Trump flags 'major' Ukraine statement amid tensions with Putin
US President Donald Trump is expected to make a 'major announcement' on Ukraine early on Tuesday morning, US time, as he meets with NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte in Washington DC.
Mr Trump is becoming increasingly frustrated with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin who seems in no rush to end the war he started in Ukraine.
He seems particularly perturbed by Moscow's habit, as he sees it, of talking peace to him and then bombing Ukraine shortly afterwards.
On the weekend, the US president flagged he would be sending none air defence missiles to Kyiv.
The Royal Family has meanwhile announce that Mr Trump's state visit to the UK will occur in September.
But in a curious move, it will take place when the UK parliament is in recess meaning Mr Trump will not get the opportunity to address parliament.
Read on for more updates.
Originally published as US politics live

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

News.com.au
42 minutes ago
- News.com.au
'Epstein files' explained: Why Trump is under pressure
A perceived lack of transparency over the US investigations into notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has carved a rare chasm between President Donald Trump and his typically loyal Republican base. As Trump struggles to quell his supporters' obsessions with the case -- one long surrounded by conspiracy theories -- AFP outlines its history and why it has caused so much outrage. - Origins of the Epstein case - Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy American financier, was first charged with sex offenses in 2006 after the parents of a 14-year-old girl told police that he had molested their daughter at his Florida home. He avoided federal charges -- which could have seen him face life in prison -- due to a controversial plea deal with prosecutors that saw him jailed for just under 13 months. In July 2019, he was arrested again in New York and charged with trafficking dozens of teenage girls and engaging in sex acts with them in exchange for money. Prosecutors said he worked with employees and associates to ensure a "steady supply of minor victims to abuse." Epstein pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. On August 10, 2019, while in custody awaiting trial, authorities said he was found dead in his prison cell after hanging himself. A separate case against Epstein's girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who was jailed in 2022 for helping him abuse girls, detailed Epstein's connections with high-profile figures like Britain's Prince Andrew and former US president Bill Clinton. Both have denied any wrongdoing. - Why are there conspiracy theories? - Some people believe that authorities are concealing details about the Epstein case to protect rich and powerful elites who associated with him, including Trump. Those ideas have gripped Trump's "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) movement -- but demands for more transparency have crossed the political aisle. One key theory centers on a rumored client list of individuals who committed sex offenses alongside Epstein. The Trump administration has insisted that no such list exists. Skeptics also allege suspicious circumstances in Epstein's death such as the security cameras around his cell apparently malfunctioning on the night he died, alongside other irregularities. - Trump and the Epstein case - Trump, who as a New York property magnate rubbed shoulders with Epstein, said when re-running for president that he would "probably" release files related to the case. But since taking office, many of Trump's supporters have been disappointed by what they see as a failure to deliver. The 79-year-old himself was dragged into the conspiracy theories after his former advisor Elon Musk claimed in June -- in a now-deleted X post -- that Trump was "in the Epstein files." The Trump administration's efforts to appease demands for a full disclosure of the so-called Epstein files have largely fallen short. A bundle released in February that promised to shed light on the Epstein case contained little new information. Meanwhile, an almost 11-hour video published this month to dispel theories Epstein was murdered fell flat. The camera angle showed a section of the New York prison on the night Epstein died, but appeared to be missing a minute of footage, fueling more speculation online. And a memo from the Justice Department and FBI last week saying the Epstein files did not contain evidence that would justify further investigation was met by calls for the heads of each agency to resign. - What comes next? - Trump has been towing a delicate line -- saying he supports the release of any "credible" files related to Epstein while dismissing the case as "pretty boring stuff." But even the normally authoritative president seems unable to arrest the disruption, as critics and even key allies call for more transparency. Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House, has not followed Trump's line on the issue and has instead urged the Justice Department to make public any documents linked to Epstein. Meanwhile, Democrats have seized on the rift between Trump and his party by demanding his administration publish the full evidence held by prosecutors in their case against Epstein.

News.com.au
42 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Trump says any 'credible' Epstein files should be released
President Donald Trump said Tuesday the US Justice Department should release all "credible" information from its probe into notorious sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein as he sought to douse a firestorm of criticism from his supporters over his handling of the case. Trump is facing the most serious split of his political career from his famously loyal right-wing base over suspicions that his administration is covering up lurid details of Epstein's crimes to protect rich and powerful figures they say are implicated. "The attorney general has handled that very well," the Republican leader said of Pam Bondi, who leads the Justice Department, when he was asked about the case at the White House. Trump repeated his claim that the Epstein files were "made up" by his Democratic predecessors in the White House -- even though he said multiple times during the election campaign that he would "probably" release them. "She's handled it very well, and it's going to be up to her," Trump said. "Whatever she thinks is credible, she should release." Trump's latest comments mark a softening of his stance -- he had voiced frustration in the Oval Office and online about his supporters' fixation on Epstein and pleaded with them to move on. "I don't understand why the Jeffrey Epstein case would be of interest to anybody," Trump told reporters Tuesday night, adding: "It's pretty boring stuff." The president's "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) movement has long held as an article of faith that "Deep State" elites are protecting Epstein's most powerful associates in the Democratic Party and Hollywood. Trump has faced growing outrage since his administration effectively shut down Epstein-related conspiracy theories, which have become MAGA obsessions. The Justice Department and FBI said in a memo made public earlier this month there is no evidence that the disgraced financier kept a "client list" or was blackmailing powerful figures. They also dismissed the claim that Epstein was murdered in jail, confirming his death by suicide, and said they would not be releasing any more information on the probe. - 'Let the people decide' - It marked the first time Trump's officials had publicly refuted the stories -- pushed for years by numerous right-wing figures, notably including the FBI's top two officials, before Trump hired them. Beyond angering supporters, the issue has opened a schism within his administration, sparking a fiery blow-up between Bondi and Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino, who is said to be considering resigning. Trump's attempts to take the sting out of the controversy have largely failed, with far right influencers continuing to criticize him online. Even his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, a Fox News host, has called for "more transparency" from the administration. Trump's most powerful ally in the US Congress, House Speaker Mike Johnson, pushed Tuesday for the administration to release more information about the case, and his stance has been echoed by multiple Republicans. "We should put everything out there and let the people decide," he told MAGA influencer Benny Johnson's internet show, calling on Bondi to "come forward and explain" apparent discrepancies in her statements about the case. Bondi told Fox News in February a list of Epstein clients was on her desk for review, before backtracking and saying that no such list existed. Epstein died by suicide in a New York prison in 2019 after being charged with sex trafficking. Trump -- who has denied visiting the US Virgin Islands home where prosecutors say Epstein sex trafficked underage girls -- said ahead of his election he would have "no problem" releasing files related to the case. Asked whether Bondi had told him if his name appeared in a file related to Epstein, Trump said "no," adding that Bondi has "given us just a very quick briefing."

Sydney Morning Herald
an hour ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Trump is misleading the American people
Donald Trump's Treasury Secretary claimed that US inflation data on Tuesday proved Wall Street economists predicting tariffs would lead to a big increase in inflation were wrong; that there had been no substantial price rises. That was a highly premature declaration of victory. Scott Bessent's comment was also incorrect, or at least misleading, as was a Truth Social post by Trump that said inflation was very low and the Federal Reserve Board should cut US interest rates by three percentage points. While the annualised headline inflation rate of 2.7 per cent in June was in line with expectations and the 'core' rate of 2.9 per cent, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, was also as forecast, there were clear early signs that the tariffs are flowing through to prices. Those sectors that are most tariff-exposed – fresh fruit and vegetables, household appliances and furniture, toys, clothing and sporting goods – all experienced prices increases. Appliance prices rose the most since 2020, toys the most since early 2021 and sports equipment and household furnishings the most in three years. The price of oranges was up 4.7 per cent, olives 4.4 per cent and coffee (before the 50 per cent tariff on Brazilian imports) 2.2 per cent. Loading If cars (where prices fell, perhaps because consumers brought forward purchases) were excluded, the increase in core goods prices of 0.55 per cent was the biggest monthly rise since the late 2021 through to mid-2022 period, when the US inflation rate was soaring as the supply shocks from the pandemic hit. The trend is definitely not Trump's friend. In the year to April, the inflation rate was 2.3 per cent. It edged up to 2.4 per cent in May. Now it's 2.7 per cent. If inflation in the three months to June were annualised the rate would be 2.4 per cent against the 1.7 per cent experienced in the three months to May. US inflation is, therefore, rising, not falling, and moving away from the Fed's target of 2 per cent.