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Tag: Trump

  • Trump holds first meeting with NATO chief Rutte since election

    Trump holds first meeting with NATO chief Rutte since election

    NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Palm Beach, Florida, on Friday, a spokesperson for the transatlantic military alliance said on Saturday.

    “They discussed the range of global security issues facing the Alliance,” the spokesperson, Farah Dakhlallah, said in a brief statement.

    On Friday, NATO did not respond to requests for comment on Dutch media reports that Rutte – a former prime minister of the Netherlands – had flown to Florida on a Dutch government plane to meet Trump.

    Read Also: ‘Navigating uncertainty: Trump’s global legacy and Nigeria’s strategic challenges’

    Rutte was widely regarded as one of the best European leaders at forging a good working relationship with Trump during his first, 2017-21 term as U.S. president.

    NEWSNOW

  • Trump picks billionaire investor Scott Bessent as Treasury secretary

    Trump picks billionaire investor Scott Bessent as Treasury secretary

    US President-elect Donald Trump has picked hedge fund manager Scott Bessent to serve as Treasury secretary in a blitz of announcements after his choice for attorney general said he was withdrawing.

    The 62-year-old Bessent, founder of the investment firm Key Square Capital Management, was tapped to execute an economic agenda expected to be built around cutting taxes and imposing tariffs.

    “Scott is widely respected as one of the world’s foremost international investors and geopolitical and economic strategists,” Trump said in a statement late on Friday.

    “He will help me usher in a new Golden Age for the United States, as we fortify our position as the world’s leading economy,” he said, adding that Bessent would also help “reinvigorate the private sector, and help curb the unsustainable path of federal debt”.

    The choice for Treasury secretary, a protracted process, was the most anticipated by the US business and finance community, given Trump’s plans to remake global trade through tariffs and extend and potentially expand the raft of tax cuts enacted during his first term.

    The head of the Treasury Department will have broad oversight of tax policy, public debt, international finance and sanctions.

    Bessent, a Wall Street financier who once worked for George Soros, was an early backer of Trump’s 2024 bid, donating at least $3m to the campaign, according to records from the election commission.

    He has called for rolling back government subsidies, deregulating the economy, raising domestic energy production, and has also defended the use of tariffs.

    Read Also: Trump gets warm welcome at UFC fight night

    The market’s surge after Trump’s election victory signalled investor expectations of “higher growth, lower volatility and inflation, and a revitalized economy for all Americans”, he wrote in an opinion piece published in The Wall Street Journal.

    Trump’s announcement capped a flurry of appointments to fill his cabinet after Matt Gaetz announced that he was withdrawing from consideration for attorney general following renewed focus on sexual misconduct allegations against him.

    Russell Vought was chosen to lead the Office of Management and Budget, the same position he held during Trump’s first presidency.

    Trump also picked Representative Lori Chavez-DeRemer for labour secretary and said he would nominate Scott Turner, a former football player who worked in his first administration, to serve as housing secretary.

    NEWSNOW

  • ‘Navigating uncertainty: Trump’s global legacy and Nigeria’s strategic challenges’

    ‘Navigating uncertainty: Trump’s global legacy and Nigeria’s strategic challenges’

    Donald Trump’s second emergence and continued influence in American politics represents one of the most significant political developments of the 21st century, with ripple effects that extend far beyond U.S. borders. His unconventional approach to politics and policy has reshaped international relations and carries particular implications for the globe  including developing nations like Nigeria.

    Trump’s initial rise to power in 2016 marked the acceleration of a global populist wave that has influenced political movements worldwide. His “America First” doctrine, characterized by skepticism toward traditional international alliances, preference for bilateral over multilateral agreements, and protectionist economic policies, has inspired similar movements across continents. This shift has fundamentally altered the post-World War II international order that emphasized globalization and multilateral cooperation.

    The Trump approach to governance – prioritizing nationalist interests over global consensus – has emboldened leaders worldwide to adopt more assertive nationalist positions. This trend has particular relevance for Africa’s most populous nation, Nigeria, which must navigate an increasingly complex international environment while managing its own internal challenges.

    Trump’s first stint as president introduced significant volatility into global trade relations through tariff wars, renegotiation of trade agreements, and skepticism toward free trade principles. For resource-rich countries like Nigeria, this shift has several implications:

    1. Commodity Markets: Trump’s policies and rhetoric can significantly impact global commodity prices, affecting Nigeria’s oil-dependent economy. The uncertainty surrounding U.S. trade policies can lead to market volatility, complicating economic planning for petroleum-exporting nations.

    2. Investment Flows The “America First” doctrine has influenced global investment patterns. Increased protectionism in developed economies could either redirect investment toward emerging markets like Nigeria or lead to a general retreat of international capital to perceived safer havens.

    3. Trade Relations: The emphasis on bilateral rather than multilateral trade agreements could affect Nigeria’s trade positioning, potentially requiring more direct negotiation with major economic powers rather than working through international frameworks.

    On immigration, Trump’s strict stance on immigration has implications for countries with significant diaspora populations in the United States, including Nigeria. The Nigerian diaspora in the U.S. contributes significantly to Nigeria’s economy through remittances and knowledge transfer. Any policies affecting immigration or visa regulations can have direct economic and social impacts on Nigerian communities both in the U.S. and at home.

    Read Also: Supreme Court rejects 36 states’ suit to compel FG to account for gas earnings since 1999

    The Trump administration’s inclusion of Nigeria in travel restrictions highlighted the potential vulnerability of international mobility to political shifts in Washington. This has implications for:

    – Educational opportunities for Nigerian students

    – Business travel and investment flows

    – Family reunification

    – Professional development opportunities

    Again, Trump’s approach to international security cooperation has emphasized greater burden-sharing among allies and a more transactional approach to international relationships. For Nigeria, this has implications for:

    1. Counter-terrorism Cooperation: Nigeria’s fight against Boko Haram and other security challenges requires international support. Changes in U.S. foreign policy priorities can affect the level and nature of security assistance available.

    2. Military Aid: The emphasis on allies paying their “fair share” could affect military cooperation and assistance programs, potentially requiring Nigeria to shoulder more costs or seek alternative partnerships.

    3. Regional Security: Any reduction in U.S. engagement in West Africa could create opportunities for other global powers to expand their influence in the region.

    Likewise, Trump’s skepticism toward climate change agreements and environmental regulations has implications for global climate action. For Nigeria, this matters because:

    – The country is vulnerable to climate change impacts

    – Environmental degradation affects agricultural productivity

    – Climate finance and technology transfer depend on international cooperation

    – Energy sector development strategies must consider global climate policies

    As Nigeria navigates this evolving international landscape, several strategic considerations emerge:

     Diversification of International Partnerships

    The uncertainty surrounding U.S. policy directions suggests the wisdom of maintaining diverse international partnerships. Nigeria’s relationships with China, Europe, and regional powers become increasingly important as hedges against policy shifts in Washington.

    The volatility associated with Trump’s approach to international relations underscores the importance of building economic resilience through:

    – Diversification away from oil dependency

    – Strengthening domestic manufacturing

    – Developing internal markets

    – Improving institutional capacity

    Nigeria’s role as a regional leader in West Africa becomes more critical in an international environment where traditional powers may be less engaged. This presents both challenges and opportunities for Nigerian leadership in:

    – Regional economic integration

    – Security cooperation

    – Diplomatic initiatives

    In conclusion, Trump’s emergence and continued influence in American politics represents more than just a temporary deviation from traditional U.S. policy approaches. It signals lasting changes in how the world’s most powerful nation engages with the international community. For Nigeria, this requires careful navigation of an increasingly complex global environment while building greater resilience and self-reliance.

    The implications extend beyond immediate policy impacts to fundamental questions about the future of international cooperation, economic development, and global governance. Nigeria’s success in this new environment will depend on its ability to adapt to changing circumstances while maintaining focus on its core development objectives.

    As the global community continues to grapple with these changes, Nigeria’s size, resources, and regional importance position it to potentially benefit from the evolving international order – provided it can maintain domestic stability and implement effective strategic responses to these global shifts.

  • Trump gets warm welcome at UFC fight night

    Trump gets warm welcome at UFC fight night

    US President-elect Donald Trump was greeted by chanting fans as he attended the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight bout at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

    Trump entered the arena shortly before the start of the main card accompanied by UFC chief executive Dana White, who was a prominent backer during his election campaign.

    Several political allies of Trump were also in attendance for the mixed-martial arts fights, including entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who have been asked by Trump to lead efforts to cut government inefficiency.

    Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who Trump has nominated to be health secretary, was also at the fight and a photo posted on X showed the pair flying to the event together on Trump’s private plane.

    The night had the feel of a post-election night out for the Republicans.

    Tulsi Gabbard, the former Democratic congresswoman tapped for the role of director of national intelligence, was also in the crowd along with Trump’s sons Eric and Don Jr and musician Kid Rock – a regular at Trump rallies.

    After waving to the chanting crowd, Trump warmly greeted UFC broadcast analyst Joe Rogan, the popular podcast host who also endorsed Trump after he appeared as a guest on his show.

    The venue’s “jumbotron” giant screen above the cage where fighters did battle then showed a video featuring highlight of the election campaign with sound bites from Trump.

    The film ended with the numbers 45 and 47 on the screen, representing the Republican’s previous and upcoming presidency.

    Fans chanted “USA, USA,” a refrain frequently heard at Trump rallies, including one he held at Madison Square Garden last month.

    Read Also: Obasa Games has come to stay, says Lagos Speaker

    Trump watched the fights alongside Musk from front row seats next to the caged octagon.

    After Jon Jones defended his heavyweight title with a third-round technical knockout against fellow American Stipe Miocic in the main event, the fighter celebrated with Trump’s trademark ‘YMCA’ dance.

    “I want to say a big thank you to President Donald Trump for being here tonight,” said Jones, receiving a huge roar of approval from the crowd.

    After leading the crowd in another round of “USA, USA” chant, Jones then passed his heavyweight championship belt to Trump and spent some time in conversation with the President-elect.

    Trump frequently attends UFC events and attended three fights during his campaign for the White House.

    His ties to the fight world run deep. He featured retired WrestleMania star Hulk Hogan at the Republican convention in August and hosted UFC bouts at his casinos in the early days, when the series struggled to gain traction and well before it became today’s multi-billion success.

  • Why Trump won

    Why Trump won

    The victory of Donald Trump has been described in many ways by many pundits. Some say it is a triumph for the working class when others are saying it is the failure of the Harris campaign to make the case. Some are saying it is immigration while others are battening down the logic of hyper-inflation. Some highlight the moral anathema of the LGBTQ folks while the Christian evangelicals hail a born-again Jesus at the polls.

    Of course, a loud voice hypes racism and gender bias while others are stoking the argument of Joe Biden’s fumbles as president. Before I went to bed on election night, it looked like a toss-up at about 4 am Nigerian time. By the time I woke up about three hours later, the battleground of all battleground states was smiling at Trump. Pennsylvania had broken for the con artist, lecher, liar, felon, fraud, racist, egotist, fear monger, impresario. The other battleground states, in the end, were an anticlimax.

    For the evangelicals, they are right. For those who say it is Joe Biden’s stumbles, they are right. Who says it is working class rebellion? They are right. They are not wrong who stress race and gender. Anyone is right after an election victory. They were right the last time. They are right this time. What they have not said is what one of America’s iconic football coaches of all time said about competition: “Winning is everything.” What Vince Lombardi said about American football years ago was right for Donald Trump.

    It may be simplistic to say it is racism. Not all simplistic facts are wrong, though. They just have to be proven. Trump knew his society, and he knew how to snatch power. He understood the zeitgeist of America. When he entered the race for 2016, he announced himself as the voice of the forgotten part of America and identified a bogeyman: the immigrant as a leech and moral scum. It flattered the hope of not just the forgotten part. He appealed to who Sarah Palin called “the real America” that had masked itself under the concept of neo-liberal accommodation.

    That America prospered. Its workers, educated or not, enjoyed what we call the American dream: a living wage, a car, a house, medical care, a vacation, etc. Then came globalization. Some of the worker’s privileges were going abroad, the jobs atrophying and the wages dropping. As Harvard professor Michael Sandel argued over 26 years ago in his book, Democracy’s Discontent, now vindicated, globalization was undermining the majority of the American worker and society. One area stood out: education. Many have always equated democracy with enlightenment. But it is often not so. Almost 70 percent of Americans do not have university degrees. So, when the jobs were scaling down wages, it was an attack on the suffering majority.  Nigeria and most of the world is no different.

    These people loved their country, accepted immigrants, hugged the idea of tolerance. But standard of living was going to change all that. This is not just the story with the United States. It is the case with the United Kingdom, Italy, Hungary, Sweden, Germany, France, et al.

    Rather than attack the pain, the liberal elite started urging the less educated to go to the university, and that was the story of the future. The Ideal will collapse in the face of realism any day. Meanwhile, the same jobs that paid their big mortgages was funding many people in India, Mexico, the Philippines for far lower wages and higher profits for the corporations. The result was a gaping inequality. This has been the worst chasm between the rich and poor in history as demonstrated by the French economist Thomas Piketty in his book, Capital in the 21st century.

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    This has generated resentment in the country for a long time, and a clever Trump saw this and exploited it. As I stated last week, Michael Wolff wrote in his book, Fire and Fury, that Trump said the “white trash” – that is the poor Caucasians – were like him except that he was a rich man and they were poor. There is a part of America that is called traditional red states. They are Republicans. They used to be Democrats until the 1960’s. Lyndon Johnson flipped their love when he signed the civil rights bill that allowed blacks to vote. After President Johnson signed the bill, he told many people, as recorded by historian Doris Kearn Godwin, that the Democrats may have lost the south forever. Republicans like Richard Nixon exploited the moment and they crafted a platform that would transform American politics: it is called the southern strategy which broadcasts, “God, guns and gays.” Guns for evangelicals. Guns for gun rights, a special part of the culture and hacks back to large American swath from south to west as delineated in the novel Lonesome Dove by Larry Mcmutry. Gays as a fight against LGBTQ. That was a cultural tour de force. They combined that with conservative view of economics centred on tax cuts.

    After Nixon, the other man who exploited it was Ronald Reagan, and he had the Soviet Union and American power, prosperity and hubris to brandish. The difference between him and Trump was that America working class was still happy. The other was that while Reagan had the Soviet Union as the enemy, Trump had immigrants.

    Over the decades, the state of the American middle class has worsened. The consequence of this decline is a sense of the besieged. The person who thought he loved immigrants started to see them as the problem. They are the ones taking the jobs, taking away their peace. They are the criminals. Is it not an irony that it takes a criminal to tell them that they have criminals in their midst? It is the paradox of human civilization. Even God chooses the sinner to evangelise the sinner, Paul of Tarsus to Apostle Paul. Trump the sinner became the preacher.

    So, why did the evangelicals stand with him even though he lies and is convicted? Why do the workers cohabit with a crooked billionaire even though it is the people of his class that took away their jobs and prosperity? It is because he is the one who made the pitch and told the story, and flatter their secret hopes. The majority of blacks, men and women voted for Kamala, but they feel the economic crunch the most. Why? They say elections are about three Cs: condition, candidate and culture. Trump had all three working for him.

    Hence, they voted for Trump. It is about race because they need someone to blame, and it is what Jean Paul Sartre described as “hell is other people.” If they say it is  inflation, or the economy, at least, Trump would have made the case. How was a majority non-college educated class to understand the ins and outs of economics. Nobel Laureates  said Harris plan was better. On the border, why did they not listen when Biden came with an immigration plan but Trump stopped it from passing the Congress so he could use it as a campaign ruse. Why did that not resonate?. It is not because Harris did not make the case. Sentiment, especially of race, had made the case for trump.

    It is the unravelling of Jacob and Esau story in the Bible. The first time Jacob was asked who he was, it was the father who asked. He said he was Esau. That was not what he was. He grew rich but had to face the facts later when he wrestled with an angel. When the angel asked who he was, he confessed he was Jacob because he was desperate to live and escape the wrath of this brother who was coming after him. that was who he was.

    Americans said who they are in the last election. When things are fine, they can abide the outsider. When it comes to the crunch, identity matters. Hell, as Sartre wrote, are the immigrants. What of the minorities who went for Trump? They are bonding with their oppressors, the so-called Stockholm syndrome. It is basically the Hispanic who have crossed over and deny that Trump called them murderers and rapists. Trump knew how to talk to them, He knew how to win, and he is a true follower of Lombardi.

     Life is Hobbesian and Machiavellian. The end justifies the means. Jacob took Esau’s birthright. Yet, he got away with it and even was embraced by Esau, who forgave him. It is better, as Trump has shown, to be Jacob, steal, prosper and win, than Esau,  who is cheated, spends all is life waiting to exhale and revenge but accepts the victory of the cheat. It is the perennial pattern of history. It belongs to the cynic.

  • Putin no longer has the Trump card

    Putin no longer has the Trump card

    By Timothy Ash

    It is quite extraordinarily how the fortunes of President elect Trump and President Putin of Russia have changed since they last met back in 2019.

    Back then at the G20 summit in Canada, Trump was still poleaxed by domestic legal proceedings, the Mueller report and accusations of him being the Moscow Candidate, an image not helped by the  disastrous prior year summit meeting with Putin in Helsinki.

    The concern then was that Putin had something on Trump – pee pee tapes, et al – which somehow explained Trump’s fawning overtures to Putin. Trump seemed genuinely enamored with Putin, perhaps with his aura of power, and menace. Something perhaps that Trump aspires to himself, secretly, or even not too secretly.

    Putin had ruled Russia with an iron rod over the prior 20 years, rebuilt Moscow’s great power image, and supposedly also its military might. Russia had succeeded in putting the West on the back foot in an array of international settings, from Syria, to Libya and Africa through the activities of the Wagner brigade. In Ukraine Putin had annexed Crimea (illegally) and militarily intervened in Donbas and was continuing to intervene therein to destabilize Ukraine. Putin’s interventions in Syria, Africa and even Belarus had the aim to drive migrants to Europe thereby destabilizing the European economic, social and political fabric, promoting far right and far left centrifugal forces in Europe.

    Read Also; Inflation still biting hard

    He backed Brexit and far right and far left candidates in Western democracies, seemingly to great effect. Meanwhile, he had Europe on his energy hook thru its energy dependency on Russia, and was gradually tightening the noose there via North Stream et al, and shutting down various other gas supply routes.

    Putin appeared to pull all the strings, geopolitically. He also benefited seemingly from the ultimate backstop of support from President Xi in China through the Partnership without Limits consummated at the Beijing Winter Olympics just weeks before his fateful invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Putin and his authoritarian allies seemed to be on the ascendency and Western Liberal Market Democracy on the decline/backfoot.

    Fast forward just five years and President elect Trump is basking in the glory of a landslide US election victory. Likely this will prove to be a red wave, capturing the presidency, and both chambers of Congress. He controls the Supreme Court, and thereby the judiciary and hence all levers of Federal power. Legal cases pending against him are likely to be dropped, while the recent Supreme Court ruling appears to make POTUS literally above the law. His powers are unparalleled in US history. His political capital is now huge, with world leaders queuing up now to kiss the ring. Even if Putin had pee pee tapes to use against him, so what, as Trump earlier boasted he could likely walk down fifth Avenue and shoot someone with no legal consequences. Trump, can call Putin’s bluff on whatever kompromat he has on him because he has proven to have a Teflon like ability to ride through the biggest of scandals.

    Contrast all this with Putin whose invasion of Ukraine has proven to be a catastrophe of epic proportions for Russia. Almost three years in Russia, a supposed great power, has been unable to defeat Ukraine, a third or fourth rate military power at best at the onset of the invasion. A war which was meant to be over in two weeks has lasted over 1,000 days and is nowhere near a conclusion. Russia has lost perhaps half a million men, and maybe half its conventional military capability – so much so that it is now forced to field Second World War kit in battle in Ukraine.

    Ukraine, a country with no navy has managed to defeat the Russian Black Sea fleet which has been forced to flee its Sebastopol naval base in Crimea, and is unable to sail much of the Black Sea for fear of being hit by Ukrainian drones and missiles. Russia fought to secure a land corridor to Crimea but has found the peninsula itself to be unsustainable and that every same land corridor now a white elephant.

    Russian military technology had been exposed as crap with NATO second or third generation kit in use by Ukraine beating fourth of fifth generation Russian kit. Russian defense sales have collapsed and Russian geopolitical leverage with it. Who wants to buy Russian S400s now? US Patriots are in high demand, with the order books full.

    The Russian economy is weighed down with sanctions. Russia has to pay top dollar for critical imports and offer discounts for its exports. Inflation is rife and its central bank has had to jack up policy interest rates to 21%, while the ruble is back approaching record lows. It has lost access to $330 billion in central bank reserves and Russia is likely close to $400 billion plus in assets immobilized overseas.

    The overall cost of the conflict to Russia is already close to $1 trillion, half one year’s Russian GDP. Russia has lost the European energy market forever, as Europe accelerates the climate transition from Russian carbon energy, and has diversified to other suppliers – like Algeria, Central Asia and the Gulf. This was a €50 billion annual business for Russian just for gas. It is never coming back.

    Meanwhile, the partnership with no limits, has exposed Russia as not only the junior partner, but actually the runt of the litter. China has not provided no limits support to Russia but couched its support so as not to annoy the West. As a result Russia has had to scrape the barrel by going cap in hand to North Korea and Iran for weapons and now troops. Just how low has Russian been forced to go. And, let’s not forget that the war in Ukraine was going so badly that only a year back Putin faced an existential threat from the Prigozhin coup – he came close to losing power. Russia has been exposed as a declining colonial power – the whole world knows it. Only Russians have yet to come to the harsh reality.

    Putin goes into any talks with Trump in a critically weak position. Yes he can continue the war, as can Ukraine, for some time yet, but it will just kill hundreds of thousands more Russians, waste huge amounts more resources and finance and still leave a risk of a Prighozin 2.

    Trump might not realize it but he goes into potential talks with Putin from a position of overwhelming strength. Trump needs a Ukraine peace deal much less than Putin.

    If Trump fails to agree any such deal, so what? What are the consequences for the US? Not much. Ukraine has shown it is willing to fight, and even if the US pulls financing, Europe has to continue writing the cheques as the best way of defending itself against inevitable future Russian aggression.

    And if the cash is short Europe can dip into the $330 billion in immobilized Russian assets to continue to fund Ukraine. Ukraine and Europe will inevitably continue to put big orders for US defense equipment – in almost any scenario, and which US President is going to say no to defense orders for literally hundreds of billions of dollars from Europe. That represents millions of US jobs for Trump to secure. Putin literally has no leverage now over Trump, and Trump should play very hardball.

    I would argue that Trump is being presented with the mother of all opportunities for the greatest peace deal ever. Why he would not use all his leverage to extract maximum concessions from Putin.

    And what does Putin bring to the table? What concessions can Putin make to Trump?

    Let’s just imagine though the deal suggested by JD Vance – Putin keeps all the territory in Ukraine, secures neutral status for Ukraine and no NATO membership, and the only concessions to Ukraine is that it still gets to buy Western weapons to enable it to put up some sort of defense to Russia. What is Putin giving in exchange there? Nothing.

    Surely the leverage the West has here now is significant in terms of it can offer sanctions moderation for Russia to withdraw to borders as per February 2022, or better 1991. Russia is brought back into the international community and can start to rebuild trust. But Ukraine has to be given the means to defend itself – which means either NATO membership, security guarantees or the US has to give it the full range of Western military technology so it can defend itself.

    If NATO is not willing to bring Ukraine in, then Ukraine has to be given the tools to defend itself – the Israel/South Korean status. Key for Ukraine is that it needs to have security, sufficient financing, and a real EU accession perspective to anchor reforms.

    Trump is a lucky politician for sure and I would argue that he has been presented with a set of circumstances giving him the opportunity to make the deal of the century on Ukraine.

    Trump needs to be prepared to walk away. And the advantage he has is that Ukraine is willing to fight on while the consequences of such an outturn to the US are minimum – but potentially they are existential to Putin. Trump can accentuate Putin’s pain by offering to supply Ukraine with the full array of US conventional military kit if he fails to sign up to a peace deal which leaves Ukraine secure, and economically and politically sustainable.

    More and better US kit will mean the longer Putin leaves it the worse it gets in the battlefield for Russia in Ukraine.

    Does Trump really have the Art of the Deal or is he just Putin’s tool and full of crap? We will now soon find out. Putin is weak, Trump has all the cards. Let’s see if he can actually play a great hand to clean up the table.

    ·               This article was originally published in www.kyivpost.com

  • Zelensky says war will ‘end sooner’ with Trump as president

    Zelensky says war will ‘end sooner’ with Trump as president

    Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky says he is certain the war with Russia will “end sooner” than it otherwise would have once Donald Trump becomes US president.

    Zelensky said he had a “constructive exchange” with Trump during their phone conversation after his victory in the US presidential election.

    He did not say whether Trump had made any demands regarding possible talks with Russia, but said he’d not heard anything from him that was contrary to Ukraine’s position.

    Trump has consistently said his priority is to end the war – which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 – and what he describes as a drain on US resources in the form of military aid to Kyiv.

    Earlier this year, the US House of Representatives approved a $61bn (£49bn) military aid package.

    The US has been the greatest supplier of arms to Ukraine. Between the start of the war and the end of June 2024, it delivered or committed to send weapons and equipment worth $55.5bn (£41.5bn), according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a German research organisation.

    But domestically, support for arming Ukraine appears to have waned somewhat since the war began – particularly among Republican voters, who Trump successfully courted.

    During the US election campaign, the former president turned president-elect repeatedly pledged to end the war “in a day” – but has yet to divulge how he intends to do so.

    “It is certain that the war will end sooner with the policies of the team that will now lead the White House. This is their approach, their promise to their citizens,” Zelensky said in an interview with the Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne.

    He added that Ukraine “must do everything so that this war ends next year, ends through diplomatic means”, with Russian forces making advances on the battlefield.

    The front lines of the war have largely stagnated since Ukraine’s much-anticipated counter-offensive in 2023 failed to make the sweeping territorial gains it had aimed to.

    Russian forces occupy entrenched positions in the east and south-east of the country, with fighting predominantly taking place in the eastern Donbas region.

    On Friday, Russian forces made incremental advances along the eastern front line, with significant fighting taking place around the north-eastern city of Kupyansk and Vuhledar in the south-east, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a Washington DC-based think tank.

    Russian infantry also continued a “limited” offensive into the north-eastern Kharkiv region from the Russian border, the ISW said, citing Ukrainian military sources in the region.

    In an apparent bid to stem the Russian advances, Ukrainian forces launched a break-out offensive into Russia’s Kursk region over the summer – becoming the first to occupy Russian territory since World War Two.

    Zelensky has said the operation’s goal was to divert Russian troops away from the front lines in Ukraine, though it is unclear whether it has achieved this. Russia has been able to draw on hundreds of thousands of conscripts to bolster its ranks, while Ukraine’s much smaller army has relied on advanced Western-supplied weaponry.

    But analysts say the territory Ukraine holds in Kursk may serve as a bargaining chip in any peace talks. Zelensky’s “victory plan”, revealed last month, said the offensive would continue to avoid the creation of “buffer zones” within Ukraine.

    The renewed emphasis on a diplomatic solution comes amid concerns about growing fatigue over the war, both within Ukraine and abroad.

    However, what such a solution may look like remains unclear – Zelensky has continually refused to cede any Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, which Russia has occupied since 2014.

    Trump and Zelensky have long had a tumultuous relationship. Trump was impeached in 2019 over accusations that he pressured Zelensky to dig up damaging information on the family of US President Joe Biden.

    Despite years of differences, Trump has insisted he had a very good relationship with Zelensky.

    When the pair met in New York in September, Trump said he “learned a lot” from the meeting and said he would get the war “resolved very quickly”.

    Read Also: Zelensky vows to rebuild bombed children’s hospital in Kiev

    His Democratic opponents have accused him of cosying up to Russian President Vladimir Putin and say his approach to the war amounts to surrender for Ukraine that will endanger all of Europe.

    Earlier this week, Russia denied reports that a call between Putin and Trump took place days after the latter’s election win, in which the president-elect is said to have warned against escalating the conflict further.

    German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who spoke with Trump following the US election, told German media that the incoming US leader had a “more nuanced” position on the war than was commonly assumed.

    The German leader was criticised by Zelensky over a phone call with Putin – the first in nearly two years – on Friday. Despite Scholz’s office saying he reiterated his call to end the war, Zelensky said it weakened the Russian leader’s isolation.

  • Understanding the triumph of Trump

    Understanding the triumph of Trump

    • By Zayd Ibn Isah

    In the early hours of November 6, Donald J. Trump marched out onto a stage in Florida, encircled by his personal advisers, key Republican figures, members of his family, and his closest friends. Even though the presidential race had yet to be officially called, it was already clear to all that Trump had been swept back into power. Basking in the certainty of his momentous triumph, Trump declared, “We’ve achieved the most incredible political thing. America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate.”

    “Unprecedented” was indeed the right word. It had been a fiercely contested race between Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris of the Democratic Party. Trump’s victory makes him only the second U.S. President to win re-election after previously losing to an opposition candidate. Moreover, he now has the distinction of being the first U.S. President to win two presidential elections against female opponents. In a sense, Trump has become the “stumbling block”—as we say in this part of the world—against the realization of a female-led presidency in the world’s greatest democracy.

    Initially, it was expected to be a contest between the incumbent President Joe Biden and Donald Trump. However, Biden ultimately withdrew due to health concerns. He fully endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, urging the Democratic Party to rally its resources and support behind her path to the White House.

    Harris entered the race bearing the weight of the Biden administration’s alleged shortcomings on her shoulders. Limited by Biden’s low approval ratings, she still had to position herself as a candidate who could offer the change voters were desperate for. Now, one might wonder if Biden himself would have stood a chance against Trump in his re-election bid.

    Curiously, Harris’s campaign team did not frame her bid as an attempt to set the precedent of becoming the country’s first female president. Instead, they emphasized that Trump’s first four years in the Oval Office had been disastrous, arguing that he could not be allowed back into the White House. The campaign presented Kamala Harris as a safer choice for America and the world at large.

    However, this strategy seems to have backfired. The Democrats’ swift replacement of an aging Biden with Harris may have deprived them of a more seasoned, battle-tested candidate capable of uniting broader support among working-class Americans.

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    It’s important to remember that after Trump left office in 2021, he was widely disgraced, having incited a mob of his supporters to violate the sanctity of the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn his electoral defeat by President Joe Biden. Trump also endured the trials of a 34-count felony conviction and other criminal indictments.

    Yet just three years later, he has seemingly achieved the impossible with an unprecedented political comeback. Not only did Trump easily dispatch his GOP rivals, but he also forced President Joe Biden out of the race, survived an assassination attempt, and ultimately surged ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris in a resounding victory that exceeded all expectations.

    This election felt less like an ordinary democratic process and more like a high-octane thriller. Trump emerged almost like a cat with nine lives in American politics. His landslide victory completes a political arc unlike any in 250 years of American history, prompting a reconsideration of the electorate’s judgment when he lost to Joe Biden in 2020. The same people who once told him, “Go away; you’re not good enough for America,” are now embracing him as a saviour.

    I don’t usually pay much attention to American politics; my interest was however piqued after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump. What is so special—or controversial—about this man that would make someone want him dead? And why an assassination attempt on a U.S. presidential candidate in the 21st century, of all places?

    If this had happened in Africa, it might seem more “understandable,” given that our continent is often painted as a place where absurdities occur. Europe and America, by contrast, are seen as models of civilization and equality. Even here in Africa, it’s rare to hear of assassination attempts on a presidential candidate. The last notable incident was a bombing attempt on Muhammadu Buhari years ago by suspected Boko Haram terrorists.

    That Trump still won the election despite everything he faced seems almost miraculous. This election served as a referendum on the Biden administration, and many factors may have contributed to Trump’s return. For one, Trump is a proponent of “America First.” He has always emphasized a strict policy on immigration, advocating for an America dominated by native-born citizens rather than immigrants, reflected in his controversial proposal to build a border wall with Mexico.

    Another factor is that America has increasingly interjected itself in the affairs of other countries, as seen in its involvement in the Ukraine-Russia war and the Israeli-Palestine conflict. While it’s understandable that America wants to retain its superpower status and protect democratic ideals globally, this sort of interventionism has cost the country substantial resources—something Trump appears unwilling to tolerate.

    Even more fascinating, yet surprising, is the overwhelming love and support Trump has enjoyed among some Nigerians living in Nigeria. Someone posted a video of people holding a victory march for him, and there’s even a local musician who sang a song in his honour. One wonders what they stand to gain from a Trump presidency so far away. Perhaps these supporters don’t realize that some of their compatriots who have “japa-ed” to the USA are already on edge, as the future under another Trump presidency seems bleak for them. Trump’s America could usher in mass detention and deportation of migrants as part of a broader immigration policy aimed at retaining resources for Americans alone.

    For Trump’s most faithful supporters, his victory is an emphatic statement that further solidifies his legacy in U.S. politics. For those who reluctantly voted for him, Trump’s promises aligned perfectly with the need to reform a government seen as out of touch with the economic and social needs of average Americans. Yet for other Americans and much of the world, still reeling in shock and disbelief, a second Trump term feels like the beginning of a horror film.

    Ultimately, the most straightforward explanation for Trump’s victory, despite the odds against him, is that a significant number of American voters were willing to overlook concerns about Trump’s past misdeeds due to growing dissatisfaction with the Biden-Harris administration. Now that considerable power has been handed back to him, what Trump will do in the next four years is a question that will dominate American political discourse and shape the country’s global influence.

    Is there a lesson to be learned in all of this? Trump’s return is a reminder that, even when the odds seem stacked against you, persistence and resilience can lead to success. President Donald Trump fought and emerged an undisputed winner, even when victory was dismissed by political pundits as a fever dream. For our politicians here, this serves as a reminder that incumbency is not a guarantee of approval for continued leadership.

    By failing to listen to the average American voter, the Democratic Party created an opening for Donald Trump to position himself as a man in tune with the people’s frustrations. Trump, an anti-establishment figure, has long defied the rules and traditions of American politics. In this age of social media, he enlisted the support of billionaire icon Elon Musk to amplify his views on the economy and immigration on Twitter (X). Both Trump and Harris even used podcasts and video livestreams to stay in touch with younger voters.

    Now more than ever, election outcomes are shaped by social media discourse. Politicians who listen to people’s grievances and echo their frustrations may end up positioning themselves as necessary messiahs or saviours with the solutions to set things right. And more often than not, when people tire of crying out without being heard, they wait to register their dissatisfaction at the polls.

    Ultimately, we hope the Donald Trump presidency ushers in the peace we all yearn for in the world. For Africa, this is a time for our leaders to put on their thinking caps and work toward independence from world superpowers to avoid another “shithole countries” comment from Donald Trump.

    •Isah can be reached at lawcadet1@gmail.com

  • Trump picks Musk to advise on how to ‘dismantle’ bureaucracy

    Trump picks Musk to advise on how to ‘dismantle’ bureaucracy

    US President-elect Donald Trump has picked Elon Musk to lead a newly created Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) for his incoming administration.

    He announced that Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech investor, will work with the SpaceX and Tesla founder on the project – whose acronym refers to Musk’s favourite cryptocurrency Dogecoin – to “dismantle” bureaucracy.

    The pair will provide external advice to the White House on how to “drive large scale structural reform”, said Trump.

    Earlier, Trump announced the nomination of the Fox News host and combat veteran Pete Hegseth to be his defence secretary and named John Ratcliffe – a former Texas congressman and federal prosecutor – to lead the CIA.

    Musk – a mega-donor to the Trump campaign – has been hotly tipped for a role in the administration. Ramaswamy ran as a Republican candidate for president earlier this year against Trump, before dropping out and endorsing him.

    In Tuesday night’s announcement, Trump said the Doge initiative would help the administration “dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures and restructure Federal Agencies”.

    The Doge is not an official government department – such agencies have to be established through an act of Congress and typically employ tens of thousands of staff.

    Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy would work with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to tackle “massive waste and fraud” in $6.5tn (£5.1tn) of annual government spending.

    Musk recently called for at least $2tn in cuts to federal spending, nearly a third of the government’s budget, without offering specifics. He has also proposed eliminating hundreds of federal agencies, arguing that many of them have overlapping areas of responsibility.

    Trump has likened the new Doge initiative to the Manhattan Project, a top-secret World War Two programme to develop the first nuclear weapons.

    The president-elect said Musk and Ramaswamy would complete their work no later than 4 July (American Independence Day) 2026.

    “A smaller Government, with more efficiency and less bureaucracy, will be the perfect gift to America on the 250th Anniversary of The Declaration of Independence,” Trump wrote.

    In a press release from Trump’s campaign, Musk said: “This will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in Government waste, which is a lot of people.”

    After the announcement, Musk posted on his social media platform, X: “Threat to democracy? Nope, threat to BUREAUCRACY!!!”

    Ramaswamy reposted Trump’s announcement on social media saying “we will not go gently”. He also said he was withdrawing from consideration to fill incoming US Vice-President JD Vance’s soon-to-be-vacated Ohio Senate seat.

    Last year, while running for president, Ramaswamy said he would fire more than 75% of the federal work force and close down several major agencies, including the Department of Education, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

    Since Trump’s election victory last week, Musk has reportedly spent every day with Trump at his estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

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    He also took part in a recent phone call Trump had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

    Meanwhile, the Musk-boosted cryptocurrency Dogecoin has been soaring in value over the past week.

    Trump announced the appointments of Musk and Ramaswamy amid a flurry of press releases on Tuesday evening, which also saw several senior national security positions filled.

    John Ratcliffe, slated to lead the CIA, previously served as Trump’s director of national intelligence and oversaw US intelligence agencies. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has been nominated to serve as secretary of homeland security.

    Meanwhile, some eyebrows have been raised at the nomination of Fox News host Pete Hegseth to lead the Pentagon. A veteran of the Iraq war, he has limited experience of government but has been a vocal supporter of Trump’s for several years.

  • Trump announces Tom Homan as ‘border czar’

    Trump announces Tom Homan as ‘border czar’

    President-elect Donald Trump says that Tom Homan, his former acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement director, will serve as “border czar” in his incoming administration.

    “I am pleased to announce that the Former ICE Director, and stalwart on Border Control, Tom Homan, will be joining the Trump Administration, in charge of our Nation’s Borders,” he wrote late Sunday on his Truth Social site.

    Homan was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border and Trump’s pledge to launch the largest deportation operation in the country’s history.

    In addition to overseeing the southern and northern borders and “maritime, and aviation security,” Trump said Homan “will be in charge of all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin,” a central part of his agenda.

    He says he had “no doubt” Homan “will do a fantastic, and long awaited for, job.”

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     Such a role does not require Senate confirmation.

     In an interview on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures,” Homan said the military would not be rounding up and arresting immigrants in the country illegally and that ICE would move to implement Trump’s plans in a “humane manner.”

    “It’s going to be a well-targeted, planned operation conducted by the men of ICE. The men and women of ICE do this daily. They’re good at it,” he said. “When we go out there, we’re going to know who we’re looking for. We most likely know where they’re going to be, and it’s going to be done in a humane manner.”Earlier this year at the National Conservatism Conference in Washington, Homan expressed frustration at the news coverage of a mass deportation operation.

     “Wait until 2025,” he said, adding that, while he thinks the government needed to prioritize national security threats, “no one’s off the table. If you’re here illegally, you better be looking over your shoulder.”