United States

February 20, 2025 9:13 AM

Trump calls Zelenskiy a ‘dictator’, warns him to move fast or risk losing Ukraine

U.S. President Donald Trump denounced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as a "dictator" on Wednesday and warned he had to move quickly to secure peace or risk losing his country, deepening a feud between the two leaders that has alarmed European officials. The extraordinary attacks - a day after Trump claimed Ukraine was to blame for Russia's 2022 invasion - heightened concerns among U.S. allies in Europe that Trump's approach to ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict could benefit Moscow. ...

February 17, 2025 10:08 AM

Ukraine, Europe will be part of ‘real’ peace talks, says Rubio, as US weighs Putin’s motives

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday said Ukraine and Europe would be part of any "real negotiations" to end Moscow's war, signaling that U.S. talks with Russia this week were a chance to see how serious Russian President Vladimir Putin is about peace. America's top diplomat played down European concerns of being cut out of the initial talks between Russia and the United States set to take place in Saudi Arabia in the coming days. In an interview with CBS, Rubio said a negotiation pro...

February 14, 2025 5:31 PM

Hegseth tells Europe to spend on defence as US presence may not last forever

European countries need to invest now in defence because it is not possible to assume that the United States' presence on the continent will last forever, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Friday during a visit to Warsaw. Pointing to Poland, which plans to spend 4.7% of GDP on defence this year, as a model ally, Hegseth doubled down on Washington's demands that European NATO allies take on more of the financial burden for their own security. "What happens five or 10 or 15 years from ...

February 12, 2025 11:04 PM

Russia to get back jailed cybercrime boss from US after freeing teacher Marc Fogel

The United States is freeing a Russian cybercrime boss from prison in return for Moscow's release of U.S. schoolteacher Marc Fogel, a U.S. official said on Wednesday. The Kremlin said the deal - the first it has struck with the new administration of President Donald Trump - could help build trust between the two countries. But it played down Trump's suggestion that the agreement could make a significant contribution towards ending the Russia-Ukraine war, which he has pledged to bring to a swif...

February 7, 2025 7:59 PM

Flagged mistreatment issue, people should be treated with dignity, says MEA on deportation row

Emphasizing that people, including those being deported, should be treated fairly and with dignity, India on Friday said it has flagged concerns over the mistreatment of illegal migrants deported from the United States earlier this week. A day after External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar made a comprehensive statement on the issue in Parliament, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that New Delhi has registered its concerns with Washington regarding the conditions under which people were ...

February 6, 2025 8:46 AM

Trump aides defend Gaza takeover proposal but walk back some elements

President Donald Trump's top aides staunchly defended his push to transfer Palestinians out of Gaza and have the U.S. take over the war-ruined enclave, but they also backed away from elements of his proposal in the face of international condemnation. A longtime New York property developer, Trump drew rebukes on Wednesday from world powers Russia, China and Germany, which said it would foster "new suffering and new hatred." Regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia rejected the proposal outright. Bare...

February 5, 2025 5:34 PM

Iran is willing to give Trump diplomacy ‘another chance’, senior Iranian official says

Iran is ready to give the United States a chance to resolve disputes between the arch foes, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday, a day after President Donald Trump restored his "maximum pressure" campaign on the country. The official said Tehran disagreed with "any displacement of Gazans, but Iran-U.S. talks are a separate matter", referring to Trump's remarks that the U.S. would take over war-ravaged Gaza and create a "Riviera of the Middle East" after resettling Palestinians e...

February 4, 2025 5:03 PM

US-China trade war expected to boost India’s exports, say government sources

The ongoing trade war between the United States and China is anticipated to benefit India's export sector, according to government sources cited by ANI. Despite potential challenges, officials remain optimistic about increased trade opportunities with the US. Sources noted that while India may not be entirely spared from the impact of higher tariffs, the overall sentiment among Indian exporters is positive. "Some Indian products might face trade actions from the US, but our exports to America a...

February 4, 2025 8:46 AM

Trump pauses tariffs on Mexico and Canada, but not China

U.S. President Donald Trump suspended his threat of steep tariffs on Mexico and Canada on Monday, agreeing to a 30-day pause in return for concessions on border and crime enforcement with the two neighboring countries. U.S. tariffs on China are still due to take effect within hours. Both Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said they had agreed to bolster border enforcement efforts in response to Trump's demand to crack down on immigration and drug s...

January 29, 2025 11:59 AM

Poll: 85% of Greenlanders do not want to be part of the US

An opinion poll indicated on Tuesday that 85% of Greenlanders do not wish their Arctic island - a semi-autonomous Danish territory - to become a part of the United States, Danish daily Berlingske reported. U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier this month that Greenland was vital to U.S. security and Denmark should give up control of the strategically important island. The survey by pollster Verian, commissioned by the Danish paper, showed only 6% of Greenlanders are in favour of becoming pa...