Trump meets Zelenskiy, says Putin 'has to end' war
US President Donald Trump has indicated he will consider providing more of the Patriot missiles that Ukraine wants to defend against Russian strikes, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin "really has to end that war".
His remarks came after a 50-minute meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on the sidelines of a NATO summit in The Hague.
Both leaders described it as a positive step in a conflict that Trump described as "more difficult than other wars".
During a press conference in which he celebrated his own diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, Trump said the Patriots were "very hard to get" but that "we are going to see if we can make some of them available".
Zelenskiy mentioned air-defence systems but it was not immediately clear whether Trump was referring to more missiles or complete batteries.
Trump also left open the possibility of providing more military aid to Ukraine, which has suffered grinding Russian advances on the battlefield in recent months.
He had previously shown no sign of resuming the donations of weaponry to Ukraine that his predecessor Joe Biden had instituted after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Asked directly whether the US would contribute more funding to Ukraine's defence this year, Trump said: "As far as money going, we'll see what happens."
The US-made Patriot batteries are critical to shooting down the Russian ballistic missiles that have increasingly rained on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks.
Dozens of people have been killed over the past week in the capital Kyiv and the southeastern regional capital of Dnipro, local authorities said.
Zelenskiy said before Wednesday's meeting that Ukraine was willing to buy more Patriots if the US was unwilling to donate them.
He said the talks with Trump were "long and substantive".
"Ukraine is ready to buy this equipment and support American weapons manufacturers," Zelenskiy wrote on X.
"We also discussed the potential for co-production of drones. We can strengthen each other."
Trump added that he would soon speak once more with Putin, adding: "Look, Vladimir Putin really has to end that war."
Zelenskiy wore a dark suit-style jacket to the meeting in contrast to the more informal military-style garb he was criticised for wearing at a contentious White House meeting with Trump in February.
He has since worked to rebuild relations with the US administration, whose overtures to Russia have concerned Ukraine.
However, he had to settle for attending the pre-summit dinner on Tuesday evening rather than the main meeting on Wednesday, which backed the big NATO-wide increase in defence spending that Trump had demanded.
Unlike last year, this year's summit declaration contained no mention of future NATO membership for Ukraine.
While the statement denounced what it called the long-term threat posed by Russia to European and Atlantic security, it did not directly blame Russia for the invasion as previous declarations have.
US President Donald Trump has indicated he will consider providing more of the Patriot missiles that Ukraine wants to defend against Russian strikes, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin "really has to end that war".
His remarks came after a 50-minute meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on the sidelines of a NATO summit in The Hague.
Both leaders described it as a positive step in a conflict that Trump described as "more difficult than other wars".
During a press conference in which he celebrated his own diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, Trump said the Patriots were "very hard to get" but that "we are going to see if we can make some of them available".
Zelenskiy mentioned air-defence systems but it was not immediately clear whether Trump was referring to more missiles or complete batteries.
Trump also left open the possibility of providing more military aid to Ukraine, which has suffered grinding Russian advances on the battlefield in recent months.
He had previously shown no sign of resuming the donations of weaponry to Ukraine that his predecessor Joe Biden had instituted after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Asked directly whether the US would contribute more funding to Ukraine's defence this year, Trump said: "As far as money going, we'll see what happens."
The US-made Patriot batteries are critical to shooting down the Russian ballistic missiles that have increasingly rained on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks.
Dozens of people have been killed over the past week in the capital Kyiv and the southeastern regional capital of Dnipro, local authorities said.
Zelenskiy said before Wednesday's meeting that Ukraine was willing to buy more Patriots if the US was unwilling to donate them.
He said the talks with Trump were "long and substantive".
"Ukraine is ready to buy this equipment and support American weapons manufacturers," Zelenskiy wrote on X.
"We also discussed the potential for co-production of drones. We can strengthen each other."
Trump added that he would soon speak once more with Putin, adding: "Look, Vladimir Putin really has to end that war."
Zelenskiy wore a dark suit-style jacket to the meeting in contrast to the more informal military-style garb he was criticised for wearing at a contentious White House meeting with Trump in February.
He has since worked to rebuild relations with the US administration, whose overtures to Russia have concerned Ukraine.
However, he had to settle for attending the pre-summit dinner on Tuesday evening rather than the main meeting on Wednesday, which backed the big NATO-wide increase in defence spending that Trump had demanded.
Unlike last year, this year's summit declaration contained no mention of future NATO membership for Ukraine.
While the statement denounced what it called the long-term threat posed by Russia to European and Atlantic security, it did not directly blame Russia for the invasion as previous declarations have.
US President Donald Trump has indicated he will consider providing more of the Patriot missiles that Ukraine wants to defend against Russian strikes, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin "really has to end that war".
His remarks came after a 50-minute meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on the sidelines of a NATO summit in The Hague.
Both leaders described it as a positive step in a conflict that Trump described as "more difficult than other wars".
During a press conference in which he celebrated his own diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, Trump said the Patriots were "very hard to get" but that "we are going to see if we can make some of them available".
Zelenskiy mentioned air-defence systems but it was not immediately clear whether Trump was referring to more missiles or complete batteries.
Trump also left open the possibility of providing more military aid to Ukraine, which has suffered grinding Russian advances on the battlefield in recent months.
He had previously shown no sign of resuming the donations of weaponry to Ukraine that his predecessor Joe Biden had instituted after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Asked directly whether the US would contribute more funding to Ukraine's defence this year, Trump said: "As far as money going, we'll see what happens."
The US-made Patriot batteries are critical to shooting down the Russian ballistic missiles that have increasingly rained on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks.
Dozens of people have been killed over the past week in the capital Kyiv and the southeastern regional capital of Dnipro, local authorities said.
Zelenskiy said before Wednesday's meeting that Ukraine was willing to buy more Patriots if the US was unwilling to donate them.
He said the talks with Trump were "long and substantive".
"Ukraine is ready to buy this equipment and support American weapons manufacturers," Zelenskiy wrote on X.
"We also discussed the potential for co-production of drones. We can strengthen each other."
Trump added that he would soon speak once more with Putin, adding: "Look, Vladimir Putin really has to end that war."
Zelenskiy wore a dark suit-style jacket to the meeting in contrast to the more informal military-style garb he was criticised for wearing at a contentious White House meeting with Trump in February.
He has since worked to rebuild relations with the US administration, whose overtures to Russia have concerned Ukraine.
However, he had to settle for attending the pre-summit dinner on Tuesday evening rather than the main meeting on Wednesday, which backed the big NATO-wide increase in defence spending that Trump had demanded.
Unlike last year, this year's summit declaration contained no mention of future NATO membership for Ukraine.
While the statement denounced what it called the long-term threat posed by Russia to European and Atlantic security, it did not directly blame Russia for the invasion as previous declarations have.
US President Donald Trump has indicated he will consider providing more of the Patriot missiles that Ukraine wants to defend against Russian strikes, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin "really has to end that war".
His remarks came after a 50-minute meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on the sidelines of a NATO summit in The Hague.
Both leaders described it as a positive step in a conflict that Trump described as "more difficult than other wars".
During a press conference in which he celebrated his own diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, Trump said the Patriots were "very hard to get" but that "we are going to see if we can make some of them available".
Zelenskiy mentioned air-defence systems but it was not immediately clear whether Trump was referring to more missiles or complete batteries.
Trump also left open the possibility of providing more military aid to Ukraine, which has suffered grinding Russian advances on the battlefield in recent months.
He had previously shown no sign of resuming the donations of weaponry to Ukraine that his predecessor Joe Biden had instituted after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Asked directly whether the US would contribute more funding to Ukraine's defence this year, Trump said: "As far as money going, we'll see what happens."
The US-made Patriot batteries are critical to shooting down the Russian ballistic missiles that have increasingly rained on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks.
Dozens of people have been killed over the past week in the capital Kyiv and the southeastern regional capital of Dnipro, local authorities said.
Zelenskiy said before Wednesday's meeting that Ukraine was willing to buy more Patriots if the US was unwilling to donate them.
He said the talks with Trump were "long and substantive".
"Ukraine is ready to buy this equipment and support American weapons manufacturers," Zelenskiy wrote on X.
"We also discussed the potential for co-production of drones. We can strengthen each other."
Trump added that he would soon speak once more with Putin, adding: "Look, Vladimir Putin really has to end that war."
Zelenskiy wore a dark suit-style jacket to the meeting in contrast to the more informal military-style garb he was criticised for wearing at a contentious White House meeting with Trump in February.
He has since worked to rebuild relations with the US administration, whose overtures to Russia have concerned Ukraine.
However, he had to settle for attending the pre-summit dinner on Tuesday evening rather than the main meeting on Wednesday, which backed the big NATO-wide increase in defence spending that Trump had demanded.
Unlike last year, this year's summit declaration contained no mention of future NATO membership for Ukraine.
While the statement denounced what it called the long-term threat posed by Russia to European and Atlantic security, it did not directly blame Russia for the invasion as previous declarations have.
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Australia is standing firm on defence spending targets despite European nations vowing to rapidly ratchet up expenditure under pressure from US President Donald Trump. On the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Netherlands, Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australia would decide its own spending levels to meet its own military needs. That risks drawing a rebuke from Mr Trump, who made clear he expects allies to drastically step up to reduce their reliance on the US. NATO countries, of which Australia is not a member, agreed to increase defence spending targets to five per cent of GDP. However, Spain refused prompting Mr Trump to threaten to punish the Iberian nation with a tougher trade deal. "You know what we're going to do? We're negotiating with Spain on a trade deal and we're going to make them pay twice as much," he said. Australia is also seeking to negotiate a reprieve from tariffs imposed by the US on imports, including a 50 per cent levy on steel and aluminium. But Mr Marles maintained Australia would stick with its own defence spending process, which will see the nation's share increase from two to 2.3 per cent by 2033/34. "Look, obviously, a very significant decision has been made here in relation to European defence spending, and that is fundamentally a matter for NATO," he said. "We've gone through our own process of assessing our strategic landscape, assessing the threats that exist there, and the kind of defence force we need to build in order to meet those threats, to meet the strategic moment, and then to resource that. "And what that has seen is the biggest peacetime increase in Australian Defence spending. "Now that is a story which is, which is understood here and we'll continue to assess what our needs are going forward. And as our prime minister has said, we will resource that." Mr Marles did not speak directly with Mr Trump, nor US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, despite intensive efforts by government officials to tee up a first face-to-face meeting of an Australian minister with the US president. The deputy prime minister did however meet with Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov as Australia reaffirmed its support of Ukraine in its fight against Russia. Mr Marles announced Australia would deploy an RAAF Wedgetail surveillance aircraft to Poland, along with 100 defence force personnel, to help provide visibility for key humanitarian and military supply routes into Ukraine. The aircraft will be deployed for three months, concluding in November, and follows an earlier six-month deployment which was highly valued by the Ukrainians. "It is a really important capability," Mr Marles said. "We are one of the few countries which operates it. And so, when I was in Ukraine in April of last year, it was really evident to me that this is a capability that would be much desired again." Australia announced new financial sanctions and travel bans on 37 individuals and seven financial entities involved in Russia's defence, energy, transport, insurance, electronics and finance sectors, as well as "promulgators of Russian disinformation and propaganda". Mr Marles also signed an agreement with the NATO Support and Procurement Organisation, increasing co-operation in non-combat activities including logistics and capability acquisition. with Reuters Australia is standing firm on defence spending targets despite European nations vowing to rapidly ratchet up expenditure under pressure from US President Donald Trump. On the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Netherlands, Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australia would decide its own spending levels to meet its own military needs. That risks drawing a rebuke from Mr Trump, who made clear he expects allies to drastically step up to reduce their reliance on the US. NATO countries, of which Australia is not a member, agreed to increase defence spending targets to five per cent of GDP. However, Spain refused prompting Mr Trump to threaten to punish the Iberian nation with a tougher trade deal. "You know what we're going to do? We're negotiating with Spain on a trade deal and we're going to make them pay twice as much," he said. Australia is also seeking to negotiate a reprieve from tariffs imposed by the US on imports, including a 50 per cent levy on steel and aluminium. But Mr Marles maintained Australia would stick with its own defence spending process, which will see the nation's share increase from two to 2.3 per cent by 2033/34. "Look, obviously, a very significant decision has been made here in relation to European defence spending, and that is fundamentally a matter for NATO," he said. "We've gone through our own process of assessing our strategic landscape, assessing the threats that exist there, and the kind of defence force we need to build in order to meet those threats, to meet the strategic moment, and then to resource that. "And what that has seen is the biggest peacetime increase in Australian Defence spending. "Now that is a story which is, which is understood here and we'll continue to assess what our needs are going forward. And as our prime minister has said, we will resource that." Mr Marles did not speak directly with Mr Trump, nor US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, despite intensive efforts by government officials to tee up a first face-to-face meeting of an Australian minister with the US president. The deputy prime minister did however meet with Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov as Australia reaffirmed its support of Ukraine in its fight against Russia. Mr Marles announced Australia would deploy an RAAF Wedgetail surveillance aircraft to Poland, along with 100 defence force personnel, to help provide visibility for key humanitarian and military supply routes into Ukraine. The aircraft will be deployed for three months, concluding in November, and follows an earlier six-month deployment which was highly valued by the Ukrainians. "It is a really important capability," Mr Marles said. "We are one of the few countries which operates it. And so, when I was in Ukraine in April of last year, it was really evident to me that this is a capability that would be much desired again." Australia announced new financial sanctions and travel bans on 37 individuals and seven financial entities involved in Russia's defence, energy, transport, insurance, electronics and finance sectors, as well as "promulgators of Russian disinformation and propaganda". Mr Marles also signed an agreement with the NATO Support and Procurement Organisation, increasing co-operation in non-combat activities including logistics and capability acquisition. with Reuters Australia is standing firm on defence spending targets despite European nations vowing to rapidly ratchet up expenditure under pressure from US President Donald Trump. On the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Netherlands, Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australia would decide its own spending levels to meet its own military needs. That risks drawing a rebuke from Mr Trump, who made clear he expects allies to drastically step up to reduce their reliance on the US. NATO countries, of which Australia is not a member, agreed to increase defence spending targets to five per cent of GDP. However, Spain refused prompting Mr Trump to threaten to punish the Iberian nation with a tougher trade deal. "You know what we're going to do? We're negotiating with Spain on a trade deal and we're going to make them pay twice as much," he said. Australia is also seeking to negotiate a reprieve from tariffs imposed by the US on imports, including a 50 per cent levy on steel and aluminium. But Mr Marles maintained Australia would stick with its own defence spending process, which will see the nation's share increase from two to 2.3 per cent by 2033/34. "Look, obviously, a very significant decision has been made here in relation to European defence spending, and that is fundamentally a matter for NATO," he said. "We've gone through our own process of assessing our strategic landscape, assessing the threats that exist there, and the kind of defence force we need to build in order to meet those threats, to meet the strategic moment, and then to resource that. "And what that has seen is the biggest peacetime increase in Australian Defence spending. "Now that is a story which is, which is understood here and we'll continue to assess what our needs are going forward. And as our prime minister has said, we will resource that." Mr Marles did not speak directly with Mr Trump, nor US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, despite intensive efforts by government officials to tee up a first face-to-face meeting of an Australian minister with the US president. The deputy prime minister did however meet with Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov as Australia reaffirmed its support of Ukraine in its fight against Russia. Mr Marles announced Australia would deploy an RAAF Wedgetail surveillance aircraft to Poland, along with 100 defence force personnel, to help provide visibility for key humanitarian and military supply routes into Ukraine. The aircraft will be deployed for three months, concluding in November, and follows an earlier six-month deployment which was highly valued by the Ukrainians. "It is a really important capability," Mr Marles said. "We are one of the few countries which operates it. And so, when I was in Ukraine in April of last year, it was really evident to me that this is a capability that would be much desired again." Australia announced new financial sanctions and travel bans on 37 individuals and seven financial entities involved in Russia's defence, energy, transport, insurance, electronics and finance sectors, as well as "promulgators of Russian disinformation and propaganda". Mr Marles also signed an agreement with the NATO Support and Procurement Organisation, increasing co-operation in non-combat activities including logistics and capability acquisition. with Reuters Australia is standing firm on defence spending targets despite European nations vowing to rapidly ratchet up expenditure under pressure from US President Donald Trump. On the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Netherlands, Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australia would decide its own spending levels to meet its own military needs. That risks drawing a rebuke from Mr Trump, who made clear he expects allies to drastically step up to reduce their reliance on the US. NATO countries, of which Australia is not a member, agreed to increase defence spending targets to five per cent of GDP. However, Spain refused prompting Mr Trump to threaten to punish the Iberian nation with a tougher trade deal. "You know what we're going to do? We're negotiating with Spain on a trade deal and we're going to make them pay twice as much," he said. Australia is also seeking to negotiate a reprieve from tariffs imposed by the US on imports, including a 50 per cent levy on steel and aluminium. But Mr Marles maintained Australia would stick with its own defence spending process, which will see the nation's share increase from two to 2.3 per cent by 2033/34. "Look, obviously, a very significant decision has been made here in relation to European defence spending, and that is fundamentally a matter for NATO," he said. "We've gone through our own process of assessing our strategic landscape, assessing the threats that exist there, and the kind of defence force we need to build in order to meet those threats, to meet the strategic moment, and then to resource that. "And what that has seen is the biggest peacetime increase in Australian Defence spending. "Now that is a story which is, which is understood here and we'll continue to assess what our needs are going forward. And as our prime minister has said, we will resource that." Mr Marles did not speak directly with Mr Trump, nor US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, despite intensive efforts by government officials to tee up a first face-to-face meeting of an Australian minister with the US president. 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Australia announced new financial sanctions and travel bans on 37 individuals and seven financial entities involved in Russia's defence, energy, transport, insurance, electronics and finance sectors, as well as "promulgators of Russian disinformation and propaganda". Mr Marles also signed an agreement with the NATO Support and Procurement Organisation, increasing co-operation in non-combat activities including logistics and capability acquisition. with Reuters
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Armenia police arrest archbishop over alleged coup plot
Armenian authorities have arrested a prominent Christian cleric, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, along with 13 other people and charged them with orchestrating a plot to overthrow the government. In a statement, Armenia's Investigative Committee said it had filed criminal charges against Galstanyan and 15 others whom they said had "acquired the means and tools necessary to commit a terrorist attack and seize power". A total of 14 individuals have been arrested, investigators said, without naming the people. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan wrote on his Telegram channel that the authorities had thwarted a "large and sinister plan by the 'criminal-oligarchic clergy'" to take power in Armenia, a former Soviet republic in the South Caucasus. Galstanyan's arrest is part of a growing confrontation between Pashinyan and the powerful Armenian Apostolic Church, who have traded increasingly bitter allegations in recent weeks ahead of elections scheduled for next year. Some senior clerics have previously called for Pashinyan to step down over Armenia's military defeats against Azerbaijan. Last week, Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan was detained on accusations of making public calls to usurp power after he accused the government of waging a campaign against the church and said he would act "in his own way" to stop it, according to state agency Armenpress. Lawyers for Karapetyan say the businessman denies wrongdoing. A lawyer for Galstanyan, Sergei Arutyunyan, told journalists on Wednesday that his client was being unfairly criminalised by the government, which he said was seeking to "create a smokescreen and simulate that they've caught a terrorist group". Pashinyan rose to power on a wave of street protests in 2018 but came under heavy domestic pressure after major losses to Azerbaijan in a brief war in 2020. In 2023, Azerbaijan retook the whole of the mountain enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, where ethnic Armenians had enjoyed de facto independence for decades. Tapping into popular anger over defeats and territorial concessions, Galstanyan and his supporters led days of street protests last summer to demand the removal of Pashinyan. Detailing the charges that he faces now, authorities alleged that Galstanyan and associates had recruited more than 1000 people, mainly former soldiers and police officers, to block roads, paralyse traffic, incite violence and shut off the internet, with the goal of destabilising the government and seizing power. The Investigative Committee published audio recordings purporting to show Galstanyan and others discussing plans for the alleged coup attempt as well as a photograph showing firearms and other weapons they said were discovered during searches. Pashinyan, who faces parliamentary elections in June 2026, has moved towards signing a peace treaty with Azerbaijan although tensions between the two countries remain high and the number of reported ceasefire violations has surged this year. Armenian authorities have arrested a prominent Christian cleric, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, along with 13 other people and charged them with orchestrating a plot to overthrow the government. In a statement, Armenia's Investigative Committee said it had filed criminal charges against Galstanyan and 15 others whom they said had "acquired the means and tools necessary to commit a terrorist attack and seize power". A total of 14 individuals have been arrested, investigators said, without naming the people. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan wrote on his Telegram channel that the authorities had thwarted a "large and sinister plan by the 'criminal-oligarchic clergy'" to take power in Armenia, a former Soviet republic in the South Caucasus. Galstanyan's arrest is part of a growing confrontation between Pashinyan and the powerful Armenian Apostolic Church, who have traded increasingly bitter allegations in recent weeks ahead of elections scheduled for next year. Some senior clerics have previously called for Pashinyan to step down over Armenia's military defeats against Azerbaijan. Last week, Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan was detained on accusations of making public calls to usurp power after he accused the government of waging a campaign against the church and said he would act "in his own way" to stop it, according to state agency Armenpress. Lawyers for Karapetyan say the businessman denies wrongdoing. A lawyer for Galstanyan, Sergei Arutyunyan, told journalists on Wednesday that his client was being unfairly criminalised by the government, which he said was seeking to "create a smokescreen and simulate that they've caught a terrorist group". Pashinyan rose to power on a wave of street protests in 2018 but came under heavy domestic pressure after major losses to Azerbaijan in a brief war in 2020. In 2023, Azerbaijan retook the whole of the mountain enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, where ethnic Armenians had enjoyed de facto independence for decades. Tapping into popular anger over defeats and territorial concessions, Galstanyan and his supporters led days of street protests last summer to demand the removal of Pashinyan. Detailing the charges that he faces now, authorities alleged that Galstanyan and associates had recruited more than 1000 people, mainly former soldiers and police officers, to block roads, paralyse traffic, incite violence and shut off the internet, with the goal of destabilising the government and seizing power. The Investigative Committee published audio recordings purporting to show Galstanyan and others discussing plans for the alleged coup attempt as well as a photograph showing firearms and other weapons they said were discovered during searches. Pashinyan, who faces parliamentary elections in June 2026, has moved towards signing a peace treaty with Azerbaijan although tensions between the two countries remain high and the number of reported ceasefire violations has surged this year. Armenian authorities have arrested a prominent Christian cleric, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, along with 13 other people and charged them with orchestrating a plot to overthrow the government. In a statement, Armenia's Investigative Committee said it had filed criminal charges against Galstanyan and 15 others whom they said had "acquired the means and tools necessary to commit a terrorist attack and seize power". A total of 14 individuals have been arrested, investigators said, without naming the people. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan wrote on his Telegram channel that the authorities had thwarted a "large and sinister plan by the 'criminal-oligarchic clergy'" to take power in Armenia, a former Soviet republic in the South Caucasus. Galstanyan's arrest is part of a growing confrontation between Pashinyan and the powerful Armenian Apostolic Church, who have traded increasingly bitter allegations in recent weeks ahead of elections scheduled for next year. Some senior clerics have previously called for Pashinyan to step down over Armenia's military defeats against Azerbaijan. Last week, Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan was detained on accusations of making public calls to usurp power after he accused the government of waging a campaign against the church and said he would act "in his own way" to stop it, according to state agency Armenpress. Lawyers for Karapetyan say the businessman denies wrongdoing. A lawyer for Galstanyan, Sergei Arutyunyan, told journalists on Wednesday that his client was being unfairly criminalised by the government, which he said was seeking to "create a smokescreen and simulate that they've caught a terrorist group". Pashinyan rose to power on a wave of street protests in 2018 but came under heavy domestic pressure after major losses to Azerbaijan in a brief war in 2020. In 2023, Azerbaijan retook the whole of the mountain enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, where ethnic Armenians had enjoyed de facto independence for decades. Tapping into popular anger over defeats and territorial concessions, Galstanyan and his supporters led days of street protests last summer to demand the removal of Pashinyan. Detailing the charges that he faces now, authorities alleged that Galstanyan and associates had recruited more than 1000 people, mainly former soldiers and police officers, to block roads, paralyse traffic, incite violence and shut off the internet, with the goal of destabilising the government and seizing power. The Investigative Committee published audio recordings purporting to show Galstanyan and others discussing plans for the alleged coup attempt as well as a photograph showing firearms and other weapons they said were discovered during searches. Pashinyan, who faces parliamentary elections in June 2026, has moved towards signing a peace treaty with Azerbaijan although tensions between the two countries remain high and the number of reported ceasefire violations has surged this year. Armenian authorities have arrested a prominent Christian cleric, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, along with 13 other people and charged them with orchestrating a plot to overthrow the government. In a statement, Armenia's Investigative Committee said it had filed criminal charges against Galstanyan and 15 others whom they said had "acquired the means and tools necessary to commit a terrorist attack and seize power". A total of 14 individuals have been arrested, investigators said, without naming the people. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan wrote on his Telegram channel that the authorities had thwarted a "large and sinister plan by the 'criminal-oligarchic clergy'" to take power in Armenia, a former Soviet republic in the South Caucasus. Galstanyan's arrest is part of a growing confrontation between Pashinyan and the powerful Armenian Apostolic Church, who have traded increasingly bitter allegations in recent weeks ahead of elections scheduled for next year. Some senior clerics have previously called for Pashinyan to step down over Armenia's military defeats against Azerbaijan. Last week, Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan was detained on accusations of making public calls to usurp power after he accused the government of waging a campaign against the church and said he would act "in his own way" to stop it, according to state agency Armenpress. Lawyers for Karapetyan say the businessman denies wrongdoing. A lawyer for Galstanyan, Sergei Arutyunyan, told journalists on Wednesday that his client was being unfairly criminalised by the government, which he said was seeking to "create a smokescreen and simulate that they've caught a terrorist group". Pashinyan rose to power on a wave of street protests in 2018 but came under heavy domestic pressure after major losses to Azerbaijan in a brief war in 2020. In 2023, Azerbaijan retook the whole of the mountain enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, where ethnic Armenians had enjoyed de facto independence for decades. Tapping into popular anger over defeats and territorial concessions, Galstanyan and his supporters led days of street protests last summer to demand the removal of Pashinyan. Detailing the charges that he faces now, authorities alleged that Galstanyan and associates had recruited more than 1000 people, mainly former soldiers and police officers, to block roads, paralyse traffic, incite violence and shut off the internet, with the goal of destabilising the government and seizing power. The Investigative Committee published audio recordings purporting to show Galstanyan and others discussing plans for the alleged coup attempt as well as a photograph showing firearms and other weapons they said were discovered during searches. Pashinyan, who faces parliamentary elections in June 2026, has moved towards signing a peace treaty with Azerbaijan although tensions between the two countries remain high and the number of reported ceasefire violations has surged this year.
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Trump says PM Netanyahu's trial should be dropped
US President Donald Trump has called for Israel to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or cancel his trial on corruption charges. Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 in Israel on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust - all of which Netanyahu denies. The trial began in 2020 and involves three criminal cases. He has pleaded not guilty. "Bibi Netanyahu's trial should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero, who has done so much for the State (of Israel)," Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that he had learned that Netanyahu was due to appear in court on Monday. Israeli media have reported that cross-examination of Netanyahu began on June 3 in a Tel Aviv court and was expected to take about a year to complete. Israeli President Issac Herzog has the power to pardon Netanyahu but has been quoted by Israeli media as saying that a pardon is "not currently on the table." He also said that "no such request had been made," according to the reports. Trump extolled Netanyahu and said in his post: "It was the United States of America that saved Israel, and now it is going to be the United States of America that saves Bibi Netanyahu." That appeared to be a reference to US involvement and support for Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear program. Trump announced a ceasefire on Monday. It was unclear if Trump meant the US could do anything to aid Netanyahu in his legal battle. The Republican president described the case against the Israeli leader as a "witch-hunt," a term Trump has frequently applied to US attempts to prosecute him US President Donald Trump has called for Israel to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or cancel his trial on corruption charges. Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 in Israel on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust - all of which Netanyahu denies. The trial began in 2020 and involves three criminal cases. He has pleaded not guilty. "Bibi Netanyahu's trial should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero, who has done so much for the State (of Israel)," Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that he had learned that Netanyahu was due to appear in court on Monday. Israeli media have reported that cross-examination of Netanyahu began on June 3 in a Tel Aviv court and was expected to take about a year to complete. Israeli President Issac Herzog has the power to pardon Netanyahu but has been quoted by Israeli media as saying that a pardon is "not currently on the table." He also said that "no such request had been made," according to the reports. Trump extolled Netanyahu and said in his post: "It was the United States of America that saved Israel, and now it is going to be the United States of America that saves Bibi Netanyahu." That appeared to be a reference to US involvement and support for Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear program. Trump announced a ceasefire on Monday. It was unclear if Trump meant the US could do anything to aid Netanyahu in his legal battle. The Republican president described the case against the Israeli leader as a "witch-hunt," a term Trump has frequently applied to US attempts to prosecute him US President Donald Trump has called for Israel to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or cancel his trial on corruption charges. Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 in Israel on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust - all of which Netanyahu denies. The trial began in 2020 and involves three criminal cases. He has pleaded not guilty. "Bibi Netanyahu's trial should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero, who has done so much for the State (of Israel)," Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that he had learned that Netanyahu was due to appear in court on Monday. Israeli media have reported that cross-examination of Netanyahu began on June 3 in a Tel Aviv court and was expected to take about a year to complete. Israeli President Issac Herzog has the power to pardon Netanyahu but has been quoted by Israeli media as saying that a pardon is "not currently on the table." He also said that "no such request had been made," according to the reports. Trump extolled Netanyahu and said in his post: "It was the United States of America that saved Israel, and now it is going to be the United States of America that saves Bibi Netanyahu." That appeared to be a reference to US involvement and support for Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear program. Trump announced a ceasefire on Monday. It was unclear if Trump meant the US could do anything to aid Netanyahu in his legal battle. The Republican president described the case against the Israeli leader as a "witch-hunt," a term Trump has frequently applied to US attempts to prosecute him US President Donald Trump has called for Israel to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or cancel his trial on corruption charges. Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 in Israel on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust - all of which Netanyahu denies. The trial began in 2020 and involves three criminal cases. He has pleaded not guilty. "Bibi Netanyahu's trial should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero, who has done so much for the State (of Israel)," Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that he had learned that Netanyahu was due to appear in court on Monday. Israeli media have reported that cross-examination of Netanyahu began on June 3 in a Tel Aviv court and was expected to take about a year to complete. Israeli President Issac Herzog has the power to pardon Netanyahu but has been quoted by Israeli media as saying that a pardon is "not currently on the table." He also said that "no such request had been made," according to the reports. Trump extolled Netanyahu and said in his post: "It was the United States of America that saved Israel, and now it is going to be the United States of America that saves Bibi Netanyahu." That appeared to be a reference to US involvement and support for Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear program. Trump announced a ceasefire on Monday. It was unclear if Trump meant the US could do anything to aid Netanyahu in his legal battle. The Republican president described the case against the Israeli leader as a "witch-hunt," a term Trump has frequently applied to US attempts to prosecute him
