This is Beirut - Donald Trump

Russia Rejects Zelensky Meeting as Diplomatic Tension Simmers

This is Beirut, 22/08 18:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Volodymyr Zelensky Donald Trump Kyiv Ukraine USA

Russia Friday ruled out an immediate meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, as diplomatic tension escalated with the Ukrainian president and US mediation efforts appeared to stumble. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said "no meeting" between Vladimir Putin and Zelensky was planned, as NATO chief Mark Rutte visited Kyiv, largely to discuss ...

Iran, Europeans to Meet as Snapback Sanctions Loom

This is Beirut, 22/08 18:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump European Union United Nations Iran Nuclear

Iran will meet next week with Britain, France and Germany on its nuclear programme, the parties said Friday, as the European powers warned Tehran to engage swiftly to avoid snapback sanctions. The Islamic republic suspended cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency in July in the wake of its 12-day war with Israel, citing the UN ...

Zelensky says Russia Trying to 'Wriggle Out' of Peace Talks

This is Beirut, 22/08 09:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Volodymyr Zelensky Donald Trump Kyiv Ukraine USA

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow on Thursday of shirking a meeting between him and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, despite US-led attempts to arrange a summit to end the war. US President Donald Trump is trying to end Russia's three-and-a-half year invasion of Ukraine by bringing both Zelensky and Putin to the negotiating ...

US Says all 55 Million Visas Fair Game for Review

This is Beirut, 22/08 09:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

USA Donald Trump visa

All 55 million foreigners who hold visas for the United States are subject to continuous review, the State Department warned Thursday as President Donald Trump ramps up his crackdown on visas and immigration. "The Department's continuous vetting includes all of the more than 55 million foreigners who currently hold valid US visas," a State ...

Top US, Europe Officers Develop Military Options for Ukraine Peace Push

This is Beirut, 21/08 22:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Europe Ukraine USA Volodymyr Zelensky Donald Trump

Top officers from the United States and Europe held talks this week to develop military options as part of efforts to broker an end to the devastating war in Ukraine, the US military said Thursday. US General Dan Caine and his counterparts from Finland, France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom and Ukraine met Tuesday and Wednesday in Washington, a ...

First Security Guarantees, then Putin Summit, Zelensky Says

This is Beirut, 21/08 12:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Volodymyr Zelensky Donald Trump Russia Putin Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he could meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but only after his allies agreed on security guarantees for Ukraine that would deter future Russian attacks once the fighting stops. In comments released Thursday, he also warned both sides were preparing for further fighting, with Russia building up ...

Russia Ramps up Strikes on Ukraine, Killing One

This is Beirut, 21/08 12:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky Donald Trump Kyiv USA

Russia launched hundreds of drones and missiles against Ukraine overnight in the biggest barrage since mid-July, killing one person and wounding many others. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said several missiles were aimed at a US-owned business in western Ukraine "producing everyday items like coffee machines". Fifteen people ...

Trump, Putin and the Future of Europe: A Deal that Could Redraw the Map

Salam El Zaatari, 21/08 11:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Russia Ukraine Europe United States Donald Trump

On August 18, 2025, the White House became the stage for a meeting that may be remembered as a turning point in modern geopolitics. US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a cadre of European leaders gathered to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war. Europe’s top leaders crammed into the Oval Office, listening in silence ...

Texas Republicans Advance Map that Reignited US Redistricting Wars

This is Beirut, 21/08 09:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Republicans USA Donald Trump Democrats Texas Gerrymandering

The Texas legislature's lower chamber passed a contentious new electoral map on Wednesday that aims to help Donald Trump's Republican Party retain its razor-thin US House majority in the 2026 midterm elections. The vote had been delayed by two weeks after Democratic legislators fled the southern state to halt the aggressive redistricting drive, ...

Trump Flirts with Ukraine Security, with Narrow Margins

This is Beirut, 21/08 09:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky Kyiv Republicans

Donald Trump's newfound if vague willingness to entertain security guarantees for Ukraine could be a game-changer, but the US president's right-wing base is already warning him not to go too far. After a campaign last year spent bashing predecessor Joe Biden over billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, and Trump's public upbraiding of Ukrainian ...

Russia, Ukraine, Hezbollah: Drained by Endless Wars

Marc Saikali, 21/08 08:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah Ukraine Donald Trump Israel Lebanon

Some wars drag on endlessly. Not because they are unsolvable, but because certain leaders have decided their political survival depends on keeping them alive. Two examples stand out today: the war in Ukraine and Hezbollah’s self-proclaimed “resistance” in Lebanon. Since February 2022, Moscow has clung to a military adventure ...

Trump Raises Pressure on Fed With Call for Governor To Resign

This is Beirut, 21/08 04:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

United States Donald Trump Politique

President Donald Trump ramped up pressure on the US central bank Wednesday with a call for Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook to step down, as he repeatedly criticizes Fed Chair Jerome Powell for not lowering interest rates. "Cook must resign, now!!!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, sharing a Bloomberg news report on how the ...

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