&w=3840&q=100)
Trump, disappointed by call with Putin, to speak with Zelenskyy on Friday
US attempts to end Russia's war in Ukraine through diplomacy have largely stalled, and Trump has faced growing calls - including from some Republicans - to increase pressure on Putin to negotiate in earnest.
After speaking to Putin on Thursday, Trump plans to speak to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, he said in remarks to reporters on his return to Washington from a trip to Iowa.
"I'm just saying I don't think he's looking to stop, and that's too bad."
The two leaders did not discuss a recent pause in some US weapons shipments to Kyiv during the nearly hour-long conversation, a summary provided by Putin aide Yuri Ushakov showed.
Within hours of their concluding the call, an apparent Russian drone attack sparked a fire in an apartment building in a northern suburb of Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said, indicating little change in the trajectory of the conflict.
In Kyiv itself, Reuters witnesses reported explosions and sustained heavy machine-gun fire as air defense units battled drones over the capital, while Russian shelling killed five people in the east.
"I didn't make any progress with him at all," Trump told reporters on Thursday.
Zelenskyy told reporters in Denmark earlier in the day that he hopes to speak to Trump as soon as Friday about the pause in some weapons shipments first disclosed this week.
Speaking to reporters as he left Washington for Iowa, Trump said "we haven't" completely paused the flow of weapons but blamed his predecessor, Joe Biden, for sending so many weapons that it risked weakening US defenses.
"We're giving weapons, but we've given so many weapons. But we are giving weapons," he said.
"And we're working with them and trying to help them, but we haven't (completely stopped). You know, Biden emptied out our whole country giving them weapons, and we have to make sure that we have enough for ourselves."
The diplomatic back-and-forth comes as low stockpiles have prompted the US to paused shipments of certain critical weapons to Ukraine, sources told Reuters earlier, just as it faces a Russian summer offensive and growing attacks on civilian targets.
Putin, for his part, has continued to assert he will stop his invasion only if the conflict's "root causes" have been tackled, making use of Russian shorthand for the issue of NATO enlargement and Western support for Ukraine, including the rejection of any notion of Ukraine joining the NATO alliance.
Russian leaders are also angling to establish greater control over political decisions made in Kyiv and other Eastern European capitals, NATO leaders have said.
The pause in US weapons shipments caught Ukraine off-guard and has generated widespread confusion about Trump's current views on the conflict, after saying just last week he would try to free up a Patriot missile defense system for use by Kyiv.
Ukrainian leaders called in the acting US envoy to Kyiv on Wednesday to underline the importance of military aid from Washington, and caution that the pause in its weapons shipments would weaken Ukraine's ability to defend itself against Russia.
The Pentagon's move has meant a cut in deliveries of the Patriot defense missiles that Ukraine relies on to destroy fast-moving ballistic missiles, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
Ushakov, the Kremlin aide, said that while Russia was open to continuing to speak with the US, any peace negotiations needed to happen between Moscow and Kyiv.
That comment comes amid some signs that Moscow is trying to avoid a three-way format for possible peace talks. The Russians asked American diplomats to leave the room during such a meeting in Istanbul in early June, Ukrainian officials have said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
32 minutes ago
- First Post
Trade talks on, but India responds to Trump tariffs on auto with a ‘right' to retaliate at WTO
India has informed the WTO of its plan to impose retaliatory duties on the US in response to steep American tariffs on auto imports. The move comes as both countries attempt to finalise a trade deal by July 9, with India insisting on its right to protect key export sectors. read more India has formally notified the World Trade Organisation (WTO) of its intention to impose retaliatory duties on the United States in response to Washington's 25% tariffs on automobiles and certain auto parts. According to the notification, the American measures are expected to impact approximately $2.89 billion worth of Indian exports, prompting New Delhi to claim its right to suspend equivalent trade concessions. 'India reserves the right to suspend concessions or other obligations… that are substantially equivalent to the adverse effects of the measure to India's trade,' the statement submitted to the WTO read. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD While the Indian government has not yet detailed the specific tariff rates or the list of U.S. goods to be targeted, it has indicated that the retaliation would match the estimated $725 million in duties the US will collect annually from these measures. The development comes amid ongoing efforts by both nations to conclude a trade deal before a July 9 deadline set by US President Donald Trump. Trump has warned that if no agreement is reached, a sweeping 26% tariff could be imposed on all Indian imports. India has expressed willingness to reduce some of its high tariffs for American goods but has held firm on sensitive sectors like agriculture and dairy, where it has resisted Washington's demands for wider market access. The move was detailed in a WTO Council for Trade in Goods meeting, where India stated that it intends to suspend certain trade concessions and obligations under various WTO provisions. The US imposed the 25% tariff on March 26, applying it to imports of passenger cars, light trucks, and select automobile components. These duties, which took effect from May 3, 2025, will continue indefinitely. India maintains that these US tariffs amount to safeguard measures, a trade tool typically used to protect domestic industries from import surges. However, New Delhi has pointed out that Washington has not formally registered the measures as safeguards with the WTO—a requirement under international trade rules. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD According to India, the US action violates the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 and the WTO's Agreement on Safeguards. Since Washington has not responded to India's call for consultations, New Delhi has now exercised its right to seek compensation through retaliatory trade measures. This isn't the first time India has used this approach. Earlier in March, it adopted similar retaliatory measures in response to US tariffs on Indian steel and aluminium exports. India's latest move highlights its intent to defend its trade interests at the multilateral level even as it engages bilaterally to resolve differences with the United States. With inputs from agencies
Mint
41 minutes ago
- Mint
Trump's $7 billion education funding freeze blindsides schools
On Monday, state education leaders across the country got a brief but startling email from the Education Department. Nearly $7 billion in education funding—which Congress had approved and President Trump signed into law in March—wouldn't be released as expected the following day. The email didn't elaborate on why, mentioning a review. With the new school year not far off, the funding freeze has sent superintendents from California to Rhode Island scrambling to figure out how to handle a shortfall. The money had been earmarked for a range of activities, including after-school programs, teacher training, adult education and support for students learning English. 'It's too late to be making this kind of a decision," said Eric Mackey, the Alabama state superintendent, who describes himself as an 'old-fashioned fiscal conservative." On Tuesday, the association of state education chiefs convened an emergency meeting, as their members tried to advise confused district leaders. Advocacy groups attacked the decision as illegal, and educators began contemplating how to plan for the coming school year. Cheryl Jordan, the superintendent of a diverse, midsize district near San Jose, Calif., said she had planned to use some of the funds for teachers of students learning English and for an onboarding program for new teachers. If the money isn't released, it would leave a roughly $1.5 million hole in the district's budget. It's too late to make cuts for this school year, Jordan said, so the district would then accumulate a deficit and have to make deeper cuts the following school year. 'It will definitely greatly impact us," she said. Armen Tooloee, a spokesman for the White House Office of Management and Budget, said the move reflected an 'ongoing programmatic review" and that 'no decisions have been made yet." He added that 'initial findings" from the review show that grants had gone to 'subsidize a radical leftwing agenda." Tooloee said that in one instance a grant had 'promote[d] illegal immigrant advocacy organizations." He didn't say what share of the funding has gone to uses that OMB deems inappropriate. The administration has made similar arguments for withholding funds for other federal initiatives, including for NPR and USAID. Mackey of Alabama said he wasn't aware of instances of such uses of funds in his state, and would want them brought to his attention if the administration were aware of any. The billions of dollars in question amount to less than 1% of total money spent on public schools. But the grants are spread widely across thousands of school districts and every state in the country. Chase Christensen, the superintendent and school principal of an 83-student district in northern Wyoming, said he had planned to use the funds to help train teachers on a new math curriculum and to continue a self-defense program. Without that money, he can probably preserve the teacher training but he isn't sure about the self-defense course, which Christensen says has boosted students' self-confidence. In Durham County, N.C., Superintendent Anthony Lewis is concerned about a dozen or so federally funded instructional coaches who mentor and support new teachers. Lewis doesn't know whether the money will ultimately come through or whether he should try to find another funding source. 'It's impacting our ability to plan effectively for this coming year," he said. The Trump administration has several possible next moves. It could ask Congress to approve the cancellation of these funds. It previously sought congressional approval for other withheld federal dollars. In a recent Senate hearing, OMB Director Russell Vought said further requests are 'certainly an option." The administration could on its own not distribute the funds—which would set up a challenge to a federal law that bars the executive from unilaterally withholding congressionally approved dollars. The administration could ultimately restore the grants, or some of them, after its review. Thomas Beck, an attorney who was on the Trump transition team where he wrote memos about withholding federal funds, said the administration might argue that states and schools have failed to adhere to the terms of the education grants. Lawmakers from both parties have raised objections. 'This funding was appropriated by Congress and is critical to Maine public school programs," Sen. Susan Collins (R., Maine) said. Sen. Patty Murray (D., Wash.) also criticized the move. This is the Trump administration's latest effort to cut federal dollars for local schools and shrink the Education Department's budget. Officials have argued that the department and some of its programs have proven ineffective. In March, Education Secretary Linda McMahon revoked a previously approved extension for spending Covid-relief money. A federal judge recently blocked this move, and schools have been able to tap in to this funding again. The administration has appealed. Angélica Infante-Green, the commissioner of education in Rhode Island, said she was particularly worried about withheld funding that has been used to train teachers in science-based reading instruction. 'It's just been so very chaotic for the last six months," she said. 'This is just another layer of that chaos." Write to Matt Barnum at
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Germany's Merz held call with Trump on Ukraine arms deliveries
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke with US President Donald Trump on the phone on Thursday about arms deliveries to Ukraine, a spokesperson for the German leaders told Reuters. Merz initiated the call with Trump, the spokesperson said on Friday. Spiegel magazine first reported on the call.
