President Trump secretly flew out of last month’s NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on an alternate military aircraft while the White House made it appear that the president was flying on Air Force One, the Washington Post reported.
The Post said Monday that the operation was prompted by an Iranian assassination threat against Trump. The ruse was carried out as journalists and some White House staff members were led to believe they were on the same plane as the president as he began his journey back to Washington from the annual gathering of leaders of North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries.
The Post cited material reviewed by the newspaper, a U.S. official familiar with the operation and another person with knowledge of the president’s travel. The Associated Press has not independently confirmed the report.
Trump had flown to the summit in a new Qatari-gifted and retrofitted red, white and navy blue jet. But ahead of departing Turkey, he said he would fly partway home on an older-model baby blue Air Force One plane instead.
The president at the time said the new luxury jet was being flown out ahead of his departure from Ankara to give some U.S. troops based in eastern England a chance to check out the new Air Force One.
In Ankara, Trump boarded the old Air Force One jumbo jet in view of television cameras ahead of the plane flying to Royal Air Force Mildenhall in the United Kingdom.
However, according to the Post report, after boarding the legacy Air Force One jet, he was secretly shuttled minutes later to a smaller plane — an Air Force C-32A — via an airport catering truck typically used to load meals and other supplies. Trump flew to Mildenhall on that smaller jet.
The White House did not respond directly to questions about the Post report of the secret operation to whisk Trump out of the country on a third aircraft, or the reported elaborate ruse to make it appear he was on the baby blue Air Force One jet flying to Mildenhall.
“As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats,” White House communications director Steven Cheung said in a statement.
The U.S. Secret Service declined to comment. The Air Force, which maintains the fleet of executive travel aircraft, referred questions to the White House.
While Trump was in Turkey, the U.S. military conducted a series of large strikes in Iran in retaliation for its attacks on merchant shipping in the region.
The New York Times and CBS News reported last month that intelligence officials had raised concerns about a potential attack on the president or his jet, triggering additional precautions and the decision not to use the newly inaugurated aircraft gifted to Trump by Qatar for the first leg of Trump’s trip home from Ankara.
The swap had spurred questions about the security of the Qatar-provided aircraft, and Trump said last month after the trip that it would undergo additional upgrades.
Cheung on Monday maintained that the new, Qatari-gifted plane was “a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff.”
The new Post report on clandestinely putting Trump on a third aircraft and quietly whisking him out of the country adds a fresh layer to just how seriously concerned U.S. security officials were about the threat against Trump during the ongoing war with Iran.
Paul Eckloff, a former special agent with the Secret Service, said such an unusual move could either reflect actionable intelligence or an abundance of caution given volatility in the region with the wars in Iran and Ukraine.
“I would not say unprecedented, but it is an unusual occurrence,” Eckloff told the Associated Press.
The Post reported that to exit that plane without being seen by those uninvolved in the operation, Trump and several aides stepped aboard an airport catering truck, which was elevated planeside using hydraulics and positioned at a door on the opposite side of Air Force One’s entrance.
The small group of reporters who thought they were traveling with Trump were advised to lower their window shades ahead of takeoff.
After arriving at Mildenhall, news photographers captured images of Trump getting off the presidential plane — suggesting he reboarded Air Force One out of sight of the pack of journalists who thought they were traveling with him.
Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal called for a congressional briefing on what happened.
“It is unprecedented and it is surreal,” he said Monday on CNN, calling the incident “downright scary.”
After the brief visit to the base at Mildenhall, Trump boarded the new Air Force One aircraft to fly the rest of the way to Washington.
During a gaggle with reporters aboard the aircraft, Trump was asked directly if there were any credible threats against Air Force One by Iran.
“Well, I have a threat all the time. I’m No. 1 on their list before you,” Trump said. He added to the traveling reporters, “But if I go, you go.”
Associated Press writers Josh Boak, Aamer Madhani and Konstantin Toropin contributed to this report.
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NATO leaders emerged from their summit in Ankara relieved that U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to the alliance, but European officials acknowledge that relations with the United States remain fragile and expect further periods of uncertainty.
While the gathering ended on a positive note, diplomats say the alliance continues to face questions over Trump’s long-term approach to NATO, burden sharing and Europe’s security.
The two-day summit began amid fresh tensions after Trump criticized several allies, announced he wanted to cut off U.S. trade with Spain, and revived disputes over defense spending.
However, the atmosphere improved significantly by the end of the meeting.
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Trump endorsed the summit declaration reaffirming NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense commitment, praised the unity among allies, and approved a license allowing Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missile interceptors.
European leaders viewed those moves as an important signal that Washington remains committed to the alliance despite months of increasingly strained relations.
Trump also described the summit as one filled with “love,” easing fears that the gathering could end in open confrontation.
Despite the improved tone, European governments are preparing for continued volatility in transatlantic relations.
Officials note that Trump’s approach toward NATO has often shifted rapidly, creating uncertainty over U.S. security commitments.
Recent disputes have included Trump’s renewed interest in Greenland, criticism of allies during the Iran conflict, and repeated suggestions that European members should assume greater responsibility for their own defense.
Many European capitals believe maintaining strong ties with Washington remains essential despite these disagreements.
Without U.S. military capabilities, officials fear NATO’s ability to deter Russia would be significantly weakened.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stressed that the United States remains the alliance’s indispensable military power.
He noted that the U.S. economy accounts for roughly half of NATO’s combined economic strength and that American military capabilities remain unmatched within the alliance.
According to Rutte, NATO’s credibility and deterrence against Russia remain intact despite recent political tensions.
Not everyone shares that optimism.
Some former U.S. defense officials argue that repeated political disputes have already damaged perceptions of alliance unity and provided Moscow with opportunities to question NATO’s cohesion.
Several European diplomats privately acknowledged that while the summit avoided a major crisis, it did little to erase concerns created over recent months.
One factor that helped calm relations was Europe’s significant increase in defense spending.
Trump has long argued that NATO members rely too heavily on the United States for their security.
Ahead of the summit, NATO officials highlighted large increases in military spending by European members and Canada, presenting the figures as evidence that Trump’s pressure has produced tangible results.
Alliance officials also emphasized billions of dollars in new defense procurement agreements announced during a defense industry forum held before the summit.
The deals covered surveillance aircraft, transport planes, drones and other military equipment worth more than $50 billion.
The announcements were intended to demonstrate that allies are translating higher defense budgets into concrete military capabilities.
Alliance officials also sought to push back against Trump’s criticism that NATO members failed to support the United States during the conflict with Iran.
Officials argued that, with the exception of Spain restricting U.S. access to military facilities, most allies honored existing agreements governing American military operations.
Those efforts were designed to reassure Washington that European allies remain reliable security partners even when political disagreements arise.
Despite the summit’s relatively positive conclusion, uncertainty remains over America’s future military posture in Europe.
The Pentagon has already reduced some of the forces allocated to NATO defense plans and recently launched a review of approximately 80,000 U.S. troops stationed across Europe.
The review has fueled concerns that Washington could further reduce its military presence on the continent as European governments work to strengthen their own defense capabilities.
Several officials suggested NATO may reduce the frequency of high-profile leaders’ summits to avoid repeated political confrontations.
Plans for a NATO leaders’ meeting in Albania next year have reportedly been put on hold as alliance members reassess the format of future gatherings.
Some diplomats believe limiting opportunities for public disputes could help preserve alliance unity while allowing practical cooperation to continue behind the scenes.
The Ankara summit represented an important test of NATO’s ability to manage internal political differences while maintaining collective security.
Turkey, as host nation, sought to strengthen its standing within the alliance and improve relations with Washington, while NATO leadership worked to keep attention focused on defense cooperation rather than political disagreements.
Although tensions remain, the summit demonstrated that both the United States and European allies continue to recognize the strategic importance of NATO amid Russia’s war in Ukraine and growing global security challenges.
The immediate crisis surrounding the Ankara summit may have eased, but European governments expect relations with the Trump administration to remain unpredictable.
Future disagreements over defense spending, U.S. troop deployments, support for Ukraine, trade disputes and broader geopolitical issues are likely to continue testing alliance unity.
For now, NATO leaders appear determined to strengthen Europe’s military capabilities while keeping the United States firmly engaged, recognizing that preserving transatlantic cooperation remains central to the alliance’s long-term security strategy.
With information from Reuters.
July 7 (UPI) — Leaders of the Western world’s premier military alliance will gather in Ankara on Tuesday for the start of this year’s NATO summit, with support for Ukraine and questions over U.S. President Donald Trump‘s commitment to the pact expected to dominate the two-day meeting.
The summit in Turkey’s capital is formally focused on reviewing progress made since last year, when the leaders of NATO’s 32 members agreed to raise their annual defense-related spending from the previous 2% target to 5% of gross domestic product by 2035 amid growing global security concerns.
Major new policy pronouncements are not expected, though several large arms deals are. The focus of the two-day summit will be on progress toward that defense-investment plan and how allies intend to spend the money to increase weapons production, cooperation and joint procurement.
Attention will also be on Trump and the U.S. commitment to NATO after his administration announced earlier this year that it would withdraw some American troops from Germany.
Long a demand of Trump’s, the increase in defense spending has done little to curb the American president’s long-held criticism of the alliance, which has intensified since NATO allies offered limited support for the U.S. war against Iran.
Trump departed Maryland’s Joint Base Andrews aboard Air Force One for Turkey a little after 9:40 EDT Monday, with State Secretary Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and a number of aides with him.
Trump is expected to meet with Zelensky during the summit.
The two spoke Saturday, according to the Ukrainian leader, who said he called the U.S. president to congratulate him on the United States’ Independence Day.
“We are grateful to the United States for all the assistance we have received — from Javelins and Patriots to political support — and we deeply value that America stands by us in defending our independence,” he said online, adding that they had discussed the situation in the Ukraine-Russia war.
“We have agreed to continue these discussions during the NATO Summit in Ankara,” he said.
On the eve of the Fourth of July, Trump also spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin for nearly 90 minutes, according to the Kremlin, which said in a statement that they discussed “the Ukrainian settlement, including in light of Donald Trump’s upcoming participation in the NATO Summit.”
The Kremlin said Putin framed the current situation of the war as Russia “steadily advancing” despite Ukraine making recent gains and expanding its long-range attacks.
However, Russia has been targeting Kyiv with massive attacks leading up to the summit. Zelensky has been calling on allies for additional long-range weaponry, or the ability to produce the arms themselves, arguing that if Ukraine can batter Moscow how the Kremlin has been hitting Kyiv, an end to the war could be rapidly secured.
“We have proven to all our partners both the need, and more importantly, the possibility of providing greater protection of lives,” Zelensky said in a Monday statement.
“It is simply nonsensical that, in today’s world, production has still not been scaled up to the level that is actually needed to protect people from ballistic terror. We have long made the case that we are capable of producing such defensive weapons ourselves. If Ukraine were granted U.S. licenses to produce Patriots, our own production would be sufficient both to protect Ukraine and to help partners in need.”
The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War said Monday night that Russian forces were likely timing these large-scale strikes to send a political message ahead of the summit.
NATO leaders are meeting in Ankara, Turkiye on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The summit gets underway as US President Donald Trump renews pressure on member states over defence spending. European nations are expected to respond with billions of dollars in new military contracts.
At the NATO summit last year, members agreed to increase their target to 5 percent of GDP: 3.5 percent on military spending by 2035 and 1.5 percent on security-related needs.
Leaders from all 32 NATO member states are at the summit in Turkiye this week.
Two non-alliance heads of state will also be there: Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy and South Korea’s Lee Jae-myung.
Australia, Japan and New Zealand are sending defence or foreign ministers, as are Gulf countries affected by the US-Israel war on Iran: Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is not expected to attend the summit but is holding a bilateral meeting with Trump in Ankara.
Trump has questioned NATO’s value since his first presidential campaign. He argued that the US carried an unfair share of the costs. At the time, only five countries spent the agreed two percent GDP on defence.
His questions about shared defence responsibility have produced some results in recent years within the alliance as member states pledged an increased defence budget.
Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, the German Marshall Fund’s regional director for Turkiye, believes NATO this year will focus on implementing its promises from last year. “NATO allies just decided to increase their defence spending to five percent last year at The Hague and European allies took action to upgrade their defence industries,” he said. “This year in Ankara the discussion will be on how to translate spending to capabilities. It is therefore stronger than it was last year.”
But Paolo von Schirach, president of the Global Policy Institute, noted that any capability gains from increased spending are years away, saying that more orders mean more military hardware but only eventually. “You can spend a lot and obtain not too much,” he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is meeting Trump for a bilateral meeting on Wednesday. Ukraine is not a NATO member.
Zelenskyy will be using his face-to-face with the US president to request additional Patriot air defence systems as Russian attacks are intensifying on Ukrainian cities. A drone attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv killed at least 11 people on Monday morning.
Jack Watling, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute said that Ukraine is looking for ongoing political and military technical support from alliance members, to signal to Russia “that this support will be sustained”.
The idea, he said, was “to show Russia that there will be no diminution in its defensive capacity over the next 12-24 months”.
“There is a direct correlation between the number of interceptors supplied to Ukraine and the damage that Russia can inflict with ballistic missiles,” says Watling.
The billions in contracts expected to be announced by European nations at this summit are seen by some analysts as trying to appease the Trump administration.
When European nations didn’t join the war on Iran, Trump stated he didn’t want their money, just their “loyalty”. He added he might not have attended the summit if it wasn’t hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey has in recent years not only increased its defence spending, it also has grown into one of NATO’s largest military exporters.
For now, the tone around defence spending remains sharp. On the eve of the summit, Trump called Germany’s defence spending “ridiculous”. Chancellor Friedrich Merz defended his country’s budget, saying that “this is the greatest effort we have ever made to strengthen our defence capabilities”.
Meanwhile, the US has gone a step beyond rhetoric and announced a phased withdrawal of warplanes, destroyers and submarines from NATO countries. “Less US infantry or armour in Europe has an impact on messaging but little else,” Watling said. But, he added, “the withdrawal of US air power has a more tangible impact”.
Whether the alliance can project unity amid the rhetoric and withdrawals is a key question, said analysts.
“The main value of this summit is political, it shows that the allies are still talking, still meeting, still trying to project unity, even if the underlying disagreements and doubts haven’t disappeared,” von Schirach of the Global Policy Institute said. “Ankara is more about reassurance and signalling than about concrete, immediate changes on the ground.”
Defence spending and support for Ukraine’s military needs are expected to top the agenda of summit in Turkish capital.
Published On 7 Jul 20267 Jul 2026
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A Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s capital has killed at least 10 people and injured 46 on the eve of a NATO summit. Al Jazeera’s Audrey MacAlpine reports from a residential building that was hit.
Published On 6 Jul 20266 Jul 2026
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had warned of a likely attack ahead of meeting with US President Donald Trump.
Published On 6 Jul 20266 Jul 2026
A Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s Kyiv has killed at least 10 people and damaged more than a dozen residential buildings in the second large-scale assault on the Ukrainian capital in less than a week.
The attack early on Monday morning injured at least 46 people in Kyiv, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of the city’s military administration.
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Another person was killed and 10 others were injured in districts surrounding Kyiv, according to authorities.
Ukraine’s military said Russia fired 68 missiles and 351 drones overnight.
The Kyiv Independent reported that the first explosions were heard at about 1:40am local time, followed by more strikes at 2:10am and 3:15am.
Thousands of residents fled to underground shelters, it reported, as air raid sirens sounded across Ukraine.
At least 15 buildings were damaged in Kyiv in the strikes, including four in the capital’s historic Podilskyi district, Tkachenko said.
Rescue work is under way across the capital and the death toll could rise, he said.
“Unfortunately, this is not the final information,” Tkachenko told reporters as the death toll jumped to nine from seven in Kyiv.
In his nightly address on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that another Russian assault might be coming before the NATO summit in Turkiye this week.
He is due to meet United States President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the summit, which begins on Tuesday.
“Intelligence once again indicates that the Russians are preparing a new massive strike,” Zelenskyy said, according to the Kyiv Independent.
“This is typical of Putin: right after America’s Independence Day and before the NATO summit in Ankara.”
Late last week, Russia hit the Ukrainian capital with dozens of missiles and hundreds of drones, killing 31 people.
The strikes were the deadliest to hit Kyiv this year.
Both Russia and Ukraine have recently expanded their use of long-range weapons, including missiles, marking a new front in the four-year war.
Ukraine has focused its attacks on Russian energy facilities to weaken its war efforts.
Mikhail Razvozhayev, the governor of Russian-controlled Sevastopol, a Black Sea port in Crimea, said on Monday a Ukrainian strike near the city had knocked out electricity supplies.
“Following an enemy attack on energy infrastructure near Sevastopol, our city was temporarily left without electricity,” Razvozhayev wrote on Telegram.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (R) and former South Korean President Moon Jae-in head to a luncheon meeting at Sangchunjae, a guesthouse at Cheong Wa Dae, in Seoul, South Korea, 01 July 2026. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
July 3 (Asia Today) — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will travel to Türkiye and Mongolia next week to promote defense industry cooperation, strengthen the country’s ability to respond to future warfare and expand economic ties with the resource-rich Central Asian nation.
Lee will attend the NATO summit in Ankara on Tuesday and Wednesday at the invitation of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, national security adviser Wi Sung-lac said during a presidential office briefing Friday.
He will then make a state visit to Mongolia from Thursday through Saturday.
The South Korean government said Lee’s participation in the NATO summit would provide an opportunity to promote the country’s defense products among members of the world’s largest military alliance.
Seoul also hopes to improve cooperation with NATO in emerging military technologies including drones, artificial intelligence and space systems.
Lee is scheduled to arrive in Ankara on Tuesday afternoon and hold talks with Rutte on strengthening cooperation between South Korea and NATO.
He will participate in a small-group meeting with Rutte and representatives of NATO’s four Indo-Pacific partners: South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Lee will also attend the NATO Summit Defense Industry Forum, which brings together government officials and defense executives to discuss industrial production, investment and technological innovation.
He is scheduled to deliver a keynote address during a session titled “Shared Values, Stronger Industrial Base” and participate in a panel discussion.
Lee will attend an official welcoming dinner hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife Tuesday evening.
The South Korean president plans to hold bilateral meetings Wednesday with leaders of countries that have significant potential for defense and other economic cooperation. The presidential office said the schedules for those meetings were still being coordinated.
Wi said the visit would establish a foundation for South Korean defense companies to expand into NATO markets and participate in more resilient international supply chains.
South Korea is not a NATO member, meaning its weapons and communications systems must meet alliance standards to be integrated smoothly with equipment operated by NATO countries.
“We need to advance partnerships that strengthen interoperability in line with NATO standards so South Korean defense products can be exported smoothly to NATO allies,” Wi said.
South Korea has increased defense exports to European countries in recent years, particularly Poland, which has purchased K2 tanks, K9 self-propelled howitzers, FA-50 light combat aircraft and Chunmoo multiple-launch rocket systems.
The government has set a goal of making South Korea one of the world’s four largest defense exporters.
Wi said Lee would use the defense industry forum to emphasize South Korean manufacturers’ technological capabilities and ability to deliver weapons quickly.
“We will directly communicate the excellence and rapid procurement capabilities of South Korea’s defense industry to NATO allies and partners,” Wi said.
The government also hopes South Korean armed forces and private companies can participate more actively in NATO innovation networks involving drones, space technology and other emerging defense systems.
Wi said such participation could give South Korean organizations opportunities to acquire critical technologies, conduct joint research and strengthen their ability to respond to future conflicts.
Mongolia state visit
Lee will travel to Ulaanbaatar on Thursday after completing his NATO schedule.
He will meet Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh for a summit followed by an exchange of agreements and memorandums of understanding and a joint news conference.
The two governments plan to issue a declaration titled “A Golden Era of South Korea-Mongolia Relations,” outlining a long-term vision for their strategic partnership.
Lee will deliver a keynote address Thursday evening at a South Korea-Mongolia business forum attended by government officials and business leaders from both countries.
The forum will focus on expanding cooperation in resources, supply chains, infrastructure and other industries.
Mongolia has significant deposits of coal, copper, rare earth elements and other minerals important to advanced manufacturing and clean-energy technologies.
South Korea, which depends heavily on imported energy and industrial resources, has sought to diversify its supply chains by expanding cooperation with Mongolia and other mineral-producing countries.
On Friday, Lee will visit a memorial honoring Lee Tae-jun, a Korean physician and independence activist who supported Mongolia’s medical development and Korea’s independence movement while living in the country in the early 20th century.
The president will then attend a luncheon with members of the Korean community in Mongolia.
Lee is also scheduled to meet Sandag Byambatsogt, speaker of Mongolia’s State Great Khural, and Prime Minister Nyam-Osor Uchral.
Khurelsukh will host a state dinner for Lee on Friday evening.
On Saturday, Lee and Khurelsukh will attend the opening ceremony of the Naadam Festival, Mongolia’s largest national celebration. Lee will attend as a guest of honor.
Naadam features traditional Mongolian wrestling, horse racing and archery and is one of the country’s most important cultural events.
Wi said the visit was expected to strengthen the strategic partnership between South Korea and Mongolia, expand practical economic cooperation and establish a closer partnership in efforts to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Mongolia established diplomatic relations with North Korea in 1948, becoming the second country after the Soviet Union to recognize Pyongyang. It has maintained relations with both South and North Korea.
The presidential office said Mongolia’s traditional ties with North Korea could make it a useful diplomatic partner in efforts to reduce regional tensions and restart dialogue with Pyongyang.
“The two leaders will discuss peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula as well as practical ways to ease regional tensions and build trust,” Wi said.
“They will also explore feasible paths toward resuming dialogue with North Korea,” he said.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260703010001267
NATO chief Mark Rutte visited the White House to ease tensions with US President Trump ahead of next month’s NATO summit. Trump has said NATO isn’t doing enough, ordering a review of US forces in Europe after saying allies did not support the US war on Iran.
Published On 25 Jun 202625 Jun 2026
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The war between Russia and Ukraine has entered its fifth year, with military operations continuing alongside intermittent diplomatic efforts to reach a settlement. The United States and European allies remain Ukraine’s principal supporters, providing military, financial, and political backing.
At the recent G7 summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met U.S. President Donald Trump and other Western leaders to discuss the war and prospects for peace negotiations. Following those discussions, Trump expressed optimism that a peace deal could eventually be reached.
Senior Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said European leaders likely influenced Trump’s views on the Ukraine war during the G7 summit.
Ushakov suggested Trump had been given misleading information about developments on the battlefield and rejected claims that Ukraine’s recent drone operations had significantly improved Kyiv’s military position.
The Kremlin official also said Moscow still expects visits from Trump’s envoys, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, although no timetable has been announced.
The comments offer insight into how Moscow views Trump’s evolving position on the war and the role of European leaders in shaping Western policy.
Russia appears keen to preserve direct communication channels with Trump while simultaneously pushing back against narratives advanced by Ukraine and its European supporters. The remarks also suggest the Kremlin remains attentive to potential diplomatic openings involving the United States despite ongoing military operations.
The episode highlights the growing importance of diplomacy and messaging as all sides attempt to influence future peace discussions.
The Kremlin’s comments reveal an important strategic calculation: Moscow wants to criticize European influence on Trump without alienating Trump himself.
By describing Trump as a strong leader who ultimately forms his own views, the Kremlin is attempting to preserve a working relationship with the U.S. president while casting doubt on information coming from Kyiv and European capitals. This messaging suggests Russia still sees value in engaging directly with Trump and may believe he could play a decisive role in future negotiations.
The remarks also reflect a broader battle over perceptions of the war. Ukraine and its allies have highlighted successful long range drone strikes and attacks on Russian infrastructure as evidence that Kyiv retains leverage. Russia, meanwhile, seeks to project confidence and reject suggestions that its strategic position has weakened.
Looking ahead, the key question is whether the apparent diplomatic momentum emerging from recent meetings can produce substantive negotiations. Both Moscow and Kyiv continue to believe they have leverage, making compromises difficult. As a result, public statements from leaders and advisers are increasingly becoming part of a larger effort to shape the diplomatic environment before any formal peace talks begin.
With information from Reuters.
US President Donald Trump has accused his predecessor Barack Obama of ‘bribing’ Iran to agree to the 2015 nuclear agreement, by referring to a $1.7B settlement of a decades-old lawsuit. He used profanity in his brief comments to the media alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Published On 17 Jun 202617 Jun 2026
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Activists rally in Geneva to denounce policies of G7 countries ahead of group’s annual meeting this week in France.
Published On 14 Jun 202614 Jun 2026
Thousands of protesters have gathered in Geneva ahead of this week’s Group of Seven (G7) summit, which is set to bring together United States President Donald Trump and other world leaders in nearby France.
The demonstration on Sunday was led by the so-called “No-G7” coalition, which is comprised of more than 60 associations and groups, including Palestinian rights advocates, feminist activists and environmentalists.
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“We are very afraid of the policy and the politics of Mr Trump and also of the other leaders of the G7, because they are fighting, making war all over the place,” said Francoise Nyffeler, a spokesperson for the coalition.
“The planet is in danger, and we are very scared about it and we want to protest and say that the people of the world are against their policies,” she added.
Swiss and French authorities have deployed thousands of police to provide security for the three-day summit, which begins on Monday in the French resort town of Evian-les-Bains.
Authorities have blocked off roads, banned unauthorised gatherings, and pledged financial support for businesses that could be hit by unrest.
Scores of businesses and shops have boarded up their storefronts with wooden panels as a precaution, leery of upheaval that left a trail of damage in Geneva during a similar summit in Evian in 2003.
Reporting from the protest in Geneva on Sunday, Al Jazeera’s Natacha Butler said demonstrators had denounced the G7 as being “all about the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer”.
“They say the club of wealthy nations doesn’t represent the global population; that their policies and decisions have a negative impact on the world in terms of climate, equal rights and poverty,” Butler said.
Questions about the legitimacy of the G7 – which includes the US, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom – are not new.
The group of countries previously accounted for 70 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP) – a figure that has shrunk to just 40 percent – while representing one-tenth of the global population.
In a sign that global power dynamics are shifting dramatically, other global groups also are growing. The BRICS countries – which include India, Russia and China – have doubled their bloc’s number of members from five to 11.
While G7 summits regularly draw protests, this year’s event also comes amid global frustration with Trump’s leadership on issues as diverse as tariffs, the US-Israeli war on Iran, and the climate crisis.
Demonstrators had been gathering for days in advance of Sunday’s march in Geneva.
A flotilla of around 20 boats appeared on Lake Geneva off the coast of Evian on Saturday, displaying anti-G7 and pro-Palestinian banners. Some 20 protesters were detained on Friday evening, according to Swiss media reports.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa and with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung celebrated the signing of new a digital trade agreement at a ceremony in Brussels on Wednesday.
The event marked the EU and South Korea’s 11th summit, with everything from security and defence to trade on the agenda.
“Korea is one of Europe’s closest partners in the Indo-Pacific region and on the global stage,” von der Leyen said. “In today’s uncertain world, stable and trusted partnerships like ours are more precious than ever.”
The trio released a joint statement extolling the value of the talks and committing the two sides to a firm and friendly relationship.
“We reaffirm our shared commitment to effective multilateralism, and to a stable and predictable rules-based free and fair economic order,” the statement reads.
Both sides have an interest in diversifying their trade relationships at a time of growing tensions with both China and the US, and the EU-South Korea digital trade agreement comes more than a decade after a landmark free trade deal.
Since 2015, trade between the EU and South Korea has doubled, with goods trade reaching approximately €124.25 billion in 2025, according to figures from the European Commission.
“The European Union-Korea Free Trade Agreement remains one of the European Union’s most successful trade agreements since its entry into enforcement in 2011,” European Council António Costa said on Wednesday.
South Korea is becoming an increasingly important investor in Europe, particularly in strategic sectors such as batteries, electric vehicles and semiconductors.
For the EU, a key objective is to secure semiconductor supply chains while attracting further investment from Korean companies into Europe.
“Korea has a global leadership position in semiconductors,” an EU official said. “This is clearly an area with significant potential for cooperation that would benefit both sides.”
The digital trade agreement concluded on Wednesday is expected to complement the broader trade partnership by reducing “unnecessary barriers to digital trade” and providing greater “legal certainty” for businesses operating across the two markets, according to another EU official. It will facilitate cross-border data flows while prohibiting the mandatory transfer of source code.
The deal is also designed to establish robust online consumer protection rules, though both partners intend to maintain their respective levels of protection for personal data and privacy.
Economic security was also high on the summit agenda, with the two sides agreeing to establish a high-level dialogue on supply chain resilience.
Supply chains came under pressure last year following China’s restrictions on exports of strategic materials, including rare earths – essential for green technologies and the defence sector – as well as products linked to the chip industry, which are critical to automotive manufacturing.
One thing that did not get over the line was a security of information agreement, which had been touted by EU officials prior to the summit as a means of strengthening the flow of classified information between Brussels and Seoul.
“I hope that the security of information agreement will be adopted soon, so that Korea and the EU can share confidential information safely, which will allow the two sides to engage in industrial and research cooperation actively through information exchange exchange,” President Lee said on Wednesday.
The agreement would build on the Security and Defence Partnership agreement that South Korea and the EU signed in 2024. That deal was designed to facilitate cooperation in areas spanning maritime security, countering hybrid threats, fighting foreign information manipulation and interference, and more besides.
In the run-up to this week’s talks, a senior EU official said a key topic of the discussions will be nuclear non-proliferation, as North Korea continues to hold a small but concerning stockpile of nuclear-armed warheads.
North Korea (the DPRK) and Russia were considered “big questions” at the summit, the source said, with Brussels ready to share information on its support for Ukraine with Seoul.
The joint statement from the summit reiterates this, with words of condemnation directed at North Korea and other nations who enable Russia to sustain its war of aggression against Ukraine.
“We urge Russia and the DPRK to immediately cease all such activities and abide by the UN Charter and all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions,” the statement reads.
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal, left, welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a summit in Tallinn, Estonia, Tuesday. Photo by Valda Kalnina/EPA
June 9 (UPI) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska traveled to Talinn, Estonia, Tuesday to take part in the Ukraine-Nordic-Baltic Eight summit and meet with other regional leaders.
Zelensky is boosting diplomatic efforts as he pushes for more support for Ukraine’s war against Russia.
The Ukrainian president met Tuesday with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, his spokesperson Sherhii Nykyforov told the Kyiv Independent. The meetings covered issues like strengthening Ukraine’s air defense and advancing the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List program, which allows NATO allies to finance buying of U.S. weapons.
Zelensky also met with Estonian President Alar Karis and thanked the country and others in the region for their continued support.
Zelensky also emphasized the need to coordinate positions ahead of upcoming summits this summer, including the European Union, G7 and NATO summits.
“June and July this year may determine a lot,” he told reporters at a press conference.
“For a cease-fire to take place, in my view, it would be better to have a meeting at the leadership level. Who? Certainly Ukraine, Russia and definitely Europe,” the Ukrainian state news service Ukrinform reported Zelensky said. “It would be desirable for the United States of America to be there as well. Why Europe? Because we are in Europe — that is the answer. Because this is our land, this is our continent, and we must be certain that life will be safe tomorrow, no matter what.”
He added that Ukraine has the political will to negotiate, but Russia hasn’t shown that.
“The 21st package of EU sanctions is necessary. And today we also discussed that the Baltic Sea and the North Sea must not be a free zone for the Russian shadow fleet. And all decisions that curtail the activity of Russian tankers are decisions that benefit not only Ukraine but all of Europe,” the Ukrainian president said.
Zelensky recently sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin asking to meet face to face for peace talks, but Putin declined.
