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Leader insisted Russia and China have ‘zero fear of Nato’ without US
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President Donald Trump has lashed out at Nato after the alliance made several critical comments about US military ambitions in recent days.
The US leader said that if it weren’t for his involvement “Russia would have all of Ukraine right now”, adding that Russia had “zero fear of Nato” without the support of the US.
“Without my involvement, Russia would have ALL OF UKRAINE right now,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday.
“Russia and China have zero fear of Nato without the United States, and I doubt Nato would be there for us if we really needed them.”
He continued: “Everyone is lucky that I rebuilt our military in my first term, and continue to do so. We will always be there for Nato, even if they won’t be there for us.”
It comes as President Volodymyr Zelensky said he hoped to meet Trump very soon, possibly in Washington DC, as peace talks continued in Paris.
Defence Secretary John Healey addressed the House of Commons on Wednesday and said that the UK’s commitments to Ukraine is “our mission – both to support the fight today as well as secure the peace tomorrow”
He concluded his statement with: “Our government will always act in the interest of national security, we’re committed to countering the threats opposed by our adversaries, we are committed to standing by our closest allies and we are committed to keeping Britain secure at home and strong abroad.”
Defence Secretary John Healey made a statement in the House of Commons on Wednesday and said: “The UK and France will take a leading role first in using military, economic and diplomatic instruments to ensure the conclusion of a peace agreement.
“Second in supporting the development of Ukraine’s defence capabilities and third in commanding a national to national force for Ukraine which plans to deploys to Ukriane after a ceasefire has been agreed.
“There a plans to employ from nations in the ‘coalition of the willing’ to carry out defence and deterrent operations in the air, on the land and at sea to conduct training, planning recovery and regeneration of Ukrainian forces.”
Mr Healey also explained that they will also create military hubs to support this work across the country and to build protective facilities within Ukraine for weapons and equipment.
Zelensky himself has admitted that a ceasefire is unlikely given Moscow’s refusal to accede to its demands. But a pledge by the UK and France to deploy troops in Ukraine if there is a peace deal represents progress, writes Bel Trew.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said that no additional demands should be placed on Ukraine in peace talks.
He also called on Kyiv’s allies to step up their pressure on Russia, in particular via sanctions.
“We are doing everything required on our side in the negotiation process. And we expect that no additional or excessive demands will be placed on Ukraine,” he said during a visit to Cyprus, which has assumed the EU’s rotating presidency.
Aldrich Ames, the notorious CIA turncoat responsible for one of the most devastating intelligence breaches in US history, has died at the age of 84 in a Maryland prison.
His death on Monday was confirmed by a spokesperson for the Bureau of Prisons.
Ames confessed to receiving $2.5 million (£1.85m) from Moscow between 1985 and his 1994 arrest, in exchange for US secrets.
His treachery involved revealing the identities of ten Russian officials and one East European agent working for the United States or Great Britain.
A member of the 65th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is seen firing a Javelin anti-tank missile system during a military exercise at a training ground near a front line, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region on Wednesday.
President Volodymyr Zelensky met President Nikos Christodoulides in Nicosia as Cyprus formally assumed the European Union’s rotating presidency, which runs for six months.
“We are working to make as much progress as possible during this period on opening negotiating clusters and on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union,” Zelenskiy said after the meeting, in a statement posted on X on Wednesday.
“The President and I talked about strengthening sanctions against Russia, which must remain in place as long as Russia’s aggression and occupation continue.”
Christodoulides said that Ukraine will be a “central priority” of the presidency.
Ukraine will hope to push its bid for EU membership in the forthcoming months.
ritish RAF spy planes and submarine hunters circled above as US special forces boarded an empty Russian-flagged Venezuelan oil tanker in the north Atlantic in an expensive performance verging on satire.
The Marinera was chased across the oceans, switched its nationality to Russian mid-journey, painted Moscow’s flag on its side and chugged along shadowed by one of Vladimir Putin’s submarines.
But the elite sailors beneath the sea offered the aging tanker no real protection. And while the Kremlin has loudly condemned Donald Trump’s abduction of Venezuela’s president Nicola Maduro, the Marinera’s voyage did not end with nautical fisticuffs between two nuclear powers.
The Independent’s world affairs editor Sam Kiley reports:
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In a lengthy post on Truth Social, US President Donald Trump said that Nato’s economic stability was secured by his support.
“Remember, for all of those big Nato fans, they were at 2 per cent GDP, and most weren’t paying their bills, UNTIL I CAME ALONG,” he wrote on Wednesday.
“The USA was, foolishly, paying for them! I, respectfully, got them to 5 per cent GDP, AND THEY PAY, immediately. Everyone said that couldn’t be done, but it could, because, beyond all else, they are all my friends.”
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