John Swinney and Donald Trump remain at odds on a whole range of issues - but something has fundamentally changed in their relationship. On Wednesday, Scotland's first minister will don his sharpest evening wear to attend a State banquet at Windsor Castle in honour of the US president. Six months ago there seemed little chance that the SNP leader would have anything to do with President Trump's second state visit to the UK.
"He wanted to get out of political isolation with this Alaska summit. I think he had to pay more for this meeting with the US president. He should have got a blow in this war and stopped. Instead, he got de-isolation," Zelensky said. "He got photos with President Trump. "He got public dialogue. And I think it opens doors for Putin to other summits, other formats. Because this is reality, we see it, we observe it. And I don't think he paid anything for it."
As any prosecutor and surely Mr. Woodward knows, the person on the inside who calls and says 'I want to talk' is an informant, or snitch, and is generally looking to bargain a deal, to improve his or her own situation, to place the blame on someone else in return for being allowed to plead down or out certain charges, and therefore "knows that his or her testimony will be unrespected, even reviled, subjected to rigorous examination and often rejection."
Sources told RFE/RL's Hungarian Service that components found missing from the planes include electronics that control location and weapons systems in the aircraft. They added that Interior Ministry officials suspect the theft of the parts may have been orchestrated by those inside the Kecskemet military airport where the decommissioned planes are parked. Hungarian media Bikk, which first reported on the issue, said unknown individuals cut through the perimeter fence of the airport, drove onto the base, and gained access to the aircraft.
As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy put it, the arrival of the multirole jets represents a " new chapter " for the air force. The F-16's versatility opens up tactical and strategic possibilities that the older Soviet aircraft couldn't exploit. However, the donations of F-16s come with strings attached. The debate over whether or not to limit where the F-16s can operate could have a huge bearing on the conflict's outcome.
The whole package, including training and support for the missile, is estimated to cost $850 million. The statement said Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, and the US Foreign Military Financing program would help pay for it. "This proposed sale will improve Ukraine's capability to meet current and future threats by further equipping it to conduct self-defense and regional security missions," the State Department statement said. Congress must still approve the sale for it to be final, though US lawmakers have never successfully blocked such proposed packages.
Finnish president Alexander Stubb has been speaking at a press conference before the country's ambassadors' conference in Helsinki. In comments reported by the Finnish public broadcaster, Yle, he said that he hoped Trump's patience with Putin would run out soon. He insisted that Finland and other European countries will do everything we can do achieve lasting peace. He also hinted that the only way to force Putin to end the invasion of Ukraine would be by hitting his allies,
