US Politics
Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump suggests Kyiv needs to ‘fight back’ against Putin in fiery tirade
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US president Donald Trump has suggested Ukraine should “fight back” to win against Russia in his latest fiery tirade on Truth Social, as he continues his attempts to broker peace between the warring nations.
He wrote: “It is very hard, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking an invaders country. It’s like a great team in sports that has a fantastic defense, but is not allowed to play offense. There is no chance of winning!”
Reflecting on the conflict, he accused former president Joe Biden of not allowing Ukraine to “FIGHT BACK, only DEFEND.
“How did that work out? Regardless, this is a war that would have NEVER happened if I were President – ZERO CHANCE”, he said, adding there were “Interesting times ahead!!!”
Mr Trump frequently criticises his predecessor over the handling of the Ukraine war, while Kyiv has attacked Russia, most notably when it launched a surprise operation in Kursk last year.
The outburst follows efforts to arrange a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky. He met with the Russian leader in Alaska last week for the first time in seven years.
After a consultation with Zelensky on Monday, the Ukrainian president has said Kyiv wants an understanding of security guarantees in the next week, before bilateral and trilateral leaders meetings can take place.
Military options on Ukraine to be presented to national security advisers, U.S. official says
Military chiefs from the United States and a number of European countries have developed military options on Ukraine and will be presenting them to their respective national security advisers, a U.S. official said on Thursday.
“These options will be presented to each nation’s respective national security advisors for appropriate consideration in ongoing diplomatic efforts,” the official said.
Bryony Gooch21 August 2025 18:00
Trump suggests Kyiv should become more offensive in its war with Russia
US president Donald Trump has said in his latest statement on Truth Social that Ukraine should take a more offensive stance in its war with Russia, criticising former president Joe Biden for allowing Kyiv to “only defend.”
“It is very hard, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking an invaders country. It’s like a great team in sports that has a fantastic defense, but is not allowed to play offense.
“There is no chance of winning! It is like that with Ukraine and Russia. Crooked and grossly incompetent Joe Biden would not let Ukraine FIGHT BACK, only DEFEND. How did that work out?
“Regardless, this is a war that would have NEVER happened if I were President – ZERO CHANCE. Interesting times ahead!!!”
Bryony Gooch21 August 2025 17:29
Watch: Unidentified flying object has crashed and exploded in Polish field
Bryony Gooch21 August 2025 17:00
German justice minister affirms support for Ukraine while pursuing criminal investigation into Nord Stream Pipeline
German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann confirms that Germany will continue to stand closely with Ukraine in its war against Russia, but under rule of law will be pursuing a criminal investigation into the Nord Stream pipeline attacks.
Seen by both Russia and the West as an act of sabotage, no one has ever taken responsibility for explosions that severely damaged pipelines carrying gas from Russia to Europe in September 2022, which marked a major escalation in the Ukraine conflict and ramped up an energy supply crisis on the continent.
The suspect, identified only as Serhii K. under German privacy laws, was part of a group of people who planted devices on the pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm in September 2022, a statement from the prosecutor’s office said.
Bryony Gooch21 August 2025 16:00
Putin receives Indian foreign minister in the Kremlin, TASS says
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in the Kremlin on Thursday, the TASS state news agency reported.
Jaishankar met earlier on Thursday with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
Bryony Gooch21 August 2025 15:45
In numbers: Is the UK ready to put boots on the ground in Ukraine?
Bryony Gooch21 August 2025 15:30
Watch: Vance explains how he broke ice with Zelensky after Oval Office showdown
Bryony Gooch21 August 2025 15:15
Ukrainian suspected in the Nord Stream pipeline blasts arrested in Italy, German prosecutors say
Bryony Gooch21 August 2025 15:00
Russia suggests plans to strengthen nuclear shield due to ‘colossal threats’
Russia’s nuclear shield should be strengthened in coming years due to the “colossal threats” facing the world’s biggest nuclear power, the head of Russia’s state nuclear corporation said on Thursday.
Russia and the United States are upgrading their nuclear arsenals – including the systems used to detect and intercept incoming nuclear-armed missiles – just as China ramps up its own nuclear capability far beyond those of Britain and France.
“Now, in the current geopolitical situation, is a time of colossal threats to the existence of our country. Therefore, the nuclear shield, which is also a sword, is a guarantee of our sovereignty,” Russian state news agency RIA cited Alexei Likhachev as saying.
“We understand today that the nuclear shield must only be improved in the coming years.”
Bryony Gooch21 August 2025 14:45
Why is the future of Ukraine’s Donbas region becoming a key issue in peace talks?
Bryony Gooch21 August 2025 14:30