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London: US President Donald Trump has called on Israel to speed up the flow of food to families in Gaza and set a new deadline for Russia to end the war in Ukraine, urgently intensifying his demands on both global flashpoints.
Trump aired his frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin by revoking his earlier deadline of 50 days to ensure a ceasefire in Ukraine, declaring in Scotland on Monday (Tuesday AEST) that the new deadline would be just 10 or 12 days.
President Donald Trump meets with Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the Trump Turnberry golf course in Turnberry, Scotland.Credit: AP
With the war in Gaza causing widespread hunger, Trump disputed Israel’s claim there was no starvation and said he wanted to make sure food was sent urgently to civilians in the war zone.
The comments, made in a wide-ranging press conference with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, conveyed a more assertive message on the two conflicts when Britain and the European Union are hoping for an urgent White House intervention to stop the wars.
Speaking to the media alongside Starmer for almost an hour at his Turnberry golf course, Trump also attacked wind power, claimed he won last year’s presidential election on migration concerns and denied drawing a birthday greeting for child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
On Ukraine, his move brings forward the prospect of secondary tariffs on Russia and its allies that would tax their exports at 100 per cent, a severe penalty on China and India if the US president acts on the threat.
Trump set a 50-day deadline for Putin earlier this month, giving the Russian leader until September 5 to stop firing missiles and drones at Ukrainian civilians and agree to a peace deal.
“I’m going to make a new deadline of about 10 or 12 days from today,” Trump said in Scotland.
“There’s no reason in waiting, there’s no reason in waiting. It’s 50 days, I want to be generous, but we just don’t see any progress being made.”
Repeating his previous exasperation with Putin, the president said the Russian leader would make claims about peace in their conversations but continue bombing Ukraine at night.
Firefighters put out the fire in a school following a Russian air attack in Kropyvnytskyi, Ukraine.Credit: Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP
“Russia could be so rich, instead they spend all their money on war,” he said. “I thought he’d want to end this thing quickly, but every time I think it’s going to end, he kills people.”
Asked if he wanted to meet Putin to end the war, Trump said he was “not so interested” in talking. If he acts on his new deadline, the secondary tariffs could begin on or around August 9.
On Gaza, the joint remarks in Scotland mark another escalation in the calls on Israel to help civilians when the British Red Cross estimates that 470,000 people in Gaza face starvation – equivalent to 22 per cent of the population.
Trump said Israel had a “lot of responsibility” to help the situation despite being hampered by Hamas, which still holds 20 Israeli hostages from the October 7 attacks, when the terrorist group killed 1195 people and took more than 250 captive.
Palestinians gather around a truck carrying aid supplies which entered Gaza through Israel in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza.Credit: Bloomberg
Trump suggested it was up to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ensure civilians were fed.
“We’re giving money and things. He’s got to sort of, like, run it,” he said.
“I want them to make sure they get the food. I want to make sure they get the food, every ounce of food... Because food isn’t being delivered.”
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Starmer wanted Gaza to be a major topic in his private talks with Trump on Monday, as widespread images of starving children shape public opinion on the war.
“It’s a humanitarian crisis. It’s an absolute catastrophe,” the prime minister said before the meeting, as he and Trump stood together Turnberry.
“Nobody wants to see that. And I think people in Britain are revolted at what they’re seeing on their screens.”
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