Tariffing India won't end Ukraine war: US Democrats Panel says punish Putin
"Tariffing India won't stop Putin. If Trump really wanted to address Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, maybe punish Putin and give Ukraine the military aid it needs. Everything else is smoke and mirrors," the House Foreign Affairs Committee tweeted, sharing a TV statement of Treasury Secretary Bessent, in which he was seen speaking about the possibility of hiking tariffs on India.Speaking to Bloomberg TV on Wednesday, Bessent said the US may impose further secondary sanctions if the talks in Alaska on Friday fail to yield positive results."We've put secondary tariffs on Indians for buying Russian oil. And I could see, If things don't go well, then sanctions or secondary tariffs could go up," Bessent said in an interview to Bloomberg TV.- Ends
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First Post
26 minutes ago
- First Post
‘Dear neighbour...': 5 things Putin told Trump at the Alaska summit on Ukraine
While the US-Russia talks ended inconclusively, Russian President Vladimir Putin's address to the press sent several messages to the world. Here are five of them While the US-Russia talks ended inconclusively, Russian President Vladimir Putin's address to the press sent several messages to the world. The talks, which were held in Alaska on Friday, were already being seen as a 'victory' for Putin, since it gave the Russian leader the American stage he was looking for. Before the talks, Putin ignored all the questions journalists hurled at him. Need for ceasefire to accusations of killing Ukrainian civilians, Putin faced numerous questions, but he kept his composure and just flashed a diplomatic smile. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD After Trump and Putin went back and forth for 2 and a half hours, both leaders appeared on stage for what was perceived as a press conference. However, Trump and Putin went on to give brief remarks on the talks and took no questions, leaving the American press scrambling for more answers. Putin was the first one to take the stage, emphasising that both leaders are in 'agreement' in some aspects. It was unusual for Putin to take the mic first since, usually, when an American president is hosting a foreign counterpart, a j oint news conference would begin with remarks from the US leader followed by his guest. However, this time, Putin opened the news conference as Trump looked on. Here are the five things his speech conveyed to Trump, the US and the rest of the world. 1 'Dear neighbour': Putin's emphasis on Alaska's geography and shared history Putin started his address to the press by greeting Trump with the phrase ' dear neighbour'. With this, the Russian leader underlined the geographical proximity of Russia and the United States across the Bering Strait. Putin also managed to evoke historical connections between the two nations, since Alaska, where the meeting took place, was sold by Russia to the US. 'The US and Russia are close neighbours, separated by mere miles, so it made sense for the summit to be held in Alaska," Putin said at the beginning. 2 'Let's turn the page': An aim at ending Russia's isolation in the West During his public remarks, Putin said Russia and the United States should 'turn the page and go back to cooperation'. Instead of mentioning the war, Putin put more emphasis on bettering ties between the US and Russia. Interestingly, Putin had a similar stance during the reign of former US President George W. Bush. It was the 2008 Georgia War that eventually led to a decline in US-Russia ties. The Friday statement for Putin also reflected that the Friday talks were more than just about the Russia-Ukraine war. 3 Praises Trump for echoing mutual respect for national interests Another highlight of Putin's remarks was his acknowledgement of Trump's stance that if he were the president, the Russia-Ukraine war would not have happened. '[Trump] has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve and sincerely cares about the prosperity of his country, and at the same time shows understanding that Russia has its own national interests," Putin said. This statement sought to frame the conversation as grounded in mutual respect, even amid sharp differences. The Russian leader went on to thank Trump for the 'friendly' tone of their dialogue and expressed hope for 'the restoration of businesslike, pragmatic relations' between the two powers. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 4 Sets preconditions for peace — a warning to Europe with pressure on Ukraine In his brief address, Putin also set out the preconditions for any form of peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. Putin reiterated Moscow's longstanding position: 'All the root causes of the crisis … must be eliminated. All of Russia's legitimate concerns must be taken into account, and a fair balance in the security sphere in Europe and the world as a whole must be restored.' He went on to issue a warning for Europe and Ukraine, while standing next to one of the key allies of Kyiv, the president of the United States. 'We hope that Kyiv and the European capitals will constructively perceive all of this and will not create any obstacles or attempt to disrupt the nascent progress through provocation or behind-the-scenes intrigue.' 'I would like to hope that the understanding we have reached will allow us to get closer to that goal and open the way to peace in Ukraine," Putin furthered. 5. 'Next time in Moscow' While Trump was concluding the presser, Putin suggested in English, ' ,' signalling he has kept the door open for continued dialogue. However, there's more to the story. Before and even after the meeting, Trump noted that his next plan is to hold a trilateral summit between him, Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. If the next meeting is to take place in Moscow, not only would Trump receive backlash for agreeing to such a meeting, but it his unlikely that Zelenskyy would visit Russia due to security reasons. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Also, by expressing the intention to meet next time in Moscow, Putin might also be perceived as showing reluctance to hold a meeting anywhere but Russia.
Hindustan Times
26 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Conspiracy theorists say Putin sent a body double to meet Trump: ‘He smiles too much'
Conspiracy theorists are convinced that Vladimir Putin did not actually meet Donald Trump in Alaska. Instead, they claim, the Russian president sent one of his many body doubles to American soil. Conspiracy theorists claim that Putin sent a body double to Alaska to meet Trump(AP) Conspiracy theorists based their assumptions on Putin's appearance and gait, claiming that the person who landed in Alaska had fuller cheekbones and appeared more jovial than the actual Russian leader. Putin sends body double to meet Trump? 'I think that is Putin's body double #5. Does not quite look like him. His cheeks are rounder and does not walk with his customary low movement right arm. A classic KGB walk he uses,' one social media user said. Some social media users claimed that Putin has a series of doppelgangers who make public appearances on his behalf. 'Its literally not even the real Putin. They didn't even send the good double, they sent 'Jovial Putin', the expendable one that usually just makes minor public appearances and went to visit Kim in NK,' wrote one X user. 'Anyone that still doesn't understand that this is Putin's most expendable double is a moron,' another posted. 'Cheeks are too pudgy and he smiles too much. Looks like he's trying to hold back laughter the whole time,' one conspiracy theorist claimed. 'He's too animated. The real Putin is more straight face, very little emotion,' another opined. Speculation surrounds Putin The speculation around Putin using body doubles is not new. There is, in fact, an entire Wikipedia article dedicated to 'Alleged doubles of Vladimir Putin'.Supporters of the doppelganger theory believe that Putin's doubles have undergone surgery to look more like the 72-year-old Russian leader. However, slight differences in gait and appearance give them away, the proponents claim. One such difference is Putin's trademark gunslinger gait, which body doubles fail to imitate. Putin's gunslinger gait Putin's 'gunslinger gait' is a way of walking where one arm (usually his right) stays unusually still by his side, while the other arm (his left) swings normally. Neurologists say this isn't due to a medical problem, but likely comes from his KGB training. In the Soviet security service, agents were taught to keep their weapon hand (the right hand) close to the chest or near a holster while walking, so they could quickly draw a gun if needed.
The Hindu
26 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Trump administration partially retreats from a takeover of Washington's police. Here's what to know
Federal troops are patrolling the National Mall and neighbourhoods across Washington while President Donald Trump's administration exerts extraordinary power over law enforcement in the nation's capital. But the administration backed down from an attempt to take over the city's police department by installing its own emergency police commissioner after a federal judge indicated she would rule against it. The partial retreat interrupted one aspect of the most sweeping uses of federal authority over a local government in modern times. Also Read | Trump's Washington D.C. takeover begins as National Guard troops arrive How it will play out and whether the federal government will use this experience as a potential blueprint for dealing with other cities remains up in the air. Here's what to know about the situation and what might come next: The Republican President this week announced he's taking control over Washington's police department and activating National Guard troops to reduce crime, an escalation of his aggressive approach to law enforcement. But District of Columbia officials say the action isn't needed, pointing out that violent crime in the district reached historic 30-year lows last year and is down significantly again this year. D.C.'s status as a congressionally established federal district gives Mr. Trump a window to assert more control over the district than other cities. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser didn't offer much resistance at first, allowing city workers to clear homeless encampments and work closely with federal immigration agents. But on Friday, the heavily Democratic district asked for an emergency court order blocking Trump officials from putting a federal official in charge of D.C. police. The Trump administration on Friday agreed to leave the Washington, D.C., police chief in control of the department. That came one day after Attorney General Pam Bondi said the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration would take over the police chief's duties, including authority over orders issued to officers. The two sides sparred in court for hours before U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes after the city sued to stop the order. The judge indicated the law likely doesn't grant the Trump administration power to fully take over city police, but it probably does give the president more power than the city might like. She pushed the two sides to compromise, promising to issue a court order temporarily blocking the administration from naming a new chief if they couldn't agree. But while Attorney General Pam Bondi agreed to leave the police chief in charge, she directed the District's police to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement regardless of any city law. The showdown in Washington is the latest attempt by Mr. Trump to test the boundaries of his legal authority to carry out his tough-on-crime agenda, relying on obscure statutes and a supposed state of emergency to speed up the mass deportation of people in the United States illegally. About 800 National Guard troops are being activated, with Humvees parked along the Washington Monument and near Union Station. Troops have been spotted standing outside baseball's Nationals Park and neighbourhood restaurants. The White House says guard members aren't making arrests but are protecting law enforcement officers who are making arrests and helping deter violent crime. Trump says one of the objectives will be moving homeless people far from the city. Trump has the authority to do this for 30 days and says he might look into extending it. But that would require congressional approval. Whether Republicans in Congress would go along with that is unclear. Some D.C. residents have protested against the increased police presence. For some, the action echoes uncomfortable historical chapters when politicians used language to paint predominantly Black cities with racist narratives to shape public opinion and justify police action. Washington is very different from any other American city, and the rules that govern it give the federal government much more control than it would have anywhere else. Whether Trump is using this as a blueprint for how to approach cities — largely Democratic cities — that he wants to exert more control over remains to be seen.
