torsdag 1 maj 2025
Russian invasion • Negotiations
Trump happy with the agreement: “I didn’t want to look stupid”
The mineral agreement between the US and Ukraine could be a factor in the negotiations with Russia, but the important thing is that it protects US interests. This is what President Donald Trump says after the announcement that the agreement has been signed.
– I didn’t want to look stupid, Trump tells CNN, adding that the agreement gives the US the opportunity to earn “far more” than $350 billion.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that the US has spent $350 billion on aid to Ukraine. This is far from the truth, according to several calculations.
US senators propose 500 percent tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil
72 US senators are behind a proposal for “bone-breaking” 500 percent tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil, gas and uranium if Putin does not negotiate peace. This is what Republican Senator Lindsey Graham says, according to Bloomberg.
The aim is to help Donald Trump negotiate an “honorable and just” peace, according to Graham, who is a close ally of the president and has often advocated support for Ukraine.
– Trump is the best person to do this, but these sanctions represent the Senate’s stance that Russia is the main bad guy.
The mineral agreement between the US and Ukraine could be a factor in the negotiations with Russia, but the important thing is that it protects US interests. This is what President Donald Trump says after the announcement that the agreement has been signed.
– I didn’t want to look stupid, Trump tells CNN, adding that the agreement gives the US the opportunity to earn “far more” than $350 billion.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that the US has spent $350 billion on aid to Ukraine. This is far from the truth, according to several calculations.
US senators propose 500 percent tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil
72 US senators are behind a proposal for “bone-breaking” 500 percent tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil, gas and uranium if Putin does not negotiate peace. This is what Republican Senator Lindsey Graham says, according to Bloomberg.
The aim is to help Donald Trump negotiate an “honorable and just” peace, according to Graham, who is a close ally of the president and has often advocated support for Ukraine.
– Trump is the best person to do this, but these sanctions represent the Senate’s stance that Russia is the main bad guy.
Expert: “Extraction will take a long time”
The most interesting thing about the mineral agreement between the US and Ukraine is the difference between what was communicated by Trump at the beginning of the year and what is actually written about US support for Ukraine, analyst Jakob Hedenskog tells DN.
He believes that there are writings that are much more benevolent towards Ukraine than we are used to.
According to Hedenskog, there is uncertainty about when the US could benefit from the agreement and raises the problems with mining in Ukraine and that rare earth metals are partly located in Russian-occupied areas.
“The more difficult it is to access, the more expensive it will be. It will probably take a long time before this generates any income,” he tells the newspaper.
The most interesting thing about the mineral agreement between the US and Ukraine is the difference between what was communicated by Trump at the beginning of the year and what is actually written about US support for Ukraine, analyst Jakob Hedenskog tells DN.
He believes that there are writings that are much more benevolent towards Ukraine than we are used to.
According to Hedenskog, there is uncertainty about when the US could benefit from the agreement and raises the problems with mining in Ukraine and that rare earth metals are partly located in Russian-occupied areas.
“The more difficult it is to access, the more expensive it will be. It will probably take a long time before this generates any income,” he tells the newspaper.
Forest fires in Israel
Forest fires continue – state of emergency declared in Israel
Forest fires continue to rage in Israel and water-bombing planes are on the way, Israeli authorities announced, according to AP. President Benjamin Netanyahu has declared a state of emergency.
There are fires in several places but the largest fire is concentrated around the town of Neve Shalom, west of Jerusalem, on the border with occupied Palestinian land. Authorities say there is no information about how the fire started, but Israeli police have said that one person has been arrested “on suspicion of trying to start a fire in an open field,” reports CNN.
Several countries are to send aircraft to the affected areas to try to put out the fires.
The Israeli government is accused of not taking the fire threat in Israel seriously, writes The Times of Israel. The criticism is directed at the fact that the budget for the fire department has been cut and that the National Security Council has ignored calls to discuss preparations for forest fires.
Forest fires continue to rage in Israel and water-bombing planes are on the way, Israeli authorities announced, according to AP. President Benjamin Netanyahu has declared a state of emergency.
There are fires in several places but the largest fire is concentrated around the town of Neve Shalom, west of Jerusalem, on the border with occupied Palestinian land. Authorities say there is no information about how the fire started, but Israeli police have said that one person has been arrested “on suspicion of trying to start a fire in an open field,” reports CNN.
Several countries are to send aircraft to the affected areas to try to put out the fires.
The Israeli government is accused of not taking the fire threat in Israel seriously, writes The Times of Israel. The criticism is directed at the fact that the budget for the fire department has been cut and that the National Security Council has ignored calls to discuss preparations for forest fires.
Thousands evacuated from forest fires in Israel
Massive forest fires have broken out outside Jerusalem, and more than 7,000 have been evacuated, Israeli media reports.
The fires are mainly concentrated along the main highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, which has been closed.
Strong winds are making the situation worse, and the fires are expected to continue spreading for at least another day, according to fire chief Eyal Caspi.
“The situation is getting worse. The aircraft cannot assist because of the winds,” he says.
Defense Minister Israel Katz has declared a national emergency and mobilized the defense. Italy and Croatia have sent firefighting aircraft to the country.
Massive forest fires have broken out outside Jerusalem, and more than 7,000 have been evacuated, Israeli media reports.
The fires are mainly concentrated along the main highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, which has been closed.
Strong winds are making the situation worse, and the fires are expected to continue spreading for at least another day, according to fire chief Eyal Caspi.
“The situation is getting worse. The aircraft cannot assist because of the winds,” he says.
Defense Minister Israel Katz has declared a national emergency and mobilized the defense. Italy and Croatia have sent firefighting aircraft to the country.
Political situation in Kenya
Young people kidnapped and tortured – shared satire of the president
Young people in Kenya have been kidnapped, beaten and tortured because they published and shared satirical images of the country's President William Ruto on X, writes The Guardian.
At least 82 kidnappings occurred in 2024, data from Kenya's National Commission for Human Rights shows. The kidnappings intensified in the aftermath of anti-government demonstrations in June last year.
Politicians allied with Kenya's ruling party, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), have dismissed the disappearances and claim that young Kenyans are kidnapping themselves.
Young people in Kenya have been kidnapped, beaten and tortured because they published and shared satirical images of the country's President William Ruto on X, writes The Guardian.
At least 82 kidnappings occurred in 2024, data from Kenya's National Commission for Human Rights shows. The kidnappings intensified in the aftermath of anti-government demonstrations in June last year.
Politicians allied with Kenya's ruling party, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), have dismissed the disappearances and claim that young Kenyans are kidnapping themselves.
Billy shared AI image of the president – held captive for 15 days
24-year-old Billy Mwangi had just stepped out of a hair salon when a man with a gun came towards him, he tells The Guardian. He was kidnapped at the same time as four other young men. They were held captive for 15 days where they were tortured and humiliated.
Mwangi believes he was kidnapped because he had published an AI-generated image of President William Ruto in a coffin.
“When Kenyans are not happy, I always want to express my concerns, because I have had political ambitions for a while now,” he says.
Bernard Kavuli, who was also kidnapped, says they were handcuffed naked and beaten daily, sometimes with electric cables.
24-year-old Billy Mwangi had just stepped out of a hair salon when a man with a gun came towards him, he tells The Guardian. He was kidnapped at the same time as four other young men. They were held captive for 15 days where they were tortured and humiliated.
Mwangi believes he was kidnapped because he had published an AI-generated image of President William Ruto in a coffin.
“When Kenyans are not happy, I always want to express my concerns, because I have had political ambitions for a while now,” he says.
Bernard Kavuli, who was also kidnapped, says they were handcuffed naked and beaten daily, sometimes with electric cables.
Political crisis in South Korea
Former South Korean president indicted for abuse of power
Yoon Suk-Yeol, the ousted president of South Korea, is being charged with abuse of power for declaring martial law last December, Yonhap news agency reports. He has previously been charged with sedition following the incident.
Yoon Suk-Yeol was removed from office almost to the day four months after he declared martial law.
Review in Supreme Court – could be presidential candidate's downfall
Lee Jae-Myung was elected as the presidential candidate of the opposition Democratic Party of South Korea last week. At the time, he looked like the most likely candidate to take over the presidency since Yoon Suk-Yeol was convicted in April of imposing martial law in December.
But now things could turn upside down.
South Korea's Supreme Court has ruled that Lee Jae-Myung violated election law and has therefore sent the case back for a final ruling, news agencies report.
The Supreme Court's initial decision was based on "a misunderstanding" related to the law on the election of public officials, according to the chief justice.
Lee is facing four separate trials, including for bribery.
Yoon Suk-Yeol, the ousted president of South Korea, is being charged with abuse of power for declaring martial law last December, Yonhap news agency reports. He has previously been charged with sedition following the incident.
Yoon Suk-Yeol was removed from office almost to the day four months after he declared martial law.
Review in Supreme Court – could be presidential candidate's downfall
Lee Jae-Myung was elected as the presidential candidate of the opposition Democratic Party of South Korea last week. At the time, he looked like the most likely candidate to take over the presidency since Yoon Suk-Yeol was convicted in April of imposing martial law in December.
But now things could turn upside down.
South Korea's Supreme Court has ruled that Lee Jae-Myung violated election law and has therefore sent the case back for a final ruling, news agencies report.
The Supreme Court's initial decision was based on "a misunderstanding" related to the law on the election of public officials, according to the chief justice.
Lee is facing four separate trials, including for bribery.
US and Ukraine agree on the mineral agreement
Nora Fernstedt
Updated 00.30 | Published 2025-04-30 23.37
The US and Ukraine have now signed the mineral agreement.
This is confirmed by the US Treasury Department.
The cooperation between the countries will be valid for ten years.
The agreement with Trump and Ukraine's minerals
The agreement with Trump and Ukraine's minerals
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The announcement comes late on Wednesday evening, after both sides hinted during the day that they are close to an agreement.
"This agreement is a clear signal to Russia that the Trump administration is committed to a peace process that is based on a long-term free, independent and prosperous Ukraine," says Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a press release.
“And to be clear: No state or person that financed or equipped the Russian war machine will be allowed to profit from the reconstruction of Ukraine,” he continues.
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko also confirms that she has signed the agreement.
Joint fund
The agreement means that the countries will establish a joint investment fund for the reconstruction of Ukraine, with part of the profits going to the US.
The US will be given priority to invest in a number of Ukraine’s natural resources such as titanium, uranium, lithium and graphite. In exchange, the US will continue to provide support to Ukraine in Russia’s war of aggression.
All future military support to Ukraine will be counted as contributions to the fund.
Cancelled after chaotic meeting
The agreement has been in the works for months. It was supposed to be signed in February. But talks between the countries were suspended after the chaotic meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyj in Washington DC.
Last Saturday, the leaders met for the first time since the chaotic meeting. They were captured in a photo sitting opposite each other on a chair in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, in connection with the Pope's funeral.
According to the draft, the partnership between the countries will be valid for ten years.
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