With US preparing to leave the stage, fighting Russia is now Europe's problem
EU leaders have repeatedly promised to step up to the plate on Ukraine but in practice, it seems better at promising than actually stepping up
So it's official: Washington is pulling the plug on military aid to Ukraine. At Congressional hearings last week US secretary of defence Pete Hegseth confirmed the Trump administration has a 'very different view' of the war in Ukraine to that of Joe Biden's − and insisted that a 'negotiated peaceful settlement is in the best interest of both parties and our nation's interests'.
Given that the topic of the hearings was the US's 2026 military budget, the message could hardly have been clearer. Fighting Russia is now Europe's problem.
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The Journal
2 hours ago
- The Journal
Iran and Israel continue exchanges of fire as conflict escalates
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RTÉ News
4 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Iran launches fresh strikes on Israel as conflict enters fourth day
Iranian missiles struck the Israeli capital Tel Aviv and the port city of Haifa overnight, marking a fourth day of open conflict between the two countries. It began on Friday when Israeli strikes targeted Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs - since then Tehran has launched several waves of attacks in retaliation. An Iranian health ministry spokesperson said at least 224 people had been killed in attacks there, with 90% of the casaulties reported to be civilians. Authorities in Israel say at least ten people, including children, were killed in earlier strikes over the weekend. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the latest attack employed a new method that caused Israel's multi-layered defence systems to target each other. "The initiatives and capabilities used in this operation, despite the comprehensive support of the United States and Western powers and the possession of the most up-to-date and newest defence technology, led to the successful and maximum hitting of the missiles on the targets in the occupied territories," it said. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the strikes. Israeli officials have repeatedly said its "Iron Dome" defence system is not 100% and warned of tough days ahead. Israel's military said this morning it had struck again at command centres belonging to the Revolutionary Guard and Iran's military. It comes as Group of Seven (G7) leaders including US President Donald Trump, gather in the Canadian Rockies where there are hopes talks can lead to finding common ground on the escalating conflict. Residential areas in both countries have suffered deadly strikes since the hostilities broke out, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slamming Iran on Sunday for allegedly targeting civilians. "Iran will pay a very heavy price for the premeditated murder of civilians, women and children," he said, during a visit to the site of a missile strike on a residential building in the coastal city of Bat Yam, near Tel Aviv. His remarks came hours after Iranian missile fire killed at least 10 people, according to authorities, pushing the death toll in Israel up to 13 since Iran began its retaliatory strikes Friday. Iranian state television reported at least five people were killed Sunday by an Israeli strike that hit a residential building in downtown Iran. Colonel Reza Sayyad, a spokesman for Iran's armed forces, threatened a "devastating response" to Israel's attacks. "Leave the occupied territories (Israel) because they will certainly no longer be habitable in the future," he warned in a televised address, adding shelters will "not guarantee security". Mr Trump said Washington "had nothing to do" with Israel's bombing campaign but threatened to unleash "the full strength and might" of the US military if Iran attacked American interests. Yesterday, he urged the two foes to "make a deal", adding, however, that "sometimes they have to fight it out" first. Watch: Trump hopes Iran and Israel can strike ceasefire but says 'sometimes they have to fight it out' A senior US official told AFP that Trump had urged Israel to drop a plan to assassinate Mr Khamenei. "We found out that the Israelis had plans to hit Iran's supreme leader. President Trump was against it and we told the Israelis not to," said the US official, speaking on condition of anonymity. Asked in an interview with Fox News whether regime change in Iran was one of the objectives of Israel's strikes, Mr Netanyahu said that "it certainly could be the result, because the Iran regime is very weak". Iran's top diplomat Abbas Araghchi maintained Tehran had "solid proof" that US forces had supported Israel in its attacks. He also told a meeting of foreign diplomats that Iran's actions were a "response to aggression". "If the aggression stops, naturally our responses will also stop," he added. Iran scrapped planned nuclear talks with the United States, saying it was "meaningless" to negotiate while under fire. Iranian media reported Sunday that police had arrested two suspects over alleged links to Israel's Mossad spy agency. Israel, in turn, said it had taken two individuals into custody over alleged links to Iranian intelligence.
RTÉ News
7 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Trump lands in Canada for G7 summit
The leaders of the G7 group of nations began negotiating on whether they can find common ground on an escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, as leaders including US President Donald Trump arrived for the summit in Canada. The three-day gathering in the mountain town of Kananaskis marks the return to the international diplomatic calendar for Mr Trump, who has stunned allies by defying norms and slapping sweeping tariffs on friend and foe alike. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had designed an agenda aimed at minimising disagreements within the club of wealthy industrial democracies - Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States. But Israel shocked the world two days before the summit with a massive military campaign against Iran. Canada is now sounding out countries about making a joint call on Israel and Iran, diplomats said. The statement could call for de-escalation or could simply back Israel, saying that it has a "right to defend itself" due to Iran's contested nuclear work. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen told reporters that she spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before the summit and agreed that Iran was to blame. "Of course, I think a negotiated solution is, in the long term, the best solution," she said, stopping short of calling for an immediate ceasefire. Mr Trump has praised Israel's strikes, noting it used US weapons, even though Netanyahu defied his public calls to hold off as the United States sought a negotiated solution.
