Trump needs to act now. Putin won't stop
The Kremlin rushed to calm the waters and claimed that Russia was still interested in peace negotiations with Ukraine. Nonetheless, Putin's aide Yury Ushakov still emphasised the contrast between Trump's push for a swift ceasefire in Ukraine and the Kremlin's desire to eliminate the root causes of the Ukraine War.
Russia's latest actions suggest that Trump's frustrations are warranted. During the early hours of Friday morning, Russian forces pummelled Ukraine with 550 Shahed drones and ballistic missiles. This attack was Russia's largest aerial assault of the war, and broke the record set earlier this week of 537 drones and missiles.
Even though Russia has not taken much-feared apocalyptic steps like using tactical nuclear weapons or triggering a meltdown in the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, it is steadily escalating its war against Ukrainian civilians.
There are also alarming indicators that Russia's aggression is likely to worsen in the weeks and months ahead. Ukrainian electronic warfare specialist Sergey Beskrestnov warned that Russia has established component supply chains and personnel networks to rapidly increase production of Shahed drones. Beskrestnov warned that these measures could soon lead to Russia launching aerial attacks with 800 drones on Ukrainian cities.
Russia has combined these aerial assaults with the more intense use of prohibited military technologies and the steady expansion of Ukraine's frontlines. Dutch and German intelligence assessments reveal that Russia is expanding its use of chemical weapons against Ukrainian soldiers. What is especially concerning is the use of drones with choking agents to drive Ukrainian soldiers out of trenches and shoot them.
While Russia remains primarily focused on securing offensive gains in Donetsk, it is trying to stretch Ukraine's military capabilities wherever possible. Earlier this week, the Kremlin claimed that it established full control over the Donbas region of Luhansk. It has also reportedly amassed 50,000 troops to attack the northeastern Ukrainian region of Sumy and claimed control over its first village in the east-central Ukrainian industrial heartland of Dnipropetrovsk.
Russia's multi-pronged offensive reflects the resilience of its war economy and support from its external backers. Even though Russian minister of economic development Maxim Reshetnikov warned of an imminent recession at last month's St. Petersburg Economic Forum, Russia can still afford its $144 billion military budget. Salary cuts have not led to insubordination within the ranks of Russia's weapons manufacturers or to massive declines in military enlistment.
North Korea's impending deployment of tens of thousands of new forces to Ukraine and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi's warnings about the consequences of a Russian defeat suggest that Putin's allies are staying put. The same cannot be said about Ukraine's most important backer: the United States.
Due to growing concerns about munitions shortages in the US army, under secretary of defence for policy Elbridge Colby just halted some key precision missile and air defence shipments to Ukraine. Colby's decision stunned many senior US officials and reportedly occurred without the blessing of national security advisor and secretary of state Marco Rubio.
In a further blow to Kyiv, America is wavering on Germany's plan to purchase two Patriot systems and hundreds of missiles from the US for Ukraine. German journalist Julian Ropcke warned that American-German negotiations on Patriot deliveries might come to a complete halt.
This means that Kyiv's rapidly dwindling missile stocks might not be replenished and Russian attacks on Ukraine's decision-making centres could inflict lethal harm. It also poses an existential threat to the port of Odesa and its critical economic infrastructure for Black Sea grain exports.
Trump's anger with Putin's pursuit of war at all costs is welcome news for Ukrainians, but they need to be backed by actions. The Americans must now channel those frustrations into providing Ukraine with the weapons it needs to defend its cities and repel Russia's offensive advances.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
21 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Stunned Melania flinches as Trump urges stealth bomber pilots to reveal their identities on live TV
First lady Melania Trump gave President Donald Trump a pointed glance when he asked the B-2 pilots involved in the Iran strike to reveal their identities as they were feted at the Fourth of July celebration Friday. The White House had invited those involved in the June 22 bombing campaign to enjoy the annual picnic on the South Lawn, which is traditionally held for military families. The pilots' names have remained secret as the Iranian regime had previously vowed to assassinate Trump and other top Trump officials after the U.S. killing of Iran's Quds Force leader, Gen. Qasem Soleimani in January 2020. 'We're honored to be joined by 150 airmen and their families from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, the home of the B-2 bomber,' Trump said from the Truman Balcony Friday to cheers from the crowd. 'And we've kept them a little bit on guard, we've kept them a little bit - let's be a little bit quiet about it. If you want to raise your hand very quickly, raise your hand, because you people are just incredible,' the president instructed. Melania Trump, dressed in a white shirt-dress, could be seen shaking her head and then laughing. At least one member of the crowd appeared to raise his hand at the president's request. 'We don't want to be in disguise, we don't have to do that,' the president continued. 'They're looking at us like we're a bunch of babies.' 'We don't have to be in disguise. We saw all those hands go up,' he added. 'Thank you very much. We owe you everything.' The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Mail's request on whether the servicemembers would receive protection if Iran decided to retaliate against them. Before the president made his remarks, there were three military flyovers the White House, two which featured the giant B-2 stealth jets - which dropped 'bunker buster' bombs onto the Iran nuclear site Fordow. Tomahawk missiles fired from a submarine were used to attack the Iranian nuclear sites of Natanz and Isfahan as well. As Iran woke up to the news, Trump addressed the bombings from the White House that Saturday night, saying the sites were 'completely and totally obliterated.' He railed against CNN and The New York Times for reporting on an initial assessment that didn't paint as rosy a picture about the destructive nature of the attacks, suggesting they only set the Iranian nuclear agenda back by a number of months. Trump said the B-2 pilots needed to be 'respected' by news outlets. 'Very unfair to the pilots that risk their lives for our country, and then they get fake news and CNN make up a phony story to get some hits. That's the only reason I care about it, because those pilots were so brave, I've never seen anything like it,' Trump said last week while attending the NATO Summit in the Hague. 'They flew into the hornets' nest and then they got hurt so badly by what the fake news wrote,' Trump argued. Iran retaliated by sending missiles toward the Al-Udeid Air Base located outside of Doha in Qatar - the U.S.'s largest military installation in the Middle East, which Trump had visited the month before. Those missiles were all intercepted and later that day, the president announced a ceasefire agreement between Iran and Israel - which has since held, after a few initial missile firings and some strong language about the conflict out of Trump's mouth. The president was in a much better mood on Friday, celebrating both the servicemembers in the South Lawn and what he called his 'greatest victory yet' - Congressional passage of the so-called 'Big, Beautiful Bill.' After the flyovers and a brief speech, Trump walked down onto the South Lawn and signed the bill into law, surrounded by Republican lawmakers. He gleefully tapped the gavel presented to him by House Speaker Mike Johnson, who was standing along Trump's side. The crowd was interspersed with Cabinet members and top Trump officials including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Dan 'Razin' Caine, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, EPA Secretary Lee Zeldin and more.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
ANDREW NEIL: We've become an unserious country. We're rudderless, adrift in a sea of troubles rather than in command of our destiny. And our leaders are to blame.
By common consent, on the Left almost as much as on the Right, Keir Starmer has got off to the worst start ever of any incoming British Prime Minister swept to power with a large working majority, as he was a year ago yesterday. 'Can he get the show back on the road before more damage is done?' I asked a senior Labour minister this week. 'Yes, he can,' came the reply.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Minister demands overhaul of UK's leading AI institute
The technology secretary has demanded an overhaul of the UK's leading artificial intelligence institute in a wide-ranging letter that calls for a switch in focus to defence and national security, as well as leadership changes. Peter Kyle said it was clear further action was needed to ensure the government-backed Alan Turing Institute met its full potential. In a letter to ATI's chair, seen by the Guardian, Kyle said the institute should be changed to prioritise defence, national security and 'sovereign capabilities' – a reference to nation states being able to control their own AI technology. The call for new priorities implies a downgrading of ATI's focus on health and the environment, which are two of three core subjects for the institute, alongside defence and security, under its 'Turing 2.0' strategy. 'Moving forward, defence and national security projects should form a core of ATI's activities, and relationships with the UK's security, defence, and intelligence communities should be strengthened accordingly,' Kyle wrote. Making clear that the Turing 2.0 strategy did not meet government requirements, Kyle indicated that he expected leadership changes at ATI. 'To realise this vision, it is imperative that the ATI's leadership reflects the institute's reformed focus,' he wrote in a letter first reported by Politico. 'While we acknowledge the success of the current leadership in delivering reform at the institute during a difficult period, careful consideration should be given to the importance of an executive team who possesses a relevant background and sector knowledge to lead this transition.' ATI is chaired by Doug Gurr, the former head of Amazon's UK operations and interim chair of the UK's competition watchdog. The institute is going through a restructuring under its chief executive, Jean Innes, which one in five staff have said puts ATI's credibility in 'serious jeopardy'. At the end of last year, ATI employed 440 staff, but it has since launched a redundancy process. Although the institute is nominally independent, it recently secured £100m from the government in a five-year funding deal. The letter said ATI's 'longer-term funding arrangement' could be reviewed next year. The government would maintain its current level of research and development from national security and defence for the next three years, Kyle wrote, and would increase the number of defence and national security staff embedded in the institute. Dame Wendy Hall, a professor of computer science at the University of Southampton and the co-chair of a 2017 government AI review, said ATI would cease to be a national institute under the government's proposed changes. 'If the institute focuses on defence and security it ceases to be a national institute on AI,' Hall said. 'It's not broad enough. If the government wants an AI institute that does defence and security then it should just call it that.' In February, the government indicated a focus on national security with its AI strategy by renaming its AI Safety Institute, established under the premiership of Rishi Sunak, the AI Security Institute. Sign up to TechScape A weekly dive in to how technology is shaping our lives after newsletter promotion Kyle's letter also referred to the government's 50-point AI action plan as a 'testament' to the UK's AI ambitions, The plan's targets include a 20-fold increase in the amount of AI computing power under public control by 2030, and embedding AI in the public sector. A spokesperson for ATI said the institute was focused on 'high-impact missions' that support the UK including in defence and national security. 'We share the government's vision of AI transforming the UK for the better, welcome the recognition of our critical role, and will continue to work closely with the government to support its priorities and deliver science and innovation for the public good,' said the spokesperson. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said the changes would be a 'natural next step' for ATI following the safety institute renaming. 'These proposed changes would not only ensure the Alan Turing Institute delivers real value for money – it would see it taking on a key role in safeguarding our national security,' said the spokesperson.
