Latest news with #sanctions
BBC News
an hour ago
- Business
- BBC News
Rosenberg: US tariff threat leaves Russia less rattled than relieved
In the Oval Office on Monday, Donald Trump was talking tough, announcing new US arms shipments to Ukraine paid for by European governments, and threatening new tariffs which, if imposed, would hit Russia's war back in Moscow, how did the stock exchange react? It rose 2.7%.That's because Russia had been bracing for even tougher sanctions from President Trump."Russia and America are moving towards a new round of confrontation over Ukraine," Monday's edition of the tabloid Moskovsky Komsomolets had warned."Trump's Monday surprise will not be pleasant for our country."It wasn't "pleasant". But Russia will be relieved, for example, that the secondary tariffs against Russia's trading partners will only kick in 50 days from now. That gives Moscow plenty of time to come up with counter proposals and delay the implementation of sanctions even Donald Trump's announcement does represent a tougher approach to also reflects his frustration with Vladimir Putin's reluctance to sign a peace deal. Trump weapons pledge marks major step forward for Ukraine On his return to the White House in January, Donald Trump had made ending Russia's war in Ukraine one of his foreign policy months, Moscow's response was: "Yes, but…"Yes, Russia said in March, when it welcomed President Trump's proposal for a comprehensive ceasefire. But first, it said Western military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv should end, along with Ukrainian military Moscow has been insisting, it wants peace. But the "root causes" of the war must be resolved first. The Kremlin views these very differently to how Ukraine and the West see them. It argues that the war is the result of external threats to Russia's security: from Kyiv, Nato, 'the collective West.'Yet, in February 2022, it wasn't Ukraine, Nato or the West that invaded Russia. It was Moscow that launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, triggering the largest land war in Europe since World War Two. For quite some time, the "Yes, but…" approach enabled Moscow to avoid additional US sanctions, while continuing to prosecute the war. Keen to improve bilateral relations with Russia and negotiate a peace deal on Ukraine, the Trump administration prioritised carrots to sticks in its conversations with Russian of the Kremlin warned that with "Yes, but"… Russia was playing for time. But President Trump hoped he could find a way of persuading Vladimir Putin to do a Russian president has appeared in no rush to do so. The Kremlin believes it holds the initiative on the battlefield. It insists it wants peace, but on its terms include an end to Western arms shipments to Ukraine. From Donald Trump's announcement it is clear that is not going to Trump claims that he is "not happy" with Vladimir disillusionment is a two-way street. Russia, too, has been falling out of love with America's president. On Monday, Moskovsky Komsomolets wrote:"[Trump] clearly has delusions of grandeur. And a very big mouth."
New York Times
an hour ago
- Business
- New York Times
Tuesday Briefing: More Weapons for Ukraine
Trump announced arms for Ukraine and a deadline for Putin President Trump said yesterday that the U.S. would help Europe send more weapons to Ukraine and warned Russia that it would be hit by 'very severe tariffs' if there was no peace deal in 50 days. The threat of tariffs is unlikely to have much of an impact — Russia sells little to the U.S. — but Trump also threatened to impose secondary sanctions, which are penalties imposed on other countries or parties that trade with nations under sanctions. Trump made his remarks during a meeting with NATO's secretary general, Mark Rutte, who has been coordinating efforts to send more weapons to Ukraine. Under the arrangement, NATO would buy U.S. weapons, including more advanced Patriot missile defense batteries, and pass them to Kyiv. Quotable: Trump said he was 'disappointed' in President Vladimir Putin. 'My conversations with him are very pleasant, and then the missiles go off at night,' he said. Analysis: Trump seems to be adopting an approach toward Russia that looks much like that of his predecessor: arming the Ukrainians. But there is reason to doubt that he will stick with it, my colleagues David Sanger and Maggie Haberman write. In Kyiv: President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he would seek to replace Ukraine's prime minister, a major shake-up that comes amid battlefield setbacks and a souring mood in the country. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Al Jazeera
an hour ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
What's the legacy of the Iran nuclear deal and its collapse?
The agreement was signed a decade ago before the US pulled out in 2018. Ten years ago, Iran and world powers signed a historic nuclear deal, easing sanctions in return for limits on Tehran's nuclear programme. Since then, the United States pulled out, and just weeks ago, joined Israel in attacking Iran. What's the legacy of this deal and its collapse? Presenter: James Bays Guests: Alan Eyre – Member of US nuclear deal team (2010-2015) Abas Aslani – Senior research fellow, Center for Middle East Strategic Studies Robert Kelley – Distinguished fellow, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Cuban economy continues five-year decline, economy minister says
By Marc Frank and Nelson Acosta HAVANA (Reuters) -Cash-strapped Cuba's grueling crisis shows no signs of improvement, Cuban Economy Minister Joaquin Alonso said on Monday, announcing growth fell 1.1% last year on top of a 10% decline since 2019, official media reported. Alonso was speaking to the Cuban parliament's economic commission where he also indicated there was little hope for improvement this year, given toughening U.S. sanctions and a complicated international situation. The import-dependent Caribbean island nation has seen foreign currency revenues fall by around 30% in recent years, causing shortages of food, fuel, medicine and inputs for agriculture and manufacturing. A lack of fuel and equipment has crippled the energy grid, leading to daily blackouts in the Communist-run country of as much as 16 hours or more. Agriculture, livestock farming, and mining have fallen 53.4% over the last five years, and manufacturing 23%, Alonso reported. The minister was quoted as saying that this year and last had been marked "by the intensified impact of the blockade, the fierce persecution of financial flows, and barriers to international transactions that have hindered payments to suppliers." Alonso said hard currency earnings this year were 9% below the same period last year while imports were running 7% above last year's rate. "Cuba is importing more than it exports, which increases the debt," he was quoted as stating. The country last reported its foreign debt as $19.7 billion in 2020. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
SBS Australia
an hour ago
- Business
- SBS Australia
Trump threatens sanctions on Russia in 50 days as he announces new weapons for Ukraine
Donald Trump has announced new weapons for Ukraine. US will impose sanctions on buyers of Russian exports, Trump said. White House has signalled a possible 100 per cent tariffs on Russia. US President Donald Trump announced new weapons for Ukraine, and threatened sanctions on buyers of Russian exports unless Russia agrees to a peace deal, a major policy shift brought on by frustration with Moscow's ongoing attacks on its neighbour. But Trump's threat of sanctions came with a 50-day grace period, a move that was welcomed by investors in Russia, where the rouble recovered from earlier losses and stock markets rose. Sitting with NATO secretary general Mark Rutte in the Oval Office, Trump told reporters he was disappointed in Russian President Vladimir Putin and that billions of dollars of US weapons would go to Ukraine. "We're going to make top-of-the-line weapons, and they'll be sent to NATO," Trump said, adding that Washington's NATO allies would pay for them. The weapons would include Patriot air defence missiles Ukraine has urgently sought. "It's a full complement with the batteries," Trump said. "We're going to have some come very soon, within days ... a couple of the countries that have Patriots are going to swap over and will replace the Patriots with the ones they have." Some or all of 17 Patriot batteries ordered by other countries could be sent to Ukraine "very quickly", he said. Rutte said Germany, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Canada all wanted to be a part of rearming Ukraine. Trump's threat to impose so-called secondary sanctions on Russia, if carried out, would be a major shift in Western sanctions policy. Politicians from both US political parties are pushing for a bill that would authorise such measures, targeting other countries that buy Russian oil. Throughout the more than three-year-old war, Western countries have cut most of their own financial ties to Moscow, but have held back from taking steps that would restrict Russia from selling its oil elsewhere. That has allowed Moscow to continue earning hundreds of billions of dollars from shipping oil to buyers such as China and India. "We're going to be doing secondary tariffs," Trump said. "If we don't have a deal in 50 days, it's very simple, and they'll be at 100 per cent." A White House official said Trump was referring to 100 per cent tariffs on Russian goods as well as secondary sanctions on other countries that buy its exports. Eighty-five of the 100 US senators are co-sponsoring a bill that would give Trump the authority to impose 500 per cent tariffs on any country that helps Russia, but the chamber's Republican leaders have been waiting for Trump to give them the go-ahead for a vote. Since returning to the White House promising a quick end to the war, Trump has sought rapprochement with Moscow, speaking several times with Putin. His administration has pulled back from pro-Ukrainian policies such as backing Kyiv's membership in NATO and demanding Russia withdraw from all Ukrainian territory. But Putin has yet to accept a proposal from Trump for an unconditional ceasefire, which was quickly endorsed by Kyiv. Recent days have seen Russia use hundreds of drones to attack Ukrainian cities. Trump said his shift was motivated by frustration with Putin, who talked about peace but continued to strike Ukrainian cities. "I don't want to say he's an assassin, but he's a tough guy," he said. Russia fired 10 times more drones and missiles in June than in the same month in 2024, the UN said. Source: AAP / Presidential Press Service of Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks with Trump's envoy Keith Kellogg on Tuesday AEST. Zelenskyy said they discussed "the path to peace and what we can practically do together to bring it closer", including "strengthening Ukraine's air defence, joint production and procurement of defence weapons in collaboration with Europe." An air-raid alert was declared in Kyiv shortly after Zelenskyy's talks with Kellogg.
