Trump says he thought Ukraine war ‘would be easiest’ to stop
Donald Trump has admitted he underestimated the task of stopping the war in Ukraine, something he claimed he would be able to do on his first day in office for his second term.
Speaking at the first dinner held in the newly renovated Rose Garden at the White House last night, Trump again repeated his claim to have ended seven wars, a line that has already been widely debunked.
“Nobody has done what we did in seven months. We stopped seven wars. The war that I thought would probably be the easiest was the most difficult: that of Russia and Ukraine. I thought it would be easiest because of the relationship with President Putin… It didn’t matter. It ended up being probably the most difficult,” Trump said.
US president Donald Trump speaks during a dinner for lawmakers on the newly renovated Rose Garden patio (REUTERS)
Adam Withnall6 September 2025 10:54
Zelensky dismisses Putin’s ‘invitation’ to talks in Moscow
Speaking to NBC News, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected the idea of travelling to Moscow for peace talks, as proposed by Vladimir Putin.
Zelensky said Putin’s proposal was not genuine, and that the Russian president was simply “playing games” with the US.
“He can come to Kyiv. If a person doesn’t want to meet during the war, of course, he can propose something which is acceptable to me or the other. It’s understandable; I can’t go to Moscow when my country’s under missiles, under attack, each day. I can’t go to the capital of this terrorist,” Zelensky said.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, seen here speaking during a joint press conference with the European Council president in Uzhhorod on Friday (AFP/Getty)
Adam Withnall6 September 2025 09:17
India hits out at Trump aide for accusing it of ‘profiteering’ from Ukraine war
India’s government spokesperson hit back with unusually pointed remarks towards Donald Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro late yesterday.
Navarro said earlier this week that India had become the “oil money laundromat for the Kremlin”, referring to the fact India has been purchasing Russian oil in large volumes since other countries sanctioned Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. He also referred to the Ukraine conflict as “Modi’s war”.
Randhir Jaiswal said: “We have seen some wrong and misleading comments or statements from Navarro. And we would like to say that this is unacceptable for us and we reject it.”
Adam Withnall6 September 2025 08:31
Recap: Putin says foreign troops deployed to Ukraine would be ‘legitimate targets’
Russian president Vladimir Putin said yesterday that any foreign troops deployed to Ukraine before a peace agreement has been signed would be considered “legitimate targets” by Moscow’s forces.
Putin’s comments came hours after European leaders once again pledged their commitment to a potential peacekeeping force. Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said that 26 of Ukraine’s allies have pledged to deploy troops as a “reassurance force” for Ukraine once fighting ends, without naming the countries involved.
Putin told a panel at an economic forum in Vladivostok: “If any troops appear there [in Ukraine], especially now while fighting is ongoing, we assume that they will be legitimate targets.”
Putin also dismissed the idea of peacekeeping forces in Ukraine after a final peace deal, saying “no one should doubt” that Moscow would comply once a treaty is agreed to halt its 3½-year full-scale invasion of its neighbour.
He said that security guarantees would be needed for both Russia and Ukraine.
Adam Withnall6 September 2025 07:11
Trump renames Pentagon the ‘Department of War’
US president Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday to rename the Department of Defense as the “Department of War,” reverting to a title it held until after World War Two when officials sought to emphasise the Pentagon’s role in preventing conflict.
The Pentagon moved swiftly to change signs at the US military’s five-sided headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, switching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s title on his door to “Secretary of War” and the title of his No. 2, Steve Feinberg, to the “Deputy Secretary of War.”
“It’s a very important change, because it’s an attitude,” Trump said as he signed the executive order at a ceremony in the Oval Office. “It’s really about winning.”
The move would instruct Hegseth to recommend legislative and executive actions required to make the renaming permanent.
Department name changes are rare and have required congressional approval. Still, Trump questioned whether he really needed a nod from Congress, even though his fellow Republicans hold slim majorities in both the Senate and House of Representatives.
Two Republican senators, Mike Lee of Utah and Rick Scott of Florida, and one Republican House member, Greg Steube of Florida, introduced legislation on Friday to make the change.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, introduced as the Secretary of War by Trump, cheered the change, which he has long advocated.
“We’re going to go on the offense, not just on defense. Maximum lethality, not tepid legality,” Hegseth said.
Adam Withnall6 September 2025 05:30
Putin calls for more rocket engines
Vladimir Putin urged aerospace industry leaders on Friday to press on with efforts to develop booster rocket engines for space launch vehicles and build on Russia’s longstanding reputation as a leader in space technology.
Putin, who has spent the past week in China and the Russian far eastern port of Vladivostok, flew to the southern Russian city of Samara, where he met industry specialists and toured the Kuznetsov design bureau aircraft engine manufacturing plant.
Quoted by Russian news agencies, Putin said Russia remained a leading force in the development of the aerospace industry.
“It is important to consistently renew production capacity in terms of engines for booster rockets,” the agencies quoted Putin as saying late on Friday.
“And in doing so, we must not only meet our own current and future needs but also move actively on world markets and be successful competitors.”
Putin noted Russian success in developing innovations in terms of producing engines, particularly in the energy sector, despite the imposition of sanctions by Western countries linked to Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
“In conditions of restrictions from sanctions, we succeeded in a short period of time in developing a series of innovative engines for energy,” Putin was quoted as saying. “These are being actively used, including in terms of gas transport infrastructure.”
Adam Withnall6 September 2025 04:42
Zelensky visits American electronics factory hit by Russian missiles
Zelensky has visited the Flextronics factory in Mukachevo – a site he said has American investment – which he says was hit by Russian missiles last month.
In a post on X, he wrote: “Today, I spoke on site with representatives of the enterprise about the factory’s operations and its recovery.
“Unfortunately, Russian missiles and drones strike across the entire country. But I am very grateful to everyone working here.
“It is crucial for us that American business is present in Ukraine. We will do everything to help the enterprise recover as quickly as possible.”
Nicole Wootton-Cane6 September 2025 03:00
Russian politician blasts European talks ‘heresy’
Dmitry Medvedev has called talks between the “coalition of the willing” “heresy” and “bull****”.
In a video posted on X, the deputy chairman of Russia’s security council hit out at the group made up of countries who have said they would be willing to send troops to Ukraine to keep peace in the event of any agreement.
Nicole Wootton-Cane6 September 2025 02:00
RECAP: US cutting military aid near Russian border, Lithuania says
The US Department of Defence informed European countries last week that military support under a program known as Section 333 will be cut to zero from the next fiscal year, a Lithuanian defence ministry official said on Friday.
Two sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday the United States will phase out some security assistance for European countries near the border with Russia.
The move has raised concerns among key recipients such as Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia.
Nicole Wootton-Cane5 September 2025 23:00