Trump live: Trump signs $200bn Qatar deal after hailing meeting with Syria’s ‘young, attractive’ president – UK Times

Donald Trump shook hands with Syria’s Islamist ruler on Wednesday – the first encounter between the two nations’ leaders in 25 years and a potential turning point for Damascus as it struggles to emerge from decades of international isolation.

The US president warmly greeted former al-Qaeda fighter Ahmed al-Sharaa in a historic meeting unthinkable only a few months ago.

Celebrations broke out in Damascus and other towns across Syria on Tuesday after Trump announced that he would remove decades-old U.S. sanctions on the country.

During the remarks at the state dinner, Trump made some comments regarding Iran.

“The non-friendly is a violent course and I don’t want that… They have to get moving. They have to make that decision. It’s their decision,” said the president.

Trump has previously said he wants a deal with Iran to stop it from getting a nuclear weapon.

He appealed to Qatar for help.

“I hope you can help me with the Iran situation,” he said. “It’s a perilous situation, and we want to do the right thing. We want to do … something that’s going to save maybe millions of lives. Because things like that get started, and they get out of control. I’ve seen it over and over again. They go to war, and things get out of control, and we’re not going to let that happen.”

The Emir spoke about making massive investments in the U.S., he mentioned Qatar’s trade deficit, and said the country likes “drill baby drill,” a phrase Trump has used as a campaign slogan.

“Our newly announced projects and investments will amount to $1.2 trillion, and these days, I’m so grateful for the trade deficit we have with you, because the surplus swings in your favor. That’s also why Scott Bessent is chill,” he said.

“I prayed for your recovery and your safety,” the Emir said regarding the assassination attempt against Trump last summer.

He also requested that Trump use American “leverage” to end the fighting in Gaza.

He commended Trump for picking staff who are “loyal to your country and loyal to your cause.”

“For all of us in the room, this stop was no mystery,” he said. “Yes, the United States is a superpower, boasting the largest economy and military force in history. Meanwhile, Qatar is one of the smallest countries with one of the smallest populations, and as the Americans in the room know, D.C. is almost 7000 miles away from here, but my friends, small nations have their own superpowers, resilience, nimbleness — and we are a powerful agent for peace precisely because of our size.”

“This is a home. This is a serious home,” Trump said of the palace.

“It’s just a perfect evening,” he added.

“Your country now stands as a hub [of] global commerce, acts as a key diplomatic force on the world stage, and has even hosted the World Cup. People said, Oh, the World Cup,” Trump said.

“He’s coming to the United States. Great job you do Gianni,” the president said of the FIFA president.

Instead, the Russian leader challenged Volodymyr Zelensky to direct talks in Istanbul “without any preconditions” on Thursday. If they go ahead, it would be the first meeting between the leaders since December 2019.

After brief initial reticence – and a few goading social media posts by Donald Trump – the Ukrainian leader called Moscow’s bluff by confirming that he will indeed attend in person.

“I strongly support Derek Chauvin being pardoned and released from prison,” the MAGA congresswoman posted on X on Wednesday, adding her voice to a growing MAGA push for his release. “George Floyd died of a drug overdose.”

Read more from Joe Sommerlad:

Donald Trump’s administration is pointing to an increase in tourism under Taliban-controlled Afghanistan to justify the cancellation of humanitarian protections for more than 11,000 Afghans in the United States.

On Monday, the administration announced plans to strip temporary legal status to roughly 11,700 Afghans who fled the country following the U.S. withdrawal in 2021, which led to the evacuation of tens of thousands of people in the wake of the devastating years-long war.

Read more from Alex Woodward:

Donald Trump is the most powerful and famous person on the planet, at the helm of the biggest economy and the strongest military.

But on his trip to the Middle East this week, the American president is sounding more than a little envious of his Arab hosts.

He admired the marble in the Qatari palace as “perfecto” and “very hard to buy.” He praised the “gleaming marvels” of the skyline in Saudi Arabia. And he groused about the “much smaller” and “much less impressive” plane that is Air Force One.

Chris Megerian and Zeke Miller report:

In the atrium of the Lusail Palace, Trump looked over at the press and spread his arms out.

“Nice house! Nice house!” he said.

Then he and the Qatari leader walked over to greet a receiving line of people, which stretched into a hallway.

There was a large number of people in traditional Qatari dress, but also a significant number of people in Western suits.

Among them was Chris Ruddy, the founder of Newsmax; Antonio Gracias, a close friend of Elon Musk’s; and the British journalist Piers Morgan.

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg was also seen, along with Fox News anchor Bret Baier and Patrick Soon-Shiong, the medical investor and Los Angeles Times owner.

Elon Musk arrived more than 30 minutes into the greetings and cut in line to get to the front. Steve Schwarzman, the CEO of Blackstone, seemed to come with Musk.

Steve Witkoff, Stephen Miller, Pete Hegseth, and Scott Bessent went through the line as did several White House officials, including Susie Wiles, James Blair, Karoline Leavitt, and Margo Martin.

Towards the end of the line was Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA. The organization handed the World Cup to Qatar in 2022 and awarded it to the United States for 2026.

“Thank you very much, everybody,” Trump said to the press before departing.