This is Beirut - Donald Trump

Russia and Ukraine Confirm Swap of 372 War Prisoners

This is Beirut, 19/03 16:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky Donald Trump United Arab Emirates Kyiv

Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 372 soldiers in a prisoner swap brokered by the United Arab Emirates, Moscow and Kyiv said Wednesday. Prisoner swaps and the exchange of remains of killed soldiers is one of the only areas of cooperation between the warring countries since the Kremlin launched the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. The ...

Zelensky Warns Against Slowing aid, says will Speak to Trump

This is Beirut, 19/03 13:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Volodymyr Zelensky Donald Trump Kyiv Ukraine

President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Wednesday against heeding a Kremlin call to halt military aid for his country and announced he would speak with US President Donald Trump later within hours. Russian leader Vladimir Putin issued the demand during a call with Trump on Tuesday, part of a rapprochement initiated by Washington that seeks to broker ...

Rocked by Trump, EU Seeks to Kickstart Defense Push

This is Beirut, 19/03 11:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump European Union Europe Ukraine

The EU on Wednesday will look to fire the starting pistol on plans to help member states bolster their defences, as Europe grapples with an aggressive Russia and the potential loss of US security protections. US President Donald Trump has turbocharged calls for Europe to rearm by casting doubt on Washington's central role in NATO and making ...

Zelensky Backs Energy Truce, But Needs 'Details' from Trump

This is Beirut, 18/03 23:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Volodymyr Zelensky Vladimir Putin Donald Trump United States Russia Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday said Ukraine was favorable to a US-proposed truce on strikes against energy infrastructure endorsed by Russia, but needed more "details" from Washington first. Speaking after a call between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zelensky also warned in an online briefing ...

Putin and Trump Agree on Halt to Ukraine Energy Attacks But No Ceasefire

This is Beirut, 18/03 22:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky United States Russia

Vladimir Putin agreed Tuesday in a call with Donald Trump to halt attacks against Ukrainian energy targets but would not accept an immediate full ceasefire and insisted that the West halt all military aid for Kyiv. The US and Russian leaders spoke for more than an hour and a half and both expressed hopes for repairing relations wrecked by ...

Three Questions for Khalil Helou on the End of the Truce in Gaza

Mario Chartouni, 18/03 21:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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As fighting in Gaza escalates with renewed hostilities and intensified strikes, uncertainty over the future of the Israel-Hamas conflict is deepening. With Palestinian sources reporting more than 400 deaths since Monday, This is Beirut spoke with General Khalil Helou to assess the dynamics at play, the potential impact on regional stability, and ...

Israeli Airstrikes Kill at Least 400 Palestinians, Including Hamas Officials

This is Beirut, 18/03 16:54 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Israel Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu Hamas

Israel's deadly strikes on Gaza drew global condemnation on Tuesday, as it said it had "no alternative" other than to resume military operations in order to bring home hostages. The strikes, by far the deadliest since a truce took effect in January, killed more than 400 people, according to the health ministry in Gaza. Israel vowed ...

Iran Challenges Trump with Losing Cards in Syria, Lebanon and Yemen

Philippe Abi-Akl, 18/03 08:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Last week, UAE Diplomatic Adviser Anwar Gargash delivered a message from President Donald Trump to Iran’s leadership, proposing a revival of nuclear negotiations that his administration suspended in 2015. Trump’s message stated, “A deal with Iran is preferable to military action, as I do not seek to harm it.” Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali ...

Trump Veers Towards Courts Clash Over Migrant Flights

This is Beirut, 18/03 02:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

United States Donald Trump Justice Politics

US President Donald Trump barreled towards a showdown with the courts Monday after his administration expelled alleged members of a Venezuelan gang under little-used, centuries-old wartime legislation. Trump, already pushing the law to its limits on several fronts, also claimed he had annulled pardons issued by Joe Biden on the grounds that his ...

Trump Warns Will Hold Tehran Responsible for Any Houthi Attacks

This is Beirut, 17/03 19:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Houthi Movement United States Donald Trump Red Sea Trade

President Donald Trump declared on Monday that he will hold Iran directly responsible for any future attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis, who have targeted multiple US and other foreign ships in the Red Sea. "Every shot fired by the Houthis will be considered, from this point forward, as a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN, ...

Trump and Putin Set to Discuss Ukraine by Phone on Tuesday

This is Beirut, 17/03 18:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Russian President Vladimir Putin and US counterpart Donald Trump will speak by phone on Tuesday, as a US official expressed hope that the two leaders could agree on a Ukraine ceasefire within weeks. Trump stated earlier that "a lot of work" had been done between the United States and Russia to resolve the three-year conflict in Ukraine, and he ...

OECD Lowers Global Growth Projections Over 'Trade Barriers' and 'Uncertainty'

This is Beirut, 17/03 13:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump European Union United States USA Vladimir Putin

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on Monday lowered its projections for global growth in 2025 due to "trade barriers" and "uncertainty". Trade tensions that have erupted since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House are in part responsible for the dampened growth perspectives, the OECD said. The OECD ...

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