Free Republic

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2483), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I hereby determine and order: Section 1. Background. Executive Order 14066 of March 8, 2022 (Prohibiting Certain Imports and New Investments With Respect to Continued Russian Federation Efforts To Undermine the Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity of...

An eastern Russian volcano has erupted for the first time in more than 500 years, which may have been related to an 8.8 magnitude earthquake last week... The Krasheninnikov Volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula emitted a plume of ash 3.7 miles into the sky overnight. The last recorded eruption of the volcano happened in the 15th century.. ... Last week's massive earthquake was the latest in a series of seismic events in the region, including another temblor that shook a region 11 times zones away from Moscow on the Pacific peninsula ... Krasheninnikov is one of 8 volcanoes nestled among...

More than 120 firefighters were trying to extinguish a blaze at an oil depot in the Russian city of Sochi that was sparked by a Ukrainian drone attack, regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev has said on the Telegram messaging app. In the Krasnodar region, where Sochi is located, a fuel tank with a capacity of 2,000 cubic metres was on fire, Russia's RIA news agency reported on Sunday, citing emergency officials. Rosaviatsia, Russia's civil aviation authority, said on Telegram that flights were halted at Sochi's airport to ensure air safety. The attack, which Kondratyev said was in the Adler district of...

Evil Vladimir Putin suffered a huge blow after Ukraine launched dramatic strikes on the dictator's oil refineries, defence plants, a military airfield, and radar facilities. These huge hits came after Donald Trump ordered two nuclear submarines to move closer to Russia after "provocative" threats of war with the US came from Russia's former president Dmitry Medvedev. In a dramatic dawn strike, a huge fireball explosion hit military-linked Novokuybyshevsk oil refinery in Samara region with mushroom-shaped flames rising into the sky. -snip- Another key oil refinery in Ryazan - crucial for supplies to capital city Moscow - was also in flames....

Ukraine is very close to obtaining its own ballistic missiles, Defense Minister Denis Shmygal said in his first interview since taking the position of Defense Minister, BBC Ukraine reported on 30 July. Denys Shmyhal was appointed Ukraine’s Minister of Defense on 17 July 2025, following his resignation as Prime Minister during a major government reshuffle. His appointment aimed to boost domestic arms production and improve defense management amid ongoing war with Russia. “Ukraine’s president has already announced that Ukraine will have its own ballistics. We are very close to this. That’s basically all I can say publicly on this matter,”...

Ukraine is waiting for further details of the “billions of dollars” worth of US military equipment promised by Donald Trump on Monday, amid confusion as to how many Patriot air defence systems will be sent to Kyiv. At a meeting at the White House with the Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte, on Monday, Trump said an unnamed country was ready to immediately provide “17 Patriots” as he said a “very big deal” had been agreed for European allies to buy weapons from the United States and then ship them to Ukraine. Ukraine is currently believed to have only six functioning...

Less than two years ago, House Republicans were so livid about the idea of continuing to aid Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression that they deposed their own speaker, Kevin McCarthy, in part to protest what they said was a “secret side deal” he had made to do so. Months later, Speaker Mike Johnson risked his own job to push through a funding package for Ukraine, with the majority of his members voting “no.” But now, more than three years into the war, many Republicans in Congress who have railed consistently against sending more money and weapons to Ukraine...

The United States is preparing a new military aid package for Ukraine that may include long-range missiles capable of reaching Moscow, Axios reported, citing sources familiar with the matter. President Donald Trump is reportedly overhauling his administration’s approach to supporting Ukraine, with plans to authorize the delivery of offensive weapons for the first time since taking office. The new package is expected to be announced on Monday. Trump told reporters the weapons, funded by European countries, would include “various units of very advanced military equipment,” such as Patriot air defense systems. Two sources told Axios that the package might also...

President Trump is set to meet with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte this week on the heels of the U.S. leader announcing plans to sell NATO allies weapons that it can pass on to Ukraine. In a statement, NATO said Rutte will be in Washington on Monday and Tuesday and will also meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and members of Congress. CBS News reached out to the White House for additional comment. Sen. Lindsey Graham confirmed on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that he and Democrat Sen. Richard Blumenthal will be meeting with...

President Trump is considering authorizing fresh funding for Ukraine for the first time since he took office in January, multiple diplomatic sources told CBS News.The sources indicated the new funding could be intended to send a message to Russia, which has pounded Ukraine with drone and missile attacks in recent days. Russia this week launched what Ukraine described as the largest drone attack since its full-scale invasion began in February 2022 — the latest in a wave of aerial assaults that have pummeled Kyiv and other cities.Mr. Trump hinted earlier this week that he planned to send Ukraine more defensive...

Donald Trump issued an ominous warning to Vladimir Putin after a maternity ward was struck by drones in Ukraine. The US president responded to news that drones had damaged a maternity hospital in Kharkiv, as he said: “I know. You'll be seeing things happen.” Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that among the nine wounded in Kharkiv were women in the hospital - “mothers with newborns, women recovering from surgery.” He said: “Russia is targeting life itself – even in the very places where it begins.” It comes ahead of Trump’s “major statement” on Monday for Russia as he grows frustrated...

US President Donald Trump has said he will send weapons, including Patriot air defence systems, to Ukraine via Nato. Trump told NBC News that in a new deal, "we're going to be sending Patriots to Nato, and then Nato will distribute that", adding that Nato would pay for the weapons. His announcement came after Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke of having a "positive dialogue" with Trump about ensuring that arms arrived on time. He said he had asked for 10 Patriot systems after a surge in Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities in the past week. Patriot batteries...

President Donald Trump for the first time since returning to office will send weapons to Kyiv under a presidential power frequently used by his predecessor, two sources familiar with the decision said on Thursday, a move suggesting new interest by the president in defending Ukraine. More than three years after Russia's invasion of its neighbor, Trump's team will identify arms from U.S. stockpiles to send to Ukraine under the Presidential Drawdown Authority, the sources said, with one saying they could be worth around $300 million. Trump on Tuesday said the U.S. would send more weapons to Ukraine to help the...

Speaking on the State TV channel Russia-1, pro-government host Vladimir Solovyov warned that Russia could destroy both US coasts using nuclear-powered Poseidon torpedoes—underwater weapons designed to trigger a “radioactive tsunami.” During the broadcast, Solovyov directly addressed US President Donald Trump: “Will Trump understand that two Poseidons, launched from different sides, could wipe out the US and create a radioactive disaster? That would be the end—nothing will save them.” “No protective element will help them,” Solovyov declared, referring to US missile defense systems. Framing the hypothetical strike as a response to “Western aggression,” he suggested that Washington underestimates Russia’s capabilities and...

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he expressed the United States' frustration that more progress has not been made on ending the war in Ukraine in a meeting on Thursday with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. "It was a frank conversation. It was an important one," Rubio said his 50-minute talks with the Russian foreign minister on the sidelines of the ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting in Malaysia. He said he expressed to Lavrov what U.S. President Donald Trump has said publicly, "that there's not been more flexibility on the Russian side to bring about an end to this conflict." The envoys'...

The Trump administration has resumed sending some weapons to Ukraine, a week after the Pentagon had directed that some deliveries be paused. The weapons now moving into Ukraine include 155 mm munitions and precision-guided rockets known as GMLRS, two U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday. They spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details that had not been announced publicly.

SummaryTrump criticizes Putin, says his statements 'meaningless' Trump says he is considering Senate bill on Russia sanctions Ukraine's Zelenskiy calls for intensified contacts to secure U.S. arms supplies WASHINGTON, July 8 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he had approved sending U.S. defensive weapons to Ukraine and was considering additional sanctions on Moscow, underscoring his frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the growing death toll in Russia's war with Ukraine.Trump, who pledged as a presidential candidate to end the war within a day, has not been able to follow through on that promise and efforts by his...

Former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) praised President Trump on Tuesday for announcing that he would send additional weapons to Ukraine and blasted “isolationists and restrainers” at the Department of Defense (DOD), possibly taking aim at the Pentagon’s No. 3-ranking official. “I’m glad that President Trump wants to resume deliveries of lethal capabilities to Ukraine. America’s policy of providing lethal support to Ukraine began during his first term, and likely helped deter earlier Russian escalation,” McConnell said in a statement. “This time, the president will need to reject calls from the isolationists and restrainers within his administration to limit...

At President Trump's direction, the Department of Defense is sending additional defensive weapons to Ukraine to ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we work to secure a lasting peace and ensure the killing stops. Our framework for POTUS to evaluate military shipments across the globe remains in effect and is integral to our America First defense priorities.

Ukraine targeted the Borisoglebsk airfield in Russia's Voronezh Oblast overnight on July 5, damaging a warehouse with guided bombs, aircraft, and other military assets, Ukraine's General Staff reported. The airfield hosts Su-34, Su-35S, and Su-30SM jets thatRussia regularly uses in air strikes against Ukraine, according to the military. The strike may have destroyed a training and combat aircraft, with further assessments underway. The NASA Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) detected a fire near the Borisoglebsk military airfield shortly after the strike. Residents in the area reported 8–10 powerful explosions around 2 a.m. local time, according to Russian independent...