Putin Urges Iran to Take 'Zero Enrichment' Nuclear Deal with US, Axios Reports
Iran's semi-official news agency Tasnim denied the report, quoting an "informed source" as saying Putin had not sent any message to Iran in this regard.
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Al Arabiya
22 minutes ago
- Al Arabiya
Russia says Ukrainian drones attacked training center at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
Ukrainian drones attacked a training center at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on Sunday evening, the Russian-installed administration of the Russia-held plant in Ukraine said on Monday. 'The enemy used three unmanned aerial vehicles,' the administration said on the Telegram messaging app. It added that 'no critical' damage was recorded. Reuters could not independently verify the Russian report. The report comes a day after the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, said that it had heard hundreds of rounds of small arms fire late on Saturday at the plant. Russian forces seized the Zaporizhzhia plant in the first weeks of Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Each side regularly accuses the other of firing or taking other actions that could trigger a nuclear accident. The station, Europe's biggest nuclear power plant, is not operating but still requires power to keep its nuclear fuel cool. The plant's Russia-installed management said in its statement that the station 'continues to operate normally, with all necessary safety precautions in place.'
Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
Trump says US will send Patriot systems to Ukraine, hints at new Russia sanctions
President Donald Trump on Sunday said Washington would send Patriot air defense systems to Kyiv and hinted at new sanctions on Russia, once again voicing displeasure with Russian leader Vladimir Putin over Moscow's war in Ukraine. The US president's announcement of the much-needed weapons for Ukraine came after he earlier said he would make a 'major statement... on Russia' on Monday. The announcement could come amid a diplomatic flurry set for Monday, with the US special envoy starting his latest trip to Ukraine and Trump set to meet with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Washington. Moscow's offensive on Ukraine has lasted for more than three years, with attacks intensifying this summer and US-led negotiations so far yielding no results to end the fighting. 'We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need,' Trump said Sunday, without specifying how many weapons he would send to Ukraine. 'I haven't agreed on the number yet, but they're going to have some because they do need protection,' he told reporters at Joint Base Andrews, as he returned from watching the FIFA Club World Cup final in New Jersey. The White House has U-turned from an announcement earlier this month that it would pause some arms deliveries to Kyiv, instead announcing a new deal which would involve NATO paying the United States for some of the weapons it sends to Ukraine. 'We basically are going to send them various pieces of very sophisticated military and they're going to pay us 100 percent for them,' Trump said. 'It'll be business for us,' he added. Rutte's 10:00 am (1400 GMT) Oval Office meeting will be closed to media, and he is slated to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio as well. Earlier this week, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine was 'close to reaching a multi-level agreement on new Patriot systems and missiles for them.' Trump also repeated that he was 'disappointed' in Putin, as he grows increasingly exasperated with the Russian leader. 'Putin really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice and then he bombs everybody in the evening,' said the disgruntled Trump on Sunday. Last week, Trump accused Putin throwing 'bullshit' at Washington on Ukraine -- openly frustrated with the seeming impasse. When he first returned to the White House in January, Trump insisted he could work with the Russian leader to end the war, holding off on hiking sanctions unlike European allies. But Russia has for months refused a ceasefire proposed by the United States and Kyiv. Trump has repeatedly voiced displeasure with Putin in recent days, and on Sunday hinted he might finally be ready to toughen sanctions as momentum grows for a deterrent package in Congress. When asked about whether he would announce any sanctions against Russia, Trump responded: 'We're going to see what we will see tomorrow, OK?' and repeated plans to meet with Rutte. 'Sledgehammer' Earlier on Sunday, US senators touted a bipartisan bill that would arm Trump with 'sledgehammer' sanctions to use against Russia. The sanctions bill would allow Trump 'to go after Putin's economy, and all those countries who prop up the Putin war machine,' Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told broadcaster CBS news. It 'would give President Trump the ability to impose 500 percent tariffs on any country that helps Russia,' said Graham, adding that those could include economies that purchase Russian goods like China, India or Brazil. 'This is truly a sledgehammer available to President Trump to end this war,' said Graham. 'Without a doubt, this is exactly the kind of leverage that can bring peace closer and make sure diplomacy is not empty,' Zelensky said about the proposed bill in an X post. Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal were also due to meet NATO's Rutte on Monday night. Blumenthal told CBS news they would also discuss the legally thorny issue of unlocking frozen Russian assets in Europe and the United States for access by Ukraine. 'The $5 billion that the United States has also could be accessed, and I think it's time to do it,' said Blumenthal.
Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
Takeaways from Ap report on Democrats already lining up for the 2028 presidential race
Political jockeying among Democrats for the 2028 presidential contest appears to be playing out earlier, with more frequency and with less pretense than ever before. It's only 2025, but several potential candidates are already taking steps to get to know voters in the states that will matter most in the nomination process. And with no clear Democratic front-runner, upwards of 30 high-profile Democrats could ultimately enter the 2028 primary. Here are highlights from The Associated Press reporting on possible hopefuls' moves in traditional early voting states: South Carolina Hot in July: Over the span of 10 days this month, three Democratic presidential prospects are scheduled to campaign in South Carolina. The state is expected to host the Democratic Party's opening presidential primary contest in early 2028, although the calendar hasn't been finalized. California Gov. Gavin Newsom was referred to as a presidential candidate at one stop last week, although he insisted he was there simply to strengthen the party for the midterms. Term-limited Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who acknowledges he's considering a 2028 bid, will spend two days touring South Carolina later this week. He'll focus on the state's Black community while drawing an implicit contrast with Newsom on cultural issues. California Rep. Ro Khanna, a progressive aligned with the Bernie Sanders wing of the Democratic Party, will target union members and Black voters when he's in the state a few days later. And former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is having private conversations about a potential run with key South Carolina Democrats, including Rep. Jim Clyburn. A Kentucky Democrat Up Next: Beshear, Kentucky's 47-year-old two-term governor, is scheduled to make multiple appearances in South Carolina on Wednesday and Thursday in what will be his first visit to the state on political grounds. He'll highlight his appeal among red-state moderates and Black voters in a Thursday speech hosted by the Georgetown County Democrats in a region that voted three times for Trump and has a large African American population. 'Democrats have a huge opportunity to seize the middle and win back the voters who have been increasingly skeptical of the Democratic brand. But it's going to take focus and discipline,' he will say, according to speech excerpts obtained by the AP. Already a Sense of Urgency: Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a rising star in the Democratic party, told the AP that presidential prospects need to be more visible earlier as Democrats work to recover from their disastrous performance in the 2024 election. 'What freaks most Democrats out is not really understanding who's up next. Like who's got next?' she said. 'And I think that that is really what people want most; they want their presidential nominee now.' Voters and local officials in key states tend to agree. Jody Gaulin, the Democratic chair in South Carolina's deep-red Oconee County, hopes the energy that comes along with potential presidential hopefuls could boost her party's ranks. 'This is exactly what we've been waiting for,' Gaulin said. In New Hampshire, 46-year-old Democrat Jane Lescynski was eager to answer when asked to what extent she's thinking about the 2028 presidential election. 'I can't wait,' she said. Clyburn, the Kingmaker? Clyburn, South Carolina's only Democratic congressman, told the AP he's had direct contact with Emanuel, Beshear, and Khanna. He also appeared with Newsom last week and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore in May. Clyburn said he doesn't have an early favorite in the 2028 Democratic nomination contest and may not endorse at all in what he expects to be a very large field. 'It can be Gavin Newsom, it can be Wes Moore, Andy Beshear, Ro Khanna, whoever it is, I think they're going to have a very good reception amongst the voters,' Clyburn told the AP. 'I feel good about Democrats in general.' Don't Sleep on New Hampshire and Iowa: New Hampshire Democratic leaders are privately encouraging 2028 prospects to visit the state. Unlike South Carolina, New Hampshire features two competitive House races and a top-tier Senate race in next years midterms. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, campaigned Friday in the state with Rep. Chris Pappas, who is expected to represent Democrats on the Senate ballot next fall. She insisted her only purpose in visiting was backing Pappas' campaign. Illinois Gov. Pritzker headlined a key state fundraiser in May. And while Iowa may have lost its top spot on the Democrats' primary calendar, with at least two competitive House races it will almost certainly be a top draw for ambitious Democrats. Pete Buttigieg, a former Biden Cabinet member and a 2020 presidential candidate, hosted a town hall in Iowa in May. Others are moving more cautiously. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has avoided any early state travel this year, focusing instead on his 2026 reelection. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also focused largely on her day job. Both would be top-tier presidential candidates should they decide to run.
