US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that 25,000 people were killed last month, and another 32,000 the month before, in the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.
Trump told reporters on the White House lawn: “Last month, 25,000 people died in the war between Ukraine and Russia. Do you understand? 25 thousand,” according to what Fox News reported.
He added: “In the previous month, 32,000 people were killed...most of them soldiers, 97 percent of whom were soldiers. But whether they are soldiers or civilians, think about it: 32 thousand. Two months ago, 33,000 people were killed; This month, 25,000 were killed. "How unfortunate."
Russia alone has suffered human losses amounting to about 450,000 soldiers since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to data from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Trump expressed his desire to see an end to the war soon, revealing that he recently spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump said: “I talked to him a lot, and he is continuing on his course, and so is Putin.” "And one day - hopefully in the near future, perhaps before the harsh winter comes - they will reach an agreement."
He also claimed to have urged Zelensky to try to reach an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin: “Zelensky and I discussed many different topics, and we reached a very strong agreement on many of them. But do you know what I want him to do? To conclude an agreement. “I want him to reach a settlement with Putin, and for Putin to reach a settlement with him.”
Zelensky announced on Friday that Trump had agreed to grant Ukraine a license to produce American Patriot interceptor missiles.
“There are concrete agreements on Patriot missile licenses,” Zelensky wrote on Friday. During our meeting, President Trump confirmed that he had made his final decision: Ukraine would obtain licenses to produce Patriot missiles.
Trump had previously hesitated to grant Ukraine these licenses.
In its speech before the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, China expressed its opposition to the United States’ measures, saying that the sovereignty of the Gulf states must be respected, and also called on the “relevant country” to stop threatening Cuba and lift the blockade imposed on it.
Chinese Vice President Han Zheng did not mention the United States by name in his speech. The United States launched a pressure campaign on Cuba that limited the access of oil to the island. It also began a war on Iran with raids with Israel at the end of February.
These statements came in contrast to the friendly atmosphere that characterized the White House meetings, where US President Donald Trump received his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping last week, and celebrated his presence with a military air show and a lavish official dinner.
"Major countries should assume special responsibilities in maintaining international peace and security, and take the initiative in complying with the rules, upholding the rule of law, and doing what is right," Han said.
He added: “China believes that the sovereignty and security of Middle Eastern countries, including the Gulf countries, should be respected.”
The US ambassador to China said on Friday that Trump warned Xi during the talks in Washington against providing support to Iran, and that he had received assurances that China would not do so.
The warning came after reports indicated that Beijing had provided Iran with shoulder-fired air defense missile launchers, and that Tehran had found ways to circumvent the sanctions imposed on its oil sales with Chinese assistance.
The Chinese Vice President said: “China urges the country concerned to immediately stop using the threat of force against Cuba, and to immediately and completely lift the blockade and sanctions imposed on it.”
Cuba's electricity network witnessed a complete collapse this month, plunging the country into darkness and leaving millions without electricity at a time when the United States is tightening its blockade.
Hours later, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in his speech before the United Nations, supported the Chinese position, calling on Washington to lift the “blockade” imposed on Cuba and abolish trade restrictions on the largest island in the Caribbean.
Lavrov also called on the United States to remove Cuba from the list of states sponsoring terrorism.
Cuba's aging electricity generation system has been suffering from severe pressure for years due to fuel shortages and deteriorating infrastructure, but an oil blockade imposed by the United States since January has increased the frequency of power outages and led to repeated collapses of the network.
Han added in his speech that China is a reliable partner on the global stage and a strong advocate for developing countries.
He added: “China believes that all countries, large or small, are equal members of the international community, and that world affairs should be managed by all countries through consultation.”
On Saturday, the northeastern United States was exposed to heavy rains and strong winds as an exceptional autumn storm intensified, causing the cancellation of hundreds of flights and cutting off power to tens of thousands of Americans.
The areas affected by Storm “Noreaster” included major cities such as New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, while the authorities warned of the dangers of floods and road closures.
The US Weather Service expected that “the storm will cause major flooding along the mid-Atlantic coast and high tides until the end of the week.” She said: “Be prepared immediately for major flooding in low-lying areas near the coast, with the possibility of roads being submerged with water and homes and commercial establishments being affected.”
By 10:00 local time, more than 75,000 customers were without power in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.
New York State Governor Kathy Hokul said that the storm was heading towards the coastal areas of New York City and Long Island, warning that “the rains have already begun... and believe me, the worst is yet to come.”
She added that some areas of Long Island may witness up to 15 centimeters of rain in the coming days, with waves that may reach 20 feet (about six meters) high.
For his part, New York Mayor Zahran Mamdani called on residents to avoid unnecessary movement due to strong winds and the possibility of falling power lines.
The storm led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights, 130 of them at Logan Airport (Boston) alone, according to Flight Aware data.
Major airlines, including JetBlue, United, and American Airlines, issued travel alerts that allowed travelers to modify their reservations without paying additional fees.
The weather conditions also prompted the United Nations to ask the media participating in covering the General Assembly meetings to remove broadcast equipment from the vicinity of the organization’s headquarters in New York due to the strong winds.
Several cultural and musical events were cancelled, including the “Global Citizen” and “All Things Go” festivals in New York, and the “Oceans Calling” festival in Maryland, while concerts by British singer Ed Sheeran near Boston were also cancelled.
Areas in the states of North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey have been experiencing flooding for days. Nor'easter storms are well-known weather phenomena on the east coast of the United States. They occur frequently between fall and early spring, and are often accompanied by heavy rain or snow and strong winds.
