Suicide bombers detonate and breach wall of a military facility in Pakistan’s northwest

KYIV: Ukraine on Tuesday sought to maintain bonds with Washington after President Donald Trump ordered US military aid deliveries be suspended following a public clash with counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump’s stunning decision strengthened fears in Ukraine and in many European capitals that America was pivoting away from its allies — and toward Moscow.
“Ukraine is absolutely determined to continue cooperation with the US,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal told reporters, adding: “The US is an important partner and we need to preserve this.”
US and Western security guarantees were “existentially important” for Ukraine and for Europe, he said, adding Kyiv was ready “at any time” to sign a strategic minerals extraction deal demanded by Trump.
The prime minister’s outreach followed Trump’s decision, which sent shockwaves across Ukraine, but which was also hailed by Moscow.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was a “solution which could really push the Kyiv regime to a peace process.”
“If the United States stops (military supplies), this would probably be the best contribution to peace,” Peskov said.
The European Union, which along with Ukraine, has been excluded from US-Russian negotiations toward a potential truce in Ukraine, has been scrambling to up its support for Kyiv.
That urgency heightened on Friday, when Trump and Zelensky clashed in the White House, with Trump warning his Ukrainian counterpart “won’t be around very long” without a ceasefire deal with Moscow.
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday presented an EU plan to mobilize some 800 billion euros ($840 billion) for Europe’s defense.
She said the funding would permit EU countries to “massively step up their support to Ukraine” and provide “immediate military equipment for Ukraine.”
Poland’s government noted that America’s decision was made without consulting NATO allies, and the impact was already being seen at a weapons and aid logistics hub for Ukraine it hosts.
“Reports coming in from the border, as well as from our (logistics) hub... also confirm the announcements made by the American side,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said without elaborating.
The US pause has gone into effect immediately and impacts hundreds of millions of dollars of weaponry in the process of being sent to Ukraine, The New York Times reported.
Ordinary Ukrainians who spoke to AFP were shocked and angry at what they viewed as a betrayal by Trump.
“It’s like a stab in the back,” a 33-year-old financial assistant in Kyiv who gave only her first name, Sofia, told AFP.
Trump “wants Ukraine’s surrender, the deaths of our people, the surrender of our territories,” one army volunteer, Sergiy Sternenko, said on Telegram.
With the US aid pause, “everything can change,” a 48-year-old military recruiter in Kyiv, Volodymyr Perkhrest, told AFP. “I don’t think Europe is able to meet these needs,” he said.
Ukraine’s prime minister vowed in a news conference that “we will do everything to hold out” despite the US aid cut.
A Zelensky aide, Mykhailo Pdolyak, said on X his country was “discussing options with our European partners.”
Zelensky has yet to comment publicly on the halt of the US aid.
Last week, he visited Washington to sign the multi-billion-dollar minerals deal — but ended up not doing so after his showdown with Trump and US Vice President JD Vance.
Trump — who has labelled Zelensky a “dictator” — said Ukraine should be “more appreciative” of US support.
Zelensky has accused Trump of succumbing to “a disinformation space” created by Russia, which he says is not serious about pursuing peace.
Ukraine is seeking tough security guarantees around an end to the war.
With the United States opposing its bid to join NATO, Kyiv is turning to other measures backed by Western countries.
After weekend crisis talks in London, Britain and France are investigating how to propose a one-month Ukraine-Russia truce “in the air, at sea and on energy infrastructure” — potentially backstopped by troops on the ground.

Jakarta: Indonesia is targeting the Saudi market to expand its modest fashion exports, the Ministry of Industry said on Tuesday, as it expects more opportunities from the growth of the garment industry in the Middle East.

Southeast Asia’s biggest economy was ranked third in the world for modest fashion, according to the 2023/24 Global Islamic Economy Report, just behind Turkiye and Malaysia. In 2024, Indonesian consumers bought more than $20 billion worth of modest fashion products, with the industry’s average annual growth estimated at about 18 percent.

Jakarta is hoping to tap into the sector’s global potential by developing its domestic modest fashion market and boosting exports to other Muslim countries, especially in the Middle East. 

“Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest markets for modest fashion in the world. It’s because of their large Muslim population and high purchasing power,” Reni Yanita, director-general for small and medium industries at the Ministry of Industry, told Arab News. 

“The consumer preference in Saudi Arabia leans toward modest fashion products that are high-quality, fashionable and in adherence to Islamic principles, which give huge opportunities for Indonesian products.” 

Modest fashion brands in the world’s largest Muslim majority country have benefited from the popularity of digital platforms, which enable them to use e-commerce sites to reach buyers in different parts of the country. 

The Indonesian government has also supported the industry’s growth through trade roadshows, by facilitating networking opportunities with potential foreign partners and sponsoring major events, including the Muslim Fashion Festival last month. 

Indonesia sees big opportunities in the Saudi fashion market, which was valued at $4.25 billion in 2024 and expected to reach $5.7 billion by 2030, according to Irish data company Research and Markets. 

The Kingdom’s growing fashion market reflected a trend in the Middle East, where the garment industry is valued at about $89 billion. 

“With the huge potential of the Middle East market, it will surely have a positive impact on Indonesia’s economic growth … (as we) can increase the exports of Indonesian goods, including modest fashion products,” Yanita said. 

“Economic cooperation with countries in the Middle East will also enhance our various bilateral relations and further increase investment in Indonesia.”