logo
Trump evokes Russia sanctions after largest drone assault on Ukraine

Trump evokes Russia sanctions after largest drone assault on Ukraine

RTÉ News​a day ago
US President Donald Trump said Russia just wanted to "keep killing people" and hinted at sanctions after Moscow launched its largest ever drone and missile attack on Ukraine.
Mr Trump said he was "very unhappy" about his telephone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, saying: "He wants to go all the way, just keep killing people, it's no good".
The US president said he and Mr Putin talked about sanctions "a lot".
"He understands that it may be coming," he added.
Largest ever drone attack overnight
Hours-long Russian bombardments sent Ukrainians scurrying for shelters across the country, which came after the call between Mr Trump and Mr Putin, which ended without a breakthrough.
Drones were heard buzzing over the capital and explosions rang out throughout the night as Ukrainian air defence systems fended off the attack.
Tymur, a Kyiv resident who said he had experienced previous Russian attacks said the assault in the early hours yesterday felt different from others.
"Nothing like this attack had ever happened before. There have never been so many explosions," he said.
UN condemns drone attacks on Ukraine
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned Russia's biggest drone and missile attack yet in the three-year war in Ukraine.
"The Secretary-General strongly condemns the latest series of large-scale drone and missile attacks by the Russian Federation," Mr Guterres said in a statement.
He also called for a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire.
Increased military aid for Ukraine
Mr Zelensky also spoke to Mr Trump yesterday and said they agreed to work on bolstering Kyiv's defences.
"We spoke about opportunities in air defence and agreed that we will work together to strengthen protection of our skies," Mr Zelensky said on social media after the call.
Mr Trump said yesterday that he had discussed sanctions with Mr Putin, who he said is worried about them and understands they might be forthcoming.
Mr Trump also told reporters aboard Air Force One that he had discussed the possibility of sending Patriot air defense missiles to Kyiv.
It comes after the US announced this week it was reducing some of its aid deliveries to Ukraine.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said this was a clear signal that the 27-nation European Union needed to "step up".
Ukraine has also ramped up its retaliatory strikes in Russia, where a woman was killed by a Ukrainian drone attack overnight, the acting governor of the Rostov region said.
Talks, spearheaded by the United States to secure a ceasefire have stalled.
Delegations from the two sides last met more than a month ago, when they agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners each.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Russian air travel faces major disruption after Ukraine drone attacks
Russian air travel faces major disruption after Ukraine drone attacks

Irish Examiner

time44 minutes ago

  • Irish Examiner

Russian air travel faces major disruption after Ukraine drone attacks

Russia and Ukraine struck each other with hundreds of drones on Sunday, throwing Russian air travel into disarray days after Moscow launched its largest aerial assault in the three-year-old war. Photos circulating on social media showed crowds huddling at Russian airports including key international hubs in Moscow and St Petersburg, as hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled due to Ukrainian drone strikes on Saturday and overnight, according to Russia's Transport Ministry. The flight disruption hit Moscow's Sheremetyevo and St Petersburg's main Pulkovo airports. Other airports in western and central Russia also faced disruption. Russian air defences shot down 120 Ukrainian drones during the night-time attacks, and 39 more before 2pm local time on Sunday, Russia's Defence Ministry said. It did not say how many had hit targets, or how many had been launched in total. Rescue workers clear the rubble around a house damaged by a Russian strike in Kyiv (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP) Early on Sunday, Ukrainian drones injured two civilians in Russia's Belgorod region near the border, governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said. The Ukrainian attacks came just days after Russia pummelled Kyiv with waves of drones and missiles overnight into Friday, in what Ukrainian officials called the largest such strike since Moscow's all-out invasion. The seven-hour onslaught killed at least two civilians, wounded dozens more and caused widespread damage, Ukraine said, while Moscow ramped up its push to capture more of its neighbour's land. In total, Russia launched 550 drones and missiles across Ukraine that night, according to the country's air force. The barrages have coincided with a concerted Russian effort to break through parts of the roughly 620-mile front line, where Ukrainian troops are under severe pressure. Large-scale Russian drone strikes on Sunday injured three civilians in Kyiv and at least two in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city in the north east, officials said. A large Russian attack involving Shahed drones also targeted port infrastructure in Mykolaiv in central Ukraine, according to governor Vitaliy Kim. He reported warehouses and the port's power grid were damaged but there were no casualties. Hours later, Russia launched a glide bomb and a drone at the front-line town of Kostyantynivka in eastern Ukraine, killing four civilians and injuring a fifth, the prosecutor's office said. The drone struck a car in which a married couple were travelling, killing the 39-year-old woman and 40-year-old man on the spot, it said.

China curbs EU medtech procurement from today
China curbs EU medtech procurement from today

Irish Examiner

time2 hours ago

  • Irish Examiner

China curbs EU medtech procurement from today

China will impose some reciprocal curbs on medical-device procurement for companies based in the European Union, adding tensions between the two major trading partners just as Beijing seeks to shore up ties while it fights a trade war with the US. Starting from today, Sunday, EU-based companies will be excluded from the Chinese government procurement for certain medical devices if the value is higher than 45m Chinese yuan (€5.3m), according to a statement from the country's ministry of finance on Sunday. Medtech's key role in Irish economy There are approximately 450 medical device and technology companies operating in Ireland, including nine of the world's 10 largest companies in this space. According to Irish Medtech, the sector employs more than 48,000 people. Products made by EU-funded companies in China are not impacted by the curbs, its ministry of commerce said in a separate statement. China's move came after the EU announced plans to restrict Chinese medical device manufacturers from accessing public procurement contracts worth more than €5m. The measures will restrict Chinese companies from accessing around 60% of the public spending in this field, or around €150bn, according to an EU official familiar with the plans. The EU will also allow no more than 50% of inputs from China for successful bids. Chinese medtech sales into EU Chinese exports of medical devices to the EU have more than doubled between 2015 and 2023, the European Commission said in a statement. In another sign of increasing tensions between Europe and Beijing, the Chinese government intended to shorten a two-day summit with EU leaders this month to just a day, Bloomberg reported on Friday. China also announced anti-dumping duties on European brandy on Friday while exempting major cognac makers that agreed to minimum price levels. The action followed the EU's decision in 2024 to levy duties as high as 45% on Chinese-made electric vehicles. European countries have complained that the Chinese government has failed to address overcapacity in sectors including steel, unfair subsidies, and market access to its economy. Bloomberg

Trump's tariff date arrives after 90-day rollercoaster
Trump's tariff date arrives after 90-day rollercoaster

Irish Examiner

time2 hours ago

  • Irish Examiner

Trump's tariff date arrives after 90-day rollercoaster

Major US trading partners scrambled over the weekend to finalise trade deals or lobby for extra time as US president Donald Trump said he's notifying about a dozen countries today of the new tariff level on their shipments to the US. 'I signed some letters and they'll go out on Monday — probably 12,' Mr Trump told reporters over the Fourth of July weekend, adding the missives involve 'different amounts of money, different amounts of tariffs and somewhat different statements'. Asked to identify the countries, he said, 'I have to announce it on Monday.' Mr Trump's latest remarks suggest talks remain fluid and deals elusive before the July 9 deadline announced by the US administration. The letters were supposed to go out on July 4 with a tariff imposition date of August 1 based on Mr Trump's earlier comments. But US officials were busily negotiating through the holiday weekend, including with Japan, South Korea, the European Union, India, and Vietnam. One of Mr Trump's signature moves in dealmaking is a unilateral threat when negotiations reach critical stages, so it's unclear whether the letters he describes are real, or merely meant to strike fear into trading partners still reluctant to offer last-minute concessions. After Mr Trump announced an agreement with Vietnam last week, the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said negotiators were still coordinating with their US counterparts to finalise the details. India threatens retaliatory levies While an interim accord with India was also expected to be reached, officials in New Delhi have signalled a tougher stance in recent days, threatening levies on some US goods in retaliation to Washington's higher tariffs on automobiles and their components. Also concerned about auto tariffs is South Korea, which has discussed with US officials extending the deadline in a last-ditch bid to avert higher levies. Basking in a major legislative win last week and with the US stock market at record levels, Mr Trump's newest trade barriers risk re-igniting investors' concerns about a broad and complex new web of customs duties to be paid by American importers. The initial rollout of Mr Trump's so-called reciprocal tariffs on April 2 sparked fears of a US recession and sent markets tumbling. That gave way to a 90-day freeze of those rates at 10% through July 9 for the more than 50 nations targeted. On top of the additional costs that tariffs create for US companies that purchase goods from abroad, domestic exporters face the possibility of retaliation from economies, including the EU. EU member states were briefed on the status of negotiations on Friday after a round of talks in Washington last week, and were told that a technical agreement in principle was close. On Friday, European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said 'progress was made towards an agreement in principle during the latest round of negotiations'. The Commission will re-engage with the US on substance over the weekend. Some EU carmakers and capitals continue to push for an agreement with Mr Trump that would allow for tariff relief in return for increasing investment in the US, according to people familiar with the matter. They added that any deal ultimately rests on Trump and expected scenarios this week include an agreement in principle that maintains the current truce without new tariffs being introduced; talks continue without a deal and country-specific levies that were suspended come into force; or the US considers the EU hasn't met its terms and announces more unilateral tariffs. The EU has indicated it's willing to accept an arrangement that includes a 10% universal tariff on many of its exports, but wants the US to commit to lower rates than that on key sectors such as pharmaceuticals, alcohol, semiconductors, and commercial aircraft. Meanwhile, Japanese prime minister Shigeru Ishiba said the country is prepared for all possible tariff scenarios. Speaking on a Fuji TV programme, he said Japan — another major auto producer trying to avoid Mr Trump's tariffs — is ready to 'stand firm' and defend its interests while anticipating every possible situation. Bloomberg

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store