WASHINGTON, July 1 — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to visit the White House next week for talks with President Donald Trump, as the U.S. intensifies efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, a U.S. official confirmed on Monday.
WASHINGTON, July 9 — US President Donald Trump lashed out at Russian leader Vladimir Putin yesterday, accusing him of spreading “bullshit” about the Ukraine war and announcing plans to send more weapons to Kyiv.
Trump’s blunt remarks underscored his mounting frustration over the ongoing conflict, now in its fourth year since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth,” Trump said during a televised cabinet meeting at the White House. “He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.”
Trump said he was “very unhappy” with Putin, particularly after their recent phone call failed to yield progress on a peace deal that the US has been advocating since Trump’s return to office.
When asked about a Senate bill proposing further sanctions against Russia, Trump said he was “looking at it very strongly.”
The president’s harsh criticism came a day after he reversed an earlier decision to pause some US arms deliveries to Ukraine, announcing instead that new military support would be sent.
“Putin is not treating human beings right. He’s killing too many people,” Trump said, confirming the US would provide defensive weapons. “So we’re sending some defensive weapons and I’ve approved that.”
According to Axios, Trump has authorized the immediate delivery of 10 Patriot anti-missile systems to Ukraine. He also urged Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to press US weapons manufacturers to ramp up production.
“We have to step them up, Pete, and let them make it at a much higher rate,” he said.
Kremlin response and shifting battlefield
The Kremlin did not immediately respond to Trump’s tough comments, which came just two weeks after he also used strong language while discussing the Israel-Iran conflict.
However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later warned that arming Ukraine would only prolong the war, telling Russian media: “These actions clearly do not support efforts for a peaceful resolution.”
In Ukraine, officials have been scrambling to interpret the mixed signals from Washington, as any delay in arms shipments could prove devastating. Kyiv is facing one of the heaviest waves of Russian missile and drone attacks since the war began.
Moscow recently claimed a new territorial gain, saying its forces had captured the village of Dachne in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region—an area known for its industrial and mining significance. Russian troops had reportedly been advancing toward the village for months.
While Ukraine’s military denied losing control of the area, it did acknowledge repelling attacks near Dachne.
Dnipropetrovsk is not among the five Ukrainian regions—Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Crimea—that Russia has formally declared part of its territory. Still, analysts say Moscow’s latest advances may be part of a broader strategy to create a buffer zone.
“The situation is difficult,” said Ukrainian military analyst Oleksiy Kopytko. “But our troops are holding their ground quite steadily.” — AFP
