US and Ukraine finally sign minerals deal as Donald Trump makes key concession

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The US and Ukraine has signed an economic deal just weeks after Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky's explosive bust up in the White House.
Late on Wednesday, the US Treasury announced a "reconstruction investment fund" for Ukraine, with Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal describing it as "truly an equal and good international deal".

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Irish Examiner

30 minutes ago

• Irish Examiner

Mick Clifford: The USA is adopting a totalitarian attitude to free speech

Donald Trump's toxic orbit is now reaching directly into Ireland. Most recently, there were two specific areas in which this has come to pass. Last week, it emerged that officials in Coimisiún na Meán, the media regulator, could face potential restrictions on entry to the USA if the American administration deems that they are interfering with 'free speech' by regulating social media. This is an unprecedented move. Ordinarily, such visa restrictions might apply to corrupt officials in a dictatorship or rogue state. Now, in Trump's America, officials in a friendly European country could be banned from entry for simply doing their job. 'Free speech' is a movable feast for Trump and his followers. For instance, soon after assuming office in January, Trump declared that the Gulf of Mexico should heretofore be known as the Gulf of America. The PA news agency refused to do so, referring instead to its long-standing style book that determined it was still the Gulf of Mexico irrespective of what Trump might wish it to be. The king was not pleased. PA reporters were banned from the White House and from accompanying him on Air Force One. There have been similar instances where Trump and the gang he surrounds himself with have had issues with free speech. Elsewhere, Jess Casey reported this week in the Irish Examiner that new US visa screening protocols require international students travelling on a J1 visa to adjust privacy settings on all their social media profiles to public. The US state department announced it would now 'conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting, including online presence, of all student and exchange visitor applicants' under the new guidance. This will allow immigration officials to check the social media of students in case there is anything incriminating on their devices. And what could be incriminating in Trump's America? Anything that is deemed to conform to the kind of broad policies that the current authoritarian administration is pursuing. So, if, for instance, a young student has something on their phone that might show support for Palestinians who are being massacred, that can be deemed contrary to US interests, and the student told to turn around and go home. Similarly, entry might be denied if the student is displaying anything that is supportive of the rights of minorities, such as the transgender community. As of now it is unclear if a student has, for instance, a screenshot or meme portraying Donald Trump as a buffoon whether this would be incriminating enough to warrant exclusion. One way or the other, the restrictions suggest that the USA is adopting a totalitarian attitude to any kind of speech that might be contrary to Trump's precious, and sometimes, venal, interests. So much for free speech. As with all totalitarian regimes, there is a different attitude to any kind of free speech that might fit neatly into the category of propaganda. Thus, Trump is a believer in social media companies having a free rein over what appears on their platforms. What could be incriminating in Trump's America? Anything that is deemed to conform to the kind of broad policies that the current authoritarian administration is pursuing. Picture: David Dermer/AP In the first instance, it suits him and his politics. He is an expert manipulator of the medium, where he is free to retail lies, distortions, and abuse at will. His current level of power in the USA implies he will brook no attempts to curtail that ability. So it was that Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook announced soon after Trump's inauguration that it was no longer deploying fact-checking on the site. So social media is destined in the USA to remain a fact-free environment. Beyond that, the 'free speech' that Trump believes in extends to far less protection of minors on social media. This leaves boys and girls exposed to material relating to sex and violence with practically no restrictions. The reasoning behind such a free-for-all is that any restrictions depress traffic on the sites, which in turn hits the profits for the social media companies. And right now, all the owners, the tech bros, are happy to play supplicant to Trump in order to ensure they remain in his favour. Now word is being conveyed across the Atlantic that regulators in Europe, and particularly Ireland where so many of these companies have offices, would be well-minded to follow the lead of the Americans or they will, in terms of visa restrictions, be treated like corrupt officials from a foreign rouge state. You could not make it up. This week, it was also reported that 25% of US companies that had previously supported Dublin Pride have now pulled out. The move is directly due to the hostility Trump has towards anything resembling diversity or inclusion. Whether or not that has anything to do with his own opinion is irrelevant. Politically, he views it as a seam to mine, and that's all that matters to him. So to be seen to be supporting minorities is, in the eyes of Trump and his acolytes, a sign of disloyalty to the king. Dublin Pride, and all the Pride festivities are important annual events. They celebrate the LGBT+ communities but also act as a reminder of how these, and other, minorities were treated at a darker time. Three years ago, however, the Pride festival showed a degree of intolerance that was not in keeping with the sentiment it espouses. Following a series of programmes on RTÉ Radio 1's Lifeline on the subject of gender dysphoria, Pride announced that it was dropping the broadcaster as a media partner. The programmes had been balanced, which required including voices from a small group opposed to the philosophical position adopted by most in the LGBT community towards gender dysphoria. Such diversity of opinion was unacceptable to the organisers of Dublin Pride, so RTÉ was dropped. Today, the level of intolerance increasingly displayed in the USA towards minority communities is of a far greater order, and is being accepted by elements of society out of nothing more than fear of reprisals from Trump and his acolytes. That such an atmosphere is now washing up on these shores through US companies running away in fear from Dublin Pride should be an issue of concern for everybody. We have problems in this country, mainly concerned with inequality, particularly in relation to housing. Those are nothing like the issues that have pertained in the USA for decades, and which led to an atmosphere where an individual like Trump could actually be elected to office, not once, but twice. Vigilance is required to ensure we don't succumb to the toxic waves from Trump's America that can wash up on these shores in various forms. Read More Donald Trump delays US TikTok ban again

The Irish Sun

43 minutes ago

• The Irish Sun

Vladimir Putin rages ‘all of Ukraine is ours' as he threatens to seize key city while Kyiv slams tyrant as ‘deranged'

TYRANT Vladimir Putin cemented his territorial ambitions by proclaiming "all of Ukraine" belonged to Russia and threatening to invade more land. Ukraine slammed Putin's comments as "deranged" and called for Kyiv's allies to slap "devastating sanctions" on Russia. Advertisement 10 Ukrainian soldiers of 43rd artillery brigade fire self-propelled howitzer towards Russian positions Credit: AP 10 An explosion of a drone lights up the sky over the city during a Russian drone strike Credit: Reuters 10 Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the main session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) Credit: Getty 10 Speaking at Russia 's flagship economic forum in Saint Petersburg, Putin reaffirmed his long-held claim that He declared: "In that sense, all of Ukraine is ours. "There is a saying: wherever a Russian soldier sets foot, that is ours," he added. The narrative is central to Putin's rhetoric, which he has used to justify his Advertisement more on Putin However, he said Russia is ready to recognise Ukraine's sovereignty. But he reiterated his demand that Kyiv accept the realities of Nato . Putin said: "We aren't seeking Ukraine's surrender, we want them to recognise the realities on the ground," adding that Moscow has repeatedly warned Kyiv to make a deal. Asked about Moscow's goals in Ukraine, Putin threatened to take Sumy - a key Ukrainian city - as part of the creation of a "buffer zone". Advertisement Most read in The US Sun Latest He repeated that Moscow was "advancing on all fronts" and that his troops had penetrated up to seven miles into the Sumy region. Putin said: "We have to create a security zone along the border. Putin has lost a MILLION men - Ukraine has killed so many it is running out of ammo "We have no objective to take Sumy, but in principle I do not rule it out... They pose a constant threat to us, constantly shelling the border areas." Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga described Putin's comments as "deranged" and called for Kyiv's allies to slap "devastating sanctions" on Russia. Advertisement "The only way to force Russia into peace is to deprive it of its sense of impunity," he wrote in a post on X. Putin's widening territorial ambitions are likely to roil Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has accused Moscow of not wanting to end the fighting. The two sides held rounds of direct talks in Istanbul in May and in June, but Kyiv accused Moscow of sending "dummy" negotiators with no real power to enact a peace deal. Putin has declined to take part in the peace talks in person and on Thursday said he would only meet Zelensky during a "final phase" of negotiations on ending the three-year conflict. Advertisement He has also insisted that Ukraine give up territory it already controls for peace. Kyiv says it cannot and will not accept Russian occupation of any part of its land. 10 Firefighters try to extinguish after a Russian drone attack in Kharkiv Credit: Getty 10 Ukrainian service members firing an anti-tank guided missile weapon system Credit: Reuters Advertisement 10 Artillerymen of the 15th Operative Purpose Brigade Kara-Dag firing towards Russia Credit: Reuters It comes as Putin's battlefield Ukraine's fierce resistance forced Russia to pay a mighty toll for every inch of land it has taken, and The Advertisement According to the Ukrainian General Staff, one million Russian military troops have been put out of action since February 24, 2022, with 628,000 of those casualties occurring in the last six months. Burning through a million troops has won Putin just 20 per cent of Ukraine's total territory - mainly in southern and eastern areas - which is a Despite the Advertisement Even with the death toll climbing higher by the day Putin appears to be doubling down. The bloody milestone comes as Putin calls for a major upgrade to Russia's ground forces, Ukrainian outlet Pravda reports. 10 The Kremlin tyrant declared them the 'dominant force' in modern warfare and demanded faster development of 'advanced weapons systems' with 'the highest tactical and technical specifications.' Advertisement In a meeting on the state armaments programme, Putin also directed resources toward strengthening Russia's navy, further signalling his long-term military ambitions. It all comes as Russia is reportedly building up a 50,000-strong force alongside the border of Kharkiv amid fears of a fresh summer offensive to attack the city. With the The Ukrainian military in April reported that the Kremlin was amassing troops to prepare for a fresh assault on Kharkiv - Ukraine's second largest city. Advertisement Military analysts believe he is trying to press home his advantage and capture more Ukrainian land. They warn that Putin only has a "four-month window" to get a breakthrough in Ukraine this year. And this could be the beginning of Russia's summer offensive targeting the border city of Kharkiv - the "fortress" city of Ukraine which put up the maximum resistance at the start of the invasion. 10 Fire burns in the debris of a private house that was destroyed in a Russian rocket strike Credit: Reuters Advertisement 10 Private houses are seen ruined after a Russian drones attack in Kyiv region Credit: Reuters

Irish Times

8 hours ago

• Irish Times

Another week, another war: Trump pivots from America first to talk of a bunker buster

Story of the Week Another week. Another war. The prospect of carnage and thousands of deaths. Worrying questions about its impact on the region and beyond, the impacts on global stability. Israel 's launch of a war against Iran was not defensive or triggered by any attack. Rather it is a war of choice. Its stated aims at the start – eliminating Iran's nuclear threat – quickly pivoted into something else , regime change, or, more accurately, regime destruction. True to his make-it-up-as-you-go-along presidency, Donald Trump had pivoted within a day from his strict America first non-interventionist stance on international wars (a strong position with his MAGA base) to cheerleading the Israelis and threatening to deploy the only piece of arsenal the Israel Defense Forces do not have. That is, the 14-tonne so-called bunker-buster bomb which just might be able to penetrate into Fordo, the mountain where the Iranian regime has its main underground nuclear enrichment facility. [ Netanyahu's ruling party gets popularity boost in wake of Iran conflict Opens in new window ] True to form, Trump tells the whole of Tehran (population 10 million) to evacuate. Which, by all reports, most citizens have done. Meanwhile the Israelis and Iranians continue to pound each other. READ MORE The move has drawn attention away from Israel's continuing onslaught against the population of Gaza . The statement of the G7 was read by some as troubling as it seemed to give almost unconditional support for what Israel had done. Of course, a war between Israel and Iran is a different proposition than its siege of Gaza, as the Iranian regime is unsavoury by any yardstick. It seems that Israel's move to being an international pariah – even in the eyes of erstwhile supporters – has been modified, with some ambivalence expressed. Make no mistake it will employ the same ruthlessness and indifference to civilian casualties as it has done in Gaza and elsewhere. There is a long and sad history of intervention by big global powers in this region, where regime-change unfortunately leads to a new regime that is in some cases worse than the henchmen they replaced. Meanwhile Ireland continues to work to try to assist the few hundred citizens still in Iran and Israel. The Tánaiste has spoken to foreign affairs ministers in the region but, in truth, there is little our State can do bring influence to bear. Bust-up Row of this week. And every week. When you meet all the leaders outside the chamber they are all so civil. But there's something about the cauldron of the Dáil chamber that brings out the raspiness in Micheál Martin , Mary Lou McDonald , Simon Harris and Pearse Doherty . No matter what the issue it descends within seconds into a dogfight. If you want a perfect summary of what happened this week there no better place to start than these two (verbal) blow-by-blow accounts Miriam Lord. The first is here and the second is here . All very well but does it affect me? The story was almost missed given everything else that was happening this week but it was a significant moment in recent Irish political and financial history. AIB bought the very last part of its shareholdings back from the State making it a fully independent entity once more. After the financial crash, the State took shares in our two biggest pillar banks, Bank of Ireland and AIB, in order to make sure they survived. Bank of Ireland, which was less exposed to the property crash, came out of State ownership relatively quickly but it has been a long and slow process for AIB, taking almost a decade and a half. But the moment finally arrived this week. And Joe Brennan has a wonderful account of it , including that enticing line that at one stage the bank's art collection was worth more than the bank. Banana Skin When you go on a solo run as a Minister, just make sure the ball does not slip form your grasp. Minister for Arts and Media Patrick O'Donovan found out all about that this week, when he got a slap on the wrist from the bean counters in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER). In recent months, O'Donovan brought two memos to Cabinet, 'under his arm', without informing DPER first. The memos related to the Arts Council 's half-abandoned ICT project as well as a plan to spend €10 million bringing an American football NFL game to Croke Park later this year. As Ellen Coyne reports , a senior DPER official said this practice 'makes it very difficult for this department, and indeed for Government generally, to thoroughly and properly consider issues and their implications, particularly regarding substantial expenditure implications and serious governance issues'. O'Donovan's spokespeople said there were time pressures involved which required him to bring both matters to Cabinet at short notice. He would not want to make a habit of it, as far as DPER is concerned. Winners and losers Winner: Colin Hunt, AIB's chief executive and former special adviser ministers for Finance. This week, the bank bought back the last of the shares held by the State since the banking collapse in 2010. Loser: Children's Hospital Ireland, which faced a grilling and dressing-down for its many failings at the Oireachtas Committee on Health. The Big Read Jack Horgan-Jones is on political column duty this week. Miriam Lord's Saturday column is a must-read. Martin Wall and Jack also have a big piece looking at the CHI in crisis. Hear here Sally Hayden joins Inside Politics on Friday from Beirut where missiles flying overhead have become a fact of daily life despite the ceasefire agreement Lebanon signed with Israel last November. The rising death toll and continuing aerial attacks from Iran and Israel show no signs of abating. And is the US on the verge of joining Israel's attack on Iran? Meanwhile, Children's Health Ireland appeared before the Oireachtas Health Committee this week with politicians eager to tear strips off the embattled group responsible for running children's hospital services in Dublin . Could the Israel-Iran war completely destabilise the Middle East? Listen | 49:01