Zelenskyy: Agreed with Trump to work on strengthening Ukrainian air defense
Zelenskyy said in a social media post on Friday that he had a "very important and fruitful" phone call with Trump.
He said the two had agreed to a meeting between their teams.
Ukraine's emergency authorities say the Russian military carried out one of the largest attacks on the country through Friday. One person was killed and 26 others, including a child, were wounded in the capital Kyiv.
Ukraine has stressed the need to enhance its air defense capabilities.
The Trump administration says it has halted some weapons shipments to Ukraine, reportedly including air defense missiles.
Zelenskyy said he and Trump had a ''detailed conversation'' about defense industry capabilities and joint production.
But the Ukrainian president made no mention of whether supplies of air defense missiles will resume.
US news outlet Axios quoted a Ukrainian official and another source as saying that Trump had conveyed to Zelenskyy Washington's willingness to help Ukraine with air defense.
It remains to be seen whether the leaders' phone call will lead to a resumption of US weapons shipments.
The focus is on whether the phone talk can lead to resumption of US weapons shipments.
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Japan Times
an hour ago
- Japan Times
Ukraine voices concern as U.S. halts some missile shipments
A decision by Washington to halt some shipments of critical weapons to Ukraine prompted warnings by Kyiv on Wednesday that the move would weaken its ability to defend against intensifying airstrikes and battlefield advances. Ukraine said it had called in the acting U.S. envoy to Kyiv to underline the importance of military aid from Washington continuing, and cautioned that any cut-off would embolden Russia in its war in Ukraine. The Pentagon's decision — tied to concerns that U.S. military stockpiles are too low — began in recent days and includes 30 Patriot air defense missiles, which Ukraine relies on to destroy fast-moving ballistic missiles, four people familiar with the decision said on Wednesday. It also includes nearly 8,500 155mm artillery shells, more than 250 precision GMLRS (mobile rocket artillery) missiles and 142 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles, they said. "The Ukrainian side emphasized that any delay or procrastination in supporting Ukraine's defense capabilities will only encourage the aggressor to continue the war and terror, rather than seek peace," Ukraine's foreign ministry said. The defense ministry said it had not been officially notified of any halt in U.S. shipments and was seeking clarity from its American counterparts. A Ukrainian source familiar with the situation said the decision was a "total shock." Deputy White House press secretary Anna Kelly said the decision was made "to put America's interests first" following a Department of Defense review of military support around the world. "The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned — just ask Iran," she said, referring to U.S. bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities last month. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said the U.S. needed to take care of its stockpiles but told Fox News that "in the short term, Ukraine cannot do without all the support it can get" when it comes to ammunition and air defense systems. Dozens of people have been killed in recent airstrikes on Ukrainian cities and Russian forces, which control about a fifth of Ukraine, have been making gains in the east. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the decision risks Ukrainian lives, undermines Washington's credibility and will make it harder to end the war. "This sends a message to not just our allies, like Ukraine and our European allies, but it sends a message to our adversaries, to China, to North Korea, to Russia, that our allies can't count on the United States," she told WKBK radio in her home state New Hampshire. Since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January, he has softened Washington's position toward Russia, seeking a diplomatic solution to the war and raising doubts about future U.S. military support for Kyiv. Trump said last week he was considering selling more Patriot air defense missiles to Ukraine after meeting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Fedir Venislavskyi, a member of the Ukrainian parliament's national security and defense committee, said the decision to halt shipments was "very unpleasant for us." In an email, the Pentagon said it was providing Trump with options to continue military aid to Ukraine in line with the goal of ending the war. Elbridge Colby, undersecretary of defense for policy, said it was "rigorously examining and adapting its approach ... while also preserving U.S. forces' readiness." All weapons aid was briefly stopped in February, with a second, longer halt in March. Washington resumed sending the last of the aid approved under the previous administration, of Democratic President Joe Biden, but no new aid to Ukraine has been announced. The Kremlin welcomed the news of a halt, saying the conflict would end sooner if fewer arms reached Ukraine. Kyiv residents expressed alarm at the Pentagon's decision. "If we end up in a situation where there's no air defense left, I will move (out of Kyiv), because my safety is my first concern," said Oksana Kurochkina, a 35-year-old lawyer. On the battlefield, a halt in precision munitions would limit the capacity of Ukrainian troops to strike Russian positions farther behind the front line, said Jack Watling, a military analyst at the Royal United Services Institute. "In short, this decision will cost Ukrainian lives and territory," he said.
Yomiuri Shimbun
an hour ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Donald Trump Has Wrapped His Political Career in the American Flag
He was born on June 14, the date President Woodrow Wilson designated as Flag Day. As a real estate developer, he battled the town of Palm Beach over the height of a flagpole at his Mar-a-Lago estate. As president in 2020, he hugged and kissed the flag and appeared to call it 'baby' as a crowd cheered at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Trump has wrapped his political career in the American flag, making the Stars and Stripes a central visual in his 'Make America Great Again' movement. On Friday, he celebrated July Fourth from the South Lawn of the White House, where he recently installed an 88-foot flagpole. He attended a picnic there with military families and signed his signature tax and spending legislation in front of more than a dozen American flags. He wore his signature uniform: a red tie, white shirt and blue suit, along with a MAGA cap that had an American flag embroidered on the side. Almost every politician uses the American flag as a backdrop, but no other has deployed the national symbol as their own brand as extensively as the former retail and licensing mogul. His family business sells dozens of 'Trump' branded trinkets with flag imagery, including a $120 rubber beach tote and a $110 knit sweater. His supporters have imposed his face on American flags, which they fly from their vehicles or wave from the crowds at his political rallies. His campaign peddled gold lapel pins with 'TRUMP' emblazoned on the flag, available for a $50 donation. And only Trump has transformed the meaning of the American flag into one of the most divisive topics in modern discourse. As flags are raised throughout the country to honor the traditionally unifying anniversary of the country's birthday, Trump's efforts to absorb the American flag into the branding of his Republican Party have left the nation divided over how to celebrate. He calls his supporters 'patriots' and his opponents anti-American, ripping open long-simmering debates over what it means to wave the flag and who gets to define American freedom. He has also spurred efforts among some Democrats and Trump opponents to embrace the flag and Independence Day celebrations – while, among others who do not care for Trump, he has pushed them away from such traditionally patriotic activities. 'It is fitting that the President of the United States loves the Star-Spangled Banner, which represents our nation's brave heroes that have fought and died for our freedom,' said White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers. 'The American flag has always been important to the President's identity – from the day he was born, on Flag Day, it was clear that his DNA is USA.' This year, some July Fourth barbecues and block parties served as undisguised anti-Trump demonstrations. 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'Patriotism does not belong to one party,' an accompanying letter said. 'The flag, and the values it stands for, belong to every single American.' Deluzio, who served in Iraq in the Navy, said he was motivated to distribute the flags because no one party has a 'monopoly' on American pride. Trump undermines his flag-waving displays by showing 'disdain' for service members and attacking political rivals in the presence of military leaders, Deluzio said in an interview. 'I refuse to take a lecture on patriotism from this guy,' Deluzio said. After November 2020, as Trump falsely claimed that he had won the election, many of his supporters displayed upside-down American flags as an anti-Biden symbol. Rioters carried such a flag into the U.S. Capitol when they sought to block the certification of the election results on Jan. 6, 2021. 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Yomiuri Shimbun
an hour ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
From UFC Fights to State Fairs, Trump Unveils Plans for Nation's 250th
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Much of his campaign rally-style, hourlong speech was spent touting the signature legislation that passed earlier in the day, a bill that he is planning to sign at the White House on Friday afternoon ahead of Independence Day fireworks. 'There could be no better birthday present for America than the phenomenal victory we achieved just hours ago when Congress passed the one Big Beautiful Bill,' he said. At one point while describing the bill he used a term many consider to be an antisemitic slur while referencing unscrupulous bankers. 'No death tax. No estate tax. No going to the banks and borrowing from, in some cases, a fine banker – and in some cases, shylocks and bad people,' he said. Joe Biden in 2014 also used the term during a speech, later apologizing for it. The semiquincentennial celebrations will give the showman president a powerful platform from which to project his vision of U.S. strength and history onto the world. But at a moment when the country is deeply divided along partisan lines, the plans are also likely to spur vigorous debate over how to tell the story of the nation's history – and who should be the narrator. From the Oval Office, Trump has sought to reframe how American history is told, renaming federal monuments and creating displays that advance his vision of the country. He has denounced a full telling of that history, one that includes the country's flaws, as unpatriotic – stoking deep tensions about race and identity throughout his political career. Trump in March signed an executive order titled 'Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,' which claimed to address the ways his political opponents 'undermine the remarkable achievements of the United States by casting its founding principles and historical milestones in a negative light.' His administration has sought to minimize leaders and events that do not square with his ideology, stripping the name of gay rights leader Harvey Milk from a Navy ship and restoring the last names of Confederate generals to Army installations. In his remarks on Thursday, he touted his policies against transgender Americans, about making English the official language of the United States, and called those who pushed to rename military bases that previously honored Confederates 'radical left lunatics.' 'In everything we do, we're once again defending the values, traditions and beliefs that made every generation before us so very proud to be American,' he said. Trump originally conceived of the fair as an event on the Iowa State Fairgrounds that would bring 'millions and millions of visitors from around the world to the heartland of America for this special, one-time festival.' But the event has evolved into a more sprawling celebration beyond the pavilions of Des Moines with a grand title: 'A New Era of American Greatness.' Now, the America 250 Commission will host a two-week fair on the National Mall next year around July 4, including food vendors and exhibits from all 50 states, according the White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private plans. The 'Great American State Fair' will also travel around the country to state and county fairs over the next year. Trump has said he wants the fair to 'promote pride in American history,' and expanded on plans in his speech. 'The Great American State Fair will bring America 250 programing to fairgrounds across the country, culminating in a giant patriotic festival next summer on the National Mall, featuring exhibits from all 50 states,' he said. He also said that he would celebrate the 250th anniversaries of the Navy and the Marines, just as he recently did for the Army. He again touted a rise in military recruitment numbers and the performance of troops who had recently executed a strike on Iran's nuclear capabilities, promoting his decision to authorize strikes on Iran and defending its results. The career entertainer, who often attends NASCAR races and UFC bouts, has long had a love of fairs and the rollicking and unpredictable settings they can provide. In 1996, he opened the Trump World's Fair Casino at an event that included strolling performers, jugglers, stilt walkers and high school marching bands – along with a fireworks and laser light display choreographed to music. It featured artifacts from and murals of past U.S. World's Fairs and included a 3,000-pound stainless steel sphere similar to the 'Unisphere' from the World's Fair held in 1964-1965 in Flushing Meadows. The biggest mural, however, rose over an escalator and was of Trump himself, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. 'We've been looking forward to this day for a long time,' Trump said when it opened. 'Trump World's Fair is an exciting destination, uniquely designed around the World's Fair theme, that we know will be well-received.' About three years later, it closed. It was losing some $10 million per year. Falling glass panes had forced closures of businesses below. Eventually, it was demolished. Trump also installed a 'Unisphere' look-alike at the Trump International Hotel and Tower on Columbus Circle in Manhattan. City officials objected when he adorned the structure with 'Trump International' in big letters. 'Well, do you know originally they wanted to tear down the Eiffel Tower?' he said during a 2008 appearance with shock jock Howard Stern. 'Do you know the Eiffel Tower was built just during the World Fair?' One of Trump's most significant experiences with a fair came when he was an early presidential candidate in 2015. He arrived at one known for its deep-fried foods, presidential candidates speaking from bales of hay and a life-size cow carved from 600 pounds of butter. Trump made his appearance that year from a black helicopter emblazoned with bold letters spelling T-R-U-M-P, circling several times before landing. Hillary Clinton was strolling below him, posing for selfies. Trump emerged wearing his signature red cap along with white dress shoes and French cuffs. He offered rides in his helicopter to randomly selected handfuls of Iowa children. When Trump won a second term last year, Iowa's leaders responded, ready to execute his vision of a fair. 'We know the Iowa State Fair is the best fair in the country!' Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds wrote on X on Nov. 7, two days after the election. 'In Iowa, we dream big, and we stand ready to host the Great American State Fair!' Iowa state lawmakers in May approved legislation to allow state residents to set off fireworks around Independence Day and New Year's Eve, an effort to align it with the festive atmosphere Trump is seeking for next year's celebrations. During the debate, opponents questioned why the state was changing its laws to appease the president, while others pointed to firework displays dating to the nation's founding. 'Mr. President, we welcome that idea in Iowa, and we're ready, willing and able to host the party,' state Rep. Bill Gustoff said during debate on the measure. 'We need to enable Iowans to be part of that celebration.' At one point during his remarks, a bang occurred in the distance. 'Don't worry, it's only fireworks. I hope,' said Trump, who survived an assassination attempt a year ago this month. 'Famous last words. My famous last words. 'Trump said, 'Don't worry, it's only fireworks.' You always have to think positive.'
