US President Donald Trump answered questions from reporters on the White House lawn before his trip to Nebraska as part of his campaign efforts ahead of the midterm elections.
When asked about the diesel shortage caused by Ukraine's attacks on oil refinery facilities in Russia, Trump said, "We have discussed this with them. I think they are slowing down the attacks. But this situation is causing a lot of problems. The problem is the lack of refineries. Huge amounts of oil are coming through the Strait of Hormuz. That is very good. But because of the war, we have a shortage of refineries."
When asked about the possibility of restarting trade negotiations with Canada before the midterm elections, Trump said, "I don't know. Canada treats the US very badly. I don't know. We caught them red-handed. They impose many tariffs that no one but me knows about. Things will work out in the end. But I don't know. I'm in no hurry." Trump added, "All we want from Canada is for them to be fair. They are not being fair to the US and they have been taking advantage of us for years."
He confirmed that bombers were withdrawn from the UK "due to a threat"
When asked if the US withdrawal of bombers from the UK was carried out due to a specific threat, Trump replied, "Yes, I think we can say that. They didn't just fly away from there by coincidence. There were some threats." Trump said, "Instead of encouraging the enemy to attack, we will catch and defeat them. But why should we leave them there? That's why we moved them a little bit. We didn't pull them back too far."
When asked if he was open to direct talks with the Iranians, Trump replied, "Yes, always."
When asked what he thought about Saudi Arabia's joint offensive with Yemeni government forces against the Houthis, Trump responded, "Everything will turn out very well."
"Yes, they are Iran-linked"
When asked about the possibility that Iran had brought combat drones to the UK, Trump replied, "I cannot tell you that. But if they did such a thing, they will pay a very heavy price."
When asked about the nature of the threat that caused the US to withdraw its bombers from the UK, Trump responded, "We had information that there could be a threat. Why should we leave them there? Moving them somewhere relatively close costs very little money. But yes, there was a threat, and when there is a threat, we move them elsewhere." Trump added, "We also know the people who posed the threat, and they have created big problems for themselves."
When asked if the source of the threat was linked to Iran, the US President replied, "Yes, they are Iran-linked."
He announced that they are investigating the plague outbreak in Russia "very seriously"
When asked about his concerns regarding the outbreak in Russia, Trump said, "Yes, I am concerned. It is called pneumonic plague. Pneumonia used to be a disease we could control, but somehow the germs have become more resistant and smarter. They are like an army. The germs have really become stronger than before. Treatments that used to work against pneumonia are no longer as effective."
When asked what would be done against the risk of the plague spreading from Russia, Trump replied, "We are looking into the matter very seriously. We just heard about it." Expressing that the US is ready to provide aid to Russia, Trump said, "We will help them. We will provide as much help as we can."
Regarding gasoline prices, Trump said, "Gasoline prices are falling very fast. They will fall rapidly when the war is over. And the war will end very soon. This war, one way or another, will end very soon. As you know, we are producing record amounts of oil from the Strait of Hormuz. One of the problems we are currently experiencing is that the refineries in Russia are being hit very hard. The effect of this is seen in diesel. Not in regular gasoline, but in diesel. So this is a problem."
Stating that Europe is releasing its diesel stocks due to this problem, Trump said, "Everyone is working together, oil prices are falling. The good part is that Iran will never have nuclear weapons."
When asked for his comment on Lithuania's invitation to the US to establish a permanent American base in the country, Trump said, "They are our friends and wonderful people. So we will definitely consider it."
When asked if Iran was responsible for the attack on the Flydubai flight, Trump replied, "Yes, I personally think so."
With this statement, Trump contradicted US Vice President JD Vance, who made statements on the same subject today. Speaking to reporters before departing for Alaska today, Vice President Vance had said that he had not seen definitive evidence that Iran played a role in the incident.
News Source: 12punto
