U-turn: Donald Trump changes his position on Ukraine once again
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The Guardian
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Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa says sitting on Trump's sports council will be ‘an honor'
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has spoken of his pride at being named to Donald Trump's council on sports, fitness, and nutrition. Tagovailoa joins two other current NFL stars on the council, Nick Bosa and Harrison Butker, who have been backers of Trump's Maga movement. While Tagovailoa has not publicly expressed his support for the president, who once described NFL players who knelt for the national anthem as 'sons of bitches', he said he was happy to align himself with Trump. 'I think it's pretty cool – it's an honor, [to serve on the council]' Tagovailoa said on Wednesday. 'I don't know too much about it, but it's an honor.' Trump has revitalized the council under an executive order that will also being back the presidential fitness test for American children, which was phased out during the Obama administration. Tagovailoa said he did not know why he had been named to the council. When Trump announced the council's members he mispronounced Tagovailoa's name. On Wednesday. the quarterback laughed off the president's error. 'I don't think he's had the worst – I heard a couple worse at Alabama,' said Tagovailoa. 'It is what it is, I don't take that to heart.' Earlier this week, Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley said he had declined his invitation to sit on the council. 'A couple months ago, it was brought to my team about the council,' Barkley told reporters after Monday's Eagles practice session. 'So I'm not really too familiar with it. I felt like that I am going to be super busy. Me and my family thought it would probably be of best interest to not accept that. I was definitely a little shocked when my name was mentioned. I'm assuming it's something great, so I appreciate it but was a little shocked when my name was mentioned.' NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will also be a member of the council.
Daily Mail
16 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Trump drops the hammer on India with crushing 50% tariffs in massive trade war punishment
President Donald Trump punished India by signing an executive order doubling tariffs on the South Asian democracy for continuing to purchase Russian oil amid the deadly war in Ukraine. Starting August 27th, India will face an additional 25 percent tariff if it continues to buy oil from Russia, making the total tariff rate a crushing 50 percent. Trump coupled his new order with a threat to impose additional tariffs on other countries that purchase Russian fossil fuels. The executive order is a key part of the administration's increasingly muscular strategy to pressure the Kremlin to resolve the three-year war in Ukraine. After years of cozying up to Vladimir Putin, Trump is now calling Russia an ' extraordinary threat ' to the US as the country repeatedly ignores his deadline to end the Ukrainian invasion. Previously, Trump gave the Kremlin until this Friday to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine, or the US would begin implementing massive tariffs on Russia's main trading partners. Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin in Moscow on Wednesday for three hours. The Kremlin described the meeting as 'a very useful and constructive conversation.' The pair reportedly discussed ending the Ukrainian war as well as developing strategic cooperation between the United States and Russia. But while Trump touted 'great progress,' there was no indication Putin was willing to end his furious campaign to take Ukraine. Trump previously imposed a 25 percent tariff last week on India citing unfair trade barriers. After Wednesday's executive order, the total tariffs on goods coming from India will rise to 50 percent – the highest levies on any US trading partner. A statement from India's Ministry of External Affairs said that its energy imports help ensure the 'security of 1.4 billion people,' while indicating it did not intend to stop purchasing Russian oil. 'These actions are unfair, unjustified and unreasonable,' the statement says. China is the largest buyer of Russian oil and energy products in the world. Turkey is also a significant buyer, but the two countries have not faced additional tariffs so far. When asked why the president did not place an additional tariff on China for their purchase of Russian oil, the White House did not respond at the time of publishing. Over the last eight months, India imported approximately 1.75 million barrels daily from Russia, which is up one percent from the same period last year. However, Trump did tease a threat to impose similar 25 percent tariffs on other large importers of Russian energy. In his Wednesday executive order, the president directed administration officials to 'determine whether any other country is directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil,' and then decide if they should face economic punishments. Trump's congressional allies praised the president's drastic moves. Republican South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham wrote on X, 'I completely understand and applaud President @realDonaldTrump's decision to hit India with an additional 25 percent tariff ... because India insists on purchasing Putin's oil to prop up his war machine, allowing the bloodbath in Ukraine to continue.' 'President Trump has put the world on notice that if you continue to buy Putin's oil, you are no longer going to be allowed to have access to the American economy without substantial tariffs,' Graham added. Nikki Haley, Trump's former United Nations ambassador and rival for the 2024 Republican nomination, agreed that India shouldn't be buying oil from Russia but warned Trump against burning a relationship with a strong ally. Trump's tariff bombshell lands just 48 hours before Trump's make-or-break Friday ultimatum to Putin—demanding Russia agree to Ukraine ceasefire talks or face a mammoth sanctions blitz. The crackdown signals Trump is serious about wielding his tariff power to try to bend world leaders to his demands. Switzerland also looked like it would be a loser in Trump's trade war with its president reportedly ending her visit to Washington on Wednesday without a deal to lower its tariff rate.
Reuters
16 minutes ago
- Reuters
Zelenskiy says Russia seems more inclined now to a ceasefire
KYIV, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday that Russia seemed "more inclined" to a ceasefire, but details of a potential deal are of great significance and neither Ukraine nor the U.S. should be deceived by Moscow. President Donald Trump said his special envoy Steve Witkoff's meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Wednesday delivered "great progress," but Trump gave no specifics. Following the meeting, Zelenskiy had a call with Trump, joined by European allies. "Ukraine will definitely defend its independence. We all need a lasting and reliable peace. Russia must end the war that it itself started," Zelenskiy said on X. Trump, who has signalled frustration with Putin in recent weeks and has given the Russian president until Friday to make peace with Ukraine or face tougher sanctions, hailed Witkoff's visit as highly productive. But a White House official said the secondary sanctions that Trump has threatened against countries doing business with Russia were still expected to be implemented on Friday. An executive order introducing additional 25% tariffs on India for Russian oil imports was signed on Wednesday. "The pressure on (Russia) works. But the main thing is that they do not deceive us in the details – neither us nor the U.S.," Zelenskiy said. Ukraine has repeatedly called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. Russia, which now controls about a fifth of Ukrainian territory and proceeds with its advances on the eastern front, rejected the idea. National security advisers from Ukraine and allied nations were to meet soon to work out a "joint stance", Zelenskiy added.
