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Trump's foreign policy tested by Israel, Russia

9 6
29.07.2025

In today's issue:

▪ Trump mixes policy, business in Scotland

▪ Midterm campaigns kick into high gear

▪ Tariff deadlines test global economy

▪ EPA leans into climate change denial

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President Trump faces twin challenges to his foreign policy sway as he prepares to return to Washington today after upping pressure on Russia for a ceasefire and breaking with Israel over the Gaza hunger crisis.

The president is in Scotland on the last leg of a multi-day trip that saw him clinch a major trade agreement with the European Union, meet with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, help negotiate a ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia — and play plenty of golf at his courses.

Today, Trump is in Aberdeen in northeast Scotland, where he participated in a ribbon-cutting this morning for the new Trump International Golf Links. Amid the trade deals and negotiations, the mix of business and personal commitments has become a signature for Trump, drawing some criticism.

"I look forward to playing it today," Trump said Tuesday at the new course. "We'll play it very quickly and then I go back to D.C. and we put out fires all over the world. We did one yesterday ... We stopped a war, we've stopped about five wars. That's much more important than playing golf."

Follow along here for live updates from The Hill.

The Hill’s Niall Stanage breaks down five key takeaways from Trump’s Scotland trip.

HUMANITARIAN CRISIS: Trump on Monday acknowledged “real starvation” is happening in Gaza, as he and other world leaders face mounting pressure to address the hunger crisis in the besieged enclave.

In a break with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump told reporters he did “not particularly” agree with Netanyahu’s claim that there was no starvation in Gaza. The president also said the U.S. would take a more active role in getting food into the region.

European leaders have in recent days called for recognizing a Palestinian state and increasing efforts to get aid into Gaza, which has been devastated amid Israel’s war against Hamas. Israel over the weekend announced daily pauses in fighting to allow aid.

NBC News: The "worst-case scenario of famine" is unfolding in Gaza under Israel's offensive, the global authority on hunger says.

The New York Times: Britain is actively weighing the recognition of a Palestinian state, in a shift driven by pressure over starvation in Gaza.

Trump said Monday a ceasefire in Gaza "is possible" but "you have to end it." Hamas does not "want to give the hostages," the president said. "I told Bibi that he will have to now maybe do it in a different way," Trump added, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname.

According to the United Nations' World Food Programme, a third of Gaza's population of about 2 million go for days without eating. Hundreds of thousands of people live in "famine-like conditions." The World Health Organization said Sunday there have been 63 deaths from malnutrition in Gaza this month, 25 of whom were children.

For Trump, whose foreign policy approach is defined by a transactional dealmaking strategy, the starvation unfolding in Gaza provides a key test of whether his America First foreign policy can confront the crisis.

“That’s real starvation stuff, I see it, and you can’t fake that,” Trump said Monday, acknowledging he had seen pictures of malnourished children in Gaza. “We have to get the kids fed.”

CNN: What to know about the starvation crisis in Gaza as experts warn current aid isn't enough.

The Atlantic: Food aid in Gaza has become a horror.

The Times of Israel: At an event in Ohio, Vice President Vance lamented the “heartbreaking cases” of children starving to death in Gaza and said Israel must do more to get aid into the Strip.

© The Hill