By Yadnom Awu/Asaba
America
Trump Warns Israel Against West Bank Annexation
The President of America, Donald Trump , has warned Israel against the annexation of the occupied West Bank.
Trump told the media in Washington on Thursday that America would stop all its support for Israel if it moved ahead to annex the West Bank.
The Trump warning came against the backdrop of the early approval by the Israeli Parliament , the Knesset, approving the annexation of the West Bank.
The Knesset recently voted on two bills presented by the opposition party in Israel seeking the approval for the annexation.
The Knesset move came against the background of the visit to Israel by the Vice President of America, J.D. Vance who, in reaction, described it as a ” stupid political stunt.”
United Kingdom
Coalition of The Willing Meets On Ukraine’ Support
The European Union (EU) Coalition of the Willing is set to meet later today in London to consider further military support for Ukraine.
Host and British Prime Minister,Sir Keir Starmer, is pushing for the delivery of more advanced weapons to Ukraine to counter emerging Russian dominance in the three- year old war.
The advanced weapons are required for deep inland strikes in Russia, according to the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, who is frustrated that America had turned down his prayer for access to its highly valued Tomahawk Missiles.
The London meeting comes days after a similar one in Brussels, Belgium, on the same subject.
Part of the theme of the London meeting of the coalition is how to raise funds for further military aid for Ukraine, as well as to mount a peace keeping operation in Ukraine .
Russia had ruled out any prospect of Ukraine hosting foreign troops under any guide.
Russia
Five Wounded In Ukraine Strike Outside Moscow.
Authorities in Russia say that five persons, including a child, were injured in a Ukrainian done attack on a residential building on the outskirts of the capital, Moscow.
They provided no further details.
The strike comes days after Ukraine hit the strategic oil processing plant in Urenburg, the single largest such facility in the world.
Ukraine has, of late, been targeting core Russian oil and fax assets as part of efforts to cut back on its earnings from that strategic sector of the economy.
America and the EU, earlier this week, imposed stiff sanctions on two big Russian oil firms, including Lukoil, in an effort to compel it to reach a peace deal with its smaller neighbour, Ukraine.
Russian President, Vladimir Viktor Putin, has dismissed the sanctions, saying they would not compel Moscow to resume peace talks.
America
Trump Terminates Trade Tariff Talks With Canada
The President of America, Donald Trump, has unilaterally terminated tariff talks between officials of his country and those of its called neighbour, Canada.
The developmen happened on Thursday
.
No details were available at press time on why Trump, who had threatened to annex Canada as the 51st state of America, took the unilateral action.
However, analysts say it may have been influenced by the import of a stiff tariff advert by a CabadiM government official.
Sources said that Washington considered the advert offensive.
Like Mexico, Venezuela and Colombia, Canada had been at the butt of Trump’s short circuit diplomatic philosophy which places the interest of America above all else, but are hardly coherent or sustainable.
Israel
US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, Says Path To Stable Middle East Long, Tortuous
The Secretary of State for America, Marco Rubio, has held that the path to an enduring peace in the Middle East was bound to be long and tortuous, given the degp seated mutual grievances among stakeholders ..
He spoke to the media today at the Coordination Centre in Israel where America has set up a structure to monitor compliance with the 20- point Gaza Ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
Rubio , however, said that despite the challenges it was bound to face, the ceasefire remained a critical foundation for the establishment of enduring peace in the region.
According to him, any violations of the ceasefire would not be tolerated.
He warned that if Hamas failed to voluntarily disarm, it would be compelled to do , adding that the goal of the peace plan was for the eventual full integration of all countries in the region on the basis of mutual respect, peace and security
