Trump administration at the ‘end of its tether' in dealing with Albanese
'I think the Trump administration has come to the end of its tether with dealing with Prime Minister Albanese,' Mr Jennings told Sky News host Peta Credlin.
'They are puzzled at the string of insults directed towards the president, and they're offended by the fact that Albanese can't get on the phone or find a flight to get to Washington, DC.
'They are returning a bit of fire with fire.'

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Perth Now
30 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Albanese weighs business and security ahead of Xi talks
Political differences will bump up against economic opportunities as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets his Chinese counterparts in the imposing Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Tuesday's bilateral meetings with President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and Communist Party Chairman Zhao Leji - the three highest-ranking members of China's ruling committee - mark the centrepiece of Mr Albanese's six-day tour of the Middle Kingdom. President Xi is top dog in China, and the optics of Mr Albanese's rendezvous with one of the world's most influential leaders will be powerful. But it's his meeting with Premier Li, notionally the head of government in China, that will deliver any tangible agreements from the trip if they occur. The meetings come as the Chinese-Australian free trade agreement passes its 10th anniversary. Co-operation between the two nations has increased following a falling out during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Albanese will emphasise the potential for further developing business links at a CEO roundtable hosted by the Business Council of Australia on Tuesday evening. Greater engagement between China and Australia has delivered practical benefits to both nations, building understanding between governments and businesses. "It enables us to express our differences and to manage them, without our relationship being defined by them," he will say. "This is about building stronger ties where our national interests are aligned." Dialogue will help the countries work together to address the structural imbalances of global steel supply, maximise the economic opportunities of the global shift to net zero, and provide certainty and confidence for businesses to invest, he will say. But fundamental political differences limit the extent of economic co-operation. Mr Albanese is likely to raise Australian concerns over increased Chinese militarism, including Chinese naval exercises off Australian waters, and the detention of Chinese-Australian writer Yang Hengjun. Beijing's dissatisfaction over Australia's plan to tear up a Chinese-owned company's lease of Darwin Port is also likely to be broached. An article by a Chinese state media influencer suggested Beijing could restrict Australian imports as retaliation, risking financial blowback for Australian companies. Business Council of Australia chief executive Bran Black says the two nations' challenges and opportunities would be best met with dialogue. "And that's exactly what this roundtable is about," he will say at the event. "Today's agenda points to the breadth of that shared opportunity: education, smarter agriculture, the green economy and low-carbon transformation. "But that opportunity is underpinned by the personal connections that we, collectively and personally, have the privilege to establish, re-establish, confirm and enhance today." Expanding the free trade agreement further into the services and investment sectors will be high on the agenda of the roundtable, as will exploring co-operation in education, smart agriculture, health and aged care. Green energy and low-carbon steel will once again be a hot topic after it formed the focus of a roundtable between Australian iron ore miners and Chinese steelmakers in Shanghai.

Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
US President Donald Trump threatens 'very severe' tariffs if Russia fails to agree Ukraine ceasefire in 50 days
United States President Donald Trump has pledged to provide more weapons to Ukraine via NATO and threatened Russia with "very severe" tariffs unless the Kremlin agrees a ceasefire deal within 50 days. The US President had previously expressed displeasure with the level of military support being provided to Ukraine, even going so far as to shout down his counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy for apparently failing to show he was "grateful". Those comments, and the public dressing down, sparked panic among some European leaders, who feared Ukraine could soon be shorn of vital support and subsequently fall to Russian invaders. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin's repeated refusal to play along with US-led peace efforts appears to have shifted President Trump's view. In a surprise announcement on Monday, local time, the US President used a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte to declare he was "very unhappy" with the Kremlin before dealing a double blow to President Putin's aspirations of conquest. "We're going to make top-of-the-line weapons, and they'll be sent to NATO," President Trump told reporters, adding "they will be paying for them". Those weapons will include advanced Patriot missile systems, which Ukraine has been desperately calling for to fight back against increasing swarms of Russian drones and other aerial bombardments. "We're going to have some come very soon, within days," the US President said. "A couple of the countries that have Patriots are going to swap over and will replace the Patriots with the ones they have." Mr Rutte, speaking after the US President, described the announcement as "really big" and sought to play into the idea NATO and Europe were "stepping up" to meet Trump administration demands for greater burden sharing on defence. In addition to providing weaponry, President Trump also moved to threaten Russia with "very severe" tariffs should the Kremlin continue to rebuff attempts to negotiate a peace agreement. "We're going to be doing secondary tariffs if we don't have a deal in 50 days, it's very simple," the President said. The new tariffs would be set at "100 per cent", he added, with a White House official later clarifying President Trump had been referring both to tariffs on Russian exports as well as so-called secondary sanctions, which target third countries that buy a country's exports. If imposed the secondary sanctions would likely have a far more severe impact on Russia's economy than any measures previously imposed by the international community. Under existing sanctions, Russia has still been able to sell oil, a key export, to nations including China and India for hundreds of billions of dollars. However, both countries would pay a significant penalty should the US impose secondary sanctions, robbing the Kremlin of vital funds needed to keep its economy running. With Reuters


The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Russia faces tariffs within 50 days over Ukraine: Trump
US President Donald Trump has announced a toughened stance against Russia for its war in Ukraine, promising a fresh wave of missiles and other weaponry for Ukraine and giving the Kremlin 50 days to reach a ceasefire or face sanctions. In the Oval Office at an announcement with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump told reporters he had become deeply frustrated with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said Putin is pleasant to speak with on the phone but then turns around and unleashes withering bombing raids on Ukraine. "I don't want to say he's an assassin but he's a tough guy," Trump said, noting that several of his predecessors had also become disillusioned with Putin. The decision by Trump to send arms to Ukraine represented a turning point for the Republican president, who has spent the early months of his term trying to coax Putin into a ceasefire agreement only to be turned down every time. Under the deal, Trump said the United States will supply weapons that will be paid for by NATO countries. Rutte said massive numbers of weapons would be sent, including missiles, as part of a first wave of equipment. Trump said the "top of the line" equipment, including Patriot missile systems and batteries, would be arriving very soon. "We're going to have some come very soon, within days ... a couple of the countries that have Patriots are going to swap over and will replace the Patriots with the ones they have," he said. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has made regular appeals to the US and its NATO military alliance allies for weapons to help defend itself in the grinding war. Trump coupled his arms announcement with a vow to impose tariffs and sanctions on Russia if it will not make a ceasefire agreement within 50 days. US Congressional leaders have been working on a Russia sanctions package. A White House official said Trump's intent is to impose "100 per cent tariffs on Russia" and secondary sanctions on other countries that buy oil from Russia if a deal is not struck in 50 days. "If I was Vladimir Putin today, and you're speaking about what you are planning to do in 50 days ... I would reconsider whether I should not take negotiations about Ukraine more seriously," Rutte said. Rutte said Germany, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and Canada all want to be a part of rearming Ukraine. "They all want to be part of this. And this is only the first wave. There will be more. So what we will do is work through the NATO systems to make sure that we know what Ukrainians need to make packages," he said. Trump's promise that NATO would pay for the weapons satisfies his demand that the US not continue bankrolling the war and puts the financial burden on US allies in Europe. Zelenskiy on Monday asked First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko to lead a new government, setting the stage for a political reshuffle in Ukraine. The nomination, which requires parliamentary approval, comes as diplomatic efforts to end the war, now in its fourth year, have stalled and as Ukraine seeks to revive its cash-strapped economy and build up a domestic arms industry. "We ... discussed concrete measures to boost Ukraine's economic potential, expand support programs for Ukrainians, and scale up our domestic weapons production," Zelenskiy wrote on X. "In pursuit of this goal, we are initiating a transformation of the executive branch in Ukraine," he said, adding that he had proposed that Svyrydenko lead the government and "significantly renew its work". Svyrydenko, 39, is an economist by training and has served as first deputy prime minister since 2021. US President Donald Trump has announced a toughened stance against Russia for its war in Ukraine, promising a fresh wave of missiles and other weaponry for Ukraine and giving the Kremlin 50 days to reach a ceasefire or face sanctions. In the Oval Office at an announcement with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump told reporters he had become deeply frustrated with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said Putin is pleasant to speak with on the phone but then turns around and unleashes withering bombing raids on Ukraine. "I don't want to say he's an assassin but he's a tough guy," Trump said, noting that several of his predecessors had also become disillusioned with Putin. The decision by Trump to send arms to Ukraine represented a turning point for the Republican president, who has spent the early months of his term trying to coax Putin into a ceasefire agreement only to be turned down every time. Under the deal, Trump said the United States will supply weapons that will be paid for by NATO countries. Rutte said massive numbers of weapons would be sent, including missiles, as part of a first wave of equipment. Trump said the "top of the line" equipment, including Patriot missile systems and batteries, would be arriving very soon. "We're going to have some come very soon, within days ... a couple of the countries that have Patriots are going to swap over and will replace the Patriots with the ones they have," he said. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has made regular appeals to the US and its NATO military alliance allies for weapons to help defend itself in the grinding war. Trump coupled his arms announcement with a vow to impose tariffs and sanctions on Russia if it will not make a ceasefire agreement within 50 days. US Congressional leaders have been working on a Russia sanctions package. A White House official said Trump's intent is to impose "100 per cent tariffs on Russia" and secondary sanctions on other countries that buy oil from Russia if a deal is not struck in 50 days. "If I was Vladimir Putin today, and you're speaking about what you are planning to do in 50 days ... I would reconsider whether I should not take negotiations about Ukraine more seriously," Rutte said. Rutte said Germany, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and Canada all want to be a part of rearming Ukraine. "They all want to be part of this. And this is only the first wave. There will be more. So what we will do is work through the NATO systems to make sure that we know what Ukrainians need to make packages," he said. Trump's promise that NATO would pay for the weapons satisfies his demand that the US not continue bankrolling the war and puts the financial burden on US allies in Europe. Zelenskiy on Monday asked First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko to lead a new government, setting the stage for a political reshuffle in Ukraine. The nomination, which requires parliamentary approval, comes as diplomatic efforts to end the war, now in its fourth year, have stalled and as Ukraine seeks to revive its cash-strapped economy and build up a domestic arms industry. "We ... discussed concrete measures to boost Ukraine's economic potential, expand support programs for Ukrainians, and scale up our domestic weapons production," Zelenskiy wrote on X. "In pursuit of this goal, we are initiating a transformation of the executive branch in Ukraine," he said, adding that he had proposed that Svyrydenko lead the government and "significantly renew its work". Svyrydenko, 39, is an economist by training and has served as first deputy prime minister since 2021. US President Donald Trump has announced a toughened stance against Russia for its war in Ukraine, promising a fresh wave of missiles and other weaponry for Ukraine and giving the Kremlin 50 days to reach a ceasefire or face sanctions. In the Oval Office at an announcement with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump told reporters he had become deeply frustrated with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said Putin is pleasant to speak with on the phone but then turns around and unleashes withering bombing raids on Ukraine. "I don't want to say he's an assassin but he's a tough guy," Trump said, noting that several of his predecessors had also become disillusioned with Putin. The decision by Trump to send arms to Ukraine represented a turning point for the Republican president, who has spent the early months of his term trying to coax Putin into a ceasefire agreement only to be turned down every time. Under the deal, Trump said the United States will supply weapons that will be paid for by NATO countries. Rutte said massive numbers of weapons would be sent, including missiles, as part of a first wave of equipment. Trump said the "top of the line" equipment, including Patriot missile systems and batteries, would be arriving very soon. "We're going to have some come very soon, within days ... a couple of the countries that have Patriots are going to swap over and will replace the Patriots with the ones they have," he said. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has made regular appeals to the US and its NATO military alliance allies for weapons to help defend itself in the grinding war. Trump coupled his arms announcement with a vow to impose tariffs and sanctions on Russia if it will not make a ceasefire agreement within 50 days. US Congressional leaders have been working on a Russia sanctions package. A White House official said Trump's intent is to impose "100 per cent tariffs on Russia" and secondary sanctions on other countries that buy oil from Russia if a deal is not struck in 50 days. "If I was Vladimir Putin today, and you're speaking about what you are planning to do in 50 days ... I would reconsider whether I should not take negotiations about Ukraine more seriously," Rutte said. Rutte said Germany, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and Canada all want to be a part of rearming Ukraine. "They all want to be part of this. And this is only the first wave. There will be more. So what we will do is work through the NATO systems to make sure that we know what Ukrainians need to make packages," he said. Trump's promise that NATO would pay for the weapons satisfies his demand that the US not continue bankrolling the war and puts the financial burden on US allies in Europe. Zelenskiy on Monday asked First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko to lead a new government, setting the stage for a political reshuffle in Ukraine. The nomination, which requires parliamentary approval, comes as diplomatic efforts to end the war, now in its fourth year, have stalled and as Ukraine seeks to revive its cash-strapped economy and build up a domestic arms industry. "We ... discussed concrete measures to boost Ukraine's economic potential, expand support programs for Ukrainians, and scale up our domestic weapons production," Zelenskiy wrote on X. "In pursuit of this goal, we are initiating a transformation of the executive branch in Ukraine," he said, adding that he had proposed that Svyrydenko lead the government and "significantly renew its work". Svyrydenko, 39, is an economist by training and has served as first deputy prime minister since 2021. US President Donald Trump has announced a toughened stance against Russia for its war in Ukraine, promising a fresh wave of missiles and other weaponry for Ukraine and giving the Kremlin 50 days to reach a ceasefire or face sanctions. In the Oval Office at an announcement with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump told reporters he had become deeply frustrated with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said Putin is pleasant to speak with on the phone but then turns around and unleashes withering bombing raids on Ukraine. "I don't want to say he's an assassin but he's a tough guy," Trump said, noting that several of his predecessors had also become disillusioned with Putin. The decision by Trump to send arms to Ukraine represented a turning point for the Republican president, who has spent the early months of his term trying to coax Putin into a ceasefire agreement only to be turned down every time. Under the deal, Trump said the United States will supply weapons that will be paid for by NATO countries. Rutte said massive numbers of weapons would be sent, including missiles, as part of a first wave of equipment. Trump said the "top of the line" equipment, including Patriot missile systems and batteries, would be arriving very soon. "We're going to have some come very soon, within days ... a couple of the countries that have Patriots are going to swap over and will replace the Patriots with the ones they have," he said. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has made regular appeals to the US and its NATO military alliance allies for weapons to help defend itself in the grinding war. Trump coupled his arms announcement with a vow to impose tariffs and sanctions on Russia if it will not make a ceasefire agreement within 50 days. US Congressional leaders have been working on a Russia sanctions package. A White House official said Trump's intent is to impose "100 per cent tariffs on Russia" and secondary sanctions on other countries that buy oil from Russia if a deal is not struck in 50 days. "If I was Vladimir Putin today, and you're speaking about what you are planning to do in 50 days ... I would reconsider whether I should not take negotiations about Ukraine more seriously," Rutte said. Rutte said Germany, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and Canada all want to be a part of rearming Ukraine. "They all want to be part of this. And this is only the first wave. There will be more. So what we will do is work through the NATO systems to make sure that we know what Ukrainians need to make packages," he said. Trump's promise that NATO would pay for the weapons satisfies his demand that the US not continue bankrolling the war and puts the financial burden on US allies in Europe. Zelenskiy on Monday asked First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko to lead a new government, setting the stage for a political reshuffle in Ukraine. The nomination, which requires parliamentary approval, comes as diplomatic efforts to end the war, now in its fourth year, have stalled and as Ukraine seeks to revive its cash-strapped economy and build up a domestic arms industry. "We ... discussed concrete measures to boost Ukraine's economic potential, expand support programs for Ukrainians, and scale up our domestic weapons production," Zelenskiy wrote on X. "In pursuit of this goal, we are initiating a transformation of the executive branch in Ukraine," he said, adding that he had proposed that Svyrydenko lead the government and "significantly renew its work". Svyrydenko, 39, is an economist by training and has served as first deputy prime minister since 2021.