Author: Anadolu Agency

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday said Ankara welcomes US President Donald Trump’s intention to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war via talks ‘in principle’, expressing Ankara’s readiness to support the path to lasting peace, including hosting negotiations. “The approach of ending the war at the negotiation table aligns with the policy Türkiye has pursued over the past four years,” Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said after a cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara. Türkiye wants the war, which has cost lives of hundreds of thousands of people and caused both Russia and Ukraine to pay a heavy price, to come to an…

Nearly 171,000 Canadians have signed a petition asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to strip billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk of his Canadian citizenship. The petition, launched by British Columbia resident Qualia Reed and sponsored by New Democratic Party (NDP) MP Charlie Angus, argued that Musk “has engaged in activities that go against the national interest of Canada.” Noting that Musk, a key ally of US President Donald Trump, “has used his wealth and power to influence our elections,” the petition claimed that Musk is “a member of a foreign government that is attempting to erase Canadian sovereignty. “We, the undersigned, citizens…

President Donald Trump said Monday that he will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as soon as this week to sign a deal that would see the US receive a share of Ukraine’s critical mineral and natural resource revenues. “I will be meeting with President Zelenskyy. In fact, he may come in this week or next week to sign the agreement, which would be nice. I’d love to meet him. We’d meet at the Oval Office,” Trump told reporters as he hosted French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House. “The agreement’s being worked on now. They’re very close to…

NATO’s secretary general on Monday reiterated the military alliance’s support to Ukraine on the third anniversary of its war with Russia. “NATO will continue to support and stand with Ukraine,” Mark Rutte said on X, emphasizing the “vitality” of ensuring a “just and lasting peace.” Rutte said NATO has been supporting Ukraine “throughout Russia’s brutal war of aggression to keep the flame of freedom burning,” by supplying arms, equipment, and training. “European allies are ready and willing to do their part-including with robust security guarantees and more financial assistance,” he added. As the Ukraine war enters its fourth year, shifting…

Downing Street has suggested that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has more optimistic views about the future of NATO and the transatlantic alliance than Friedrich Merz, the likely next German chancellor, who recently expressed concerns about the long-term viability of NATO and the EU-US relationship. During a lobby briefing on Monday, Starmer’s spokesperson responded to a question regarding Merz’s comments that US President Donald Trump is “indifferent” to Europe and that NATO in its current form may not survive. While Starmer’s views on NATO were not directly cited, the spokesperson seemed to imply that Starmer’s outlook is more positive than…

The US on Monday sanctioned more than 30 individuals, vessels, and companies accused of facilitating illicit oil sales, as the Trump administration returned to the “maximum pressure” policy on Iran. “Iran continues to rely on a shadowy network of vessels, shippers, and brokers to facilitate its oil sales and fund its destabilizing activities,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, adding that the US will use all available tools to target all suspects of Iran’s oil supply chain. Among those designated is the head of Iran’s National Iranian Oil Company and the Iranian Oil Terminals Company as well as several shipping firms…

US-based coffee chain Starbucks has announced that it will lay off 1,100 workers, the company’s CEO Brian Niccol announced on Monday. “We are simplifying our structure, removing layers and duplication, and creating smaller, more nimble teams,” it said in a statement. “Our intent is to operate more efficiently, increase accountability, reduce complexity, and drive better integration. All with the goal of being more focused and able to drive greater impact on our priorities.” Niccol has promised to speed up service, enhance the mobile ordering experience, and restore the company’s former cafe atmosphere in-store. Starbucks employed 16,000 corporate workers as of…

Israel informed the US that it is no longer committed to the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that was formulated during the administration of former President Joe Biden, Israeli daily Haaretz claimed on Monday. Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer told US President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff during their two meetings in Florida that “Israel is not committed to the three-stage plan of the Biden administration, even if it signed it.” “Netanyahu’s plan, as Dermer presented it to Witkoff, is as follows: release all the remaining hostages in one big, single stage.…

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday said Ankara welcomes “in principle” US President Donald Trump’s intention to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war via talks, expressing Ankara’s readiness to support a path to lasting peace, including hosting negotiations. “The approach of ending the war at the negotiating table aligns with the policy Türkiye has pursued over the past several years,” Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said after a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara, coinciding with the third anniversary of the Ukraine war, launched on Feb. 24, 2022. “However, the reality that must not be overlooked here is that the path to a…

US President Donald Trump on Saturday criticized Palestinian resistance group Hamas following the release of six hostages, claiming that they were “not in great shape” and calling the situation “disgraceful.” “The hostages, the six hostages, were delivered by Hamas. What a terrible situation it is,” Trump told reporters before departing for the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). “They’re not in great shape, but we’ve also seen them in worse shape,” he added. Earlier, Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, handed over six Israeli captives to the Red Cross at three locations in Gaza as part of the seventh prisoner…