UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) — UN humanitarians on Monday welcomed Israel’s decision to lift the shelter ban in Gaza but warned that plans to intensify military operations will have a horrific impact on people already deprived of basics needed for survival.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the looming expansion of military operations in Gaza City would displace thousands of people, once again, into an overcrowded area in the south of the Gaza Strip, which is almost devoid of basic infrastructure, including water, food and medical services.
The office said that since early March, when the Israeli shelter ban came into force, more than 780,000 new displacements have taken place. Existing shelters have deteriorated or been left behind amid repeated displacement orders.
Humanitarian partners estimate that at least 1.35 million people need emergency shelter and some 1.4 million need essential household items.
“The situation in the Gaza Strip is beyond catastrophic,” the office said. “Amid ongoing hostilities and extreme hunger, more deaths are recorded every day.”
The World Food Programme (WFP) said that it is doing everything possible to deliver food to people. However, supplies remain far below needs, less than half of the WFP’s daily target. Organized distributions, WFP-supported hot meals and bakeries depend on far more aid entering Gaza.
OCHA said Gaza’s health authorities reported that five people, including two children, died over the past 24 hours due to malnutrition and starvation.
The office said that to prevent such deaths, humanitarians must be able to deliver aid at scale, safely and consistently, through all available border crossings and routes to reach the population of about 2 million people.
It said restrictions on the movement of humanitarian vehicles hinder the delivery of aid to people in desperate need.
The humanitarians said their commitment is to serve people wherever they are. All civilians must be protected, whether they choose to stay or move. Those who decide to move must have their essential needs met, and they must be able to voluntarily return.
“Unimpeded humanitarian access is needed across all of Gaza, including community-based distribution and supplies entering at scale through all possible crossings and land routes,” OCHA added. ■
On August 6, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order on “Addressing Threats to the United States by the Government of the Russian Federation,” imposing additional tariffs on Indian imports. Under these new tariffs imports of most Indian goods will be subject to an additional 25% duty, which will stack on top of the 25% duty on Indian imports taking effect on August 7, to result in a 50% effective duty.
The Executive Order states that the tariffs are necessary because India is directly or indirectly importing Russian oil, exacerbating the national emergency declared Executive Order 14066 of 2022, which bars the importation of Russian oil into the US. This tariff is the first imposed by the U.S. on this basis. The new directive expands the scope of economic pressure by targeting third-nations that facilitate Russia’s oil trade.
The tariff will take effect 21 days from the date of the Executive Order (i.e., August 27), with limited exceptions for goods already in transit. It applies broadly to Indian imports unless exempted under specific trade provisions or existing reciprocal tariff agreements. Notably, this duty stacks atop other applicable tariffs except for tariffs imposed under Section 232, such as recent tariffs on copper, steel, aluminum, and autos.
The Executive Order also outlines a robust framework for monitoring and enforcement. The Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with other senior officials, is tasked with identifying additional countries engaged in similar trade practices with Russia. Recommendations for further action—including the imposition of similar tariffs—may be made to the President based on these findings. The Executive Order also allows for future modifications based on evolving circumstances or retaliatory actions
The U.S. represents the largest market for Indian exports, receiving Indian goods worth over $80 billion in 2022—goods which will soon be subject to a steep tariff.
The global tariff landscape continues to be extremely fluid, presenting new challenges to businesses on a daily basis. The latest tariffs on Indian products show how trade policy is intertwined with broader geopolitical factors. We will continue to monitor and report on developments in this space.
The current phase of the war in Ukraine continues unabated into its fourth year, with grinding offences and strikes against civilian infrastructure increasingly the norm.
It is, for Ukraine, arguably the most vulnerable that it has been since 2022.
These developments have prompted calls among world leaders to end the conflict. On the surface, United States President Donald Trump’s meetings with both the Ukrainian and Russian leaders suggests a balanced approach. In reality, however, Trump’s actions primarily benefit Russia.
The Alaska summit
After the recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, Trump declared that their summit had been “very useful.” When asked how he would rate the meeting on a scale of one to 10, the president declared the meeting “was a 10 in the sense we got along great.”
While Trump and Putin may have hit it off, the issue with such an assessment is that it failed to address the underlying reason for the meeting: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In this regard, the meeting was far more useful for Putin and Russia than Ukraine and its allies.
Putin managed to stoke tensions, and potentially divisions, among Ukraine’s principal supporters by not including Ukraine in the summit. No other countries participated in the summit.
U.S. President Donald Trump greets Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
This format caused considerable consternation in Ukraine, where it was feared that Trump would make an agreement without Ukrainian consent, as well as in Europe, where Russian aggression and revisionism is a more direct threat.
Prior to Trump assuming power for a second time in 2025, Ukraine benefited from a largely united front among NATO and the European Union. This unity has declined over the last several months, and the Alaska summit reinforced this decline to Russia’s benefit.
Ceasefire demand evaporated
Putin and his negotiators managed to obtain a major concession from Trump at the summit as Trump renounced his own recent calls for a ceasefire.
For Ukraine and its allies, achieving a ceasefire was a fundamental requirement for any peace negotiations in 2025. This precondition has become more significant as Russia ramps up its attacks on Ukrainian cities and civilians.
Lastly, the very nature of the Alaska meeting itself helped legitimize Russia in international opinion.
Since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has courted international opinion. It’s been more successful than most people in Europe and North America realize as significant portions of Asia, Africa and Latin America remain ambivalent or even support Russia in its war against Ukraine.
Nonetheless, Russia was always restrained by the condemnation it’s received from multiple international organizations, most notably the United Nations and the International Criminal Court.
Trump welcoming Putin on American soil, when the Russian leader is under what amounts to a de facto travel ban by the International Criminal Court, undermines these institutions’ condemnations.
Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington
The benefits that Putin obtained from Trump in Alaska demanded an immediate response by Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy promptly arranged a White House meeting with Trump in the aftermath of the Alaskan summit. And he didn’t arrive alone: European leaders accompanied him to show solidarity with Ukraine.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted the European leaders weren’t on hand to prevent Trump from bullying Zelenskyy, as occurred during their last Oval Office meeting.
Read more:
What the U.S. ceasefire proposal means for Ukraine, Russia, Europe – and Donald Trump
That’s probably only partly true. Several European leaders — ranging from the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to French President Emmanuel Macron — almost assuredly accompanied Zelenskyy to prevent Trump from forcing the Ukrainian leader into concessions that are detrimental to their interests as well.
Trump’s pre-meeting social media post undoubtedly heightened their concerns. In the post, he placed the burden of peace on Zelenskyy and argued that Ukraine must accept the loss of Crimea and never accede to NATO.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as France’s President Emmanuel Macron, left, and Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, right, listen during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, foreground left, and European leaders in the East Room of the White House on Aug. 18, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Carefully orchestrated
Ukrainian officials sought to carefully orchestrate Zelenskyy’s one-on-one Oval Office meeting with Trump. Zelenskyy wore a suit and delivered a letter from the Ukrainian first lady to Melania Trump.
These and other efforts aimed to stroke Trump’s ego, and the president’s response — in particular agreeing with a reporter that Zelenskyy “look(ed) fabulous” in a suit — suggests it was a success. The same American reporter criticized Zelenskyy for failing to don a suit during his ill-fated February White House visit.
Notably, Trump did not rule out a role for American soldiers in helping to maintain peace in Ukraine during the meeting. Outside observers believe an American presence in Ukraine to maintain any eventual peace is a fundamental requirement for its success.
Unfortunately, while Trump did not immediately oppose the idea, he did not make any firm commitment either. Trump’s propensity to reverse course on statements that he makes in the moment, furthermore, undermines any firm takeaways from the meeting.
Hope versus reality
Any direct American involvement in Ukraine would also undermine his support among his political base. One of Trump’s key campaign promises was not to involve the U.S. in “endless foreign wars.”
A move by Trump to deploy American soldiers to Ukraine would be politically tenuous, as fractures are already emerging among his political base over his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Read more:
Trump’s changing stance on Epstein files is testing the loyalty of his Maga base
Trump’s cordial meetings with Zelenskyy and European leaders may fuel hope among Ukraine’s supporters in the coming days. But any optimism should be tempered by the damage done by Trump’s meeting with Putin. Trump reportedly interrupted the meetings in Washington to call Putin.
Trump’s unwillingness to make firm commitments at the meetings with Zelenskyy and European leaders means that Russia, on the balance, has succeeded in advancing its interests to the detriment of Ukraine and the prospects for a long-term, sustainable peace.
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Russia would accept security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a peace deal, as he hosted Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders in an extraordinary show of unity at the White House.
Trump expressed optimism over the chances of ending Russia’s invasion and said he was ready to hold a three-way meeting with Ukrainian leader Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he met in Alaska last week.
Zelenskywho also met separately with Trump in the Oval Office for the first time since their acrimonious row there in Februarysaid his talks with Trump on Monday were the “best” yet.
“In a week or two weeks, we’re going to know whether or not we’re going to solve this or is this horrible fighting going to continue,” Trump said as he opened the meeting.
The presence of the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, the European Commission and NATO however underscored continuing nervousness about Trump’s pressure on Kyiv to make concessions to Moscow.
Trump had pushed Ukraine ahead of the meeting to give up Crimea and abandon its goal of joining NATOboth key demands made by Putin.
But the US president said his talks with Putin had made progress on the issue of security guarantees.
“In a very significant step, President Putin agreed that Russia would accept security guarantees for Ukraine,” Trump said. “We’re going to be considering that at the table, also who will do what essentially.”
Trump said that during the White House talks on Monday they also “need to discuss the possible exchanges of territory” between Russia and Ukraine.
Reports had said Putin was pushing for Ukraine to cede its eastern Donbas region, much of which is still partly in Kyiv’s hands, in exchange for freezing the frontline elsewhere.
Ukraine has rejected any such move.
Trump said he was ready to attend a trilateral meeting with Putin and Zelensky in the near future to reach a peace deal.
“I think if everything works out well today we’ll have a trilat, and I think there will be a reasonable chance of ending the war when we do that,” Trump said earlier as he sat in the Oval Office alongside Zelensky.
Zelensky hailed his meeting with Trump, saying it was “important that the United States gives such strong signals” about Western security guarantees.
The atmosphere was far calmer than when Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Zelensky in front of TV cameras less than six months ago for not being “grateful” for US support.
Trump even complimented Zelensky on his black jacket, after the Ukrainian was criticized by right-wing media because he failed to change his trademark war-leader’s outfit for a suit during the February visit.
The Europeans lined up to praise Trump as they called for a lasting peace to end Russia’s invasion.
“I’m really excited. Let’s make the best out of today,” NATO chief Mark Rutte said as the US president went round the table asking them to comment.
French President Emmanuel Macron, however, called for a separate four-way meeting including Europeans to deal with a grinding conflict that is on their doorstep.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz meanwhile contradicted Trump’s call to go straight for a full peace deal instead of an immediate ceasefire, calling for a truce before any leaders’ summit.
“Let’s work on that and let’s try to put pressure on Russia,” Merz said.
Trump said he would be talking to Putin by telephone later Monday.
The Trump-Putin summit in Alaska failed to produce a ceasefire in the nearly three-and-a-half-year war that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Russian strikes overnight killed at least seven people in Ukraine, including two children.
Takeaways: Well-mannered White House welcome for Ukraine leaves many questions Reuters
Trump calls Putin to propose Zelensky meeting after White House talks on Ukraine ‘security guarantee’ BBC
Ukraine live updates: ‘Dynamics have accelerated,’ says Polish PM as coalition of the willing debrief takes place after White House meeting The Guardian
Trump proposes Putin-Zelenskyy summit in push to end Ukraine war Al Jazeera
Back in the Oval Office, Zelenskyy wears a blazer and Trump doesn’t shout AP News
Your guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington, business and the world
Ukraine will promise to buy $100bn of American weapons financed by Europe in a bid to obtain US guarantees for its security after a peace settlement with Russia, according to a document seen by the Financial Times.
Under the proposals, Kyiv and Washington would also strike a $50bn deal to produce drones with Ukrainian companies that have pioneered the technology since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
Kyiv shared the proposals for new security deals with the US, which have not been previously reported, in a list of talking points with European allies ahead of a meeting with US President Donald Trump in the White House on Monday, according to four people familiar with the matter.
The document does not state which weapons Ukraine is asking to procure as part of a deal, but Kyiv has been clear about its desire to buy at least 10 US-made Patriot air defence systems to protect its cities and critical infrastructure, along with other missiles and equipment. The document does not specify how much of the drone deal would be procurement or investment.
Ukraine’s pitch is intended to appeal to Trump’s desire to benefit American industry. Asked on Monday at the White House about further US military aid for Ukraine, Trump said: “We’re not giving anything. We’re selling weapons.”
The document details how Ukraine intends to make a counter-pitch to the US after Trump appeared to align himself with Russia’s position for ending the war following his meeting with President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week.
It reiterates Ukraine’s call for a ceasefire that Trump had espoused but then dropped after his Putin meeting in favour of the pursuit of a comprehensive peace settlement.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told Trump on Monday during a public portion of the meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders in Washington that the group would like the US president’s help to secure a ceasefire before any next steps.
“I can’t imagine that the next meeting would take place without a ceasefire,” he said. “So let’s work on that and let’s try to put pressure on Russia because the credibility of these efforts we are undertaking today depends on at least a ceasefire.”
The document says a “lasting peace shall be based not on concessions and free gifts to Putin, but on [a] strong security framework that will prevent future aggression”.
It adds that recent footage in Russian media shows that the Kremlin is not serious about a potential peace deal and holds a low opinion of Trump’s leadership, citing disparaging comments about the US president made by prominent television host Vladimir Solovyov.
In one, he mocks Trump for “threatening” Russia, saying Moscow could “destroy [the US] with nuclear weapons”.
Ukraine will not accept any deal including territorial concessions to Russia and insists on a ceasefire as the first step towards a full peace agreement, according to the document.
According to the document, Kyiv also rejects the proposal Putin made to Trump in Alaska to freeze the rest of the frontline if Ukraine withdraws troops from the partly occupied eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. Doing so would create “a foothold for a further and rapid advance of Russian forces towards the city of Dnipro” and enable Putin to “achieve the goals of aggression by other means”, it says.
Ukraine believes Russia’s attempt to settle territorial issues before further talks on a lasting peace agreement would create a fait accompli on the ground while doing nothing to ensure Kyiv’s future security, according to the document.
Kyiv also insists it be given full compensation from Russia for wartime damages, potentially paid for by the $300bn in Russian sovereign assets frozen in western countries. Any sanctions relief should only be granted if Russia complies with the future peace agreement and “plays [a] fair game”, the document adds.
The US State Department has revoked 6,000 student visas since Secretary of State Marco Rubio took office seven months ago, it said Monday. Rubio, to the delight of President Donald Trump’s right-wing base, has proudly moved against students using an obscure law that allows him to rescind visas for people deemed to counter US foreign policy interests. The Trump administration has also more broadly sought mass deportations of people in the United States illegally. “The State Department has revoked over 6,000 student visas for overstays and law violations, the vast majority being assault, DUI, burglary and support for terrorism,” a State Department official said. The official said that about 4,000 of the visas were for violations of the law. The State Department did not break down the visas by nationality. Rubio has vowed to be aggressive in targeting students from China. The top US diplomat in March told reporters that he was revoking visas daily, saying of activist students: “Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas.” He has particularly pointed to students who have protested against Israel, and accused activists of anti-Semitism, charges they deny. The administration has faced setbacks in two of the highest-profile cases. Mahmoud Khalil, a legal permanent resident in the United States who led pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, was freed in June by a judge. Khalil, whose son was born while he was in detention, has since sued the Trump administration, saying it sought to “terrorize” him. Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish graduate student at Tufts University who wrote a piece in a campus newspaper critical of Israel, was freed by a judge in May pending arguments. She had been taken away off a Massachusetts street by masked plainclothes agents.
