Zelensky-Trump meeting set for Wednesday Ukraine presidency.

Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump are planning to meet on Wednesday on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague, a senior source in the Ukrainian presidency told AFP

The wartime leader has been a central figure at recent summits, but given his fractious relationship with Trump, Zelensky has not been invited to the main working session with NATO members.

“The teams are finalising the details” of the meeting, the source told AFP, adding that the talks were scheduled for the “early afternoon” in the Netherlands.
The source added that the discussion would focus on Ukraine’s “purchase of a defence package, a large part of which consists of air defence systems”.

The leaders would also discuss more “sanctions against Russia, and a price cap on oil”, the source added.
Ukraine and its allies have sought to lower an existing oil cap imposed on Russia after it invaded Ukraine more than three years ago, from $60 to $45, to dent the Kremlin’s war chest.

Trump so far has frustrated Western allies by refusing to impose new sanctions on Russia despite President Vladimir Putin’s refusal to agree to a Ukraine ceasefire.

Trump to make Iran war decision in ‘next two weeks’

US President Donald Trump said Thursday he will decide whether to join Israel’s strikes on Iran within the next two weeks as there is still a “substantial” chance of negotiations to end the conflict.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt read out a message from Trump, saying there had been “a lot of speculation” about whether the United States would be “directly involved” in the conflict.

Based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks,” Trump said in the statement.

Trump approves Iran attack plans
US president gives private.

Donald Trump has approved a plan to attack Iran but has yet to give a final order, White House officials said.

The US president gave private instructions to military chiefs in the situation room inside the White House on Wednesday, sources told US media.

He later told reporters: “ I have ideas as to what to do, but I haven’t made a final [call].

“I like to make a final decision one second before it’s due, you know? Because things change, especially with war. It can go from one extreme to the other.”

Iran’s Khamenei vows ‘no mercy’ for Israel leaders.

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed on Wednesday that his country would show no mercy towards Israel’s rulers, hours after US President Donald Trump demanded Tehran’s “unconditional surrender”.

“We must give a strong response to the terrorist Zionist regime. We will show the Zionists no mercy,” Khamenei posted on X.

EXPLOSIONS HEARD IN TEL AVIV AND JERUSALEM AS ISRAEL MILITARY WARNS OF INCOMING IRAN MISSILE

Israeli forces issued an evacuation warning for parts of north-eastern Tehran ahead of plans to target "military infrastructure"
Shortly afterwards, US President Donald Trump posted on social media that "everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran"
Trump has left the G7 meeting in Canada early "so he can attend to many important matters," the White House has confirmed
Iranian state media reported explosions and heavy air defence fire in Tehran in the early hours of Tuesday morning, according to Reuters
Israeli authorities have now lifted an earlier alert that covered several regions after they detected missiles being launched from Iran - a number of injuries have been reported in Israel
Earlier, dramatic footage showed a live broadcast on Iranian state TV being hit by Israeli strikes
Iran has also closed its airspace until 14:00 local time, according to state media.

US President Trump Offers Support To India After Devastating Plane Crash Sahara Reporters

The US president took federal control of California's state military to push soldiers into the country's second-biggest city, where law enforcement and protesters have clashed for two days

“He is killing a lot of people. I don’t know what the hell happened to Putin,”

— US President Joe Biden, in a rare and direct rebuke of Moscow following Russia’s strikes on dozens of Ukrainian cities.

— @FT