Russian President Vladimir Putin pushed back at prospects for European leaders to help negotiate an end to his war in Ukraine, dismissing them as mediators and pointedly insisting on a peace deal he said had been worked out with Donald Trump in Alaska.
Leaked emails and messages revealed King Charles harbored private concerns about hosting President Donald Trump for a U.K. state visit, primarily due to Trump and Vice President JD Vance's February 2025 ridiculing of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over perceived ingratitude for American support. "Multiple senior Whitehall sources have told this newspaper that the King was reticent about hosting Trump at this time because of his treatment of Zelensky," The i Paper reported.A source claimed the King felt jittery about Trump's appearance, while another alleged the King did not want to host Trump at all.Officials scrambled to address royal reservations, fearing a diplomatic crisis if the monarch snubbed Trump. Leaked correspondence between then-U.S. Ambassador Peter Mandelson and Foreign Office officials in March 2025 documented behind-the-scenes efforts to alleviate Charles's concerns, reports The i Paper.The King's worries reflected broader anxieties about U.S. commitment to Ukraine amid the ongoing war.According to the British media outlet, Mandelson's messages indicated he coordinated with senior civil servants and discussed the matter with Prime Minister Keir Starmer during weekly audiences with the King.Watch the video below. Your browser does not support the video tag.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent spent the past two days testifying before lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Bessent appeared before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday and the House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday. It was the first time he addressed the panels since the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed into law in July […]
The U.S. official overseeing President Trump’s controversial White House ballroom project led an official delegation to Russia’s premier economic forum, underscoring the president’s outreach to Moscow as Russian President Vladimir Putin escalates the war against Ukraine. Rodney Mims Cook Jr., who serves as chair of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, is attending the St.…
Oil industry executives have reportedly warned the Trump administration that energy prices are likely to spike even more as reserves hurtle closer to a danger point.Gas prices have already risen sharply as a result of the blockade by both the U.S. and Iran on the trade route through which much of the world's oil travels, the Strait of Hormuz.'I hope they are paying attention to inventories right now. You're hitting tank bottom.'According to a Politico report, four executives confirmed that officials of the U.S. energy industry informed the administration that backup oil reserves are being depleted quickly."We're at dangerously low levels already," said an industry executive who requested anonymity. "We have shared those concerns at the highest levels of government about what's coming in mid-to-late June. ... I hope they are paying attention to inventories right now. You're hitting tank bottom."However, a White House official flatly denied the Politico report."Politico's anonymous sources are wrong," the official said.The report was supported by recent public statements from ExxonMobil, Chevron, and other oil companies about depleted oil backup resources.Gas prices have risen on average by an astounding 42.9%, according to statistics from the Automobile Association of America. A gallon of gas cost just under $3 before the war started, reached as high as $4.50, and has settled recently at $4.26.Exxon's senior vice president, Neil Chapman, said at an investor conference that crude oil prices could hit $150 or $160 a barrel once reserves run out."You can debate whether that's going to hit those really low levels in two weeks or three weeks. Once you get to that point, then you'll see prices shoot up," he said.Another oil executive commented to Politico about Chapman's statement."The administration has already been told that," the executive said. "Don't think that an open strait is going to mean your July 4 gasoline bill isn't going to be higher than what it is today. It's going to be."Others expressed surprise that the oil price shock hadn't hit already.RELATED: Gavin Newsom tries to blame gas companies for high gas prices — and gets NUKED by community note The Trump administration points to policy changes it has made to alleviate oil prices, including a waiver to the Jones Act."President Trump and his energy team anticipated short-term market disruptions, communicated them openly to the American people, and implemented an aggressive plan to mitigate any impacts," reads a statement from Taylor Rogers, a White House spokesperson. "President Trump will never allow Iran to possess a nuclear weapon, and he will continue to advance America's core national security interests."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!