British PM Starmer to meet Trump at the White House

WASHINGTON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday to address the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and bilateral trade ties, amid the U.S. leader’s tariff threats on Europe and demands that the continent rely less on Washington for its security. Ahead of their meeting, Trump, who wants NATO members to boost defense spending to 5% of their Gross Domestic Product, reiterated his stance that Europe should “step up.” He told reporters at the White House on Wednesday that American taxpayers “shouldn’t be footing the bill than – more than the Europeans are paying.” In what appears to be a move to appease Trump, on Tuesday, Starmer announced an unexpected increase in the U.K. defense budget to 2.5% of the nation’s GDP by 2027, then to 2.6% the following year. “This week when I meet President Trump, I will be clear: I want this relationship to go from strength to strength,” Starmer told members of the British Parliament, underscoring what he calls his country’s “most important bilateral alliance,” with the U.S. Starmer told reporters Tuesday that the increase in defense spending was “three years in the making,” following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The increase will be funded by cutting Britain’s already depleted foreign aid budget to just 0.3% of the country’s GDP. He acknowledged that the decision to ramp up defense spending was “accelerated” as Trump moves to negotiate with Moscow without the involvement of Ukraine or Europeans and made clear he is reducing U.S. support for Europe’s security. “President Trump thinks we should do more, and I agree with him. It chimes with my thinking on this,” Starmer said. He said he also aims to further increase defense spending to 3% in the next Parliament, which will begin in 2029 at the latest after the next general election. A key message for Starmer to reinforce is that Europeans must be part of any discussions on Ukraine, said Gesine Weber, a fellow on the German Marshall Fund’s Geostrategy team. “Because it would be very odd to have a situation where you have the burden shift to Europeans, but not the strategic responsibility and the strategic reflections,” she told VOA. In 2023, the U.S. spent 3.4% of its GDP on defense, according to U.S. government data compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Insititute. European peacekeeping Starmer’s meeting comes on … “British PM Starmer to meet Trump at the White House”

Trump ends permit to export Venezuelan oil to US

CARACAS, VENEZUELA — A permit issued by the United States government allowing energy giant Chevron Corp. to pump and export Venezuelan oil will be terminated this week, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday, ending what became a financial lifeline for the South American country. Trump’s announcement in his Truth Social network accused the government of President Nicolás Maduro of not meeting democratic conditions for last year’s July presidential election as well as of not moving fast enough to transport back to Venezuela immigrants set for deportation. “We are hereby reversing the concessions that Crooked Joe Biden gave to Nicolas Maduro, of Venezuela, on the oil transaction agreement,” Trump wrote. Trump’s post did not specifically mention California-based Chevron nor the permit, formally known as a general license, that exempts the company from economic sanctions and allows it to export and sell Venezuelan oil in the U.S. But it is the only Venezuela-related license whose issuance and renewal information match the dates Trump did mention in his social media post. The administration of President Joe Biden authorized the license in 2022 after Maduro agreed to work with Venezuela’s political opposition toward a democratic election. But the election, which took place in July 2024, was neither fair nor free, and Maduro was sworn in last month for a third six-year term despite credible evidence that his opponent got more votes. Biden’s government resisted for months calls from Venezuela’s opposition and others to rescind the license, whose goal the U.S. initially said was “to support the restoration of democracy.” The opposition has estimated that Maduro’s government has received about $4 billion through the permit, which was set to be renewed Saturday. Over time, the license has become responsible for roughly a quarter of Venezuela’s oil production. “We are aware of today’s announcement and are considering its implications,” Chevron spokesperson Bill Turenne said in a statement. “Chevron conducts its business in Venezuela in compliance with all laws and regulations, including the sanctions framework provided by U.S. government.” Venezuela sits atop the world’s largest proven oil reserves and once used them to power Latin America’s strongest economy. But corruption, mismanagement and eventual U.S. economic sanctions saw production decline steadily. More than 7.7 million Venezuelans have left their homeland since 2013, when the oil-dependent economy came undone, and Maduro became president. Most settled in Latin America and the Caribbean, but after the pandemic, they increasingly set their sights on … “Trump ends permit to export Venezuelan oil to US”

Trump orders large federal layoffs; Musk to seek deeper spending cuts

washington — U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday ordered federal agencies to undertake more large-scale layoffs of federal workers, as downsizing czar Elon Musk vowed at Trump’s first Cabinet meeting to pursue deeper spending cuts. A new administration memo instructed agencies to submit plans by March 13 for a “significant reduction” in staffing to the federal workforce. It did not specify numbers of desired layoffs. The memo, signed by White House budget director Russell Vought and Office of Personnel Management acting head Charles Ezell, represents a major escalation in Trump and Musk’s campaign to slash the size of the U.S. government. Thus far, the layoffs have focused on probationary workers, who have less tenure in their current roles and enjoy fewer job protections. The next round would target the vastly bigger pool of veteran civil servants. At the Cabinet meeting, Trump said Lee Zeldin, the Environmental Protection Agency administrator, plans to cut up to 65% of his more than 15,000 employees. On Tuesday, an Interior Department source told Reuters that bureaus such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs should prepare for workforce reductions ranging from 10% to 40%. About 100,000 of the nation’s 2.3 million civilian federal workers have been fired or taken buyouts since Trump took office. Trump gave Musk an extraordinary sign of support for the cost-cutting campaign by inviting the billionaire to the Cabinet meeting and asking him to speak about the work of his Department of Government Efficiency, which is overseeing the overhaul. DOGE is not a Cabinet-level department. Musk expressed confidence that he could cut the $6.7 trillion budget by $1 trillion this year. Such an ambitious target would likely entail significant disruption of government programs. Without such deep spending cuts, Musk said, “the country will go de facto bankrupt.” Later Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order directing agencies to work with DOGE to review and terminate all “unnecessary” contracts and instructing the General Services Administration, which manages the government’s real estate, to create a plan for disposing of any unneeded property. Thus far, Trump and Musk have failed to slow the rate of spending. According to a Reuters analysis, the government spent 13% more during Trump’s first month in office than during the same time last year, largely because of higher interest payments on the debt and rising health and retirement costs incurred by an aging population. … “Trump orders large federal layoffs; Musk to seek deeper spending cuts”

A Ukrainian village works to recover after Russian occupation

Three years after Russian troops drove everyone in the village into a school basement for a month, the people of Yahidne, Ukraine, continue to repair and rebuild their homes. Lesia Bakalets visited this community about 90 kilometers north of Kyiv. Camera: Vladyslav Smilianets. …

In Ukraine, resilience is key to three years of war coverage

WASHINGTON — In a flash protest to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 20 coffins are laid out in Republic Square in Paris. The coffins —19 open and one closed — symbolize journalists held by Russia. The sealed coffin is a reference to Victoria Roshchyna, who died while in Russian detention under unclear circumstances. Overall, the conflict has contributed to 13 deaths of local and foreign journalists and 47 cases of journalists being injured as they cover the war, according to Reporters Without Borders, known as RSF. One Ukrainian journalist remains missing. Cases include Russian strikes on TV stations, gunfire, shelling and journalists being hit by Russian drones while covering Ukrainian military operations. Among those affected is Fox News journalist Benjamin Hall, who was seriously injured in an attack that killed two of his colleagues in March 2022. Hall told VOA the road to recovery has been hard. “For the first six or seven months, I was at a military hospital in Texas. And when you are going through the traumatic recovery, and you’re in the ICU, it’s brutal,” Hall said. “The amount of pain — you don’t know what’s coming ahead. But I found those to be some of the easiest moments.” Returning home, he says, and coming to terms not only with life-changing injuries, including an amputation, but also with the trauma has been harder than the immediate treatment for his injuries. The veteran correspondent was traveling to the village of Horenka outside of Kyiv with his colleagues, French video journalist Pierre Zakrzewski and Ukrainian journalist Oleksandra Kuvshynova, when a Russian mortar attack hit the vehicle two times. Hall was the only survivor. “I had one goal, and that was to get home. And it was to get better and walk again, learn to walk again,” he said. “Before, I was just this journalist. Suddenly, you are someone who was injured, and people see you in a different way. And I found that part of that recovery was a bit harder,” Hall added. Returning to journalism was a priority for his recovery. “And so, as soon as I could, I was trying to get back in the field, and I returned to Ukraine,” he said. On Nov. 20, 2023, Hall returned to Ukraine and interviewed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The journalist traveled by train and said it was a milestone in his recovery. When he was … “In Ukraine, resilience is key to three years of war coverage”

VOA Spanish: What is ‘reverse flow’ migration and what are risks of going back?

First, they crossed the Darien Gap in the hope of reaching the United States.   Now, many are returning in what authorities call a “reverse flow” of migration.   What is behind this phenomenon and what risks does it entail?  Click here for the full story in Spanish.  …

VOA Russian: Moscow weighs compromises to end war in Ukraine

As U.S. President Donald Trump sped up efforts to end the war in Ukraine, VOA Russian spoke to experts who believe Washington is keen to redraw all layers of bilateral ties with Moscow. While experts agree that the Kremlin is not inclined to make major concessions at this point, Russia will need to find compromises to reset relations with the United States. Click here for the full story in Russian. …

US, Ukraine to sign minerals deal, but security issues unsettled

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will sign a deal giving the United States substantial rights to Kyiv’s lucrative rare earth minerals and to compensate Washington for weapons sent to Ukraine to fight Russia’s three-year war of aggression.   Trump, at the first Cabinet meeting of his new presidential term, said that Zelenskyy will be at the White House on Friday to sign the pact and for discussions about the state of the war.  Trump said the deal “brings us great wealth,” but said his first goal is to end the war, which has killed or wounded several hundred thousand Russian and Ukrainian soldiers and Ukrainian civilians.  “My No. 2 thing is to get paid back,” Trump said of the more than $100 billion in munitions Washington has shipped to Kyiv to support its fighters. “Without our equipment, that [war] would have been over very quickly,” with Russia overrunning Ukraine.   As it is, Russia now controls about a fifth of Ukraine’s internationally recognized territory and has vowed to not give any of it back in a would-be peace settlement.  Trump said he expects to eventually reach a deal with Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the fighting. Trump initiated talks with Putin about ending the conflict but the first discussions last week between the top U.S. and Russian diplomats, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, excluded Ukrainian and European officials.    “Because I got elected, this war is going to come to an end,” Trump declared. He said Putin “had no intention of settling this. We’re going to have a deal.”    But he said Ukraine “could forget about” joining NATO, the West’s main military alliance, as part of a peace settlement.   In Kyiv, Zelenskyy said at a news conference that the framework for the rare earth mineral deal was complete, but that U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine that the Kyiv government views as vital have yet to be settled.  Trump has long expressed skepticism about continued U.S. military support for Ukraine. Last year, he refused to say he wants Ukraine to win the war.   Trump has called Zelenskyy a dictator, without blaming Putin for the invasion.    The U.S. leader has said he is particularly peeved that his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, agreed to the Ukraine military assistance without any provision that Ukraine would … “US, Ukraine to sign minerals deal, but security issues unsettled”

US lawmakers seek compromise on government funding bills

U.S. President Donald Trump addressed concerns Wednesday that legislation funding the federal government past a March 14 deadline would include controversial cuts to social safety net programs such as Medicaid and Social Security.  “We’re not going to touch it,” Trump told reporters, “Now we are going to look for fraud. I’m sure you’re OK with that, like people that shouldn’t be off, people that are illegal aliens and other criminals.”   Those cuts are one of the issues lawmakers are racing to resolve before a short-term spending bill runs out in just over two weeks. The House of Representatives passed a budget resolution 217-215 late Tuesday when Speaker of the House Mike Johnson secured enough votes from within his party.   “We promised to deliver President [Donald] Trump’s full agenda, not just a part of it, not just a little bit of it now and return for the rest,” Johnson told reporters earlier Tuesday.    The House and Senate bills will now have to be compromised to be signed into law.   Before the vote, several members of the House Republican conference were still concerned about the size of the spending measure, how and when to enact a proposed extension of the 2017 tax cuts, and the political impact of cutting social safety net programs that benefit many American voters.     “Not only are we working to find savings for the American taxpayer, a better, more efficient use of their dollar, which we are morally obligated to do, we also have a moral obligation to bend the curve on the debt,” Johnson said Tuesday.    Trump has called for lawmakers to pass “one big, beautiful bill” that will be a key part of enacting his domestic policy agenda.    Despite Trump expressing his preference for the House version of the budget, the Senate last week passed a funding resolution that provides $150 billion in military funding and $175 billion for border security. That measure also avoids the controversial Medicaid cuts of the House version.    In a statement Wednesday, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham warned, “Time is of the essence when it comes to border security. ICE will run out of money in weeks, not months. Stalling President Trump’s border security agenda is not only bad politics, it is dangerous.”  Trump posted on Truth Social last week that “The House and Senate are doing a SPECTACULAR job of working … “US lawmakers seek compromise on government funding bills”

Security experts highlight pros, cons of Ukraine-US minerals deal

Ukraine and the United States are set to sign a landmark minerals agreement, marking a significant step toward strengthening economic ties between the two nations. However, security experts tell VOA that concerns persist about the broader implications of the deal.  Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers approved the agreement Wednesday and U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit the White House on Friday to sign it. The deal includes provisions for the co-ownership and management of a post-war reconstruction fund for Ukraine, to which Ukraine will allocate 50% of future revenues from the country’s natural resources. The agreement states that the U.S. will maintain a “long-term financial commitment to the development of a stable and economically prosperous Ukraine.”  The deal makes no direct reference to efforts to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, though, or about future security arrangements for the Eastern European country, apart from a single line: “The Government of the United States of America supports Ukraine’s efforts to obtain security guarantees needed to establish lasting peace.”  While the deal aims to unlock Ukraine’s mineral wealth and bolster its economic recovery, security experts warn it may fall short in addressing Ukraine’s ongoing security challenges amid continued Russian aggression.  American business perspective  Andy Hunder, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, explained to VOA by telephone that the deal aims to establish a new American-Ukrainian fund, focusing on state-owned enterprises and Ukraine’s rich subsoil resources, including gas, oil, and critical minerals. A representative of American business in Ukraine, Hunder expressed optimism about the agreement’s potential impact: “We’re excited. Professional fund managers can turn these enterprises profitable very quickly. This is a win-win for both Ukrainian and American taxpayers,” he told VOA on Wednesday.  Hunder said the fund could unlock profits rapidly by introducing professional management to Ukraine’s state-owned enterprises, which currently face mismanagement issues.  “Ukraine has the second highest number of state-owned enterprises in the world, many of which are being managed, or some are being mismanaged, by the Ukrainian state. So, I think we get new professional fund managers into these entities, and this is where you could seal profits and turn them around very, very quickly,” he said.   Hunder revealed that discussions about Ukrainian economic potential were high on the agenda between the two countries in 2024, “[s]tarting when Senator Lindsey Graham came in March and May of 2024, and we have looked … “Security experts highlight pros, cons of Ukraine-US minerals deal”

US, Ukraine near minerals deal, but security issues unsettled

The United States said Wednesday it is nearing a deal on Ukraine’s lucrative rare earth minerals needed for technology products to compensate Washington for the more than $100 billion worth of munitions it has sent to Kyiv to defend itself against Russia’s three-year war of aggression. “We’re very close to the finish line,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. In Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at a news conference that the framework of an economic deal is complete, but that U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine that the Kyiv government views as vital have yet to be settled. Zelenskyy is expected to visit Washington on Friday for talks with President Donald Trump, who has long expressed skepticism about continued U.S. military support for Ukraine. In recent weeks, he has refused to say he wants Ukraine to win the war and has initiated talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin without Kyiv’s involvement to settle the conflict that started with Russia’s invasion three years ago this week. Trump said Tuesday of Zelenskyy, “Certainly, it’s okay with me if he’d like to” visit the White House. “He would like to sign [the economic deal] together with me. I understand that. It’s a big deal.” Trump has called Zelenskyy a dictator, without blaming Putin for the invasion. The U.S. leader has said he is particularly peeved that his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, agreed to the Ukraine military assistance without any provision that Ukraine would pay back the cost. Biden led the coalition of Western allies in providing the military aid to fight Russian aggression without sending their own troops to fight alongside Ukrainian forces. Zelenskyy says the U.S. military aid was a grant and not a loan that needed to be repaid. Zelenskyy said he expects to have wide-ranging substantive discussions with Trump. “I want to coordinate with the U.S.,” Zelenskyy said. The Ukrainian leader said he wants to know whether the U.S. plans to halt military aid and, if so, whether Ukraine would be able to purchase weapons directly from the U.S. He also wants to know whether Ukraine can use frozen Russian assets for weapons investments and whether Washington plans to lift its economic sanctions on Russian entities and high-level associates and friends of Putin. Elements of the deal Earlier, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told the country’s public television channel that Ukraine and the United States had reached … “US, Ukraine near minerals deal, but security issues unsettled”

New app lets homebuyers know about future neighbor’s politics 

Most homebuyers get to know the people who live next door after they move in. But a new real estate app allows future homebuyers to learn a potential neighbor’s political leanings before they make what, for many people, is the biggest purchase of their life. “The purpose of Oyssey [the app] is to democratize data for buyers in their home search experience … to get you, as a prospective buyer, a feel for the area and community,” says Darian Kelly, co-founder of Oyssey. “It’s to get you to the understanding of, when I move here, these are the type of people that I might be inviting over for dinner. The type of people that I will be raising my child alongside.” The Oyssey data is pulled from sources like election results, campaign contributions and information from marketing research firms. The app has only launched in Florida and New York so far, but its founders say they expect to take it nationwide later this year. Realtors subscribe to Oyssey and then give their homebuyer clients access to the service. For the initial launch, the platform breaks down political affiliation block by block, but Kelly says potential homebuyers will eventually be able to look up whether their prospective new neighbor is a registered Democrat or Republican. Ben McCartney, an assistant professor of commerce at the University of Virginia, co-authored a study published in 2024 that found that 1 of every 100 moves is politically motivated, and that the people most likely to relocate for this reason tend to be less involved in politics. “They don’t want politics to be part of their everyday life, but then they get a new neighbor, and that new neighbor is not only very politically vocal, but also affiliated with the opposite party, and there’s where we see the strongest tensions arise,” McCartney says. The study found that current residents are slightly more likely to move away if they get new neighbors with different political views than if the new neighbor is affiliated with the same political party. “So, political polarization isn’t just a social media phenomenon but is affecting real economic decisions, as well,” McCartney says. The study found the numbers of Democrats and Republicans who wanted to move away from neighbors with different political views to be roughly even. That’s why an app like Oyssey makes sense to McCartney. “People do seem to care about … “New app lets homebuyers know about future neighbor’s politics “

US, Belarus seek deal on political prisoners and sanctions

The U.S. and Belarus are reportedly negotiating a deal for the release of a significant number of political prisoners in Belarus. In return the U.S. is considering easing some sanctions on the country that is closely tied to Russia. Maxim Adams has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. Video editor: Aleksandr Bergan, Anna Rice    …

7 killed by Russian air attacks in Ukraine’s Kyiv, Donetsk regions 

Ukrainian officials said Wednesday that Russian aerial attacks in the Kyiv and Donetsk regions killed at least seven people.    Donetsk Governor Vadym Filashkin said on Telegram that preliminary information indicates Russian forces used guided bombs to hit the city of Kostyantynivka, killing at least five people and injuring eight others.  In the Kyiv region, Governor Mykola Kalashnyk said Russian attacks killed at least two people and injured two others.  Kalashnyk said on Telegram that the attack also damaged nine houses and four multi-story residential buildings.   The Ukrinform news agency said journalist Tetyana Kulyk was one of those killed. It said a Russian drone struck her house.    Fragments from destroyed drones damaged apartment buildings, a university building, and a theater in the Kharkiv region in eastern Ukraine, the regional governor said Wednesday.     Ukraine’s military said Wednesday it shot down 110 of the 177 drones that Russian forces used in their latest overnight attacks.     Russia’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday its air defenses destroyed 130 Ukrainian drones, more than half of which were shot down over the Krasnodar region located along the Black Sea.     Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said on Telegram that the attacks damaged homes in three districts but did not hurt anyone.     Russian air defenses also shot down drones over Russia-occupied Crimea, the Sea of Azov, the Black Sea and Russia’s Bryansk and Kursk regions, the Defense Ministry said.     Some information for this story was provided by Agence France-Presse and Reuters.  …

EU will ask India to cut tariffs on cars, wine to boost ties, reduce reliance on China 

NEW DELHI — The European Union plans to urge India to lower its high tariffs on cars and wine to boost trade, as it seeks to reduce its reliance on China, a senior official from the bloc said, ahead of a visit by the European Commission president to New Delhi. Echoing U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat of reciprocal tariffs, the official said the EU would press India to cut tariffs on some goods and broaden market access for its products, while offering flexibility on agriculture issues to expedite free trade agreement talks. “The Indian market is relatively closed, especially to key products of commercial interest to the European Union and our member states’ industries, including cars, wines and spirits,” said the official, who requested anonymity due to the confidential nature of the discussions. EC President Ursula von der Leyen’s two-day visit from Thursday, accompanied by leaders of EU member nations, coincides with escalating geopolitical tensions, with Brussels and New Delhi set to outline key areas for deeper cooperation under their strategic partnership. Leyen will meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, followed by discussions with trade minister Piyush Goyal. The next trade negotiations round is scheduled for March 10-14 in Brussels. The EU’s call for lower tariffs comes amid Trump’s threats to impose reciprocal tariffs from early April, which has caused anxiety for India’s exporters. Analysts from Citi Research estimate potential losses of about $7 billion annually. The EU is India’s largest trading partner in goods, with trade nearing $126 billion in 2024, marking an increase of about 90% over the past decade. Reducing reliance on China As part of its “de-risking” strategy, the EU aims to strengthen economic and security ties with India, diversify supply chains, and reduce reliance on key products from China. The EU also views India as a vital ally in addressing security challenges, the official said, including cyber threats and tensions in the South China Sea and Indo-Pacific. Leyen is also expected to seek India’s support for a “peaceful and just deal” for Ukraine’s security, the official said. The EU and India could sign an agreement to share classified security information to tackle common threats such as cyber attacks and terrorism, while exploring defense equipment trade. Despite these potential benefits, trade analysts said the visit may not yield tangible results. For substantial cooperation, the EU should acknowledge India as a data-secure country, said Ajay Srivastava, … “EU will ask India to cut tariffs on cars, wine to boost ties, reduce reliance on China “

France wants Europe cooperation on visas over expulsion of undocumented migrants

PARIS — France’s foreign minister said Wednesday that he wanted “all” European countries to cooperate and start cutting back visas available to nationals of countries that refuse to take back illegal migrants expelled by Paris. Jean-Noel Barrot spoke after an Algerian-born man went on a stabbing rampage in the eastern French city of Mulhouse at the weekend, killing one person and wounding several others in what President Emmanuel Macron called an “Islamist terrorist act.” The 37-year-old suspect was on a terrorism watch list and subject to a deportation order. France had attempted to expel him multiple times, but Algeria refused to cooperate, French authorities say. “If a country does not cooperate with the French authorities, I will propose that all European countries restrict the issuing of visas at the same time,” Barrot told broadcaster France 2. “When we do it on a national level, it doesn’t work unfortunately,” he added. But if foreign governments cooperate, the European Union also could consider reducing customs tariffs for such countries, Barrot proposed. “It is a particularly powerful lever,” he said. French authorities are seeking to tighten immigration policies and border controls, in a move emblematic of the right-ward shift in French politics. “If we want our migration policy to be as effective as possible, there are many things that will be much more effective if we do it at a European level,” he said. Prime Minister Francois Bayrou was set later Wednesday to chair a meeting on immigration controls. Bayrou has called for a national debate on immigration and what it means to be French, suggesting that immigrants were “flooding” France. …

Ukrainian officials say deadly drone attack hits Kyiv region

Ukrainian officials said Wednesday a Russian drone attack killed at least one person and injured two others in the Kyiv region. Kyiv Governor Mykola Kalashnyk said on Telegram that the attack also damaged five houses and four multi-story residential buildings. Fragments from destroyed drones damaged apartment buildings, a university building, and a theater in the Kharkiv region in eastern Ukraine, the regional governor said Wednesday. Ukraine’s military said Wednesday it shot down 110 of the 177 drones that Russian forces used in their latest overnight attacks. Russia’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday its air defenses destroyed 130 Ukrainian drones, more than half of which were shot down over the Krasnodar region located along the Black Sea. Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said on Telegram that the attacks damaged homes in three districts but did not hurt anyone. Russian air defenses also shot down drones over Russia-occupied Crimea, the Sea of Azov, the Black Sea and Russia’s Bryansk and Kursk regions, the Defense Ministry said. Some information for this story was provided by Reuters …

US, Ukraine near minerals deal

The United States and Ukraine have a framework deal in place for a joint fund to reinvest revenue from Ukrainian natural resources, according to officials familiar with the negotiations. The plan would include investing 50% of proceeds from Ukraine’s minerals, oil and gas. The United States would commit to the development of a “stable and economically prosperous Ukraine.” The framework does not include U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine, but officials said negotiations were ongoing. U.S. President Donald Trump indicated Tuesday he could meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later this week. “I hear that he’s coming on Friday. Certainly, it’s okay with me if he’d like to. He would like to sign it together with me. I understand that. It’s a big deal.” Some information for this story was provided by The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters …

Nominee for No. 2 spot at Pentagon warns China ‘incredibly determined’ to surpass US

PENTAGON — President Donald Trump’s nominee for deputy secretary of defense is warning that China’s military is resolute on surpassing the United States and is calling for a fix to “significant” military shortages at a time when administration leaders are trying to make big budget cuts. “China is incredibly determined, they feel a great sense of urgency, and they’ll be fully dedicated to becoming the strongest nation in the world and having dominance over the United States,” Steve Feinberg told members of the Senate Armed Service Committee on Tuesday.   Feinberg, a businessman and investor, said the U.S. military shortages include “shipbuilding, nuclear modernization, aircraft development, cyber defense, hypersonics, counter space, defending our satellites [and] counter drones.” “We really need to plug these shortages, focus on our priorities, get rid of legacy programs, be very disciplined, while at the same time focusing on the economics. If we do that, given America’s great innovative capability, entrepreneurship, we will defeat China. If we don’t, our very national security is at risk,” Feinberg said. The hearing comes as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has called on the department to cut 8% — roughly $50 billion — to reinvest in priorities aligned with a “more lethal fighting force.” Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, on Tuesday pushed back against the move saying, “Slashing the defense budget will not create efficiency in our military. It will cripple it.” The concern about cuts to the military has echoed on both sides of the aisle. Republican committee Chairman Roger Wicker told the Breaking Defense news organization last month that he hoped to increase defense spending by as much as $200 billion in coming years. And Republican Senator Dan Sullivan on Tuesday called for prioritizing solutions to shipbuilding to counter threats from China and others. “We’re in the worst crisis in shipbuilding in over 40 years. The Chinese are building a giant navy. It’s already bigger than ours,” he said. China’s military has about 370 warships, according to the Pentagon’s latest China Military Power Report, while the U.S. military has about 300. Feinberg acknowledged that the shipbuilding shortage is “a tough problem” for the military. “Our supply chain is definitely weak. Our workforce needs to be improved. But a big piece of improving our supply chain is working more closely with our private sector. We have companies that can get at where our … “Nominee for No. 2 spot at Pentagon warns China ‘incredibly determined’ to surpass US”

Ukraine, US agree on a framework economic deal, Ukrainian officials say

KYIV, UKRAINE — Ukraine and the United States have reached an agreement on a framework for a broad economic deal that would include access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, three senior Ukrainian officials said Tuesday.  The officials, who were familiar with the matter, spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. One of them said Kyiv hopes that signing the agreement will ensure the continued flow of U.S. military support that Ukraine urgently needs.  President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, said he’d heard that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was coming and added that “it’s OK with me, if he’d like to, and he would like to sign it together with me.”  The agreement could be signed as early as Friday and plans are being drawn up for Zelenskyy to travel to Washington to meet Trump, according to one of the Ukrainian officials.  Another official said the agreement would provide an opportunity for Zelenskyy and Trump to discuss continued military aid to Ukraine, which is why Kyiv is eager to finalize the deal.  Trump called it “a very big deal,” adding that it could be worth 1 trillion dollars. “It could be whatever, but it’s rare earths and other things.”  According to one Ukrainian official, some technical details are still to be worked out. However, the draft does not include a contentious Trump administration proposal to give the U.S. $500 billion worth of profits from Ukraine’s rare earth minerals as compensation for its wartime assistance to Kyiv.  Instead, the U.S. and Ukraine would have joint ownership of a fund, and Ukraine would in the future contribute 50 percent of future proceeds from state-owned resources, including minerals, oil, and gas. One official said the deal had better terms of investments and another one said that Kyiv secured favorable amendments and viewed the outcome as “positive.”  The deal does not, however, include security guarantees. One official said that this would be something the two presidents would discuss when they meet.  The progress in negotiating the deal comes after Trump and Zelenskyy traded sharp rhetoric last week about their differences over the matter.  Zelenskyy said he balked at signing off on a deal that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent pushed during a visit to Kyiv earlier this month, and the Ukrainian leader objected again days later during a meeting in Munich with Vice President JD Vance because … “Ukraine, US agree on a framework economic deal, Ukrainian officials say”

Though battling fatigue and uncertainty, Ukrainians still express hope, polls show

Despite rising uncertainty over waning U.S. support, growing existential questions and ongoing Russian advances, polls find Ukrainians remain generally optimistic about their future. Lesia Bakalets reports from Kyiv, Ukraine. Camera: Vladyslav Smilianet. …

VOA Russian: Russia’s economy growth is forecast to stall

Three years since the beginning of the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s economy has continued to grow because of its rampant defense spending. VOA Russian spoke with the experts who predict the defense-based growth is unsustainable and about to hit the ceiling as both industrial capacities and workforce are at near maximums. Thousands of Western sanctions imposed on Moscow also have hit certain sectors of the Russian economy, particularly damaging Gazprom, the car industry and aviation. Click here for the full story in Russian. …

US consumer confidence drops sharply, survey shows

U.S. consumer confidence plunged in February in its biggest monthly decline in more than four years, a business research group said Tuesday. The Conference Board said its consumer confidence index dropped from 105.3 in January to 98.3 this month, the largest month-to-month decline since August 2021. With U.S. consumer spending accounting for about 70% of the world’s largest economy, the three major stock indexes on Wall Street all fell on news of the report. The tech-heavy NASDAQ dropped by more than a percentage point. The Conference Board said in a statement, “Views of current labor market conditions weakened. Consumers became pessimistic about future business conditions and less optimistic about future income. Pessimism about future employment prospects worsened and reached a 10-month high.” Separately, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent contended Tuesday that the U.S. economy is more fragile under the surface than economic indicators suggest, and he vowed to “reprivatize” growth by cutting government spending and regulation. In his first major economic policy address, Bessent told a group at the Australian Embassy in Washington that interest rate volatility, enduring inflation and reliance on the public sector for job growth have hobbled the American economy, despite general national economic growth and low unemployment. Bessent blamed “prolific overspending” under former President Joe Biden and regulations that have hindered supply-side growth as the main drivers of “sticky inflation.” “The previous administration’s over-reliance on excessive government spending and overbearing regulation left us with an economy that may have exhibited some reasonable metrics but ultimately was brittle underneath,” he said. Bessent said that 95% of all job growth in the past 12 months has been concentrated in public and government-adjacent sectors, such as health care and education, jobs offering slower wage growth and less productivity than private-sector jobs. Meanwhile, he said jobs in manufacturing, metals, mining and information technology all contracted or flatlined over the same period. “The private sector has been in recession,” Bessent said. “Our goal is to reprivatize the economy.” Consumers had appeared increasingly confident heading toward the end of 2024 and spent generously during the holiday season. But U.S. retail sales dropped sharply in January, with unusually cold weather throughout much of the U.S. taking some of the blame. Retail sales fell 0.9% last month from December, the Commerce Department reported last week. The decline, the biggest in a year, came after two months of robust gains. With inflation remaining a concern … “US consumer confidence drops sharply, survey shows”

US expands visa restrictions on Cubans tied to labor export program

WASHINGTON — The United States has expanded an existing visa restriction policy to target Cuban officials believed to be tied to a labor program that sends Cuban workers overseas, particularly health care workers, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday. In a statement, Rubio said the expanded restrictions target individuals and immediate family members of individuals believed to be responsible for the program, which he described as “forced labor.” The U.S. has already imposed restrictions on several people, including some Venezuelans, he added. The Caribbean island nation’s health service generates major export earnings by sending health workers around the world. “Cuba’s labor export programs, which include the medical missions, enrich the Cuban regime, and in the case of Cuba’s overseas medical missions, deprive ordinary Cubans of the medical care they desperately need in their home country,” Rubio said. The Cuban government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The United States and Cuba have had a strained relationship since Fidel Castro took over in a 1959 revolution, and a U.S. trade embargo has been in place for decades. …

German election winner: Europe must defend itself as US ‘does not care’

Friedrich Merz, who will likely be the next chancellor of Germany after gaining the largest vote share in elections Sunday, has warned that the United States “does not care much” about the fate of Europe — and called for the continent to urgently organize its own defense capability. As Henry Ridgwell reports, the comments mark a profound shift in approach from Europe’s biggest economy. …

Starmer to boost UK defense spending against Russian threat

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Tuesday that the U.K. would increase its defense spending by 2027 to bolster its security against the threat of Russian aggression exhibited by Moscow’s three-year war against Ukraine. Starmer told Parliament that defense spending would increase by $17 billion annually, boosting outlays from 2.3% of the United Kingdom’s economic production to 2.5%, with corresponding cuts in overseas development assistance. Starmer told lawmakers the increased defense spending was a “generational response” and the “biggest sustained increase in defense spending since the end of the Cold War.” He said it was necessary because “tyrants like [Russian President Vladimir] Putin only respond to strength.” “We must stand by Ukraine, because if we do not achieve a lasting peace, then the economic instability and threats to our security, they will only grow,” said Starmer, who is set to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Thursday. “And so, as the nature of that conflict changes as it has in recent weeks, it brings our response into sharper focus, a new era that we must meet as we have so often in the past, together, and with strength,” Starmer told the House of Commons. Britain previously said it would increase its defense spending to 2.5% of its national economic production but did not pinpoint a date. It already is one of 23 of the 32 countries in NATO that meets the goal of the West’s main military alliance for each country to spend at least 2% of its gross domestic product on defense. Starmer’s push to increase defense spending comes as European countries have expressed new concerns about ongoing military support from the United States as Trump advances his “America First” foreign policy agenda and pushes to settle the Ukraine war in discussions with Putin. Starmer has offered to send British troops to Ukraine as part of a force to safeguard any ceasefire that might be agreed to but says an American “backstop” will be needed to ensure a lasting peace.   Trump has not committed to providing security guarantees for Ukraine, saying Monday after meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House that “Europe is going to make sure nothing happens.” Trump last week called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator” but has declined to characterize Putin the same way. Some material in this report came from The Associated Press. …