MAGA world erupts over Trump’s defense of Bondi amid Epstein files fallout
MAGA supporters are nor pleased with President Donald Trump following his full-throated defense of Attorney General Pam Bondi, whose Department of Justice denied the existence of a Jeffrey Epstein client list after years of Trump surrogates vowing to reveal the disgraced financier’s secrets. Longtime conservatives and supporters of Trump sounded off on social media this weekend, as well as in person during a convention in Florida, with various messages pledging that the Epstein scandal will not “go away.” The DOJ determined that Epstein committed suicide in 2019 and that there is no list detailing the names of the world’s elite who allegedly took part in Epstein’s history of sexual deviancy. “.@realDonaldTrump please understand the EPSTEIN AFFAIR is not going away,” retired Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn, Trump’s national security advisor from his first administration, posted to X on Saturday. “If the administration doesn’t address the massive number of unanswered questions about Epstein, especially the ABUSE OF CHILDREN BY ELITES (it is very clear that abuse occurred), then moving forward on so many other monumental challenges our nation is facing becomes much harder.” The DOJ and FBI said in a joint memo obtained by Fox News last week that the two agencies had no further information to share with the public about Epstein’s case and death. That led to FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino clashing with Bondi over “lack of transparency” and threatening to resign over the matter, Fox News reported. TRUMP DEFENDS EMBATTLED AG PAM BONDI, SAYS ‘NOBODY CARES ABOUT’ JEFFREY EPSTEIN Epstein was a notorious predator who pleaded guilty to procuring underage girls for prostitution in 2008, before he was arrested in 2019 on new federal charges of sex trafficking minors and conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of minors. Epstein, who had rubbed elbows with the world’s elites stretching from Bill Gates to being photographed with Trump long before his presidency, was found dead in his New York City jail cell in August 2019 by apparent suicide. Many MAGA supporters, however, have claimed Epstein did not hang himself, and the death was allegedly part of a bigger cover-up protecting elites allegedly involved in his sexual abuse of minors. DAVID MARCUS: TRUMP IS FLUNKING HIS MAGA BASE’S JEFFREY EPSTEIN TEST Trump took to Truth Social on Saturday evening and offered a strong endorsement of Bondi as conservatives demanded answers over the long-running scandal. “What’s going on with my ‘boys’ and, in some cases, ‘gals?’ They’re all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB,” Trump wrote in a lengthy post on Truth Social on Saturday. “We’re on one Team, MAGA, and I don’t like what’s happening.” He referred to Epstein as the “guy who never dies,” adding, “For years, it’s Epstein, over and over again.” FBI’S DAN BONGINO AND ATTORNEY GENERAL PAM BONDI CLASH OVER HANDLING OF EPSTEIN FILES Trump questioned why people were “giving publicity to Files written by Obama, Crooked Hillary, Comey, Brennan, and the Losers and Criminals of the Biden administration.” “They created the Epstein Files, just like they created the FAKE Hillary Clinton/Christopher Steele Dossier that they used on me, and now my so-called ‘friends’ are playing right into their hands,” Trump wrote. “Why didn’t these Radical Left Lunatics release the Epstein Files? If there was ANYTHING in there that could have hurt the MAGA Movement, why didn’t they use it?” “LET PAM BONDI DO HER JOB – SHE’S GREAT! The 2020 Election was Rigged and Stolen, and they tried to do the same thing in 2024 – That’s what she is looking into as AG, and much more,” he wrote. “One year ago our Country was DEAD, now it’s the ‘HOTTEST’ Country anywhere in the World. Let’s keep it that way, and not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about.” Trump supporters repeatedly posted on X that the Epstein scandal will not simply dissipate after years of high-profile Trump allies, including Bondi, Bongino and FBI Director Kash Patel, previously vowing to expose the corruption surrounding Epstein, his alleged client list and the alleged crimes that played out on his notorious island, Little Saint James. “We cannot allow pedophiles to get away. I don’t personally care who they are or what elite or powerful position they hold. They must be exposed and held accountable!!!” Flynn continued in his X post. Activist and Trump ally Laura Loomer also slammed Bondi over her leadership, while taking a swipe at the president as well. 10 REASONS THE DOJ AND FBI FACE BACKLASH OVER EPSTEIN FILES FLOP “President Trump says he thinks Blondi is ‘doing a Fantastic job’ as AG in a post he posted on Truth Social today….” Loomer posted to X on Saturday, accompanied by screenshots of his Truth Social post praising Bondi. “People make their own choices and decisions, but mark my word, the lack of actual results at the DOJ and lack of transparency that translates into incompetence will cost the GOP House and Senate seats. Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” she added in a follow-up post on Saturday. Robby Starbuck, another longtime Trump supporter and conservative social media personality, railed online that the “age of secrets” must come to an end – beginning with Epstein. “People want truth, they want the rapists exposed and brought to justice, they want to break the deep state, they want the 100 year storm of lies from government to end and they want to end the two tiered system of justice. People want peace, safety, justice and sanity,” Starbuck posted in a lengthy message on Saturday. GHISLAINE MAXWELL FOLLOWS PRISON FITNESS ROUTINE, VIDEO SHOWS, AS DOJ’S JEFFREY EPSTEIN MEMO DRAWS HEAT “They want their country back. This case became a symbol for all of that. Fair or unfair, that’s the truth. President Trump rarely loses touch with what’s happening among the base but he’s missing the pulse on this one. Saying so doesn’t mean disloyalty or hatred, it means that this matters so much that we
Trump stands ‘stronger than ever’ one year after surviving Pennsylvania assassination attempt, staffers say
In a matter of minutes on a hot summer Saturday in northwestern Pennsylvania, the already unprecedented 2024 election cycle was rocked by an assassination attempt on President Donald Trump’s life that had a sweeping effect not only on the upcoming presidency, but also staffers who witnessed the harrowing moment. Eight shots rang out at the Butler Farm Show Grounds at about 6:11 p.m. Eastern Time, roughly six minutes after Trump took the open-air rally’s stage. The rally began on its typical lively note, with the former and upcoming president swaying to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” and engaging with supporters by pointing at them as they clapped and held up signs declaring, “Joe Biden, you’re fired.” The rally came to a screeching halt after Trump began his address and was seen grabbing the side of his head before abruptly dropping to the ground. Rally-goers were also seen ducking for cover as confusion gripped the small fairgrounds located just north of Pittsburgh. Secret Service agents threw their bodies over Trump as shields as they worked to get him off of the stage and to a secure location. FIRST RESPONDERS SIT DOWN WITH WIDOW OF FIREFIGHTER KILLED AT BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA TRUMP RALLY Acting Secret Service Director Sean M. Curran, one of the agents who rushed to protect Trump that day, told Fox News Digital that July 13, 2024, has remained at the top of his mind since he was tapped to lead the Secret Service. “One year ago, I was by President Trump’s side when a lone gunman attempted to assassinate him in Butler, Pennsylvania,” Curran said. “My heart will always be with all those impacted on that day, especially Corey Comperatore, who lost his life while protecting those around him.” “Since President Trump appointed me as director of the United States Secret Service, I have kept my experience on July 13 top of mind, and the agency has taken many steps to ensure such an event can never be repeated in the future,” he continued. “Nothing is more important to the United States Secret Service than the safety and security of our protectees. As director, I am committed to ensuring our agency is fully equipped, resourced and aligned to carry out our important mission each and every day.” ONE YEAR AFTER TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, BUTLER WIDOW DEMANDS ACCOUNTABILITY FROM SECRET SERVICE Trump emerged into the camera’s view with a trail of blood streaked across his cheek and famously raised a fist before defiantly chanting, “Fight, fight, fight” as law enforcement escorted him from the stage. White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, who served as Trump campaign manager in 2024 and witnessed the harrowing attempt, told the New York Post’s Miranda Devine earlier in July in a podcast interview that she “100%” believes divine intervention protected Trump from a greater tragedy that day. “The way the rally itself unfolded, the chart he had them put up on the screens… it was always the last chart in the rotation. And it was always on the other side” of the stage, Wiles told Devine in an interview that published Wednesday. “To have him ask for that chart eight minutes in and to have it come on the side that is opposite caused him to look in a different direction… I believe God wanted him to live.” SECRET SERVICE SUSPENDS 6 AGENTS TASKED WITH PROTECTING TRUMP DURING JULY 2024 ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT Pennsylvania Sen. Dave McCormick, who was in the midst of his election cycle to unseat longtime Democrat Sen. Bob Casey, said in comment to Fox News Digital that he was just feet from Trump when the gunshots rang out. “I was sitting just 15 feet from the stage at the Butler rally when the shots rang out. Moments before the attempted assassination, President Trump asked me to come on stage to give my remarks. As I was headed onstage, he prompted me to wait until after he spoke to the crowd about an immigration chart. Returning to my seat, I watched as President Trump turned his attention and head towards the chart—a decision that likely saved his life,” McCormick said. “Moments later, a bullet meant for his head struck his ear. He went down, then stood up and raised his fist in defiance. That moment captured who he is at his core—a strong leader—and marked a turning point in the 2024 election. Strong leadership sets a tone — like a ripple effect. President Trump didn’t panic and stood strong and so did the crowd. Instead of chaos, chants of ‘USA’ rang out.” The shooting injured three people, including Trump, and killed local father and former fire chief Corey Comperatore. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reflected on Comperatore’s tragic death in a comment to Fox Digital, underscoring that the president “will never forget Corey and his beautiful family.” “One year ago in Butler, Pennsylvania, we tragically lost an American hero, Corey Comperatore, who selflessly laid down his life to protect those around him,” she said. “President Trump will never forget Corey and his beautiful family. On that dark day, God spared President Trump’s life by a miraculous millimeter. Now one year later, President Trump is standing stronger than ever as he continues to ‘fight, fight, fight’ for the American people.” Comperatore’s widow, Helen, spoke to Fox News in an emotional interview about her husband’s death earlier in July, demanding accountability from the Secret Service over how a gunman was able to fire off shots without intervention. “We were all sitting ducks that day,” Helen Comperatore told Fox News. “Our blood is all over their hands. I am angry. I lost the love of my life. They screwed up.” TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AFTERMATH, REACTIONS FROM INNER CIRCLE REVEALED IN NEW BOOK “Why Butler? Why was that such a failure? Why weren’t they paying attention? Why did they think that that roof didn’t need covered?” she asked. “I want to sit down and talk to them. I have the right to. They need to listen to me.”
Journalist Salena Zito reveals what Trump supporters meant when they turned on the cameras at the Butler
When President Donald Trump entered his vehicle, surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents, in the moments following his attempted assassination at his Butler, Pennsylvania, campaign rally one year ago, the crowd traded their “USA” chants for expletives as they directed their anger toward the media gathered on the press riser. Veteran political reporter Salena Zito spoke with Fox News Digital ahead of the release of her new book, “Butler: The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America’s Heartland.” Zito found herself inside the Secret Service’s secure perimeter, just steps away from Trump, when a gunman unleashed gunfire on the crowd, one year ago. “It wasn’t directed at the press,” Zito said of the impassioned Trump supporters who turned to face the media once Trump was out of sight. “It was directed at the cameras, letting the country know that this is unacceptable, and our country is in peril, and we need to be strong about it.” Zito, who has built her career telling real stories from the American heartland, said she spoke with the Trump supporters who can be seen shouting at the camera in the video played around the world. VETERAN POLITICAL REPORTER REVEALS WHAT THE MEDIA MISSED ABOUT TRUMP’S APPEAL TO AMERICANS IN 2024 “They confirmed that. They said, ‘We weren’t blaming the press. We were blaming everything that led to this in our country, and we were mad about that, and we wanted to show defiance to that,’” Zito said. JOURNALIST WHO REFUSED TO DUCK DURING TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT REFLECTS ON BUTLER RALLY IN NEW BOOK Fox News confirmed ahead of the one-year anniversary of Trump’s first attempted assassination that six Secret Service agents were suspended without pay after 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at Trump during a rally in western Pennsylvania last summer. Supervisors and line-level agents were suspended in February, ranging from 10 to 42 days without pay, the Secret Service confirmed to Fox News. Speaking with Fox News Digital following initial reports about the agents’ suspension, Zito said it was “well warranted” for those making logistical decisions to be suspended. “I will say unequivocally that the men and women that were taking care of President Trump that day, that were in his detail and in that buffer, were on top of everything,” Zito said. “Those men and women were doing their jobs right when they put themselves in the line of fire.” Zito, who refused to get down when she first heard the shots, said Trump was “surrounded in a sea of blue.” “They put him in a protective stance, and they put their lives on the line,” Zito said. “Nothing should be taken away from that bravery in that moment. Those field officers were heroes that day.” Trump recovered from his near assassination with little more than a bullet graze to the ear, thanks to the immigration chart he was turning his head to face. One rally attendee, firefighter Corey Comperatore, was killed, and two others were critically injured by Crooks’ gunshots. In the moments following the gunfire, Zito said what she saw next was “really quite remarkable.” “People left there pretty orderly. There wasn’t a rush. There wasn’t a stampede. You saw the medics taking care of the people that had fallen [or] were injured. But you mostly saw people getting each other out and across the field,” Zito explained. Zito said it was “amazing” to see “how orderly people left.” An hour later, when she returned to the large parking lot, they hadn’t let one car go, so there were thousands of Trump supporters gathered together. “These people are out of their cars, they’re sharing water, they’re hugging each other, they’re making sure they’re okay, they’re sharing food. They’re just talking. I really was struck by their comportment in that moment,” Zito said. Zito’s book takes readers back to July 13, 2024, when she was mere steps away from Trump when shots were fired. She is a political reporter for the Washington Examiner, a special contributor for the Washington Post and has been a columnist for the New York Post.
Butler one year later: Revisiting the historic assassination attempt against Donald Trump
Presidential candidate Donald Trump took the stage at a routine campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, exactly a year ago, on July 13, 2024, one of hundreds he’d appeared at since announcing his first presidential campaign in 2015. But this rally turned out unlike any other of his political career. As Trump stood at the podium, with supporters holding signs that said “Joe Biden, you’re fired!” directly behind him, the president pointed to a chart detailing low illegal immigration numbers at the end of his first term and how they’d risen under the Biden administration. “That chart’s a couple of months old, and if you want to really see something that’s sad, take a look at what happened,” Trump said, halting as the sound of gunshots pierced the air. TRUMP REVEALS CRUCIAL, SPLIT-SECOND MOMENT THAT SAVED HIS LIFE DURING BUTLER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT Moments later, Trump ducked, and Secret Service agents rushed to his side. More gunshots followed, and attendees fearfully screamed while Trump remained covered, waiting for the all-clear sign. Once given the green light, Secret Service personnel rose alongside Trump to escort him from the stage. But Trump didn’t hide himself from his supporters. Instead, he emerged from the huddle, raised his fist high in the air, and said “fight” three times, prompting the audience to erupt and chant “U-S-A!” as he exited. Ultimately, 20-year-old gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks fired eight bullets at Trump from a rooftop during the rally, with a bullet grazing Trump’s ear. The gunman also killed Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old firefighter, father and husband attending the rally, and injured two others. A Secret Service sniper killed Crooks during the shooting, and an FBI investigation remains in progress. No motive has been determined for why Crooks conducted the attack. Classmates of Crooks have described him as a “loner” subjected to bullying, and the FBI told reporters in August 2024 that Crooks likely suffered from an undiagnosed disorder. FIRST RESPONDERS SIT DOWN WITH WIDOW OF FIREFIGHTER KILLED AT BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA, TRUMP RALLY “It was unforgettable,” Trump said during an exclusive interview clip that aired Thursday on “My View with Lara Trump.” “I didn’t know exactly what was going on. I got a whack. “People were screaming, and I got down quickly, fortunately, because I think they shot eight bullets.” Trump’s chief of staff Susie Wiles, who then served as Trump’s campaign co-chair, said she initially believed Trump had been killed. “You think the worst,” Wiles said in an interview that dropped Wednesday with Miranda Devine on “Pod Force One.” “You cannot – it’s human – you can’t think otherwise. And when he stood up, I thought, ‘Oh my gosh.’” Wiles recounted that, due to the immigration chart, Trump had just moved his head slightly at the time of the ambush, a key adjustment in Trump’s posture as Crooks started to fire at him. TRUMP CHIEF OF STAFF SUSIE WILES RECOUNTS BUTLER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, THOUGHT PRESIDENT WAS DEAD AT FIRST “So, to have him ask for that chart, eight minutes in, and to have it come on the side that was opposite, caused him to look in a different direction and lift his head just a little because it was higher, and that just doesn’t happen because it happened,” she said. “But it was a scary time, and it changed everything for us. The security became front and center, which it hadn’t been before.” The attack led to an overhaul of the Secret Service in the past year to prevent another attack like the one in Pennsylvania. The Department of Homeland Security issued a report in October 2024, which determined that if the Secret Service didn’t enact reforms, another episode like the one in Pennsylvania was possible. “The Secret Service does not perform at the elite levels needed to discharge its critical mission,” the report said. “The Secret Service has become bureaucratic, complacent, and static even though risks have multiplied and technology has evolved.” Since then, the Secret Service has ushered in several key reforms to bolster its security measures and suspended six of its agents due to their response at Butler. TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AFTERMATH, REACTIONS FROM INNER CIRCLE REVEALED IN NEW BOOK Trump spoke about the attempt on his life days later at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, wearing a bandage on his ear and telling audience members he was “not supposed to be here tonight.” In response, the crowd started to chant back, “Yes you are!” “Many people say it was a providential moment. Probably was,” Trump said at the convention. “When I rose, surrounded by Secret Service, the crowd was confused because they thought I was dead. And there was great, great sorrow. I could see that on their faces. “As I looked out, they didn’t know I was looking out. They thought it was over. But I could see it. I wanted to do something to let them know I was OK. I raised my right arm, looked at the thousands and thousands of people that were breathlessly waiting and started shouting, ‘Fight, fight, fight.’” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Today, a painting depicting Trump’s fist raised with blood smeared across his face stands in the White House’s entrance hall. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital Friday that “God spared President Trump’s life by a miraculous millimeter.” “Now one year later, President Trump is standing stronger than ever as he continues to ‘fight, fight, fight’ for the American people,” Leavitt said.
Alcaraz vs Sinner: Tennis champions set to resume rivalry at Wimbledon 2025
Wimbledon, United Kingdom – Expectations will run high, and so will the temperatures in southwest London, when Carlos Alcaraz steps on Centre Court to defend his Wimbledon title against Jannik Sinner on Sunday. The next instalment of an enthralling rivalry between the top two players in men’s tennis will come under the limelight once again at one of the biggest stages in the game – the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club – on a hot afternoon in the United Kingdom’s capital. Two-time Wimbledon champion Alcaraz expects to be pushed to the limit by world number one Sinner in a meeting that has already drawn comparisons with the great Wimbledon finals of the modern era. “I expect to be on the limit, to be on the line [in the final],” Alcaraz said while speaking to the media moments after Sinner’s near-faultless semifinal 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 win over Novak Djokovic on Friday. A few hours earlier, the Spaniard had booked a spot in his third consecutive Wimbledon final with a resilient performance against Taylor Fritz, which brought him a 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) win. It will be the 13th on-court meeting between the two, and their second Grand Slam final in the space of five weeks. Their duel in the French Open final lasted five hours and 29 minutes and added fuel to the fiery-yet-friendly rivalry between the young tennis stars. 🚨 THE REMATCH IS HAPPENING 🚨@janniksin will face @carlosalcaraz in the Wimbledon final on Sunday!@Wimbledon | #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/JedFZHXoZL — ATP Tour (@atptour) July 11, 2025 Advertisement A French Open final repeat on the cards? Alcaraz knows his opponent all too well and expects nothing short of another spectacle. “Whatever Jannik has is because he has learned from everything – he just gets better after every match, every day,” Alcaraz said of the top seed. The Spaniard said he expected Sinner to be in better shape mentally and physically for the Wimbledon final, but that he was not looking forward to another hours-long match. “I just hope not to be five and a half hours on court again. But if I have to, I will.” Meanwhile, Sinner – the tall, stoic and speedy Italian who stands between Alcaraz and a chance to become only the fifth man to win three straight Wimbledon titles – believes beating the holder will be “very tough”. “I’m very happy to share the court with Carlos once again. It’s going to be difficult, I know that,” Sinner said on Friday. The Australian Open champion said he loves playing Grand Slam finals – Sunday’s will be his fifth in two years. “I always try to put myself in these kinds of situations that I really love. Sundays at every tournament are very special.” The 23-year-old from northern Italy termed Alcaraz as the favourite, given his record at the tournament and on grass courts. “He is the favourite. He won here the last two times. He’s again in the final. It’s very tough to beat him on grass, but I like these challenges.” Alcaraz and Sinner after their epic French Open final [File: Susan Mullane/Imagn Images via Reuters] ‘Fire vs ice’ Out of the 12 occasions that both players have met, four have been at Grand Slams, but this is only their second meeting in the final. The pair’s only other meeting at Wimbledon came in the fourth round in 2022, when Sinner won 6-1, 6-4, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3. Alcaraz, however, brushed aside the reference by saying that both men are changed players from what they were three years ago. “We’re completely different players on grass and on all surfaces.” The 22-year-old from Murcia, in southeastern Spain, will be buoyed by his 5-0 record against Sinner in the past two years. Despite Alcaraz’s success against his nemesis, it is Sinner who has consistently topped the men’s rankings by racking up regular wins and points on the ATP circuit. All things considered, there is not much that separates the two ahead of their highly anticipated match. Just ask Djokovic. While the 24-time Grand Slam champion picked Alcaraz due to his past success at Wimbledon, Djokovic predicted “a very close match-up, like they had in Paris” when asked to choose a winner. Advertisement “I think I will give a slight edge to Carlos because of the two titles he’s won here and the way he’s playing and the confidence he has right now, but it’s just a slight advantage, because Jannik is hitting the ball extremely well.” It is not just their contrasting styles of play – Sinner relies on his baseline game and shot speed, while Alcaraz likes to cover the court with his nimble footwork and excellent coverage – but also their on-court personalities that set the two apart while making them an engaging pair to watch. Before the French Open final, Alcaraz said in an interview that a “fire vs ice” analogy fits them perfectly. “I guess you can say I am like fire because of the way I react on court and show emotions, while Jannik remains calm,” the Spaniard said with his trademark smile. Alcaraz is never shy of showing his emotions on court [File: Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters] In the shadow of the greats For the fans, though, the pair offer another chance to pick sides and look forward to tennis tournaments that could pit the two against each other. “It’s a dream final,” Catherine Shaw, a tennis fan who watched both the men’s semifinals on Centre Court, told Al Jazeera. “They are the next big thing when it comes to tennis rivalries, so it’s exciting times for tennis fans.” Stepping out in the shadows of some of the greatest players and rivals – Stefan Edberg vs Ivan Lendl, Bjorn Borg vs John McEnroe, Andre Agassi vs Pete Sampras and Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer – the young players will have big shoes to fill. Both are aware of the weight their match-up carries but refuse to be compared with their heroes just
North Korea’s Kim voices ‘unconditional’ support for Russia in Ukraine
Kim Jong Un stresses Pyongyang-Moscow alliance during Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit to North Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has told Russia’s top diplomat that Pyongyang is ready to “unconditionally support” all actions taken by Moscow in its war on Ukraine, state media reports, as the two countries held high-level strategic talks. Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov is on a three-day visit to North Korea, which has provided troops and arms for Russia’s war on Ukraine and pledged more military support as Moscow tries to make advances in the conflict. Kim met Lavrov in the eastern coastal city of Wonsan, where Lavrov and his North Korean counterpart, Choe Son Hui, held their second strategic dialogue, pledging further cooperation under a partnership treaty signed last year that includes a mutual defence pact. Kim told Lavrov the steps taken by the allies in response to radically evolving global geopolitics would contribute greatly to securing peace and security around the world, North Korea’s state news agency KCNA reported. “Kim Jong Un reaffirmed the DPRK is ready to unconditionally support and encourage all the measures taken by the Russian leadership as regards the tackling of the root cause of the Ukrainian crisis,” KCNA said, using the acronym for the country’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted a video on Telegram of the two men shaking hands and greeting each other with a hug. The North Korean leader also expressed a “firm belief that the Russian army and people would surely win victory in accomplishing the sacred cause of defending the dignity and basic interests of the country”. Advertisement The two men otherwise discussed “important matters for faithfully implementing the agreements made at the historic DPRK-Russia summit talks in June 2024”, KCNA said. Relations between Russia and North Korea have deepened dramatically during the last two years of the war in Ukraine, which started with Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022, with Pyongyang deploying more than 10,000 troops and arms to back Moscow. The two heavily sanctioned nations signed a military deal last year, including a mutual defence clause, during a rare visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to North Korea. Lavrov told Kim that Putin “hopes for continued direct contacts in the very near future”, according to the Russian state news agency TASS. Ahead of the visit, Russia announced that it would begin twice-a-week flights between Moscow and Pyongyang. Lavrov lauded Wonsan as “a good tourist attraction”, adding: “We hope it will be popular not only with local citizens, but also with Russians.” Adblock test (Why?)
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,235
Here are the key events on day 1,235 of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Here is how things stand on Sunday, July 13: Fighting Ukrainian officials said Russian air attacks overnight on Saturday killed at least two people in the western city of Chernivtsi and wounded 38 others across Ukraine. The raids also damaged civilian infrastructure from Kharkiv and Sumy in the northeast to Lviv, Lutsk and Chernivtsi in the west. The Russian Ministry of Defence said it attacked companies in Ukraine’s military-industrial complex in Lviv, Kharkiv and Lutsk, as well as a military aerodrome. The United Nations Human Rights monitoring mission in Ukraine said that June saw the highest monthly civilian casualties in three years, with 232 people killed and 1,343 injured. In Russia, a man was killed in the Belgorod region after a shell struck a private house, according to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. Politics and diplomacy North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told visiting Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov that his country was ready to “unconditionally support” all actions taken by Moscow in Ukraine. Earlier, Lavrov held talks with his North Korean counterpart, Choe Son Hui, in Wonsan, and they issued a joint statement pledging support to safeguard the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of each other’s countries, according to North Korean state media. Lavrov also warned the United States, South Korea and Japan against forming “alliances directed against anyone, including North Korea and, of course, Russia”. Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, said his government hoped to reach an agreement with the European Union and its partners on guarantees that Slovakia would not suffer from the end of Russian gas supplies by Tuesday. Slovakia has been blocking the EU’s 18th sanctions package on Russia over its disagreement with a proposal to end all imports of Russian gas from 2028. Slovakia, which gets the majority of its gas from Russian supplier Gazprom under a long-term deal valid until 2034, argues the move could cause shortages, a rise in prices and transit fees, and lead to damage claims. Russia blamed Western sanctions for the collapse of its agreement with the UN to facilitate exports of Russian food and fertilisers. The three-year agreement was signed in 2022 in a bid to rein in global food prices. Advertisement Weapons Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv was “close to reaching a multilevel agreement” with the US “on new Patriot systems and missiles for them”. Ukraine was stepping up production of its own interceptor systems, he added. Adblock test (Why?)
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