Donal O'Donovan: Trade deal is big win for Donald Trump, bad loss for Europeans and a disaster for the EU
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Irish Examiner
25 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Trump could meet Putin as soon as next week, White House official says
US President Donald Trump could meet in person with Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as next week as he seeks to broker an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, a White House official said. The official cautioned that a meeting has not been scheduled yet and no location has been determined. The official was not authorised to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss internal plans. The White House said Mr Trump was also open to a meeting with both Mr Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. A meeting between Mr Putin and Mr Trump would be their first since Mr Trump returned to office this year. Russian President Vladimir Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff shake hands during their meeting in Moscow on Wednesday (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) It would be a significant milestone in the three-year-old war, though there is no promise such a meeting would lead to the end of the fighting since Russia and Ukraine remain far apart on their demands. News of a potential meeting with Mr Putin, which was first reported by The New York Times, came hours after Mr Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff met Mr Putin in Moscow. Mr Trump had posted earlier on Truth Social that Mr Witkoff 'had a highly productive meeting' with Mr Putin in which 'great progress was made'. It was not immediately clear if Mr Putin or Mr Zelensky had agreed to any meetings with Mr Trump. Mr Zelensky has been willing to meet face-to-face with Mr Putin to end the conflict, but Russia has repeatedly rejected the idea. Mr Trump has met Mr Zelensky several times this year, including a contentious February meeting in Washington. Though he has not yet met Mr Putin this year, Mr Trump met with him five times during his first term. Mr Trump said earlier on Wednesday that he updated America's allies in Europe and that they will work toward an end to the Russia-Ukraine war 'in the days and weeks to come'. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: 'The Russians expressed their desire to meet with President Trump, and the President is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelensky.' Her statement did not address the potential timing of any meeting. Mr Witkoff met Mr Putin days before the White House's deadline for Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine or potentially face severe economic penalties that could also hit countries buying its oil. The meeting between Mr Putin and Mr Witkoff lasted about three hours, the Kremlin said. Mr Putin's foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said Mr Putin and Mr Witkoff had a 'useful and constructive conversation' that focused on the Ukrainian crisis and, in a nod toward improving relations between Washington and Moscow, 'prospects for possible development of strategic co-operation' between the United States and Russia.
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Trump's top US intelligence chief says she believes in aliens and vows to ‘share the truth' on UFOs
THE US intelligence chief has vowed to "share the truth" on UFOs after saying she believes in aliens and that extraterrestrials are real. Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence in Donald Trump's administration, hinted that she has a lot of classified information on aliens but is forced to remain tight-lipped due to her job. Advertisement 5 The US Department of Defense released footage of one UFO caught by an aircraft Credit: AFP 5 UFOs were spotted hovering over top-secret military bases and flying near aircraft, according to the US Navy (computer-generated image) Credit: Getty 5 Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has hinted that she has a lot of classified information on aliens Credit: The Mega Agency Speaking with Pod Force One podcast host Miranda Devine, Gabbard was asked if "there could be aliens". The US intel chief replied: "I have my own views and opinions. In this role, I have to be careful with what I share." Devine then asked Gabbard if she believes aliens and UFOs are real, to which she replied: "Yes." She said that right now she has "nothing to share with the public about aliens and UFOs today". Advertisement read more on UFOs UFO DECLASSIFIED First ever bombshell vid of infamous 'Mosul orb' UFO is released But she vowed to reveal the truth when the time comes. "We're continuing to look for the truth and share that truth with the American people," Gabbard told the New York Post podcast host. Americans are curious and fascinated about aliens more than ever. One Pentagon whistleblower who claims UFOs are real presented his bombshell testimony at a major "alien" hearing before the US Congress last year. Advertisement Former counterintelligence officer Luis Elizondo, who is said to have investigated UFO cases while at the Department of Defence, claimed America is in "possession of UAP technologies". In Elizondo's written testimony, the former defence expert said many "advanced technologies" that do not belong to the US or any other government exist around the world. First ever bombshell vid of infamous 'Mosul orb' UFO is released Trump has long pushed for more transparency on UFOs and ET life. He vowed last year to reveal exclusive UFO footage if he was elected back to the White House. Advertisement The MAGA prez said he would push the Pentagon to declassify the alleged UFO sighting videos in a sensational interview. He told popular American podcaster Lex Fridman that he would "surely" make secret footage of alleged UFO sightings public. During the chat, Fridman asked Trump: "Will you help push the Pentagon to release more footage, which a lot of people claim is available?" To which Trump readily agreed and said: "Oh yeah, sure, I'll do that. I would do that. I'd love to do that. I have to do that." Advertisement The Republican leader also claimed he had faced pressure to declassify previous records of alien encounters as he admitted "there could be life on other planets". 5 Donald Trump vowed to declassify footage of alleged UFO sightings Credit: AP 5 A whistleblower came forward with bombshell allegations that the US has a secret UFO retrieval program Credit: Getty He added: "People begged me not to do it but I'll be doing that very early on." Advertisement It comes after the first-ever bombshell footage of the infamous "Mosul orb" UFO captured by a US spy plane in Iraq has now been released. The declassified video, filmed in 2016 by a US MC-12 surveillance aircraft, shows a mysterious metallic spherical object flying over the city of Mosul. Interestingly, the four-second footage shows the UFO flying at a constant speed without dropping altitude. The object appeared suddenly and moved erratically in and out of the camera's view. Advertisement The clip was obtained by Dustin Slaughter, a leading UFO investigator, through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request - and was shown to the public by UFO podcaster Jeremy Corbell. It comes two years after the first still image from the video was declassified by the Pentagon. Meanwhile, another declassified UFO footage showed a similar mystery metal orb soaring above the ground - leaving US officials puzzled. In 2023, A testimony was heard at Capitol Hill, Washington DC, as the Pentagon's All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office revealed the shocking clips. Advertisement The videos released in the declassified cases are said to have been observed by US military drones. The footage showed a mystery "metal orb" as it hovered and flew across open airspace. The incidents were believed to have been recorded in the Middle East and South Asia.
The Journal
an hour ago
- The Journal
Slovenia moves to ban imports from illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine
THE SLOVENIAN GOVERNMENT has moved towards banning the importation of goods from illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine. In a correspondence session, a remote discussion between ministries, the government instructed the ministries for the economy and the foreign affairs to prepare for the measure's formal proposal. 'A measure is proposed in the form of a ban on the import of goods originating from illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, including a ban on the circumvention of the ban on such imports,' a government statement read. The two ministries have also been tasked with examining a possible ban on the export of goods from Slovenia that are intended for Israeli settlements. 'The Government of the Republic of Slovenia will decide on further measures,' the statement added. In its statement today, the Slovenian government cited the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice from July of last year, which said that states are obliged not to conduct trade with Israeli settlements (colonies) because the occupation itself is illegal. There are more than 700,000 Israeli settlers living in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. They live in settlements endorsed by the Israeli government and the most common exports are agricultural products. Advertisement A similar ban is currently progressing through the Oireachtas in Ireland that would ban the importation of goods from Israeli settlements, but in the pre-legislative stage, a committee recommended services also be included. Today's announcement follows Slovenia's imposition of a ban on arms sales to Israel. Slovenia is one of the European Union member states that has pushed ahead with unilateral actions against Israel in response to its ongoing war on the Gaza Strip in Palestine. As a bloc, the EU has failed to take concrete action to sanction Israel despite it being found to have violated the human rights clause in its trade agreement with the bloc. In explaining Friday's decision, Slovenia said it was in response to the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza while denouncing the EU's inaction. Need more information on what is happening in Israel and Palestine? Check out our FactCheck Knowledge Bank for essential reads and guides to navigating the news online. Visit Knowledge Bank Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
