Zelenskyy: Ukraine's requested US security guarantees include US weapons package
Zelenskyy spoke to reporters on Monday after meeting with US and European leaders.
He said among Ukraine's security requests is a package of US weapons which Ukraine does not have and that primarily includes aircraft and air defense systems. He said the package is worth 90 billion dollars.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine has proposed to US President Donald Trump that the US buy Ukrainian drones.
The Financial Times reported that it has seen a document detailing the proposals before the meetings.
It said, "Ukraine will promise to buy 100 billion dollars of American weapons financed by Europe in a bid to obtain US guarantees for its security after a peace agreement with Russia."
The British newspaper said that under the proposals, Kyiv and Washington would also strike a 50-billion-dollar deal to procure drones with Ukrainian companies that have pioneered the technology since Russia's invasion in 2022.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Times
an hour ago
- Japan Times
Lutnick: Japan's $550 billion will be directed by Trump
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick made it clear that the $550 billion promised by Japan in the course of tariff negotiations will be real funding from Japan deployed and directed by U.S. President Donald Trump to serve American interests. 'What's going to happen is the investments in America are for the benefit of the economic and national security of the United States of America, driven by Donald Trump,' Lutnick told CNBC on Tuesday. His comments closely track and further support earlier comments by Trump, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Lutnick himself. Together, they have described a pledge that involves new capital from Japan being invested in the United States with America in control and taking 90% of the profits. "It is their money," he added, "their money that's going to create these investments so that we can build the pipelines, we can build the nuclear, we can build semiconductors, we can build pharmaceuticals in America to protect America." Japanese officials view the handshake agreement reached on July 22 differently. They have said that Japan will provide loans, loan guarantees and equity investment up to the $550 billion total through financial institutions backed by the government, and that direct equity investment will be just 1%-2% of the $550 billion. They have also brought into question the governance described by the three U.S. officials. 'We can't cooperate on things that don't benefit Japanese companies or the Japanese economy," Ryosei Akazawa, Japan's chief tariff negotiator, said earlier this month. CNBC host David Faber pressed Lutnick — noting that Japan has said the money will mainly be in the form of loan guarantees to Japanese companies already operating in the United States — and suggested the possibility that there is no meeting of the minds between the United States and Japan on the issue. "No, no, no," Lutnick responded. "We're on the same page." U.S. officials have repeatedly said that the money is essentially a payment in exchange for lowering tariff rates — or raising them less than threatened — and that any failure in honoring the commitment could result in tariffs being increased. If the president is 'unhappy' with the progress, tariffs will 'boomerang' higher, Bessent has said. In the CNBC interview, Lutnick noted the connection between the money and tariff rates. 'Japan has offered to buy down their tax from 25% to 15%. They offered us $550 billion investment fund,' he said. Japan and the United States reached an agreement on July 22 to set the 'reciprocal' tariff at 15% and the auto tariff at the same rate. Lutnick said that the two countries are working to get the terms of the deal down on paper, and that progress is quickly being made. The lack of an agreement document has been a major issue in Japan, especially among politicians in Tokyo. "Every night and every morning, we are finishing the documents,' Lutnick said. 'These are weeks away for the Japan and Korea model, but the other models are set.' On Tuesday, SoftBank Group said it will purchase $2 billion worth of Intel shares, though the company declined to confirm whether the announced investment is part of the $550 billion pledge. U.S. tariffs are already starting the bite. Japanese exports to the United States in July fell 10.1% year on year, declining for the fourth consecutive month. Auto exports to the United States dropped 28.4% year on year in value terms and 3.2% in volume.
The Mainichi
3 hours ago
- The Mainichi
White House launches TikTok account amid easing tensions with China
WASHINGTON (Kyodo) -- The White House on Tuesday launched an official TikTok account despite U.S. lawmakers deciding the popular short-form video-sharing app owned by a Chinese company is a national security concern. The launch, seemingly aimed at helping President Donald Trump reach wider and younger audiences, comes amid easing tensions with China and less than a month before a deadline requiring TikTok's Chinese owner ByteDance Ltd. to sell the app or face a federal ban. In April 2024, Trump's predecessor Joe Biden signed a federal law requiring ByteDance to sell the U.S. version of TikTok or face a nationwide ban on national security grounds following its passage with bipartisan congressional support. The ban was supposed to have taken effect in January, but Trump has repeatedly pushed back the deadline since taking office the same month, offering more time for the Chinese company to find a Washinton-approved buyer. In June, Trump signed an executive order for the most recent extension, which ends on Sept. 17.
Yomiuri Shimbun
3 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL / TICAD 9 in Yokohama, Japan, to Highlight Shift from Aid to Investment in Africa as Region Sees Surge in Interest
The Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), a summit-level meeting to discuss how to assist Africa with its development, is being held from Wednesday to Friday in Yokohama. Economic growth is expected to continue in Africa, which has an energetic young population, and the region's huge market potential is attracting attention across the world. The conference is also an important occasion for Japan to build and deepen its relationships with countries on the continent. Potential The engine of Africa's economic growth is thought to be its population, which is expected to continue growing through the end of the century, and the fact that it is young. According to the United Nations, Africa's population, which was about 1.46 billion in 2023, is predicted to surpass 2.4 billion in 2050, which would account for a quarter of the planet's people. The median age in Africa is on track to be 24.4 years old in 2050. In 2100, when Africa's population is projected to reach about 3.8 billion, the median age is predicted to be 35.1. That is more than 10 years younger than the 2100 projected median age of 47.8 in India, the country with the largest population currently. Interest and money from all over the world are being concentrated in Africa's markets. In 2024, total direct investments into Africa hit a record high of about $97 billion (about ¥14.2 trillion). Meanwhile, economic growth in the region this year is estimated to be 3.7%, according to the United Nations, one percentage point higher than the worldwide average. Japanese companies are also stepping up their advance into African markets. In 2015, Japanese or Japanese-funded companies had 687 sites in 38 African countries. By 2024, the number of sites had grown to 948 in 40 countries, an increase of 40% in 10 years. Some of the companies are making their presence increasingly felt by working to resolve social problems in Africa. Their projects innclude utilizing drones and AI in the fight against malaria and supplying electricity to areas off the grid. Major blow The main agenda of the TICAD is shifting from providing Africa with grants-in-aid and other assistance to helping with business development and investing in the private sector. This shift 'from aid to investment' is becoming increasingly clear. This year, the U.S. administration of President Donald Trump dissolved the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which had contributed greatly to dealing with issues in Africa such as AIDS and poverty. The agency's projects were discontinued in July, dealing a major blow to recipient African countries. Taking advantage of the U.S. exit, China, which has continuously been providing African countries with huge loans, announced in June that tariffs on imports from 53 African countries would be set to zero. Likewise, countries such as Russia and India are aiming to deepen their ties with nations on the continent. With competition among countries intensifying, Japan's method of engaging with Africa will be tested. According to Kei Yoshizawa, senior adviser of the Africa Department of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), adverse effects from the dissolution of USAID cannot be avoided. However, he also said that U.S. aid to other countries is a type of thoughtless spending. 'Japan has continued to provide aid that encourages people to help themselves, and some efforts have resulted in new businesses being created,' he said. 'Continuing the conventional style of aid, which other countries have not been able to keep up, should be something that contributes to Japan's national interests.'
