1)Trump says he now believes Ukraine can win back all territory lost to Russia with NATO’s help

Courtesy Barrie360.com and The Associated Press

By Illia Novikov, Matthew Lee And Aamer Madhani, September 23, 2025

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Ukraine can win back all territory lost to Russia, a dramatic shift from the U.S. leader’s call on Kyiv to make concessions to end the war.

Trump offered his position in a social media posting soon after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly gathering of world leaders.

Trump in part wrote, “I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form. With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original Borders from where this War started, is very much an option.”

The strengthened support from Trump, if it sticks, is a huge win for Zelenskyy, who has urged the American president to keep up the pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end his brutal war.

However, the post did not include language about new U.S. sanctions or tariffs targeting Russia’s energy sector, although Trump has discussed both, including with European leaders. And, neither did the post discuss fresh direct U.S. arms sales to Ukraine, instead suggesting that NATO members would continue to buy American weaponry and then transfer it to Ukraine.

Trump going back to his 2024 campaign insisted that he would quickly end the war. And he’s frequently suggested that U.S. interests in the outcome were limited.

“Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years a War that should have taken a Real Military Power less than a week to win,” Trump wrote. “This is not distinguishing Russia. In fact, it is very much making them look like ‘a paper tiger.’”

In his meeting with Trump, Zelenskyy was seeking additional U.S. help in defending his country from Russia’s onslaught of missiles, drones and bombs.

The two presidents, who have had strained ties in previous sitdowns, greeted each other warmly.

“We have great respect for the fight that Ukraine is putting up,” Trump told Zelenskyy, who replied that he had “good news” from the battlefield.

“We will speak of how to finish the war and security guarantees,” Zelenskyy said, thanking the U.S. leader for the meeting and for his “personal efforts to stop this war.”

As the fighting rages on, Trump said the “biggest progress” toward ending the conflict “is that the Russian economy is terrible right now.” Zelenskyy said Ukraine agreed with Trump’s call for European nations to further halt imports of Russian oil and natural gas.

Trump says the war was ‘supposed to be a quick little skirmish’

In his speech to the General Assembly earlier Tuesday, Trump said the war in Ukraine was making Russia “look bad” because it was “supposed to be a quick little skirmish.”

“It shows you what leadership is, what bad leadership can do to a country,” he said. “The only question now is how many lives will be needlessly lost on both sides.”

With his troops under strain on the front line after more than three years of fighting Russia’s bigger invading army, Zelenskyy was meeting world leaders in New York and was due to speak at a special U.N. Security Council session on Ukraine.

Peace efforts set in motion by Trump since he returned to office in January appear to have stalled. Trump’s Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and a White House meeting with Zelenskyy and key European leaders took place more than a month ago, but the war has continued unabated.

Following those meetings, Trump announced that he was arranging for direct talks between Putin and Zelenskyy. But Putin hasn’t shown any interest in meeting with Zelenskyy and Moscow has only intensified its bombardment of Ukraine.

Push for sanctions and cutting off Russian oil

European leaders as well as American lawmakers, including some Republican allies of Trump, have urged the president to dial up stronger sanctions on Russia. Trump, meanwhile, has pressed Europe to stop buying Russian oil, the engine feeding Putin’s war machine.

Trump said a “very strong round of powerful tariffs” would “stop the bloodshed, I believe, very quickly.” He repeated his calls for Europe to “step it up” and stop buying Russian oil.

Before meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump held talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who said Europe would be imposing more sanctions and tariffs on Russia and that the bloc would be further reducing its imports of Russian energy.

European leaders have supported Zelenskyy’s diplomatic efforts, with some alarmed by the possibility that the war could spread beyond Ukraine as they are facing what they have called Russian provocations.

NATO allies will hold formal consultations at Estonia’s request on Tuesday, after the Baltic country said that three Russian fighter jets entered its airspace last week without authorization.

Trump said he would back NATO countries that choose to shoot down intruding Russian planes but said direct U.S. involvement would depend on the circumstances.

New strikes in Ukraine as toll of war grows

Meanwhile, the full-scale war, which began on Feb. 24, 2022, continues to take a heavy toll on Ukrainian civilians.

The U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said this month that Ukrainian civilian casualties increased by 40% in the first eight months of this year compared with 2024, as Russia escalated its long-range missile and localized drone strikes.

Also, a U.N. Human Rights Office report released Tuesday described the dire situation of thousands of civilians detained by Russia in areas of Ukraine it has captured.

“Russian authorities have subjected Ukrainian civilian detainees in occupied territory to torture and ill-treatment, including sexual violence, in a widespread and systematic manner,” the report said.

Russian aircraft dropped five glide bombs on the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia overnight, killing a man, regional head Ivan Fedorov said Tuesday. In the Odesa region of southern Ukraine, Russian ballistic missiles struck the town center of Tatarbunary, killing a woman, regional head Oleh Kiper said.

Overall, Russian forces launched three Iskander ballistic missiles and 115 strike and decoy drones at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force said. It said 103 drones were intercepted or jammed, but 12 drones and three missiles reached their targets at six locations.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said more than 40 Ukrainian drones flying toward the Russian capital were shot down between Monday evening and midday Tuesday.

Flights were temporarily halted overnight in and out of Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport, causing delays and cancellations, because of the attack.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported Tuesday that it intercepted 69 Ukrainian drones over a number of Russian regions and the annexed Crimean Peninsula.

___ Novikov reported from Kyiv, Ukraine.

2) Trump tells UN recognizing Palestine as a state rewards Hamas

Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press

By Kelly Geraldine Malone, September 23, 2025

U.S. President Donald Trump told the UN this morning that recognizing a Palestinian state amounts to rewarding Hamas for the “horrible atrocities” of the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

Canada joined the United Kingdom, Australia and Portugal on Sunday in recognizing an independent Palestinian state before world leaders arrived in New York City for this week’s UN General Assembly.

“As if to encourage continued conflict, some of this body (are) seeking to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state,” Trump told world leaders gathered at the UN. “The rewards would be too great for Hamas terrorists for their atrocities.”

Trump told the assembly that “those who want peace” should instead unite to call on Hamas to release the hostages.

Trump also lashed out at the international body for failing to end wars, something he said can’t be done through dialogue alone.

“The UN has such tremendous potential, I’ve always said it. It has such tremendous, tremendous potential, but it’s not even coming close to living up to that potential for the most part, at least for now,” he said. “All they seem to do is write a really strongly worded letter and then never follow that letter up. It’s empty words, and empty words don’t solve war.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a TV interview Tuesday morning he is not concerned about the U.S. becoming more isolated after more than 150 countries moved to recognize Palestinian statehood.

“No, I’m not concerned at all,” Rubio told NBC Today’s Craig Melvin. “None of the countries you just mentioned really will play much of a role in bringing about the end of this conflict in Gaza.”

Ahead of the General Assembly, Rubio revoked a visa for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, forcing him to address the UN on Monday by video link.

President Emmanuel Macron announced France would also recognize Palestinian statehood during a high-profile meeting at the General Assembly on Monday. Andorra, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta and Monaco added their voices to the chorus by announcing or confirming their recognition of a Palestinian state.

Prime Minister Mark Carney told world leaders during Monday’s meeting the Israeli government is “working methodically to prevent the prospect of a Palestinian state from ever being established.”

The assembly’s theme this year is “Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights” — but Trump has pulled back America’s support for the UN and other multilateral institutions.

Trump ordered a review of the United States’ involvement in the United Nations, withdrew from its Human Rights Council and froze U.S. funding for the institution.

Last week, the United States vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that demanded an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas. American officials said the resolution didn’t go far enough in condemning Hamas.

Carney is set to co-chair an event at the UN Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy focused on Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. Carney is expected to then hold meetings with other leaders and CEOs.

— With files from Kyle Duggan

3)Trump sets 100% tariffs on pharmaceuticals, 25% on heavy trucks for Oct. 1

By Josh Boak The Associated Press, September 26, 2025

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he will put import tariffs of 100% on pharmaceutical drugs, 50% on kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities, 30% on upholstered furniture and 25% on heavy trucks starting on Oct. 1.

The posts on his social media site showed that Trump’s devotion to tariffs did not end with the trade frameworks and import taxes that were launched in August, a reflection of the president’s confidence that taxes will help to reduce the government’s budget deficit while increasing domestic manufacturing.

While Trump did not provide a legal justification for the tariffs, he appeared to stretch the bounds of his role as commander-in-chief by stating on Truth Social that the taxes on imported kitchen cabinets and sofas were needed “for National Security and other reasons.”

Under the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, the administration launched a Section 232 investigation in April about the impacts on national security from pharmaceutical drug and truck imports. The Commerce Department launched a 232 investigation into timber and lumber in March, though it’s unclear whether the furniture tariffs stem from that.

The tariffs are another dose of uncertainty for the U.S. economy with a solid stock market but a weakening outlook for jobs and elevated inflation. These new taxes on imports could pass through to consumers in the form of higher prices and dampen hiring, a process that economic data suggests is already underway.

“We have begun to see goods prices showing through into higher inflation,” Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned in a recent news conference, adding that higher costs for goods account for “most” or potentially “all” of the increase in inflation levels this year.

U.S. treasury secretary admits Americans are paying for Trump’s tariffs

The president has pressured Powell to resign, arguing that the Fed should cut its benchmark interest rates more aggressively because inflation is no longer a concern. Fed officials have stayed cautious on rate cuts because of the uncertainty created by tariffs.

Trump said on Truth Social that the pharmaceutical tariffs would not apply to companies that are building manufacturing plants in the United States, which he defined as either “breaking ground” or being “under construction.” It was unclear how the tariffs would apply to companies that already have factories in the U.S.

In 2024, America imported nearly $233 billion in pharmaceutical and medicinal products, according to the Census Bureau. The prospect of prices doubling for some medicines could send shock waves to voters as health care expenses, as well as the costs of Medicare and Medicaid, potentially increase.

The pharmaceutical drug announcement was shocking as Trump has previously suggested that tariffs would be phased in over time so that companies had time to build factories and relocate production. On CNBC in August, Trump said he would start by charging a “small tariff” on pharmaceuticals and raise the rate over a year or more to 150% and even 250%.

According to the White House, the threat of tariffs earlier this year contributed to many major pharmaceutical companies, including Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Roche, Bristol Myers Squibb and Eli Lilly, among others, to announce investments in U.S. production.

Pascal Chan, vice president for strategic policy and supply chains at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, warned that the tariffs could harm Americans’ health with “immediate price hikes, strained insurance systems, hospital shortages, and the real risk of patients rationing or foregoing essential medicines.”

‘We aren’t going to kiss his backside’: Doug Ford says as Trump expands steel and aluminum tariffs

The new tariffs on cabinetry could further increase the costs for homebuilders at a time when many people seeking to buy a house feel priced out by the mix of housing shortages and high mortgage rates. The National Association of Realtors on Thursday said there were signs of price pressures easing as sales listings increased 11.7% in August from a year ago, but the median price for an existing home was $422,600.

Trump said that foreign-made heavy trucks and parts are hurting domestic producers that need to be defended.

“Large Truck Company Manufacturers, such as Peterbilt, Kenworth, Freightliner, Mack Trucks, and others, will be protected from the onslaught of outside interruptions,” Trump posted.

Trump has long maintained that tariffs are the key to forcing companies to invest more in domestic factories. He has dismissed fears that importers would simply pass along much of the cost of the taxes to consumers and businesses in the form of higher prices.