United News of Bangladesh

The UK and Germany are co-chairing a high-level virtual meeting on Monday to discuss President Donald Trump’s push for NATO allies to supply weapons to Ukraine, a week after he announced that military deliveries would reach Ukraine within days. British Defence Secretary John Healey and German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius will lead the meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, are expected to join the discussion. The talks come amid intensified Russian attacks on Ukraine, with Ukrainian officials reporting around 300 drone strikes on Saturday alone. Analysts warn that such assaults are likely to escalate further. In a shift of tone last week, President Trump gave Russia a 50-day deadline to agree to a ceasefire or face harsher sanctions. Under Trump’s new arms plan, European nations will send U.S.-made weapons to Ukraine via NATO—either from their current stockpiles or by purchasing and donating new equipment. A key focus is on advanced Patriot air defense systems. Although Trump said deliveries would begin “within days,” officials last week indicated that transfers had not yet started. Trump sues Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch over Epstein coverage Gen. Grynkewich told the Associated Press on Thursday that “preparations are underway,” while U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said he could not confirm a timeline. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that Germany would finance two new Patriot systems for Ukraine and may supply additional systems from its own inventory, to be replaced by the U.S. However, he noted delivery could take “days, perhaps weeks.” Switzerland may also contribute, as its defence ministry said five previously ordered Patriot systems would be reprioritized for Ukraine. Meanwhile, NATO continues coordinating other military aid, including artillery and ammunition, some of which had been briefly paused. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said peace talks were proposed this week, with Istanbul likely as host. Russia has yet to set a date but remains open to negotiations

U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, arrived in Kyiv on Monday, a senior Ukrainian official confirmed, amid growing anticipation of a potential shift in Washington’s approach to the war. Trump recently promised a “major statement” on Russia, expressing frustration with President Vladimir Putin’s continued attacks. Though Trump once praised Putin as a willing negotiator, he has since condemned Moscow’s intensifying strikes on civilians. “I am very disappointed with President Putin, I thought he was somebody that meant what he said," Trump said Sunday. "He’ll talk so beautifully and then he’ll bomb people at night. We don’t like that.” Trump also confirmed the U.S. is sending Patriot air defense missiles to Ukraine, with the European Union covering the cost. However, the EU cannot directly purchase weapons under its treaties, so member countries are funding them through the European Peace Facility. Russian drone and missile attacks kill at least 2 in Ukraine Ukraine continues to face relentless Russian drone and missile strikes, with June recording the highest civilian casualties in three years—232 killed and 1,343 injured, according to the UN. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said the war is reaching an “inflection point” as Trump shows renewed commitment. “One of the biggest miscalculations Putin has made is to play Trump,” Graham said. Talks in Kyiv will focus on defense, weapons, and cooperation, said Andrii Yermak, head of Ukraine’s presidential office. Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is set to meet Trump and top U.S. officials in Washington. Russia launched fresh strikes early Monday, killing two in Sumy region, while Ukraine intercepted dozens of drones overnight.

Ukrainians grappled Tuesday with the ramifications of a US decision to pause military aid that is critical to their fight against Russia’s invasion, as a rift between Kyiv and Washington deepens. Days after an explosive meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US President Donald Trump ordered the assistance halted in a bid to pressure Kyiv to engage in peace talks with Russia. Ukraine and its allies are concerned Trump is pushing for a quick ceasefire that will favour Russia, and Kyiv is looking for security guarantees to ward off possible future Russian invasions. A White House official said the US was “pausing and reviewing” its aid to “ensure that it is contributing to a solution.” The order will remain in effect until Trump determines that Ukraine has demonstrated a commitment to peace negotiations with Russia, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the assistance. Ukraine needs help to fight Russia Ukraine, which depends heavily on foreign help to hold back the Russian invasion that began on Feb. 24 2022, has feared that aid could be stopped since Trump took office. US-made Patriot air defense missile systems, for example, are a pivotal part of Ukraine’s air defenses. Trump says 25% tariffs on Mexican, Canadian imports from Tuesday Just as vital is US intelligence assistance, which has allowed Ukraine to track Russian troop movements and select targets. Ukraine’s European allies couldn't make up for a US withdrawal of that asset if it proves to be part of the pause. “I feel betrayed, but this feeling is not really deep for some reason. I was expecting something like that from Trump's side,” said a Ukrainian soldier fighting in Russia's Kursk region, where Ukraine launched a daring military incursion in August 2024 to improve its hand in negotiations. The soldier spoke by phone to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to speak freely about his thoughts as he was not authorized to speak to the press. On the frontline, where Ukraine is struggling to fend off the much larger and better-equipped Russian army, another soldier said the US decision would enable Russia to make further battlefield gains. “War is very pragmatic,” he told the AP on condition of anonymity in compliance with military regulations. “If we have weapons, enough ammunition, infantry, armored vehicles and aviation — great. If not, then we’re done,” he said. He recalled a seven-month delay in US aid that ended in April 2024 but in the meantime opened a door for the Russian capture of the strategically important city of Avdiivka. Trump halts Ukraine aid, pressures Zelenskyy for swift end to war Others said the move has left even greater confusion about Donald Trump’s intentions. “The problem is that it’s unclear what Trump wants and what the purpose of his actions is,” said Oleksandr Merezhko, Ukrainian lawmaker and chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee. “As of today, it appears that he is increasingly siding with Russia and trying to pressure Ukraine into accepting Russia’s demands.” “This looks terrible — forcing the weaker side to accept the terms of the stronger aggressor,” he told AP. Olena Fedorova, a 46-year-old resident of the southern port city of Odesa, said she hoped Trump’s decision would be “a temporary measure” because “we really need help.” The US-Ukraine relationship has taken a downturn in recent weeks as Trump’s team launched bilateral talks with Russia and Trump’s demeanor toward Zelenskyy has become increasingly dismissive. Trump says he wants to get traction for peace negotiations. He vowed during his campaign to settle the war in 24 hours, but in January changed that time frame and voiced hope that peace could be negotiated in six months.

The United States will have access to Ukraine’s critical mineral wealth, including key ingredients for the clean energy transition, under a deal the two countries are expected to sign later this week. President Donald Trump, who has pushed for the agreement, has long been critical of a transition to green energies, which include wind and solar power, along with electrification of transportation and appliances, all things that require the various minerals the U.S. will have access to in this deal. So if Trump is against this trend, why go after these minerals? Ukraine’s mineral wealth Countries vary in which minerals they deem strategically critical. The U.S. Department of the Interior has designated 50, and Ukraine has more than 20 of those. Deposits of titanium, which is in high demand, are spread across the country. Titanium is used for making aircraft wings and other aerospace manufacturing, for marine uses, chemical processing and medical devices. US Senate moves forward on confirming Kash Patel as FBI director Ukraine has lithium, key to several current battery technologies, and it has uranium, used for nuclear power, medical equipment and weapons. The country also has graphite and manganese, both used in batteries for electric vehicles. Still, the data on Ukraine’s geology is incomplete, according to Tom Moerenhout, adjunct associate professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. The maps date back to when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union, which dissolved in 1991. So it’s not clear how easy or profitable it will be to get the desired materials out of the ground. “It’s one thing to have a deal that talks about how might we manage their extraction and their revenue,” Moerenhout said of the agreement. “It’s another thing entirely to actually have extractive projects, to actually have mining operations going on, and that is something that the deal does not guarantee.” Some of the mineral riches lie in parts of the country currently occupied by Russia. Ukraine’s rare earth metals Rare earths are a subset of critical minerals; there are 17 of them, and not one is a common word. For example, ytterbium and promethium are rare earths. Rare earths are important for many kinds of technology and electronics, including medical care, military, aerospace as well as clean energy uses. Ytterbium is used in infrared lasers, chemical reactions, rechargeable batteries and fiber optics. Lanthanum is used in batteries, specialty glass for eyeglasses and and camera lenses and in petroleum refining. A single piece of military equipment can require hundreds of pounds of a rare earth. Contrary to their name, rare earths are not necessarily rare. However, they do often occur in low concentrations, making processing complicated. It’s mainly China that excels at this processing currently. Geopolitical reasons for interest in Ukraine’s supply The Trump administration has steered clear of clean energy policy in favor of its “energy dominance” agenda, focused on oil and gas. As promised during his campaign, the president’s early executive orders slashed support for climate- and clean-energy related technologies, funding and programs. Electric vehicles, wind turbines, solar photovoltaic panels and other clean energy technology require the rare earths for components such as magnets and batteries; broadly, renewable energy and decarbonization are placing high demand on minerals across the globe. Trump supports giving Americans part of DOGE savings as dividends But clearly, the uses of the minerals Ukraine has go far beyond the energy transition. And Ukraine has tried hard to interest the new administration in its mineral wealth. Also, China controls much of the world’s supply of these materials. Opening access to Ukraine’s supply could reduce U.S. dependence elsewhere. “To the credit of the first Trump administration, they have always put critical minerals as a very important policy priority because they knew they were so heavily reliant on China,” Moerenhout said. “That priority for the Trump administration doesn’t change at all because they are less, let’s say, less aggressive about clean energy deployment targets in the future.”

A framework economic deal with the United States is ready, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday, but security guarantees that Kyiv views as vital remain to be decided and a full agreement could hinge on talks in Washington as early as Friday. The framework deal is a first step toward a comprehensive agreement that will be subject to ratification by Ukraine’s parliament, Zelenskyy said during a news conference in Kyiv. Ukraine needs to know where the United States stands on its continued military support, Zelenskyy said. He said expects to have a wide-ranging substantive conversation with US President Donald Trump during a visit to Washington. “I want to coordinate with the US,” Zelenskyy said. Zelenskyy said that the main topics that he wants to discuss with Trump are whether the US plans to halt military aid and, if so, whether Ukraine would be able to purchase weapons directly from the US. He also wants to know whether Ukraine can use frozen Russian assets for weapons investments and whether Washington plans to lift sanctions on Russia. Earlier, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal confirmed that Ukraine and the United States have reached preliminary agreement on a broad economic deal that includes US access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals amid its war with Russia. US and Ukraine near an economic deal with mineral rights but no security promise, officials say After days of negotiations, Ukraine and the US will sign the preliminary agreement, but with further details of a full agreement — including US security guarantees that Kyiv officials view as vital — still to be worked out, Shmyhal said on Ukrainian public television. Since returning to office last month, Trump let Ukraine know that he wanted something in return for tens of billions of dollars in US help to fend off the full-scale invasion that Russia launched just over three years ago on Feb. 24, 2022. Trump has abruptly ditched some previous Washington policies. He scrapped efforts to isolate Russian President Vladimir Putin and cast doubt on US support for its European allies. That has brought momentous geopolitical shifts that could reset the war’s path this year. The preliminary agreement sets out the terms and conditions of an investment fund for the rebuilding of Ukraine, Shmyhal said.