Trump threatens sanctions, mulls envoy visit to Russia
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump said Witkoff "may be going" on Wednesday or Thursday.
He has warned of sanctions if Russian President Vladimir Putin does not agree to a deal, saying "There will be sanctions, but they seem to be pretty good at avoiding sanctions." He added, "We'll see what happens."
The sanctions could be applied to imports from countries that buy Russian products.
Putin has said he will not agree to a deal unless Moscow's demands are met.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Times
an hour ago
- Japan Times
Trump to sign order creating Olympics task force ahead of 2028 games
U.S. President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on Tuesday creating a White House Olympics task force to handle security and other issues related to the 2028 Summer Olympic Games, an administration official said. The task force, made up of members from Trump's cabinet and government agencies, will coordinate federal, state and local government work on transportation, the official said. It also will "streamline visa processing and credentialing for foreign athletes, coaches, officials, and media," the official said in an email. The United States will host the Olympics in Los Angeles in three years. Trump, a Republican who lost the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden, has expressed pleasure that his second term will coincide with the Olympics and the 2026 soccer World Cup, which is being held across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. "During his first term, President Trump was instrumental in securing America's bid to host the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The president considers it a great honor to oversee this global sporting spectacle in his second term," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement on Monday. Last month organizers of the Los Angeles games released the first look at the Olympic competition schedule. The city also hosted the Olympics in 1932 and 1984. "The creation of this task force marks an important step forward in our planning efforts and reflects our shared commitment to delivering not just the biggest, but the greatest Games the world has ever seen in the summer of 2028,' Casey Wasserman, the chair and president of LA28, said in a statement.
Japan Times
2 hours ago
- Japan Times
Trump again threatens India with harsh tariffs over Russian oil purchases
U.S. President Donald Trump again threatened on Monday to raise tariffs on goods from India over its Russian oil purchases, while New Delhi called his attack "unjustified" and vowed to protect its economic interests, deepening the trade rift between the two countries. In a social media post, Trump wrote, "India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the Open Market for big profits. They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine." "Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA," he added. A spokesperson for India's foreign ministry said in response that India will "take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security." "The targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable," the spokesperson added. Trump has said that from Friday he will impose new sanctions on Russia as well as on countries that buy its energy exports, unless Moscow takes steps to end its 3½ year war with Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown no public sign of altering his stance despite the deadline. Over the weekend, two Indian government sources said that India will keep purchasing oil from Russia despite Trump's threats. India has faced pressure from the West to distance itself from Moscow since Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022. New Delhi has resisted, citing its longstanding ties with Russia and economic needs. Trump had already in July announced 25% tariffs on Indian imports, and U.S. officials have cited a range of geopolitical issues standing in the way of a U.S.-India trade accord. Trump has also cast the wider BRICS group of developing nations as hostile to the United States. Those nations have dismissed his accusation, saying the group promotes the interests of its members and of developing countries at large. India is the biggest buyer of seaborne crude from Russia, importing about 1.75 million barrels per day of Russian oil from January to June this year, up 1% from a year ago, according to data provided by trade sources. India began importing oil from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict, the Indian spokesperson said, calling it a "necessity compelled by global market situation." The spokesperson also noted the West's, particularly the European Union's, bilateral trade with Russia. "It is revealing that the very nations criticizing India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia." Despite the Indian government's defiance, the country's main refiners paused buying Russian oil last week, sources said. Discounts to other suppliers narrowed after Trump threatened hefty tariffs on countries that make any such purchases. Indian government officials denied any policy change. The country's largest refiner, Indian Oil Corp., has bought 7 million barrels of crude from the United States, Canada and the Middle East, four trade sources said on Monday. India also has been frustrated by Trump repeatedly taking credit for an India-Pakistan ceasefire that he announced on social media in May, which halted days of hostilities between the nuclear-armed neighbors. The unpredictability of the Trump administration creates a challenge for Delhi, said Richard Rossow, head of the India program at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies. "India's continued energy and defense purchases from Russia presents a larger challenge, where India does not feel it can predict how the Trump administration will approach Russia from month to month," he said.
5 hours ago
Capex Plans by Major Japan Firms Up 14.3 Pct in FY 2025
News from Japan Aug 5, 2025 15:51 (JST) Tokyo, Aug. 5 (Jiji Press)--Major Japanese companies plan to increase their domestic capital expenditures in fiscal 2025 by 14.3 pct compared with the previous year's actual spending, according to a Development Bank of Japan survey. This is slower than a 21.6 pct increase planned in fiscal 2024, which ended this March. While capital spending is planned to surge by 21.0 pct among manufacturers, reflecting active investments in decarbonization and automobile electrification, nonmanufacturers' capital expenditures are planned to grow at a slower pace, at 11.3 pct, the survey showed Monday. The DBJ said that many companies are examining the impact of U.S. President Donald Trump's high tariffs and that the impact has not become apparent. In the manufacturing sector, spending by automakers is planned to climb by 28.2 pct amid continued electrification investments. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
