Trump has ‘good conversation' with Zelenskyy after heavy bombardment of Ukraine by Russia
The call with Zelenskyy comes as Washington has halted its latest shipment of military aid to Ukraine including Patriot air defense missiles and other crucial munitions meant to support the country's defenses.
Zelenskyy was expected to urge Trump to release the shipment of aid to Ukraine, although it was not immediately clear if he was successful. The call was first reported by Axios, which was told by a source that it was a 'good conversation'.
Trump said he was 'very disappointed' after a telephone call with Vladimir Putin on Thursday. A Putin aide told reporters that the Russian president was not willing to make concessions on what the Kremlin has called the 'root causes' of the war with Ukraine, a list of grievances that includes Nato expansion and Ukraine's desire to join western economic and security blocs.
'I'm very disappointed with the conversation I had today with President Putin, because I don't think he's there,' Trump told reporters after holding a rally in Iowa on Thursday evening. 'I don't think he's there, and I'm very disappointed. I'm just saying, I don't think he's looking to stop, and that's too bad.'
The US has said that it halted the shipments, some of which were already in Poland, due to a review of US military stockpiles that suggested that the country is running low on munitions for its own troops.
Germany has said that it is in 'intensive talks' to buy the Patriot missiles for Ukraine, although it's unclear whether those stocks would be available immediately.
'There are various ways to fill this Patriot gap,' a German government spokesperson told a news conference in Berlin on Friday. One option being considered was for the German government to buy the Patriot missile batteries in the United States and then send them to Ukraine.
'I can confirm that intensive discussions are indeed being held on this matter,' the spokesperson said.
Sign up to This Week in Trumpland
A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration
after newsletter promotion
The shortage of Patriot missiles was further highlighted by a record bombardment of Ukraine in which Russia sent more than 550 drones and ballistic missiles at major cities in what Zelenskyy described as a 'deliberate act of terror'.
The strike immediately followed the call between Putin and Trump, Zelenskyy said, and was a 'clear interpretation of how Moscow interprets diplomacy'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
24 minutes ago
- The Sun
Epstein prison CCTV is finally RELEASED 6yrs after paedo's ‘suicide'…as probe ‘reveals whether financier killed himself'
James Halpin Published: Invalid Date, PRISON CCTV outside Jeffrey Epstein's cell has finally been released six years after the paedo was found dead. Around 11 hours of footage has been released from inside the Metropolitan Correctional Centre in New York City on the 9th and 10th of August in 2019. 5 5 5 It shows a grey-haired Epstein in an orange jump suit being led to his cell by a guard from the left of the footage. The pair move down a small flight of stairs and walk across the common area as they walk to the cell. CCTV footage doesn't show Epstein's cell door, but it would capture anyone walking to it, the Justice Department said. Other than the guard leaving, no one walks across the common area towards Epstein's cell or away from it. The footage was caught between 7.40pm and 10am the next day. The disgraced financier was found hanged in jail on the 10th, but speculation has been rife that others were involved. FBI deputy director Dan Bongino pledged to release the footage after it had been a Donald Trump campaign promise. Bongino wants to end all debate by releasing proof that no one entered or left the cell before the suicide. The FBI has now concluded Epstein died by suicide and that he had no "client list" used to blackmail powerful figures. Investigators found "no credible evidence … that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals" and no "evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties". Bongino said the footage will prove the official police records to be correct. Attorney general Pam Bondi released hundreds of pages of information connected to Epstein in March, promising it would disclose "a lot of names" and flight logs that would "make you sick". But the much-awaited release of flight logs and more was overhyped by Bondi and fell flat. Elon Musk has also accused Trump of being in the files after the pair's relationship broke apart. Musk provided no evidence and later deleted the post saying he went "too far". 5 5
The Guardian
25 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Tesla shares dive as investors fear new Elon Musk political party will damage brand
Shares in Tesla are heading for a sharp fall in the US as investors fear Elon Musk's launch of a new political party will present further problems for the electric carmaker. Tesla stock was down more than 7% in pre-market trading on Monday, threatening to wipe approximately $70bn (£51bn) off the company's value when Wall Street opens. If the shares fell by that much, Musk would see the value of his stock fall by more than $9bn to about $120bn. The Tesla and Space X boss remains comfortably the world's richest person, with a wealth of about $400bn, according to Forbes. Tesla is valued at just under $1tn but its shares have come under pressure due to the Tesla CEO's relationship with Donald Trump. First, Musk's strong support for the US president created a consumer backlash and now the antagonistic turn in his relationship with Trump has investors worried Musk will be distracted from his day job, or that the White House will punish his businesses. Dan Ives, analyst at Wedbush Securities, said Musk's announcement that he is bankrolling a US political party will alarm investors. 'Very simply, Musk diving deeper into politics and now trying to take on the Beltway establishment is exactly the opposite direction that Tesla investors/shareholders want him to take during this crucial period for the Tesla story,' Ives said, adding that there was a 'broader sense of exhaustion' among Tesla investors that Musk – the company's largest shareholder – will not stay out of politics. Trump on Sunday called Musk's plans to form the America party 'ridiculous', launching new barbs at the world's richest person. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion In a post on the Truth Social tech platform, Trump wrote: 'I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely 'off the rails,' essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks.' Musk announced the creation of the America party on his X platform at the weekend. He wrote: 'When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy. Today, the America party is formed to give you back your freedom.'
Finextra
33 minutes ago
- Finextra
Fintech sector braced for fresh wave of disruption as AI changes the game
As artificial intelligence reshapes the business landscape, fintechs stand poised to usher in a fresh wave of disruption as the industry emerges from a prolonged slump. 0 According to a new report from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and seasoned fintech investor QED, 'Fintech's Next Chapter: Scaled Winners and Emerging Disruptors', the sector has emerged from a tough funding environment stronger, more disciplined, and with greater growth prospects than ever. In 2024, fintech revenues grew by 21% — up from 13% in 2023 — marking a threefold increase over incumbent banks. Meanwhile, the average Ebitda margin of public fintechs climbed to 16%, and 69% of public fintechs are now profitable. Importantly, much of this performance is being driven by a new class of scaled players generating $500 million or more in annual revenue. These now account for approximately 60% of total fintech revenues. 'A class of scaled fintechs is coming of age. Investors are demanding greater maturity, and regulators want more accountability,' says Deepak Goyal, a managing director and senior partner at BCG. 'Meanwhile, emerging disruptors are harnessing next-generation technologies like agentic AI and pioneering new business models, pushing established players to continuously innovate.' The report pinpoints agentic AI as the next wave of disruption, changing the game in commerce, vertical SaaS, and personal financial management. At the same time, challenger banks are scaling fast: 24 institutions with over $500 million in annual revenues are growing deposits at 37% annually — 30 percentage points higher than traditional banks. The funding environment is also maturing, with private credit emerging as a key tailwind for fintech lending. 'Fintechs are winning in spaces where traditional banks have largely ceded the competitive ground, such as banking for lower-income households and buy now, pay later,' says Nigel Morris, managing partner at QED Investors. 'Fintechs are growing three times faster than incumbents as they leverage digital distribution channels and increasingly utilize AI. Having emerged from the last two years with stronger fundamental unit economics and high net promoter scores, it's easy to see why there's an appetite for IPO-ready companies that deliver profitable growth. Fintech is ushering in a new era in financial services.'
