying motorcycle. "But over time, I realized that the open cockpit wasn't the most compelling or sustainable concept. You want to feel comfortable and secure," he said.
By 2021, the company was approached by potential investors and shifted focus to a roadster-style two-seater prototype called the H1-P1. It was equipped with four ducted fans embedded inside the wings, engineering the company patented, and two rear thrusters.
With advanced technology and market feasibility comes added challenges. "We understood the challenges drones and helicopters face. For example, drones need to tilt more as they speed up, which can be uncomfortable for passengers and inefficient from an energy standpoint. That's why we knew ducted fans would set us apart. They offer key advantages: safety from bird strikes or people getting close, the ability to fly near urban areas or trees, better energy efficiency and lower noise levels. Plus, they look better—clean and compelling," Merdinger said.
In the post-COVID years, Doroni has been focused on developing a viable product that it can bring to market. The Doroni H1-X combines electric power with vertical takeoff and landing technology (eVTOL).
"In February 2023, we began test flights. I even flew inside the full-scale H1-P1 myself. We have also secured a special airworthiness certification from the FAA. That was huge as it shows the FAA is beginning to recognize and provide credibility for vehicles like ours," Merdinger said.
The company continues to raise funds. "Once the funding comes in, we'll expedite the vehicle's development. We'll have a 24-month runway where we will be focused on development and extensive testing, and parallel work on certification. There will be a lot of testing and building as we approach the product launch," the CEO said.
The company's website touts the H1-X production model's fast recharge time. It can bring its state of charge up to 80 percent in 25 minutes under ideal charging conditions. It is said to be able to fly for 40 minutes at a time with a range of 60 miles.
Owners will be able to take off and land their Doroni eVTOL on the flat rooftop of a two-car garage, or at one of the country's vertiports. A number of airfields and airports across the country are installing vertiports, including at some military bases.
Potential customers can reserve their H1-X with a $1,000 deposit. The expected cost of the unit is estimated to be around $350,000, about the same price as a Rolls-Royce Ghost.
"We currently have over 500 pre-order requests, many of whom have already put down deposits. All the pre-orders so far have come from individuals, which we like. We want to work closely with our first buyers to understand how they see this vehicle fitting into their lives, how they use it, how safe it feels. It's about learning together and delivering the safest, most groundbreaking personal vehicle possible," he said.
The company predicts that it won't be able to deliver its eVTOL to customers until at least 2026. "We expect the MOSAIC rules approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to stretch into 2026. We're introducing a whole new category of vehicles. It's important to take our time, work closely with the FAA, and do things the right way. We know this is disruptive technology which is why we need to stay grounded—no pun intended. We're creating something entirely new. It's important to stay cautious, iterate carefully, and remain aligned with the FAA," Merdinger said.
The FAA's MOSAIC (Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification) rules are designed to expand the current light-sport aircraft category to include eVTOLs and other advanced aircraft.
"Once we're out there, the market will only grow exponentially. Companies are already approaching us with use cases—from luxury shuttle systems flying from New York to Tokyo in under an hour, to servicing wind turbines in remote ocean locations, and to farming. The use cases are endless," he concluded.
New York to Tokyo in under an hour may seem impossible at first glance. However, transportation and aerospace engineers are working on making it a reality. The 6,700-mile journey could be possible in three segments: a 20-minute flight using Doroni's H1-X from the passenger's home to the departure shuttle, a high-speed transcontinental flight lasting approximately 20 minutes and a final 20-minute flight from the arrival shuttle directly to the passenger's final destination.
Rendering of a Doroni Aerospace flying car charging.
Rendering of a Doroni Aerospace flying car charging.
Doroni Aerospace
Fortune Business Insights projects that the flying car market will be valued at $1.53 trillion USD by 2040.
There are several companies in the eVTOL development space, including Joby Aviation, which acquired Uber's flying car unit in late 2020. Uber then invested $75 million in the company.
Lilium, Archer Aviation and Vertical Aerospace are also working on eVTOL travel, as is aerospace powerhouse company Airbus.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Yahoo
The most volatile major currencies in 2025
2025 has proven to be an unusually volatile year for foreign exchange movements. The Trump administration and ongoing conflicts have led to frequent exchanges between world leaders and policymakers, while record-high tariffs are affecting global trade more significantly than we have seen since the 2000s. Since 2020, the world has seen many disturbances compared to a much more geopolitically stable first part of the millennium. Between COVID-19, new conflicts around the globe, unprecedented central bank policies, and trade wars, there is a lot to digest for economists and individuals. However, for traders, with volatility comes opportunity. OANDA dives into major currencies that have seen the most volatility since the beginning of 2025. The euro once again attracted significant attention from the markets. After the Trump administration decided to impose a policy of U.S. exceptionalism on the rest of the world, European politicians showed a strong response. Particularly after a heated exchange between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, European representatives issued strong statements. French President Emmanuel Macron, EU President of the Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and other European leaders successively spoke up and showed cohesiveness to tackle a more distant American partner. This led to a significant reversal of a six-month downtrend in the euro versus other currencies. Germany, Europe's largest economy, also announced a significant spending bill in March 2025, pledging $565 billion to an unforeseen infrastructure plan. Markets are seeing signs of Europe's strength with such policies, which underpin euro strength in the first part of this year. The euro has been on an impulsive move up since the beginning of Q2 2025 and formed an ascending daily channel after its March-end consolidation. The April 2, 2025 Liberation Day, when Trump announced his tariffs, led to weakness in the U.S. dollar and underpinned the euro in April to break through prior resistance at 1.0930, which then turned into support. Prices for the EUR/USD pair soared to levels unseen since November 2021. A tweezer top bearish candlestick pattern toward April 21 led the euro to correct back toward the low of the channel and eventually broke its support at the bottom line of the main ascending channel. The medium term outlook still looks bullish as long as prices are maintained above the pivot zone—situated between 1.1070 and 1.1130—that served to slow down the April breakout move. For bullish continuation, look for a break above the 1.14 psychological level and a re-entry into the ascending channel. For a further bearish reversal, look for a close below the pivot zone around 1.1050. The yen has had quite a volatile performance in the past few years. The Bank of Japan has been stuck in a dovish stance, particularly in the past 13 years, notably with its infamous Yield Curve Control policy. Installed in 2012, this policy aimed to maintain low interest rates on their yield curve, which is made to stimulate a sluggish economy that hasn't seen much improvement since their dominant 90s decade—particularly when it pertains to a quasi non-existent inflation, much needed for GDP growth. This policy has led to a substantial depreciation of the yen relative to other currencies. Effectively, since the beginning of global hike cycles led by central banks, the USD/JPY has gone from 102.53 in January 2021 all the way to highs of 161.95 attained in July 2024. Since then, a more dovish stance by central banks supplemented by a weaker U.S. dollar bolstered the yen, which is now trading around the 145 handle. Since the start of 2025, with frantic American policies, the yen has appreciated by 7.7%, though it remains volatile. The yen has found buying momentum after tumultuous price action. USD/JPY has been in a downtrend since the beginning of 2025 with consistent lower highs. Prices eventually corrected in March, when the downside pressure materialized on the U.S. dollar against the JPY. These lows serve to form a daily descending channel. April and Liberation Day also served as a support for the yen, as prices extended their moves lower to an extreme of 139.86 attained on April 21, 2025—levels unseen since September 2024. From these prices, the yen found sellers again (buying USD/JPY) with a swift reversal all the way to the pivot zone that served as a magnet for prices. The zone is established between 147.10 and 148.50. A move below that would imply a bearish continuation, which can be confirmed if prices enter back into the descending channel below the major support at 146.50. On the other end, to pursue the reversal move, bulls would be looking to break and close above 148.50, looking to extend toward the major resistance at 151.20. The greenback has had a powerful performance at the beginning of this decade. Between ever-so-strong U.S. companies powered by record highs in most major U.S. indices, the advent of artificial intelligence technology, and an economy that has sustained one of the fastest hiking cycles in its history, the U.S. has asserted its economic dominance. From September 2024 to Trump's ascension to the White House, the dollar has shown a stellar increase of close to 10% against its major counterparts. Though, as mentioned earlier, the Trump administration has scared global markets, and fears of the United States backing off from the international scene have made the dollar give back its year-end run. After the May 7, 2025 meeting, a more hawkish than expected Federal Reserve has stopped the bleeding from the U.S. dollar, which gave it some strength. The markets now await further news concerning tariffs and a potential continuation of the cutting cycle in upcoming FED meetings. Looking back at July 2024 serves a decent purpose for the dollar index. Effectively, the USD was in bearish momentum from July 2024 to October 2024, as markets started to price in the Trump victory in the U.S. elections, which led to a swift reversal. The rally began with very few corrections and lasted until its inauguration speech in January 2025, with highs at 110.14. The end of the impulsive bullish move formed the head of an infamous head and shoulders pattern. The right shoulder was formed in March 2025, as markets feared that unprecedented tariffs would isolate the greenback—this price action sent bearish fears and led to a breakdown below a precedent pivot level at 103.250. A further breakdown led to a swifter slump, which stopped at a measured move from the neckline, on Liberation Day at 101.27. There was a continuation of this move as the index found a bottom at 97.94 on April 21, 2025. Since then, prices have reverted toward the last pivot at 101.750. The trend is now unclear as prices are close to precedent confluence zones. A further continuation of this bullish reversal in the DXY points at the next resistance of 103.25. For a resumption of the downtrend, bears would look to break below the psychological level of 100.00 and the ascending trendline formed in the reversal. The British pound has a case of its own. After a strong hiking cycle, similar to other central banks in the U.S. and the EU, economic activity has remained fairly strong. The Bank of England has been reluctant to cut interest rates due to a mix of factors, including persistent inflation (particularly in the services sector). This gave the pound a fundamental advantage relative to the euro, for example, where stronger interest rates allow for a better yield and support currency strength. Furthermore, the U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has maintained particularly strong relations with Trump, which has allowed to limit overall tariff uncertainty and led to the conclusion of a U.S.-U.K. Trade Deal. The pound has been holding firm against the greenback and its other major counterparts. Particularly since 2025, cable has been in a rally from 1.2098 all the way to 1.3440, highs attained in the last days of April, where a tentative breakout was found with a slight reversal. Since the end of April, prices have been consolidating toward the highs of the daily ascending daily channel and remain not more than 2000 pips from the highs, a minimal correction relative to moves in other currencies. A small daily head and shoulders pattern can be identified, though it would need a break below the psychological level of 1.32. Bears can then look toward the 1.30 level and its confluence with the bottom of the ascending channel. On the other hand, bulls would be looking for a push toward the highs of the channel which also coincide with the April 2025 highs—further confirmation as long as prices do not fall below the pivot level of 1.32. The Loonie has had a rough year-over-year performance. From March 2022 to July 2023, the Bank of Canada engaged in a hiking cycle that was even faster than the one made by its historic trade partner and neighbor due to exceptionally strong inflation. In 2024, the more cyclical Canadian economy was affected by higher rates, lower energy prices, and political turmoil, sending the Canadian economy into a slump that has accelerated its cutting cycle—resulting in signs of a significantly weaker Canadian dollar. USD/CAD went from 1.31 in January 2024 to a spike of 1.47 in February 2025. On a year-to-date perspective, though, the CAD has recovered from its weakness in February when fears of record U.S. tariffs were announced. Factually, U.S. and Canada trade tensions increased notably, with the U.S. president calling its northern neighbor 'the 51st State' and menaces of +100% rises in energy tariffs were announced by Canadian counterparts. Recently elected Prime Minister Mark Carney has engaged in discussions relating to tariffs, immigration, and other key subjects with the United States, which remains Canada's most strategic partner. This has reduced uncertainty and volatility in the pair. Furthermore, the new Canadian prime minister was once head of both the Bank of England and the Bank of Canada, which may have contributed to some strength in the CAD. USD/CAD has been volatile in the past year, to say the least. Similar to the move seen in the DXY, the pair has seen a relentless rally with few corrections. The rally found its base after a double bottom in October 2024. Prices moved from 1.3445 to 1.4650, where they consolidated in a 2000 pip range between December 2024 and February 2025. As explained earlier, fears of record-high tariffs led to a massive gap in the loonie on Feb. 3, 2025, where it found some relief. Prices moved toward 1.41650 and formed a more volatile range, as prices eventually broke support after Liberation Day. Since the beginning of April, the Canadian dollar found buyers (sellers of USD/CAD), though prices consolidated toward the most recent pivot of 1.37800 and saw a 2000 pip reversal. Canadian dollar aficionados would now be looking for a fall to the lows established by the pivot, with continuation on a breakout on the downside. However, a break above the key 1.4000 medium-term psychological level may see the resurgence of USD/CAD bulls for the next resistance to come in at 1.4155. 2025 has been a rollercoaster year for financial markets. Trump and his infamous tariff policies concern economic players, as reviewing supply chains creates swift changes in monetary flows. Q1 of 2025 was a test of strength for currencies that were mostly weaker against the U.S. dollar in previous years. The theme of U.S. economic activity being stronger than the rest of the world is one of the past. Markets are now looking forward to who might be the winners of these trade wars. This article is for general information purposes only, not to be considered a recommendation or financial advice. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Opinions are the author's; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. This story was produced by OANDA and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. Sign in to access your portfolio
Miami Herald
19 hours ago
- Miami Herald
The most volatile major currencies in 2025
The most volatile major currencies in 2025 2025 has proven to be an unusually volatile year for foreign exchange movements. The Trump administration and ongoing conflicts have led to frequent exchanges between world leaders and policymakers, while record-high tariffs are affecting global trade more significantly than we have seen since the 2000s. Since 2020, the world has seen many disturbances compared to a much more geopolitically stable first part of the millennium. Between COVID-19, new conflicts around the globe, unprecedented central bank policies, and trade wars, there is a lot to digest for economists and individuals. However, for traders, with volatility comes opportunity. OANDA dives into major currencies that have seen the most volatility since the beginning of 2025. Major currency performance since 2025 Euro - the biggest major performer The euro once again attracted significant attention from the markets. After the Trump administration decided to impose a policy of U.S. exceptionalism on the rest of the world, European politicians showed a strong response. Particularly after a heated exchange between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, European representatives issued strong statements. French President Emmanuel Macron, EU President of the Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and other European leaders successively spoke up and showed cohesiveness to tackle a more distant American partner. This led to a significant reversal of a six-month downtrend in the euro versus other currencies. Germany, Europe's largest economy, also announced a significant spending bill in March 2025, pledging $565 billion to an unforeseen infrastructure plan. Markets are seeing signs of Europe's strength with such policies, which underpin euro strength in the first part of this year. EUR/USD: Technical analysis The euro has been on an impulsive move up since the beginning of Q2 2025 and formed an ascending daily channel after its March-end consolidation. The April 2, 2025 Liberation Day, when Trump announced his tariffs, led to weakness in the U.S. dollar and underpinned the euro in April to break through prior resistance at 1.0930, which then turned into support. Prices for the EUR/USD pair soared to levels unseen since November 2021. A tweezer top bearish candlestick pattern toward April 21 led the euro to correct back toward the low of the channel and eventually broke its support at the bottom line of the main ascending channel. The medium term outlook still looks bullish as long as prices are maintained above the pivot zone-situated between 1.1070 and 1.1130-that served to slow down the April breakout move. For bullish continuation, look for a break above the 1.14 psychological level and a re-entry into the ascending channel. For a further bearish reversal, look for a close below the pivot zone around 1.1050. Yen-finally showing signs of strength The yen has had quite a volatile performance in the past few years. The Bank of Japan has been stuck in a dovish stance, particularly in the past 13 years, notably with its infamous Yield Curve Control policy. Installed in 2012, this policy aimed to maintain low interest rates on their yield curve, which is made to stimulate a sluggish economy that hasn't seen much improvement since their dominant 90s decade-particularly when it pertains to a quasi non-existent inflation, much needed for GDP growth. This policy has led to a substantial depreciation of the yen relative to other currencies. Effectively, since the beginning of global hike cycles led by central banks, the USD/JPY has gone from 102.53 in January 2021 all the way to highs of 161.95 attained in July 2024. Since then, a more dovish stance by central banks supplemented by a weaker U.S. dollar bolstered the yen, which is now trading around the 145 handle. Since the start of 2025, with frantic American policies, the yen has appreciated by 7.7%, though it remains volatile. USD/JPY: Technical analysis The yen has found buying momentum after tumultuous price action. USD/JPY has been in a downtrend since the beginning of 2025 with consistent lower highs. Prices eventually corrected in March, when the downside pressure materialized on the U.S. dollar against the JPY. These lows serve to form a daily descending channel. April and Liberation Day also served as a support for the yen, as prices extended their moves lower to an extreme of 139.86 attained on April 21, 2025-levels unseen since September 2024. From these prices, the yen found sellers again (buying USD/JPY) with a swift reversal all the way to the pivot zone that served as a magnet for prices. The zone is established between 147.10 and 148.50. A move below that would imply a bearish continuation, which can be confirmed if prices enter back into the descending channel below the major support at 146.50. On the other end, to pursue the reversal move, bulls would be looking to break and close above 148.50, looking to extend toward the major resistance at 151.20. US dollar-the elephant in the room The greenback has had a powerful performance at the beginning of this decade. Between ever-so-strong U.S. companies powered by record highs in most major U.S. indices, the advent of artificial intelligence technology, and an economy that has sustained one of the fastest hiking cycles in its history, the U.S. has asserted its economic dominance. From September 2024 to Trump's ascension to the White House, the dollar has shown a stellar increase of close to 10% against its major counterparts. Though, as mentioned earlier, the Trump administration has scared global markets, and fears of the United States backing off from the international scene have made the dollar give back its year-end run. After the May 7, 2025 meeting, a more hawkish than expected Federal Reserve has stopped the bleeding from the U.S. dollar, which gave it some strength. The markets now await further news concerning tariffs and a potential continuation of the cutting cycle in upcoming FED meetings. Dollar index: Technical analysis Looking back at July 2024 serves a decent purpose for the dollar index. Effectively, the USD was in bearish momentum from July 2024 to October 2024, as markets started to price in the Trump victory in the U.S. elections, which led to a swift reversal. The rally began with very few corrections and lasted until its inauguration speech in January 2025, with highs at 110.14. The end of the impulsive bullish move formed the head of an infamous head and shoulders pattern. The right shoulder was formed in March 2025, as markets feared that unprecedented tariffs would isolate the greenback-this price action sent bearish fears and led to a breakdown below a precedent pivot level at 103.250. A further breakdown led to a swifter slump, which stopped at a measured move from the neckline, on Liberation Day at 101.27. There was a continuation of this move as the index found a bottom at 97.94 on April 21, 2025. Since then, prices have reverted toward the last pivot at 101.750. The trend is now unclear as prices are close to precedent confluence zones. A further continuation of this bullish reversal in the DXY points at the next resistance of 103.25. For a resumption of the downtrend, bears would look to break below the psychological level of 100.00 and the ascending trendline formed in the reversal. Canadian dollar-the forgotten brother The Loonie has had a rough year-over-year performance. From March 2022 to July 2023, the Bank of Canada engaged in a hiking cycle that was even faster than the one made by its historic trade partner and neighbor due to exceptionally strong inflation. In 2024, the more cyclical Canadian economy was affected by higher rates, lower energy prices, and political turmoil, sending the Canadian economy into a slump that has accelerated its cutting cycle-resulting in signs of a significantly weaker Canadian dollar. USD/CAD went from 1.31 in January 2024 to a spike of 1.47 in February 2025. On a year-to-date perspective, though, the CAD has recovered from its weakness in February when fears of record U.S. tariffs were announced. Factually, U.S. and Canada trade tensions increased notably, with the U.S. president calling its northern neighbor "the 51st State" and menaces of +100% rises in energy tariffs were announced by Canadian counterparts. Recently elected Prime Minister Mark Carney has engaged in discussions relating to tariffs, immigration, and other key subjects with the United States, which remains Canada's most strategic partner. This has reduced uncertainty and volatility in the pair. Furthermore, the new Canadian prime minister was once head of both the Bank of England and the Bank of Canada, which may have contributed to some strength in the CAD. USD/CAD: Technical analysis USD/CAD has been volatile in the past year, to say the least. Similar to the move seen in the DXY, the pair has seen a relentless rally with few corrections. The rally found its base after a double bottom in October 2024. Prices moved from 1.3445 to 1.4650, where they consolidated in a 2000 pip range between December 2024 and February 2025. As explained earlier, fears of record-high tariffs led to a massive gap in the loonie on Feb. 3, 2025, where it found some relief. Prices moved toward 1.41650 and formed a more volatile range, as prices eventually broke support after Liberation Day. Since the beginning of April, the Canadian dollar found buyers (sellers of USD/CAD), though prices consolidated toward the most recent pivot of 1.37800 and saw a 2000 pip reversal. Canadian dollar aficionados would now be looking for a fall to the lows established by the pivot, with continuation on a breakout on the downside. However, a break above the key 1.4000 medium-term psychological level may see the resurgence of USD/CAD bulls for the next resistance to come in at 1.4155. 2025 has been a rollercoaster year for financial markets. Trump and his infamous tariff policies concern economic players, as reviewing supply chains creates swift changes in monetary flows. Q1 of 2025 was a test of strength for currencies that were mostly weaker against the U.S. dollar in previous years. The theme of U.S. economic activity being stronger than the rest of the world is one of the past. Markets are now looking forward to who might be the winners of these trade wars. This article is for general information purposes only, not to be considered a recommendation or financial advice. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Opinions are the author's; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. This story was produced by OANDA and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. © Stacker Media, LLC.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trump quietly pressuring Senate to weaken Russia sanctions, WSJ reports
The White House is urging Republican Senator Lindsey Graham to soften his sanctions bill against Russia, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on June 6, citing congressional staffers. The bipartisan sanctions bill, introduced on April 1 by Graham and Senate Democrat Richard Blumenthal, seeks to impose a 500% tariff on imports from countries that continue purchasing Russian oil and raw materials. In recent weeks, Trump administration officials have contacted Graham's office with requests to water down the legislation, congressional aides told the WSJ. The White House reportedly asked Graham to insert waivers into the bill allowing Trump to choose which entities get sanctioned and changing the word "shall" to "may." Removing the mandatory language from the text would essentially defang the bill, staffers said. Blumenthal confirmed that negotiations with Trump officials were taking place behind the scene but did not comment on the substance of the talks. "We're moving ahead and the White House is included in our conversations," he told the WSJ. Read also: 'Find and destroy' – how Ukraine's own Peaky Blinders mastered the art of bomber drones Earlier, Republican Senator Roger Wicker on June 4 said that Trump had asked the Senate to postpone voting on the bill, which had been scheduled to come to the floor this week. In a joint press conference alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on June 5, Trump said lawmakers were waiting for his approval before advancing the sanctions bill. "They'll be guided by me. That's how it's supposed to be," Trump said. "They're waiting for me to decide on what to do." In the same briefing, Trump said that he had a deadline in mind for when he would enforce new sanctions on Russia but did not give specifics, saying only that sanctions would be imposed when it became clear that peace talks were not moving forward. He also said that sanctions could apply to both Russia and Ukraine. "It takes two to tango," he said. During the June 5 press conference, Trump compared Ukraine and Russia — which launched an unprovoked full-scale invasion against Ukraine in February 2022 and partially occupies four Ukrainian regions in addition to the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula — to children fighting on a playground. "Sometimes you're better off letting them fight for a while and then pulling them apart," he said. Trump has repeatedly threatened to impose sanctions on Russia if he does not see progress in peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow. He has never followed through on any of these threats. Read also: UPDATE: Russia hits Ukraine with large-scale attack days after Operation Spiderweb We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
