5 h. ago Donald Trump's foreign aid clampdown could force controversial LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall to 'cut half of its staff'

The controversial LGBTQ+ lobbying group was told on Thursday that only roles with dedicated funding would remain following a 'restructuring' of the charity.

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5 h. ago LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall to 'cut half of staff' after Trump freezes foreign aid

The controversial LGBTQ+ lobbying group was told on Thursday that only roles with dedicated funding would remain following a 'restructuring' of the charity.

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17 h. ago ‘We have nothing now’: Myanmar’s exiled media face existential crisis after Trump severs aid

Organisations that take extreme risks to document atrocities, corruption and war crimes fear for their future after USAid cutsEach month Su Myat secretly crosses the border from Thailand into Myanmar to report on her conflict-ridden homeland, covering military airstrikes and illegal scam compounds that have become a haven for organised, transnational crime.The editor of the online news outlet ThanLwinKhet News, Su is part of a community of exiled journalists from Myanmar whose organisations are facing an existential crisis due to US president Donald Trump’s decision to freeze foreign aid. Continue reading...

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49 h. ago Preparations under way for meeting between Trump and Putin, Russia says

Russian and US leaders will meet face to face in move towards normalising relations, deputy foreign minister saysPreparations for a face-to-face meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are under way, Russia’s deputy foreign minister has said.The event would mark a dramatic shift away from western isolation of Moscow, which has been in place since Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. Speaking to Russian state media, Sergei Ryabkov said a possible Putin-Trump summit could involve broad talks on global issues, not just Ukraine. “The question is about starting to move towards normalising relations between our countries, finding ways to resolve the most acute and potentially very, very dangerous situations, of which there are many, Ukraine among them,” he said. But he said efforts to organise such a meeting were at an early stage, and that making it happen would require “the most intensive preparatory work”. Ryabkov added that US and Russian envoys could meet “within the next two...

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3 d. ago Trump brings Russia in from the cold, but at what cost to Ukraine? – podcast

In a matter of days, Donald Trump completed the most radical shift in US foreign policy in decades, bringing Putin back into the fold while sidelining Europe. He claims to have brought the end of the war in Ukraine in sight, but with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the rest of Europe excluded from the US-Russia talks, are we really any closer to peace? And, at what price?Jonathan Freedland speaks to veteran US diplomat Kurt Volker, who served as Trump’s special representative for Ukraine during his first term, and the Guardian’s US live news editor Chris MichaelSend your questions and feedback to politicsweeklyamerica@theguardian.com Help support the Guardian by going to theguardian.com/politcspodus Continue reading...

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3 d. ago People in the US: share your views on President Trump’s approach towards Russia and Ukraine

We’d like to hear from people in the US about how they view Trump’s approach to Russia and Ukraine – as well as his stance towards EuropeWe would like to hear from US voters across the political spectrum about how you view president Donald Trump’s foreign policy approach to Russia and Ukraine.This week has brought an unprecedented escalation of tensions between Kyiv and Washington after senior US and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to discuss the war in Ukraine, as well as economic and political cooperation. Continue reading...

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4 d. ago How will Trump and Musk’s freeze on USAid affect millions around the world?

Immediately after his inauguration, the US president and the head of Doge froze funding for all foreign assistance, creating chaos for staff and for humanitarian projects, charities, governments and people around the worldWithin hours of taking office on 20 January, the US president, Donald Trump, announced an immediate 90-day freeze on all US foreign assistance, including over $40bn (£32bn) for international projects coming from USAid, the US Agency for International Development.In that time, there would be a review conducted to ensure the agency was backing work that aligned with the administration’s “America First” agenda. Waivers were later announced for “lifesaving humanitarian assistance” but it was quickly apparent the guidelines were confusing and contradictory. Continue reading...

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4 d. ago Priti Patel defends Donald Trump after US president’s social media attack on Volodymyr Zelensky

Shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel defended Donald Trump over some of the comments he made during a social media attack on Volodoymyr Zelensky.

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4 d. ago Trump's freeze on foreign aid could give China an opening on the world stage

President Donald Trump’s restrictions on foreign aid and targeting of a key agency funding programs around the world may be offering an opening to China

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4 d. ago Trump's foreign aid freeze halted a crucial program fighting HIV in Africa. Here's what's at stake

The freeze on U.S. foreign aid ordered by President Donald Trump has effectively halted one of the world's most successful responses to a disease

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5 d. ago Even Trump can be cajoled into advancing human rights – you just have to know which buttons to press | Kenneth Roth

The signs aren’t good so far, but playing on Trump’s desperation to be seen as a great dealmaker would pay dividendsKenneth Roth is a former executive director of Human Rights Watch. His book, Righting Wrongs, is published on 25 FebruaryThe common wisdom is that Donald Trump’s foreign policy will be a disaster for human rights. Certainly his penchant for embracing autocrats and breaching norms bodes poorly, such as his outrageous proposal to force two million Palestinians out of Gaza – which would be a blatant war crime – or his suggestion that Ukraine is to blame for Russia’s invasion. But Trump also likes to cut a deal, as shown by his paradoxically positive role in securing the current (precarious) Gaza ceasefire. If Trump the dealmaker can be nudged in the right direction, he might, against all odds, be brought to play a productive role for human rights.As executive director of Human Rights Watch, I spent more than three decades devising strategies to pressure or cajole leaders ...

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5 d. ago Even Trump can be cajoled into doing the right thing – you just have to know which buttons to press | Kenneth Roth

In decades spent convincing world leaders to protect human rights, I’ve learned a thing or two about working with his typeKenneth Roth is a former executive director of Human Rights Watch and author of Righting WrongsThe common wisdom is that Donald Trump’s foreign policy will be a disaster for human rights. Certainly his penchant for embracing autocrats and breaching norms bodes poorly, such as his outrageous proposal to force two million Palestinians out of Gaza – which would be a blatant war crime – or his suggestion that Ukraine is to blame for Russia’s invasion. But Trump also likes to cut a deal, as shown by his paradoxically positive role in securing the current (precarious) Gaza ceasefire. If Trump the dealmaker can be nudged in the right direction, he might, against all odds, be brought to play a productive role for human rights.As executive director of Human Rights Watch, I spent more than three decades devising strategies to pressure or cajole leaders to better respect ri...

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5 d. ago Growing fears that Ukraine may be forced to hold early election that could deliver a 'Putin puppet' under Trump's plan

A return to the polls this year is expected to be a key condition of the peace agreement being negotiated in Saudi Arabia between Donald Trump's top foreign policy advisers and Russia.

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