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‘Absolutely Terrible’: Trump Stuns Ukraine By Offering Up A ‘Birthday Present’ To Putin

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Donald Trump has horrified Ukraine after announcing a new deal to buy Russian diesel, a move which unpicks years of united western efforts to run down Vladimir Putin’s war machine.

Nato has spent the last four and a half years weaning itself off Russia’s cheap oil exports and cracking down on any of its remaining trade partners to put pressure on Moscow.

These economic sanctions were meant to encourage Putin to stop his gruelling invasion of Ukraine, even if such measures pushed energy prices up elsewhere.

But then Trump put more strain on the global economy when he agreed to launch strikes on Iran at the end of February.

Tehran retaliated by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil shipping lane, putting further stress on oil supplies – and making the cost of living go up.

A gallon of fuel now averages $4.20 while diesel has soared to $6.52, affecting American farmers and therefore making food prices climb rapidly.

Trump’s deal with Putin comes shortly before the US midterms, where voters were expected to punish Trump’s Republican Party.

The US president wrote on TruthSocial on Friday: “I have just concluded a highly successful discussion with President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, wherein it was agreed that Russia will immediately supply over 300,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel to the American and Global Marketplace, another 500,000 Tons during the month of November, and 1,000,000 Tons immediately thereafter.

“Based on the condition of their diesel refineries, Russia will then deliver, within a short period of time, 3,000,000 tons of diesel fuel.”

He added: “Diesel prices for Americans and, indeed, the world, will be COMING DOWN, IN RECORD NUMBERS, AND FAST! Lower prices for Americans, especially our Great Farmers, Ranchers, and Truckers, is my greatest priority.”

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Axios that the new announcement “looks like a happy birthday present for Putin”, after the Russian autocrat turned 74 this week.

He added that the “absolutely terrible” deal was “not fair and not honest”.

He also wrote on X that the deal amounted to “an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged” and warned Russia would repay with “further terror and perfidy”.

“It plays into Russia’s hands – allowing it to kill more, wage war for longer, have even less respect for America, and inflict even greater losses and damage on the world,” Zelenskyy said.

The deal was announced while US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were speaking to Ukrainian and European officials to discuss ending the war.

Another statement from Zelenskyy released by Ukraine’s embassy in Washington on Friday said the Ukrainian negotiators were “used as a smokescreen for the deal” which he called “a weak decision by strong partners”.

“That is certainly not fair. It is certainly not how partners should treat each other,” the statement read.

It comes after the president recently also slammed Ukraine for attacking Russian diesel refineries and urged Kyiv to choose different targets.

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

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Trump Throws A Huge Tantrum After Not Winning The Nobel Peace Prize

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Donald Trump threw a huge tantrum after he failed to secure the Nobel Peace Prize yet again.

South African lawyer Navi Pillay won the international award on Friday for her efforts to “promote peace and international law”.

She is the former UN human rights chief chaired the UN commission which accused Israel of genocide in Gaza in September last year.

But the US president has long insisted that the accolade should be his, because he believes he has settled “eight wars” and saved “millions of lives”.

Most of those conflicts are either not actual wars or have not reached a settlement yet.

Trump also started the disastrous Iran war at the end of February when he agreed to launch joint strikes with Israel aimed at Tehran.

That conflict is still raging – putting huge pressure of the global economy by restricting oil supplies as it does so – and now at risk of engulfing the wider region.

The total number of people killed for all parties since that war began ranges from 9,045 to 18,371, according to independent defence economics researchers at MilitarySpend.

But, speaking at a rally for other Republican candidates in New York, Trump decided to dedicate a lot of his time on stage to moaning over not receiving the Nobel Peace prize.

“The United States of America, represented by me as your president, should have received the Nobel Peace Prize, but didn’t,” he said.

“And this is an indelible stain on the country of Norway, and those people that made such a disgraceful and embarrassing decision.

“The Nobel Peace Prize has been forever discredited by a handful of radical ideologues who are anti-democracy and really enemies of civilisation.

“We will not forget, Norway, that you didn’t give this prize.”

Trump went on to insist he was “about to settle or win” two more wars, those in Iran and in Ukraine.

The president said: “I will tell you what. Iran will be very quick one way or the other: that they give us everything or they don’t exist any longer.

“Additionally, I stopped Iran from having a nuclear weapon and blowing up the entire Middle East and ultimately far beyond the Middle East, including Europe, perhaps the US and I saved more lives than anyone in history.”

Actually, US intelligence agencies reported to the US Congress in 2025 that Iran had suspended its pursuit of nuclear weapons back in 2023.

Trump has also been accused of siding with autocrat Vladimir Putin in his desperation to close the war in Ukraine – even if it means rewarding the Russian aggressor with more land.

The president tore into the actual Nobel Peace Prize winner, Pillay, saying: “Despite all of this and all of these unbelievable accomplishments, the Nobel prize was given out today to a liberal person who works at the United Nations, who nobody has ever heard of.”

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Trump Claims Men Arrested At US Air Base In UK Were ‘Looking To Do Big Damage’

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Donald Trump has claimed the men arrested at a US air base in the UK were “looking to do big damage”.

British police arrested five people on suspicion of explosive and terrorism offences on Sunday.

It came after a tip-off that the three suspicious vans were heading towards the RAF Fairford, a military airfield which has previously been used to target Iran.

Britain previously gave the US approval to use its military bases to launch defensive strikes against Iran as part of the ongoing conflict.

A major incident was declared earlier today at the scene.

The five men were arrested and held on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act, and police say they believe the incident is now contained.

British Counter Terrorism Policing said in a statement that they were in the early stages of an investigation and working with partners to understand the circumstances of the incident.

But Trump was much more open, telling reporters in the US: “It was fantastic. Working with Britain, it was an amazing job.

“We had them under investigation. They were looking to do big damage to our fort, and working with the British worked out great.

“It may have been Scotland Yard, I don’t know. We worked with a lot of them.

“We had them under view for a long time, and we got them. Thank you.”

UK defence secretary Wes Streeting responded to Trump’s remarks, telling reporters: “This is my first experience as defence secretary of responding live to President Trump and I’m sure it won’t be the only occasion.

“I’m sure you will understand that I’m not going to comment on a live operation and operational security matters.

“I don’t think it will come as a surprise to anyone that given the importance of Fairford – not just to the UK but to the US – we’ve been working closely with our American friends, and I’ve been in touch during the course of today with my counterpart, Pete Hegseth.”

Prime minister Andy Burnham thanked the police and armed forces on X, saying: “I know today’s incident near RAF Fairford will be deeply concerning for local residents and for many people following developments across the country.”

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards previously claimed any UK site which is used to target Iran would be a legitimate target.

The UK responded by insisting its armed forces were ready to protect the country from any attack.

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

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Trump And Burnham: A Budding Bromance Or A Disaster Waiting To Happen?

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“Terrific.” That was the word Donald Trump used to describe Andy Burnham this week.

It’s a far cry from the belittling way the US president played down the prime minister’s past job in Greater Manchester by calling him a “mayor of a town” just last month.

Clearly their one and only conversation over the phone on Burnham’s first day in No.10 won Trump over. So could a bromance be brewing?

The president appears to be delighted over what he saw as the PM’s more open-minded attitude towards drilling in the North Sea.

Keir Starmer refused to expand fossil fuel extraction on Trump’s instruction when he was in power while Burnham has vowed to take a “more pragmatic approach”.

The president also loves a winner, and Burnham is still popular within Labour and the wider country right now – while Starmer became the most unpopular PM on record.

However, like Starmer, Burnham is bound by Labour’s 2024 manifesto not to issue any more oil and gas exploration licences.

That means any expansion of the North Sea will likely fall short of Trump’s hopes of “opening up” the whole area.

The PM has avoided talking about the president at length so far, but claimed he won’t be afraid to call him out when he feels it is necessary.

He also refused to say he trusts the president during a BBC interview, though he did invite him to Manchester.

Burnham is perhaps wise to be cautious.

He would not be the first UK prime minister to eventually incur Trump’s wrath over domestic policies – even if they started out on the right foot.

Trump fell out with Theresa May over her “foolish” approach to Brexit, calling her EU deal a “disaster” – despite initial warmth between them.

Boris Johnson was described as “Britain Trump” by the president himself, but they faced some frictions over Chinese company Huawei’s involvement in Britain’s 5G network.

Starmer, initially described as the “Trump whisperer”, bent over backwards to appeal to the president, even inviting him for a historic second state visit to the UK.

But they came to blows over the former PM’s refusal to get involved in the Iran war.

They also clashed over immigration, Nato, Greenland, tariffs, wind turbines and North Sea drilling, meaning they were barely on speaking terms when he left office.

And Burnham – at least, for now – is further to the left than any of those three predecessors, meaning the Republican president is even more likely to disagree with him.

The prime minister’s decision to appoint Ed Miliband as foreign secretary might also be a major obstacle in their relationship.

There is allegedly “genuine anger” at that decision due to Miliband’s opposition to North Sea drilling.

The Trump administration has reportedly nicknamed him “Miliwatt” already in an apparent dig to his enthusiasm for net zero.

The UK-US relationship may also be put to the test when, as is expected, Trump’s domestic power diminishes when his American supporters turn on him during the US midterms.

That could mean Burnham – if he is still propped up in the UK polls – might be more outspoken if he believes the president looks weaker.

Alternatively, Trump could turn on the prime minister as soon as his honeymoon period is over.

In this week’s Commons People, we look at whether this really could be a strong alliance – and unpick all the potential pitfalls which could undo their relationship altogether.

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Burnham Says He Told Trump He Will Be ‘Pragmatic’ About North Sea Oil And Gas

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Andy Burnham has confirmed he told Donald Trump he would be “pragmatic” about drilling in the North Sea for oil and gas.

Reporters were surprised after the US president insisted the new prime minister told him over the phone that the UK will “open up” the fossil fuel reserves under his premiership.

Trump said on Wednesday: “The new gentleman [Burnham], when I spoke to him, he said he’s going to open up the North Sea.”

In response, the PM told the media on Thursday: “I indicated in the phone call that we had a week last Monday that I would take a pragmatic approach when it comes to the North Sea and that is my intention as we go forward from here.

“There is a resource there. When people are struggling, you can’t ignore that, and hence me indicating that to the president.”

The topic is deeply controversial because of the ramifications extracting and then burning fossil fuels has on climate change.

Burnham’s predecessor Keir Starmer clashed with Trump over his reluctance to drill for more oil and gas in the North Sea, even amid growing energy security concerns.

Supporters of North Sea expansion suggest new drilling licences would help create jobs and support British industry.

Burnham’s foreign secretary Ed Miliband was against further drilling in the last government.

He was determined, as Starmer’s energy secretary, for the country to reach its Net Zero by 2050 goal.

However, he’s now been moved out of the energy brief so it is unclear what influence he will have that area of policy.

Labour’s 2024 manifesto also promised voters it would not issue any new licences for further extraction in the North Sea – and Burnham has vowed to stick to that set of pledges.

But, there could be wriggle room as the manifesto notes that existing licences will be allowed to remain.

That means the government could still look to enact or expand the extraction sites already active.

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

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JD Vance Says ‘Something Is Very Broken In British Politics’ In Swipe At Starmer

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JD Vance has declared “something is very broken in British politics” as the UK prepares for its seventh prime minister in just over a decade.

The American vice-president said Britain “can do a lot more than it’s currently doing” to help its voters in a dig at the current prime minister.

Speaking two weeks before Keir Starmer is expected to hand the keys of No.10 over to Andy Burnham, Vance expressed alarm about the high turnover in Downing Street.

He said: “What that says to me is that something is very broken about British politics and that people are really crying out for significant structural change.”

He claimed he did not know much about the former Manchester mayor but added that the UK is “one of our closest and most important allies” and that the US administration would work with any new leader “as successfully as we can.”

Vance continued: “I hope that Andy Burnham – and if not Andy Burnham, somebody else – is able to deliver [change]. Because Britain is such a beautiful country, such an amazing place.”

Speaking on the 250th year of US independence, Vance claimed he is interested in the UK because of “reasons of mutual interest” and expressed hope that “whoever the prime minister is figures out how to get Britain back on track”.

“I also just care about it because Britain feels more culturally familiar to me than any country on Earth, aside from my own,” Vance said.

His words come after Donald Trump was significantly less diplomatic about Burnham.

The US president described him as an “extremely liberal” politician who “probably won’t open up” the North Sea for further oil and gas drilling.

He also called the former Greater Manchester mayor as “the mayor of a town”.

Burnham is yet to say what his approach to the mercurial president would be.

Starmer bent over backwards to forge a strong bond with Trump and even gave him an unprecedented second state visit to the UK.

However the two fell out after the prime minister refused to let the US use UK military bases to launch attacks on Tehran earlier this year.

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

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Marco Rubio Weighs In On Fears US Could Back Argentina’s Falklands Claim

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Marco Rubio has downplayed fears the US could back Argentina’s claim to the Falklands Islands.

It comes after a Pentagon memo leaked last week suggested the States might look to punish allies who have not supported its war against Iran.

But the secretary of state told The Telegraph: “It was just an email. People are getting overexcited by an email.

“It was just an email with some ideas.”

The newspaper suggests the memo may have been drafted by a junior staffer.

Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper reportedly raised concerns over the memo during a meeting with the top American diplomat on Wednesday, in Washington.

It remains unclear if King Charles also mentioned the topic during his state visit to the White House with Donald Trump.

Argentina has long argued that the archipelago, known to Argentinians as “Las Malvinas”, is their sovereign land.

The memo sparked widespread outrage, with Keir Starmer’s spokesperson saying he could “not be clearer” that the islands are a sovereign British overseas territory.

“Sovereignty rests with the UK, and the islands’ right to self-determination is paramount,” the representative said.

Cooper also reacted on social media, writing: “The Falkland Islands are British – sovereignty rests with the UK, self-determination rests with the islanders.”

The archipelago’s government said 99.8% of voters on the island had cast their ballot in favour of staying a British overseas territory in the 2013 referendum.

In a statement, it said: “The Falkland Islands has complete confidence in the commitment made by the UK government to uphold and defend our right of self-determination.”

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Pete Hegseth Quoted A Bible Verse. Turns Out It Was A Rip-Off Of ‘Pulp Fiction.’

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In a move that seems indicative of the Trump administration’s increasingly fractured relationship with the Vatican, Pete Hegseth appeared to mistake lines from a classic crime film for Scripture during a public appearance this week.

The defense secretary delivered a prayer during a livestreamed worship service at the Pentagon on Wednesday. “They call it CSAR 25:17, which I think is meant to reflect Ezekiel 25:17,” he said in his introduction of the prayer he’d been given.

However, viewers quickly noticed his words more closely echoed one of Samuel L. Jackson’s monologues from 1994’s “Pulp Fiction” than the biblical verse he’d referenced.

“The path of the downed aviator is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men,” Hegseth said in part. “Blessed is he who, in the name of camaraderie and duty, shepherds the lost through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to capture and destroy my brother, and you will know my call sign is Sandy 1 when I lay my vengeance upon thee.”

Watch Pete Hegseth’s prayer service below. His reference to Ezekiel 25:17 begins around the 6:56 mark.

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In “Pulp Fiction,” Jackson portrays hit man Jules Winnfield, who offers a similar declaration before shooting a man to death.

“The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men,” he says. “Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and goodwill, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord, when I lay my vengeance upon thee. And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.”

Hegseth said the prayer was recited by the “Sandy 1” combat search and rescue (CSAR) mission in Iran, and to be fair, Pulp Fiction writer-director Quentin Tarantino reportedly drew from a scene in the 1973 Japanese film Bodyguard Kiba as the basis for Jackson’s monologue.

The actual Ezekiel 25:17 passage as it appears in the King James Bible is significantly shorter than both Hegseth’s and Jackson’s, reading simply: “And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.”

Hegseth has yet to address the discourse publicly. The Pentagon’s chief spokesman, Sean Parnell, issued a statement on X Thursday acknowledging the CSAR prayer and Hegseth’s words were “obviously inspired by dialogue” in Pulp Fiction, but that both the prayer and the film scene were “reflections of the verse Ezekiel 25:17, as Secretary Hegseth clearly said in his remarks at the prayer service.”

“Anyone saying the Secretary misquoted Ezekiel 25:17 is peddling fake news and ignorant of reality,” he added.

Still, videos comparing Hegseth’s prayer to Jackson’s monologue went viral online and, as of Thursday, had drawn a fair number of snarky responses.

“When our leaders mix up God and a movie, in trying to suggest that God is behind them, that suggests the muddle we’re all in,” New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristof wrote on X.

Journalist and author James North quipped: “The Old Testament’s ‘Book of Tarantino.’”

Hegseth’s prayer gaffe comes amid rising tensions between the Trump administration, including President Donald Trump himself, and high-ranking Catholic leaders.

On Sunday, the president deemed Pope Leo XIV “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy” in a post on his Truth Social platform after the pontiff criticized both the Iran war and the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.

That same day, Trump drew further outrage when he shared what appeared to be an AI-generated image of himself as Jesus Christ ― or, at the very least, a Christ-like figure ― on Truth Social.

Though the president argued the image was intended to depict him as a doctor, he or his team quietly deleted it after public figures on both sides of the political aisle condemned it as “blasphemous.”

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