Zelenskyy shakes up Ukrainian Cabinet to reinvigorate war effort
At home, however, the Cabinet recalibration has not been seen as a major shift, as the Ukrainian leader continues to rely on officials who have proven their effectiveness and loyalty during the war, now in its fourth year.
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Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
A raw deal but the best they could get with Trump: Europe dismayed and relieved at the same time
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Union's trade agreement with the Trump administration is getting mixed reviews. EU officials say they warded off a total economic disaster. But French officials in particular say the EU punched below its weight while economists say the deal is dangerously vague. The deal leaves Europe with a 15% tariff on most goods imported into the U.S., with some goods categories tariff-free but no agreement on rates for key areas such as pharmaceuticals and steel. Here is what they're saying: The European Commission Failing to reach a deal by the Aug. 1 deadline would have meant a 30% tariff threatened by Trump, said Maroš Šefčovič, the EU's chief trade negotiator. The chief aim of European officials was a negotiated deal, rather than a tit-for-tat escalation that could have included retaliatory EU tariffs on 93 billion euros ($108 billion) worth of goods including US agricultural goods, steel and chemicals. 'A trade war may seem appealing to some, but it comes with serious consequences, with at least a 30% tariff," said Šefčovič. 'Our transatlantic trade would effectively come to a halt, putting close to 5 million of jobs, including those in SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises) in Europe, at grave risk. "Our businesses have sent us a unanimous message: avoid escalation and work towards a solution that delivers immediate relief.' France: 'A dark day' Senior French officials on Monday criticized the accord, with Foreign Trade Minister Laurent Saint-Martin urging a European response in the services sector, and Strategy Commissioner Clément Beaune warning it underplayed the bloc's economic strength. 'The good news is that there is an agreement — our companies now have visibility and stability in the transatlantic trade relationship,' said Saint-Martin on France Inter radio. 'But this agreement is not balanced, and we will need to keep working." He pointed to digital services as a key front in the trade imbalance. 'Donald Trump spent months saying he wanted to rebalance a trade relationship that disadvantages the United States, but he was only talking about goods. If we look at services, it's the opposite. So it's up to us now to carry out the work of force and rebalancing,' he said. 'The United States decided to use force to impose a new law of the jungle that no longer respects the rules of international trade that we had for decades,' Saint-Martin added. Beaune, France's High Commissioner for Strategy and Planning, said on franceinfo radio: 'This is an unequal and unbalanced agreement.' He warned: 'Europe did not wield its strength. We are the world's leading trading power.' 'When you look at it, the glass is a quarter full and three-quarters empty,' Beaune said. Prime Minister François Bayrou was even more scathing, posting on X: 'It is a dark day when an alliance of free peoples, united to uphold their values and defend their interests, resigns itself to submission.' Germany: 'Avoided unnecessary escalation' German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the deal would give companies a more predictable environment to plan and invest — a key EU goal after weeks of back-and-forth threats in tense talks with Trump administration officials. 'It is good that Europe and the U.S.A. have agreed and thus avoided an unnecessary escalation in transatlantic trade relations' he said. "We have been able to preserve our core interests, even if I would have very much wished for further relief in transatlantic trade.' Italy: 'Positive outcome' Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, who has positioned herself as a 'bridge' between the Trump administration and Europe, welcomed news of the tariff agreement as a 'positive' outcome that avoided an 'unpredictable and potentially devastating' trade war. But in comments to reporters on the sidelines of a U.N. food security conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia she said details still needed to be worked out and that she still is unclear what exemptions are carved out for particular industries. 'I always thought, I continue to think that a trade escalation between Europe and the United States would have unpredictable, potentially devastating consequences,' she said. She said she needed to understand what the exemptions might be, including on agricultural products which are of concern to Italy, given its wine exports in particular. 'So there are a number of elements that are missing as well as I don't know exactly what we are referring to when we talk about investments, gas purchases." She noted that the deal in its current form is legally non-binding in principle, 'so there is still, let's say, room to fight.' Hungary: Trump 'ate EU for breakfast' Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, an ally of President Donald Trump who has gained a following within the MAGA movement, blasted the agreement on Monday as a failure on the part of Europe's leadership. 'Even at first glance, it is obvious to me that this is not an agreement,' Orbán said in a video discussion with his party's spokesman. 'Donald Trump ate (European Commission President) Ursula von der Leyen for breakfast, that's what happened.' Orbán, a frequent critic of the European Union, has been careful not to criticize Trump's administration for its trade policy, instead faulting the EU for being unable to conclude a comprehensive tariff agreement with Washington. Orbán said a trade deal between the US and the UK which imposed a blanket 10% tariff on U.K. exports, was more favorable than that concluded with the EU. 'The American president is a heavyweight negotiator, and (von der Leyen) is a featherweight,' Orbán said. 'The European agreement is worse than the British one, so portraying it as a success will be difficult.' Economists: Less growth, many blank spots Jon Harrison at TS Lombard: 'It is no surprise to find that trade deals agreed under duress in weeks rather than the usual years of careful negotiation leave a mass of detail incomplete and open to interpretation.' Jack Allen-Reynolds, deputy chief eurozone economist at Capital Economics: 'We think this will reduce EU GDP by about 0.5%, which is worse than we had previously assumed.' 'While the deal has avoided a much worse outcome for now, it remains to be seen whether it will last.' Julian Hinz, trade expert at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy: 'The deal agreed yesterday is not a good deal — it is appeasement. "While the EU may avert a trade war in the short term, it is paying a high price in the long term by abandoning the principles of the multilateral, rules-based world trade system of the World Trade Organization." —- McNeil contributed from Brussels, Adamson from Paris, and Winfield from Rome. Justin Spike in Budapest, Hungary, also contributed. David Mchugh, Sam Mcneil, Thomas Adamson And Nicole Winfield, The Associated Press
CNN
25 minutes ago
- CNN
Analysis: Ukraine sees glimmer of hope as Trump shortens deadline for Putin to talk peace
US President Donald Trump has said he will slash the 50-day deadline he gave for Russia's Vladimir Putin to reach a ceasefire with Ukraine by weeks, to just '10 or 12 days' from now. But does a shorter deadline make a difference at all, if, as Trump says, his Russian counterpart has already made up his mind to not make peace? Possibly. Ukraine is facing its most challenging moment on the front lines since the start of the war. By September 3 – when the original 50-day mark would have passed – many of the gains Moscow is in the midst of making would likely be realized. Given the pace and strategic nature of the advances Moscow has made in just the past fortnight, it is likely that in the coming weeks its forces will have gotten close to encircling the eastern hubs of Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka, and Kupiansk in the north. That would massively change the dynamic of the front lines and bring Putin's goal of taking the Donetsk region within reach. It would also make the defense of the land between the east of Ukraine and Kyiv a much greater challenge for the winter ahead. Ukraine would have lost control of most of the towns it relies on now to hold the east, and be struggling to retain a grip on Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. Trump's words were welcomed in Kyiv, where Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said he was 'standing firm and delivering a clear message of peace through strength.' '(The US President) has already said he's shortening the timeline he gave Putin, because he believes the answer is obvious. Putin respects only power – and that message is loud and clear,' Yermak said on X. What comes in 10 to 12 days is key. Another empty threat or altered Trump deadline would play into the TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out) sensitivities of his administration and be a gift to those who doubt that Trump is willing to really play hardball with the Kremlin. Imposing the secondary sanctions, or tariffs, that Trump has threatened would, however, have enormous global impact. These involve punishing India and China for buying Russian oil and gas. India is a US ally, hugely dependent on Russian energy and allowed to buy it through various complex mechanisms to prevent its demand on other energy markets causing oil prices to soar, damaging the American economy too. China is a Russian ally, even more dependent on Russian energy, and caught in a complex, at times symbiotic, economic relationship with the United States, which often teeters towards a trade war. If Trump sanctions either, it will damage the US and the global energy market, and mean his actions have likely been more pronounced and aggressive than any of the actions of his predecessor, US President Joe Biden. Chinese pressure could influence Moscow's behaviour, but Beijing has also told European diplomats it cannot afford for Russia to lose because the US would then turn its entire attention to China. China may bank on a weakened Trump rather than rejig its entire geopolitical approach. And so, we have a fortnight in which Moscow must persuade its allies and customers to hold fast in buying the energy they so badly need. Ukraine must try to hold whatever positions it can, in the face of a furious and successful Russian assault. And the Trump administration must decide whether its threats mean something. And if they are unwilling to impose and endure a vast economic earthquake, they must find a convincing off-ramp so their deadlines and threats continue to carry some weight.
Associated Press
26 minutes ago
- Associated Press
A raw deal but the best they could get with Trump: Europe dismayed and relieved at the same time
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Union's trade agreement with the Trump administration is getting mixed reviews. EU officials say they warded off a total economic disaster. But French officials in particular say the EU punched below its weight while economists say the deal is dangerously vague. The deal leaves Europe with a 15% tariff on most goods imported into the U.S., with some goods categories tariff-free but no agreement on rates for key areas such as pharmaceuticals and steel. Here is what they're saying: The European Commission Failing to reach a deal by the Aug. 1 deadline would have meant a 30% tariff threatened by Trump, said Maroš Šefčovič, the EU's chief trade negotiator. The chief aim of European officials was a negotiated deal, rather than a tit-for-tat escalation that could have included retaliatory EU tariffs on 93 billion euros ($108 billion) worth of goods including US agricultural goods, steel and chemicals. 'A trade war may seem appealing to some, but it comes with serious consequences, with at least a 30% tariff,' said Šefčovič. 'Our transatlantic trade would effectively come to a halt, putting close to 5 million of jobs, including those in SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises) in Europe, at grave risk. 'Our businesses have sent us a unanimous message: avoid escalation and work towards a solution that delivers immediate relief.' France: 'A dark day' Senior French officials on Monday criticized the accord, with Foreign Trade Minister Laurent Saint-Martin urging a European response in the services sector, and Strategy Commissioner Clément Beaune warning it underplayed the bloc's economic strength. 'The good news is that there is an agreement — our companies now have visibility and stability in the transatlantic trade relationship,' said Saint-Martin on France Inter radio. 'But this agreement is not balanced, and we will need to keep working.' He pointed to digital services as a key front in the trade imbalance. 'Donald Trump spent months saying he wanted to rebalance a trade relationship that disadvantages the United States, but he was only talking about goods. If we look at services, it's the opposite. So it's up to us now to carry out the work of force and rebalancing,' he said. 'The United States decided to use force to impose a new law of the jungle that no longer respects the rules of international trade that we had for decades,' Saint-Martin added. Beaune, France's High Commissioner for Strategy and Planning, said on franceinfo radio: 'This is an unequal and unbalanced agreement.' He warned: 'Europe did not wield its strength. We are the world's leading trading power.' 'When you look at it, the glass is a quarter full and three-quarters empty,' Beaune said. Prime Minister François Bayrou was even more scathing, posting on X: 'It is a dark day when an alliance of free peoples, united to uphold their values and defend their interests, resigns itself to submission.' Germany: 'Avoided unnecessary escalation' German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the deal would give companies a more predictable environment to plan and invest — a key EU goal after weeks of back-and-forth threats in tense talks with Trump administration officials. 'It is good that Europe and the U.S.A. have agreed and thus avoided an unnecessary escalation in transatlantic trade relations' he said. 'We have been able to preserve our core interests, even if I would have very much wished for further relief in transatlantic trade.' Italy: 'Positive outcome' Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, who has positioned herself as a 'bridge' between the Trump administration and Europe, welcomed news of the tariff agreement as a 'positive' outcome that avoided an 'unpredictable and potentially devastating' trade war. But in comments to reporters on the sidelines of a U.N. food security conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia she said details still needed to be worked out and that she still is unclear what exemptions are carved out for particular industries. 'I always thought, I continue to think that a trade escalation between Europe and the United States would have unpredictable, potentially devastating consequences,' she said. She said she needed to understand what the exemptions might be, including on agricultural products which are of concern to Italy, given its wine exports in particular. 'So there are a number of elements that are missing as well as I don't know exactly what we are referring to when we talk about investments, gas purchases.' She noted that the deal in its current form is legally non-binding in principle, 'so there is still, let's say, room to fight.' Hungary: Trump 'ate EU for breakfast' Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, an ally of President Donald Trump who has gained a following within the MAGA movement, blasted the agreement on Monday as a failure on the part of Europe's leadership. 'Even at first glance, it is obvious to me that this is not an agreement,' Orbán said in a video discussion with his party's spokesman. 'Donald Trump ate (European Commission President) Ursula von der Leyen for breakfast, that's what happened.' Orbán, a frequent critic of the European Union, has been careful not to criticize Trump's administration for its trade policy, instead faulting the EU for being unable to conclude a comprehensive tariff agreement with Washington. Orbán said a trade deal between the US and the UK which imposed a blanket 10% tariff on U.K. exports, was more favorable than that concluded with the EU. 'The American president is a heavyweight negotiator, and (von der Leyen) is a featherweight,' Orbán said. 'The European agreement is worse than the British one, so portraying it as a success will be difficult.' Economists: Less growth, many blank spots Jon Harrison at TS Lombard: 'It is no surprise to find that trade deals agreed under duress in weeks rather than the usual years of careful negotiation leave a mass of detail incomplete and open to interpretation.' Jack Allen-Reynolds, deputy chief eurozone economist at Capital Economics: 'We think this will reduce EU GDP by about 0.5%, which is worse than we had previously assumed.' 'While the deal has avoided a much worse outcome for now, it remains to be seen whether it will last.' Julian Hinz, trade expert at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy: 'The deal agreed yesterday is not a good deal — it is appeasement. 'While the EU may avert a trade war in the short term, it is paying a high price in the long term by abandoning the principles of the multilateral, rules-based world trade system of the World Trade Organization.' —- McNeil contributed from Brussels, Adamson from Paris, and Winfield from Rome. Justin Spike in Budapest, Hungary, also contributed.
