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Russian, Chinese navies hold drills in Sea of Japan

Russian, Chinese navies hold drills in Sea of Japan

The Advertiser2 days ago
The Russian and Chinese navies are carrying out artillery and anti-submarine drills in the Sea of Japan as part of scheduled joint exercises, the Russian Pacific Fleet says.
The drills are taking place two days after US President Donald Trump said he had ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in "the appropriate regions" in response to remarks by former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev.
However, they were scheduled well before Trump's action.
Interfax news agency quoted the Pacific Fleet as saying Russian and Chinese vessels were moving in a joint detachment including a large Russian anti-submarine ship and two Chinese destroyers.
It said diesel-electric submarines from the two countries were also involved, as well as a Chinese submarine rescue ship.
The manoeuvres are part of exercises titled "Maritime Interaction-2025" which are scheduled to end on Tuesday.
Interfax said Russian and Chinese sailors would conduct artillery firing, practise anti-submarine and air defence missions, and improve joint search and rescue operations at sea.
Russia and China, which signed a "no-limits" strategic partnership shortly before Russia went to war in Ukraine in 2022, conduct regular military exercises to rehearse co-ordination between their armed forces and send a deterrent signal to adversaries.
Trump said his submarine order on Friday was made in response to what he called "highly provocative" remarks by Russia's Medvedev about the risk of war between the nuclear-armed adversaries.
Russia and the United States have by far the biggest nuclear arsenals in the world.
It is extremely rare for either country to discuss the deployment and location of its nuclear submarines.
Trump's comments came at a time of mounting tension with Moscow as he grows frustrated at the lack of progress towards ending the Ukraine war.
The Russian and Chinese navies are carrying out artillery and anti-submarine drills in the Sea of Japan as part of scheduled joint exercises, the Russian Pacific Fleet says.
The drills are taking place two days after US President Donald Trump said he had ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in "the appropriate regions" in response to remarks by former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev.
However, they were scheduled well before Trump's action.
Interfax news agency quoted the Pacific Fleet as saying Russian and Chinese vessels were moving in a joint detachment including a large Russian anti-submarine ship and two Chinese destroyers.
It said diesel-electric submarines from the two countries were also involved, as well as a Chinese submarine rescue ship.
The manoeuvres are part of exercises titled "Maritime Interaction-2025" which are scheduled to end on Tuesday.
Interfax said Russian and Chinese sailors would conduct artillery firing, practise anti-submarine and air defence missions, and improve joint search and rescue operations at sea.
Russia and China, which signed a "no-limits" strategic partnership shortly before Russia went to war in Ukraine in 2022, conduct regular military exercises to rehearse co-ordination between their armed forces and send a deterrent signal to adversaries.
Trump said his submarine order on Friday was made in response to what he called "highly provocative" remarks by Russia's Medvedev about the risk of war between the nuclear-armed adversaries.
Russia and the United States have by far the biggest nuclear arsenals in the world.
It is extremely rare for either country to discuss the deployment and location of its nuclear submarines.
Trump's comments came at a time of mounting tension with Moscow as he grows frustrated at the lack of progress towards ending the Ukraine war.
The Russian and Chinese navies are carrying out artillery and anti-submarine drills in the Sea of Japan as part of scheduled joint exercises, the Russian Pacific Fleet says.
The drills are taking place two days after US President Donald Trump said he had ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in "the appropriate regions" in response to remarks by former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev.
However, they were scheduled well before Trump's action.
Interfax news agency quoted the Pacific Fleet as saying Russian and Chinese vessels were moving in a joint detachment including a large Russian anti-submarine ship and two Chinese destroyers.
It said diesel-electric submarines from the two countries were also involved, as well as a Chinese submarine rescue ship.
The manoeuvres are part of exercises titled "Maritime Interaction-2025" which are scheduled to end on Tuesday.
Interfax said Russian and Chinese sailors would conduct artillery firing, practise anti-submarine and air defence missions, and improve joint search and rescue operations at sea.
Russia and China, which signed a "no-limits" strategic partnership shortly before Russia went to war in Ukraine in 2022, conduct regular military exercises to rehearse co-ordination between their armed forces and send a deterrent signal to adversaries.
Trump said his submarine order on Friday was made in response to what he called "highly provocative" remarks by Russia's Medvedev about the risk of war between the nuclear-armed adversaries.
Russia and the United States have by far the biggest nuclear arsenals in the world.
It is extremely rare for either country to discuss the deployment and location of its nuclear submarines.
Trump's comments came at a time of mounting tension with Moscow as he grows frustrated at the lack of progress towards ending the Ukraine war.
The Russian and Chinese navies are carrying out artillery and anti-submarine drills in the Sea of Japan as part of scheduled joint exercises, the Russian Pacific Fleet says.
The drills are taking place two days after US President Donald Trump said he had ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in "the appropriate regions" in response to remarks by former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev.
However, they were scheduled well before Trump's action.
Interfax news agency quoted the Pacific Fleet as saying Russian and Chinese vessels were moving in a joint detachment including a large Russian anti-submarine ship and two Chinese destroyers.
It said diesel-electric submarines from the two countries were also involved, as well as a Chinese submarine rescue ship.
The manoeuvres are part of exercises titled "Maritime Interaction-2025" which are scheduled to end on Tuesday.
Interfax said Russian and Chinese sailors would conduct artillery firing, practise anti-submarine and air defence missions, and improve joint search and rescue operations at sea.
Russia and China, which signed a "no-limits" strategic partnership shortly before Russia went to war in Ukraine in 2022, conduct regular military exercises to rehearse co-ordination between their armed forces and send a deterrent signal to adversaries.
Trump said his submarine order on Friday was made in response to what he called "highly provocative" remarks by Russia's Medvedev about the risk of war between the nuclear-armed adversaries.
Russia and the United States have by far the biggest nuclear arsenals in the world.
It is extremely rare for either country to discuss the deployment and location of its nuclear submarines.
Trump's comments came at a time of mounting tension with Moscow as he grows frustrated at the lack of progress towards ending the Ukraine war.
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The political fringes dominate social media. How is your MP doing?
The political fringes dominate social media. How is your MP doing?

Sydney Morning Herald

time27 minutes ago

  • Sydney Morning Herald

The political fringes dominate social media. How is your MP doing?

Right-wing firebrands and independent MPs are winning the fight for Australian social media dominance, leaving the major parties behind as politicians attempt to create election-winning brands online. From the quasi-influencers of the crossbench to powerful ministers who fly under the radar, dancing dolphin-trainers to shirtless rugby players, this masthead has collated the followings of all 226 members of federal parliament. Pulled from Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok during the first parliamentary fortnight that ended on July 31, the data shows the rise of the right, the power of the Senate, and the lacklustre performance of some of our most senior. The numbers Australia's federal politicians collectively have 17 million followers across the four major platforms. That's an average of 74,000 per politician. US President Donald Trump has 108 million followers on X alone, though he posts primarily on his own network, Truth Social. Overseas, political figures such as New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, UK conservative justice spokesman Robert Jenrick, and a swathe of Republican figures in the United States have built political careers through constant social media posts. Every Australian federal parliamentarian is active on at least one platform, with 99.5 per cent of politicians using Facebook and Instagram. X comes next, with 68 per cent using Elon Musk's platform that was once known as Twitter, followed by TikTok, which 45 per cent use despite security concerns. Government ministers average 149,000 followers each, substantially more than shadow ministers, who average 44,000. Backbenchers and members of the crossbench average around 60,000 followers each. Ministers have larger staff than most parliamentarians, with more capacity to produce social content, and tend to have been in parliament for longer. They also have policies they can claim personal credit for, providing a steady flow of talking points to turn into TikToks and reels. Senators on average have almost double the followers of MPs, with around 105,000 for the upper house, and 58,000 for the lower. The Senate hosts eight of the top 10 most followed politicians, despite being half the size of the House of Representatives. Senators also have much larger constituencies than MPs, and for those representing states, only face re-election every six years. That's less time spent campaigning and more on the apps. Representatives from the ACT and the Northern Territory have the highest average follower counts. However, those numbers are heavily skewed by the influence of David Pocock and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price. Including Pocock the ACT average is 186,000. Without him, it's 55,000. With Price the Northern Territory average is 110,000. Without her, it's 26,000. Ed Coper, political strategist at campaign agency Populares that has worked with Teal campaigns, said there were two paths to success on social media. 'You can either be authentic or you can be angry … it's a bit like a sugar hit,' he said. 'The easiest and quickest and cheapest way to get that sugar hit is through the emotion of anger.' The successful With almost two million followers Anthony Albanese is the most followed politician in parliament. His team posts professionally produced content across all four platforms, often posting multiple times a day. However, his following may be less of a ringing endorsement and more of a perk of the job. Scott Morrison has 1.5 million followers across multiple platforms, without holding a TikTok account. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, who has only been in the job since the election, has only 71,000 followers across the platforms. Trailing a million followers behind the PM is Pauline Hanson, whose 600,000 Facebook followers push her into second place. Hanson said she liked using social media because it gave her a chance to show 'another side' of herself. The side that knits sweaters and has run ins with non-venomous snakes on the back deck of her Queensland home. 'People might meet me and say: 'Gee, I feel as if I've known you all my life, and it's the first time I've ever met you',' Hanson said, 'It's a way of connecting with people.' Loading Her accounts are also a home for the animated series Please Explain which sends up left-wing politics that is highly popular but has been met with accusations of being offensive. Hanson said she's regularly approached by fans of the series, especially children. 'I want to engage people in politics, to empower them into understanding politics because they've got to decide, and vote for the right people that's going to represent them,' she said. On average, federal One Nation representatives are the most followed of any party on average, with 375,000 followers each. However, the party only has four members. New senators Tyron Whitten and Warwick Stacey significantly drag down the party's average with their respective 5000 and 800 followers. At the last election, the party received just 5.7 per cent of the first preference vote in the Senate. Hanson said she used the platforms because they offered her direct communication to constituents without 'the opinions of some of the journalists out there that put a spin on it.' The Greens — with 11 members — have a more uniform success as the second most followed party with 137,000 followers per representative. Liberal senator Alex Antic, who has channelled US-style culture wars online, is the most followed opposition backbencher. More than half of his 280,000 followers are on Facebook, the most successful platform for the conservative wings of parliament. 'When it comes to social media, I have never really considered a particular strategy,' Antic said. 'I just address topics like the net zero scam, the corrosive diversity, equity and inclusion agenda and the war on masculinity. There are clearly many Australians who agree with me.' Antic primarily posts videos of him appearing on Sky News programs or speaking in the Senate, alongside clips from his podcast Based which he says is all about 'cutting-edge conservatism' free of 'woke nonsense.' On Facebook, Instagram and X Antic follows only one person: Donald Trump. The Coalition's top performers all come from their right-wing. Alongside Antic and Price in the Coalition's top five are Liberal backbencher Jason Wood, senator Matthew Canavan, and opposition home affairs spokesperson Andrew Hastie. On the other side of the aisle, dolphin-trainer turned Labor MP, Sam Lim — the most followed government backbencher — has a softer approach to social media. On Facebook, the West Australian has a series of videos called 'Tastes of Tangney' where he tours restaurants in his electorate. On TikTok, he dances in a Christmas hat, celebrates being gifted novelty plates with pictures of dolphins, and poses alongside cartoon character Bluey. 'I think a lot of followers are maybe curious about me,' said Lim. 'So maybe they come and have a look. I want to bring happiness, joy and peace to people. And I think people relate. I'm a normal human being and I might be a politician, but I also do real things.' Welcoming his followers to a second term in parliament, Lim filmed himself cooking sambal salmon and eggs in an electric frying pan at his office kitchenette. The video conjured memories from last term when Labor Senator Helen Polley posted a viral TikTok video of her hard-boiling eggs wrapped in foil in her office's microwave. Coper, the strategist who has also worked with Labor, said: 'the things that make you successful on social media are in some ways anathema to how political parties work, which are tightly controlled, centralised structures.' Coper said that for politicians, social media was a push and pull action dictated by the electoral cycle. 'To be successful, you need to build a movement, you need to persuade people ... but when you're trying to win an election, you need to reach people who either have never heard of you or disagree with you and convince them. And so those are two completely different challenges.' One politician who has made an art of this process is ex-Wallaby, turned ACT senator, David Pocock. Before he announced his intentions to run for the senate at the 2022 election Pocock had around 220,000 followers on Instagram. His following has now grown to 352,000 — second only to Albanese on the platform — adding 50,000 alone during the 2025 election campaign. With 712,000 total followers, he is the fourth most popular politician in parliament, though only 6 per cent of his following live in Canberra. Pocock's team said that around 15 per cent of their followers came from Sydney, and a further 10 per cent from Melbourne. Overseas followers, particularly in the rugby-mad Pacific Islands, made up 38 per cent of his following. 'I still see value if you're actually talking about things that you think matter, and you're really genuinely trying to engage,' Pocock said of his broader following, 'If you're listening to the community and talking about issues, they generally resonate across the country.' Many of the independents swept into power at the 2022 election have made a habit of regularly posting to social media, particularly Instagram, to explain policy or consult their constituents. Allegra Spender cuts up a cake to explain the federal tax system. Monique Ryan sits in her car, asking her followers to tell her their experience with unpaid prac placements. Sophie Scamps goes for a walk by the beach to talk about cost-of-living pressures. Despite Pocock's success on the platforms — bolstered by the occasional 'thirst trap' of the senator exercising shirtless — he said that overfocus on social media would come 'at your peril'. 'We see it as just part of the job. It's fun trying to work out how you engage people. What are other ways that you can make politics interesting and meaningful to people because it is,' he said. …and the losers Despite the over-performance of the Senate, a seat in the red chamber doesn't ensure social media success. Four of the five least followed parliamentarians are senators. At the bottom of the pack are newly elected Tasmanian Labor senators Josh Dolega and Richard Dowling, who have around 500 and 600 followers respectively. For those with titles, newly selected senator Leah Blyth has the smallest following of any shadow minister with just under 1200 followers. South Australian senator Don Farrell — who has 15 more years in parliament than Blyth — has the least of any minister, with 10,000 followers, despite being a major factional powerbroker and leading negotiations with foreign powers as trade minister. Loading Coalition has an average of 41,00 followers per member, the lowest of any party, in part because of the loss of high profile MPs at the election and the lack of ministerial positions. With 104 followers on Instagram, Labor's Tony Zappia isn't even followed by his party's whole caucus. The same goes for Liberal senator Maria Kovacic, who only has 11 followers on X. Other shortcomings are less data-driven. Labor senator Dorinda Cox, for example, falls somewhere in the middle of the pack. Her TikTok is yet to be updated to reflect that she is no longer a member of the Greens.

The political fringes dominate social media. How is your MP doing?
The political fringes dominate social media. How is your MP doing?

The Age

time27 minutes ago

  • The Age

The political fringes dominate social media. How is your MP doing?

Right-wing firebrands and independent MPs are winning the fight for Australian social media dominance, leaving the major parties behind as politicians attempt to create election-winning brands online. From the quasi-influencers of the crossbench to powerful ministers who fly under the radar, dancing dolphin-trainers to shirtless rugby players, this masthead has collated the followings of all 226 members of federal parliament. Pulled from Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok during the first parliamentary fortnight that ended on July 31, the data shows the rise of the right, the power of the Senate, and the lacklustre performance of some of our most senior. The numbers Australia's federal politicians collectively have 17 million followers across the four major platforms. That's an average of 74,000 per politician. US President Donald Trump has 108 million followers on X alone, though he posts primarily on his own network, Truth Social. Overseas, political figures such as New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, UK conservative justice spokesman Robert Jenrick, and a swathe of Republican figures in the United States have built political careers through constant social media posts. Every Australian federal parliamentarian is active on at least one platform, with 99.5 per cent of politicians using Facebook and Instagram. X comes next, with 68 per cent using Elon Musk's platform that was once known as Twitter, followed by TikTok, which 45 per cent use despite security concerns. Government ministers average 149,000 followers each, substantially more than shadow ministers, who average 44,000. Backbenchers and members of the crossbench average around 60,000 followers each. Ministers have larger staff than most parliamentarians, with more capacity to produce social content, and tend to have been in parliament for longer. They also have policies they can claim personal credit for, providing a steady flow of talking points to turn into TikToks and reels. Senators on average have almost double the followers of MPs, with around 105,000 for the upper house, and 58,000 for the lower. The Senate hosts eight of the top 10 most followed politicians, despite being half the size of the House of Representatives. Senators also have much larger constituencies than MPs, and for those representing states, only face re-election every six years. That's less time spent campaigning and more on the apps. Representatives from the ACT and the Northern Territory have the highest average follower counts. However, those numbers are heavily skewed by the influence of David Pocock and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price. Including Pocock the ACT average is 186,000. Without him, it's 55,000. With Price the Northern Territory average is 110,000. Without her, it's 26,000. Ed Coper, political strategist at campaign agency Populares that has worked with Teal campaigns, said there were two paths to success on social media. 'You can either be authentic or you can be angry … it's a bit like a sugar hit,' he said. 'The easiest and quickest and cheapest way to get that sugar hit is through the emotion of anger.' The successful With almost two million followers Anthony Albanese is the most followed politician in parliament. His team posts professionally produced content across all four platforms, often posting multiple times a day. However, his following may be less of a ringing endorsement and more of a perk of the job. Scott Morrison has 1.5 million followers across multiple platforms, without holding a TikTok account. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, who has only been in the job since the election, has only 71,000 followers across the platforms. Trailing a million followers behind the PM is Pauline Hanson, whose 600,000 Facebook followers push her into second place. Hanson said she liked using social media because it gave her a chance to show 'another side' of herself. The side that knits sweaters and has run ins with non-venomous snakes on the back deck of her Queensland home. 'People might meet me and say: 'Gee, I feel as if I've known you all my life, and it's the first time I've ever met you',' Hanson said, 'It's a way of connecting with people.' Loading Her accounts are also a home for the animated series Please Explain which sends up left-wing politics that is highly popular but has been met with accusations of being offensive. Hanson said she's regularly approached by fans of the series, especially children. 'I want to engage people in politics, to empower them into understanding politics because they've got to decide, and vote for the right people that's going to represent them,' she said. On average, federal One Nation representatives are the most followed of any party on average, with 375,000 followers each. However, the party only has four members. New senators Tyron Whitten and Warwick Stacey significantly drag down the party's average with their respective 5000 and 800 followers. At the last election, the party received just 5.7 per cent of the first preference vote in the Senate. Hanson said she used the platforms because they offered her direct communication to constituents without 'the opinions of some of the journalists out there that put a spin on it.' The Greens — with 11 members — have a more uniform success as the second most followed party with 137,000 followers per representative. Liberal senator Alex Antic, who has channelled US-style culture wars online, is the most followed opposition backbencher. More than half of his 280,000 followers are on Facebook, the most successful platform for the conservative wings of parliament. 'When it comes to social media, I have never really considered a particular strategy,' Antic said. 'I just address topics like the net zero scam, the corrosive diversity, equity and inclusion agenda and the war on masculinity. There are clearly many Australians who agree with me.' Antic primarily posts videos of him appearing on Sky News programs or speaking in the Senate, alongside clips from his podcast Based which he says is all about 'cutting-edge conservatism' free of 'woke nonsense.' On Facebook, Instagram and X Antic follows only one person: Donald Trump. The Coalition's top performers all come from their right-wing. Alongside Antic and Price in the Coalition's top five are Liberal backbencher Jason Wood, senator Matthew Canavan, and opposition home affairs spokesperson Andrew Hastie. On the other side of the aisle, dolphin-trainer turned Labor MP, Sam Lim — the most followed government backbencher — has a softer approach to social media. On Facebook, the West Australian has a series of videos called 'Tastes of Tangney' where he tours restaurants in his electorate. On TikTok, he dances in a Christmas hat, celebrates being gifted novelty plates with pictures of dolphins, and poses alongside cartoon character Bluey. 'I think a lot of followers are maybe curious about me,' said Lim. 'So maybe they come and have a look. I want to bring happiness, joy and peace to people. And I think people relate. I'm a normal human being and I might be a politician, but I also do real things.' Welcoming his followers to a second term in parliament, Lim filmed himself cooking sambal salmon and eggs in an electric frying pan at his office kitchenette. The video conjured memories from last term when Labor Senator Helen Polley posted a viral TikTok video of her hard-boiling eggs wrapped in foil in her office's microwave. Coper, the strategist who has also worked with Labor, said: 'the things that make you successful on social media are in some ways anathema to how political parties work, which are tightly controlled, centralised structures.' Coper said that for politicians, social media was a push and pull action dictated by the electoral cycle. 'To be successful, you need to build a movement, you need to persuade people ... but when you're trying to win an election, you need to reach people who either have never heard of you or disagree with you and convince them. And so those are two completely different challenges.' One politician who has made an art of this process is ex-Wallaby, turned ACT senator, David Pocock. Before he announced his intentions to run for the senate at the 2022 election Pocock had around 220,000 followers on Instagram. His following has now grown to 352,000 — second only to Albanese on the platform — adding 50,000 alone during the 2025 election campaign. With 712,000 total followers, he is the fourth most popular politician in parliament, though only 6 per cent of his following live in Canberra. Pocock's team said that around 15 per cent of their followers came from Sydney, and a further 10 per cent from Melbourne. Overseas followers, particularly in the rugby-mad Pacific Islands, made up 38 per cent of his following. 'I still see value if you're actually talking about things that you think matter, and you're really genuinely trying to engage,' Pocock said of his broader following, 'If you're listening to the community and talking about issues, they generally resonate across the country.' Many of the independents swept into power at the 2022 election have made a habit of regularly posting to social media, particularly Instagram, to explain policy or consult their constituents. Allegra Spender cuts up a cake to explain the federal tax system. Monique Ryan sits in her car, asking her followers to tell her their experience with unpaid prac placements. Sophie Scamps goes for a walk by the beach to talk about cost-of-living pressures. Despite Pocock's success on the platforms — bolstered by the occasional 'thirst trap' of the senator exercising shirtless — he said that overfocus on social media would come 'at your peril'. 'We see it as just part of the job. It's fun trying to work out how you engage people. What are other ways that you can make politics interesting and meaningful to people because it is,' he said. …and the losers Despite the over-performance of the Senate, a seat in the red chamber doesn't ensure social media success. Four of the five least followed parliamentarians are senators. At the bottom of the pack are newly elected Tasmanian Labor senators Josh Dolega and Richard Dowling, who have around 500 and 600 followers respectively. For those with titles, newly selected senator Leah Blyth has the smallest following of any shadow minister with just under 1200 followers. South Australian senator Don Farrell — who has 15 more years in parliament than Blyth — has the least of any minister, with 10,000 followers, despite being a major factional powerbroker and leading negotiations with foreign powers as trade minister. Loading Coalition has an average of 41,00 followers per member, the lowest of any party, in part because of the loss of high profile MPs at the election and the lack of ministerial positions. With 104 followers on Instagram, Labor's Tony Zappia isn't even followed by his party's whole caucus. The same goes for Liberal senator Maria Kovacic, who only has 11 followers on X. Other shortcomings are less data-driven. Labor senator Dorinda Cox, for example, falls somewhere in the middle of the pack. Her TikTok is yet to be updated to reflect that she is no longer a member of the Greens.

From understanding to disappointment, breaking down the Trump-Putin relationship
From understanding to disappointment, breaking down the Trump-Putin relationship

ABC News

timean hour ago

  • ABC News

From understanding to disappointment, breaking down the Trump-Putin relationship

Before moving into the Oval Office for the second term as US president, Donald Trump made a declaration about the Russia-Ukraine war. "They're dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying. And I'll have that done — I'll have that done in 24 hours," he said in 2023. Mr Trump recalled he "got along great" with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his first term as US president. Mr Putin spoke of his "pragmatic and trusting" relations with Mr Trump and remarked that the then-presidential candidate behaved like a "real man" during an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania. Now, Mr Trump has described the 24-hour declaration as an "exaggeration" to "make a point". "Obviously, people know that when I said that, it was said in jest, but it was also said that it will be ended," Mr Trump said in an interview. About six months into his second term as US president, the war wages on. Here's how the Trump-Putin relationship has waxed and waned since the beginning of the year. In the first days of January, Mr Trump made it clear that he "could understand" Mr Putin's feelings about Ukraine potentially joining NATO. By the time he was sworn in late in January, Mr Trump discussed a future meeting with his Russian counterpart. "From what I hear, Putin would like to see me, and we'll leave as soon as we can. I'd meet immediately. "Every day we don't meet, soldiers are being killed in the battlefield." After the first official call in February, Mr Trump said Mr Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wanted peace, and that he expected at least three in-person meetings with the Russian president. "He wants it to end. He doesn't want to end it and then go back to fighting six months later," Mr Trump said. "We expect that he'll come here and I'll go there and probably the first time, we'll meet in Saudi Arabia, to see if we can get something done. In a matter of weeks, Mr Trump's tone on the war, and support for Ukraine, began to shift after a now-infamous heated back-and-forth with Mr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office. The US later suspended military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine. "You're either going to make a deal, or we're out, and if we're out, you'll fight it out. I don't think it's going to be pretty," Mr Trump told Mr Zelenskyy in the meeting at the Oval Office. That was the first time intelligence sharing between the two countries had been cut off since Russia's invasion in February 2022. In less than three days, Russia attacked energy facilities in Ukraine with dozens of missiles and drones leaving at least 10 people injured. The attack restricted the country's ability to deliver heat and light to its citizens, and to power weapons factories vital to its defences. The Trump administration lifted the pause on intelligence sharing with Ukraine days after the attack. It came after a meeting between US and Ukrainian officials in Saudia Arabia, where a 30-day ceasefire deal was agreed to by Ukraine. Within days, Mr Trump was taking questions from reporters aboard Air Force One about his second phone call with Mr Putin. "I'll be speaking to President Putin [tomorrow]. A lot of work's been done over the weekend," Trump said in late March. "We want to see if we can bring that war to an end. Maybe we can, maybe we can't, but I think we have a very good chance. "I think we have a lot of it already discussed very much by both sides, Ukraine and Russia. We're already talking about that, dividing up certain assets." There was no 30-day ceasefire in March but in late April, Mr Putin announced a temporary "Easter truce". The Kremlin claimed the ceasefire would last from 6pm, Moscow time, on Saturday April 19 to midnight following Easter Sunday. By the following Friday, Russia had launched 145 drones and 70 missiles, including 11 ballistic missiles, in the attack on the capital Kyiv, Ukraine's air force said on Telegram. At least 12 people were killed and 90 were injured. "I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying," Mr Trump said in a social post. By the middle of May, Ukraine and European leaders agreed to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire from May 12 with the backing of Mr Trump. About a week later, Mr Trump had another phone call with Mr Putin, after which the US president again mentioned a ceasefire was close. "Just completed my two-hour call with President Vladimir Putin of Russia. I believe it went very well," Mr Trump said in social post. "Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War. "The conditions for that will be negotiated between the two parties, as it can only be." But within days of Mr Trump's conversation with Mr Putin, Ukrainian officials said they were hit with 367 drones and missiles from the evening of May 24 to the following day. At the time, it was the largest single attack during the war, according to Ukrainian air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat. At least 12 people were killed and dozens more were injured. Mr Trump condemned Mr Putin, going as far to say his actions would "lead to the downfall of Russia". "I've always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him," Mr Trump said in a social post. "He has gone absolutely CRAZY! He is needlessly killing a lot of people, and I'm not just talking about soldiers. Missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever. In June, Ukraine launched Operation Spider's Web, which targeted scores of Moscow's nuclear-capable long-range bombers at sites deep inside Russia. Ukrainian officials claimed the attack destroyed 34 per cent of Russia's fleet of air missile carriers. There were no casualties, according to Russia's defence ministry. By the end of the week Moscow retaliated with strikes that killed four people, injured 20, and triggered fires in residential buildings in different parts of Kyiv, city authorities said. In response to the recent hostilities between Russia and Ukraine, Mr Trump compared them to children. "You see, in hockey, you see it in sports. The referees let them go for a couple of seconds, let them go for a little while before you pull them apart." Then in less than a week, Ukraine's second-largest city Kharkiv was hit by drone and missile attacks. Days later, residents of Kharkiv were hit again, this time with nine minutes of continuous drone strikes. When the drones were approaching, local resident Olena Khoruzheva raced to the hallway with her two children. Her youngest son lay on the floor with his hands over his head. "I was on top of him," the 41-year-old pharmacist told AFP. "We heard it approaching, silence, and then we were thrown against the wall." At least 10 people were killed, and more than 70 injured in the attacks. By the end of June, Mr Trump spoke at the NATO summit saying, "Look, Vladimir Putin really has to end that war." By July, Mr Trump threatened supporting a bill that would impose steep sanctions on Russia, including 500 per cent tariffs on nations that buy Russian oil, gas, uranium and other exports. He also pledged to send more defensive weapons to Ukraine. "We get a lot of bulls**t thrown at us by [Russian President Vladimir] Putin," Mr Trump said at a cabinet meeting. "He's very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless." When asked by a reporter what action he would take against Mr Putin, Mr Trump said: "I wouldn't tell you. We want to have a little surprise." Hours later, Russia fired a record 728 drones and 13 missiles at Ukraine. Russia's most recent attacks on Ukraine prompted Mr Trump to set a new deadline for ending the war. Two weeks ago, it was 50 days. Now it's within days. Speaking at his Trump Turnberry golf club in Scotland, the US president warned that if a ceasefire was not in place by the new deadline that he would impose severe tariffs on Moscow and its trading partners. Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev countered. "Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with [Trump's] own country," he posted on the social media platform X. The new deadline set by the Trump administration for peace talks is August 8 (US time). "I'm disappointed in President Putin," Mr Trump said during a visit to Scotland. "There's no reason for waiting. It was 50 days, I wanted to be generous, but we just don't see any progress being made," Mr Trump said.

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