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US Vice President JD Vance insisted Tuesday he was not targeting France and Britain with remarks he made dismissing the military abilities of countries supporting a possible European peacekeeping force in Ukraine.European nations are looking at ways to support an eventual peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, with Britain and France saying they would be willing to deploy ground troops.Vance responded Monday in a Fox News interview by mocking the prospect of sending “20,000 troops from some random country that has not fought a war in 30 or 40 years.”After his remarks drew an angry response from politicians in London and Paris, Vance posted on X that the pushback against his comments was “absurdly dishonest.””I don’t even mention the UK or France in the clip, both of whom have fought bravely alongside the US over the last 20 years, and beyond,” Vance said.But he went on to question the underlying idea of an Anglo-French “coalition of the willing” to police any ceasefire in Ukraine.”There are many countries who are volunteering (privately or publicly) support who have neither the battlefield experience nor the military equipment to do anything meaningful,” he said.Vance later appeared to further row back his comments when speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill.”Obviously — and we appreciate this — the British and the French have offered to step up in a big way, that’s very, very important,” Vance said when asked about whether European peacekeepers could realistically be part of the solution.French and British troops both served alongside US soldiers in Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks on the United States. British soldiers also joined the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.Vance has positioned himself as President Donald Trump’s foreign policy attack dog in recent days, particularly when it comes to Europe.He stunned European leaders at the Munich Security Conference last month when he made a speech seen as a combative broadside against the continent and Germany in particular, accusing them of limiting free speech and excluding parties voicing strong concerns on immigration.Vance then confronted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday during a visit to the White House on the free speech issue, before doubling down on the comments the next day.And last Friday the vice president was the first to raise his voice against Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky during a meeting with Trump in the Oval Office that left allies reeling.After Trump suspended US support for Kyiv against Russia, Zelensky said on Tuesday that the row was “regrettable” and that he wanted to “make things right” with the United States.Trump, who has been accused of sidelining both Kyiv and European allies as he moves to negotiate directly with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, has so far refused to involve the United States in the peacekeeping operation suggested by France and the United Kingdom.

Donald Trump will tout his high-octane start to his second term in an address to Congress Tuesday, in the face of a nation roiled by his aggressive extension of presidential power and a world unsettled by his shifts on Ukraine and tariffs.The White House said the theme of Trump’s televised speech at 9:00 pm (0200 GMT Wednesday) will be “the renewal of the American dream” — but it promises to be a rowdy and divisive evening inside the US Capitol.Democratic lawmakers will bring federal workers targeted by the blizzard of cuts to the US bureaucracy made by Trump’s advisor Elon Musk — the world’s richest person — and his Department for Government Efficiency (DOGE).Republicans are however expected to cheer Trump on loudly while the president and First Lady Melania Trump will invite guests who reflect his speech’s priorities on the economy and migration.Trump said the address “will be big” and promised to “tell it like it is,” in a post on his Truth Social network on Monday.”We’re so excited — it’s a big day and it’s a big night for President Trump and we know he’s going to give a fantastic speech,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Tuesday.She said the speech would cover his accomplishments in his first term, his plans for the economy, a push for Congress to pass border funding, and “dive into foreign policy” on Ukraine and Gaza.The final section will be closely watched given the fresh global turmoil triggered by Trump’s actions in the last 24 hours as he pursues his “America First” policy.Tariffs on US allies Mexico and Canada and rival China came into effect on Tuesday, while Trump halted aid to Ukraine on the eve of the speech after a blazing Oval Office row with President Volodymyr Zelensky.Trump’s pivot towards Russia’s Vladimir Putin on the Ukraine war has particularly alarmed US allies.- ‘Unprecedented achievements’ -On the home front Trump is expected to play up the record blitz of executive orders he has signed in his first six weeks back in the White House.Abetted by Musk, who will attend the speech, Trump has moved to unilaterally dismantle federal agencies and fired thousands of government workers. He has also ended diversity programs and begun holding undocumented migrants at the US military base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba as part of his crackdown on foreigners without papers.The speech will be Trump’s first to both houses of Congress for five years, and also his first since his supporters stormed the building following his 2020 election defeat.But this time he will be making a triumphant appearance in front of a fully Republican-controlled Congress.”It’s an opportunity for President Trump, as only he can, to lay out the last month of record-setting, record-breaking unprecedented achievements and accomplishments that have made this the most successful opening to any presidency,” his Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller told reporters on Monday.Trump is also determined this time around to exert more power than any president in decades, which at times could put him on a collision course with Congress and the US courts. Democrats have so far however struggled to counter Trump’s “flood the zone” strategy and his hogging of the news cycle with constant Oval Office news conferences.But with his poll numbers softening, Trump will also know he faces pressure to deal with stubborn issues facing Americans — most importantly inflation.Trump’s tariffs also threaten to weigh on the economy, with stock markets sliding around the world as his tariffs took effect.

Mounting trade wars between the United States and its largest economic partners deepened Tuesday as huge US tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China kicked in, sparking swift retaliation from Beijing and Ottawa.Global markets fell sharply in response, with the S&P 500 — a major Wall Street index — extending recent losses and erasing all of its gains since President Donald Trump’s US election victory in November. Trump had announced — and then paused — blanket 25 percent tariffs on imports from major trading partners Canada and Mexico in February, accusing them of failing to stop illegal immigration and drug trafficking.He pushed ahead with them Tuesday, citing a lack of progress on both fronts. The sweeping duties will hit over $918 billion in US imports from both countries, affecting everything from avocados to the lumber crucial for building US homes, and hampering supply chains for key sectors like automobiles.Canada swiftly responded with retaliatory tariffs of 25 percent, while Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she would lay out her country’s response to the measures on Sunday. Trump also inked an order Monday to increase a previously imposed 10 percent tariff on China to 20 percent — piling atop existing levies on various Chinese goods.Beijing condemned the “unilateral imposition of tariffs by the US” and said it would impose 10 and 15 percent levies on a range of agricultural imports from the United States.Experts have warned the higher import costs could push up prices for consumers, complicating efforts to bring down inflation.That includes at grocery stores — Mexico supplied 63 percent of US vegetable imports and nearly half of US fruit and nut imports in 2023, according to the US Department of Agriculture.Housing costs could also be hit. More than 70 percent of imports of two key materials homebuilders need — softwood lumber and gypsum — come from Canada and Mexico, said the National Association of Home Builders. Truck drivers at the Otay Mesa border crossing in Mexico told AFP they were already feeling the impact as they waited to cross into the United States early Tuesday.Work was drying up because many companies in the Mexican border city of Tijuana export Chinese goods, said driver Angel Cervantes.- Fight to ‘the bitter end’ -Ottawa’s retaliatory 25 percent tariffs on $30 billion of goods went into effect just after midnight Tuesday.”Canada will not let this unjustified decision go unanswered,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, adding that they would be extended to duties on more than $150 billion of Canadian goods within weeks.China’s tariffs will come into effect next week and will impact tens of billions of dollars in imports, from US soybeans to chickens.China also suspended all imports of US lumber and halted soybean shipments from three American exporters.Beijing’s foreign ministry vowed to fight a US trade war to the “bitter end.”European Union trade spokesman Olof Gill warned the tariffs on Canada and Mexico threatened transatlantic “economic stability” and risked disrupting global trade, urging Washington to reverse course.- Trump seeks leverage -Analysts say Trump’s tariffs over drugs like fentanyl are a means to tackle socio-economic problems — while providing legal justifications to move quickly — and Washington is also seeking leverage and to rebalance trade ties.But using emergency economic powers to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China is a novel move.The Tax Foundation estimates that before accounting for foreign retaliation, tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China this time would each cut US economic output by 0.1 percent.”We could easily reach the highest effective tariff rate since 1936 by the beginning of 2026,” KPMG chief economist Diane Swonk warned ahead of the tariffs going into effect.Both consumers and manufacturers stand to bear the costs of additional tariffs, which could diminish demand and trigger layoffs as businesses try to keep costs under control, she told AFP.burs-da/bjt

Ukrainians in Kyiv and soldiers on the front lines were in shock on Tuesday and grappling with a sense of betrayal after US President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend military aid.The move by Trump follows weeks of deteriorating ties between Washington and Kyiv, and Ukrainians said the decision played directly into the hands of the Kremlin.”It’s like a stab in the back. Because we were counting on them. And we are still counting on them. It’s wrong in my opinion,” Sofia, a Kyiv resident, who declined to give her surname, told AFP.”Of course it was shocking. These are our main partners,” the 33-year-old financial assistant added.The United States, which is Ukraine’s most important political ally, has also contributed billions of dollars of vital military assistance to Kyiv since Russia invaded in February 2022.Trump vowed before his inauguration in January to speedily end the war but had offered no roadmap, spurring fears that Ukraine could be forced into conceding territory to Russia as part of an agreement.- ‘Europe will be next’ -Oleksiy, a 26-year-old serviceman, told AFP in the frontline town of Kramatorsk that Ukraine would need to find other ways to make up the shortfalls in aid.”At the very least, Europe is interested in this. If (Russian forces) capture Ukraine, Europe will be next,” he added.Denys Kazansky, a Ukrainian media commentator said that while Washington had paused support for Kyiv “North Korea and Iran did not stop military aid to Russia”.Both Moscow-allied countries have provided critical help to the Russian military since the Kremlin launched its fully-fledged invasion.”We live in a reality where the United States has become an ally of North Korea, Russia and Iran and it is helping them carry out aggression against a European country,” Kazansky added on social media.Political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko told AFP that the halt of US military aid did not necessarily mean that Ukraine would imminently lose the war.”Worsening of the situation — yes. Weakening of Ukraine’s defence capabilities — yes. More vulnerability in case of ballistic missile attacks on Ukraine — yes,” he said.”But this does not mean the inevitable loss of the war,” he said.Sergiy Takhmazov, a member of the Ukrainian military, questioned how long Ukrainians would be able to hold out without US support for air defence systems and intelligence sharing.Prime Minister Denys Shmygal told reporters that Ukraine would find a way to “hold out” and said Kyiv was still open to talks with Washington.But he said that Ukraine needed security guarantees from its Western allies to deter any future Russian attacks.”This is existentially important not only for Ukraine, but also for the European Union, for the European continent,” Shmygal said.- Ukraine could ‘cease to exist’ -Pavlo Kazarin, a journalist and commentator who joined the military, warned what would happen without those guarantees.”All those who demand peace from us ignore that the price of our peace will be higher than the price of our war,” he said.Some of the servicemen AFP spoke with in eastern Ukraine voiced confidence in their country’s own developing arms industry.”It’s just that so much has already happened, and now to back off or something like that, I don’t see any sense in it,” said a 37-year-old sergeant who identified himself to AFP as Viking.In the capital, Igor Peresada said the dynamics of fighting would become much more difficult without US military support, but said that it would also be impossible for Ukraine to stop fighting.”Because if we stop shooting, Ukraine will cease to exist as an independent state. And if Putin wants a ceasefire, he can withdraw his troops, and that’s it, the war will end,” the 57-year-old civil servant said. 

Mounting trade wars between the United States and its largest economic partners deepened on Tuesday as US tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China kicked in, sparking swift retaliation from Beijing and Ottawa.Stinging US tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods came into effect as a deadline to avert President Donald Trump’s levies passed without the nations striking a deal — a move set to snarl supply chains.Trade war fears sent markets falling in Asia and Europe on Tuesday in response to what analysts said were its steepest tariffs on imports since the 1940s.Trump had announced — and then paused — the blanket 25 percent tariffs on imports from major trading partners Canada and Mexico in February, accusing them of failing to stop illegal immigration and drug trafficking.In pushing ahead with the duties, Trump cited a lack of progress in tackling the flow of drugs like fentanyl into the United States.The duties stand to impact over $918 billion worth of US imports from both countries.The sweeping duties on Canada and Mexico are set to hamper supply chains for key sectors like automobiles and construction materials, risking cost increases to households.Mexico supplied 63 percent of US vegetable imports and nearly half of US fruit and nut imports in 2023, according to the US Department of Agriculture.More than 80 percent of US avocados come from Mexico — meaning higher import costs could push up prices for American shoppers.And the United States imports construction materials from Canada, too, meaning tariffs could drive up housing costs.More than 70 percent of imports of two key materials homebuilders need — softwood lumber and gypsum — come from Canada and Mexico, said National Association of Home Builders chairman Carl Harris.- ‘Bitter end’ -Trump also inked an order Monday to increase a previously imposed 10 percent tariff on China to 20 percent — piling atop existing levies on various Chinese goods.Beijing condemned the “unilateral imposition of tariffs by the US” and swiftly retaliated, saying it would impose 10 and 15 percent levies on a range of agricultural imports from the United States.China’s tariffs will come into effect next week and will impact tens of billions of dollars in imports, from US soybeans to chickens.Beijing’s foreign ministry vowed to fight a US trade war to the “bitter end.””The Chinese people will not be intimidated,” spokesman Lin Jian said.And after Trump earlier announced tariffs on EU products would be 25 percent, France’s Economy Minister Eric Lombard called for the European Union to reach a “balanced deal” with Washington.EU trade spokesman Olof Gill warned the tariffs on Canada and Mexico threatened transatlantic “economic stability” and risked “disrupting global trade,” urging Washington to reverse course.Economists caution that tariffs could raise consumer prices while weighing on growth and employment.The Tax Foundation estimates that before accounting for foreign retaliation, tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China this time would each cut US economic output by 0.1 percent.This could complicate Trump’s efforts to fulfill his campaign promises of lowering prices for Americans.Former US officials see Trump’s tariffs over drugs like fentanyl as a means to tackle socio-economic problems — while providing legal justifications to move quickly.Washington is also seeking leverage and to rebalance trade ties, analysts say.But using emergency economic powers to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China is a novel move, and could trigger lawsuits.- US tariffs won’t ‘go unanswered’ -Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday pledged to impose retaliatory 25 percent tariffs on Washington, saying in a statement: “Canada will not let this unjustified decision go unanswered.”Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her country has contingency plans.If Trump continues with his tariff plans, KPMG chief economist Diane Swonk warned ahead of them going into effect: “We could easily reach the highest effective tariff rate since 1936 by the beginning of 2026.”Both consumers and manufacturers stand to bear the costs of additional tariffs, which could diminish demand and trigger layoffs as businesses try to keep costs under control, she told AFP.Robert Dietz, chief economist at the National Association of Home Builders, told AFP the group expects a possible “combined duty tariff rate of above 50 percent on Canadian lumber” as proposed duties add up.Even as the United States also plans to expand forestry, Dietz said, prices will likely rise in the short-run.burs-oho/cms/sco

The husband of Dolly Parton, Carl Dean, died Monday aged 82, the country music superstar said, after nearly 60 years of marriage kept out of the spotlight despite the singer’s chart-topping fame.”Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years,” Parton wrote in a post on X.The singer-songwriter and actor met Dean in 1964 outside the Wishy Washy Laundromat in Nashville, Tennessee on the day she moved to the country music capital.She was 18 and he was 21.”I was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face (a rare thing for me),” said the “Jolene” singer, known for her glamour and gravity-defying hairdos, according to a post on her website.”He seemed to be genuinely interested in finding out who I was and what I was about,” she added.The pair married two years later in May 1966 in a simple ceremony attended only by Parton’s mother, the preacher and his wife.The low-key wedding was a fitting start for the couple’s 58-year marriage, with Dean managing to stay away from the cameras.The Nashville native worked as an asphalt paver as his wife’s music career rocketed to earn her the title of the “queen of country music”.The pair enjoyed a simple private life far from the spotlight.”We like to get out in our little RV and just be simple,” Parton told People magazine in 2015.”I love to read, I love to cook, I love to be with my husband.” The couple never had children.Dean was born in 1942 to Edgar “Ed” Henry Dean and Virginia “Ginny” Bates — whom Parton affectionally referred to as Mama Dean and said she was her best friend, according to the singer’s website.Carl Dean leaves behind two siblings, Sandra and Donnie.

Taiwanese chip-making giant TSMC will invest at least $100 billion in the United States to build “cutting edge” manufacturing facilities, President Donald Trump said on Monday, announcing the latest blockbuster financial pledge by a private company since his return to office.Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s new investment will come on top of their existing commitments and will go into “building five cutting edge fabrication facilities,” Trump said during a White House event, flanked by TSMC chief executive C.C. Wei.He added that much of the funding would be invested in the US state of Arizona, where TSMC — the world’s largest chipmaker — has already invested heavily, and would create “many thousands” of high-paying jobs.TSMC has long faced demands to move more of its production away from Taiwan, amid fears that supplies of the critical technology could be disrupted in any conflict with Beijing.The company pledged during former president Joe Biden’s administration to invest more than $65 billion in three factories in Arizona, one of which began production in late 2024.Trump recently ratcheted up the pressure on TSMC and other chip manufacturers by publicly mulling the introduction of 25 percent tariffs on all semiconductor chips made outside the United States.Taiwan will review the investment “in accordance with the law” and ensure that the “most advanced manufacturing processes will remain in Taiwan,” President Lai Ching-te’s office said.Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai said the island looked forward to “continuing to cooperate with friendly countries for mutual benefits.”However, he said it was important that Taiwan maintain its “key position” in the global chip supply chain and “ensure that we are leading in key technologies.”Monday’s announcement brings the total amount committed by TSMC to around $165 billion, Wei said.”We are going to produce many chips to support AI progress, and to support smartphones’ progress,” he said.- ‘Silicon shield’ -The new investment will help expand the firm’s US footprint to include “three new fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities and a major R&D (research and development) team center,” while supporting 40,000 construction jobs over the next four years, TSMC said in a statement.The concentration of chip manufacturing in Taiwan has been described as a “silicon shield” against a possible invasion or blockade by China, which claims the island as part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring it under its control.There are concerns Taiwan could lose that protection if its companies build too many factories overseas.”Taking away Taiwan’s technology sector will reduce the power of Taiwan’s ‘silicon shield’,” said James Yifan Chen, assistant professor in the Department of Diplomacy and International Relations at Tamkang University in Taiwan.”Taiwan without semiconductor and tech industries will be like Ukraine without nuclear weapons.”- Tariff threats -Trump has called on companies to create more manufacturing jobs in the United States since regaining the White House, while threatening to impose steep levies on those who do not comply.His administration has already imposed a 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods and imposed a 25 percent tariff on Canada and Mexico from Tuesday, alongside an additional levy of 10 percent on goods from China.Trump said on Monday there was “no room left for Mexico or for Canada” to avoid the tariffs, which came into effect early on Tuesday.Trump has invited executives from some of the world’s largest companies, including OpenAI and Oracle, to the White House since his January 20 inauguration to tout investments worth hundreds of billions of dollars in US manufacturing.The amount announced since inauguration day in January totals more than $1 trillion, including a commitment from Apple to invest $500 billion over the next four years.These gargantuan sums are sure to please Trump’s supporters. His critics point to some similarly ambitious targets pledged during his first term in office that failed to materialize.

Donald Trump will promise a “renewal of the American dream” on Tuesday in his first address to Congress since returning to office, laying out a vision of extended presidential power and a reshaped world order.The Republican president’s speech comes after a whirlwind first six weeks in office, in which the United States has been roiled by a radical bid led by billionaire Trump advisor Elon Musk to overhaul the federal government by closing down agencies and firing many workers.The 78-year-old Trump has also caused turmoil on the global stage, pausing military aid for Ukraine as he pivots toward Russia, vowing to “own” Gaza and unleashing tariffs against US allies.The White House said the theme of the speech at 9:00 pm (0200 GMT Wednesday) would be “the renewal of the American dream,” in social media posts linking to a story on Fox News, the administration’s preferred outlet.Fox said Trump would cover four areas: his second term’s achievements so far at home and abroad, the economy, a push for Congress to pass border funding and Trump’s plans for “peace around the globe.””President Trump is the greatest orator we’ve ever had in the Oval Office. Every time he’s done one of these addresses, Americans have been overwhelmingly blown away,” his Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller told reporters on Monday.”It’s an opportunity for President Trump, as only he can, to lay out the last month of record-setting, record-breaking unprecedented achievements and accomplishments that have made this the most successful opening to any presidency.” Trump himself promised in a post on his Truth Social platform on Monday that the address to Congress “WILL BE BIG” and vowed that “I WILL TELL IT LIKE IT IS!”In a sign of Musk’s influence in Trump’s administration, the world’s richest person will reportedly attend the joint session of the House and Senate.- Economic pressure -Trump’s address at the US Capitol comes just over four years after his supporters stormed the building following his 2020 election defeat.Trump is likely to strike a triumphant tone as he returns to a Republican-controlled Congress, determined to exert more executive power than any president in decades.Trump, who notoriously painted a picture of “American carnage” when he was inaugurated for his first term, is expected to tout the record blitz of executive orders he has signed since his return to the White House.Together with Musk, Trump has shown his intent to push through his “Make America Great Again” agenda — even if it means testing the constitutional limits of his authority or straining ties with allies.Trump has moved to unilaterally dismantle federal agencies, fired thousands of government workers, ended diversity programs and begun holding undocumented migrants at the US military base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba as part of his crackdown on foreigners without papers.On the world stage, Trump will discuss his efforts to redefine US foreign policy.He said on Monday that he would “let you know” during the speech about progress towards resolving the Ukraine conflict, after freezing military aid to Kyiv and stunning the world by starting talks with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.His speech will come just four days after an extraordinary clash in the Oval Office with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, which left US support for Kyiv hanging in the balance.Trump’s presidential offensive has left the Democrats, already stunned by their 2024 election defeat, flailing for ways to counter him and his hogging of the news cycle.But with his poll numbers softening, Trump will also know he faces pressure to deal with stubborn issues facing Americans — most importantly inflation.Trump’s tariffs threaten to weigh on the economy, with US stocks closing sharply lower on Monday after he confirmed the levies would come into effect one minute into Tuesday against major trading partners Mexico and Canada.

US President Donald Trump suspended military aid to Ukraine on Monday, a White House official said, sharply escalating pressure on Kyiv to agree to peace negotiations with Russia.The move comes just days after a stunning public clash between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Trump, who is seeking a rapid end to the war. Trump earlier on Monday had declined to rule out a pause when quizzed by reporters, but any disruption in the flow of US arms to the front line would rapidly weaken Ukraine’s chance of beating back Russia’s invasion.”The President has been clear that he is focused on peace. We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well,” a White House official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.”We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution,” the official added. Congressional Democrats immediately condemned the pause as dangerous and illegal. “My Republican colleagues who have called Putin a war criminal and promised their continued support to Ukraine must join me in demanding President Trump immediately lift this disastrous and unlawful freeze,” said Gregory Meeks, top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.Trump also warned he would “not put up” much longer with Zelensky’s defiance, and said Ukraine’s leader should be “more appreciative” of US support.Speaking at the White House, Trump said Zelensky “won’t be around very long” without a ceasefire deal with Moscow.The pause has gone into effect immediately and impacts hundreds of millions of dollars of weaponry in the process of being sent to Ukraine, The New York Times reported.Zelensky for his part said Monday he was seeking for the war to end “as soon as possible.”The comment came after Zelensky accused Russia — which invaded Ukraine in 2014 and greatly expanded the conflict in 2022 — of not being serious about peace.He insisted tough security guarantees were the only way to end the war.But Trump’s stance has upended US support for Ukraine, and Washington’s allies more broadly, and stoked concern about Washington pivoting to Russia.- European support -After weekend crisis talks in London, Britain and France are investigating how to propose a one-month Ukraine-Russia truce “in the air, at sea and on energy infrastructure” — potentially backstopped by troops on the ground.Zelensky said discussions were still focusing on the “first steps,” adding: “An agreement on ending the war is very, very far away” — a comment that angered Trump.Zelensky added in a video statement that “real, honest peace” would only come with security guarantees for Ukraine, which agreed to denuclearize in 1994 only in exchange for protection provided by the United States and Britain.”It was the lack of security guarantees for Ukraine 11 years ago that allowed Russia to start with the occupation of Crimea and the war in Donbas, then the lack of security guarantees allowed Russia to launch a full-scale invasion,” Zelensky said.Russia dismissed the comments, accusing him of not wanting peace — echoing US criticism after he was shouted down Friday in the Oval Office.On the ground, Ukrainian officials reported fatalities from a Russian missile strike on a military training facility some 130 kilometers (80 miles) from the front line.A respected military blogger said between 30 and 40 soldiers were killed and 90 more wounded in the attack near Dnipro on Saturday.- ‘Deliberate’ escalation? -Trump has previously called Zelensky, president since 2019, a “dictator” for not holding elections, even though martial law precludes any vote because of the war. Zelensky dismissed calls for him to resign, repeating his pledge to do so only if Ukraine were given NATO membership, which Russia — and now the United States under Trump — opposes.In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov blamed Zelensky for Friday’s blow-up with Trump and Vice President JD Vance, saying he “demonstrated a complete lack of diplomatic abilities.””He doesn’t want peace,” Peskov told reporters.On Monday Vance told broadcaster Fox News he was confident Zelensky would “eventually” agree to peace talks with Moscow.”I think Zelensky wasn’t yet there, and I think, frankly, now still isn’t there,” Vance said. “But I think he’ll get there eventually. He has to.”But Germany’s likely next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said the astonishing White House clash was a “deliberate escalation” by Trump.US and Russian officials have held talks on ending the war, enraging Kyiv and Europe for being sidelined, and prompting fears that any deal could threaten Ukraine’s future.

Taiwanese chip-making giant TSMC will invest at least $100 billion in the United States to build “cutting edge” manufacturing facilities, President Donald Trump said Monday, announcing the latest blockbuster financial pledge by a private company since his return to office.Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s new investment will come on top of their existing commitments, and will go into “building five cutting edge fabrication facilities,” Trump said during a White House event, flanked by TSMC chief executive C.C. WeiHe added that much of the funding would be invested in the US state of Arizona, where TSMC — the world’s largest chipmaker — has already invested heavily, and would create “many thousands” of high-paying jobs.TSMC has long faced demands to move more of its production away from Taiwan, amid fears that supplies of the critical technology could be disrupted in any conflict with Beijing.The company, during former president Joe Biden’s administration, pledged to invest more than $65 billion in three factories in Arizona, one of which began production in late 2024.Trump recently ratcheted up the pressure on TSMC and other chip manufacturers by publicly mulling the introduction of 25 percent tariffs on all semiconductor chips made outside the United States.Taiwan said it will review the investment “in accordance with the law”.The review will take into account “the company’s development while ensuring the overall competitiveness of the semiconductor industry and the country,” cabinet spokeswoman Michelle Lee said.  Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai said the island looked forward to “continuing to cooperate with friendly countries for mutual benefits”.But he said it was important that Taiwan maintain its “key position” in the global chip supply chain and “ensure that we are leading in key technologies”.Taiwan’s Department of Investment Review spokesman Su Chi-yen told AFP the government could potentially veto the investment, but that “most past rejections were due to incomplete documentation.”Monday’s announcement brings the total amount committed by TSMC to around $165 billion, C.C. Wei said Monday.”We are going to produce many chips to support AI progress, and to support smartphones’ progress,” he added.The new investment will help expand the firm’s US footprint to include “three new fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities and a major R&D (research and development) team center,” while supporting 40,000 construction jobs over the next four years, TSMC said in a statement.The concentration of chip manufacturing in Taiwan has been described as a “silicon shield” against a possible invasion or blockade by China, which claims the island as part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring it under its control.There are concerns Taiwan could lose that protection if its companies build too many factories overseas.”Taking away Taiwan’s technology sector will reduce the power of Taiwan’s ‘silicon shield’,” James Yifan Chen, assistant professor in the Department of Diplomacy and International Relations at Tamkang University in Taiwan.”Taiwan without semiconductor and tech industries will be like Ukraine without nuclear weapons.”- Tariff threats -Since regaining the White House, Trump has called on companies to create more manufacturing jobs in the United States, while threatening to impose steep levies on those who do not comply.His administration has already imposed a 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods, and is scheduled to impose a 25 percent tariff Canada and Mexico from Tuesday, alongside an additional levy of 10 percent on goods from China.On Monday, Trump said there was “no room left for Mexico or for Canada” to avoid the tariffs, adding: “They’re all set, they go into effect tomorrow.”Trump has invited executives from some of the world’s largest companies — including OpenAI and Oracle — to the White House since his January 20 inauguration to tout investments worth hundreds of billions of dollars in US manufacturing.The amount announced since inauguration day now totals more than $1 trillion, including a commitment from Apple to invest $500 billion over the next four years.These gargantuan sums are sure to please Trump’s supporters. His critics point to some similarly ambitious targets pledged during his first term in office which failed to materialize.