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Politico
35 minutes ago
- Politico
Trump says no progress on Ukraine in call with Putin
The two leaders also discussed Iran in what the U.S. president said was a "long" call. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, July 3, 2025. | Cliff Owen/AP By Ben Johansen 07/03/2025 07:34 PM EDT President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone Thursday, but neither side reported any breakthrough on efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Trump, who promised on the campaign trail that he could end the war on his first day in office, has been repeatedly frustrated in his efforts to secure an agreement to end the fighting. 'It was a pretty long call. We talked about a lot of things, including Iran. We also talked about the war with Ukraine and I'm not happy about that,' the president said before boarding Air Force One for a trip to Iowa for an event celebrating the nation's 250th anniversary.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Beijing cannot allow Russia to lose Ukraine war because it wants America distracted, top Chinese diplomat told EU: report
Beijing cannot afford to see Russia lose the Ukraine war, because it needs America focused on the Moscow and Kyiv — and away from the Pacific, China's top diplomat told his EU counterpart, according to a new report. Foreign Minister Wang Yi allegedly shocked European officials at a Brussels meeting Wednesday when he dropped all pretenses and said Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been a blessing for China, sources told the South China Morning Post. Wang touted the three-year war for keeping the US focused on Ukraine, claiming that if the war were to end, Washington would start putting its full attention in the Pacific and could enter into conflict with China. Advertisement 4 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meeting with EU High Representative Kaja Kallas in Brussels on Wednesday. REUTERS 4 Wang allegedly claimed that Beijing cannot afford to see Russia lose against Ukraine. REUTERS The admission from one of Beijing's top officials, which was not included in either nation's summary of the meeting, came after the EU accused China of assisting in Russia's war effort. The South China Morning Post — Hong Kong's daily newspaper, which is owned by the Alibaba Group — reported the comments. Advertisement Kaja Kallas, EU's high representative for foreign policy, called on China 'to immediately cease all material support that sustains Russia's military industrial complex' and support peace in the Ukraine, according to a statement released by the bloc. The official also 'highlighted the serious threat Chinese companies' support for Russia's illegal war poses to European security.' Beijing maintains that it has not provided any military support to Russia during its invasion of Ukraine, but EU officials claim Chinese companies have given Moscow many of the necessary components needed to build the drones and weapons used in the war. Advertisement 4 Chinese President Xi Jinping has previously said that his partnership with Vladimir Putin has 'no limits.' AP China was one of the nations that failed to condemn Moscow invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with President Xi Jinping standing as an ally of his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. While Xi has never publicly called for Beijing to support Russia's war effort, the Chinese leader has previously said their partnership has 'no limits' and blamed the invasion on western aggression. Wednesday's meeting in Brussels also saw the EU demand that China end restrictions on rare earth mineral exports, which Europe warned could endanger the global supply chain. Advertisement 4 The Brussels meeting is set to lay the groundwork for the EU-China summit taking place next month. REUTERS China placed export restrictions on seven rare minerals and magnets — including samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium, and yttrium — all of which are vital for global defense, energy and automotive sectors. The EU is also urging China to use its influence as Iran's main oil buyer to pressure Tehran to make a deal over its nuclear program to stabilize the Middle East. The meeting was set to lay the groundwork for the summit scheduled for next month between EU and Chinese leaders.
Los Angeles Times
2 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Ukraine's European backers mull over their options after the U.S. pauses weapons shipments
AARHUS, Denmark — In the windswept gardens of a Danish chateau, President Volodymyr Zelensky and some of Ukraine's main European backers weighed options Thursday for filling the gap after the Trump administration paused weapons shipments to his country. The U.S. move affects high-demand munitions, including Patriot missiles, the AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missile and shorter-range Stinger missiles. They are needed to counter incoming missiles, bring down Russian aircraft or counter drone attacks. But they are in short supply, none are cheap, and some simply can't be sourced elsewhere. 'We count on the continuation of American support because there are some items which Europe … doesn't have for today,' Zelensky told reporters in Aarhus, Denmark, as a military helicopter hovered above and security personnel watched nearby woods. Chief among them: Patriot missile systems and interceptors. 'This is crucial,' he said. Russia's new push to capture more territory has put Ukraine's defenses under severe strain, with the war now in its fourth year. Russian missiles and drones are battering Ukrainian cities. U.S.-led efforts to find a peace settlement have stalled. It's still unclear even to Zelensky what the White House intends for the weapons shipments. 'I hope that maybe tomorrow, or close days, these days, I will speak about it with President Trump,' he said. Many in the European Union are keen to step up. They see Russia's invasion as a threat to their own security. Officials have warned that President Vladimir Putin could try to test Europe's defenses in three to five years. 'All of us hope that the U.S. will continue the support for Ukraine,' Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said, flanking Zelensky. 'But if there are any gaps, then I personally believe that we should be willing to fill in.' Denmark — a key Ukraine backer — has just taken over the EU presidency for six months. 'The war in Ukraine has never only been about Ukraine. This is a war about the future of Europe,' she said. Most EU countries are members of NATO, which has just agreed that allies should invest 5% of the gross domestic product in defense. Russia is the chief threat that warrants such spending, although Trump did cajole the Europeans and Canada into agreeing on the figure, which will require them to spend tens of billions of dollars more over the next decade. Since the Trump administration warned that its security priorities lie elsewhere and that Europe must fend for itself, the European Commission's priority has been to find extra money. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen launched the EU's big funding gun with $176 billion that countries, including Ukraine, can use to make joint purchases of priority weapons. The EU's executive branch also has loosened the rules on countries running up debt if they use the money for defense purposes. It hopes that hundreds of billions of extra euros could be made available, if members use the opportunity to spend more. Then there are sanctions against Russia. EU nations are working on yet another raft of measures, but they are getting harder to agree on. It now falls to Denmark to try to chaperone the latest sanctions through. 'Russia is on the brink of recession,' noted von der Leyen, standing next to Zelensky. 'Russia's overheated war economy is coming to its limits. So for us, it is important to increase the pressure so that [Putin] comes to the negotiation table.' Frederiksen's government has led the way in investing in Ukraine's defense industry, which can produce arms and ammunition more quickly and cheaply than elsewhere in Europe. She believes it's the most effective way to help. She also recently invited Ukrainian companies to set up shop on safer ground in Denmark, and the first companies could start production there in September. Danish officials are urging their European partners to follow suit. Ukraine estimates that about 40% of its defense industrial capacity could be capitalized on if more European money were spent there. Frederiksen said that helping Ukraine to join the EU is a security priority, but Hungary stands in the way. Prime Minister Viktor Orban insists that Ukraine should remain a buffer zone between Russia and NATO countries. EU membership is meant to be a merit-based process, and Denmark has said that 'all political and practical means' will be used to persuade Hungary — a small EU country and the only one standing in Ukraine's way — to lift its veto. Zelensky said Thursday that Ukraine has made significant progress in aligning with the EU's rules despite the war, and called for the first phase of membership negotiations to begin as soon as possible. 'Sometimes it's just difficult to be together in one building, all the government [and] the parliamentarians because of the attacks,' he explained. Calls are mounting for the Europeans to use Russian assets that they froze after the full-scale invasion in 2022 to help Ukraine. At the end of March, about $320 billion worth — the bulk of the assets — was being held by Belgian clearing house Euroclear. The interest earned on those assets is being used to fund a $50-billion scheme set up by the Group of Seven powers to keep Ukraine's economy afloat. Some European leaders worry that confiscating Russia's assets would deprive Ukraine of those profits — estimated at more than $3.5 billion a year. They fear it would also be fraught with legal obstacles and could harm the reputation of the euro single currency on international markets. Another possibility might be for the Europeans to buy weapons directly from the United States but asked Thursday about that possibility — as well as the confiscation of Russian assets — neither Frederiksen nor von der Leyen would comment. Cook writes for the Associated Press.
