Latest news with #DeborahHaynes
Sky News
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Trump is ‘daddy' at NATO: Is the flattery working?
👉 Follow Trump100 on your podcast app 👈 US correspondent Mark Stone and security and defence editor Deborah Haynes chat all things NATO Summit - the cringe-worthy 'Daddy' moment, as well as the substance to come out of it. How is NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte handling Trump? And what next for the global conflicts commanding the agenda? If you've got a question you'd like the Trump100 team to answer, you can email it to trump100@ You can also watch all episodes on our YouTube channel.
Sky News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Iran and NATO summit live: Trump to speak as NATO agrees spending pledge - after repeatedly rejecting reports about US Iran strikes
Rutte thinks Trump 'deserves all the praise' when asked by Sky about flattery NATO's chief has been under the spotlight over the past 24 hours for his language towards Donald Trump. The president shared a text he received from Mark Rutte yesterday, written with particularly gushing language. Today, he referred to him as "daddy" when it comes to resolving the Iran-Israel conflict - see our 13.22 post for more on that. Our security and defence editor Deborah Haynes asked at his news conference a short while ago if this flattery makes him look weak. "No, I don't think so, I think it's a bit of a question of taste, but I think he's a good friend," he said. He also credited Trump for driving an increased commitment among the alliance to up defence spending. Rutte added: "Doesn't he deserve some praise? "And when it comes to Iran, the fact that he took this decisive action, very targeted, to make sure that Iran would not be able to get its hands on a nuclear capability, I think he deserves all the praise." Watch the moment Haynes asks her question below: Kremlin: US and Iran disagree about damage caused by strikes Iran and the United States disagree about the amount of damage caused by American bombing raids on Iranian nuclear facilities. That's according to Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov. Speaking earlier, he said Moscow welcomes the ceasefire between Iran and Israel and hopes it lasts. But he stressed the fundamentally different explanations about the US strikes on Iran. "The one that carried out the strikes believes significant damage was inflicted," the Russian official said. "And the one who received these strikes believes that everything was prepared in advance and that these objects did not suffer excessive, significant damage," Ushakov told reporters. Watch below: Sky's Tom Clarke explains why some Iranian nuclear sites were spared and not attacked by Israeli or US bombers A spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry said earlier on Wednesday that the US strikes had caused significant damage to Tehran's nuclear facilities. Earlier in the day, the Kremlin had said it thought it was too early for anyone to have an accurate picture of the extent of damage caused. NATO's Article 5 explained - watch and read Deborah Haynes, Sky's defence and security editor, is at The Hague for today's NATO summit. Going into the gathering, Donald Trump cast doubt on his commitment to and interpretation of the alliance's Article 5 - the agreement that an attack on one member is an attack on all of them. But as she explained earlier, the alliance has since committed to the principle. Haynes explains why Article 5 is so important in the video below: You can also read more about the history of the commitment in our explainer from foreign news reporter Michael Drummond - just click below. Trump and Zelenskyy meet on sidelines of summit Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy have met on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague. We'll bring you more details on this as we get them. Putin 'must stop dragging his heels', Starmer says - as he's asked whether Trump will get tough on Russia Asked about Donald Trump's comments about the situation in Ukraine being "totally out of control", Sir Keir Starmer calls on Vladimir Putin to "stop dragging his heels and get to the [negotiating] table". Replying to a question on whether Trump will get tougher on Russia, the prime minister says the mood of all NATO members was one of "positivity and resolve and purpose" in "the strength and unity of NATO". "But at the same time, recognising that, we need to now push harder on Ukraine," he adds. "Certainly my position has been for some considerable time now that Putin must stop dragging his heels and get to the table." He says all of the discussions at the NATO summit "have been urging that outcome". 'It's important I lead from the front,' PM says The prime minister is now asked about the massive pledges he is making ad questioned on whether he thinks he will be around to lead these plans into the next parliament. "Very confident," Starmer says. He says "it is really important I lead from the front" and "take the long term decisions". "We are living in a more volatile world and we have to rise to that challenge," he says. NATO position on Ukraine has not changed despite lack of condemnation of Russia, Starmer says NATO's position on Ukraine has not changed, Sir Keir Starmer has said, despite there being no condemnation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in the alliance's joint communique today. Asked by Sky News's political editor Beth Rigby whether he was disappointed the statement had less of a focus on Ukraine than previous statements, the prime minister said his position had not changed. "In fact, over the last couple of days, I would say my discussions with leaders - there's been a real resolve," he said. He said "now is the time to push again to get Putin to the table for the unconditional ceasefire". He added: "President Zelenskyy has, for many weeks now, indicated his willingness to go for an unconditional ceasefire. "Now is the time for Putin, who has been dragging his heels, to come to the table." Starmer: Europe needs to make a fundamental shift in its posture Sir Keir Starmer is now addressing world leaders at The Hague and begins by addressing the ceasefire between Iran and Israel. He says now leaders need to make sure "the ceasefire holds" and get Iran back around the negotiating table with the US. The prime minister says he is in close contact with leaders in the Middle East and is working "to lower the temperature" in the region. He says focus should also not be lost on Ukraine or the rising threats to Europe-Atlantic security. He says Europe "needs to make a fundamental shift in its posture". Starmer says the UK will spend 5% of GDP on defence and security by 2035. Rutte celebrates 'significant commitment' in response to 'threats to our security' We're now hearing from NATO secretary general Mark Rutte, who is praising alliance members for agreeing to invest 5% of their GDP in defence and security spending. "This is a significant commitment in response to significant threats to our security," he says. This is "all to ensure we can effectively deter aggression and defend ourselves and each other should anyone make the mistake of attacking." He adds: "All allies are united in understanding that we need to step up to stay safe and they are acting on it. "President Trump has been clear, America is committed to NATO. He affirmed that again today in no uncertain terms. At the same time, he made clear America expects European allies to commit more, and that is what we see them doing." He says the allies are "in this together, committed to Article 5, and we are determined to stand firm". Ukraine 'has our continued support' The alliance "stands firmly with our neighbour and partner Ukraine," he adds, saying the alliance's resounding message to Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people "is that Ukraine has our continued support". He adds: "Our aim is to keep Ukraine in the fight today so that it can enjoy a lasting peace in the future." Intel leak 'unfair to US pilots', Trump says Donald Trump is speaking briefly to reporters with the Netherlands Prime Minister Dick Schoof. Addressing the leaked US intel, reported on by American media outlets, he says it is "unfair to the pilots" who "flew into a hornet's nest". The reports suggested that, contrary to Trump's claims, the US bombing raids he ordered on Iran's nuclear sites did not "obliterate" the Iranian facilities or the regime's ability to make a nuclear weapon. But Trump says the pilots did an "unbelievable job". "They should be admired and respected for what they did," he adds. He also repeats his claims that the sites were destroyed - opting for the word "demolished" this time. Trump is expected to speak again in a news conference shortly, after his brief remarks alongside Schoof.
Sky News
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
What's NATO without America?
👉 Listen to Sky News Daily on your podcast app 👈 The 32 members of the NATO alliance are in the Netherlands for a summit that has been overshadowed by efforts to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East. World leaders are being encouraged to set a goal to spend 5% of their GDP on defence by 2035. US President Donald Trump has pushed for that target, but does he have a plan on what's next for NATO? On today's episode, Niall Paterson is joined by security and defence editor Deborah Haynes, who is at The Hague with a front row seat to the meeting. This episode contains bad language.
Sky News
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
What if Russia attacks the UK? Watch Q&A with team behind Wargame podcast as final episode released
As the final episode of The Wargame is released, the team behind the podcast - which follows a fictional Russian attack on the UK - are here to answer your questions. Submit yours using the form below and watch the Q&A live below. 14:24:02 Listen: All the episodes of The Wargame The final episode of the The Wargame, a podcast series by Sky News and Tortoise Media, was released today. Sky News' security and defence editor Deborah Haynes writes and presents the series, which imagines what would happen if Russia attacked the UK and tried to break up NATO in this new Trump-era world. Here are all the episodes, in one place. Episode one introduces the scenario and our experienced cast. Listen to False Flag below: In episode two, The Wargame escalates - with the UK finding itself under attack. Episode three chronicles how the UK responds, as well as its efforts to get allies to help. And in the latest episode, there's a chilling ultimatum... And in the final episode, a choice is made... 14:17:02 The big names tested in The Wargame The scenario presented in The Wargame is designed to test Britain's defences and national resilience at a time of mounting tensions with Russia. It also explores the reliability - or otherwise - of key allies like the United States in a crisis. A top team of former government ministers and military and security chiefs took part in the podcast, which was written and presented by security and defence editor Deborah Haynes. Here's a list of the key cast members: Sir Ben Wallace, a former Conservative defence secretary, plays the prime minister; Jack Straw, a former senior Labour politician, resumes his old job as foreign secretary; Amber Rudd steps back into her former role as home secretary; Jim Murphy, Scottish secretary under Gordon Brown, takes the position of chancellor; James Heappey, a former armed forces minister, plays the defence secretary; Lord Mark Sedwill is the national security adviser - a position he held for real under both Theresa May and Boris Johnson; General Sir Richard Barrons, one of the leaders of a recently published major defence review, plays the role of chief of the defence staff, the UK's top military officer; Baroness Helena Kennedy, a barrister and expert on human rights law, appears as attorney general; and... Lieutenant General Sir David Capewell resumes his former role as chief of joint operations, the UK's warfighting commander.
Sky News
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
The Wargame - episode five: The Choice
👉 Click here to listen to The Wargame on your podcast app 👈 Hostilities worsen despite attempts to broker a ceasefire. What happens next requires difficult decisions and hard choices. A major five-part series from Sky News and Tortoise which imagines how a Russian attack on the UK could play out - and invites real-life former ministers, military chiefs and other experts to figure out how to defend the country. Written and presented by Sky News' security and defence editor, Deborah Haynes.
