Overnight reports: Trump's sanctions loom, Uganda cuts ties, tensions rise
It happened overnight. Here's what global agencies reported from the night of Monday to Tuesday. Donald Trump might impose sanctions on Russia later this week, the Ugandan army has cut ties with Germany, and North Korea has condemned Washington's plan to create an anti-missile defence system called the "Golden Dome".
- Donald Trump is considering imposing sanctions on Russia, which will likely not include the banking sector. Other forms of pressure are being considered, targeting Putin himself.
- North Korea criticises the plan to create a "Golden Dome" over the USA. According to Pyongyang, such an anti-missile defence system is an attempt to implement an "outer space nuclear war scenario".
- The Ugandan army (UPDF) announced the suspension of cooperation with Germany. Previously, Ambassador Mathias Schauer was accused of subversive activities and incompetence.
Has Putin gone too far? Media: Trump may impose sanctions
Donald Trump seems to be losing patience with Vladimir Putin. According to "The Wall Street Journal", the US President may introduce new sanctions against Russia later this week.
According to reports from the "WSJ", Trump is disappointed with Vladimir Putin's actions regarding Ukraine and the slow progress of peace talks.
As the newspaper's sources report, although the new sanctions will likely not include the banking sector, other forms of pressure are being considered, targeting Putin himself. All efforts are intended to prompt him to make concessions, including accepting a 30-day ceasefire supported by Ukraine but rejected by Russia.
The Ugandan army is angry at the German ambassador. Accusations were made
The Ugandan army (UPDF) announced on Sunday the suspension of all defence and military cooperation with Germany after accusing the country's ambassador, Mathias Schauer, of subversive activities and incompetence.
Colonel Chris Magezi explained enigmatically that this decision follows "credible intelligence reports" and added that the suspension of these relations will remain in effect until a "full resolution" is reached regarding the alleged ties of Schauer with "hostile pseudo-political-military forces" operating against the Ugandan government.
According to Reuters, the German Foreign Ministry spokesperson responded at a press conference in Berlin on Monday, stating that these accusations by Kampala are unfounded and added that there was no formalised military cooperation between Berlin and Kampala.
North Korea criticises Trump's major project
North Korea condemned on Tuesday the plan of US President Donald Trump's administration to create the "Golden Dome" missile defence system. The Institute of American Studies of the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the project as a "very dangerous and threatening initiative".
Pyongyang's criticism comes a week after Donald Trump announced a plan to allocate $175 (€153) billion to build the missile defence system by the end of his term. Washington justifies this initiative with the necessity to counter evolving threats from North Korea, China, and Russia.
According to Pyongyang, the US plan is an attempt to implement an "outer space nuclear war scenario". The Institute accused Washington of aiming for "an outer space nuclear war scenario supporting the U.S. strategy for uni-polar domination with the preemptive establishment of the outer space-based military substructure".
Tensions between Germany and Israel. Chancellor Merz lost patience
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticised Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip. "To cause such suffering to the civilian population, as has increasingly been the case in recent days, can no longer be justified by the fight against Hamas terrorism," Merz said on Monday in Berlin.
The Chancellor added that Germany must be more restrained than any other country in the world when it comes to giving public advice to Israel. "But when borders are crossed, when international humanitarian law is really being violated, the German chancellor must also say something about it," Merz said during the Europaforum 2025 conference.
Merz emphasised the partnership between Germany and Israel. "But the Israeli government must not do anything that its best friends are no longer prepared to accept," said the German Chancellor.
