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| | | | | First Thing: US suspends all military aid to Ukraine after Trump-Zelenskyy row | | | The drastic move came as JD Vance claimed that attracting US economic interest to Ukraine was the country’s best bet at security. Plus, the date by which the majority of adults globally will be overweight | | | | Ukrainian soldiers with a US Stinger air defence missile launcher in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. Photograph: Andriy Andriyenko/AP | | Clea Skopeliti | | | Good morning. The Trump administration has halted all US military aid to Ukraine, blocking the delivery of ammunition, vehicles, and other equipment as it pressures Kyiv to agree to a peace deal. The drastic move, suspending aid agreed under the Biden administration, follows a diplomatic meltdown on Friday in which Donald Trump castigated Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Oval Office and told him he was “gambling with third world war”. The Ukrainian president appeared to subsequently anger his US counterpart on Monday by saying that the end of the conflict could be “very, very far away”. A senior administration official told Fox News that “this is not permanent termination of aid, it’s a pause”. But Oleksandr Merezhko, the chair of Ukraine’s parliamentary foreign affairs committee, warned of the stark consequences, saying that Trump appeared to be coercing Ukraine to capitulate. “To stop aid now means to help [the Russian president, Vladimir] Putin,” Merezhko told Reuters. “On the surface, this looks really bad. It looks like he is pushing us towards capitulation, meaning [accepting] Russia’s demands.” What has the vice-president, JD Vance, said? That the US having financial interest in Ukraine is the best way to guarantee the country’s security. The comments come amid the minerals deal Washington wants Kyiv to sign. How do Americans feel about Ukraine? 52% of Americans said they “personally support” Ukraine, while only 4% of back Russia, a poll last week found. 44% said they do not support either. A separate poll conducted after the confrontation found that 49% said Trump and JD Vance had a stronger argument over the value of diplomacy with Russia. The 2Way poll also found that 62% thought Zelenskyy’s remarks at the White House were offensive – and 55% said Ukraine needed to negotiate and end the war. China and Canada retaliate in Trump’s trade war | | | | | Exports from Canada and Mexico will face a tariff of 25% under Trump’s direction. Photograph: José Luis González/Reuters | | | | China and Canada have announced trade retaliation after the US’s tariffs against their exports came into force at midnight. Trump’s sweeping tariffs plan include 25% on goods from Canada and Mexico, the US’s two biggest trading partners, and 20% on those from China. In response, the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, responded with immediate 25% tariffs on $20.7bn of US imports. He has previously said Canada would hit US beer, wine, bourbon, home appliances and Florida orange juice. China’s finance ministry on Tuesday said it would introduce new tariffs on US agricultural imports from next week, with additional 15% tariffs to target chicken, wheat, corn and cotton, and further 10% tariffs on products including soya beans, pork, beef, fruits, vegetables and dairy. What about Mexico? The country’s president is expected to announce her response on Tuesday morning. Arab leaders meet to discuss alternative to Trump’s Gaza plan | | | | | Palestinians pass a market stall in front of destroyed buildings in Nusairat, Gaza. Photograph: APAImages/REX/Shutterstock | | | | Arab leaders are convening in Cairo on Tuesday to discuss a counter to Trump’s widely condemned proposal to expel Gaza’s Palestinians and redevelop the territory. The Arab League summit comes a day after the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, reiterated his support for Trump’s plan, calling it “visionary and innovative”. It has been rejected by Palestinians, Arab leaders, but also many of the US and Israel’s allies. UN estimates put the cost of Gaza’s reconstruction at more than $53bn. What is happening in the ceasefire talks? The Israeli foreign minister, Gideon Saar, said Israel will only proceed to the next phase of the plan if there is an agreement on the release of hostages. In other news … | | | | | Acting US attorney Joe McNally announces arrests of two leaders of criminal organization that allegedly smuggled 20,000 immigrants from Guatemala. Photograph: Sarah Reingewirtz/AP | | | | Two alleged leaders of a criminal ring accused of smuggling 20,000 people into the US from Guatemala have been arrested in Los Angeles, federal prosecutors said. Egg companies may be using bird flu to inflate US prices, according to a report. Japan’s largest wildfire in decades continues to rage a week after it erupted in the country’s north-east, with authorities warning it is likely to spread. Carl Dean, Dolly Parton’s partner of more than 60 years and the inspiration behind Jolene, died on Monday at the age of 82. Stat of the day: Majority of adults globally ‘will be overweight or obese by 2050’ | | | | | About 2.11 billion adults aged 25 or above and 493 million children and young people aged five to 24 are overweight or have obesity. Photograph: Chris Radburn/PA | | | | The majority of adults (59%) above the age of 25 worldwide will be overweight or obese by 2050, according to research that highlights the “unparalleled threat” the global health crisis poses. Without urgent action, the proportion of overweight and obese children and young people is projected to reach one-third of five- to 25-year-olds by this date. Don’t miss this: Surviving sinking to the bottom of the North Sea – with no hope of rescue | | | | | Chris Lemons and colleagues in the diving bell onboard the Topaz. Photograph: Courtesy of Chris Lemons | | | | Chris Lemons’s brush with death came during what appeared to be just another day at work. Lowered through 295ft of ocean, the saturation diver was repairing a pipe on a drilling structure off the north-east coast of Scotland when he lost contact with his team and his oxygen supply failed. Ahead of the release of a thriller about his ordeal, he tells the terrifying story of how he beat the odds to survive. Climate check: Did an anti-green backlash drive the right’s rise in Germany? | | | | | Robert Habeck, the Green climate and economy minister, at a campaign event in Hamburg in the run-up to the elections. Photograph: Marcus Brandt/AP | | | | Enthusiasm to tackle environmental issues and the climate crisis appears to be dwindling in German politics, with mounting pushback from the centre-right and far-right parties that scooped up half of the votes in Sunday’s election. Europe environment correspondent Ajit Niranjan spoke to voters in a part of the country that backed the right in swathes, listening to what influenced their choice – and what climate narratives and policies might help win them over. Last Thing: ‘Why can’t I boot my freeloading kids off Netflix when I finally have time to watch?’ | | | | | ‘Such a beautiful, all-powerful button should only be on the app of the primary account holder – you know, the person who pays the monthly bill.’ Illustration: Victoria Hart/Guardian Design | | | | In the Guardian’s new column, Petty Gripes, Mark Saunokonoko asks: why can’t Netflix install a button that allows the bill payer to eject other viewers? It’s not like his teenagers are making the most of it, anyway: “One of the teens is probably in their bedroom, FaceTiming while some show plays wastefully in the background. Another offender might be in the shower, phone in a ziplock plastic bag, ‘watching’ Gossip Girl as she shampoos her hair.” Sign up | | | | | | First Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you’re not already signed up, subscribe now. Get in touch If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email newsletters@theguardian.com | |
| | | Betsy Reed | | Editor, Guardian US |
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| | I hope you appreciated this newsletter. Before you move on, I wanted to ask whether you could support the Guardian’s journalism as we face the unprecedented challenges of covering the second Trump administration.
As Trump himself observed: “The first term, everybody was fighting me. In this term, everybody wants to be my friend.”
He’s not entirely wrong. All around us, media organizations have begun to capitulate. First, two news outlets pulled election endorsements at the behest of their billionaire owners. Next, prominent reporters bent the knee at Mar-a-Lago. And then a major network – ABC News – rolled over in response to Trump’s legal challenges and agreed to a $16m million settlement in his favor.
The Guardian is clear: we have no interest in being Donald Trump’s – or any politician’s – friend. Our allegiance as independent journalists is not to those in power but to the public.
How are we able to stand firm in the face of intimidation and threats? As journalists say: follow the money. The Guardian has neither a self-interested billionaire owner nor profit-seeking corporate henchmen pressuring us to appease the rich and powerful. We are funded by our readers and owned by the Scott Trust – whose only financial obligation is to preserve our journalistic mission in perpetuity.
With the new administration boasting about its desire to punish journalists, and Trump and his allies already pursuing lawsuits against newspapers whose stories they don’t like, it has never been more urgent, or more perilous, to pursue fair, accurate reporting. Can you support the Guardian today?
We value whatever you can spare, but a recurring contribution makes the most impact, enabling greater investment in our most crucial, fearless journalism. As our thanks to you, we can offer you some great benefits. We’ve made it very quick to set up, so we hope you’ll consider it. | | However you choose to support us: thank you for helping protect the free press. Whatever happens in the coming months and years, you can rely on the Guardian never to bow down to power, nor back down from truth. | | Support us |
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