
US to send Ukraine more 'defensive weapons'
President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday that Ukraine has to be able to defend itself. He said, "They're getting hit very hard now" and that the United States is going to have to send more weapons.
The Department of Defense then announced that at President Trump's direction, it is sending additional defensive weapons to Ukraine. It did not disclose the specific types of weapons.
The Trump administration had halted some weapons shipments to Ukraine amid reports of declines in stockpiles of artillery rounds, missiles and other armaments.
Ukraine has come under repeated attacks by Russian missiles and large numbers of drones and faces the task of strengthening its air defense capabilities. The latest plan indicates once again that Trump supports Ukraine's defense.
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Japan Times
an hour ago
- Japan Times
Trump vows no tariff extension, hardens threats on copper, drugs
U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to push forward with his aggressive tariff regime in the coming days, stressing he would not offer additional extensions on country-specific levies set to now hit in early August while indicating he could announce substantial new rates on imports of copper and pharmaceuticals. The posturing on social media and at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday came after traders initially shrugged off a series of letters and executive actions Trump issued Monday, pushing back the deadline for his "reciprocal' tariffs while announcing the latest rates he planned for more than a dozen countries that had not succeeded in brokering quick trade agreements. That changed Tuesday as Trump signaled a renewed determination to push ahead with his plans to heavily tax foreign imports. Trump said he would offer no additional delays on the country-specific tariffs, despite the previous night allowing he was "not 100% firm' on his Aug. 1 deadline. He said he would impose a 50% rate on copper products being sent into the U.S., causing futures of the commodity to surge to their largest intraday gain in data going back to at least 1988. He also told reporters that despite progress with the European Union on a trade deal, frustration over the bloc's taxes and fines targeting U.S. technology firms could result in him unilaterally declaring a new tariff rate within the next two days. And just hours after saying he was close to a trade deal with India, Trump said he would still tag imports from the country with an additional 10% levy for their participation in BRICS, a collection of developing nations. Moreover, he said, drug companies could face a tax as high as 200% on imports if they didn't move production to the U.S. in the next year. "We want to have relationships, but in every case, they treated us far worse than I'm treating them,' Trump said of trading partners. Copper wires at a recycling facility in Salt Lake City, Utah, on May 8. Copper futures on Tuesday surged to their largest intraday gain in data going back to at least 1988, after Trump said he would impose a tariff on the metal. | Bloomberg As investors assessed the latest trade news, the S&P 500 wavered. Treasurys joined a global drop in longer-dated bonds. Trump opened the morning with a social media post declaring his new rates would hit at the beginning of August, despite speculation that he might once again punt on the most punishing of tariffs. "TARIFFS WILL START BEING PAID ON AUGUST 1, 2025. There has been no change to this date, and there will be no change,' Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday. "In other words, all money will be due and payable starting AUGUST 1, 2025 — No extensions will be granted.' Trump began notifying trading partners of the new rates on Monday ahead of what was initially a deadline this week for countries to wrap up trade negotiations with his administration. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, speaking to CNBC shortly after the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, said he expected an additional 15 to 20 letters to be released in the coming two days. But the new letters, unilaterally setting duties on countries that fail to reach deals, came alongside an executive order delaying the tariff date for three weeks, effectively giving trading partners an extension for talks. That caveat — paired with Trump signaling that he was still negotiating additional deals — fueled skepticism among some in Washington and on Wall Street that the president would follow through on his latest tariff threats. On Tuesday, Trump adopted a more strident tone as he addressed reporters during a Cabinet meeting, saying that despite previously indicating he was close to a trade deal with India, he still planned to punish the country for its participation in the BRICS forum. Trump said the group of developing countries was "set up to hurt us.' "I can play that game too so anybody that's in BRICS is getting a 10%' tariff addition, Trump said. Trump also said that he was close to sending the European Union a letter unilaterally setting tariff rates, despite reported progress in trade talks with the bloc. The U.S. president said that while European nations were now "treating us very nicely,' he remained frustrated over longstanding trade deficits and digital services taxes and fines impacting U.S. technology companies. "We're probably two days off from sending them a letter,' he said. Trump also said he would impose tariffs of 60% or 70% on some nations as he issued additional letters in the coming days. "I just want you to know a letter means a deal,' he said. Trump also he was still planning tariffs on select industries, including drugs, semiconductors, and metals. "I believe the tariff on copper we're going to make it 50%,' he said when asked by a reporter what the rate on those products would be. Trump said he expected to offer pharmaceutical manufacturers some time to bring their operations to the U.S. before slapping tariffs of as much as 200% on their products. An S&P 500 index of drugmakers turned negative after Trump's comments, while shares of Eli Lilly & Co., Merck & Co. and Pfizer Inc. pared earlier gains. "We're going to give people about a year, a year and a half, to come in,' Trump said. "And after that they're going to be tariffed if they have to bring the pharmaceuticals into the country, the drugs and other things, into the country. They're going to be tariffed at a very, very high rate, like 200%. We'll give them a certain period of time to get their act together.' Copper plates on wagons ready for shipping in Mufulira, Zambia. Trump has said he would impose a 50% tariff on copper products being sent into the U.S. | Bloomberg Trump has already announced investigations under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 on each of those products, arguing that a flood of foreign imports was threatening national security. After those efforts are concluded, Trump is expected to move forward with the levies. The effort is separate from the country-specific tariff rates, which White House officials have said would not apply to products hit under his Section 232 efforts. The move was only the latest in a trade agenda that has seen numerous delays and reversals as Trump has used the threat of tariffs to reshape global trade flows and pressure companies to shift more manufacturing jobs to the United States, roiling financial markets in the process. Trump initially announced the higher reciprocal rates on over 50 trading partners on April 2, but lowered those rates temporarily to 10% for 90 days, allowing time for negotiations. That deadline was set to expire this week, but Trump signed an executive order on Monday pushing implementation until Aug. 1. While the administration initially talked up plans to hold concurrent negotiations with dozens of partners, so far the U.S. has only finalized framework trade deals with the U.K. and Vietnam — with many key details still unresolved — and achieved a truce with China to lower rates. The tariff notifications sent on Monday largely kept in place the rates Trump had earlier said nations would face if talks did not secure agreements. Japan and South Korea were hit with 25% tariffs, while South Africa received 30% and Laos and Myanmar were hit with 40% levies. Trump has also warned nations not to retaliate, saying that any moves to counter the U.S. would see duties increased by that amount.


The Mainichi
an hour ago
- The Mainichi
Bessent to visit Japan for World Expo in Osaka, possibly next week
WASHINGTON (Kyodo) -- U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is scheduled to visit Japan, possibly next week, as a member of the U.S. delegation to the World Exposition in Osaka, an official said Tuesday. Without providing further details, the Treasury Department official disclosed Bessent's planned visit on condition of anonymity. The United States will mark its national day, featuring a range of entertaining programs, on July 19 at the expo. Bessent is a key figure in the ongoing U.S. tariff negotiations with Japan. His plan became known a day after President Donald Trump said the United States will impose a 25 percent tariff on imports from Japan starting Aug. 1. As the bilateral talks appear to be stalled, it remains unclear whether Bessent will meet with Japan's chief tariff negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, or other officials while in the country. The visit will be Bessent's first to Japan since Trump returned to the White House in January for his nonconsecutive second presidency. Japan and the United States have had in-person ministerial negotiations over Trump's latest tariff regime seven times. For every round of meetings, Akazawa has traveled to Washington. Given the planned trip, Bessent will likely skip a meeting of Group of 20 finance ministers and central bank governors in South Africa next week. In a letter addressed to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and posted in full on social media on Monday, Trump said, "Please understand that the 25% number is far less than what is needed to eliminate the Trade Deficit disparity we have with your Country." The tariff rate is 1 percentage point higher than what Trump initially unveiled on April 2, prompting Ishiba to call the president's move "truly regrettable." The 25 percent rate was announced before the expiration, originally set for Wednesday, of his 90-day pause on country-specific tariffs, targeting dozens of trading partners. Along with Japan, Trump notified 13 other countries, including Indonesia, Thailand and South Korea, of new tariff rates via letters. At the same time, he extended the pause to Aug. 1 and urged the 14 countries to compromise before the new tariffs take effect. During a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Trump said "tremendous amounts of money" had already started flowing into the United States as a result of his tariff strategy. "We never did that before. We're not used to it," he said. "The big money will start coming in on August 1st." Following Japan's receipt of the tariff letter, Akazawa, the country's minister for economic revitalization, spoke to Bessent by phone for about 30 minutes. The Japanese government said Akazawa and Bessent agreed to continue "vigorous consultations" between the two countries. Akazawa spoke separately with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, during which they also agreed to advance the ongoing talks, according to the government.

Japan Times
an hour ago
- Japan Times
Trump slams Putin again as he backs more weapons for Ukraine
U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his displeasure with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine and confirmed he's sending more defensive weapons to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's government, sweeping aside an earlier pause by the Pentagon. "He's killing too many people, so we're sending some defensive weapons to Ukraine, and I've approved it,' Trump told reporters at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. Earlier in the meeting, he said he was "not happy with Putin' because the Russian leader is "killing a lot of people.' It was the second time in less than 24 hours that Trump has expressed disapproval of Putin over his refusal to work toward a ceasefire in Ukraine, an idea that Zelenskyy has backed. Trump has turned away from claims he made before taking office that he could end the war in 24 hours. At the Cabinet meeting, Trump said he's also looking "very strongly' at a bill introduced in the Senate that would impose severe sanctions on Russia and on countries that purchase its oil, petroleum products, natural gas or uranium. He called it an "optional bill.' Sen. Lindsey Graham said he hoped there would be an announcement by the Senate leadership on the sanctions measure this week. "With the weapons flowing, this bill passing, the Europeans having a sanctions package, I think it's the best chance to get Putin to the table,' Graham, a South Carolina Republican, told reporters Tuesday. He said the latest bill includes waivers giving Trump more flexibility, increasing the likelihood it would pass both houses of Congress. "President Trump is good, it has a waiver, he told me it's time to move, so we're going to move,' Graham added. On Monday, Trump said at the start of a dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he was "disappointed' that Putin hadn't stopped fighting. In recent weeks, Russia has been hammering Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with record numbers of drone and missile assault, leading Trump to make clear his mounting frustration with Putin. The comments suggest Trump is running out of patience with the Russian leader after having openly expressed admiration for him in the past. That's good news for Zelenskyy, who initially bore the brunt of Trump's ire over the war even though Putin was responsible for the invasion that began in 2022. At the Netanyahu dinner, Trump said he was planning on providing more weapons to Ukraine. That's put the Pentagon in an awkward position. Last week, it ordered a pause in the flow of air-defense missiles, artillery shells and other hardware, saying it needed to review its stockpiles. But Trump's comments prompted a quick reversal, with spokesman Sean Parnell saying Monday night the Pentagon "will send additional defensive weapons to Ukraine to ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we work to secure a lasting peace.' The proposed sanctions have gotten support from many of Trump's most ardent backers, including Newt Gingrich, the former Republican speaker of the House. In a post on X, he said the bill "will send a big signal to Putin that talking and killing is a losing strategy.'