WASHINGTON: All it took was 90 seconds for weeks of tortured diplomacy to unwind in spectacular fashion.
President Donald Trump’s Oval Office thrashing of Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday laid bare the limits of a full-court press by America’s allies aimed at reshaping Trump’s determination to end Russia’s invasion even if the terms are not to Ukraine’s liking.
It also stressed the profound ways Trump feels emboldened to redirect US foreign policy priorities toward his “America First” agenda in ways that extend well beyond those of his tumultuous first term.
The sudden blowup was the most heated public exchange of words between world leaders in the Oval Office in memory, as the usual staid work of diplomacy descended into finger-pointing, shouting and eye-rolling.
The encounter left the future of the US-Ukraine relationship, and Kyiv’s ability to defend itself in the brutal conflict with Russia, in mortal jeopardy.
“You either make a deal or we are out,” Trump told Zelensky, underscoring the American leader’s plans to dictate a swift end to the war or leave its longtime ally to continue the fight without its strongest backer.
Less than a day later, Zelensky used a series of posts on X to express his thanks to the American people, Trump and Congress for “all the support,” which he said Ukrainians “have always appreciated,” especially during the war.
“Our relationship with the American President is more than just two leaders; it’s a historic and solid bond between our peoples. That’s why I always begin with words of gratitude from our nation to the American nation,” he added. Ukrainians want “only strong relations with America, and I really hope we will have them,” he said.
Zelensky was in London to meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer before a summit Sunday of European leaders.
Episode capped intense lobbying effort by American allies
The stunning episode in Washington had capped a week of what turned out to be largely futile efforts by US allies to paper over differences between Washington and Kyiv and to try to steer Trump away from his flirtations with Moscow.
On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron huddled with Trump to lay the groundwork for an eventual European-led peacekeeping force in Ukraine aimed at deterring future Russian aggression and to encourage the US president to be more skeptical of Vladimir Putin.
But even as Trump and Macron greeted each other with a vise-like grip, the US was splitting with its European allies at the United Nations by refusing to blame Russia for its invasion of Ukraine in a series of resolutions marking the third anniversary of the war.
On Thursday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Washington and appealed to Trump for a US “backstop” for European nations who would provide front-line security for Ukraine. He was in essence looking for insurance that, should a peace deal be reached, Russia won’t restart the fighting in the future. Starmer brought flattery and a state visit invitation from King Charles III to soften the ask.
The approach seemed to work, as Trump struck a more conciliatory tone toward Ukraine, calling America’s support for the country against Russia’s invasion “a very worthy thing to do” and disclaiming any memory that he had called the Ukrainian leader a “dictator.”
But Trump also brushed aside Putin’s past broken diplomatic promises, claiming they occurred under different presidents, and saying the Russian leader had never violated a commitment to him. It came as his aides were planning a series of negotiating sessions with Russian officials to lay the groundwork for a potential meeting between Trump and Putin in the coming weeks.
Mineral deal pursued by Trump goes by the wayside, for now
All the while, Trump was focused on securing a financial stake in Ukraine’s critical minerals to recoup the tens of billions the US has given to Kyiv to defend itself. Zelensky, meanwhile, wanted more than Washington’s vague promises that the US would work to preserve its economic interest in Ukraine under the agreement and pushed for more concrete security guarantees.
But Trump would not budge, and US officials repeatedly said Zelensky would not be welcome to meet with the president to discuss Trump’s push for negotiations with Russia until it was signed. After weeks of browbeating, Zelensky’s government on Wednesday formally agreed to the proposal, clearing the path for Friday’s meeting.
It started off cordially enough, as Trump and Zelensky spoke politely, even with admiration, of one of another for the first half-hour of the meeting. Trump even suggested he would continue some military assistance to Ukraine until he could secure an enduring peace deal with Russia.
But when the Ukrainian leader raised alarm about trusting any promises from Putin to end the fighting, Vice President JD Vance rebuked him for airing disagreements with Trump in public. It instantly shifted the tenor of the conversation. Zelensky grew defensive, and Trump and his vice president blasted him as ungrateful and “disrespectful” and issued stark warnings about future American support.
A warning before the meeting ‘not to take the bait’
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a defense hawk and Trump ally, said he had warned Zelensky before the meeting “not to take the bait” in his dealings with Trump, who has repeatedly shown a penchant for throwing criticism but a deep resistance to receiving it.
It was Vance — a longtime critic of American support for Ukraine — who dangled it, when he insisted diplomacy was the only way forward.
“What kind of diplomacy, JD, you are speaking about?” Zelensky said, listing Russia’s past violations of ceasefires. “What do you mean?”
“I’m talking about the kind of diplomacy that’s going to end the destruction of your country,” Vance responded before tearing into the Ukrainian leader. “Mr. President, with respect, I think it’s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media.”
Trump then let loose, warning the Ukrainian leader, “You’re gambling with World War III, and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country that’s backed you far more than a lot of people say they should have.”
At another point, Trump declared himself “in the middle,” seeming to formally break from years of American support for Ukraine. He went on to deride Zelensky’s “hatred” for Putin as a roadblock to peace.
“You see the hatred he’s got for Putin,” Trump said. “That’s very tough for me to make a deal with that kind of hate.”
“It’s going to be a very hard thing to do business like this,” Trump said to Zelensky as the two leaders talked over each other.
Latest example of major shift in US foreign policy
The episode was just the latest instance of Trump’s brazen moves to shift long-held American policy positions in his first six weeks back in office, portending even more uncertainty ahead for longtime American allies and partners who have already felt pressed to justify their place in Trump’s eyes. It comes just weeks after Trump floated a permanent relocation of Palestinians in Gaza and an American takeover of the territory, and as he has doubled down on plans to put stiff tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada starting next week.
After the Oval Office dustup, Zelensky was asked to leave the White House by top Trump advisers — scrapping plans for a lunch, a joint press conference and the signing of the economic agreement, even as the Ukrainian leader and his aides pushed for a “reset” on the meeting.
Trump later told reporters he didn’t want to “embolden” the Ukrainian leader if he didn’t want “peace” with Russia — flipping what Ukraine had seen as an inducement for security guarantees into a cudgel.
“You can’t embolden somebody who does not have the cards,” Trump said.
After the disastrous encounter, Zelensky appeared on Fox News on Friday evening and told Bret Baier that his public spat with Trump and Vance was “not good for both sides.” But Zelensky said Trump — who insists Putin is ready to end the three-year grinding war — needs to understand that Ukraine can’t change its attitudes toward Russia on a dime.
Zelensky added that Ukraine won’t enter peace talks with Russia until it has security guarantees against another offensive.
“Everybody (is) afraid Putin will come back tomorrow,” Zelensky said. “We want just and lasting peace.”
“It’s so sensitive for our people,” Zelensky said. “And they just want to hear that America (is) on our side, that America will stay with us. Not with Russia, with us. That’s it.”
Zelensky acknowledged that without US support, his country’s position would grow “difficult.”
After repeatedly declining opportunities to apologize to Trump, Zelensky closed his Fox appearance with a sheepish expression of remorse as he struggled with the reality of Trump’s new direction in Washington: “Sorry for this.”
Trump’s Oval Office thrashing of Zelensky shows limits of Western allies’ ability to sway US leader
https://arab.news/b8wda
Trump’s Oval Office thrashing of Zelensky shows limits of Western allies’ ability to sway US leader
- White House blowout capped a week of largely futile efforts by US allies to steer Trump away from his flirtations with Moscow
- Sen. Lindsey Graham said he had warned Zelensky before the meeting “not to take the bait” in his dealings with Trump
Graves of babies among dozens vandalized in suspected Islamophobic attack at UK cemetery
- Grieving relatives find up to 85 graves damaged in a section of a cemetery in the town of Watford designated for Muslim burials
- Police are investigating and the local council, which owns the burial site, says it will replace damaged name plaques and restore the cemetery to its proper state
LONDON: Dozens of graves, including those of babies and young children, were desecrated in a suspected Islamophobic hate crime in the British town of Watford, near London, prompting widespread condemnation and sorrow from the local community.
The vandalism, which affected up to 85 graves, is under investigation by Hertfordshire Police. Officers have yet to make any arrests, The Independent newspaper reported on Monday.
The damage was discovered over the weekend by a grieving family visiting the cemetery following a recent burial. The distressing scene sparked an immediate outpouring of grief and support.
A spokesperson for Wadi Funeralcare described the vandalism as “unspeakable acts of disrespect,” and added: “Their pain and anguish was deeply felt by all of us. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the many individuals and organizations who responded swiftly and stood in solidarity with the affected families and our wider community.”
The spokesperson said the incident had “deeply shaken” the Muslim community but the swift response and shared outrage reinforced the “strength we have when we stand together.”
The leader of the local Brent Council, Muhammed Butt, urged members of the public to come forward with any information that could help police, and expressed his sympathy for the bereaved families.
“I cannot imagine how they must be feeling at this moment,” he said. “It looks as though Muslim graves have been targeted in what appears to be an Islamophobic hate crime.
“There is absolutely no place for hate or discrimination of any kind anywhere, but particularly in London, a city where everyone is welcome and our diversity is one of our greatest strengths.”
Brent Council will replace the damaged name plaques and work to restore the cemetery to its proper state, he added.
“We will return Carpenders Park Lawn Cemetery to a peaceful, quiet place of remembrance as quickly as possible once the police have finished their investigation,” said Butt.
Hertfordshire Police confirmed that officers were still at the site carrying out inquiries. Chief Superintendent Jon Simpson, from the Local Policing Command, said the force was treating the incident with the utmost seriousness.
“This is an abhorrent incident and one that will understandably spark an emotive reaction in the community,” he said.
“We are continuing to work closely with our local community leaders and our partners at Brent Council, which owns the site, to identify those families who have been affected but we appreciate that this will take some time.
“At this stage, we are keeping an open mind as to the nature of this incident and in the coming days we will continue to engage with our Muslim communities to provide support and reassurance.
“We’re also working with specialist officers in the constabulary to ensure we remain sensitive and respectful to the needs of the communities involved.”
Bangladesh arrest warrant issued for British lawmaker linked to ex-Premier Hasina
- Siddiq, 42, was named in arrest warrant along with more than 50 others including her mother, Sheikh Rehana, and her brother, Radwan Siddiq, newspaper reported
DHAKA: A judge in Bangladesh issued an arrest warrant for British lawmaker and former government minister Tulip Siddiq, a niece of Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted from her 15-year rule in a mass uprising in August.
The country’s Anti-Corruption Commission has been investigating allegations against Siddiq that she and her family members, including Hasina, illegally received land in a state-owned township project near the capital, Dhaka.
Senior Special Judge of Dhaka Metropolitan Zakir Hossain passed the order on Sunday, after considering charges in three separate cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission, the leading Dhaka-based Bengali-language Prothom Alo newspaper reported.
Siddiq, 42, was named in the arrest warrant along with more than 50 others including her mother, Sheikh Rehana, and her brother, Radwan Siddiq, the newspaper reported.
Siddiq said the charges were “a completely politically motivated smear campaign, trying to harass me.”
“There is no evidence that I’ve done anything wrong,” she told reporters in London.
Siddiq’s lawyers also called the charges baseless. “To be clear, there is no basis at all for any charges to be made against her, and there is absolutely no truth in any allegation that she received a plot of land in Dhaka through illegal means," the law firm Stephenson Harwood said in a statement.
The lawmaker, who represents the north London district of Hampstead and Highgate in Parliament, served in Britain’s center-left Labour Party government as economic secretary to the Treasury — the minister responsible for tackling financial corruption.
She quit that post in January after she was named in an anti-corruption investigation into Hasina and her family in Bangladesh. The investigation alleged that Siddiq’s family was involved in brokering a 2013 deal with Russia for a nuclear power plant in Bangladesh in which large sums of money were said to have been embezzled.
Siddiq said in January that she had been cleared of wrongdoing, but that the issue was becoming “a distraction from the work of the government.”
Hasina’s Bangladesh Awami League party says the charges are politically motivated to destroy the reputation of the prominent family. Hasina’s father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, is Bangladesh’s independence leader. The country gained independence in 1971 under his leadership after a nine-month war against Pakistan.
Hasina has been in exile in India since early August.
After the ouster of Hasina on Aug. 5 last year, Siddiq’s mother’s home in Dhaka’s upscale Gulshan area was looted and vandalized, and so far no police case has been filed over the incident. Hasina accused Bangladesh's interim administration headed by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus of backing mobs to attack her followers across the country. The home affairs adviser says they are trying to restore order in the country.
UK report says outdated laws hampered fight against misinformation during anti-immigrant violence
- Over several nights, crowds attacked housing for asylum-seekers, as well as mosques and libraries, in worst street violence Britain had seen since riots in 2011
LONDON: Outdated laws unfit for the social media age hampered police from countering false claims that helped fuel anti-immigrant violence in Britain last summer, an investigation by lawmakers said Monday.
Parliament’s Home Affairs Committee said limits on disclosing details of criminal investigations “created an information vacuum that allowed disinformation to flourish” after three children were stabbed to death at a summer dance party in July.
The attack in the northwest England town of Southport shocked the country and triggered days of disorder after far-right activists seized on incorrect reports that the attacker was a Muslim migrant who had recently arrived in the UK
Over several nights, crowds attacked housing for asylum-seekers, as well as mosques, libraries and community centers, in the worst street violence Britain had seen since riots in 2011.
Attacker Axel Rudakubana, who was 17 when he carried out the rampage at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class, is the British-born son of Rwandan Christian parents. He is serving a life sentence with no chance of parole for 52 years for killing Alice Da Silva Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Bebe King, 6, and wounding eight other children and two adults.
Longstanding contempt-of-court rules, intended to ensure fair trials, hampered police in correcting online misinformation, and a ban on naming suspects under 18 meant the attacker’s identity was withheld from the public for several days.
A tweet falsely identifying the attacker, posted on the day of the stabbings, was retweeted thousands of times and viewed by millions of people, the lawmakers said. Police did not state that the information was false until the next day, and even then did not release the attacker’s name.
Conservative lawmaker Karen Bradley, who heads the Home Affairs Committee, said “bad actors sought to exploit the unspeakable tragedy that unfolded in Southport.”
“By failing to disclose information to the public, false claims filled the gap and flourished online, further undermining confidence in the police and public authorities,” she said. “The criminal justice system will need to ensure its approach to communication is fit for the social media age.”
The committee of lawmakers from both government and opposition parties also said police struggled to monitor the sheer volume of content on social media. It called for government support “to monitor and respond to social media at a national level.”
The government said it agreed that “social media has put well-established principles around how we communicate after attacks like this under strain, and we must be able to tackle misinformation head on.” It has asked the Law Commission to carry out a review into contempt of court rules.
The government also has set up a public inquiry into how the system failed to stop the killer, who had been referred to the authorities multiple times over his obsession with violence.
The lawmakers’ committee, which heard from police, prosecutors and experts during its inquiry, also said there was no evidence to support allegations of “two-tier policing” in Britain. Politicians and activists on the political right have argued that those arrested over the summer disorder were treated more harshly than climate change activists or Black Lives Matter protesters.
More than 1,000 people have faced criminal charges over the violence, which saw 69 police officers treated in hospitals.
“Those participating in disorder were not policed more strongly because of their supposed political views but because they were throwing missiles, assaulting police officers and committing arson,” the lawmakers said. “It was disgraceful to see the police officers who bore the brunt of this violence being undermined by baseless claims of ‘two-tier policing.’”
Former Malaysia PM Abdullah dies aged 85, family and medical authorities say
- Abdullah became Malaysia’s fifth prime minister in 2003, following the resignation of veteran leader Mahathir Mohamad after 22 years at the helm
KUALA LUMPUR: Former Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi died on Monday, aged 85, his family and medical authorities reported.
Abdullah became Malaysia’s fifth prime minister in 2003, following the resignation of veteran leader Mahathir Mohamad after 22 years at the helm.
The former premier died at 7:10 p.m. (1110 GMT) at the National Heart Institute in the capital Kuala Lumpur, his son-in-law and former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin said in an Instagram post, without specifying a cause of death.
Abdullah was admitted to the National Heart Institute on Sunday after experiencing breathing difficulties and was immediately placed under intensive care, the institute said in a statement.
“Despite all medical efforts, he passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones,” the institute said.
As premier of the Muslim-majority country, Abdullah embarked on an anti-corruption drive and espoused a moderate version of Islam that aimed for economic and technological progress over religious fundamentalism. But he came under public criticism for his review of fuel subsidies that saw a sharp spike in prices.
Abdullah stepped down in 2009, a year after an election that saw the then-ruling Barisan Nasional coalition lose its parliamentary supermajority for the first time in the country’s history. He was succeeded by Najib Razak.
Bangladesh marks Bengali New Year with tribute to student uprising
- New Year’s parade in Dhaka added to UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list in 2016
- This year is the first time the parade has been held since Hasina’s downfall
DHAKA: Tens of thousands of Bangladeshis crowded the streets of Dhaka on Monday to welcome the Bengali New Year, with a parade that pays tribute to the student-led uprising that led to the ousting of longstanding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
In the capital, people wore traditional attire as they marched, danced and sang in a colorful procession that started from the Art College of Dhaka University, alongside larger-than-life handmade figures depicting the ousted premier and symbols related to the mass student movement that took place last July.
Monday’s parade was the first under the new interim government led by Nobel-winning economist Muhammad Yunus, who assumed office in August 2024.
“The memories of July spirit are still very fresh in our hearts. And we tried to demonstrate this spirit through this New Year's parade,” Dr. Azharul Islam, the dean of Dhaka University’s Faculty of Fine Arts, which organized the event, told Arab News.
“Our efforts were to represent the country from historic to contemporary time. That’s why the July movement spirit also got a placement along with other traditional Bengal cultural elements.”
The student-led movement of July 2024 began with protests that were initially sparked by opposition to public sector job quotas, but it quickly grew into a broader, nationwide uprising against Hasina’s government.
After a violent crackdown by security forces and a communications blackout, the unrest peaked in early August with protesters defying nationwide curfew orders and storming government buildings, forcing former premier Hasina to resign and flee the country, ending 15 years in power of her Awami League party-led government.
This year, the new year’s parade, called Ananda Shobhajatra, was held under the theme “Symphony of the New Year, End of Fascism.” It featured an elaborate, dark-colored figure meant to depict Hasina as a “Face of Fascism,” seemingly chased by a figure of a Bengal tiger trailing behind it.
The parade also featured a huge water bottle, which became a symbol of the student movement and a nod to a young protester called Mugdho, who was shot and killed as he was handing out bottles of water during a protest.
A watermelon figure made it into the line-up of festivities in Dhaka as a symbol of solidarity with Palestine from the country of 170 million people, which have held several pro-Palestine rallies since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October 2023.
“The main success of this rally is people's participation,” Islam said. “People joined the rally hand in hand in a peaceful way. It shows that with this event, we have been able to uphold the people's voices of the time."
The parade, which was formerly known as Mangal Shobhajatra, was in 2016 recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage.
It was first organized in 1989 as a protest against military rule by art college students at Dhaka University. Since then, it has been held annually to mark the first day of Bengali New Year — known locally as Pohela Boishakh.
While celebrations have in the past focused on Bangladesh’s heritage, the additional themes have added new layers to the event.
“The specialty of this year's celebration is the representation of (the July spirit), the resistance for the Palestinians, the fall of the fascist regime, and other traditional elements of Bengal culture,” Dhaka resident Puja Sen Gupta told Arab News.
“This year’s celebration arrangement was a bit different compared with other years. I enjoyed participating in the parade a lot.”
