War in Ukraine
Ukraine to get licence to produce Patriot missiles, Trump says
AFP via Getty Images Zelensky confirmed in May that Ukraine had formally asked the US to authorise licensed production of Patriots US President Donald Trump has offered to give Ukraine the right to produce Patriot interceptor missiles, which could help Kyiv defend against Russia’s ballistic missile attacks. “We are gonna give you a licence to make Patriots,” Trump told Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky during Wednesday’s Nato summit in Ankara. “I think they can produce them very quickly once we explain it.” He said he had not yet informed defence manufacturers LockheedRead more
32 nations but only one man matters – Nato’s summit is all about Trump
Getty Images Nato’s chief Mark Rutte (left) wants to give Donald Trump what he wants – higher defence spending by America’s allies Nato summits tend to be “pre-cooked”, not least to present a united front. Secretary General Mark Rutte has already settled on the menu for their meeting at The Hague: one that will avoid a row with Nato’s most powerful member, the US. A commitment to increase defence spending by European allies is the dish that President Donald Trump wants served – and that’s exactly what he’ll be getting.Read more
Russia can end war now, says PM as Putin warns West
Russia started the conflict in Ukraine and can end it “straight away”, Sir Keir Starmer has said after Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested Moscow would regard Western missiles being fired into Russia as a serious escalation of the war. The PM is in Washington for talks with US President Joe Biden on Friday, as allies of Kyiv discuss giving Ukraine permission to fire their missiles at targets inside Russia. Putin told Russian state television that this would “mean nothing other than the direct participation of Nato countries – the USRead more
Peace talks tomorrow if Russia leaves Ukraine – Zelensky
Kyiv will hold peace talks with Russia tomorrow if Moscow pulls out of all Ukrainian territory, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said. But speaking at the close of a summit for peace in Switzerland, he said Russian President Vladimir Putin would not end the war and had to be stopped “in any way we can”, whether by military or diplomatic means. Western aid was not enough to win the war, he added, but the summit had shown that international support for Ukraine was not weakening. The meeting concluded with dozens ofRead more