A meeting between Donald Trump andRussian counterpart Vladimir Putin could take place as early as next week, a top Kremlin aide said Thursday, as the US president’s deadline for Moscow to show progress in ending its war in Ukraine looms.
Preparations for the meeting are already underway, and although it was “difficult to say” how long they will take, the goal is for the meeting to take place next week, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said, according to Russian state media RIA Novosti.
If the meeting does go ahead, it would be the first held between the leaders of the two countries since 2021, when Putin met former President Joe Biden in Geneva, Switzerland. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
On Wednesday, Trump said there was a “good chance” that the two leaders could meet “very soon” to discuss a potential end to the war in Ukraine, hours after special envoy Steve Witkoff met Putin.
On Thursday, Putin said that the United Arab Emirates could be a “suitable” location for the meeting, after welcoming its president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to Moscow.
Earlier in the day, Ushakov, a former Russian ambassador to Washington, said the location had already been agreed upon but did not confirm where it would take place, according to RIA.
He played down the chances of trilateral talks between Putin, Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, something put forward by Witkoff, saying Moscow had not responded to the proposal.
Later, Putin suggested that he generally has “nothing against” meeting with the Ukrainian leader, but that “certain conditions must be met for this.”
Zelensky said Thursday that “various potential formats for leader-level meetings to bring peace” were discussed, including “two bilateral (meetings) and one trilateral.”
“Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same brave approach from the Russian side. It is time we ended the war,” he said in a post on social media.
Witkoff and Putin met for three hours in Moscow on Wednesday, though Trump later said that there had not been a “breakthrough” between the two men. He was also cautious when questioned about the timeline for a deal, saying he has “been disappointed before with this one.”
The meeting, which saw Witkoff visit Russia for the fifth time this year, came after a frustrated Trump imposed a deadline on Moscow, which is due to expire on Friday, to agree to a ceasefire or face tough secondary sanctions, hitting countries that buy Russian oil with a 100% tariff.
Just hours after the meeting, the US leader imposed an additional 25% tariff on India as punishment for its imports of Russian oil.
Trump has been attempting to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine since taking office in January, having initially claimed he could end the war within 24 hours.
In the many months since, there has been little progress, with Russia insisting that it wants peace while simultaneously ramping up the scale of its attacks on Ukraine.
Critics have suggested Putin’s actions in recent months have been attempts to stall proceedings and buy time for his troops to gain further ground on the battlefield in Ukraine.
Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly expressed his growing frustration that Putin says one thing, but then does another.
“We had a deal done four times and then you go home and you see (that Russia) just attacked a nursing home or something in Kyiv. So what the hell was that all about?” the US leader said in an interview with the BBC last month.
Zelensky, who spoke to Trump following Wednesday’s meeting between Putin and Witkoff, said Wednesday that “it seems that Russia is now more inclined toward (a) ceasefire.”
“The pressure on Russia is working. But the main thing is that they do not deceive us in the details. Neither us, nor the United States,” the Ukrainian leader said during his nightly video address to the nation.
This story has been updated with additional details.
Agreement on Putin-Trump talks ‘essentially reached,’ Kremlin aide says, but plays down three-way summit with Zelenskyy
Senior Kremlin aide and former Russian ambassador to the US Yuri Ushakov has just said that the two sides “essentially reached” an agreement to hold a meeting between Putin and Trump “in the coming days.”
“We are now beginning concrete preparations together with our American colleagues,” he added in televised comments.
But as my colleague Shaun Walker notes, there is a pretty major difference there compared to Trump’s original intentions of a three-way summit that would also include Zelenskyy.
In his comments, Ushakov has thrown cold wateron the US suggestion that a three-way meeting with Zelenskyy would follow shortly after.
“As for a three-way meeting, which for some reason Washington was talking about yesterday, this was just something mentioned by the American side during the meeting in the Kremlin. But this was not discussed. The Russian side left this option completely without comment,” said Yuri Ushakov, a key aide to Vladimir Putin.
Key events
Zelenskyy holds talks on ‘deep strikes’ on Russia as he warns ‘prolonging war will come at cost’
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy said he just held a meeting on “deep strikes” into the Russian teritory, where he received a report on the latest activities.
He said the discussion covers the latest updates on “the scale of damage inflicted on Russia, the cost-effectiveness of each strike, and the impact on the aggressor’s war machine.”
“Russia’s attempts to prolong the war will come at a cost,” he warned.
Prospect of Putin-Trump talks without Ukraine or allies likely to alarm Kyiv – snap analysis
Shaun Walker
in Kyiv
The prospect of Putin and Trump trying to come to an agreement on Ukraine with no one else in the room is likely to alarm Kyiv and European capitals.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for direct discussions with Putin, with either Trump or the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as a mediator.
Putin has so far dismissed the possibility, suggesting that lower-level negotiation groups should come to an agreement first. However, little progress has been made at a series of direct talks in Turkey, with Moscow sending a junior delegation and not appearing ready for real talks.
It is not clear where a Trump-Putin summit might take place but the most likely options are Turkey or the Middle East. Ushakov said a location had already been decided but declined to name it.
Europe must be part of talks on ending Ukraine war, Zelenskyy says after speaking with Germany’s Merz
As we were following trade developments, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered his take on the phone call with German chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Germany’s chancellor Friedrich Merz standing alongside Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Photograph: Markus Schreiber/AP
He said the two leaders “share the view that the war must be ended as soon as possible with a dignified peace, and the parameters of ending this war will shape the security landscape of Europe for decades to come.”
He insisted that with Ukraine being an integral part of Europe and in the process of EU accession, “Europe must be a participant in the relevant processes” on ending the war.
“Today, security advisors will hold an online meeting to align our joint views – Ukraine and the whole Europe, the United States,” he added.
Separately, Zelenskyy appeared to put more pressure on Russia to agree to a three-way leaders’ meeting, saying:
“Yesterday, various potential formats for leader-level meetings to bring peace were also discussed – two bilateral and one trilateral.
Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same brave approach from the Russian side.
It is time we ended the war.”
Ireland works on plan to diversify its economy in face of Trump’s tariffs
Lisa O’Carroll
The Irish government is to publish a plan to diversify its economy in the wake of Donald Trump’s punitive tariffs on imports from the EU and almost 70 other trading partners around the world.
Tanaiste Simon Harris speaks to media outside the Government Buildings in Dublin. Photograph: Grainne Ni Aodha/PA
The deputy prime minister Simon Harris said on Friday that he would publish the national strategy later this month.
“We must also look for other opportunities to diversify markets for Irish business. While we want to continue to do business with the US and indeed want to grow business. It is important that we take every opportunity to identify new markets. This month we will publish Ireland’s new Market Diversification Action Plan,” he said.
The Irish government has been criticised in some quarters for not building up contingencies in its export-driven economy that could soften the blow of a sudden shock such as the US presidents decision to impose 15% tariffs on all imports from the EU.
Ireland is also bracing itself for a new assault on pharmaceutical exports next week.
Although the US and the EU agreed that any tariffs would not go beyond 15%, Ireland, whose exports are driven by pharmaceutical sales to the US, remains nervous that other barriers could be erected by Trump to force US multinationals to divert investment to the US.
Trump singled out China and Ireland’s pharma sectors during an interview on CNBC earlier this week.
“In many ways, the EU and the US are interdependent when it comes to pharma. In the very first instance, it’s vital that the US keeps its agreement in terms of a tariff rate of no higher than 15% on the pharma industry,” said Harris on Thursday.
“But actually, in the time ahead, it’s important that we seek to further improve that. US pharma companies need to have a base in the European Union – and Ireland has been a very constructive, very good home for those businesses. They’ve done very well in Ireland,” he added.
German car industry grows impatient with delays on US tariff reduction
Lisa O’Carroll
The German car industry has called on the US to speedily deliver on its promise to reduce the tariff on cars from 27.5% to the 15% ceiling agreed at Donald Trump’s golf course 10 days ago.
A general view of a production line of German car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz at a factory, in Rastatt, Germany. Photograph: Christoph Steitz/Reuters
EU manufacturers have found themselves in the same boat as the UK industry which had to wait before the agreement struck between Trump and prime minister Keir Starmer on a10% rate came into force.
Hildegard Müller, president of the German car industry federation, the VDA, said the EU-US deal had “brought no clarity or improvement” to the industry.
“The sectoral tariffs on cars and automotive parts of 27.5 percent, which have been in effect since April and May, respectively, remain in place and place a significant burden on German automakers and automotive suppliers, as well as on transatlantic trade.
“It is important that the promised agreement is reached now and the relief measures are implemented promptly. The US must now suspend the so-called Section 232 and withdraw the sectoral tariffs for the European and thus also the German automotive industry. The EU Commission and the German Federal Government must vigorously advocate for this,” she said.
Other sectors including the wine and spirits industry have also called on the White House to act fast to reduce the current 15% tariff now applying to alcohol exports.
However this is unlikely to be settled for weeks, if not months, as the EU and the US continue to negotiate carve outs for the sector.
Although the EU was hoping for a zero for zero tariff rate on alcohol sales in both directions, a small tariff that applied to wine and spirits before Trump was elected is still likely to apply after the 15% ceiling is unapplied.
This is because a reduction to zero would require Trump to get approval from the Congress.
Trump tariffs on alcohol which range from 0.5% on Sherry to 1.8% on sparkling wine will apply even if the EU-US agree to eliminate the extra tariff.
Jakub Krupa
The technical point on cars, pharma and semiconductors is particularly important as more and more industries are growing impatient – let’s quickly cross to Lisa O’Carroll on this point to explain.
EU-US work on ‘stabilising text’ on trade, with ball in US court to move, EU spokesperson says
The EU has also given a brief update on the state of play in the EU-US trade talks.
Shipping containers stacked at the Rhine-Neckar commercial port in Mannheim, Germany. Photograph: Ronald Wittek/EPA
Trade spokesperson Olof Gill said the two sides were working on “stabilising the text” of the much-awaited joint statement taking further the general agreement reached in Scotland. He said it would still be non-binding, but help to set the road ahead.
“To all intents and purposes, the ball is in the US court now, and we look forward to them helping us to move the process forward,” he said.
He added that “a vast majority [of the text] is agreed” and “we have made it very clear where we can and can’t go now; we look forward to our American counterparts doing the same.”
Gill also was asked about the EU’s spending commitments that Trump spoke about earlier this week, with the US president portraying them as in his “gift” that he can do whatever he wants with (our blog on Tuesday).
The EU’s spokesperson explained that the EU “transmitted to the US administration … sort of aggregate intentions … by EU companies,” but added that these numbers are not binding the commission and it has no power to enforce it.
Gill was also asked about the progress on cars, pharmaceutical and semiconductors, but said he couldn’t offer a more detailed timeline, with the EU waiting for the US.
Zelenskyy spoke to Germany’s Merz about US mediation efforts after contact with Putin
German chancellor Friedrich Merz is the latest European leader to speak to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The German government spokesperson, Stefan Kornelius, said in a statement the pair spoke by telephone to discuss yesterday’s meeting between US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian president Vladimir Putin.
The statement said:
“Both acknowledged the American president’s mediation efforts and agreed that Russia must end its war of aggression, which violates international law.
Both agreed to maintain close contact with European partners and the United States.
The Chancellor assured the Ukrainian president of his continued support.”
Putin-Trump meeting likely to take place next week – Russian media
Russian news agency Ria Novosti has just reported that the meeting between Putin and Trump is “likely to take place next week.”
Separately, asked for updates on Gaza, the European Commission has confirmed that “Israeli authorities continue not to authorise or allow EU access to Gaza” as the bloc “is not considered a humanitarian actor,” and it has to rely on UN reports.
“What we can say is that despite this partial progress, we are not where we would want to be in terms of the amount of trucks being able to make their way to the destination,” a spokesperson said.
But the spokespeople steered away from stronger language used by the commission’s second most senior official, Teresa Ribera, who said in an interview with Politico that the situation in Gaza “looks very much” like genocide.
EU confirms von der Leyen not part of Trump-Zelenskyy call
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen was not among European leaders involved in yesterday’s call between US president Donald Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, her spokesperson confirmed.
Commission spokesperson Arianna Podestà said:
“The president was not in the call yesterday.She has been extensively debriefed, was in touch with the leaders like always. She’s in constant contact with them, especially on such an important matter.
Of course, you know our position on peace talks very well. We support a just and lasting peace for Ukraine, and our commitment on that has not changed in any way.
For what concerns these possible trilateral peace talks, I understand that the timing, the format, the logistics, are still to be seen, so it’s very much premature to say exactly what is going to happen if and when there is further information.”
Challenged twice, she declined to name which leaders von der Leyen spoke with.
Foreign affairs spokesperson Anitta Hipper added that “no one wants peace more than Ukraine and the EU,” while noting that at the moment “it is very clear that Russia is not interested in any peace as such, because we have seen it in their actions, not in their words.”
She added the EU welcomes “any pressure when it comes to ensuring that Russia is at the negotiation table.”
Ukraine says it struck Russian oil refinery with drones
Meanwhile, in the last few minutes, the Ukrainian military said its drone units had hit the Afipsky oil refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar region, sparking flames in gas processing equipment.
Russian emergency services reported a fire at the plant caused by falling drone debris.
Speculations mount about possible venue of Putin-Trump summit
There is a lot of speculation about a possible venue for the Putin-Trump meeting, which the Kremlin’s aide Ushakov said had been already agreed, but would only be announced later.
Reuters noted that Putin was due on Thursday to meet the president of the United Arab Emirates, which sources have previously suggested as a possible venue.
Meanwhile, we have an update on the Ukrainian gas interconnector hit by Russian drones yesterday (yesterday’s Europe Live), with its operator saying it remains operational despite the attack.
The gas pumping station in Ukraine’s southern Odesa region is used to import LNG from the US and Azerbaijan, with the attack thought to seek to undermine preparations for winter.
“Deliveries are made in the same manner as before,” an official from the operator told Reuters today.
Kremlin tries to bank summit with Trump but ignore Zelenskyy in classic Putin/Trump dynamic – snap analysis
Shaun Walker
in Kyiv
In recent months, Putin has made it clear he does not want to be in the same room as Volodymyr Zelenskyybut would be keen on a set-piece summit with Trump.
US president Donald Trump is open to meeting with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the White House said. Photograph: Olga Maltseva/AFP/Getty Images
The reports out of Washington yesterday suggested Steve Witkoff had come to a compromise with Putin: first a two-way meeting with Trump, then a three-way adding Zelenskyy.
This morning, the Kremlin is making it clear it is working to a different agreement, banking the big summit with Trump and ignoring the part about Zelenskyy.
It all looks like the classic Putin/Trump dynamic we have got used to in recent months: Trump promises something that sounds like a breakthrough, then the Kremlin throws cold water on it.
Agreement on Putin-Trump talks ‘essentially reached,’ Kremlin aide says, but plays down three-way summit with Zelenskyy
Senior Kremlin aide and former Russian ambassador to the US Yuri Ushakov has just said that the two sides “essentially reached” an agreement to hold a meeting between Putin and Trump “in the coming days.”
“We are now beginning concrete preparations together with our American colleagues,” he added in televised comments.
But as my colleague Shaun Walker notes, there is a pretty major difference there compared to Trump’s original intentions of a three-way summit that would also include Zelenskyy.
In his comments, Ushakov has thrown cold wateron the US suggestion that a three-way meeting with Zelenskyy would follow shortly after.
“As for a three-way meeting, which for some reason Washington was talking about yesterday, this was just something mentioned by the American side during the meeting in the Kremlin. But this was not discussed. The Russian side left this option completely without comment,” said Yuri Ushakov, a key aide to Vladimir Putin.
A Trump-Putin meeting would be the first US-Russia leadership summit since former president Joe Biden met with Putin in Geneva in 2021, AFP noted.
But there is no indication as to where the meeting could take place this time round.
Trump told reporters that there was a “good chance” that it could happen “very soon,” with US media reporting it could be as early as next week, with Trump hoping it could later lead to a three-way meeting with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy, too.
Morning opening: Planning the next steps
Jakub Krupa
With White House officials saying that US president Donald Trump could meet Russian president Vladimir Putin as soon as next week to discuss the war, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is hitting the phones today to consult with European partners on the how to best plan the next steps.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits Kharkiv, Ukraine. Photograph: APAImages/Shutterstock
We don’t know the details of what Zelenskyy learned from Trump during their phone call last night, joined by some European leaders, but it is clear that there is a momentum to push Russia further, and Kyiv will want to make the most of it.
In a morning update, Zelenskyy said he had already spoken with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte and Finnish president Alexander Stubb, and that he would have further calls with German chancellor Friedrich Merz and the leaders of France and Italy. Separately, there will be some technical talks at the level of national security advisers.
Zelenskyy explained his thinking:
“The priorities are absolutely clear.
First – an end to the killing, and it is Russia that must agree to a ceasefire.
Second – a format for leaders, so that such a meeting can lead to a truly lasting peace. We in Ukraine have repeatedly said that finding real solutions can be truly effective at the level of leaders. It is necessary to determine the timing for such a format and the range of issues to be addressed.
Third – long-term security. This is possible together with the United States and Europe.”
He then added:
“Ukraine has never wanted war and will work toward peace as productively as possible. The main thing is for Russia, which started this war, to take real steps to end its aggression.
The world has leverage over the aggressor and the means to verify whether promises are being kept. I’m grateful to everyone who is firmly committed to bringing this war to a dignified end.”
Elsewhere, we will be looking at the latest on EU-US trade from Brussels, as the “joint statement” fleshing out the details of the agreement is now long overdue.
I will bring you all the key updates here.
It’s Thursday, 7 August 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Since the early 2000s, the Indo-American relationship has largely been characterised by increasing strategic convergence, particularly in the domains of defence cooperation, trade, and shared concerns about the rise of China. However, during the presidency of Donald J. Trump (2017–2021), this relationship saw several unexpected dips, moments of diplomatic chill, and public expressions of dissatisfaction—especially from the American side. Contrary to the earlier fanfare about the natural alliance between the world’s largest democracies, the Trump administration’s posture towards India was often marked by cold pragmatism and visible discontent. This departure from the optimistic tones of the Obama era merits detailed examination.
President Trump, known for his transactional foreign policy, publicly voiced his frustration with India on multiple occasions. One of the earliest signs of this came on 2 January 2018, when Trump tweeted his tough stance on Pakistan, stating that the United States had “foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years” and received “nothing but lies and deceit.” While this tweet was directed at Islamabad, it implicitly signalled a shift in Washington’s South Asia policy—one that placed pressure on regional allies, including India, to demonstrate their worth in tangible, deliverable terms.
Trump’s dissatisfaction with India became more explicit during trade negotiations. On 5 June 2019, the U.S. formally terminated India’s designation as a beneficiary developing country under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), affecting $5.6 billion in Indian exports. The U.S. Trade Representative’s office stated India had failed to provide “equitable and reasonable access to its markets.”
Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public bonhomie with Trump—especially at the “Howdy Modi” event in Houston on 22 September 2019, where Trump and Modi shared a stage before a crowd of over 50,000—the unresolved issues beneath the surface remained. Trump’s speech praised India’s democracy and economic rise, but in follow-up interviews and policy actions, trade friction continued without resolution.
On the defence front, while India signed key agreements such as the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) on 6 September 2018 and the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) on 27 October 2020, it irked Washington by proceeding with the purchase of the Russian S-400 missile system, valued at over $5 billion. Despite repeated warnings from U.S. officials, including then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during his June 2019 visit to New Delhi, India showed no signs of backing down. Pompeo warned that India risked sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) if it proceeded with the deal.
Further unease emerged over India’s reluctance to align with American strategic goals in Asia directly. Washington expected India to play a stronger role in the Indo-Pacific alliance. The Trump administration’s 2017 National Security Strategy named India as a key partner, yet U.S. strategists grew frustrated with India’s cautious approach. Despite participating in Quad meetings (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) and the Malabar naval exercises, India hesitated to escalate tensions with China beyond controlled diplomatic means—especially during the Doklam standoff in 2017 and the Galwan Valley clash in June 2020.
The friendship was real, but conditional. Trump wanted India to “buy more, do more, align more.” But from the American perspective, India did not seem to be meeting American expectations
An episode that particularly strained trust was President Trump’s claim on 22 July 2019, during a joint press conference with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan at the White House, that Prime Minister Modi had asked him to mediate on Kashmir. Trump said, “I was with Prime Minister Modi two weeks ago, and he actually said, ‘Would you like to be a mediator or arbitrator?’”. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs immediately issued a denial, reiterating that “no such request was made,” and that Kashmir was strictly a bilateral issue.
Trump’s overtures towards Pakistan further complicated the Indo-U.S. relationship. After starting his presidency with a sharp rebuke of Islamabad, the tone shifted significantly by mid-2019, particularly as Pakistan facilitated U.S.-Taliban peace talks in Afghanistan. During Khan’s visit to Washington in July 2019, Trump publicly thanked Pakistan for its “tremendous help” and emphasised a “very good relationship” going forward. This contrasted with the expectation in New Delhi that Washington would align more firmly with India post-Uri and Pulwama episodes.
India’s continued engagement with Russia remained a consistent source of tension—even beyond Trump’s presidency. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Biden administration and its NATO allies swiftly imposed severe sanctions on Moscow and expected global partners—including India—to join the Western consensus. However, New Delhi maintained a balanced, non-aligned stance. India abstained from several UN resolutions condemning Russia and continued to engage with Moscow diplomatically and economically.
A key point of contention was India’s increased import of Russian crude oil at discounted rates. While the West moved to isolate Russia economically, India ramped up its purchases, citing national energy security and consumer price stability. By late 2022, Russia had become India’s largest oil supplier, surpassing Iraq and Saudi Arabia. This drew criticism from American and European officials, but India defended its position firmly. At a press briefing in Washington in April 2022, Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, when questioned about oil purchases, replied, “If you’re looking at energy purchases from Russia, I would suggest your attention be focused on Europe… We do buy some energy, which is necessary for our energy security.”
Herein lies the deeper question: is the diplomatic chill merely about oil, or does it reflect Washington’s growing unease with India’s role in BRICS, its economic alignment with the Global South, and its potential to challenge the global supremacy of the U.S. dollar? India, along with China, Brazil, Russia, and South Africa, has been promoting alternative payment mechanisms in BRICS, including cross-border trade in national currencies and potential expansion of a non-dollar reserve structure. For the United States, which relies on the dollar’s role as the global reserve currency to maintain its economic leverage and sanction regime, this trend is strategically alarming. While India is not overtly antagonistic towards the West, its pursuit of financial multipolarity—symbolised by energy payments to Russia in rupees and participation in non-dollar settlements—directly challenges the architecture of U.S.-led economic dominance. From Washington’s view, such developments may explain not only its pressure on New Delhi but also its lukewarm attitude, even during periods of public cordiality.
This episode underscores a long-standing Indian doctrine: multi-alignment rather than alliance dependency. It also reveals the enduring misalignment in expectations between Washington and New Delhi. While the U.S. wants India to stand firmly in the Western camp—against both China and Russia—India views its interests through a prism of regional balance, strategic autonomy, and economic necessity. American impatience, whether under Trump or Biden, could not alter this fundamental reality.
In retrospect, the Trump-Modi era presented a paradox: public displays of camaraderie concealed policy-level disconnects. The friendship was real, but conditional. Trump wanted India to “buy more, do more, align more.” But from the American perspective, India did not seem to be meeting American expectations.
Thus, the chill in Indo-American relations during Trump’s presidency—and even beyond—was not the result of any single rupture, but of unmet expectations, clashing diplomatic styles, and divergent national interests. If anything, it served to remind both nations that a strategic partnership requires more than smiles and slogans—it requires trust, respect for each other’s red lines, and above all, realistic expectations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday he would not compromise on the agriculture sector, a day after United States President Donald Trump announced 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.
Washington announced the hike in levies on Wednesday, citing New Delhi’s purchasing of Russian oil, a key revenue source for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
For New Delhi, one of the main sticking points in trade negotiations has been Washington’s demand to access India’s vast agricultural and dairy market.
India has remained steadfast about its labour-intensive agricultural sector, unwilling to risk angering farmers, a powerful voting bloc.
“We will not compromise with the interests of our farmers, our dairy sector, our fishermen,” Modi said during a speech at a conference in New Delhi, his remarks widely seen as his first public response to the tariffs.
“I know I will have to pay a personal price for this, but I am ready for it,” he added, without giving further details.
India has also refused to allow the import of genetically modified products.
Additionally, New Delhi fears that allowing the import of dairy products may upset the cultural and religious sensitivities of India’s majority Hindus, who revere cows as sacred.
It seems a far cry from India’s early hopes for special tariff treatment.
In February, Trump said that he found a “special bond” with Modi when he visited Washington — complimenting Modi as being a “much tougher negotiator” than he was.
Successive US administrations have seen India — the world’s most populous nation and fifth-largest economy — as a key partner, with like-minded interests in the face of powerful China.
India and neighbouring China have long been intense rivals competing for strategic influence across South Asia.
Modi, meanwhile, according to Indian media but not confirmed by officials, may visit China in late August, which would be his first visit since 2018.
Modi and China’s President Xi Jinping last met in Russia in October 2024.
Indian exporters warned that additional US tariffs risked making businesses “not viable”.
Stocks opened marginally lower on Thursday, with the benchmark Nifty index down 0.31 per cent after an initial 25pc US tariff came into effect.
India is the second-largest buyer of Russian oil, saving itself billions of dollars on discounted crude.
India’s foreign ministry condemned Trump’s announcement of further tariffs, calling the move “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable”.
S.C. Ralhan, president of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), said he feared a troubling impact.
“This move is a severe setback for Indian exports, with nearly 55pc of our shipments to the US market directly affected,” he said in a statement.
“The 50pc reciprocal tariff effectively imposes a cost burden, placing our exporters at a 30–35pc competitive disadvantage compared to peers from countries with lesser reciprocal tariff.”
Ralhan said “many export orders have already been put on hold” as buyers reassess sourcing decisions.
For “a large number” of small to medium-sized enterprises, profit “margins are already thin”, he said.
“Absorbing this sudden cost escalation is simply not viable,” he added.
India is bracing for a bumpy ride, as the US is its largest trading partner, with New Delhi shipping goods worth $87.4 billion in 2024.
“If the extra 25pc tariff that President Trump has announced on imports from India remains in place, India’s attractiveness as an emerging manufacturing hub will be hugely undermined,” Shilan Shah of Capital Economics said in a note.
US spending drives around 2.5pc of India’s GDP, Shah said.
But a 50pc tariff is “large enough to have a material impact”, he added, with the resulting drop in exports meaning the economy would grow by closer to 6pc this year and next, down from the 7pc they currently forecast.
Lebanese army carries out special operation, eliminates 3 notorious drug lords in Baalbek
BEIRUT: The Lebanese Army Command confirmed on Wednesday the death of three of the country’s most notorious and dangerous drug traffickers, who were killed during an armed clash between army units and the wanted individuals in Baalbek.
The security operation, hailed by Lebanese media as “a major milestone in the war on drugs” and “a clear message to fugitives that the era of impunity is nearing its end,” took place less than 24 hours after the Cabinet instructed “the army to develop a plan for seizing illegal weapons by year’s end and submit it to the government by the end of August.
The Army Command announced in a statement that “during the pursuit of a vehicle carrying wanted members of the Zeaiter family in the Sharawneh neighborhood of Baalbek, a clash broke out between the suspects and army units, resulting in their deaths.”
The individuals have been identified as Ali Monzer Zeaiter, Abbas Ali Saadoun Zeaiter, and Fayyad Salem Zeaiter and were wanted for a series of serious crimes, including the killing of soldiers, kidnapping, armed assaults on army posts and patrols, and armed robbery.
The Directorate of Orientation reported that “the wanted individuals had been involved for years in large-scale drug trafficking across multiple Lebanese regions, contributing to the rise of crime and drawing thousands, especially youth, into lives of crime.”
It added that previous operations to bring the individuals to justice failed, with some resulting in injuries among its soldiers.
The Army Command denied reports that homes or relatives of the wanted individuals, or any residents, had been targeted during the operation. It also refuted claims of any clashes between residents and army personnel.
Baalbek is predominantly influenced by powerful tribal families, many of which have historically served as a supportive base for Hezbollah. Some wanted individuals have long been shielded by both the party and their tribal affiliations.
Sharawneh, the Baalbek neighborhood targeted in the army raid, has become a refuge for dozens of wanted arms and drug traffickers, many equipped with rockets and machine guns. The area is notoriously difficult for security forces to access, operating as a closed zone under the influence of complex and deeply rooted tribal influence.
Eyewitnesses in the city reported that the army “deployed drones during the operation to conduct precision strikes in the area.”
Ali Monzer, regarded as one of the most powerful figures in the Bekaa Valley’s drug trade, is infamous for repeatedly evading security prosecution. He was wanted on hundreds of arrest warrants for crimes including drug trafficking, armed assaults, and kidnappings. Around five years ago, he moved to Baalbek’s Sharawneh neighborhood.
A military source revealed: “The operation was the result of meticulous surveillance of his movements. The aim was not only to capture him, but also to deliver a significant blow to the drug networks that have entrenched themselves in the Sharawneh neighborhood.”
The kingpin was previously involved in a 2022 armed attack on a Lebanese army patrol, which left a sergeant dead and several others wounded. During that raid, Ali Monzer sustained two gunshot wounds but managed to escape despite his critical injuries.
On July 24, the army tracked him using a drone, suspecting him to be among a group of wanted individuals fleeing in a four-wheel-drive vehicle through the Bekaa Valley. The drone launched a missile near the vehicle, successfully disabling it. However, he escaped before army forces could reach the scene.
On Wednesday, Hezbollah issued a statement rejecting the Cabinet’s decision, passed during its Tuesday night session, to restrict the possession of weapons to the state. The party accused Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s government of “committing a major sin by adopting a resolution that strips Lebanon of its ability to resist the Israeli enemy, effectively granting Israel what it failed to achieve through military aggression.” Hezbollah further claimed the decision was driven by pressure from US Envoy Thomas Barrack, calling it “part of a surrender strategy” and “a clear betrayal of the core principles of Lebanon’s sovereignty.”
However, in the same statement, Hezbollah affirmed its “openness for dialogue aimed at ending Israeli aggression against Lebanon, liberating occupied territories, securing the release of prisoners, rebuilding what was destroyed by the aggression, and contributing to the construction of a strong state.” The party “expressed its willingness to discuss a national security strategy but emphasized that such discussions must not take place under the threat of aggression,” adding that Tel Aviv “must first fulfill its obligations.” The group also called on the Lebanese government to “prioritize all necessary measures to liberate Lebanese territories still under occupation, in accordance with its ministerial declaration.”
Meanwhile, Israel continued its strikes on Hezbollah, launching a drone attack on a motorcycle in the town of Touline, killing a child and injuring his father, who were both riding the vehicle.
An Israeli airstrike late Tuesday night targeted the Baalbek region deep within Lebanon, reportedly striking “a vehicle carrying a Hezbollah member.” According to Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee, “the individual, identified as Hossam Qassem Ghorab, was a Hezbollah operative accused of operating from Lebanese territory to coordinate cells in Syria, planning rocket attacks on the Golan Heights.”
Médecins Sans Frontières calls for immediate closure of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation
The medical NGO Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has called for the immediate closure of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the US– and Israeli-backed aid organisation operating in Gaza, describing GHF-run food distribution sites in Gaza as having become sites of “orchestrated killing and dehumanisation”.
In a social media post on Thursday, MSF wrote:
“In MSF’s nearly 54 years of operations, rarely have we seen such levels of systematic violence against unarmed civilians.”
The GHF-run food distributions in Gaza, Palestine, have become sites of “orchestrated killing and dehumanisation”, not humanitarian aid.
In a new report, MSF analysed medical data, patients’ testimonies and first-hand medical witnesses at two MSF clinics in Gaza and found that it “point[ed] to both targeted and indiscriminate violence by Israeli forces and private American contractors against starved Palestinians” at food distribution sites run by the GHF.
Palestinians seek aid supplies from the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), in the central Gaza Strip, on Monday. Photograph: Reuters
According to the report, between 7 June and 24 July 2025, 1,380 casualties, including 28 dead, were received at MSF’s al-Mawasi and al-Attar clinics in southern Gaza, located near the GHF-run distribution sites. It added:
During those seven weeks, our teams treated 71 children for gunshot wounds, 25 of whom were under the age of 15. Faced with no alternatives to find food, starved families frequently send teenage boys into this lethal environment, as they are often the only males in the household physically able to make the journey.
Patients have also included a 12-year-old boy hit by a bullet that had passed all the way through his abdomen, and five young girls, one of whom was only 8 years old and suffered a gunshot wound to her chest.
“Children shot in the chest while reaching for food. People crushed or suffocated in stampedes. Entire crowds gunned down at distribution points,” said Raquel Ayora, MSF general director.
In MSF’s nearly 54 years of operations, rarely have we seen such levels of systematic violence against unarmed civilians.
The GHF distribution sites masquerading as ‘aid’ have morphed into a laboratory of cruelty. This must stop now.
MSF said it called for the “immediate dismantling of the GHF scheme; the restoration of the UN-coordinated aid delivery mechanism; and calls on governments, especially the United States, as well as private donors to suspend all financial and political support for the GHF”.
Key events
Agence France-Presse (AFP) has more of the statement from Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief of staff Eyal Zamir that we reported on earlier (see 12.15pm BST).
“We are not dealing with theory – we are dealing with matters of life and death, with the defence of the state, and we do so while looking directly into the eyes of our soldiers and citizens,” Zamir said in his statement, adding:
We will continue to act with responsibility, integrity, and determination – with only the good of the state and its security before us.
Israel army chief vows to keep expressing military’s stance ‘without fear’
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief of staff Eyal Zamir vowed on Thursday to continue expressing the military’s position “without fear” ahead of an expected security cabinet meeting where war plans for Gaza will likely be discussed.
“We will continue to express our position without fear, in a pragmatic, independent, and professional manner,” Zamir said according to a military statement reported by Agence France-Presse (AFP).
European Commission official tells Politico that Israel’s actions ‘look very much’ like genocide
European Commission executive vice-president Teresa Ribera has said Israel’s actions in Gaza “looks very much” like genocide. Ribera made the comments in an interview with Politico’s Brussels Playbook on Thursday.
Ribera told the publication:
What we are seeing is a concrete population being targeted, killed and condemned to starve to death. A concrete population is confined, with no homes – being destroyed – no food, water or medicines – being forbidden to access – and subject to bombing and shooting even when they are trying to get humanitarian aid. Any humanity is absent, and no witness[es] are allowed.
She concluded:
If it is not genocide, it looks very much like the definition used to express its meaning.
Politico said Israeli authorities did not reply when asked to respond. Israel has repeatedly denied the allegation of genocide and the European Commission as an institution has not used the term genocide to describe Israeli actions.
European Commission executive vice-president Teresa Ribera speaks at a meeting in China last month. Photograph: WANG Zhao/Reuters
Ribera also told Politico that the union should look at suspending the EU-Israel association agreement, which is the foundation of their trading and economic relationship.
Last month, the EU has said “there are indications” that Israel is in breach of human rights obligations over its conduct in Gaza, but stopped short of calling for immediate sanctions.
William Christou
Under mounting US pressure, Lebanon’s government is being forced into a dangerous choice. Does it want to fight a war with Israel or does it want to fight a war at home, with Hezbollah?
In recent weeks, the US has been pushing for the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah. The government had already been moving in that direction, but not at the pace the US wanted. Lebanese media began to fill with warnings from unnamed sources that if Hezbollah’s arms were not confiscated soon, a second war with Israel could be on the horizon.
On Tuesday, the Lebanese government acquiesced and announced the Lebanese army would draw up a plan to place arms exclusively within the hands of the state by year’s end. Hezbollah and its political ally Amal announced the next day that they would “treat the decision as if it did not exist” and accused the government of serving US diktats.
US pressure for faster disarmament has laid the seeds for a scenario the Lebanese government has taken pains to avoid: a confrontation with Hezbollah. If cornered, the group could resort to force to defend its arsenal.
Lebanon’s current government was born after the latest Hezbollah-Israel war, with the US as its midwife. A battered Hezbollah could no longer maintain its side of a stalemate that had left Lebanon without a president for two years, and Joseph Aoun, the former army chief, was elected amid heavy US pressure.
The election of Aoun, who included in his mandate restoring the state’s monopoly on violence, was an extraordinary sign of how much Lebanon, and the region, had changed in the past year.
The Hostage Families Forum has urged the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, to “stand strong” against Israeli president Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed plan to expand military operations in the Gaza Strip.
According to the Times of Israel, the statement reads:
Chief of staff, we are asking you to stand strong. You are the supreme commander. Don’t consent to endanger our loved ones …The families of the hostages call on IDF commanders at all levels not to act in a way that will endanger hostages’ lives and block the possibility of the return of the bodies
Israel’s security cabinet is expected to meet on Thursday evening and sign off on plans for an expanded operation despite reported serious misgivings from senior military officers.
Yesterday, the Israeli military put parts of Gaza City and Khan Younis under new enforced displacement orders. The move comes amid fears that Netanyahu is preparing to order the full occupation of the Palestinian territory later this week.
According to the Israeli online newspaper, the mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, called for Israelis to protest outside the cabinet meeting scheduled for tonight at 6pm, local time.
The Times of Israel reports that Einav Zangauker wrote on X:
Someone who talks about a comprehensive deal doesn’t go and conquer the [Gaza] Strip and put hostages and soldiers in danger.
Médecins Sans Frontières calls for immediate closure of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation
The medical NGO Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has called for the immediate closure of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the US– and Israeli-backed aid organisation operating in Gaza, describing GHF-run food distribution sites in Gaza as having become sites of “orchestrated killing and dehumanisation”.
In a social media post on Thursday, MSF wrote:
“In MSF’s nearly 54 years of operations, rarely have we seen such levels of systematic violence against unarmed civilians.”
The GHF-run food distributions in Gaza, Palestine, have become sites of “orchestrated killing and dehumanisation”, not humanitarian aid.
In a new report, MSF analysed medical data, patients’ testimonies and first-hand medical witnesses at two MSF clinics in Gaza and found that it “point[ed] to both targeted and indiscriminate violence by Israeli forces and private American contractors against starved Palestinians” at food distribution sites run by the GHF.
Palestinians seek aid supplies from the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), in the central Gaza Strip, on Monday. Photograph: Reuters
According to the report, between 7 June and 24 July 2025, 1,380 casualties, including 28 dead, were received at MSF’s al-Mawasi and al-Attar clinics in southern Gaza, located near the GHF-run distribution sites. It added:
During those seven weeks, our teams treated 71 children for gunshot wounds, 25 of whom were under the age of 15. Faced with no alternatives to find food, starved families frequently send teenage boys into this lethal environment, as they are often the only males in the household physically able to make the journey.
Patients have also included a 12-year-old boy hit by a bullet that had passed all the way through his abdomen, and five young girls, one of whom was only 8 years old and suffered a gunshot wound to her chest.
“Children shot in the chest while reaching for food. People crushed or suffocated in stampedes. Entire crowds gunned down at distribution points,” said Raquel Ayora, MSF general director.
In MSF’s nearly 54 years of operations, rarely have we seen such levels of systematic violence against unarmed civilians.
The GHF distribution sites masquerading as ‘aid’ have morphed into a laboratory of cruelty. This must stop now.
MSF said it called for the “immediate dismantling of the GHF scheme; the restoration of the UN-coordinated aid delivery mechanism; and calls on governments, especially the United States, as well as private donors to suspend all financial and political support for the GHF”.
UN agencies and NGOs warn that most international NGO partners could be deregistered by Israel in coming weeks
UN agencies and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have warned that without immediate action most international NGO partners could be deregistered by Israel in coming weeks.
A statement published on Thursday by UN office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs in the occupied Palestinian territory (OCHAoPT) and authored by the humanitarian country team of the occupied Palestinian territory, called for the Israeli authorities to rescind requirement introduced on 9 March obliging NGO to share “sensitive personal information about their Palestinian employees or face termination of their humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem”.
The statement added:
Unless urgent action is taken, humanitarian organizations warn that most international NGO partners could be de-registered by 9 September or sooner – forcing them to withdraw all international staff and preventing them from providing critical, life-saving humanitarian assistance to Palestinians. This requirement is part of a set of new restrictive conditions for international NGOs which include potential consequences for public criticism of policies and practices of the government of Israel.
The humanitarian country team is a strategic decision-making forum led by the humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, bringing together heads of UN entities and more than 200 international and local NGOs working on humanitarian affairs in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In its statement, the team said that already, NGOs that are not registered under the new system are prohibited from sending any supplies to Gaza.
“This policy has already prevented the delivery of life-saving aid including medicine, food, and hygiene items. This most profoundly affects women, children, older people, and persons with disabilities, further aggravating the risk of being subjected to abuse and exploitation,” it added.
Impeding NGOs from participating in the collective humanitarian response violates Israel’s obligations under international humanitarian law and comes at a time when we are receiving daily reports of death by starvation as Gaza faces famine conditions.
Andrew Sparrow
Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, urged UK prime minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday to call Donald Trump to encourage him to use his influence to block Israel’s plans for a “full occupation” of Gaza.
In a statement, Davey said:
[Israeli PM Benjamin] Netanyahu’s latest proposals for the occupation of all of Gaza are utterly horrifying.
If realised, they will only wreak yet more destruction on Gazans – while gravely endangering the lives of the hostages still held in Hamas’ captivity.
Keir Starmer needs to pick up the phone to President Trump ahead of the Israeli security cabinet’s meeting tomorrow, and get him to do the right thing – by placing genuine pressure on Netanyahu to drop these proposals. Only renewed diplomacy can end the suffering in Gaza and get the hostages home.
Rather than sitting on its hands, the UK government needs to show leadership in this moment.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said on Wednesday afternoon that Israeli soldiers had “targeted” its headquarters in Khan Younis with an artillery shell.
In a post on X, PRCS wrote:
Breaking – Palestine Red Crescent: The Israeli occupation forces have targeted the 8th floor of the PRCS headquarters in Khan Younis with an artillery shell.
The Guardian has been unable to independently verify the report.
Caitlin Cassidy
The University of Sydney has removed a Palestinian flag hanging outside an academic’s office after accusing him of breaching its new flag policy.
The 13-page flag policy, revised in June and formerly referred to as flag guidelines, sets out the university’s requirements for flying and displaying flags and using university flagpoles. Under the policy, “unapproved flags” must not be flown permanently, including flags that represent unlawful activities, are inconsistent with university values, represent a political party or are considered to be “otherwise unsuitable”.
Dr David Brophy, a senior lecturer in modern Chinese history, arrived on campus on Tuesday to find his flag, which had been hanging from an external window of a large campus building, had been taken.
Prior to this, he had received an email from the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Prof Lisa Adkins, advising him the university was “aware of a flag” they believed he had displayed on the outer wall of the A18 Brennan MacCallum building.
A Palestinian flag was hanging from Dr David Brophy’s office window at the University of Sydney before it was removed this week. Photograph: David Brophy/Facebook
“We consider that the ongoing display of the flag is inconsistent with clause 2.8(1) of the Policy which confirms that unapproved flags can be displayed in such areas on a temporary basis only,” Adkins wrote on 26 June.
“To this end, we require you to remove the flag from the outer wall of the building by 4 August 2025. Should the flag not be removed by this time, it will be removed by Central Operations staff and will be treated as lost property.”
The policy notes flags must not be flown from university infrastructure without approval from the brand team, and that “no structure or fixture may be attached to any building to allow a flag to be displayed without approval”.
Staff will remove flags that are “unapproved”, considered “inappropriate, dangerous or offensive” or contravene “any university policy”, the policy notes. A breach of the rules can be considered as misconduct.
Adkins noted in her email to Brophy that if he wished to continue to display the flag he could do so in a “non-shared indoor space”, or apply for approval to display the flag outside.
William Christou
The family of Khamis al-Ayyad, a Palestinian American who died last week as a result of an Israeli settler attack in the occupied West Bank, has called for an investigation into his death, amid a rising number of US citizens killed in the territory.
Ayyad, a 40-year-old father of five and Chicago resident, died from smoke inhalation on Thursday after Israeli settlers attacked the town of Silwad, outside Ramallah, setting homes and cars on fire. Ayyad fainted while trying to put out the fires, his brother said, and died on the way to the hospital.
He was the latest in a string of Palestinian Americans to have died in the West Bank: five US citizens have been killed there since 7 October 2023, and Ayyad was the second to die in July alone.
So far, no one has been held accountable for any of the deaths.
Haleema Ayyad holds her son’s photo after he died after an attack by Israeli settlers in the town of Silwad near Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Photograph: Ammar Awad/Reuters
“The government should protect citizens, this is what is written on the American passport. Why do they do nothing when it comes to their own citizens who live in the West Bank?” said Ayyad’s brother, Anas al-Ayyad, 39.
Anas al-Ayyad said that he had contacted the US embassy, who promised him they would look into his brother’s death.
In a statement to the Guardian, a spokesperson for the US state department acknowledged the death of a US citizen in Silwad and said they were providing consular assistance to the family.
Members of the US House and Senate called for the Trump administration to pressure Israel to carry out an investigation and ensure accountability for the death of Ayyad and the other Americans killed by settlers in the West Bank.
Indonesia will convert a medical facility on its currently uninhabited island of Galang to treat about 2,000 injured residents of Gaza, who will return home after recovery, a presidential spokesperson said on Thursday, according to Reuters.
Muslim-majority Indonesia has sent humanitarian aid to Gaza after Israel started an offensive in October 2023 that Gaza health officials say has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians (the Gaza health ministry doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants).
“Indonesia will give medical help for about 2,000 Gaza residents who became victims of war, those who are wounded, buried under debris,” the spokesperson, Hasan Nasbi, told reporters, adding that the exercise was not an evacuation.
Indonesia plans to allocate the facility on Galang island, off its island of Sumatra and south of Singapore, to treat injured Gaza residents and temporarily shelter their families, he said, adding that nobody lived around it now. The patients would be taken back to Gaza after they had healed, he said.
Hasan did not give a timeframe or further details, referring questions to Indonesia’s foreign and defence ministries, which did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
The plan comes months after president Prabowo Subianto’s offer to shelter injured Palestinians drew criticism from Indonesia’s top clerics for seeming too close to US president Donald Trump’s suggestion of permanently moving Palestinians out of Gaza.
In response to Trump’s suggestion, the foreign ministry of Indonesia, which backs a two-state solution to resolve the Middle East crisis, said at the time it “strongly rejects any attempt to forcibly displace Palestinians”.
Only 1.5% of Gaza cropland left for starving Palestinians due to Israel’s war, UN says
Nina Lakhani
Israel’s destruction of Gaza has left starving Palestinians with access to only 1.5% of cropland that is accessible and suitable for cultivation, according to new figures from the UN.
This is down from 4% in April, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), suggesting Israel has continued to target Palestinian farmland since initiating a complete blockade in early March, severely restricting aid from entering the Gaza Strip, where 2 million starved people are trapped.
Before the conflict, Gaza was a thriving agricultural hub, where farmers and ordinary Palestinians cultivated a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains for local consumption.
According to the FAO, agriculture accounted for around 10% of the Gaza Strip’s economy, and more than 560,000 people, or a quarter of the population, were at least partially supported by agriculture and fishing.
Israel has targeted food sources – orchards, greenhouses, farmland and fishers – since the beginning of its siege on Gaza in October 2023.
By 28 July 2025, Israel had damaged 86%, the equivalent of almost 13,000 hectares (32,000 acres), of farmland in the Gaza Strip – up from 81% in April, the FAO said. While just under 9% of cropland is still physically accessible, only 1.5% – the equivalent of 232 hectares – is both accessible and not damaged by the Israeli offensive.
“Gaza is now on the brink of a full-scale famine. People are starving not because food is unavailable, but because access is blocked, local agrifood systems have collapsed, and families can no longer sustain even the most basic livelihoods,” said FAO director-general Qu Dongyu. “We urgently need safe and sustained humanitarian access and immediate support to restore local food production and livelihoods – this is the only way to prevent further loss of life. The right to food is a basic human right.”
EU assessment finds ‘significant obstructive factors undermine humanitarian operations in Gaza’
The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to be very severe, an EU official told Reuters after the EU’s foreign policy and humanitarian arms updated member countries late on Wednesday on the status of an agreement reached with Israel last month on boosting humanitarian access to Gaza.
The official said on Thursday that there were some positive developments regarding fuel delivery, the reopening of some routes, and an upward trend in the number of daily trucks entering the territory and the repair of some vital infrastructure.
Trucks loaded with humanitarian aid bound for the Gaza Strip wait at the Rafah border gate, between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. Photograph: Mohamed Hossam/EPA
However, the official added that “significant obstructive factors continue to undermine humanitarian operations and aid delivery to Gaza, notably the lack of a safe operating environment to allow the distribution of aid at scale”.
Israel’s security cabinet expected to meet tonight to sign off plans for expanded Gaza operation
Israel’s security cabinet is expected to meet on Thursday evening and sign off on plans for an expanded operation despite reported serious misgivings from senior military officers.
Yesterday, the Israeli military put parts of Gaza City and Khan Younis under new enforced displacement orders. The move comes amid fears that the country’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is preparing to order the full occupation of the Palestinian territory later this week.
Israeli online newspaper, the Times of Israel, citing various Hebrew media reports, added that the cabinet is expected to approve “a phased plan to conquer vast new areas of the Gaza Strip, potentially over five months, newly displacing around a million Palestinians”. Additionally, it would aim to destroy Hamas and pressure the group to release all remaining hostages, the publication reported.
Public broadcaster Kan also reported that mediators Egypt and Qatar were pressuring Israel, via the US, not to implement the plan, while also urging Hamas to resume negotiations.
In other developments:
The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to be very severe, an EU official told Reuters after the EU’s foreign policy and humanitarian arms updated member countries late on Wednesday on the status of an agreement reached with Israel last month on boosting humanitarian access to Gaza.
Israel’s destruction of Gaza has left starving Palestinians with access to only 1.5% of cropland that is accessible and suitable for cultivation, according to new figures from the UN. This is down from 4% in April, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), suggesting Israel has continued to target Palestinian farmland since initiating a complete blockade in early March.
On Wednesday, Gaza’s health ministry reported that five more people had died from starvation in the coastal strip, which has been plunged into a devastating hunger crisis owing to Israel’s complete block on aid entering earlier this year.
Jordan reported, on Wednesday, that an aid convoy of 30 trucks that had left for Gaza had been attacked by militant Jewish settlers on entering Israel. After the attack, the second in days, Jordan accused Israel of failing to act to prevent repeated assaults.
Naomi Klein and Angela Davis are among dozens of international scholars and writers who have signed a letter to the Guardian calling on the UK government to reverse the ban on Palestine Action. Signatories from major academic institutions around the world also say they are “especially concerned” about the ban’s possible impact on universities across Britain and beyond.
The UK prime minister Keir Starmer has been urged by Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, to call Donald Trump to encourage him to use his influence to block Israel’s plans for a “full occupation” of Gaza. In a statement, Davey said: “[Israeli PM Benjamin] Netanyahu’s latest proposals for the occupation of all of Gaza are utterly horrifying.”
US President Donald Trump speaks with the press as he meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on Feb. 13, 2025.
Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images
India's set to face a 50% tariff after the White House announced an additional 25% levy on the South Asian country Wednesday over its purchases of Russian oil. That's now among the highest duties on any of the U.S.' trading partners.
New Delhi responded swiftly in a statement Wednesday, describing the U.S.' decision to raise tariffs as "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable," and that the country's imports are based on market factors and to ensure energy security for its population.
Earlier on Monday, India's Ministry of External Affairs called out what it says is selective enforcement in a statement, adding that "it is revealing that the very nations criticizing India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia." It cited data that showed the EU's trade was "significantly more" than India's total trade with Russia.
And it seems that India isn't the only country on U.S. President Donald Trump's radar as he sets to punish countries that buy oil from Russia.
His latest executive order also directs his administration to "determine whether any other country is directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil," and the actions, if any, that need to be taken on that country.
— Nur Hikmah Md Ali — CNBC's Erin Doherty contributed to this story.
What you need to know today
U.S to impose 50% tariff on India over Russian oil purchases. Trump announced in an executive order Wednesday that the new 25% duties will come into effect in 21 days, while the previously announced 25% rate will kick in Thursday.
Semiconductor tariffs of 100%. Unless companies can manufacture in the U.S., Trump said Wednesday that he would impose that tariff rate on imports of semiconductors and chips into the country.
U.S. stocks gain on Apple's investment. Markets gained Wednesday after Apple's shares climbed 5% on its increased U.S. manufacturing investment. Asia markets mostly rose Thursday, with Japan's Topix hitting a fresh record high. Asian chip-related stocks trade mixed.
Apple commits $100 billion to U.S. expansion. Apple CEO Tim Cook and President Donald Trump unveiled the manufacturing boost Wednesday. That's on top of the $500 billion that the iPhone maker announced in February, and brings its total U.S. investment to $600 billion over the next four years.
[PRO] Chip stocks have been going through a rough ride this earnings season.Texas Instruments, ON Semiconductor, Qualcomm, and Arm posted earnings beats but were met with steep sell-offs as investors demand more than solid execution.
And finally...
A woman looks at the jewelry displayed at a jewelry shop.
Pankaj & Insy Shah | Gulfimages | Getty Images
India's $434 billion merchandise exports engine: What's at stake after Trump doubles tariffs to 50%
India counts the U.S. as its single largest export partner. Its total goods exports reached about $434 billion in the year ended March 2025, and nearly 20%, or $86.51 billion worth of goods, were shipped to the U.S., according to the latest official data.
The potential 50% extra tariff on Indian products could put a drag of a total 0.6 percentage point on its gross domestic product, according to Goldman Sachs' estimates.
With notable variance across industries and little clarity over Trump's plans with sector-specific tariffs, this story lists segments that potentially stand to lose the most.
Islamabad – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi are expected to face each other during the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organization Heads of State Council (HSC) meeting scheduled in Tianjin China from 31st August to 1st September. Diplomatic sources confirmed that both Pakistani and Indian prime ministers have been invited by SCO Secretariat. Chinese President Xi Jinping will inaugurate the two-day summit.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has 10 member states, Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Originally formed in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan later it expanded to 10 members.
Sources said Chinese President Xi Jinping would host banquet in honour of the delegates where both prime ministers of Pakistan and India are expected to face each other. Another occasion is group photograph during which there is strong possibility that both leaders may face each other.
Islamabad hosted SCO HSC in October 2024 which was attended by Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on behalf of Indian prime minister. India and Pakistan joined SCO in 2017, and Iran joined in 2023. Belarus became the tenth member in 2024. The SCO also has observer and dialogue partner states.
It would be Indian prime minister’s first visit to China in seven years. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will stay in Beijing till 3rd September and will attend grand military parade in Beijing
China will hold a grand military parade in Beijing on Sept 3 to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory against Japanese aggression and fascism, aiming to demonstrate China’s firm resolve to uphold the achievements of World War II victory and international fairness and justice, several world leaders have been invited in the parade.
