‘Totally phony hoax:' Trump slams Clinton & Schiff over Russia probe, urges Bondi to take action
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Hindustan Times
21 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Hell hath no fury like Donald Trump scorned
Trump has not threatened China and Turkey, the largest and third largest importers of Russian oil. Nor Hungary and Slovakia, two European and Nato countries that import Russian oil. And he's ignored the fact that Japan has started to do so from June this year Has Donald Trump got it in for India? He's slapped 50% tariffs, he's suspended trade talks till the tariff dispute is resolved, he says he doesn't care if India's 'dead economy' sinks and Peter Navarro, his trade advisor, has said India is threatening America's national security by buying Russian oil. Worst of all, Scott Bessent, the treasury secretary, has revealed that secondary tariffs on India could increase if Trump's talks with Putin fail. He also wants Europe to impose its own secondary tariffs. Does all of this suggest India has fallen out of America's favour? There is a view that Trump is using India to send a message to China and Russia. It's not a comforting one. It means we're collateral damage and he doesn't really care what happens to us. On the other hand — and this is equally galling — Trump seems to have fallen in love with Pakistan. He's only imposed 19% tariffs, his government considers Islamabad a 'phenomenal partner' in the fight against counter-terrorism — last week it lauded Pakistan's 'continued successes in containing terrorist entities' — he invited Field Marshal Asim Munir for lunch and wants to help Pakistan prospect for oil. In fact, Trump has taunted India with the tease that Pakistan could one day sell oil to Delhi. So, is Pakistan the new belle of the ball? Let's focus on the issue of Russian oil, both because it rankles with Delhi but also because Trump has made it clear that until it's resolved there'll be no trade negotiations. In fact, Bessent has threatened further penalties. The truth is the Biden Administration encouraged India to buy Russian oil. In May 2024, this is what Eric Garcetti, the American ambassador in Delhi, said: 'Actually, they (India) bought Russian oil because we (the US) wanted somebody to buy Russian oil at a price cap … because as a commodity we didn't want oil prices going up and they fulfilled that.' Today Trump is deliberately ignoring his predecessor's policy and blaming India instead. Secondly, Trump is also being hypocritical. America continues to import palladium, uranium hexafluoride, fertilisers and chemicals from Russia and reports indicate that in the last six months the amount imported has increased substantially compared to last year. So, if America can import from Russia, why can't India? Thirdly — and this hints at Trump's real intentions — there's another double standard. He has not threatened China and Turkey, the largest and third largest importers of Russian oil. Nor Hungary and Slovakia, two European and Nato countries that import Russian oil. And he's ignored the fact that Japan has started to do so from June this year. In fact, he's just extended the trade truce with China for another 90 days. Clearly his wrath is single-mindedly directed at Delhi. There is, however, another equally worrying aspect of the problem. Does Trump's attitude and behaviour suggest Quad has lost its utility in his eyes? If it has, where does America's Indo-Pacific strategy stand? It brought great comfort to India vis-à-vis our problems with China. If Trump is no longer committed to it, that will create worrying concerns for us. Whether Trump reaches an economic deal with China is hard to predict but probably likely because he's already talking of a summit with Xi Jinping. The question is, will the deal also presage a better political understanding of China? More space for Beijing's regional ambitions? In that event, will India continue to have US support over our border dispute with China? The biggest problem is what can we do about this? The truthful answer is very little. There's nothing we export to America that America can't do without. China has rare earth minerals and metals. We don't. Our leverage is very limited. Our only hope is a Putin-Trump deal on Ukraine which could lead to the secondary sanctions being lifted. Scott Bessent's comments suggest the White House has India in its sights if they aren't. Hell, it seems, hath no fury like a Trump scorned! Karan Thapar is the author of Devil's Advocate: The Untold Story. The views expressed are personal.
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First Post
22 minutes ago
- First Post
A non-NATO pact for Ukraine? US floats Western alliance-style security guarantees for Kyiv
The US has proposed security guarantees for Ukraine similar to – but separate from – the collective defence agreement between NATO member countries. US President Donald Trump gives a thumbs up after landing at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, on August 15, 2025. Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin made no breakthrough on Ukraine at their high-stakes summit on August 15, 2025, pointing to areas of agreement and rekindling a friendship but offering no news on a ceasefire. Photo- AFP The United States has proposed offering Ukraine a set of NATO-style security guarantees that stop short of full alliance membership, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and diplomatic sources confirmed AFP on Saturday. The proposal, raised by President Donald Trump during calls with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders following his Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, would create a 'non-NATO Article 5' clause to assure Kyiv of collective support without extending NATO membership, a key Russian red line. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'As one of the security guarantees for Ukraine, the American side proposed a non-NATO Article 5 type guarantee, supposedly agreed with Putin,' the diplomatic source told AFP on condition they not be identified in any way. NATO's collective security is based on its Article 5 principle: if one member is attacked, the entire alliance comes to its defence. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who was on the call with Trump, confirmed the US president had raised the idea of security guarantee 'inspired' by Article 5, which she has been pushing for several months. The starting point for the proposal was defining a collective security clause 'that would allow Ukraine to benefit from the support of all its partners, including the US, (which would be) ready to act in case it is attacked again', Meloni said in a statement. In March, Meloni told Italian senators that any such response would not necessarily involve going to war. She noted that, while NATO's Article 5 has the use of force as an option, 'it is not the only possible option'. Kyiv has long aspired to join NATO – but Russia has given that as one of its reasons for its war in Ukraine, and some Western circles have expressed resistance to the idea. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Trump has repeatedly ruled out Ukraine joining the Western military alliance. Before his joint call with Zelenskyy and European leaders, Trump spoke just with the Ukrainian president about Friday's Alaska summit. 'The American side voiced this (joint security proposal) during a conversation with the president (Zelensky) and then repeated it during a joint conversation with the Europeans,' the diplomatic source said. Another source with knowledge of the matter confirmed the NATO-like guarantees had been discussed. But that source added: 'No-one knows how this could work and why Putin would agree to it if he is categorically against NATO and obviously against really effective guarantees of Ukraine's sovereignty." European Leaders Reaffirm Support for Ukraine Several European leaders jointly pledged to continue support for Ukraine and maintain pressure on Russia until the war in Ukraine ends, after a summit in Alaska between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The joint statement from leaders including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was issued after Trump briefed them on his talks with Putin. It said the next step must be talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and that they were ready to work with Trump and Zelenskiy towards a three-way summit with European support. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Trump said after his talks with Putin that Ukraine should agree a deal to end the war with Russia. He said he had agreed with the Russian leader that the best way to do this was to go straight to a peace settlement rather than via a ceasefire, something hitherto opposed by Kyiv and its European allies. The European statement - also signed by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and European Council President Antonio Costa - said Ukraine must have 'ironclad' security guarantees to defend its territorial integrity. 'It will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory. International borders must not be changed by force. 'Our support to Ukraine will continue. We are determined to do more to keep Ukraine strong in order to achieve an end to the fighting and a just and lasting peace,' the statement said. 'As long as the killing in Ukraine continues, we stand ready to uphold the pressure on Russia. We will continue to strengthen sanctions and wider economic measures to put pressure on Russia's war economy until there is a just and lasting peace." STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies
NDTV
25 minutes ago
- NDTV
'Real, Lasting Peace': Zelenskyy After Trump-Putin Meet
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has issued a strong statement after speaking with US President Donald Trump, stressing that peace must be real and lasting, not just another pause before fresh Russian aggression. He called for an immediate ceasefire, the release of prisoners of war and civilians, and the return of abducted children. Zelenskyy warned that sanctions on Russia should be strengthened if Moscow evades a genuine settlement. Show Full
