"Israel and Hamas May Reach a Ceasefire This Week or Next"
President Donald Trump of the United States has announced that he is considering providing air defense missile systems to Ukraine. Initially, President Trump had a negative stance on military aid to Ukraine, but it appears that he made this decision after President Vladimir Putin of Russia refused to comply with calls for a ceasefire.
On July 9 (local time), during a meeting at the White House with the leaders of five African nations?Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal?President Trump was asked about media reports that the United States is considering additional support for the Patriot missile system to Ukraine. He responded, "Ukraine has requested it, and we have to look into it."
President Trump stated that the Patriot missile system is "a very expensive system," but added, "Ukraine is under very heavy attack. So we are reviewing (the support)." The previous day, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, citing sources, that President Trump was considering providing one additional set of Patriot systems to Ukraine.
When asked about Russia's large-scale drone attack on Ukraine the previous night, he said, "I am dissatisfied," and emphasized that the situation, where too many young people are dying, must come to an end.
On the same day, the Associated Press (AP) reported, citing officials, that the Trump administration had resumed support for some weapons, including 155mm artillery shells and precision-guided rockets (GLMRS).
When asked who had ordered the suspension of weapons shipments to Ukraine, President Trump replied, "Right now, we are looking into the issue of Ukraine and ammunition, so I haven't thought about it yet. I have not really gotten into that issue yet," thus avoiding a direct answer.
Last week, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth instructed a halt to weapons shipments to Ukraine in order to inspect U.S. military stockpiles. This decision was reportedly made without prior coordination with the White House. According to sources, President Trump was caught off guard by this and expressed his dissatisfaction with the Department of Defense privately, AP reported. However, the Department of Defense denied allegations that Secretary Hegseth acted without prior discussion with President Trump.
Regarding the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, President Trump said, "There may be an opportunity this week or next week," but added, "I'm not sure." He continued, "There is nothing certain about (the Ukraine) war, Gaza, or any of the other regions we need to address, but there is a very high possibility that we will reach agreements and settlements this week or next week."
When asked about Chinese nationals purchasing farmland near U.S. military facilities, President Trump said, "I have a very good relationship with President Xi Jinping of China," and added, "China is now paying tariffs to the United States, so for now, I do not want to address (the farmland purchases)." In response to a question about whether China's decision to stop imposing tariffs on products imported from Africa would affect U.S. policy, he stated, "Some parts of Africa are imposing tremendous tariffs on us, and they will remove those tariffs," adding, "But we treat Africa much better than China or anyone else does." He also said that there is no possibility the United States will impose tariffs on the five countries attending the meeting.
During the meeting, some African leaders showered President Trump with praise, including saying he is qualified to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in response to questions from the press. President Trump said, "I didn't know you would be so kind to me," adding, "This is really nice. We could do this all day."
In line with the Trump administration's diplomatic policy of securing essential mineral resources, the African leaders at the meeting competed to highlight the abundance of key minerals in their countries. President Trump said, "Someday, I would like to visit Africa," and added, "We will have to see how the schedule works out."
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