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Zelensky Says Trump has Succumbed to Russian 'Disinformation'

This is Beirut, 19/02 15:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Volodymyr Zelensky Donald Trump USA Kyiv Russia War

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday accused Donald Trump of succumbing to Russian "disinformation", deepening a rift between Kyiv and the new US administration. Speaking to reporters at a press conference on Tuesday, Trump echoed many of Russia's talking points on the three-year war in Ukraine, blaming Kyiv for having "started" ...

US top diplomat visits UAE on final leg of Mideast tour

This is Beirut, 19/02 09:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

United Arab Emirates USA Gulf

US top diplomat Marco Rubio visited the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday for the final leg of his first Middle East tour, after breakthrough talks with Russian officials in Riyadh. After arriving in Abu Dhabi in the morning, the US secretary of state was set to meet with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Foreign Minister Abdullah ...

In Joint Interview, Trump Outlines Musk's Role as Enforcer-in-Chief

This is Beirut, 19/02 09:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump USA Elon Musk

US President Donald Trump painted Elon Musk as his enforcer-in-chief Tuesday, hailing the tech billionaire's zeal in implementing the blizzard of executive orders the president has issued since returning to office. In a joint interview broadcast on Fox News, the two men spent substantial time singing the other's praises and dismissing concerns ...

US Reaffirms Support for Lebanese Army

This is Beirut, 18/02 21:55 - Reading : less than a minute

Lebanese Army USA United States Washington

The United States has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Lebanon’s security and stability, emphasizing that assistance to the Lebanese Army (LAF) will continue. In a statement posted on its official X account on Tuesday, the US State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs stressed that Washington remains dedicated to backing the ...

Russia Tells US It Opposes Any NATO Member Sending Troops to Ukraine

This is Beirut, 18/02 16:36 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

USA Ukraine Donald Trump US Secretary of State Russia

Russia told the United States in talks on Tuesday that it opposed any NATO member sending troops to Ukraine as part of a ceasefire, Moscow's foreign minister said. "The appearance of troops of armed forces from the same NATO countries, whether under a foreign flag, under the flag of the European Union or under national flags, does not ...

EU tells US Europe Wants to 'partner' on Ukraine Peace

This is Beirut, 18/02 12:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

European Union Ukraine USA Ursula von der Leyen

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen told US envoy Keith Kellogg on Tuesday that Europe wants to work with Washington for peace in Ukraine, and is ready to do more to arm Kyiv. "Financially and militarily, Europe has brought more to the table than anyone else. And we will step up," von der Leyen wrote on X after meeting Kellogg in Brussels. "We want to ...

Top Russia, US Officials to Meet in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday

This is Beirut, 17/02 17:20 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

USA Saudi Arabia Volodymyr Zelensky Donald Trump Russia

Top US and Russian diplomats will meet in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for talks on resetting the countries' fractured relations and possibly paving the way to ending the Ukraine war. Kyiv said it was not invited to the discussions in Riyadh, while European leaders -- reeling from Washington's dramatic change in policy towards Moscow -- hosted ...

EU Pushes to Boost Weapons Deliveries for Ukraine

This is Beirut, 17/02 16:41 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Ukraine USA Donald Trump European Union Russia

The EU is pressing its member states to bolster supplies of key weaponry to Ukraine this year, including air defences, missiles and at least 1.5 million artillery shells, a proposal seen by AFP Monday said. Europe is scrambling to offer backing to Kyiv after US President Donald Trump blindsided allies by launching peace efforts with Russia over ...

Chatbot vs National Security? Why DeepSeek is Raising Concerns

This is Beirut, 17/02 11:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump New York USA DeepSeek

Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek upended the global industry and wiped billions off US tech stocks when it unveiled its R1 programme, which it claims was built on cheap, less sophisticated Nvidia semiconductors. But governments from Rome to Seoul are cracking down on the user-friendly Chinese app, saying they need to prevent potential leaks of ...

Musk's DOGE Seeks Access to US tax System

This is Beirut, 17/02 11:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

USA Donald Trump Washington

Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has sparked alarm by seeking access to a system with the US tax office that has detailed financial data about millions of Americans, US media reported. Spearheaded by Musk, the world's richest man, US President Donald Trump has embarked on a campaign to slash public spending deemed wasteful ...

US, Israel Present United Front on Gaza, Iran

This is Beirut, 16/02 17:35 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Israel Palestine USA Benjamin Netanyahu Marco Rubio

Top US diplomat Marco Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented a united front Sunday against their common enemies, threatening to "open the gates of hell" on Hamas and "finish the job" against Iran. The pledges came during a joint address to reporters in Jerusalem, where Rubio began his first Middle East trip as secretary of ...

The European Union Overshadowed by 'Pax Americana'

Mario Chartouni, 16/02 16:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump USA Vladimir Putin Europe

The announcement of direct talks between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine marks a major geopolitical shift. By deliberately sidestepping the European Union (EU), this move signals a strategy to weaken Europe’s influence, despite its long-standing role in the Ukrainian crisis. Here’s how ...

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