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Trump Mulls Punishing NATO Countries that didn’t Assist Iran War Effort: Report

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President Trump is reportedly weighing a plan to punish NATO allies that refused to assist the US in the war with Iran.

Under the proposed plan, the Trump administration would pull US troops out of NATO countries that were unhelpful with Operation Epic Fury, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing Trump administration officials.

The plan is one of several being considered by the White House to punish members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, according to the outlet.

Trump has recently threatened to reassess US membership in NATO over the alliance’s lack of assistance with the Iran war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

“NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN,” Trump posted on Truth Social Wednesday night.

(Read more from “Trump Mulls Punishing NATO Countries that didn’t Assist Iran War Effort: Report” HERE)

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Trump’s Fiery Response to NATO Allies over Strait of Hormuz: ‘They will do nothing for us’

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President Trump put NATO allies on notice Tuesday after they shunned his request for assistance in keeping the Strait of Hormuz open for international shipping.

Trump, both publicly and on social media, lashed out at European allies – including France and the UK – for their refusal to help and implied their defiance would have broader repercussions for the entire alliance.

“It’s certainly something that we should think about,” he told reporters in the Oval Office when asked if he would remove the United States from NATO. “I don’t need Congress for that decision, as you probably know, I can make that decision myself.”

The president has never been a fan of the Cold War era alliance, complaining, since his first term in office, that its members don’t pay an equitable share of dues and are too dependent on the U.S. for protection.

“I’m very disappointed in NATO, very disappointed,” he said. “We spend trillions of dollars on NATO. Think of it, trillions over the years, many trillions of dollars. It’s one of the reasons we have deficits.” (Read more from “Trump’s Fiery Response to NATO Allies over Strait of Hormuz: ‘They will do nothing for us’” HERE)

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Time to Prepare For World War-Size Conflict With Russia, Warns NATO

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If NATO members fail to “stop a war before it starts” by successfully deterring Russia from trying its hand in Europe, the Atlantic, and the Arctic it will be a conflict on the scale of the First and Second World Wars, the Secretary General warns.

“The dark forces of oppression are on the march again”, said NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in a speech in Berlin on Thursday, as he implied a coming world war is in the offing if the alliance fails to deter Russia from empire-building. Expressing the importance of continuing to support Ukraine, Rutte said it was better to defeat Russia and have something of a buffer zone, rather than directly meet Russia along the NATO border in central Europe.

Explaining the purpose of the address is to explain “what we must do to stop a war before it starts”, Rutte named Russia as the main threat and China as its main backer, and called for NATO nations to enhance their preparations for war, including pushing their industrial bases to produce more munitions.

He said:

We must all accept that we must act to defend our way of life, now. Because this year, Russia has become even more brazen, reckless, and ruthless, towards NATO and towards Ukraine… Russia’s economy is now geared to wage war, not to make its people prosperous. Russia is spending nearly 40 per cent of its budget on aggression, and around 70 per cent of all machine tools in Russia are used in military production. Taxes are going up, inflation has skyrocketed, and petrol is rationed…

…How is Putin able to maintain his war against Ukraine? The answer is China. China is Russia’s lifeline. China wants to prevent its ally from losing in Ukraine. Without China’s support, Russia could not continue to wage this war. For instance around 80 per cent of critical electronic components in Russian drones and other systems are made in China. So when civilians are made in Kyiv or Kharkiv, Chinese technology is often inside the weapons that kill them… NATO’s own defences can hold for now but with its economy dedicated to war, Russia could be ready to use military force against NATO within five years.

(Read more from “Time to Prepare For World War-Size Conflict With Russia, Warns NATO” HERE)

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Several NATO Nations Scramble Jets as Russian Airstrike Kills At Least 20 Including Children

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The air forces of several NATO states were scrambled overnight to protect the airspace of the alliance along its eastern border as Russia launched one of its deadliest air strikes against Ukraine’s western regions of the war so far.

Polish, Romanian, German, Spanish, Norwegian, and Dutch fighter jets were scrambled in two deployments in airspace bordering Ukraine over Poland and Romania and the Russian armed forces hammered western Ukraine. According to Kyiv, Russia launched 476 drones, 47 cruise missiles and one ballistic missiles in strikes across the country, but particularly on Western cities Ternopil and Lviv.

At least 20 people have been found dead in Ternopil, which is approximately 225 miles west of Ukrainian capital Kyiv and 110 miles short of the Polish border. Of the killed, at least two are children, and a further 66 were wounded including 16 children in the strikes which badly damaged two apartment blocks.

Ukraine said it scrambled its own Western-built jet fighters including U.S.-made F-16s and French Mirage-2000 jets to shoot down Russian missiles. In all, Kyiv said 41 cruise missiles were shot down, 10 of them by Western-supplied Ukraine Air Force jets.

The BBC notes the unusually large and deadly Russian air raid came one day after Ukraine said it had used U.S.-made ATACMS missiles against targets inside Russia, the first time this has happened under the Trump Presidency. (Read more from “Several NATO Nations Scramble Jets as Russian Airstrike Kills At Least 20 Including Children” HERE)

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Trump Says Ukraine Can Win Back All Lost Territory With NATO Support

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Former U.S. President Donald Trump declared Tuesday that Ukraine, with backing from the European Union and NATO, can reclaim all of the territory it has lost to Russia since the start of the war, signaling a shift from his earlier position that both sides would need to make territorial concessions to achieve peace.

Speaking after his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, asserting that Ukraine’s pre-2022 borders remain a viable goal.

“With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original borders from where this war started are very much an option,” Trump wrote.

He went on to criticize Russia’s military performance in the war, calling it ineffective and directionless.

“Russia has been fighting aimlessly in a war that a real military power would have won in less than a week,” he wrote, adding that “Putin and Russia are in BIG economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act.”

Trump also reiterated that the United States would continue supplying weapons to NATO, “for NATO to do what they want with them” — suggesting a hands-off approach to how allies choose to support Kyiv militarily.

Trump has floated the idea of a direct meeting between Zelensky and Putin — potentially with himself as a participant — as part of a broader peace initiative. The proposal, while not formally endorsed by either side, remains a central element of Trump’s approach to ending the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Moscow has downplayed the idea of such a summit, saying that no meeting is planned and that any future talks would require a clear and well-structured agenda. Kyiv, for its part, has pointed to Russia’s ongoing military offensives and refusal to scale back its ambitions as evidence that Moscow is not serious about negotiations.

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Russia Set to Test ‘Unstoppable Doomsday’ Nuclear Missile as Fears of WW3 Surge

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Russia is reportedly preparing to carry out a new test of its doomsday nuclear-powered missile, as fears continue to grow that the Kremlin is preparing for a major war with NATO. Satellite imagery and activity at the Pankovo test range on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago suggest renewed preparations for a launch of the 9M730 Burevestnik.

At least four Russian vessels, previously anchored near the test site, have moved into observation positions in the eastern Barents Sea. The maneuver is a standard safety measure during large missile trials, according to military experts. Russian aviation authorities also issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) covering 40,000 square kilometers over Novaya Zemlya. . . 

The development of the Burevestnik was announced by Vladimir Putin in 2018 and is one of Russia’s next-generation strategic weapons.

Nicknamed the “flying Chernobyl”, it uses a nuclear-powered engine to achieve unlimited range.

In theory, the nuclear armed missile is able to loiter in flight waiting for a strike order, then approach its target via unexpected routes. The Russians believe that the missile will be therefore impossible to intercept by air defense systems. (Read more from “Russia Set to Test ‘Unstoppable Doomsday’ Nuclear Missile as Fears of WW3 Surge” HERE)

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Trump Issues Ultimatum to Putin as Russian Drones Breach NATO Airspace; Putin Agrees to Meet in Alaska

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Eastern Europe is once again on edge as Russian drones—some armed with explosives—have breached NATO airspace, triggering security concerns and drawing a pointed warning from U.S. President Donald Trump. President Trump has demanded a resolution to the escalating tensions, giving Russian President Vladimir Putin until Friday to make “meaningful progress” in peace negotiations or face sweeping sanctions targeting Russia’s war economy.

The warning comes as NATO allies in Eastern Europe grow increasingly uneasy over a string of drone incursions and missile strikes brushing up against alliance borders.

In recent days, an explosive-laden drone believed to have originated from Belarus entered Lithuanian airspace, traveling over 100 kilometers before crashing inside a military training zone near the capital, Vilnius. The drone was carrying approximately two kilograms of explosives and came within one kilometer of the Lithuanian president’s residence.

Another drone incident occurred earlier in July, when an unidentified aircraft crashed near the Šumskas border crossing, prompting the evacuation of government officials. Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė called the latest breach “unprecedented and alarming,” urging NATO to take the situation seriously and increase regional air defense cooperation.

“This is not merely about Lithuanian airspace—this is NATO territory,” Šakalienė warned. “We need a collective response that reflects the seriousness of the threat.”

Meanwhile, a separate Russian missile strike hit a Ukrainian gas depot just half a mile from Romania’s border, again raising questions about NATO’s preparedness. Although Romania’s air force scrambled F‑16s to patrol the skies, no drone crossed into Romanian airspace during the incident—an outcome Romanian officials attribute to new legislation passed in May that allows for immediate interception or destruction of unauthorized drones.

Romania’s swift response stood in stark contrast to NATO’s broader posture, which has remained muted despite multiple airspace breaches over the past year.

Experts say the incidents reflect a shift in Russia’s military strategy—away from conventional warfare and toward so-called “hybrid” tactics that blend psychological warfare, cyberattacks, and ambiguous military provocations.

“This is the future battlefield,” said Eitvydas Bajarūnas, former Lithuanian ambassador. “It’s not about tanks rolling across borders, it’s about uncertainty, pressure, and the erosion of public confidence in security guarantees.”

Bruno Kahl, head of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service, has repeatedly warned that Russia is testing the limits of NATO’s unity, using drone incursions and disinformation to gauge how the alliance might respond to more serious provocations. “Russia doesn’t believe NATO will act on Article 5 unless directly challenged,” Kahl said earlier this summer, referencing the alliance’s foundational principle of collective defense.

Amid growing anxiety in Europe, Donald Trump has taken a more confrontational approach. Speaking during an interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box, Trump said Putin’s military adventurism was being fueled by high energy prices and vowed to collapse Russia’s oil-dependent economy if necessary.

“Putin will stop killing people if you get energy down another $10 a barrel,” Trump said. “He’s going to have no choice because his economy stinks.”

Trump warned that unless peace talks show tangible progress by the end of the week, he would push for aggressive sanctions targeting Russia’s energy sector—measures that could cut into the Kremlin’s ability to fund its ongoing war in Ukraine.

While Trump’s ultimatum may place renewed pressure on Moscow, some analysts worry it may also expose cracks in NATO’s deterrence strategy.

Andrew D’Anieri, a regional security expert with the Atlantic Council, noted that repeated incursions without any firm NATO response risk undermining the credibility of the alliance’s collective defense commitments.

“The concerning part is not just the drone flights,” D’Anieri said. “It’s the silence that follows.”

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Putin-Trump Meeting to Occur in Alaska on 8/15/25

By Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to meet next week in Alaska to discuss an end to the three-year Russian war on Ukraine in the first in-person session between the two world leaders since Trump returned to the White House in January.

“The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska,” Trump wrote on Aug. 8 in a post on Truth Social. “Further details to follow. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

The announcement comes on the same day a Trump-imposed deadline on Putin to end the war in Ukraine expires. Talks have been floated for months and were initially supposed to include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with Trump facilitating the negotiations. (Read more from this story HERE)

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Putin Drops Missile Pact, Sparking Fears of New U.S.-Russia Nuclear Arms Race

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In a chilling throwback to Cold War brinkmanship, arms race fears are mounting as Putin says Russia is no longer bound by missile treaty limits that once curbed the deployment of intermediate-range nuclear weapons. The announcement has escalated tensions between Moscow and Washington to dangerous new levels as both nations engage in an increasingly volatile military standoff centered around Ukraine.

On Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry declared an end to its self-imposed moratorium on intermediate-range missile deployments, citing aggressive moves by the United States and NATO allies, particularly the planned stationing of American Typhoon and Dark Eagle missile systems in Germany next year. The ministry warned that such deployments near Russian borders are a “direct threat” to the country’s security and could have “significant harmful consequences” for regional and global stability.

“Russia no longer has any limitations,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “Russia believes it has the right to take respective steps if necessary.”

While the statement stopped short of detailing where or when Russia might deploy its own systems, President Vladimir Putin has already announced the coming placement of Russia’s new Oreshnik intermediate-range missiles in Belarus later this year. Designed for maximum speed and devastation, the Oreshnik—capable of flying at Mach 10 and carrying conventional or nuclear warheads—can reportedly reach any target in Europe.

NATO’s Missile Moves Spark Russian Reaction

Russia’s Foreign Ministry justified the policy shift as a response to Washington’s missile plans and broader NATO military buildup. “Decisions on specific parameters of response measures will be made based on the scale of deployment of American and other Western missiles,” the ministry said, stressing the need for a flexible strategy as the international security landscape evolves.

The United States and Russia both abandoned the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 2019 after accusing each other of violations. Signed in 1987 by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, the INF Treaty had banned land-based missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. Following the collapse of the agreement, Moscow pledged a voluntary halt in deployment—until now.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of the country’s Security Council, celebrated the end of the moratorium as a “new reality” that “all our opponents will have to reckon with.” In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Medvedev warned, “Expect further steps.”

Trump Orders Submarine Repositioning

The Kremlin’s announcement follows a separate development that could compound tensions. Former President Donald Trump, now leading in the polls as the 2024 election nears, said Friday he had ordered the repositioning of two U.S. nuclear submarines. The move came after a defiant Medvedev dismissed Trump’s warning to accept a Ukraine peace deal or face severe consequences.

Trump said he was alarmed by Medvedev’s combative rhetoric and nuclear threats, noting the escalation as a sign of worsening nuclear brinkmanship. “Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step toward war,” Medvedev had replied to Trump’s peace proposal.

With Trump’s self-imposed deadline for a Ukraine deal approaching, the maneuvering of both Russian and American nuclear assets underscores the renewed volatility in U.S.-Russia relations and the looming threat of a broader conflict that could involve NATO states.

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Trump Strikes Deal With NATO To Send Weapons To Ukraine On Europe’s Dime

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President Donald Trump announced on Monday that his administration would sell the “best equipment” and “best missiles” to NATO for Ukraine’s defense and threatened to impose 100% “secondary tariffs” on Russia as it continues to wage war on Ukraine.

During a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House, Trump said, “We’ve made a deal today where we’re going to be sending them weapons and they’re going to be paying for them.”

“The United States will not be having any payment made,” he added. “We’re not buying it, but we will manufacture it, and they’re going to be paying for it.”

“We have an ocean separating us,” the president continued. “We make the best stuff, but we can’t keep doing this — and Biden should’ve done this years ago.”

(Read more from “Trump Strikes Deal With NATO To Send Weapons To Ukraine On Europe’s Dime” HERE)

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‘America Is Hot Again’: A Week Of Wins For The Trump White House

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President Donald Trump was in a great mood as he took the podium at a surprise White House press briefing on Friday.

His team called the briefing just after the Supreme Court upheld his executive order on birthright citizenship, ruling that lower courts do not have the authority to unilaterally block Trump’s agenda.

Not only that — the court also ruled Friday that schools violate religious liberty when they bar parents from opting their children out of classroom instruction involving LGBT-themed books, a major win for religious conservatives and for the Trump White House, which has championed parents and their right to decide what their children are taught.

Each ruling in and of itself would have been celebrated by the White House. But together, on the heels of Trump’s success negotiating a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, achieving a 5% defense pledge from NATO members, gas prices dropping to their lowest since 2021, and the stock market nearing record highs, the news made Friday “a really big day” for Trump.

“We’ve had a big week,” Trump told the clamoring reporters in the James Brady Briefing Room.”We’ve had a big week, we’ve had a lot of victories this week.”
The past week has indeed been full of wins for the president, both at home and abroad. After the United States bombed key Iranian nuclear sites with Tomahawk missiles and 30,000-pound “bunker buster” bombs on Saturday, the president announced a ceasefire on Monday, strong-arming the two countries into a cessation of attacks on one another with a rare, emphatic f-bomb. (Read more from “‘America Is Hot Again’: A Week Of Wins For The Trump White House” HERE)