Vladimir Putin – www.israelhayom.com

Report: Erdogan asks Putin to take back S-400 missiles to appease US

omrif — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 09:24:38 +0000

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reportedly raised the possibility of returning the Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems to Moscow, in a bid to restore Ankara's standing with Washington and rejoin the F-35 fighter jet program, Bloomberg reported Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Erdogan allegedly made the request during a 90-minute meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at an international forum in Turkmenistan last weekend. The Turkish Presidency and Defense Ministry declined to comment on the report, while the Kremlin denied that any such request had been made. According to the report, Turkey hopes its role as a mediator between Moscow and Kyiv will encourage the Kremlin to agree to the move.

Putin and Erdogan over the weekend. Photo: Reuters

US Ambassador to Turkey Jeff Flake said earlier this week that Washington is engaged in ongoing discussions with Ankara about its desire to rejoin the F-35 program. He said the positive relationship between US President Donald Trump and Erdogan had created a new atmosphere of cooperation, leading to "the most productive talks we've had on the issue in a decade."

Flake emphasized that Turkey would have to not only cease operating the S-400 system, but also relinquish possession of it in order to be readmitted to the F-35 project. "Our hope is that these discussions will yield a breakthrough in the coming months," he added. Last week, at a conference in Abu Dhabi, Flake expressed optimism that the hurdles preventing US approval of an F-35 sale to Turkey could be resolved "within four to six months."

Turkey signed a $2.5 billion deal with Russia for the S-400 systems in September 2017, with the first shipment arriving in July 2019. Just one week later, the US expelled Turkey from the F-35 program, citing concerns that Russia could use the S-400 systems on Turkish soil to gain sensitive information about the advanced American jet.

Erdogan and Trump with F-35 stealth fighters in the background. Photo: Reuters Reuters

Bloomberg also reported that Ankara may seek financial compensation for the returned system, possibly by offsetting the cost against the price of natural gas and oil imported from Russia. The matter would be subject to further negotiation between the two governments, according to the sources.

Since returning to the White House, President Trump has shown warmth toward Erdogan. During the Turkish leader's visit to Washington in September, Trump expressed willingness to move forward with the sale of F-35 jets, but made clear that "he will have to do something for us" to make the deal happen.

The post Report: Erdogan asks Putin to take back S-400 missiles to appease US appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Europe sleeps as Russia arms for the next Great War

omrif — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 10:20:31 +0000

Paul Löbe House, which stretches along both banks of the River Spree in Berlin, is an iconic structure with a vast glass façade, ringed with windows, that houses the offices of many members of the Bundestag, Germany's federal parliament. Above the nearby Reichstag building, where the full parliament sits, a transparent glass dome rises, offering a panoramic view over the German federal government's center of power.

This impressive architecture, planted in the symbolic and geographic heart of Europe, is certainly inspiring. But it would take no more than a single Russian explosive drone for all the handsome glass panes of Germany's parliamentary complex to shatter at once. "The problem is that we are sitting in a building that is not properly protected against a drone attack," says Roderich Kiesewetter, a member of parliament from the Christian Democratic Union, speaking on the sixth floor of Paul Löbe House. "The idea behind the design of this building, which was constructed in the 1990s, was to embody the value of transparency in Germany's political system. But this transparency also translates into extreme vulnerability and a lack of fear of danger. By the way, only some of the rooms here are protected against outside eavesdropping. In fact, if someone wanted to, they could be listening to us right now."

If some spy did indeed listen in to our conversation, nothing he heard would have surprised him. Kiesewetter, a former German Army colonel who entered politics in 2009, is considered the most "security-minded" politician in Germany. Ever since Russia's seizure of Crimea in 2014, he has used every possible platform to warn about the Russian threat and to urge the German leadership to adopt a more hawkish approach to the possibility of an armed clash with Moscow.

Kiesewetter's alarmism has not won him many fans, and even inside his own governing party he is seen as an outsider, some would say a thorn in its side. Unlike in Israeli politics, where a security background almost automatically translates into votes at the ballot box, in Germany, a country still grappling with its past and whose current DNA is deeply hostile to war in all its forms, the security-focused discourse Kiesewetter promotes has led to his removal from prominent party roles. It has even made him the target of a violent assault by a citizen who knocked him down while calling him a "warmonger," perhaps the harshest epithet one can direct at a German politician.

"The pillars of German society are politics, the economy and science," Kiesewetter explains. "We have a political culture of distrust toward security professionals, combined with deep ignorance in this field. It is no coincidence that since German reunification, politicians with a military background have disappeared from the stage. When I came into politics, not everyone was happy about it."

Kiesewetter is not particularly liked in the Kremlin either. He says that he appears on a Russian secret list of figures considered a threat to its security. "We have to tell the public the truth," he says. "If we do not take steps against Russian aggression in Europe, Russia will keep pushing our boundaries. We are acting like blind people."

Friedrich Merz, Germany's chancellor. Photo: Getty Images

Prisoners of conception

Kiesewetter's story, and the fragility of Germany's parliamentary complex, illustrate the state of Europe as a whole. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the continent has found itself caught between a hammer and an anvil. On the one hand, European states are doing their utmost to preserve stability, refraining from fully throwing their weight behind Ukraine and doing everything they can to avoid a direct confrontation with Russia. On the other hand, these same countries are looking anxiously eastward and seeing Russia arming itself to the teeth, and its president, Vladimir Putin, growing bolder and issuing ever more far-reaching statements. All this is happening while Europe still depends economically on Russian energy, and while the US is seeking to reduce the vast budgets it has been channeling to NATO, the military alliance meant to protect Europe against a third world war. "It is as if we are fighting Putin with one hand tied behind our back," complains Kiesewetter.

European anxiety about war diminishes the further west and south one moves across the continent. Poland and the Baltic states, which border or are close to Russia, are already making preparations on the ground for the possibility of an all-out war. In France, Britain and Spain, by contrast, preparations for such a clash are proceeding at a snail's pace, if at all. In this sense Germany, the economic giant located in the middle of Europe yet still at a safe distance from the Russian border, and the country meant to serve as NATO's main logistical base in any campaign to block Russia, acts as litmus paper for the European policy as a whole. "Germany is in the middle, and it is the one that needs to take responsibility and set the course," says Kiesewetter.

The German government has already begun taking a series of steps, some of them drastic by its standards, to prepare for a potential confrontation with Russia. Yet Kiesewetter remains uneasy. He says the German leadership is still trapped in what Israelis might call "an October 6 mindset": ignoring clear warning signs, turning its back on violations of sovereignty and assuming that if and when war breaks out, there will be advance notice. "It may be that Germany first needs to experience an intelligence failure like October 7 or September 11 in order to wake up and change its approach," Kiesewetter says. "I just hope that when such a failure occurs, if it does, it will not lead to a catastrophe on a massive scale."

Indeed, during a visit to Berlin last week it was impossible to ignore the quiet. Even the city's most central streets felt hushed. It is not a tense silence born of alertness, of ears pricked for sirens or explosions, but the calm of German politeness, which seems to rub off on the tourists as well. Even the official German figures we spoke to, who are well briefed on the intelligence picture, struggled to imagine that this quiet might suddenly be shattered. "Do you really believe that a Russian drone will suddenly land in the middle of Berlin?" one of them asked me in astonishment, scrutinizing my face. "This mindset of constantly fearing your neighbors is an Israeli mindset. In Europe things are different."

And yet, Germany in the autumn of 2025 is a country in the throes of a Zeitenwende, the "turning of the times," the term coined by former chancellor Olaf Scholz in a landmark speech he delivered in parliament days after Russia invaded Ukraine. This week the current German defense minister, Boris Pistorius, declared that "this is Europe's last peaceful summer." As one Israeli official who knows the intricacies of German politics puts it, "Germany is in the middle of a U-turn by an aircraft carrier. This is a state that is cutting itself off from economic dependence on Russia, arming itself and working on a law to reinstate compulsory military service, which is a radical change for it. And yet Kiesewetter is right. If war with Russia breaks out tomorrow, Germany currently has nothing to put on the table."

Grasping at air

In many ways, the war between Russia and Europe has already begun, and it is not confined to the borders of Ukraine. The buzzword on this front, almost a mantra in the mouths of politicians, officials and experts in Germany, Israel and other European countries, is "hybrid warfare."

The term refers to a long, ongoing string of sabotage incidents, influence operations, cyberattacks and other violent acts that Russia is carrying out against European states. It covers, for example, the mysterious severing of undersea communications cables in the Baltic Sea; an unusual explosion at the cargo terminal of Leipzig Airport in Germany; and media investigations that uncovered evidence of Russian use of agents recruited via social media to sow chaos and public panic in European countries.

A recent report by the British think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) found that since 2022, 66 "hybrid warfare" operations attributed to Russia have been carried out across Europe, including assassinations, attacks on infrastructure and even acts of terrorism. Thirty three of those operations took place in 2024 alone. In most cases, European governments preferred to absorb the blows, to make use of the carefully constructed Russian "deniability space," and to settle for tepid condemnations.

In recent months, however, the hybrid war with Russia has shifted up a gear. Russian fighter jets violated Estonian airspace, even swooping toward a German warship sailing in the Baltic Sea. In September, some 20 Russian drones crossed into Polish territory, also a NATO member state. "This is an attempt by the Kremlin to test NATO's responses via gradual escalations," Poland's foreign minister said afterward. Friedrich Merz, Germany's current chancellor, also broke with his habitual caution when he stated that "we are not at war, but we are not in a state of peace either." Since then, Russian drones have entered the territory of another NATO member, Romania, without prompting any military response.

In the weeks that followed, several incidents were recorded in which unmanned aerial vehicles were seen hovering above towns and cities in Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Belgium and Lithuania, among others, sometimes near airports and sensitive military facilities. German officials said these were "military drones for intelligence-gathering purposes," but did not explicitly link them to Moscow. In early October, airspace over Munich was closed, forcing dozens of flights to be canceled, after mysterious drones were spotted above the city during the Oktoberfest celebrations. In the aftermath, European interior ministers discussed creating a "drone wall" that would block aerial incursions from the direction of Russia, as well as legislative changes that would make it easier for armed forces to shoot down unmanned aircraft.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian warplanes that entered Estonian airspace. Photo: AP, AFP AP, AFP

Ukraine first

These hesitant countermeasures stand in sharp contrast to Russia's rapid advances when it comes to drones. Over the past two years, Russia has raised its defense budget to levels unseen since the Cold War, and a large share of that money has gone to producing unmanned aircraft, the main weapon it is using in Ukraine. According to some estimates, by early 2026 Russia will be able to produce roughly 10,000 explosive drones a month, which would make it a global power in this sphere. Israelis will bring to mind the "Iranian night of missiles," when some 300 missiles and drones were launched at Israel. Now multiply that several times over.

Behind Russia's drone industry lies a story whose irony almost defies gravity, in every sense. In 2011, Iran used electronic warfare to take control of a CIA drone operating over Afghanistan and bring it down on its territory. Based on this "captured" American UAV, Iranian engineers developed the Shahed series of attack drones, whose most widely used model is the Shahed 136. As fate would have it, the engines installed in the early generation of these Iranian drones were made in Germany. "We know this, because engines manufactured by a German company were found in some of the drones that fell in Israel," says an Israeli official.

After the war in Ukraine broke out, cooperation between Russia and Iran tightened. Russia purchased thousands of Shahed drones from the Islamic Republic, and used them in Ukraine. The war turned out to be a highly useful testing ground from Russia's point of view. A study by the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) in the US described how, in the battle of minds that developed in the skies over Ukraine, the Russians began devising methods that refined their drone warfare capabilities, perhaps as preparation for future wars against additional countries.

In recent months, Russia has begun producing Shahed drones itself, according to one account with extensive help from China, while simultaneously improving their strike capabilities and flight ranges. The main drone production facility is in Yelabuga, about 1,000 kilometers east of Moscow, which the Ukrainians have tried and failed to hit several times.

"The Russians started out by producing the same model as the Iranian drone and gradually improved it," says Eitan Achlow, an expert in anti-drone defense. "This is an aircraft that flies low, at a speed of 80 to 100 knots, and carries warheads containing 10 to 50 kilograms (22 to 110 pounds) of explosives. Because many of its parts are made of fiberglass, it is hard to detect. The Russians have recently been changing the engine in order to mask the hot exhaust, which will make it harder to spot the drones with thermal sensors. They are also altering its antenna array to complicate the communications and navigation jamming the Ukrainians use, and increasing its flight speed. Today the Russians are manufacturing these drones at a murderous pace."

As part of Russia's method of warfare in Ukraine, it launches swarms of hundreds of explosive drones at once, with dummy drones mixed into the swarm. These carry no explosives and have cardboard bodies. The aim is to confuse the enemy's air defenses, and to do so at relatively low cost. "The attack drones cost around 30,000 to 40,000 dollars each, and the dummy drones cost a few thousand," Achlow estimates, "while the interceptor missiles cost millions. This is essentially an economic battle. Once the Russians accumulate a sufficiently large number of drones, they will be able to go to war against NATO, because there is no force in the world that can intercept such quantities. Imagine that Russia decides to invade one of the Baltic states and then suddenly, just as a warning shot, it launches 5,000 drones and a handful of them hit government buildings or financial institutions in a European capital. That would make it crystal clear to Europe that it has no real way of dealing with this."

A building destroyed by a Russian strike, Donetsk region, Ukraine, October 2025. Photo: AP

Firing in all directions

The developments on the eastern front have not entirely escaped the attention of European states, especially Germany. In fact, the government of Chancellor Merz, who took office in May 2025, has begun implementing what looks like a far-reaching reform to strengthen Germany's military.

Already during coalition talks, the parties agreed that the additional spending on the German defense budget would not be counted as part of the national deficit. That decision enabled the government to allocate a staggering 377 billion euros for military procurement, with the goal of turning Germany's armed forces into "the strongest conventional army in Europe," in Merz's words. German officials confirm that the government recognizes that "Russia is planning something, and our armed forces are not ready," as one of them puts it.

Israel has naturally been drawn into this swirl of spending. Beyond the huge deal to purchase the Arrow 3 missile defense system from Israel Aerospace Industries, Germany has bought Spike anti-tank missiles from Israel and, according to media reports, drones as well. Beneath the surface, however, a long list of negotiations is underway between the German government and Israeli defense companies and security startups to acquire additional systems on a very large scale. "This is a window of opportunity for Israel to provide technology to Germany," says an Israeli source familiar with the issue, "because in a few years, Germany's own defense industry will catch up with Israel, and right now Berlin wants off-the-shelf solutions."

According to air defense expert Achlow, who is a member of one such defense startup, Israel must make things easier for startups working in this field, both by providing financial incentives and by easing restrictions imposed by the Defense Ministry's Defense Export Controls Agency. "Unlike the civilian high-tech sector, Israeli defense exports are shackled by regulation," he explains. "If nobody wakes up, Israeli companies will move abroad or quit the field altogether. We could miss a golden opportunity for the economy."

Israeli and German officials involved in these negotiations refuse to divulge details. "But Israel has advanced weapons systems, and you can imagine that Germany wants many of them," says one. An Israeli source who recently met with senior figures in the German defense establishment came away with the impression that, in terms of procurement, they are "firing in all directions." "In Germany they are watching Russia's rearmament with concern and are already examining the buildup of Russian forces near the borders with the Baltic states," he says. "The problem is that Germany still faces huge gaps, mainly in training and manpower."

Which brings us to one of Europe's biggest security challenges: soldiers, or more precisely, the lack of them. The German parliament is currently debating legislative amendments that would allow the state to reinstate compulsory military service, out of the recognition that buying equipment alone is not enough, and that soldiers are needed to operate it. Beyond the political hurdles facing such legislation, there are social factors that make it difficult for the German Army to increase its ranks. As one interviewee put it, "The Ukrainians enlisted en masse, but they did so because they had no choice after the Russian invasion. Do you really think young Europeans will give up their comfortable lives and rush off to die fighting Russians?"

A generation passes

This concern is well founded. A poll published in August 2025 found that 59 percent of Germans would not be willing to take up arms and fight, and in Italy the figure is even lower: only 16 percent of citizens would be ready to fight for their country.

On this point, Prof. Susanne Fischer, a lecturer in the intelligence studies department at the Federal University of Applied Administration in Berlin, says: "There is now a public debate about the need to bring back compulsory service, which would require young people to enlist in the army after high school. This debate has intensified as the possibility of war with Russia has become more concrete."

Fischer teaches and lives in Berlin, but we met at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, where she was attending an annual intelligence studies conference. Talking to her, one gets the impression that even if the German government has begun taking steps toward a possible clash with Russia, the German public is still largely lagging far behind. "As a Berlin resident and as a mother, of course I am worried about the possibility of war with Russia," she says. "My 11-year-old son also asks me, 'Mom, what will happen if Russian missiles explode in Berlin?' But these feelings are not widespread among most of the public.

"I am an academic who works on security issues, so I think about this more. Politicians and experts have also started talking more about the possibility of war with Russia. There have been public debates recently focused on this and on Germany's security challenges. But 'ordinary' citizens, whoever they may be, are still unaware of the security challenges facing Germany. I think it is important that more and more people in Germany and across Europe begin to talk about the dangers coming from Russia, in order to raise public awareness."

Even in Germany, where the public debate on security is at least beginning to stir, it remains dormant further west, in Britain. "Recent polls show that only a small proportion of young people in Western European countries would be willing to take part in a war," says Dr. Huw Dylan, deputy head of the intelligence studies department at King's College London, who also attended the intelligence conference. "But since the sword of war is not actually hanging over our heads, those figures are not necessarily significant. There is no doubt that in a country like Britain, which enjoys the privilege of being far from the border with Russia, the tension is not felt, in contrast to places like Estonia or Poland. In any event, it is clear that a hybrid war is already underway in Europe, and there are people who fear that this war will escalate. But I do not fear a full-scale war in the foreseeable future."

Russian President Vladimir Putin (Reuters/File) | File photo: Reuters

Zero hour

In my conversations with European officials, I tried to understand whether they had learned anything from Israel's experience on October 7, when the Hamas terrorist organization surprised Israel with its murderous assault. Yet even the "security hawk" Kiesewetter cannot imagine an absolute surprise on that scale. "The war will not begin with Russian tanks charging into Berlin, nor with airstrikes on Germany," he says emphatically. "If anything, the war will start with a move by Putin against the Baltic states."

Prof. Fischer, an intelligence expert, also does not sound like someone about to shatter the prevailing conception. Like the other German interviewees, she identifies 2029 as the year in which war with Russia is most likely to break out, if it does. Israeli officials who recently met senior NATO figures say those officials also pointed to 2029 as the target year for the alliance's war readiness.

"Europe can certainly learn from the Israeli experience," Fischer says in this regard. "Intelligence experts in Europe are already saying that if there is an assessment that war will break out in 2029, that does not mean it cannot erupt tomorrow. The pretext that will supposedly justify a Russian attack could appear at any moment, before we are prepared.

"At the same time, the liberal democratic states of Europe benefit from peace and stability, and no European leader has any interest in attacking Russia. What I can imagine is a scenario in which Putin tests Europe's willingness to set limits for him, for example in places such as the Baltic states."

Many of the European experts we spoke with argued that Putin has led Russia into economic dependence on its war industry. "I fear that if he ends the war in Ukraine, he will have no choice but to 'look for' another war in order to preserve his status and Russia's war economy," Fischer says. "I hope that if that happens, NATO will pass the test and force Putin to back down."

The post Europe sleeps as Russia arms for the next Great War appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Hundreds of thousands in the streets: Is Italy against us?

miriw — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 09:00:34 +0000

Last Friday, Italy focused on one thing: the country's largest workers' organization declared a general strike protesting the interception of the Gaza flotilla, and stormy demonstrations against Israel took place in dozens of cities across the country. The demonstrators declared that "two million citizens took to the streets in more than one hundred cities," while police estimated their numbers at several tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands. The demonstrations and strikes paralyzed public transportation in the country, led to flight cancellations, and dominated the public agenda.

How did it happen that, specifically, the country where a distinctly right-wing government stands and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is considered a devoted Israel supporter, placed the Gaza war at the top of the public agenda? Recent polls point to a grim picture of Italian public opinion toward Israel.

A YouGov poll conducted in May found that only 13% of Italians hold a positive opinion of Israel, compared to 70% who have a negative opinion. Only 9% in Italy think the Gaza war is justified – the lowest among all countries surveyed. Another poll conducted among 800 Italians found that 15% of them think physical attacks on Jews are "justified". 18% said antisemitic graffiti is legitimate, and about 20% thought it reasonable to attack pro-Israeli professors or for businesses to reject Israeli customers.

Meloni, who faces criticism for her cautious handling of the Gaza issue, tries to maintain a delicate balance. In her speech at the UN assembly in late September, she said she would support certain sanctions against Israel and accused it of "violating humanitarian norms" that led to "civilian massacre". She called the Gaza flotilla a "dangerous and irresponsible" initiative and accused it of undermining President Trump's initiative, but simultaneously sent an Italian navy ship to escort it.

When the general strike erupted, she stung the organizers : "I expected that at least on such an important issue they wouldn't call a strike on Friday – a long weekend and revolution don't go together".

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends a press conference with the Algerian president at the end of an Italy-Algeria intergovernmental summit in Rome, Italy, 23 July 2025 (Photo: EPA/Fabio Frustaci) EPA

The great explosion of Italian politics

This cautious stance stems from Italy's complex political map. The country has undergone a prolonged political revolution since the early 1990s. Corruption scandals and the end of the Cold War led to the decline of traditional parties, and new forces emerged in their place. Berlusconi and the Northern League are on the right, while in the left bloc – previously dominated by the Communist and Social Democratic parties – the Democratic Party has taken the lead.

However, even the bipolar system that was created collapsed when anti-establishment populist movements, such as "Five Stars" and "the League," entered the arena. The country went through years of instability – governments replaced each other at a dizzying pace.

Meloni changed this. In the 2022 elections, her "Brothers of Italy" (Fratelli d'Italia) party surged from a fringe party with roots in post-fascist streams to become the dominant force. Meloni became not only the first woman in the role of Italian Prime Minister, but also brought relative stability – her government is one of the longest in modern Italian history. She practically restored a sort of bipolar system – center-right versus center-left.

In this climate – a bipolar system and public opinion that leans against Israel – the war becomes a battering tool of the opposition against Meloni's government.

Writer and journalist Stefano Piazza explains the political division. "In Italy, there are two main blocs. The center-right government led by Meloni supports Israel, with internal debates about proportionality, while the leftist bloc is openly anti-Israeli, with antisemitic overtones".

A central factor, according to him, is the media. "Almost all media outlets are against Israel. For two years, Israel has undergone daily demonization – TV hosts invite anyone willing to attack it, and social networks amplify the voice... It's not surprising that they're almost always the same people who support Putin. You need to follow the money".

The communist roots

Piazza explains the deep roots of the anti-Israeli movement in Italy. "The extreme left, pro-Palestinian movements and part of workers' unions like those in Genoa port, have connections to elements that were part of the Red Brigades," referring to the communist underground that operated in the country in the 1970s and 1980s, whose most famous operation was the murder of Prime Minister Aldo Moro.

"Even in the extreme right, hatred for Israel exists, as in the 'New Force' movement," he adds. "Both extremes fought each other in the past, now they're united in the street – in hatred for Israel and closeness to Putin".

However, the state of relations between the countries cannot be explained solely by extremist and external factors.

Publicist and Jewish author Niram Prati, residing in Milan, identifies two pivotal moments. "The first – Hamas' false starvation campaign that shocked the Italian public. The second – the Gaza flotilla, which became the focus of general strikes". According to him, the infrastructure for this is extensive. "Italy has the strongest workers' unions in the West and deep identification with communism, traditionally hostile to 'colonialist' Israel. Alongside criticism of Israel, there's a broad base of antisemitism that erupts outward and receives legitimacy".

The anti-Israeli climate is already manifesting on the ground, with moves that could carry economic implications for Israel and some simply expose a difficult reality. Last week, Genoa port workers refused to load containers onto a ZIM ship, claiming they contained armaments for the IDF, and the ship was forced to leave without cargo. Meanwhile, the port hosted a pan-European discussion about the possibility of disrupting all maritime transport to Israel.

United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese, attends a press conference at the European headquarters of the UN in Geneva, Switzerland, September 15, 2025 (Photo: Reuters/Pierre Albouy) REUTERS

At the beginning of the week, the city of Reggio Emilia granted its honor decoration to Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur known for extreme anti-Israeli positions and who became the left's star in Italy. When Mayor Marco Massari said that "ending genocide and releasing hostages are conditions for peace," he received jeers from the audience and eye-rolling from Albanese. "I forgive him," she said, "but he must promise not to say that again".

According to Prati, Gaza has become a battering tool. "Israel is a tool for the left's battering of Meloni. They're trying to embarrass her about her restrained policy... Italy is the only country that holds a general strike because of Gaza – people came to the flotilla from 50 countries, and only here do they strike".

Despite the media noise, he estimates the issue doesn't top the Italian voter's priority list. "Only 6-15% actually struck. The average Italian who wants to get to work is angry about the demonstrations. The images of vandalism play in Meloni's favor". Prati is concerned about the government's response. "Meloni doesn't want to escalate, but lack of firm response could increase the risk that something like Manchester happens".

Italy's support for Israel, according to Prati, stems largely from the political interest in maintaining excellent relations with the United States. "Italy has already adopted President Trump's proposal, which the Vatican also adopted. From the moment the Vatican also blessed the ceasefire proposal, Meloni feels more comfortable calling for a ceasefire under the conditions the American plan offers".

But with hostile public opinion and growing pressure from the street, the question is whether Italy will continue to stand beside Israel – at a time when Israel needs it to prevent choking European sanctions.

"I believe it will take time to return to normal relations, but the war must end and Israel must seriously engage in public diplomacy and publishing the truth to dismantle the lies spread by pro-Palestinians, such as starvation and the number of civilian deaths," concludes Stefano Piazza. "It's vital to dismantle pro-Palestinian propaganda so people understand what really happened".

The post Hundreds of thousands in the streets: Is Italy against us? appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

How Trump turned the war in Gaza into another real estate deal

ErezL — Sun, 05 Oct 2025 08:43:57 +0000

The transformation of the war in Gaza into another real estate transaction by Donald Trump commenced simply with an image. Trump, with his broad shoulders, is captured standing on a red carpet for a dramatic handshake with a political adversary, featuring a smile that suggests "here is the next deal". This scenario was seen at the Alaska meeting that yielded nothing and was also evident in the summits with Kim Jong Un in Korea. These events generated headlines and camera flashes but no real outcomes. Trump has consistently been drawn to the drama of the deal, not necessarily the painstaking details of its successful execution. His history as a real estate developer remains deeply rooted in his approach. A successful transaction is evaluated by the photograph and the price, not necessarily by any genuine alteration of the reality.

Hamas is currently confronting an existential challenge it has never faced since its inception. The population is utterly worn out, confidence is deteriorating, and the exhausted Gazan public is no longer lauding the mouqawamah (resistance) but asking instead, "where is the bread". Local militias – including armed tribes, rebellious factions, and even former Hamas operatives – are defying the organization, weakening its authority, and triggering internal conflicts. Hamas, once the strip's iron-fisted ruler, must now handle this through the Wahdat Sahm, its Gestapo, facing a double threat: internal collapse and vengeance from external militias.

US President Donald Trump (R) shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) after they spoke at a press conference in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC (EPA/JIM LO SCALZO)

The Gazans, on their part, are moving in great numbers toward the Al-Mawasi area. These convoys also symbolize the break from Hamas, indicating a profound shift. An increasing number of citizens now view the organization not as the "protector of the nation" but as a "curse". Many are willing to take the risk with Israel if it provides hope for genuine change.

Simultaneously, the Arab bloc is uniting around a clear objective – to conclude the Gaza episode and bring back stability. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, and even Qatar, have started to indicate that "the resistance" has turned into a strategic liability. The damage caused by the Houthis to commercial trade, the significant economic expenditures, and the concern about the potential for another regional conflict all contribute to a new consensus. Hamas is no longer perceived as part of the solution but as the primary barrier to achieving it.

Trump, undeniably one of Israel's greatest allies in history who has stood by Israel in the most challenging times against the entire world, but in collaboration with Steve Witkoff, perceives Gaza as a venue for a deal, not necessarily a dangerous minefield. Both are real estate professionals who operate on the belief that when an asset declines, one merely needs to purchase it at a low price, refurbish it, and sell it for a profit. This mindset, however, is ill-suited for the Middle East. Here, the "refurbishment" involves a deep psychological transformation, and the assets are not lucrative, as the foundations are built on beliefs and blood. Consequently, his dangerously naive declaration that "Hamas wants lasting peace" reflects a fundamental misunderstanding. In the world of real estate professionals, there is no consideration for the Islamic concept of taqiyya: a calculated deception for survival that allows Hamas to feign compromise while actively regrouping.

IDF troops in the Gaza Strip om September 2025 (IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

The actual deal right now is not between Israel and Hamas, but between Washington and itself. Will the US uphold the unequivocal 20-point plan it authored, which received international support, or will it gnaw at its own tail like a cornered animal. The pressure for a "compromise," combined with the vast Qatari funding and the appeal of a "historic deal," will achieve their purpose. Hamas is experiencing a historic nadir. Therefore, it currently appears that Hamas might accept the "soft" components of the agreement in part, enough to claim an internal victory but without relinquishing its arms. Israel will be compelled to grant substantial relief and concessions in exchange for the deal's implementation. The remaining factors depend on US pressure and the disorganized dynamic on the Gazan street.

In the end, Trump may discover yet again that the Middle East is not an Atlantic City casino available for a contract closing, but rather a mysterious, deeply ancient archaeological site complete with ancient labyrinths and secrets. The hidden elements outweigh the known ones: blood, faith, and its own unique tribal laws. Here, an "agreement" serves only as a preface to a new stage, rather than the conclusion of the entire narrative.

The post How Trump turned the war in Gaza into another real estate deal appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

What is Putin looking for in Europe's skies?

omrif — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 19:40:48 +0000

The recent incidents involving unidentified drones over Scandinavia, the latest of which took place just last night, have left NATO states on edge. Even if not all members openly admit it, it is clear in Europe that these are part of Russia's ongoing provocations, which have escalated in recent weeks with drones penetrating Polish and Romanian airspace and Russian fighter jets violating Estonian sovereignty.

Assuming, with little serious doubt, that this is Russia's doing, what is the Kremlin trying to achieve? Several interlinked goals. First, at the most basic level, it is testing NATO's cohesion: how will different member states respond to aggression that stays below the threshold of war? Who will act aggressively, and who will hold back? These responses serve as coordinates for future pressure points.

Site of a Russian drone strike in Poland. Photo: AP

Second, the provocations double as military intelligence gathering. How will the targeted countries defend themselves in these gray-zone scenarios? What does it take to shoot down a drone? Are there electronic defenses near sensitive sites, and if so, how effective are they?

Third, the difficulty, lack of will or inability to intercept these incursions, Poland required fighter jets to scramble against drones, a drone over Romania wandered for an hour unchallenged, and Estonia had to call in Italian jets stationed inside its territory to escort Russian planes out because it lacks the capability itself, serves a dual purpose. It portrays NATO as inept, creating both a psychological effect on the public and a political boost to parties less hostile to Russia, while also fueling calls to invest in Europe's own defense systems. That in turn diverts resources away from Ukraine.

Putin. Maintaining overall deterrence in Europe. Photo: AP

Frightening Europe is not just about reallocating funds away from Kyiv. It also helps maintain Russia's deterrence across the continent. Fear has plenty of customers, those willing to placate Moscow in the hope that the war in Ukraine has not changed the global order and that things can somehow return to 2021. This is the most passive and apolitical category of potential collaborators. Meanwhile, the threat of war further undermines European unity at a time when, under the current US administration, the continent finds itself without a reliable ally to uphold a rules-based order and protect liberal democracy.

There is also the factor of normalization: in the absence of asymmetrical responses, Putin will continue escalating his hybrid warfare, confident that Western leaders have much more to lose.

Finally, these confrontations, even if they remain in the realm of covert conflict, with Moscow denying responsibility or downplaying incidents such as claiming a few seconds of airspace violation in Estonia, are designed not just to create pressure points but to convert them into future bargaining chips.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The countries closest to Ukraine are the first to be hit. Photo: AFP

The logic in Moscow is simple: when Russian pressure is dispersed across multiple fronts, such as drones disrupting Copenhagen Airport without causing actual military damage, it becomes easier to secure concessions on a front that really matter. For example, Russia could demand limits on the size of Ukraine's military. It is far more difficult to reject such a demand when it is one item on a list of five, but when it is buried among 50 demands, many of them invented solely for negotiation purposes, Moscow can present itself as "flexible" by conceding on 40 of them.

Still, things may not play out for Putin as they once did with Ukraine. Much has changed since 2022: intelligence sharing, Europe's defense industry and public awareness of the true nature of the Russian regime. European politicians also risk their own careers by delaying or offering ineffective responses, as the future of both NATO and Europe itself is at stake. Russian fighter jets entering Norwegian airspace three times this year, for instance, make the threat feel more immediate than headlines from the war in Ukraine.

It is no coincidence that Russia's provocations target Estonia, Poland, Denmark, Norway and Romania. Geography plays a role, but the real common denominator is their firm support for Ukraine. Estonia contributes one of the highest shares of GDP, Romania and Poland are major transit routes for Western arms, and the Scandinavian states have been heavily investing in Ukraine's defense industry through joint ventures that will also benefit their own militaries.

Jewish homes marked in Paris' 14th arrondissement. Russia's hybrid war is set to continue. Photo: Union of Jewish Students of France

In any case, further provocations are likely, on land through acts of sabotage, via antisemitic provocations such as Star of David graffiti in France, and of course through cyberattacks. For now, Moscow has no reason to stop. As long as it can maintain plausible deniability, avoid unforeseen mistakes and face no asymmetric retaliation, like Turkey's 2015 downing of a Russian jet over Syria, it will continue to ratchet up the pressure on its neighbors, just as it did in Georgia before 2021, in Moldova, occasionally in Kazakhstan and Armenia, and of course in Ukraine. It is essentially the same game, played on different scales and in new boards.

The post What is Putin looking for in Europe's skies? appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Papers forgotten in Alaskan hotel reveal details of Trump-Putin summit

miriw — Sat, 16 Aug 2025 22:30:20 +0000

Papers with US State Department markings, found Friday morning in the business center of an Alaskan hotel, revealed previously undisclosed and potentially sensitive details about the Aug. 15 meetings between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage.

Eight pages, which appear to have been produced by US staff and left behind accidentally, shared precise locations and meeting times of the summit and phone numbers of US government employees. On Saturday, White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly dismissed the papers as a "multi-page lunch menu" and suggested leaving the information on a public printer was not a security breach.

At around 9:00 a.m. on Friday, three guests at Hotel Captain Cook, a four-star hotel located 20 minutes from the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, where leaders from the US and Russia convened, found the documents left behind in one of the hotel's public printers. NPR reviewed photos of the documents taken by one of the guests, who NPR agreed not to identify because the guest said they feared retaliation.

The first page in the printed packet disclosed the sequence of meetings for August 15, including the specific names of the rooms inside the base in Anchorage where they would take place. It also revealed that Trump intended to give Putin a ceremonial present. "POTUS to President Putin," the document states, "American Bald Eagle Desk Statue."

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, speaks during a working meeting to discuss the results of the Russia-US summit in Alaska at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025 (Photo: Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin/AP) AP

Pages 2 through 5 of the documents listed the names and phone numbers of three US staff members, as well as the names of 13 US and Russian state leaders. The list provided phonetic pronouncers for all the Russian men expected at the summit, including "Mr. President POO-tihn." Pages 6 and 7 in the packet described how lunch at the summit would be served, and for whom. A menu included in the documents indicated that the luncheon was to be held "in honor of his excellency Vladimir Putin."

A seating chart shows that Putin and Trump were supposed to sit across from each other during the luncheon. Trump would be flanked by six officials: Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles to his right, and Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff to his left. Putin would be seated immediately next to Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov and Aide to the President for Foreign Policy Yuri Ushakov.

During the summit on Friday, lunch was apparently cancelled. But it was intended to be a simple, three-course meal, the documents showed. After a green salad, the world leaders would dine on filet mignon and halibut olympia. Crème brûlée would be served for dessert.

US President Donald Trump shakes hand with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as they meet to negotiate for an end to the war in Ukraine, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, US, August 15, 2025 (Photo: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque) REUTERS

Jon Michaels, a professor of law at UCLA who lectures about national security, said that the documents found in the printer of the Alaskan hotel reveal a lapse in professional judgment in preparation for a high-stakes meeting. "It strikes me as further evidence of the sloppiness and the incompetence of the administration," Michaels said. "You just don't leave things in printers. It's that simple."

The printed papers are the latest example of a series of security breaches by officials of the Trump administration. Earlier this week, members of a law enforcement group chat that included members of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) added a random person to a conversation about an ongoing search for a convicted attempted murderer. In March, US national security leaders accidentally included a journalist in a group chat about impending military strikes in Yemen.

The post Papers forgotten in Alaskan hotel reveal details of Trump-Putin summit appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Kremlin official: 'Putin and Trump will meet in the coming days'

omrif — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 08:00:20 +0000

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump are expected to meet in the coming days, though he could not yet confirm the summit's location or duration.

"At the initiative of the American side, an agreement has essentially been reached to hold a high-level bilateral meeting in the coming days, meaning a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump," Ushakov said in a televised interview. "We are now beginning concrete preparations together with our American counterparts," he added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (Reuters/File) | File photo: Reuters

Ushakov declined to specify where the summit would be held and said it was too early to determine how long it would last. His comments followed a phone call Wednesday night between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

That same day, special envoy Steve Witkoff held a meeting in Russia. In connection with the visit, the deputy chair of the upper house of the Russian parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee said Witkoff was warmly received, noting his "openness and realistic approach." A White House official also commented that the meeting "went well," according to the official.

The post Kremlin official: 'Putin and Trump will meet in the coming days' appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Ukraine: 'We urgently need' Israeli anti-drone tech

miriw — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 08:00:23 +0000

"You have a lot of information, sometimes unique, about Iran," Ukraine's special envoy to the Middle East, Maksym Subkh, said in an interview with Israel Hayom. "We also have important information that could help Israel." The remarks come one day after Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar's visit to the country – the first visit at this level since 2023, which, according to the hosts, was initiated by the Israeli minister.

Subkh welcomes what he calls a "positive change" in Israel's position. "We are grateful to Minister Sa'ar for condemning Russian attacks against civilians at the press conference," he said, noting this was the first time a senior Israeli official at such a level explicitly named Russia in this context. "We hope Israel will voice its position more strongly regarding the crimes being committed by Russia on Ukrainian territory, preferably by the highest-ranking officials."

A local woman inspects her damaged flat in a residential building hit in a drone strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, 28 July 2025, amid the Russian invasion (Photo: EPA/Sergey Dolzhenko) EPA

The triangular relationship between Israel-Ukraine-Russia has not changed much during the war. Israel seeks to maintain correct relations with Moscow to protect its interests and strengthen or distance them according to global developments, while it openly supports Ukraine's territorial integrity but refrains from sending, selling, or transferring Israeli weapons through third parties to Kyiv. "Israel maintains direct dialogue with Moscow," Subkh said, recalling Israel's participation in the Victory Parade on May 9 – "We were not pleased with the participation," he admitted.

However, Subkh expresses appreciation for Israeli humanitarian aid. "During the conversation, Minister Sa'ar noted that MASHAV (the Center for International Cooperation at the Israeli Foreign Ministry) has only two aid targets – the Druze in Syria and Ukraine. This proves Ukraine holds a special place," he said, adding that Sa'ar announced water systems for southern regions affected by the war, following the transfer of warning systems and the field hospital that operated in the country throughout the war.

Last weekend, Russia launched 235 drones and 27 missiles in a massive attack on the city of Dnipro and its surrounding region, killing three civilians and wounding six. "A terrible night. A massive combined attack on the region," the regional governor wrote on Telegram, alongside photos of destroyed buildings and burned cars. The nighttime alerts and attacks are a reality for a long line of cities across Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv. Additional air defense systems are at the top of Ukraine's current priority list for military aid. "We desperately need to defend our skies. There is no safe place in Ukraine right now," Subkh emphasized in the interview. He clarified that Ukraine is prepared to purchase defense systems with full payment – "We are not asking for them for free. We have our own funding."

Service members of the 48th Separate Artillery Brigade fire a 2S22 Bohdana self-propelled howitzer towards Russian troops near a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine July 27, 2025 (Photo: Reuters/Sofiia Gatilova) REUTERS

He also addressed reports about Patriot systems returned to the US from Israel – and then transferred to Kyiv. "There was so much commotion in the media around this issue," Subkh said, adding, "It's incorrect to think Israel supplies the necessary equipment directly to Ukraine. Partners are willing to facilitate equipment supply." Particularly interesting to Kyiv are Israeli technologies against drones – "Certain types of technologies Israel has, we urgently need them."

Although Israel has refused so far to transfer weapons to Kyiv, it agreed to launch a "strategic dialogue on the Iranian threat" – a move that could lead to intelligence and technological collaboration in the future. "There is a need to establish a communication line between Ukraine and Israel on the Iranian threat," Subkh explained. "You have a lot of information, sometimes unique, about Iran. We also have important information that could help Israel in dealing with the Iranian threat." Both sides agreed to establish a joint working group comprising representatives from various government ministries to monitor the process and foster cooperation.

Ukrainian intelligence across its various bodies has demonstrated impressive capabilities throughout the war, including complex operations deep in Russian territory, involving assassinations of senior officials, and, of course, the drone operation that severely damaged Moscow's strategic bomber fleet. Additionally, they have struck Russian forces and their allies worldwide in Syria, Sudan, and West Africa.

FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy gestures during a press conference on the first day of the two-day Ukraine Recovery Conference, on plans for the reconstruction of Ukraine, in Rome, Italy, July 10, 2025 (Photo: Reuters/Guglielmo Mangiapane) REUTERS

Subkh views the Israeli strike on Iranian capabilities very positively. "Apparently, the US and Israeli attacks against Iranian nuclear facilities threw the Iranian program back for a long period," he said, adding, "This is positive, I hope." When asked whether the damage to Iran's military capabilities will reduce supply to Russia, he responds confidently, "I believe so." According to him, "The less Russia depends on Iranian military equipment, the weaker Russia becomes," which is why Moscow turned to North Korea – "to compensate for what it doesn't receive from Iran."

The Ukrainian diplomat does not spare harsh criticism of Iran. "Iran is a partner in the crime of aggression against Ukraine because Iran supplies drones and drone technologies to Russia," he accused. "We have never heard from the Iranian government statements saying they condemn or at least oppose the use of Iranian drone technologies or Iranian-made drones against Ukraine. They have never done this, despite being able to."

He added that "I think the Iranian people deserve a better future, they are not satisfied with the regime they have. I don't think any nation would be happy to live under severe sanctions for decades." He added that he believes "positive changes might also happen in Iran."

Ukrainian soldier Denys Zalizko, 21, walks through his fellow villagers after returning from Russian captivity in Holovyno, Zhytomyr region, Ukraine, Monday, July 7, 2025 (Photo: AP /Evgeniy Maloletka) AP

The war in Ukraine has become a perfect example of the new warfare era – the drone age. From observation to attack, from intercepting UAVs to complex missions, drones have become a central tool on the battlefield. Against this backdrop, President Zelenskyy presented Minister Sa'ar with a cooperation proposal. "Israel can join our programs and benefit from Ukraine's extensive knowledge and expertise in drone production," Subkh recounted. "We have unique knowledge and experience; what's missing is funding," adding that Kyiv is also open to the possibility of drone production taking place outside Ukraine.

Regarding Gaza, Subkh presents the official Ukrainian position. "The humanitarian situation in Gaza is very serious," he said, noting that Ukraine supplied the Strip with at least 7,000 tons of grain and wheat as part of the "Grain from Ukraine" program. Kyiv supports increasing humanitarian aid to the Strip, a position that aligns with that of the European Union. In the same breath, he emphasized, "We condemn everything Hamas did and does, and we do not see Hamas as part of Gaza's future."

Outside the magnificent building of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, which was home to the headquarters of Ukraine's Communist Party before the USSR's collapse, a funeral is taking place for a senior commander killed in battle. Two long rows of officers and comrades-in-arms escort his coffin into the cathedral, passing by, kneeling. For now, Ukraine is "holding the line," but is also desperately calling for help.

The post Ukraine: 'We urgently need' Israeli anti-drone tech appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

'Can you hit Moscow?': Trump call shocker

ErezL — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 07:00:03 +0000

President Donald Trump privately urged Ukraine to escalate deep strikes against Russian territory, specifically asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy whether he could target Moscow if Washington supplied long-range weapons systems, according to officials briefed on the discussions reported by The Financial Times.

The July 4 conversation between the American and Ukrainian leaders represents a dramatic shift from Trump's previous position on Russia's war and his campaign commitment to withdraw US involvement from foreign conflicts. Trump's inquiry came after what he characterized as a "bad" phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin the previous day, sources familiar with the matter told The Financial Times.

During the Independence Day call, Trump directly questioned his Ukrainian counterpart about striking military installations deep within Russian territory if provided with appropriate weaponry, according to two officials briefed on the conversation. "Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow? Can you hit St Petersburg too?" Trump asked during the call, the sources revealed to The Financial Times.

Rescuers work at a site of a destroyed building after Russia's missiles attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, July 8, 2024 (AP / Evgeniy Maloletka)

Zelenskyy responded affirmatively, stating "Absolutely. We can if you give us the weapons," according to the officials. Trump expressed support for the approach, describing the strategy as designed to "make them [Russians] feel the pain" and compel the Kremlin toward negotiations, the two sources told The Financial Times.

The conversation reflects growing sentiment among Ukraine's western partners to provide long-range weapons capable of "bringing the war to Muscovites," according to a western official informed of the call. This perspective has been echoed privately by American officials in recent weeks, The Financial Times reported.

President Donald Trump, right, meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G-20 Summit in Hamburg, July 7, 2017 (AP / Evan Vucci)

The White House and Ukraine's presidential office declined to respond to requests for comment from The Financial Times.

The Trump-Zelenskyy discussion resulted in US officials sharing a list of potential weapons systems with the Ukrainian president during a Rome meeting last week, according to three sources with knowledge of the exchange. Zelenskyy received the catalog of long-range strike systems that could potentially be made available to Ukraine through third-party transfers during meetings with US defense officials and intermediaries from NATO governments.

This arrangement would enable Trump to bypass the current congressional freeze on direct US military aid by authorizing weapons sales to European allies, who would subsequently transfer the systems to Kyiv, sources explained to The Financial Times.

Ukrainian officials had specifically requested Tomahawk missiles – precision strike cruise missiles with approximately 1,600-kilometer (994-mile) range. However, the Trump administration, like its predecessor, expressed concerns about Ukraine's potential lack of restraint, according to a source familiar with the weapons list shared with Zelenskyy.

During an Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Monday, Trump announced plans to provide Ukraine with Patriot air defense systems and interceptor missiles but did not reveal shipments of other weapons systems, The Financial Times reported.

Trump expressed his displeasure with Russia and Putin over the absence of progress toward ending the war. "I'm disappointed in President [Vladimir] Putin, because I thought we would have had a deal two months ago," the US president stated.

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chair of Russia's security council and former interim president, dismissed Trump's decision on social media. "Trump issued a theatrical ultimatum to the Kremlin Russia didn't care," Medvedev wrote on X.

Two sources briefed on the Trump-Zelenskyy call and familiar with US-Ukraine military strategy discussions indicated that the Army Tactical Missile System, or Atacms, was among the weapons discussed, according to The Financial Times.

Ukraine has deployed US-supplied Atacms missiles with ranges up to 300 kilometers (186 miles) to strike targets in Russian-occupied territory and, in some instances, deeper inside Russia. The Atacms can be launched from HIMARS rocket systems that the Biden administration delivered to Ukraine, but they lack sufficient range to reach Moscow or St Petersburg.

Russia has repeatedly threatened to attack western targets in response to western weapons supplies to Ukraine but has not yet acted on these warnings, The Financial Times reported.

A Ukrainian marine serviceman runs to take a position through the residential blocks in the frontline city of Vuhledar, Ukraine, Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023 (AP / Evgeniy Maloletka)

After Ukraine first used the Atacms system to strike military targets inside Russian sovereign territory last November, Putin declared the war had "taken on elements of a global nature" and responded by test-firing the Oreshnik, an experimental intermediate-range missile, on the city of Dnipro.

The Russian president stated Moscow was entitled to "use our weaponry against military facilities of countries that allow their weapons to be used against our facilities, and in the case the aggressive action escalates, we will respond just as decisively and symmetrically."

Following the Atacms strikes, Russia published an updated nuclear doctrine that lowered the threshold for potential use. The changes could envision a Russian nuclear first strike against the US, UK and France – NATO's three nuclear powers – in response to Ukraine's strikes on Russia with weapons such as the Atacms and Storm Shadow missiles, The Financial Times reported.

Washington has periodically warned Ukraine against using these weapons to strike deep inside Russia, but those constraints appear to be loosening currently. Ukraine has primarily used its own domestically-produced long-range drones to strike military targets deep inside Russia that fuel its war machine.

Ukraine's most audacious attack occurred in early June, when the SBU security service launched swarms of suicide drones hidden inside prefabricated homes that it smuggled into Russia and attacked the country's fleet of strategic bombers. The planes had been used in Moscow's bombardments of Ukrainian cities throughout the war. At least 12 aircraft were heavily damaged or destroyed in what Kyiv called Operation Spiderweb, according to The Financial Times.

The post 'Can you hit Moscow?': Trump call shocker appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

From Russia with love: Moscow recognizes Taliban regime

miriw — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 06:00:42 +0000

The Russian Federation has made history by becoming the first nation to formally recognize the Taliban's authority in Afghanistan, with Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi describing Moscow's move as a "brave decision."

The diplomatic milestone occurred during Thursday's meeting between Muttaqi and Russian Ambassador Dmitry Zhirnov in Kabul, where Zhirnov officially transmitted his government's recognition of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Muttaqi characterized the development as marking "a new phase of positive relations, mutual respect, and constructive engagement," emphasizing that this precedent would serve as an "example" for other nations to follow.

Afghan burqa-clad women and their children walk at a refugee registration center after they arrive from Pakistan, in Takhta Pul district in Kandahar province on June 24, 2025 (Photo: Sanaullah Seiam / AFP) AFP

Since reclaiming power in August 2021, the Taliban have actively pursued international legitimacy and foreign investment opportunities, even as human rights violations continue to escalate throughout the country. The regime has faced widespread international condemnation from Western governments and humanitarian organizations, particularly regarding its implementation of Sharia law that severely restricts women's and girls' basic freedoms.

During the four years since the Taliban's return, women have been completely excluded from secondary and tertiary education systems, prohibited from leaving their residences without male accompaniment, and forced to comply with increasingly stringent dress requirements. Recent "virtue and vice" legislation has reached new extremes by forbidding women from speaking in public spaces.

International observers, including the United Nations, have characterized these policies as constituting "gender apartheid," while documenting instances of public corporal punishment and violent persecution of former government personnel. The UN Security Council responded in 2021 by implementing comprehensive sanctions against Afghanistan, including the freezing of approximately 9 billion dollars (30 billion shekels) in national assets.

The post From Russia with love: Moscow recognizes Taliban regime appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.