Trump asked Zelenskiy if Ukraine could hit Moscow, FT reports
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attend a meeting at the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands June 25, 2025. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS
U.S. President Donald Trump has privately encouraged Ukraine to step up deep strikes on Russian territory, even asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy whether he could strike Moscow if the U.S. provided long-range weapons, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, citing people briefed on the discussions.
The newspaper, citing two people familiar with the conversation between Trump and Zelenskiy, said the U.S. president had asked his Ukrainian counterpart whether he could hit military targets deep inside Russia if he provided weapons capable of doing so.
The White House did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Reuters could not verify the report. REUTERS
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Straits Times
11 minutes ago
- Straits Times
US Supreme Court keeps ruling in Trump's favour, but doesn't say why
In the past 10 weeks alone, the court has granted emergency relief to the Trump administration without explanation seven times. WASHINGTON – In clearing the way for President Donald Trump's efforts to transform American government, the Supreme Court has issued a series of orders that often lacked a fundamental characteristic of most judicial work: an explanation of the court's rationale. On July 14, for instance, in letting Mr Trump dismantle the Education Department, the majority's unsigned order was a single four-sentence paragraph entirely devoted to the procedural mechanics of pausing a lower court's ruling. What the order did not include was any explanation of why the court had ruled as it did. It was an exercise of power, not reason. The silence was even more striking in the face of a 19-page dissent by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson. 'The majority is either willfully blind to the implications of its ruling or naive,' Ms Sotomayor wrote, 'but either way the threat to our Constitution's separation of powers is grave'. The question of whether the nation's highest court owes the public an explanation for its actions has grown along with the rise of the 'emergency docket,' which uses truncated procedures to produce terse provisional orders meant to remain in effect only while the courts consider the lawfulness of the challenged actions. In practice, the orders often effectively resolve the case. The court has allowed the administration to fire tens of thousands of government workers, discharge transgender troops, end protections for hundreds of thousands of migrants from war-torn countries and fundamentally shift power from Congress to the president – often with scant or no explanation of how it arrived at those results. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore HSA launches anti-vaping checks near 5 institutes of higher learning Singapore Over 600 Telegram groups in Singapore selling, advertising vapes removed by HSA Business Singapore key exports surprise with 13% rebound in June amid tariff uncertainty Business Market versus mission: What will Income Insurance choose? Life First look at the new Singapore Oceanarium at Resorts World Sentosa Opinion AI and education: We need to know where this sudden marriage is heading Singapore Coffee Meets Bagel's Singpass check: Why I'll swipe right on that Singapore Jail for man who fatally hit his daughter, 2, while driving van without licence In the past 10 weeks alone, the court has granted emergency relief to the Trump administration without explanation seven times, according to a tally by Mr Stephen I. Vladeck, a law professor at Georgetown and the author of a book about the court's emergency work called 'The Shadow Docket.' The ruling on July 14, Mr Vladeck wrote this week in his newsletter, was the latest 'completely unexplained' ruling 'that is going to have massive real-world effects long before the justices ever confront whether what the government is doing is actually lawful'. All of this is in stark contrast with cases on the court's merits docket, which unfold over about a year and include two rounds of briefs, oral arguments, painstaking deliberations and the exchange of draft opinions. The end result is often a comprehensive set of opinions that can be as long as a short novel. The court usually rules on emergency applications in a matter of weeks. Critics call the emergency docket 'the shadow docket,' and its use was on the rise even before it was turbocharged with the arrival of Trump's second administration. Justice Elena Kagan used that term in 2021 in criticising the court's work. The majority had just issued a midnight ruling that left in place a Texas law effectively overturning Roe v. Wade in the state – as the court would do nationwide in 2026. In dissent, Ms Kagan wrote that 'the majority's decision is emblematic of too much of this court's shadow-docket decision making – which every day becomes more unreasoned, inconsistent and impossible to defend'. A month later, Justice Samuel Alito returned fire in a speech at Notre Dame defending the court's approach to emergency applications. 'The catchy and sinister term 'shadow docket' has been used to portray the court as having been captured by a dangerous cabal that resorts to sneaky and improper methods to get its ways,' he said. 'This portrayal feeds unprecedented efforts to intimidate the court and to damage it as an independent institution.' He compared the court's procedures to the ones used by emergency medical technicians called to the scene of an accident. 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That must be done with care and consideration, he said. On the other hand, he said, 'unexplained orders expose the court to suspicion and criticism.' 'In a highly polarised climate where the court is often accused of acting politically,' he said, 'the justices should feel a heightened obligation to explain their decisions to the public.' Mr Epps said he favored providing some explanation, pointing to an order in May that allowed Trump to fire two leaders of independent agencies. The two-page majority opinion was, he said, long enough to provide some explanation but 'tentative enough to leave some wiggle room.' As it happened, the meaning of that opinion has been contested, and it is the subject of a new application pending before the court. Orders without any reasoning at all can create confusion in the lower courts. In June, for instance, the court allowed the Trump administration to deport migrants to countries other than their own without giving them a chance to show that they would face the risk of torture. The order gave no reasons, and the dissent said it did not apply to men held at an American military base in Djibouti. The court's silence led to a new application days later seeking clarification. The court then issued an order this month with more than two pages of reasons, enough to allow the administration to send the men to South Sudan. NYTIMES
AsiaOne
11 minutes ago
- AsiaOne
Israel launches heavy airstrikes in Damascus, vowing to protect Druze, World News
DAMASCUS/JERUSALEM — Israel launched powerful airstrikes in Damascus on Wednesday (July 16), blowing up part of the defence ministry and hitting near the presidential palace as it vowed to destroy government forces attacking Druze in southern Syria and demanded they withdraw. The attacks marked a significant Israeli escalation against the Islamist-led administration of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. They came despite his warming ties with the US and his administration's evolving security contacts with Israel. Describing Syria's new rulers as barely disguised jihadists, Israel has said it will not let them move forces into southern Syria and vowed to shield the area's Druze community from attack, encouraged by calls from Israel's own Druze minority. The US said the fighting would stop soon. "We have engaged all the parties involved in the clashes in Syria. We have agreed on specific steps that will bring this troubling and horrifying situation to an end tonight," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on social media. The United Nations Security Council will meet on Thursday to address the conflict, diplomats said. "The council must condemn the barbaric crimes committed against innocent civilians on Syrian soil," said Israel's ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon. "Israel will continue to act resolutely against any terrorist threat on its borders, anywhere and at any time." Warplanes over Damascus Scores of people have been killed this week in violence in and around the predominantly Druze city of Sweida, pitting fighters from the Druze minority against government security forces and members of Bedouin tribes. Reuters reporters heard warplanes swoop low over the capital and unleash a series of massive strikes mid-afternoon. Columns of smoke rose from the area near the defence ministry. A section of the building was destroyed, the ground strewn with rubble. A Syrian medical source said the strikes on the ministry killed five members of the security forces. An Israeli military official said the entrance to the military headquarters in Damascus was struck, along with a military target near the presidential palace. The official said Syrian forces were not acting to prevent attacks on Druze and were part of the problem. "We will not allow southern Syria to become a terror stronghold," said Eyal Zamir, Israel's military chief of staff. Sharaa faces challenges to stitch Syria back together in the face of deep misgivings from groups that fear Islamist rule. In March, mass killings of members of the Alawite minority exacerbated the mistrust. On Monday, Syrian government troops were dispatched to the Sweida region to quell fighting between Druze fighters and Bedouin armed men. The troops ended up clashing with the Druze militias. New clashes broke out in the city, according to a Reuters witness, after the Syrian interior ministry and a Druze leader, Sheikh Yousef Jarbou, said a ceasefire had been reached. Sweida residents said they were holed up indoors. "We are surrounded and we hear the fighters screaming... we're so scared," a resident of Sweida said by phone. Cracks of gunfire interspersed by booms could be heard in the background. "We're trying to keep the children quiet so that no one can hear us," the man added, asking not to be identified for fear of reprisals. Syria's health ministry said dozens of bodies, including fighters and civilians, had been found in a hospital in the city. The Syrian Network for Human Rights said 169 people had been killed in this week's violence. Security sources put the toll at 300. Reuters could not independently verify the tolls. An offshoot of Islam Druze, followers of a religion that is an offshoot of Islam, are spread between Syria, Lebanon and Israel. 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Straits Times
41 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Trump softens tone on China to secure a summit and trade deal with Xi
US President Donald Trump is now focused on cutting purchase deals with Beijing instead of addressing root causes of the trade imbalances. WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump has dialed down his confrontational tone with China in an effort to secure a summit with counterpart Xi Jinping and a trade deal with the world's second-largest economy, people familiar with internal deliberations said. Six months into his second term, Mr Trump has softened his harsh campaign rhetoric that focused on the US's massive trade deficit with China and resulting job losses. The warmer posture contrasts with his threats against other trading partners to ravage their economies with crushing tariffs. Mr Trump is now focused on cutting purchase deals with Beijing – similar to one he forged during his first term – and celebrating quick wins instead of addressing root causes of the trade imbalances. China posted a record trade surplus in the first half of 2025 amid booming exports. On July 15, the US president said he would be fighting China 'in a very friendly fashion.' In meetings with his staff, Mr Trump is often the least hawkish voice in the room, some of the people said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore HSA launches anti-vaping checks near 5 institutes of higher learning Singapore Over 600 Telegram groups in Singapore selling, advertising vapes removed by HSA Business Singapore key exports surprise with 13% rebound in June Business Market versus mission: What will Income Insurance choose? 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Allowing Nvidia Corp. to sell its China-focused, less-advanced H20 chip once again – something multiple senior officials had said was not on the table – reversed the administration's own stated approach of keeping the most critical American technologies out of Beijing's hands. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in June cited H20 controls as evidence of the administration's toughness on China when pressed by senators who worried the US could trade advanced semiconductors for the Asian country's rare-earth minerals. While the US will still require approval for such exports – a restriction former President Joe Biden declined to impose – some Trump officials have privately objected to granting licenses they say will only embolden China's tech champions, the people said. Others have argued successfully that allowing Nvidia to compete with Huawei on its own turf is essential to winning the AI race with China. That view, championed by Nvidia Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang, has gained traction inside the administration, people familiar with the matter said. 'Productive' talks Mr Trump has the final say in all trade decisions, an administration spokesman said. The president has 'consistently fought to level the playing field for American workers and industries, and the Administration continues to have productive discussions with all of our trading partners,' White House spokesman Kush Desai said. In a further effort to ease tensions, US officials are preparing to delay an Aug 12 deadline when US tariffs on China are set to snap back to 145 per cent after the expiration of a 90-day truce. Mr Bessent signalled in a Bloomberg Television interview this week that the deadline was flexible. One person familiar with the plans said the tariff truce could be extended another three months. This comes as Mr Trump is rolling out duties for other countries – including key allies – and threatening more actions on industries including pharmaceuticals and semiconductors. Last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a summit between Mr Trump and Mr Xi is likely. Mr Rubio, once among the staunchest China hawks in the Senate, said he had a 'very constructive and positive' sit-down on July 11 with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. 'Big steps' On July 16, Trump praised China's moves to tighten controls on chemicals used to make fentanyl, part of steps taken after the US president imposed a 20 per cent tariff on the nation for facilitating flows of the drug. 'China has been helping out,' Mr Trump told reporters. 'I mean, it's been, it's been a terrible situation for many years with fentanyl. But since I came here, we're talking to them, and they're making big steps.' Some administration officials, meanwhile, are focused on getting China to agree to purchase some volume of to-be-determined US goods and services, people familiar with the matter said. That could satisfy Mr Trump's concerns about the trade deficit but won't do much to close the yawning trade gap over the longer term. Mr Trump's gentler handling of China is causing a rift among his advisers. Some members of his trade team want to hold a tough line against Beijing and have promised privately that export controls would never be part of trade discussions, people familiar with their deliberations said. Yet during the trade talks in London in June, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick openly said that recent export controls – officially justified on the basis of national security – were also designed to 'annoy' Beijing. And this week, he – along with Bessent and White House AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks – said plainly that allowing some less-advanced Nvidia chip sales to China is indeed part of ongoing trade negotiations. This development is raising questions about how far Trump would go in negotiating away national security actions if the Chinese demanded it. Some hawkish advisers fear that a further rollback of chip controls is now inevitable, people familiar with the matter said. Others have maintained that allowing sales of H20s – which are far less capable than Nvidia's best models – is a far cry from exporting that leading-edge hardware, which they say is not up for discussion. 'You want to sell the Chinese enough that their developers get addicted to the American technology stack,' Mr Lutnick said on July 15 on CNBC. Closely watching the situation are allies and companies across Europe and Asia whose help the US wants to squeeze China's tech sector. Government and industry officials in those regions have gotten the message that Washington's strategy is subject to change, people familiar with the matter said. A half-dozen tech industry officials who've interacted with Mr Trump's team on China said they often leave meetings wanting details only to see core goals evolve in later discussions. Surprise reversals In many cases, those in charge of China tech policy have made decisions without involving offices that historically have played a role. Restrictions imposed in May on sales of chip design software to China – which have since been reversed – were part of a raft of Commerce Department measures that came as a surprise to many within the administration, Bloomberg has reported. The decision on H20 chips was also tightly held, people familiar with the matter said. Other actions that have been under consideration for months – including sanctions on Chinese chip giants and an effort to slap curbs on Chinese tech subsidiaries – have been delayed as officials pursue a trade deal. But Mr Trump is also known for reversing course on China often and sometimes quickly after taking a position – as was the case when he fulfilled Mr Xi's personal request to lift sanctions on Chinese telecom giant ZTE Corp. in 2018. He's also susceptible to criticism of his approach, which might indicate Mr Trump could change his tone yet again. 'President Trump is set on a China deal, but it may be short-lived,' said Dr Derek Scissors, a China expert at the American Enterprise Institute. 'The US trade deficit is well higher to date this year and the new budget will boost demand for imports in the fourth quarter. If a record 2025 trade deficit gets reported, all bets are off, including with China.' Beijing has made no secret it believes it has the upper hand. In London, US officials were taken aback by their Chinese counterparts' gloating over the position they find themselves in, people familiar with the exchange said. The Asian country's leverage stems from its grip on rare earth magnets and its ability to weaponize America's dependence on those supplies. China now requires companies to hand over sensitive data and reapply for rare-earth export licenses every six months. BLOOMBERG
