Ukraine has proved it doesn't need Trump
Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that Ukraine holds 'no cards in this war'.
Well, they just played one hell of a hand.
On Sunday, a clandestine drone operation hit as many as five different airfields deep inside Russian territory, striking at least eight and possibly dozens of Soviet-era nuclear-capable heavy bombers, which are today impossible to remanufacture.
And the way Ukraine did so is worthy of a Robert Ludlam thriller.
Its domestic security service smuggled in 150 First Person View (FPV) drones in concealed compartments on the top of multiple shipping containers, undetected by Russia's own sprawling counterintelligence organs, which were then loaded on the backs of articulated lorries and driven to within striking distance of their targets.
At the push of a button, the tops of the containers popped off, allowing a swarm of lethal unmanned aerial vehicles to ascend which then struck their unsuspecting targets; lines of Russian bombers fully fueled and awaiting takeoff.
The timing of this kinetic covert operation could not have been better from the Ukrainian perspective.
Peace negotiations begin again in Istanbul with the Russians on Monday, even as Moscow continues to make clear it isn't interested in a 30-day ceasefire.
Trump is said to be exasperated that a suddenly 'crazy' Putin won't end the war as a 'personal favour' to him and is growing weary of engaging in pointless diplomacy.
But the US president has also made no statements about future security assistance to Ukraine, which badly needs three things only the US military-industrial complex can provide at scale: ballistic missile defence, GMLRS rocket artillery and howitzer ammunition.
So Ukraine, it seems, is imposing its own bespoke penalties on Russia, hitting its adversary on supposedly impregnable ground and eliminating a good percentage of its irreplaceable bomber fleet.
CBS News and Axios have reported that Kyiv did not inform the Trump administration of its plans, which took 18 months to pull together.
This means that when Zelensky sat through that Two Minutes of Hate session delivered jointly by Trump and JD Vance in the Oval Office last February, he had this secret caper bouncing about in the back of his head.
It's worth re-watching that confrontation in light of what just happened.
Now, Ukraine has a much needed morale boost at a time when the war has ground down into one of attrition and Russia has launched its now annual summer offensive, which is making costly but consistent progress in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk.
Ukraine's capacity to bring the war home to Russia in such a bold fashion is also likely to encourage pro-Ukrainian Republicans who are growing anxious and impatient with Trump's dithering.
Lindsay Graham, the Trump-whisperer senator from South Carolina who has drawn up a range of sanctions against Russia for Mr Trump to sign off, said: 'The ever-resourceful Ukraine used creative drone warfare tactics to successfully attack Russian bombers and military assets used to kill Ukrainian citizens and destroy their country.'
This operation has demonstrated that Ukraine is very much still in the fight, whatever dour statements emerge from the White House.
Mr Trump, easily distracted and unfocused on his best days, has told big and small lies about the war since the beginning of his second term, all damaging to the reality and perception that Ukraine is holding its own.
He has said, for instance, that 'thousands of Ukrainian troops were surrounded' in Kursk when they were not, and claimed that Russia would have taken Kyiv in 'five hours' had Russian tanks not got 'stuck in the mud'.
Ukraine's drone escapades have embarrassed Mr Trump, as well as Mr Putin, it seems.
Ukraine's home-grown munitions are not only changing the nature of this war, but the nature of all future wars fought in the 21st century.
A nation regarded for its IT and engineering sectors has adapted ingeniously to being outgunned and outmanned by an invading army.
A few hundred thousand dollars worth of FPV drones have just eliminated approximately $7 billion of Russian kit, according to the SBU.
No shambolic mineral or rare earths deals had to be struck for that to happen.
Ukraine is mass producing its own variegated fleet of drones at scale using both its own coffers and money from seventeen Western countries – the UK among them – part of a 'drone coalition.'
Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's director of national intelligence, is said to be mulling replacing the presidential daily briefings with video segments similar to those of Fox News, in a desperate effort to get the commander-in-chief to follow along with his own nationals security prerogatives.
Russian nuclear bombers burning on the tarmac is surely one way to get even his attention.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
35 minutes ago
- BBC News
Donald Trump doubles US steel and aluminium tariffs to 50%
US President Donald Trump has signed an order doubling tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from 25% to 50%.The move hikes import taxes on the metals - key inputs in everything from cars to canned food - for the second time in three has said the measures, which come into effect on Thursday, are intended to secure the future of the American steel industry. However, critics say the protections could wreak havoc on steel producers outside the US, spark retaliation from trade partners, and come at a punishing cost for American users of the metals. Hours before he hiked the duties, many firms directly affected could scarcely believe the plan was moving forward, hoping it would turn out to be temporary or some kind of negotiating as Trump moved forward with the deal, the UK was granted a carve-out from the measures, leaving duties on its steel and aluminium at 25%, a move Trump said reflected its ongoing trade discussions with the US. "Always the question with Mr Trump is, is this a tactic or is this a long-term plan?" said Rick Heuther, chief executive of Independent Can Co, a Maryland-based business, which brings in steel from Europe and turns it into decorative cookie tins, popcorn boxes, and other said he had put investments on hold and feared the abrupt changes, and price increases would lead his customers to turn to alternatives such as plastic or paper boxes. "There's a lot of chaos," he said. The US is the biggest importer of steel in the world, after the European Union, getting most of the metal from Canada, Brazil, Mexico and South Korea, according to the US his first term, Trump imposed tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminium, citing a law that gives him authority to protect industries considered vital to national security. But many imports ultimately escaped the duties after the US struck trade deals with allies and granted exemptions to certain imports at the request of ended those carve-outs in March, saying he was unhappy with the way the protections had been weakened. At Friday's rally at the US Steel factory, he said wanted to make tariffs so high that US businesses would have no alternative but to buy from American suppliers."Nobody's going to get around that," he said of the 50% rate. "That means that nobody's going to be able to steal your industry. It's at 25% - they can get over that fence. At 50%, they can no longer get over the fence." Reaction in the UK and Europe As of May, imports and the rate of raw steel production in the US had changed little since last year before Trump raised tariffs, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. But steel imports fell 17% in April, compared to March. And businesses selling the metals into the US said they expected Trump's latest announcement to lead to an even more dramatic drop. Trump's moves in March had already prompted Canada and the European Union to prepare to hit back with tariffs of their own American products. On Tuesday, Olof Gill, spokesperson for economic security and trade for the European Commission told the BBC the two sides were engaged in intense talks to try to make progress toward an agreement. "We're negotiating hard to try and make good deals," he said."We really hope that the Americans will roll back on this latest tariff threat, as they have done on others, but that remains to be seen." In the UK, Trump's announcement put new pressure on the government to pin down the trade deal in the works with the US, which had been expected to provide some protection from the March metals tariffs. Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds met with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Paris on Wednesday. His office said it was "pleased" that the trade talks had protected UK steel from the latest duties. "We will continue to work with the US to implement our agreement, which will see the 25% US tariffs on steel removed," he said. Gareth Stace, director general of UK Steel, which represents steelmakers, told the BBC that his members had already seen orders cancelled and delayed as a result of the 25% tariffs put in place in March. He warned that a 50% tariff would be "catastrophic" for UK exports to the US, about 7% of overall exports."The introduction of 50% tariffs immediately puts the shutters up," he said. "Most of our orders, if not all of them, will now be cancelled." Economists said the US economy is also facing damage, as prices rise as a result of the new measures. A 2020 analysis estimated that Trump's first term tariffs created roughly 1,000 jobs in the steel industry, but cost the economy 75,000 jobs in other sectors, such as manufacturing and York, vice president of federal tax policy at the Tax Foundation, said that she expected to see even more extreme job losses this time. "Some of the strongest evidence is against tariffs on intermediate inputs like steel and aluminium, finding they are much more harmful because they increase the cost of production in the United States," she said. "It's just very foolish to double down on this type of tariff in particular." Chad Bartusek is director of supply chain management at Drill Rod & Tool Steels, a small, family-owned manufacturing business in Illinois, which brings in about 800,000 pounds of Austrian-made steel each year, at specifications he says are not produced in the US. Mr Bartusek said he was currently waiting on three containers worth of steel rod, which would have entered the US without duties at the start of the of last week, he had expected to pay tariff costs about $72,000. Instead, he is looking at a tariff bill of almost $145,000. "I woke up Saturday morning, looked at the news and my jaw dropped," he said of Trump's announcement. Mr Bartusek said business had been steady until a few weeks ago. But his firm raised prices earlier this year by 8% to 14% to help cover the new cost of the tariffs. Now customers have been ordering more cautiously and he has had to cut back hours for workers. "It's one punch after the other," he said. "Hopefully, this settles down quickly."
Daily Mail
37 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Trump ally Lindsey Graham calls out Elon Musk 'bull****' after tech titan throws his credibility under the bus
Senator Lindsey Graham snapped back at billionaire Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk, after the tech titan shared a post alleging he was responsible for nearly a million dollars in spending on hotel rooms in Ukraine. Graham, R-S.C., landed in hot water with former top Trump White House ally Elon Musk Tuesday afternoon in a spectacular clash on social media. Musk reposted a tweet which accused Graham of spending $400,000 on hotel rooms in Ukraine. Social media influencer Nick Sortor made the original post with the allegations, which has amassed over 10 million views since just before 11 a.m. Tuesday morning. 'People love whining in my comment section when I say Congress takes a lot of vacations: 'They're not on vacation. They're working in their districts!' 'BULL****. Lindsey Graham was just PARTYING IN UKRAINE on OUR DIME. When did Lindsey Graham become the Senator from Ukraine??!' Sorotor concluded. Sortor's post also included a video of Senator Graham and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) shaking hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the weekend in Kiyv. A screenshot of a spending disbursement of $411,634 made by the U.S. Department of State to an organization in Ukraine, the International - Business Center Tov was also included in Sortor's post. Musk reposted Sortor's post, adding 'Why is the hotel bill so high? The room service must be incredible!' Graham fired back at the allegations Tuesday afternoon with his own X post. 'Fake news. More BS. I'm all-in trying to help President @realDonaldTrump end this war — and making sure Putin doesn't win. This isn't a travel expense report. It's a monthly contract between the State Department for U.S. diplomats in a war zone — nothing to do with my trip' Graham tweeted from his official government account. Fake news. More BS. I'm all-in trying to help President @realDonaldTrump end this war — and making sure Putin doesn't win. This isn't a travel expense report. It's a monthly contract between the State Department for U.S. diplomats in a war zone — nothing to do with my trip. — Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) June 3, 2025 Per data available on USA Spending, the International - Business Center Tov has received $8.59 million marked as hotel spending. The group has received money from the American government in 2023, 2024, and 2025. While the allegations continued to gain steam on social media Tuesday, Musk's own Grok AI classified the X boss's claims as misinformation. 'There's no evidence supporting claims of GOP spending on luxury hotels in Ukraine; such narratives may stem from misinformation. The idea that Congress spends 60% of their time on vacation is exaggerated, as they work about 133 days in session, with other time often spent on district duties,' a Grok reply to a post made by X user Matt Van Swol reads. @matt_vanswol is expressing frustration over the GOP's failure to act on proposed spending cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), linked to Elon Musk and the Trump administration. There's no evidence supporting claims of GOP spending on luxury hotels in Ukraine;… — Grok (@grok) June 3, 2025 Senator Graham has been one of Ukraine's most vocal advocates throughout the course of the nation's war with Russia, taking several trips to the country in recent years. Former White House strategist Steve Bannon accused Graham of working against the wishes of President Trump during his trips on an episode of his War Room podcast, which aired Monday. 'The White House has to condemn this immediately and pull all support and tell Lindsey Graham to come home or we are going to put you under arrest when you come home. You're stirring it up,' Bannon said.
The Guardian
43 minutes ago
- The Guardian
US judge rules prisons must provide gender-affirming care for trans people
A US judge on Tuesday ruled the US Bureau of Prisons must keep providing transgender inmates gender-affirming care, despite an executive order Donald Trump signed on his first day back in office to halt funding for such care. US district judge Royce Lamberth in Washington DC allowed a group of more than 2,000 transgender inmates in federal prisons to pursue a lawsuit challenging the order as a class action. He ordered the Bureau of Prisons to provide them with hormone therapy and accommodations such as clothing and hair-removal devices while the lawsuit plays out. The ruling does not require the bureau to provide surgical care related to gender transitions. White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said the Trump administration expects to ultimately prevail in the legal dispute. 'The district court's decision allowing transgender women, aka MEN, in women's prisons fundamentally makes women less safe and ignores the biological truth that there are only two genders,' Fields said in an email. The American Civil Liberties Union, which represents the prisoners, said the ruling was 'a critical reminder to the Trump administration that trans people, like all people, have constitutional rights that don't simply disappear because the president has decided to wage an ideological battle'. About 2,230 transgender inmates are housed in federal custodial facilities and halfway houses, according to the Department of Justice. About two-thirds of them, 1,506, are transgender women, most of whom are housed in men's prisons. The named plaintiffs, two transgender men and one transgender woman, sued the Trump administration in March to challenge Trump's January 20 executive order aimed at combating what the administration called 'gender ideology extremism.' The executive order directed the federal government to only recognize two, biologically distinct sexes, male and female; and house transgender women in men's prisons. It also ordered the bureau to stop spending any money on 'any medical procedure, treatment, or drug for the purpose of conforming an inmate's appearance to that of the opposite sex'. Lamberth, appointed by Republican president Ronald Reagan, said in Tuesday's ruling that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed in their lawsuit because the bureau did not perform any analysis before cutting off treatment that its own medical staff had previously deemed to be medically appropriate for the inmates. Even if it had extensively studied the issue before deciding to stop gender-affirming care, the decision might still violate the US constitution's eighth amendment's protections against 'cruel and unusual' punishment, Lamberth wrote. The Department of Justice had argued that the judge should defer to the policy decision of a democratically elected president, but Lamberth said a functioning democracy requires respect for 'all duly enacted laws,' including those that blocked the executive branch from acting in an 'arbitrary and capricious' manner. Democratic self-governance 'does not mean blind submission to the whims of the most recent election-victor', Lamberth wrote. The executive order said it was meant to promote the 'dignity, safety, and wellbeing of women, and to stop the spread of 'gender ideology' which denies 'the immutable biological reality of sex'. But the inmates receiving hormone treatments had little interest in promoting any ideology, and were instead taking 'measures to lessen the personal anguish caused by their gender dysphoria,' Lamberth wrote.
